The time of year that some parents live for, and that others dread—booking the much-anticipated family vacation. 

Any parent knows that a family vacation doesn’t begin until everyone and everything has arrived safely at the destination; the kids have crashed in an over-exhausted heap, and the adults can let out a huge sigh of relief. You’ve made it. 

Planning a trip doesn’t have to be stressful, though. After all, the idea of a vacation is that they are supposed to be fun and relaxing! 

Here are a few helpful things to tick off your family vacation planning checklist to make sure everyone has a fun time! 

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Deciding Where To Go

The most important thing to consider when booking a family vacation is; where? Depending on whether you want to travel overseas, or explore the great places this country has to offer-there are plenty of family vacation packages to suit most budgets. If you’re a family that likes to live by routine and tradition, or you are explorers of new and exciting places, there are a variety of vacation spots to suit all. From exploring a new city to going to your favorite spot by the lake, to an outdoor pursuits adventure– there are so many family-friendly possibilities! 

For sleeping arrangements, many hotels will have family suites, with multiple beds in one room, meaning you can keep an eye on your children. However, for older kids and teens looking for more privacy, paying for an extra room will add an extra chunk of cash to your budget. 

It may be worth looking into a DIY option and opting for a holiday rental property. Air BnBs are versatile and offer a more home-away-from-home feel to your vacation. If you don’t mind preparing your own meals, this is a great option and will keep costs down. 

Who’s Coming?

So, you’ve decided you’re going away, but—who’s invited? Will this be a trip for two adults and multiple children, or is there a possible place for extended family, too? Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins etc. are important parts of the family. Taking a trip with them can create a whole new dynamic that will need to be considered before going ahead and planning the vacation. Think about whether they have the budget or the means to go on a family vacation overseas, or whether a trip closer to home would be more beneficial. The people you travel on vacation with can influence the decision on where you’re going, too. Compromising here is essential—you don’t want to cause any more drama than needed before you’ve even made it away! 

Are We There Yet?

Now that the destination and the company are planned, now it’s time to think about how you’d travel to your destination. Depending on where you go, you may not even need to get on a plane to get there. The country has so much to see and do, that even a few hours road trip to a neighboring state can give you the feeling of taking a vacation far removed from the normalcy of home. However, if you do need to jump on a jet, make sure you get the best flights for your money. Flight comparison sites make it easier to compare prices and to get the best deal possible. If you do need to fly, you might want to consider looking into getting a rental car for traveling between places during your trip—it might not be walkable, and unfamiliar public transportation may cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. 

What Shall We Do?

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Planning activities is the fun part of organizing your vacation, but pleasing the whole family can be tough. Get the kids involved in researching what there is to do in the area. There are plenty of theme park reviews for them to check out online if that’s their thing or days by the beach where the grown-ups get to relax while the kids play. Bushcraft activities are fun for all the family, too. Get creative! Kids will bring their own fun, so remember you don’t have to have a packed timetable of activities to have a memorable trip! 

Remember Why You’re Doing it
Going on vacation is a real treat, and can bring a lot of fond memories to the family for years to come. There are many reasons to go away; to celebrate a milestone birthday, wedding anniversary, or achieving high grades at school–even just to relax and unwind. Plan, take pictures and create memories with those you love the most.

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The summer is here and what is summer good for but spending time outdoors with friends and family. With the long days, the warm weather and the light nights, the summer is all about having picnics, garden parties, barbecues, generally celebrating and enjoying yourself. There are loads of ideas for things you can do if you want to throw a party this summer, whether it’s for a birthday, christening, wedding, anniversary or you just want to have a party and see some friends and family, here’s a few ideas that can help you get summer party ready:

A Garden Party

If you have a beautiful big garden, then make the most of it. If you have enough room you could hire a marquee for shelter or even buy one, get some lovely garden furniture and if you’re having loads of guests, then you can hire chairs, or get everyone to bring one.

Party food for a garden party can be whatever you want it to be, a barbecue, a picnic, an afternoon tea or just a buffet. You could have a theme and such as Hawaiian themed with cocktails in pineapples and coconuts. It could be ‘English Country Garden’ with sandwiches, cakes, and tea, bunting for decoration and a string quartet or just a glamorous garden with have beautiful tables and chairs beautifully decorated. Get some cute napkins, elegant glassware, cake stands. You could make name places and table candles to add to the ambience.

