Brilliant video, your description of the toys and ideas is amazing. Companies should be employing you to sell their products. Lots of hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Great gifts and I love the head, heart, hands, home categories! I can see a lot of people picking that up and running with it. We bought both the book and paper dolls for Little House on the Prairie for my granddaughter when she was around 5. She loved them 😊. Just an observation based on experience with the ornaments in the stockings. We have done a similar thing for years, but we attach an ornament each to the outside of one of their gifts, as obviously their parents fill their actual stockings. We had one year when they were younger when we had a meltdown because one of them received a felt puppy ornament very similar to the one you showed and it was HIGHLY coveted by the other kids 😄😄😄. We learned a lesson and now buy them all something very similar. Some years it’s a variation of little felt mice or it might be car ornaments, etc. It’s just something to watch out for when you end up with a cute ornament that almost looks like a toy 😊. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Its the end of september and my daughter woke up and asked for a christmas gift.... i told her i got her a new homeschool gift that she could have instead( a thrifted copy of Grovers alphabet) after she loved reading it from our local library. She crief and said she did not want it😢 her birthday is in february so i hate this mass of gifts all coming into the home over such a short period of time. My daughter is also 3.5 (i realize this was posted last year) and i was obsessed w little house books as a kid. I have thrifted copies of the my first little house abc and numbers! I splurged and ordered a new set of 12 intending to break them up and giving them to her seasonally. Totally leaning in to books! I want to get her the little house coloring book. We have second hand american girl dolls so i am going to get the mary and laura dress set for them. I still have my original kirsten but i lost her sun bonnet. I want to find a sewing pattern for making some. Yes im only really wanting to give her enough to fill a stocking because her birthday will be right around the corner. Ill have to check out the dec 6th st nicks day so that ee can celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas and not have the make believe santa game on the same day. I have told my daughter the truth about the tooth fairy and other imaginary characters because i dont want her to think God is just made up too.
So I have just recently been reducing the amount of clutter in my home. I would not at all consider ourselves minimalists, but I realize less clutter makes my child happier. So I am thinking ahead to Christmas as I often find bargains ahead if I look early. Very thoughtful gifts. I always buy my son books for special occasions and he loves his books! Thanks. Please consider doing another one of these for this year when Christmas time approaches.
I really enjoyed making this one and I will definitely do it again this year. I'm really enjoying making content for moms who are interested in minimalism and slow living. Hope you'll enjoy next week's video on simplifying life with kids!
I would say that I'm a Maximalist and not a minimalist haha. But there is nothing wrong with this video and only getting like 4 presents. Especially if it's what works for you're family. Growing up I was the kid who literally got 20 + presents some years. It's just not necessary. More presents ≠ More Christmas magic. Let me emphasize that I'm not saying that it's BAD to get more . Just unnecessary. It's much more magical and fun if you focus on getting them something really special (it can be one thing) maybe spend Christmas playing with their gift with them, focusing on family time/activities/traditions more... All this to say, the number of gifts just doesn't matter. Kids probably aren't gonna be concerned with the number of presents they get, they won't be concerned about getting 4...but if they are concerned, then that's probably not a great sign
I can’t remember which video, but you mentioned each one of your kids only has 3 pairs of shoes. Any recommendations for brands of kids shoes that last/are worth the investment?
Ten Little! It’s all I buy (new) and they make it through my two kids and are able to be passed on. I’ve tried other brands when bought used, but haven’t found any I loved that way.
I love all your stocking stuffers. I stocked up on treats at the dollar tree myself for St. Nick although we're doing it tonight. I feel like it was never clarified which was the actual day. Does he come on the night of the fourth of the fifth?
Good question! I read on Wikipedia that it’s celebrated on the 5th or 6th, but then Google said the 6th. My mother-in-law put it on the calendar for Dec. 6 so I’m going with that! 😂 She’s the family authority on St. Nick’s Day.
One thought might be to consider some of the “boy” toys you mentioned for your daughter. She might love teaching your son how to use them as he gets older. Might also be interesting for your kids to share the same hobby. My (grown) nephew is as manly as they come but grew up sewing with his sisters and his wife now loves that he can fix his own buttons. Not trying to start a judgy gender thing at all, you guys do you. I just know it simplifies things (and shopping) for my family when we consider the same life-skills type stuff for all our kids until they’re old enough to express a preference.
Totally! I was hesitant to go into that too much…for fear of boring people. But, put simply, I tend to just follow the interests I observe in the kids. And, the suggestions I shared flow from my recent observations. Of course, they’re both young, so all that could change with time. 🥰
This was absolutely lovely. We were guaranteed a book every Christmas which was great ( we got books all year round too) but the Christmas ones were always a surprise. Often a brand new author or genre. Very fun to get. This is a sweet, lovely way to do gift giving. Another wonderful video, thanks!
