The Simple 4 Gift Method + Care's Gift Guide For 3 Budgets & 3 Ages - With Love Me Do Baby
The holidays can feel overwhelming, with the need to buy buy buy and spend spend spend. It can be hard to know where to start, and more importantly, where to stop! I like to use a simple method for gift giving with a goal of buying less, buying right, and giving thoughtfully. With just 4 simple categories (+1 extra our family added), you can check your kids off your list quickly, and on any budget!
The holidays can feel overwhelming, with the need to buy buy buy and spend spend spend. It can be hard to know where to start, and more importantly, where to stop! I like to use a simple method for gift giving with a goal of buying less, buying right, and giving thoughtfully. With just 4 simple categories (+1 extra our family added), you can check your kids off your list quickly, and on any budget!
To make gifting easy stick to the little rhyme: "Something You Want, Something You Need, Something To Wear, Something To Read.”
These 4 gifts are more than enough (plus one from the big guy in red). Our kids get lots of gifts from other relatives, and really don’t need much. Our family added a 5th gift “Something To Give” to ensure we’re each finding ways to support our community, and give back during the holiday season, and throughout the year. See below for some of my favourite charity’s to support.
I’ve partnered with Love Me Do Baby & Maternity, one of my favourite local shops, to bring you examples of how you can shop for 3 different age ranges, and 3 budgets using this simple method. Scroll down to check it out. Simply click the images to shop any of the products you love. You can always mix and match at the price points that works for you.
As a little something special, make sure you use code: WithCare online or in-store for 250 bonus Love Me Do Loyalty Points (points = future purchases!) when you spend $50 this holiday season.
Infant Gifting $50 Budget
Toddler Gifting $50 Budget
Little Kid Gifting $50 Budget
Infant Gifting $150 Budget
Toddler Gifting $150 Budget
Little Kid Gifting $150 Budget
Infant Gifting $250 Budget
Toddler Gifting $250 Budget
Little Kid Gifting $250 Budget
Something To Give - Any Budget!
If you’re looking for a local charity to support this holiday season check out 3 of my favourites that focus on helping vulnerable populations in our community.
I hope this simple 4 gift method helps you with your holiday gifting, no matter what your budget is! Please leave any questions or comments below, and make sure to check out my 7 Stocking Stuffer Essentials, my Guide To The Best Teacher’s Gifts Under $30, and my 6 Last Minute DIY Holiday Gifts for more ideas. Happy Holidays!
- Care
Care's Guide To The Best Teacher Gifts Under $30
If you’re headed out to grab a little something for your kid’s teacher, care provider, or even for a fun holiday gift exchange, make sure to check this out. These are 4 of my absolute favourite gifts to give, and ones that have been very well received. With a price point of $20-$30 each, they’re all relatively budget friendly, and very practical. Plus these unique gifts are a nice departure from some of the typical presents teacher’s get every year.
If you’re headed out to grab a little something for your kid’s teacher, care provider, or even for a fun holiday gift exchange, make sure to check this out. These are 4 of my absolute favourite gifts to give, and ones that have been very well received. With a price point of $20-$30 each, they’re all relatively budget friendly, and very practical. Plus these unique gifts are a nice departure from some of the typical presents teacher’s get every year.
I hope these ideas inspire you this holiday season. Please feel free to comment with any questions below, and don’t forget to check out my 7 Stocking Stuffer Essentials to learn all about how to stuff those stockings with practical and fun stuff while staying on budget. Happy Gifting!
- Care
7 Stocking Stuffer Essentials - Fun Stuff Your Kids Actually Need
Stockings are a whole lot of fun, but they can really add up fast, so I like to focus on giving our kid’s stuff that they need throughout the year. The best part is unwrapping what’s inside, and our kids are genuinely excited to receive these gifts.
Stockings are a whole lot of fun, but they can really add up fast if you’re filling them with tons of toys. I like to focus on giving our kids stuff that they need throughout the year. These simple items can be a really fun way to give without going overboard. I find that for our kids, the best part is unwrapping what’s inside, and they are genuinely excited to receive these everyday essentials.