A Picnic

A picnic is a lovely thing to organize, it’s fun for family and friends of all ages, and you can go to a beach or a park, as long as you have space it doesn’t matter how many people turn up and even better is that everyone can bring some food for everyone to share.

Get yourself a beautiful large picnic blanket, a picnic basket, and some chairs. You can either make the food yourself or these days it’s readily available from supermarkets.

It might be an idea to pack two containers—a picnic basket for tableware and nonperishable items and a cooler for cold food and beverages and if you’re feeding a lot of people, bring two coolers as you can use one for drinks and the other for perishable foods like meats and salads.

If you know you have a picnic coming up, then think ahead and save extra condiment packets from fast-food restaurants to bring along as they are ideal for leisurely outdoor meals. Remember to bring along plastic bags for any dirty dishes and silverware you need to bring home and for rubbish in case there are no trash barrels at the picnic site.

A Barbecue

Barbecues are what summer is all about, standing over the sausages with a beer, life couldn’t get much better. But how do you throw the most awesome BBQ this summer?

There are two crucial things that you need if you want to make great barbecue food, the first is a charcoal barbecue to give extra smoky flavour so that it’s different than just cooking in the oven. The second thing you need is a lid to lock in flavour and to keep the temperature constant.

Then for the food, homemade is always best -, especially burgers. You can make amazing burgers from just salt and pepper and good-quality meat, make sure you buy mince with plenty of fat, or get your butcher to give you some minced flank or chuck for juicy, flavorful burgers.

Don’t forget about fish, either! Get a whole trout or side of salmon, slice it open and stuff it with lemon, dill, and pepper.

Always remember to marinade – ideally overnight and then brush your meat or fish with the marinade every 10 minutes as it cooks to add moisture, trap the smokey flavor and caramelize gently.

Pool Party

Throwing a pool party doesn’t have to only be open to those fortunate to have a pool in their back garden. You could do this on holiday, or you could hire a pool out to throw your party.

The great thing about a pool party is that there’s no need to think of any other theme. A pool party is a theme on its own, but you can always add colourful décor, beach towels, and tableware to make it feel even more fun.

One thing to consider is that because you’re by a pool, you’ll want to refrain from using glass for serving food or drinks in case someone accidentally drops one and your barefoot step on broken glass. You can get some cute paper plates and cups, or if you want to go that bit further, there’s some beautiful plasticware available now too.

Keep the food simple and fuss-free with finger food. Lots of ripe, fresh fruits and vegetables will keep people feeling hydrated for the whole day. People will be on the go all day, so crudités and a creamy dip, a fruit platter little bites like mozzarella stuffed cherry tomatoes, exotic salads or anything that can be put on skewers instead of served in bowls. Chicken wings and different types of meat skewers are also great ideas.

Music Festival

Get your mates to grab their tents, don’t feel glum that you can’t get to Coachella because you don’t need to. Bring the music festival to you!

You might need to get a bit creative and have some time to dedicate to this one, but it will be worth it. Creating a DIY teepee will be the talk of the party if you can pull it off. It will serve as an excellent place for your friends to hang out in, and it will also look amazing as the backdrop for your pictures. Make or buy some flower crowns for everyone; you can do this with an assortment of fake flowers or use fresh ones to look the part. Hang string lights everywhere, get neon decorations and body paint, glow sticks and temporary tattoos and you’ll feel like you’re there. All that’s left is to make sure you have some cool tunes playing and create a playlist beforehand so that you do not have to play DJ (unless you have a friend who’s good at that) and finally, serve up some refreshing and exciting cocktails for your guests!

Finally, if you’re spending all this time outside enjoying yourself, don’t forget your sunscreen, hats and make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated!

Me and my beautiful children

Sometimes my days are full of chaos and the days seem to pass by so quickly.  Before I had kids I would spontaneously wake up as I pleased and go where I wanted on a whim.  Now I have to plan events at least a month in advance.  

My calendar is filled up quick from PTA meetings to IEP meetings and blogging I have a crazy schedule.  So how do I do it all? Secretly, it never truly ends and I am always finishing up something.  But it is important to organize your days, weeks, and months to stay on track.  Using a planner/organizer can help you be efficient.  