@@papertownhome do either of you have any magical book ideas for 3, 5 and 8yo’s this year. I have ideas for 5 and 8yo, but stumped for the 3yo. We have so many books, I really want them to be special!
Really love your head, heart, hands, home categories! I have gone overboard this year. I did the 7 gift poem (want, need, wear, read, do, me, family) plus a stocking but it feels like too much
Oh that poem is cute! I haven’t come across the longer one before. I understand how you feel though. We’ve been tweaking our gift giving approach and amount since Peyton was little and were surprised that only a few gifts, spread out across the month felt best. I think it’s okay to experiment with the amount given and then you’re able to make an informed decision for the following year. Or, you can follow your gut and reserve a few gifts for upcoming birthdays, Easter, etc. 🥰
First time I’ve ever gotten a RUclips comment reply from the creator! (I usually just comment to help boost creator’s in the algorithm). Thanks for your thoughtful reply ❤
Great question! I actually haven’t been doing birthday gifts. My kids are three and one. I didn’t want to inundate them with gifts, but instead focused on traditions we do together. However, now that my daughter is about to turn four, I’m leaning toward getting her a gift. I expect we’ll experiment with this before landing on a system. Using our Christmas approach isn’t a bad idea, but I’d probably prefer to keep it one gift for birthdays.
I loved this video! Took me right back to my old set of hardback Little House on the Prairie books that my grandmother gave me when I was ten and older (I'm 68) LOVE them!! The titles you got for your children look fantastic! After reading them aloud to my children, we always put an orange in the toe of the stockings, plus one year a penny and a tin cup for each one. La, La, La, La, Lei! I love Ping!! It sounds like you lean toward a Charlotte Mason education, which I love! The classics are, well, classic! You picked good ones! We, too, did lots of consumables for stockings.....one word of caution from my experience......do NOT put a tin of sardines in mustard sauce in the stocking. My six year old who loved sardines ate them at SIX in the MORNING!! Yikes! Her breath! LOL! Overall, well done!
Thanks Deb! I loved reading this! Your ideas and stories are great. The sardines 😂😂!! I don’t have a deep knowledge about Charlotte Mason, but from what I’ve read I do tend to lean that way. I need to ask my mom if she was influenced by Charlotte Mason, because mostly I think I’m following what I remember her doing 🥰 Merry Christmas 🎄!
@@papertownhome - you're a second generation homeschooler? I LOVE it!! So far, five of my children (the married ones) ALL homeschool too! I'm so very thankful. The sixth one got married this year and both of them were homeschooled so I'm hopeful. Thank you for your kind comment.
Five in a Row- it's a literature based unit study curriculum for homeschooling. One of the books is Ping. Wondered if you did it when you were a kid. :)@@papertownhome
@@jessicamorgan7203 I think you just saved me a lot of work 😂 because this curriculum looks great! Definitely gonna consider the preschool one for the kids. I don’t think my mom followed FIAR. If so, she never mentioned it, but she definitely emphasized classic children’s lit. I’m so early in my homeschooling journey. At this point I feel like I’m just mimicking my mom 😂 Or at least the bits and pieces I remember.
@@papertownhome Ha! Mimicking your mom is probably a great call- nice to have someone that paved the way! We are loving FIAR! My oldest is in 1st grade and we did Before FIAR for pre-k and More Before FIAR for kdg- with math, reading, and handwriting added it. Nice and simple!
What are you most excited to give your kids for Christmas?🎄
The great thing about minimizing gifts is that they end up being so much more thoughtful, IMO. Great job, and I love the categories!
Yes! Thank you!
Brilliant video, your description of the toys and ideas is amazing. Companies should be employing you to sell their products. Lots of hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wow, thank you!
I loved these ideas; where did you purchase those ornaments? I didn’t see a link. Thanks for the video!
Thank you! Unfortunately I found those at TJ Maxx so I don’t have a link. Sorry!
Your daughter might be too young for paper dolls. They can be very frustrating for little ones.
