I know a lot of you will have completed your Christmas shopping by now and to those of you who have, I bow down before the altar of your organisation. I’m mostly done, but I’ve yet to get stocking fillers and it’s all just a bit much.
So I present to you, a bunch of things that you might like to get your children, or yourself, if you are so inclined.
Stocking Fillers
Chuggington Magnetic Board Kit:
These are all over my fridge at the moment and I keep finding Isaac quietly rearranging them, playing. Bonus points for the fact that they will stick school notices to the fridge at the same time.
RRP $12.95
Barbie Glitter and Sparkle Craft Box.
This had A LOT of glitter in it. Amy was practically in heaven, with the sparkles and the stickers and the glitter glue and etc. Isaac was also a fan, making himself a mask and then shouting at me all day.
If you’re a slightly pedantic parent (like Nathan) this craft box has the potential to be very messy. You’ve been warned.
Funky Fun Minis
I haven’t tried these myself, but they look like something Amy would love. And at RRP $6.99 each, they’re definitely affordable.
Presents
Chuggington Die Cast Training Yard Set with Loop
Because while the title is a mouthful, the toy is actually really awesome. We were sent one to review and Isaac played with it steadily for nearly two days and it has been in high rotation since. Anything that has a loop and a battery powered spinny thing to shoot trains is going to be a winner here though.
For parents of children with sensory issues based around auditory processing – this toy with batteries in is quite loud. Isaac coped well with it (better than I expected once I heard how loud the spinning wheels were), but for children who are more sensitive, maybe not the best toy.
RRP $59.95
I know that a lot of people told me that they hated Zhu Zhu pets because of the noise, but I can’t say that they bother me. Both kids love them and thankfully, we’ve now got two Zhu Zhu pets for them to play with.
I know that they were voted best toy for girls, but Isaac loves the wheels and the fact that they change directions, so who am I to argue?
These are almost cheap enough to be considered a stocking filler, but with the accessories provided, can be a large present in themselves.
RRP $19.95 – but I’ve seen them at Big W for $9 lately.
For yourself
Kindle
I bought myself a Kindle for my birthday, knowing that I needed something lightweight to read books on. My hands and wrists are painful and sometimes holding a book isn’t something I can do.
Honestly, I always thought that I would hate it. I love books, the smell and feel of them and to replace my beloved paper with something electronic? I thought it would be awful. Instead, I found myself a chapter into the first book I bought, having fallen in love with the small grey device. It is brilliant.
As for some people who were worried about book choices and prices, I can say that so far, prices at Amazon are just about the same as my much loved Book Depository, sometimes better. And I LOVE that I can carry around a small library in my handbag, without worrying about the weight dislocating my shoulders. Love.
I bought mine for $139 at Big W.
I’ve been using this on my stomach and arms for a few weeks now and it’s gorgeous. I love how it feels and smells and, the most important part, it hasn’t given me a rash. As someone with skin that has a hissy fit over the smallest things, it’s nice to have a product that doesn’t cause issues.
RRP $17.95
And there you have it!
The Sleepless Nights Gift Guide to Christmas.
Disclaimer:
I received these products in the mail to review. I’ve only shared the ones I liked here, so that I’m not recommending things I didn’t enjoy.
I did not receive a Kindle in the mail, I bought it myself for my birthday. I thought I’d tell you what I liked about it, because I couldn’t find any decent reviews online prior to buying one myself and had to ask Twitter what e-reader they liked. Kindle won, which was nice, as it was the easiest one to find and buy.
Ooooo, good ideas! I am one of Those Annoying People this year who’s already finished Christmas shopping (a rarity, I assure you!) but C’s birthday is coming up in February and I might check out some of these ideas for her.
(I would like a Kindle vewy vewy much, but I’m getting a tablet for my birthday in June and hubs says I don’t need both. *pout*)
Oooh! My nieces love girly, sparkly things so I’ll definitely add that craft box to my list.
I’d like to know more about the Kindle. Does it come in other colours? Does it come with books preloaded that you might not like? How easy is it to buy books for it and load them? Do you have to buy books from the kindle store? Can you delete stories that you don’t like? How many books can it hold? This would be so much easier to carry on the bus.
As far as I know, the cheaper ones only come in grey, but you can get covers for them. Mine didn’t have any books preloaded. Buying books is easy, but you have to buy through amazon. They download via your internet connection and it’s quite simple.
Not sure how many books they can hold, I think someone told me 1000, but it would depend on the books I guess. And yes, you can delete books you don’t want easily.
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