Here are a few tips on how I set my days and organize my busy life with 4 kids.  

Plan Ahead

Now that I have 4 kids doing things at the last minute can be challenging.  Events need to be planned ahead to avoid any issues in our household.  I prefer to plan things in advance so that I don’t overbook.  I truly dislike canceling on people, if I say I am going to be there (unless there are unforeseen circumstances that I cannot prevent) I will be there.   

Planning ahead also keeps my family on track as well.  I like to use a wall calendar so my kids and husband can easily see what’s happening in the weeks to come.  It’s super effective.  

Set Goals

People ask me random questions, “why are goals so important for you if you’re a stay at home mom”.  Honestly it’s very important for my personal growth.  I am crazy in love with my 4 babies, but I have to do somethings for myself as well.  These goals don’t have to be career oriented.  It can be anything from a personal goal like weight/diet, or putting a mani/pedi in the calendar.  

Blogging has become a major part of my life.  My website is my other baby that I must nourish and care for not only to monetize but because my passion is to help as many moms as I can. I have to set deadlines for posts and network with other bloggers. This process can be time consuming so I try to set dates when I can work while I have time (like when the kids are at  school and my littles are napping). 

Set a daily routine…And stick to it! 

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I understand consistency is hard (and boring). But keeping the routine can be essential to your daily success.  I have 4 kids, 2 of them are in school all day and 2 are at  home with me.  My oldest son has ASD and keeping a routine is crucial for him.  This honestly has helped me in so many ways to stay organized.  So how do you start? First things first…COFFEE! Right, coffee definitely helps get us through the monotonous routine.

• Set times to do things- break down the chores for each day rather than breaking your neck to clean every day.
• Do things the night before- everything from making lunches to ironing clothes can be done at night so you don’t waste your day doing them in the morning.
• Try to schedule things while the kiddos are at school- this helps you get things done while they are gone so when they come home you can focus on them.
• Make your bed every morning- I’m telling you; this does something to my confidence in the morning. I feel like a new person with a freshly made bed
• Enjoy the littles (if you have them at home)- take the time to play, imagine, color and paint with your babies.  Time goes so fast and these are the things they will remember forever.

These are just a few ideas to help you set a successful day. You can add things as you go because there are things that happen throughout the day that aren’t on the list obviously.  But you get the idea. 

How to choose a planner that’s right for you

There are so many planners out there.  Bullet journaling has become the newest fad and there are many competitors.  One Love Paper Co has a great planner.  I recently received mine for the 2019 year and I am super excited about it.  

You should chose a planner that meets your needs and expectation.  What do you hope to accomplish for the year? Make sure you find one that you can’t leave home without.

Why this planner?  Well one of the things that I love is that it was created by a mom! That’s right a mom, she created this with us in mind, how amazing is that? It’s designed motivate you to be the best you.  Each month tab comes with a section to set goals and inspire you to really think ahead with a positive mindset.  And honestly that’s what it’s all about.  

“The Inspired Year Planner came to fruition as I thought through my goal-setting process that year. I wanted to create a planner that, on a daily basis, helped women and parents feel uplifted, purposeful, and creative”. 

Founder and creator of One Love Paper Co.

Anything that empowers moms and women-I’m all in.  I honestly believe that this planner does just that.  If you’re in search for a planner be sure to check out these awesome products.  

As an incentive for checking them out I am providing my unique link for your ordering needs.  I am also hosting a giveaway to win a free planner. Please follow my Facebook page for updates and how to enter.  I am very excited for this opportunity.  

Thanks for stopping in and I hope that some of these tips help you stay successful at home.  

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The first time your child hosts a sleepover, it can feel like an overwhelming proposition. Not only do you have to provide due care and attention for your own kids as standard, but also extend your care to another child, and try and figure out how to keep everyone entertained while providing a bed for a night. Frankly, even for the most experienced of parents, it’s a logistical nightmare.

To try and ease some of the worry you may feel about the task, here are a few essential tips to help you achieve sleepover success on your first attempt.

Choose your time wisely

If you have a large family, then it can be difficult to make room for another child (or more) in your existing space. It thus makes sense to choose your time wisely, such as weekends when your older kids are away at a camp, or when your parents can babysit your youngest. With fewer bodies to think about, you should be able to plan all the more effectively.