That’s true. It would be a bummer, but we can roll with it if that happens. I’m guessing the bitty baby will be the star of the show anyway 😂
Great gifts and I love the head, heart, hands, home categories! I can see a lot of people picking that up and running with it. We bought both the book and paper dolls for Little House on the Prairie for my granddaughter when she was around 5. She loved them 😊. Just an observation based on experience with the ornaments in the stockings. We have done a similar thing for years, but we attach an ornament each to the outside of one of their gifts, as obviously their parents fill their actual stockings. We had one year when they were younger when we had a meltdown because one of them received a felt puppy ornament very similar to the one you showed and it was HIGHLY coveted by the other kids 😄😄😄. We learned a lesson and now buy them all something very similar. Some years it’s a variation of little felt mice or it might be car ornaments, etc. It’s just something to watch out for when you end up with a cute ornament that almost looks like a toy 😊. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Good to know! We’re just starting to experience those types of jealousies between the kids. I may have to rethink that one 🤔 😂
Its the end of september and my daughter woke up and asked for a christmas gift.... i told her i got her a new homeschool gift that she could have instead( a thrifted copy of Grovers alphabet) after she loved reading it from our local library. She crief and said she did not want it😢 her birthday is in february so i hate this mass of gifts all coming into the home over such a short period of time. My daughter is also 3.5 (i realize this was posted last year) and i was obsessed w little house books as a kid. I have thrifted copies of the my first little house abc and numbers! I splurged and ordered a new set of 12 intending to break them up and giving them to her seasonally. Totally leaning in to books! I want to get her the little house coloring book. We have second hand american girl dolls so i am going to get the mary and laura dress set for them. I still have my original kirsten but i lost her sun bonnet. I want to find a sewing pattern for making some. Yes im only really wanting to give her enough to fill a stocking because her birthday will be right around the corner. Ill have to check out the dec 6th st nicks day so that ee can celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas and not have the make believe santa game on the same day. I have told my daughter the truth about the tooth fairy and other imaginary characters because i dont want her to think God is just made up too.
So I have just recently been reducing the amount of clutter in my home. I would not at all consider ourselves minimalists, but I realize less clutter makes my child happier. So I am thinking ahead to Christmas as I often find bargains ahead if I look early. Very thoughtful gifts. I always buy my son books for special occasions and he loves his books! Thanks. Please consider doing another one of these for this year when Christmas time approaches.
I really enjoyed making this one and I will definitely do it again this year. I'm really enjoying making content for moms who are interested in minimalism and slow living. Hope you'll enjoy next week's video on simplifying life with kids!
It’s Christmas lol it’s once a year ….. smh I’m not saying spoil and get 20 presents but come on .
I would say that I'm a Maximalist and not a minimalist haha. But there is nothing wrong with this video and only getting like 4 presents. Especially if it's what works for you're family. Growing up I was the kid who literally got 20 + presents some years. It's just not necessary. More presents ≠ More Christmas magic. Let me emphasize that I'm not saying that it's BAD to get more . Just unnecessary. It's much more magical and fun if you focus on getting them something really special (it can be one thing) maybe spend Christmas playing with their gift with them, focusing on family time/activities/traditions more... All this to say, the number of gifts just doesn't matter. Kids probably aren't gonna be concerned with the number of presents they get, they won't be concerned about getting 4...but if they are concerned, then that's probably not a great sign
Oh you guys will love the Biggest story book Bible!!!!! It’s been such a sweet blessing to my kids for a year now!! We also love their curriculum!!!
Yay! That’s great to hear. I’m excited!!
Thanks for the kids’ Bible recommendation! I’d like to get that one for our kids when they’re a little older.
Absolutely! It ended up being a little advanced for my kids, so I wouldn’t suggest it for a child younger than 6.
I can’t remember which video, but you mentioned each one of your kids only has 3 pairs of shoes. Any recommendations for brands of kids shoes that last/are worth the investment?
Ten Little! It’s all I buy (new) and they make it through my two kids and are able to be passed on. I’ve tried other brands when bought used, but haven’t found any I loved that way.
The more "unhealthy" not often eaten snacks in the stocking are such a great idea!
Thanks! I think it’s fun to mix it up. Or at least, I would’ve loved that as a kid 🥰😋
I love all your stocking stuffers. I stocked up on treats at the dollar tree myself for St. Nick although we're doing it tonight. I feel like it was never clarified which was the actual day. Does he come on the night of the fourth of the fifth?
The feast of St Nicholas is on the 6th, so you put your shoes out the night of the 5th!😊
Good question! I read on Wikipedia that it’s celebrated on the 5th or 6th, but then Google said the 6th. My mother-in-law put it on the calendar for Dec. 6 so I’m going with that! 😂 She’s the family authority on St. Nick’s Day.
One thought might be to consider some of the “boy” toys you mentioned for your daughter. She might love teaching your son how to use them as he gets older. Might also be interesting for your kids to share the same hobby. My (grown) nephew is as manly as they come but grew up sewing with his sisters and his wife now loves that he can fix his own buttons.
Not trying to start a judgy gender thing at all, you guys do you. I just know it simplifies things (and shopping) for my family when we consider the same life-skills type stuff for all our kids until they’re old enough to express a preference.
Totally! I was hesitant to go into that too much…for fear of boring people. But, put simply, I tend to just follow the interests I observe in the kids. And, the suggestions I shared flow from my recent observations. Of course, they’re both young, so all that could change with time. 🥰
This was absolutely lovely. We were guaranteed a book every Christmas which was great ( we got books all year round too) but the Christmas ones were always a surprise. Often a brand new author or genre. Very fun to get. This is a sweet, lovely way to do gift giving. Another wonderful video, thanks!
