Greenhill, Party of 4: Gifts for KIDS

After having small kids in my life for the past 10 years or so, you'd think I would be well versed in gifts for kids. But, for some reason, I end up stumped! Part of the problem is that I insist on being sure that my gifts have special meaning. Little kids are excited about most anything! I really love that Sheila's little girl has started picking up "mommy traits" and that she wants to be just like her mama. This is not a bad thing in this case!!

1. Vitamin water- Actually, all you need is the bottle. And it can even be empty. This kind of gift is best for a 6 month old. Mine, in particular. Yes, this is one of Kate's favorite toys in the world. It feels funny, it looks neat, and the wrapper and the bottle can both make noises that are so much fun! Her "papa" thinks it would be a good idea to fill it with bb's. Only her father's father would have this idea. ;) As long as she's happy with just a bottle, I'm not creating it to make any more noise! Seriously, though. This might not actually be a good gift to give someone. :)

2. Baby Einstein Musical Jumper- This has been one of the most used gifts that we received before Kate was born. The seat swivels and she can focus on whatever "station" she wants to at the time. Now that her feet touch the ground, she can make use of the "jumper" part of it! It does make sounds, but you can turn them off! I am a big fan of that option on kids' toys! You will not see me endorse ANYTHING Baby Einstein or Little Einstein other than this product. You don't even want to get me started on that stuff. What a waste of money! It is a little pricey, so ask the grandparents to snag it for you!

3. If you are looking for a girl gift (I'm always searching for my 2nd grade niece), it really does depend on what she likes to do. My youngest niece was into princesses (of course!) for awhile, so we got her some dress up clothes one year. Another year we got her a princess art kit. Then, she "grew up," so I made her a "grownup" art stand last year. I bought this little tray, and I painted her name on the top and decorated it. Then, I filled the side pockets with paints and paintbrushes. If water based paints are used, it can be easily wiped down when paint gets on the tray. *Disclaimer: Her name is not Aubrey, and this is not the one I painted, although it looked alarmingly similar!**Disclaimer #2: If you use this idea, be sure that YOU don't use water based paint to decorate her name. Then it will ALLLLL come off. If you do, though, you can pretend that you meant for it to be that way. ;)

4. Year long membership- This is something that my friend's parents did for her, and I love this idea! Get a membership to the local children's museum, science museum, (any museum!), zoo, aquarium, etc. Heck, you could even get season tickets to your local baseball team's games. That is, if you have a team that's not very good and tickets are really cheap! This is a gift that kids can enjoy, but parents can enjoy as well. And it has appeal that lasts longer than Christmas Day!

5. Jogger stroller- I never thought I would own one of these. Trust me... I am NOT a jogger. Nor do I ever anticipate becoming one (although I wish I could be a runner!)! I also had been given several strollers as hand-me-downs before Kate was born. So, why spend money on a new one when those are just fine?? Because this is fabulous. It handles so much better than any other stroller, and is amazing for walks in the park or walks in the neighborhood. It's easier on your back (I think), and is great for a really comfortable stroll (or jog, if you must!). The front wheel locks into place if you'd like, so you don't have to worry about direction control while you're ~~jogging~~ walking.