Think sleeping arrangements first

Of course, everyone wants to be the parent who provides the great sleepover entertainment that delights and enthrals both your child and their guest(s). However, the most important aspect of a sleepover is to ensure you have adequate sleeping space for everyone. The easiest way to add sleeping space without having to buy an entirely new bed is to opt for huge beanbags or even sleeping bags; items that can otherwise be stored in your child’s room, then called into action when required.

Obtain dietary guidelines

The one thing guaranteed to put a dampener on a sleepover is your guest(s) falling ill, so you’ll need to obtain dietary advice from their parents. If they have allergies or intolerances, then you need to take all the necessary steps to ensure the food you provide avoids any problematic items– you don’t want a sleepover to be cut short because of ill health.

Entertainment thoughts

The urge to go all out when your child is hosting a sleepover is tempting; you want to ensure everyone has the best time imaginable, so you indulge, and even overspend, on ideas. However, for the most part, this is entirely unnecessary. The kids are having a sleepover because they already like one another, so any entertainment will suffice. There’s a great list of simple sleepover entertainment ideas here, so it’s worth reading through and choosing something that you think is appropriate.

Minimal supervision

While this one obviously depends on the age of your children, ideally the less you supervise a sleepover, the higher the chance of a sleepover going well. Kids don’t deal well with their parents’ constant presence, so if they’re old enough to usually be left to their own devices to play, don’t change that habit just because it’s a sleepover. Keep your check-ins sparse, even if you’re just asking if anyone wants a drink, and the night should proceed without a hitch.

The tips above should help ensure the perfect sleepover for you, your child, and their guests– good luck!

You might think it’s your worst fear when it comes to embarrassing yourself at an event or party: turning up in the same dress as someone else. Well, luckily thanks to this blog post, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. However, there’s quite a few other things that you should be aware of, before heading out to extravagant celebrations.

Turning up late

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While sometimes it can’t be helped, turning up late to an event is considered bad taste – unless your plan is to upstage the other attendees! Try to arrive on time, or up to ten to 15 minutes afterwards. Being early might upset the host’s plans, so it’s always best to arrive as near to the dedicated time as possible. If you’re stuck in traffic or have been delayed, let your host know as soon as you can, especially if there’s a sit down meal. Here’s an in-depth guide from The Muse about how late you can be for certain events.

Not bringing a gift

The rules of gift giving can be quite tricky, but if you’re unsure, it’s always best to take one. If you don’t know the host personally, opt for something tasteful but subtle. Nice foods and drinks often go down well. If you’d like to make your gift more special, but you’re running out of time, explore sites like Giftsin24. That way, you can push the boat out with a gorgeous, personalised gift.

Not introducing yourself

If you’re at an event where you don’t know many – or any – people, it’s easy to stick with the few you know, or the host. However, this can make it quite hard work. Your host should introduce you to a few people if you’ve arrived alone, so if you’re unsure, ask them to introduce you to other people at the event. This is a good read on how introduce yourself, if you find that you’re a bit socially anxious.

Doing an ‘Irish exit’

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The evening might be in full swing, with people merrily dancing and drinking, but don’t feel you should leave without saying goodbye! Even if your host is busy, they will always appreciate you saying your thanks and goodbyes before heading off. Just remember that if you’ve got a train or bus to catch or a taxi waiting, goodbyes can take quite a long time – so start them earlier than you think!

Getting too drunk

Regardless of whether you’re at a wedding, birthday or anniversary celebration, there’s always one person that gets too drunk. It can be a huge disruption to the hosts, and if there are young children present, can be quite unpleasant. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have an open bar, it shows a huge lack of respect. So, remember everything in moderation! Pace yourself, eat plenty of food, and drink lots of water.

Hogging the host’s attention

Your host has a lot of people to greet, speak to and look after all night – so don’t try to hog their attention. Yes, you want to spend their special day with them, but you need to be mindful that other people do as well. If you’ve travelled a long distance to be there, why not see if you can have a meal together the previous or following day? That way you spend some quality time together, without taking them away from the party.

