Friends, I have gone back and forth on gift guides this year! On the one hand, they take a lot of time to prepare, they might in the end be only nominally helpful, and the sheer preponderance of gift guides on the internet feels almost distasteful. On the other hand, I genuinely enjoy compiling them, the delight of helping one of you find a perfect gift is intoxicating, and they do contribute to the cost of keeping my internet home online. A conundrum! One gift guide I knew I’d share? What we’re actually giving our kids this Christmas! It’s been a favorite post since 2019, when we had a four-year-old and a one-year-old. Below, I’ve shared what each of our kiddos will be finding under the tree this year, along with a few suggestions I gave to relatives. As a sort of gift guide compromise, I’ve also listed a few of the very favorite kid items we already own at the bottom if you’re looking for a few more suggestions. All three kids will be getting a selection of clothes from my favorite consignment sale. When I shopped earlier this fall, I set aside some of my favorite pieces to place under the tree instead of into their drawers! In addition… June (who is almost seven) will be receiving:— A mama-daughter camp weekend. We have our eye on a particular sleepaway camp for the future (June looooves to watch their promotional video, ha), and thought it might be wise to dip our toe in before committing to a week in the summer. This introvert is a bit nervous, but also thinks it will be SO fun to spend the weekend with just my biggest girl!— The Penderwicks boxed set, because we both fell in love with the first book earlier

So happy to hear this year’s stripped-down gift guides are helpful! Two things I wanted to note before we dig into kid ideas today: First, they’re not as conducive to internet gift guides, but don’t discount the joy in giving experiences. I actually went back and added a few ideas to yesterday’s grown-up guide, and have included a few here! Some of the best gifts I’ve ever given or received have been carefully-selected adventures (bonus points for a surprise element!). Second, if it’s important to you, shop local when you can! Of all the categories, I find kiddo gifts especially easy to score at my favorite local boutiques (because everything is just so cute!!). Similarly to shopping from an online small business, your local purchase makes SUCH a difference to those business owners, especially at this time of year! If you’re in the Triangle, head to my faves: TinyParker & OtisThe Museum of Life & Science gift shopStylish LivingMcIntyre’s BooksQuail Ridge Books And now, for the gifts… My favorite kiddos :)Gifts for your favorite boys:— A high seas sweatshirt or dinosaur pants (both on Shep’s wish list!)— A basketball that glows in the dark and gets brighter the more you bounce it!— A sweet little Weekender bag— A Harry Potter sweater!! Perfect for an older kiddo getting into the books. Or, a handsome Fair Isle sweater if he’s not yet hooked.— Star Wars socks— A sharp rain coat (love the red, too)— An adorable tool box— Cute plaid jams— An Arctic explorer shirt Gifts for your favorite girls:— A caboodle. What is it about storing treasures neatly that gets kids so jazzed?— Dreamy castle pajamas— A beautiful blanket for her bed or a picnic in the yard (unicorn-esque colors but amenable to mama, too!)— Herd Your Horses, a board game