Thank you! I agree. Books in childhood were so magical.
@@papertownhome do either of you have any magical book ideas for 3, 5 and 8yo’s this year. I have ideas for 5 and 8yo, but stumped for the 3yo. We have so many books, I really want them to be special!
I remember when I was a child, I’m 75 now, but we always got in the toe of our stockings and orange every year, what a sweet surprise that was 🍊
❤❤❤❤
Really love your head, heart, hands, home categories!
I have gone overboard this year. I did the 7 gift poem (want, need, wear, read, do, me, family) plus a stocking but it feels like too much
Oh that poem is cute! I haven’t come across the longer one before. I understand how you feel though. We’ve been tweaking our gift giving approach and amount since Peyton was little and were surprised that only a few gifts, spread out across the month felt best. I think it’s okay to experiment with the amount given and then you’re able to make an informed decision for the following year. Or, you can follow your gut and reserve a few gifts for upcoming birthdays, Easter, etc. 🥰
First time I’ve ever gotten a RUclips comment reply from the creator! (I usually just comment to help boost creator’s in the algorithm). Thanks for your thoughtful reply ❤
@@redrover2370 of course! Thanks for helping boost the video. That’s very thoughtful!
I love washi take, in getting a pack of sea themed ones to put in my son’s birthday piniata/or pass the parcel game.
I am not minimalist but I chose to do like you. I picked a lot of books.
Thank you for the santa warning!!
Where did you get the stockings? I feel like stocking now are tight, and it’s hard to feel them.
I got mine a couple years ago from Target’s Studio McGee line. I agree, they’re a good size. Not too big or too small.
Love this idea! Do you do something similar for birthdays?
Great question! I actually haven’t been doing birthday gifts. My kids are three and one. I didn’t want to inundate them with gifts, but instead focused on traditions we do together. However, now that my daughter is about to turn four, I’m leaning toward getting her a gift. I expect we’ll experiment with this before landing on a system. Using our Christmas approach isn’t a bad idea, but I’d probably prefer to keep it one gift for birthdays.
I loved this video! Took me right back to my old set of hardback Little House on the Prairie books that my grandmother gave me when I was ten and older (I'm 68) LOVE them!! The titles you got for your children look fantastic!
After reading them aloud to my children, we always put an orange in the toe of the stockings, plus one year a penny and a tin cup for each one.
La, La, La, La, Lei! I love Ping!! It sounds like you lean toward a Charlotte Mason education, which I love! The classics are, well, classic! You picked good ones!
We, too, did lots of consumables for stockings.....one word of caution from my experience......do NOT put a tin of sardines in mustard sauce in the stocking. My six year old who loved sardines ate them at SIX in the MORNING!! Yikes! Her breath! LOL!
Overall, well done!
Thanks Deb! I loved reading this! Your ideas and stories are great. The sardines 😂😂!! I don’t have a deep knowledge about Charlotte Mason, but from what I’ve read I do tend to lean that way. I need to ask my mom if she was influenced by Charlotte Mason, because mostly I think I’m following what I remember her doing 🥰
Merry Christmas 🎄!
@@papertownhome - you're a second generation homeschooler? I LOVE it!! So far, five of my children (the married ones) ALL homeschool too! I'm so very thankful. The sixth one got married this year and both of them were homeschooled so I'm hopeful.
Thank you for your kind comment.
Oh my I had the little house on the prairie paper doll set! I think that exact one ❤
Doesn’t it make you happy to see it again? I may have to keep it for myself 😂
Such a great video! Good job 👍
Thank you so much!
Great gift ideas 🎄😊❤️
Thank you! 😊
Cute chicken coop
Thanks! I love a good chicken coop 🐓
Ping! Did you do FIAR?
I’m not sure, what does that stand for?
Five in a Row- it's a literature based unit study curriculum for homeschooling. One of the books is Ping. Wondered if you did it when you were a kid. :)@@papertownhome
@@jessicamorgan7203 I think you just saved me a lot of work 😂 because this curriculum looks great! Definitely gonna consider the preschool one for the kids. I don’t think my mom followed FIAR. If so, she never mentioned it, but she definitely emphasized classic children’s lit. I’m so early in my homeschooling journey. At this point I feel like I’m just mimicking my mom 😂 Or at least the bits and pieces I remember.
@@papertownhome Ha! Mimicking your mom is probably a great call- nice to have someone that paved the way! We are loving FIAR! My oldest is in 1st grade and we did Before FIAR for pre-k and More Before FIAR for kdg- with math, reading, and handwriting added it. Nice and simple!
@@jessicamorgan7203 I love that! I’m excited to try it out. Thanks for mentioning it!