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Ah, birthdays. A wonderful time of year… for your child, maybe. For you, the pressure is on as you race to organise every last element of the big day so that there are no tears, and yet, somehow, you still have to find time for all the usual routines involved with being an adult. It’s a stressful time of year, and there’s no beating around the bush with regards to that. Still, it doesn’t have to be quite so stressful, and you don’t have to worry about your child’s big day going out with a fizzle rather than a bang. Here is the ultimate guide to throwing the perfect birthday for your little one (or not-so-little one if your child is entering that awkward teenage phase).

A day out together.

Maybe you were expecting the first suggestion to involve some amazing material item that would make your child’s eyes light up, but, no matter how it may seem, the most perfect gift in a child’s eyes is time spent and memories made with their loved ones. I’m not suggesting that you cop out and simply take them to the park, as that is likely the way you and your family would spend time together on any average weekend.

Perhaps you could treat them to a theme park or zoo they either loved in the past or always wanted to visit because their friends told them it was cool. Well, there’s no better day to surprise your child with their favourite place in the world than their birthday. If you want to create everlasting memories of the best birthday they’ve ever had, your kid is far more likely to remember the year that they spent an incredible day at an incredible place with their family or friends rather than the year they received some fancy toy.

No novelty gifts.

Children grow up and change so quickly, which is why buying a present as a parent can be a very stressful experience. You want to buy something that makes them happy, but you just know that the action figure you bought last year was forgotten within days of their birthday. The problem is that, once the novelty wears off, so many of your expensive gifts are discarded. It can be hard to think of a solution, but perhaps the answer is to give your child a gift which keeps on giving.

Video games, films or action figures might bore your child eventually, but a subscription to watch all their favourite children’s shows or play online games with their friends, depending on how old they are, might be the perfect gift for them to use all year round. Whilst you’re doing your research, you could call DIRECTV and other such providers to figure out which kind of subscription package would be best for your child. It’s obviously a judgemental call based on the age of your kid, but as long as the subscription is suitable to their tastes, this could be the perfect gift in terms of it not being discarded five minutes later.

Throw the ultimate party.

Of course, no birthday is complete without the ultimate party. This could be combined with the idea for a day out that I mentioned above or, if you opt for another present, it could be a separate event.
Whatever the case, a party doesn’t have to be a lavish and expensive affair. All you need is a gathering of your child’s best friends in the entire world, maybe a fun theme involving costumes, some party games in the garden and, most importantly, cake.

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Planning a baby shower nowadays is kind of a big deal. It’s no longer sitting around and exchanging presents – there’s so much more to consider. Games, food, drinks, decorations … it’s all got to be delicately thought out and there are a lot of factors that will determine what sort of theme you’re going for. It can start to get expensive, so here as some top saving tips to get you on your way and give the new mom a shower to remember!

Games
There are so many different ideas floating around online for what to do in terms of games. Most of them don’t require too much in terms of expense, but there are certain things that may need to be bought – pens and paper, for example. Keep it on a budget and don’t go overboard … there can always be too much of a good thing, and while people may seem like they’re enjoying the games, it can become tedious after a while. Use it to break up the day rather than focusing the whole event around them. While you may feel like you need to fill the time the whole way through, the mom to be will be enjoying seeing all of her friends and family together one last time before her life changes forever. It’s a really special time.

Decorations
DIY is best when thinking about how best to prepare the room that you’ll be holding the baby shower in. Decorations can come in many forms, so try and think outside the box; instead of thinking what could adorn the walls, think about what could hang from the ceiling and be a centrepiece on the table. You could have a string of photos of the mom to be from when she was a baby herself – have a hunt around online for some great deals on photo printing such as tiny prints coupons. Try and make it as personal to the mother as you you can. A great Pinterest-inspired idea is to draw out a bare tree and have everybody put their fingerprint on it as the leaves. It is something that can then be put up in the new baby’s room as part of the decor.

Food

Food doesn’t have to be expensive, and your guests won’t be expecting a full-blown three course meal. Keep it light and keep it varied – that’s the best plan of action. This may be your biggest expense of the day, so try and keep reigned in on what you’re spending on. There is always so much food left over at the end of any party, and this one will be just the same. Think about the things that are usually left over at the end of any event you’ve been to (such as salads, certain sandwiches etc) and avoid placing them out. Take into consideration all the different diets that you may have to cater for, such as vegetarians and coeliacs, and make sure that you do a headcount of who’s coming at least a week beforehand so you know how much food to prepare.