Hope these simple ideas help you fill your family’s stockings while staying on budget. Please share with a fellow parent who could use some Christmas help. Check out my Guide To The Best Teacher’s Gifts Under $30. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. Happy Stuffing!
- Care
6 Simple Last Minute DIY Holiday Gifts
As a long time avid DIY'er I absolutely love making our friends and family some homemade goodies for the holidays. This year I thought I would share a few of my simple DIY recipes with my readers in case you're in need of some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers. These all make great gifts for party hosts, teachers, neighbours, family and friends, and most can be made in a few minutes.
As a long time avid DIY'er I absolutely love making our friends and family some homemade goodies for the holidays. This year I thought I would share a few of my simple DIY recipes with my readers in case you're in need of some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers. These all make great gifts for party hosts, teachers, neighbours, family and friends, and most can be made in a few minutes.
Irish Cream
I started making this delicious Smitten Kitchen Irish Cream Recipe last year and it has quickly become a favourite everywhere we take it. This Irish cream is so much creamier than the stuff you grab off the shelf at the store, plus it's only got 5 ingredients and lasts weeks in the fridge...we have never managed to test the longevity, but I believe the recipe ;)
Simply mix the 5 ingredients in your blender, grab some cute glass bottles from Ikea or your local dollar store and fill them up. My family especially enjoyed the mini stocking stuffer bottles I did last year. Perfect for your Christmas morning coffee.
Peppermint Patties
I used to make tons of complicated Christmas cookies, but now that I have 3 kids I have limited time for making dough, rolling it out, cutting, icing etc, so I've moved on to some simpler recipes. Mainly ones that involves melting chocolate in the microwave like this Homemade Peppermint Pattie Recipe. So easy to make and always a big hit parties. You really can't go wrong with mint and chocolate at the holidays.
Hot Chocolate Mix
Kids freaking love hot chocolate, so what's better than a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix with mini marshmallows? I know my kids would love this gift, so that's why I made a bunch for our friends and neighbours with little ones. I hope they enjoy it over the winter holiday. Once again this is a Smitten Kitchen recipe and only has a few simple ingredients. You toss them in the food processor, mix them up and divy it into jars. Couldn't be easier.
Bum Balm
This DIY Bum Balm is an absolute favourite in our house. Best of all, it's not just for bums! This stuff is amazing at this time of year when dry and cracked skin flares up. Friend's and family now ask me for jars of it for their winter skin. So I thought it was appropriate to share it again here as a great holiday gift.
Honey Coconut Face Scrub
This luxurious and simple Honey Coconut Face Scrub Recipe has been a long time favourite of mine. This week I whipped up a giant batch in mere minutes to gift to some of the lovely ladies in my life. *Please Note: I recommend using a plastic lid on anything that will be kept in the bathroom. Metal ones tend to rust which isn't so nice on your face scrub. I will switch these up before gifting them.
Homemade Turtles
I'm a chocolate and caramel addict so it's no surprise that I wanted to replicate these babies at home. I've tried making them with my own caramel several times, but always come back to this Homemade Turtle Recipe with the little square caramels. Mmmm...sometimes the lazy microwave version is totally the answer ;) Personally I like chocolate all the way around my turtles so I don't just cover the top. I pick up the pecan caramel cluster (solid from a few minutes in the freezer) and put it on a fork. I toss it in the chocolate gently upside down and flip it over, then I strain off the excess chocolate on the fork before resting it on parchment paper to cool.
This week I will be making up some more batches of these goodies and dropping them off with friends and family. Let me know if you make any of these Holiday DIYS for your loved ones. I would love to hear how they go over.
Happy Holidays!
Care xo
Bloor West Holiday Cafe with Diaper-eez!
Join Fifty-Seven & Diaper-eez for a Fun & Festive Morning in Bloor West Village in support of The Mama Collective.
Join Fifty-Seven & Diaper-eez for a Fun & Festive Morning in Bloor West Village in support of The Mama Collective.
*This exclusive event has a very limited number of spaces available, so please email info@fifty-seven.ca to register or be added to our wait list.
Thanks to David’s Tea, Body Language Academy of Dance, Laroux Peoples, Anchor Studio & Diaper-eez for making this community event possible.
Happy Holidays!!
– Care