Top Ten {Tuesday}: Best Gifts Given or Recieved This Christmas

1. Vtech Tote and Go Laptop

The way Lydia loves her new pink plastic laptop makes me wonder if I love my laptop too much! Here she is emailing my cousin from California. “Mommy! Everyone keeps emailing me because I got a new computer!”

2. Mary Poppins on Broadway

The last two years, my in-laws have decided to give us tickets for Christmas. I LOVE THIS. I really do not need another THING in my life. But experiences? adventures? Yes, please! (We’re actually just using our gift from last year TODAY! We’re going to see Cavalia!) This year they gave us money for Mary Poppins because 1) I ADORE MARY POPPINS and 2) It’s playing at THE FOX ON MY BIRTHDAY! I cannot wait.

3. Fudgie Wudgie

I am not hard to shop for. Buy me some chocolate, especially if it has a funny name and I am set! I’ve been telling my in-laws for years to just buy me chocolate. This year they finally did!

4. Sleeping Present.

Lydia gave this to her Daddy, “because he likes to sleep.” It was just a pair of pajamas, a throw, a fuzzy pillow and a book. But if you could have seen the pride in her eyes as her Daddy unwrapped and ooohed and aaahed over her gift! She was so excited!

5. Christian Survival Kit

This year my family decided to do the bring-one-present-steal-the-gift thing. We were just getting bored of the regular gift giving thing and decided to give something else a go. I gave a lovely Pampered Chef gift (thanks to Mandi!). Les decided to do a funny gift. He made a Christian Survival Kit including: a Christian T-shirt, a bumper sticker (TRY JESUS: If you don’t like him, the devil will always take you back), an car freshener (WARNING: In case of rapture this car will be unmanned.), grape juice and crackers for an impromptu communion, a PUSH bracelet (Pray Until Something Happens) and a book and CD. It was quite funny. My college-aged cousin picked the gift. We told him to pretend it was just a giftcard to the Family Christian Store.

6. Asa & Les photo

I gave this to Les’ mom. She had given me an outfit of Les’ from when he was a baby. She wanted Asa to have his picture taken in it. I did and then framed the two pictures together. She had seen the picture before but was surprised and in love with seeing both of the pictures together. I mean, how could you not love my Asey in this picture?

7. Home Depot & Lowe’s Kid’s Class Projects

This is BY FAR the best thing we did this Christmas. We were walking around Home Depot when one of the employees said, “Hey, do your kids want to make a project today?” I assumed Lydia would be too young, but she said it was perfect for her. When we get over to the project area, she receives an apron and a craft FOR FREE. This week was a trivet. She hammered it together then got a patch and a certificate for completing it. She thought she was at Disney World she was so excited.

Over the next month we hit up Lowe’s and Home Depot and made two ornaments, a gingerbread house and a snowman picture frame. Usually Les and Lydia made it a father-daughter date. Then they’d bring it home and Lydia and I painted it. We gave these gifts to the grandparents and not only was Lydia excited the grandparents were happy and impressed!

Let me summarize: FREE GIFT. FREE FUN. FREE HOUR WHILE YOUR HUBBY TAKES YOUR DAUGHTER TO HOME DEPOT.

8. Robot

Lydia picked out this awesome robot from Parent’s. (Which I think is being rebranded and recolored. Have you seen their new stuff at Target? Really cool.) She was so excited to give (and let’s be honest, play with) this robot. It actually doesn’t work very well…I think it confused. But it still lights up, makes funny noises and is REMOTE CONTROL. Asa mainly likes to pull on the antennae but I still think it is the favorite present!

9. Handmade I Spy Bottle

My friend, Vanessa and her daughter, Juliet made a really cute I Spy Bottle for Lydia. It had buttons, money and little trinkets inside a mini water bottle filled with rice. But the best part was the clue card velcro-ed to the bottom of the bottle and a little ribbon and “L” for Lydia taped to the top. We have played with it almost every day. These are my favorite kind of presents!

10. Jesus

My prayer for my children, for you and for myself in the midst of all the giving and giving is from the words of Lydia’s favorite Christmas song, “May your best present of all be Jesus! May your best present of all be God’s Son! May your best present of all be the one God gave to you. May your best present of all from Him.”

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