Throwing a kid’s birthday party can be a lot of fun. There is all that preparation to do, as well as making the cake and the decorations. But it can also be a bit of a stress, as you want everything to go off well without a hitch. To this end, I have collated some of the things that you don’t want to happen at your child’s birthday bash, and the ways in which you can avoid them.

No one attends
The worst thing that can happen at a birthday party is that you go to all of that trouble arranging it. Your little ones get all excited, but then hardly anyone turns up. In fact, it can be very disappointing for both you and them.

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So how can you avoid this? Well, it really is all about planning. For instance, before you set the date of the party, check the calendar. If it’s a public holiday, many families might be away or have been invited to go somewhere else. So try to avoid these where possible.
The same goes for other big events during the same week, like the Superbowl or the 4th of July. Folks are probably already overrun with party invites at these times. So you are going to get a lot fewer people attending.

It’s also a good idea to do an RSVP rather than an open house. Then people will have to confirm their attendance and will be more likely to keep to their word. It can also help you plan for the numbers to expect too. So you can get the refreshments right.
You have guests that can’t eat the food

Talking of refreshments, another disaster that could happen is that some kids that can’t eat any of the food that is on offer. This could be because they are celiacs, have a food allergy, or are vegetarian. It can also be due to religious preferences.

So it’s a great idea to include a box about dietary requirement son the invite so you can prepare an active ahead of time.
Remember that If you have a celiac attending a party at your own home,  that you are catering yourself, to provide them with gluten free alternatives. It is quite easy to get gluten free cake at you local supermarket now, and you can even get Deeks bread online. So they can have sandwiches too.

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Include a filling like a turkey or cheese, though, and avoid ham or sausage, as there is often gluten in those too. Remember as well that you will need to prepare free from foods separate to other items, and have clean hands while you are making it. The same goes for any special dietary requirement.

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The birthday child is more focused on gifts
Another major disaster that you don’t want to happen is that your child gets too excited about all the presents that they are receiving. But then they aren’t really focused on the party at all.
To avoid this, you can have a gift table where the presents are to be kept wrapped up until then end of the party.

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Or if your little one is very young, it might be a better idea to collect them up in a bag. Then store them out of site so they can’t forget all about them and just get on with having fun.

There is an old tradition that many households have gone through as they raise children. When they are old enough to stand, children lean against a doorframe while a parent marks their height with a pen. An age is then added next to it. Each year, on their birthday, the same process is repeated. The result is a visual guide to how much a child has grown through to the age of 18.

There is something wonderfully quaint about the idea. A habit and way of doing things that changes each year, but nevertheless remains the same. While many gifts for kids these days will be from the technology sector, there is still place for sentimentality. For the same visual record without needing to rip out a door frame when you move house, there are plenty of options to consider.
Matryoshka Dolls

Public Domain Pictures

The famed “Russian nesting dolls” are designed to expand. You can begin with a small doll, decorated – perhaps by your own hand – while your child is young. The next year, they get a larger doll to encase the smaller one – and so on and so forth.
There’s a powerful metaphor at work here too. At the age of 18, you will have 18 dolls all nestled inside one larger doll. It’s quite the same as how your child’s developmental years are always inside them, influencing the adult that they will be.

Bobbleheads

Bobbleheads are adorable small statuettes that can be made to a person’s likeness. This is a gift that begins well around the age of six, as your child’s facial features develop fully into something that is uniquely them.

Every year on their birthday, give a gift that showcases the custom bobbleheads unique craftsmanship and how their face and body changes as they age. Each bobblehead makes a wonderful ornament in and of itself, but ten plus of them arranged in ascending order is something truly wonderful to be able to look forward to.

Sports Jerseys
As most parents will agree, the regularity with which sports teams redesign their outfits can become expensive for a kid who is sports mad. But there is an excellent way of turning it into the perfect gift that moves with the times. You can, but don’t have to, start this on their first birthday with a miniature shirt, and go up size by size as your kid gets older.

The genius behind it comes with the fact that all sports teams play in numbered shirts. So birthday by birthday, as your kid gets older, you can mark the day by gifting them a jersey with their name on it and their age as their “playing number”. Keep each shirt, and you’ll have a real representation to show people when they remark “My, hasn’t he/she grown!”.

Of course, you’ll hope that your child doesn’t change teams as they get older, or the effect is lost to an extent. But then, you can always incorporate that into the display: “Ah, between six and nine. We call those ‘the Dolphins years’, don’t we honey?”, you will say to your sheepish, now Patriots-loving teen. That’s the stuff memories are made of.

When you are choosing gifts for children, it can be quite tricky. It can be hard to get the balance right from something that they enjoy with characters they like, to things that will actually help them learn and be beneficial to them. Plus, all children are different, and the requirements they have for toys can change quite quickly. Tastes can change quite quickly too. How many of us have bought a gift knowing it was their favorite character and then after a couple of months they no longer like that character?

So if you have some children’s birthdays coming up this year, then here are a few ideas, by age, to help you find gifts for children. Hope it helps!

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For Children Aged 1
When a little one is approaching their first birthday, it can be difficult. As they are still pretty limited in terms of what they can do. They might not even be walking yet, for example. So something like a walker is a great idea. It could be in the style of a pushchair, shopping cart or just a cart that they can push along. It will encourage them to take steps and get walking, as well as boosting their confidence if they are already walking independently. A pull along toy is a good idea, as when they are up and about, it is fun to pull along with them. Simple puzzles and musical toys are great for a child’s first birthday too.
When your children are one, it can also be a good time to wrap up some of the things that they will be getting anyway. So if they need some new bibs, sippy cup or clothes, then wrap them up as gifts too. If your little one hasn’t got their first pair of shoes yet, then their first birthday is a good time to get them a pair. It is best to get their feet measured properly for this kind of thing, though.

For children aged 2

When it is a child’s second birthday, they can do so much more. They will be enjoying messy play and arts and crafts. So things like sticker books, puzzles, crayons, and paints are a good idea. Playdough is fun for two-year-olds too. At this stage in their development, they will enjoy making and creating, so creative things are a good idea. Pretend play is also a big part of being a two-year-old. So a play kitchen could be a good idea, as well as a tool set or workbench, for example. Dressing up clothes are also a winner at this stage. They will have identified different characters that they like and will enjoy dressing up as those characters.

For children aged 3

When children get to the age of three, they will be well into pretend play and enjoy creating characters. So some figurines or dolls could be a good idea for a three-year-old. It is also a good time for them to learn to be more active outside. A scooter or a balance bike is a great idea for a three-year-old. It will help them to gain confidence in playing outside, and will mean that when it comes to learning to ride a proper bike, that they will be a step ahead of the rest. Other outdoor games could be a good idea, such as a bubble wand, bubble machine or water table to use outside. A sandpit or a mini trampoline could be a good idea too. Kids love to be active at this age, so keep them as active as possible with the gifts that you choose for them.

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For children aged 4 – 5

Children at this age are pretty certain about what they like, and you’ll see what particular passions they have. It could be something like dinosaurs, animals, or space, for example. So any gifts relating to those passions is a good idea. It could be a good age to introduce a play tablet or something like a Nintendo DS. Then they can play some games and learn to be creative in that way. A console like a Wii could also be a good idea, as it is something that the whole family can play with and does encourage them to be a little more active than if they were sat by themselves. Building and creating is important at this age too, and they might show signs of enjoying things like Lego. So sets of Lego that they can either get creative with, or follow the instructions with can be really good gift ideas.

For children aged 6 – 8

I have found that at this age, children are much more conscious of what they are choosing to wear. So girls might like some hair bands or accessories, or boys might want to choose the sneakers that they wear. Involving them in choosing the clothes that they wear can be a fun gift for them. It gives them accountability over their choices, as well as helping them to feel confident in how they look, which is important at any age.

For other kinds of gifts at this age, it will depend on their tastes. Family games are always a good idea, as it will encourage you all playing together. Other things to help them learn could be a magic set or something like a telescope. Chemistry sets to use at home can be fun and educational for them too. By now they should have learned to ride a bike, so it could be that a new bike or helmet is what you choose to get them. They might be showing signs for a favorite sports team or music band. If so, band memorabilia or a sports team kit could be a good idea for a gift. Playing a musical instrument at these ages is a good time to start too. So it could be that they are given a new guitar or music books for their birthday. Just encourage the passions that they are showing, with the gifts that you are choosing.