Every Christmas, my mom would have us sit down and write out a list of anything and everything we really wanted. Of course, we didn’t get everything, but my parents did their best to make sure we got what was most important to us. I remember that around the time I was nine — the tween years — my list drastically changed from “silly” little girl things, to more grown up, responsible-type requests.

Tween girls crave more responsibility and to be recognized as young ladies. My parents, especially mom, really understood that. I remember being so excited when I received the pink alarm clock that I wanted. Yes, an alarm clock. I was nine and didn’t want to get wake up calls from my mommy anymore. I was too mature for that…or something.

But what to get? What “more mature” gifts are appropriate for a girl who is still really a girl? Start simple. Age appropriate gifts, like my beloved pink alarm clock, can reflect the young lady she’s becoming and still be age appropriate.

Some ideas for great grownup gifts for tween girls are:

• A cell phone (prepaid or on your plan, depending on your gal)

• Training bra (Give this to her in private. Trust me.)

• Alarm clock

• Netbook or laptop

• Gift certificate for a manicure with you

• Fun hair products (gel, mousse)

• Gift certificate to a trendy clothing store

• Perfume

• Journal

• MP3 player

• Photo albums

• Jewelry – gold or silver

• Overnight hotel stay with you and a pal

Giving your tween daughter gifts that help her become a young woman gracefully isn’t such an awful idea. She wants to be treated like a young lady, and if she has things that make her feel more responsible, and knows that you support the fact that she’s growing up, these gifts can help ease you both into the more challenging years that are just around the bend.

Tweens are in an awkward stage. They’re still interested in some of the younger toys and games, but they’re also starting to feel like they should be outgrowing these things. It’s really a tender age, because she’s not really quite sure where she is yet. Take a look at her list and select gifts from both sides — the kid and the tween — and it’s a safe bet you’ll hit a home run in the Santa department this year.

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Giving gifts to your kids’ teachers and other people who make their school experience a happy and educational one is a nice way to say you appreciate everything they do. This isn’t a big blow to your holiday gift budget if you have one child with one teacher, but when you have multiple children in schools who have multiple teachers, aides, bus drivers and other specialists, the gesture can be rather expensive.

My husband and I don’t have a big budget for holiday teacher’s gifts, but we do like to do something for them. We don’t give presents to all the professionals that our children see every day, but we do make sure to send a little something to their main teachers and a few other key people who have really touched their lives.

Because we don’t have a ton of cash to spend on these gifts, we try to keep things simple and send a little token of our–and our sons’–appreciation. If you’re caught in a bind and would like to send some holiday cheer to the educators and staff who make your child’s school day a better one, but don’t have wads of dough sitting around collecting dust, consider some of these inexpensive holiday gift ideas.

Homemade crocheted gifts. I don’t personally have skills to crochet, but I know many parents who do. If you’re one of those talented men or women, this might be the right gift for you. Scarves, mittens and even lap blankets make beautiful, personal gifts.

Warm drinks in a pretty mug. You can either buy small individual cocoa mixes for each teacher or get a larger container and pour enough for a cup or two into a pretty baggy. Then set the baggy down into a pretty holiday mug. Tie on a bow and you’re done.

Ornaments. Most craft and big box stores have long aisles of individual ornaments. Choose a pretty one and put it in a cute little gift bag. It’s even more fun if you let your child choose the ornament and add a note explaining why he liked it for that person.

Book. Help your child choose a fun book to donate to the teacher’s classroom. It’s a cool way to give a gift and give back to the teacher, since many supplies in the class room are coming out of her pocket these days.

Giving holiday gifts to teachers and other school staff who help to mold your child’s mind and build their future is a nice way to say thank you. The presents don’t have to be big and expensive to make them feel appreciated.

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Instead of buying something that your child or grandchild can use now, consider starting a Christmas tradition by giving him or her a keepsake gift. Every year, find a similar item to add to the collection. As the years go on, a treasury of heirlooms will be built for your little one to share with his or her family.

The best thing about a keepsake collection is that there’s an endless list of themes you can choose from. Let your imagination guide you to the perfect keepsake gifts for your chubby-cheeked cherub. Here are four things to consider when you’re choosing your theme:

• Size: Porcelain dolls are beautiful, but do, or will, you have enough space for 18 more?
• Budget: Choose something that fits your personality, but also your pocketbook.
• Availability: You want to be careful to choose a theme that you’ll be able to add onto year after year. Fad items may be adorable, but they will grow harder and harder to find as time goes by.
• Type: Do you want to start a handmade collection, buy popular figurines, jewelry or a certain type of animal?

If you still need some help dreaming up a theme for your baby’s Christmas keepsake gift, then these are some neat ones that I’ve seen to get you started.

Quilt: Each Christmas, my friend’s grandma sews a different square for a quilt, based on events or special moments that happened that year. Because you need several squares to actually put the quilt together, her grandmother frames each square and gives it to her as a wall hanging.

Figurines: Every year, my aunt gives my niece a piece of a Precious Moments Christmas village along with one or two accessories, like trees and lampposts. My niece is 12 and already has a pretty little village started that she looks forward to setting up every holiday season.

Ornaments: We started buying pewter frame ornaments the year my oldest son was born. We have each engraved and insert a picture of him on his birthday. Someday, when he’s a man with a Christmas tree of his own, he’ll have a whole set of ornaments for his family to enjoy.

Charm Bracelet: On my niece’s first Christmas, my mother-in-law gave her an adult-sized charm bracelet with a single baby bottle charm on it. Every year, she receives a new charm to add. My mother-in-law loves picking out each charm as much as my niece enjoys receiving it.

Carved Miniature: My uncle gives each of his children a carved miniature animal every Christmas. They’re all adults now, but my uncle continues to give them a new one for each of their children to keep the menagerie growing.

Sentimental Stone: This is by far my favorite Christmas keepsake gift. When my friend was born, his dad was a nervous wreck. He went outside to get some air and saw a pretty, round stone on the ground at his feet. For some reason, he couldn’t resist picking it up and putting it in his pocket. During the delivery, if he got anxious, he’d reach into his pocket and give the stone a squeeze. After his son was born, he took the stone home and put it in his nightstand. On their first Christmas as a family, he gifted the stone to his baby in a small box along with a piece of paper retelling the story. Every year since, he’s found a new sentimental stone and wrote down a little story of how his son made him proud. My buddy turned 32 last year, and received two stones. One for him and one for his precious, newborn daughter.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/nicolesfromtheheart/4291185378

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Don’t let Christmas money stress get your stocking tied in a knot. With a little belt-cinching and creativity, you can have a happy holiday without an empty wallet. First, you need to make a solid list of who you need to buy for. Separate it into three categories:

• Gifts — These are people who you will spend the most on, usually your children, spouse, nieces and nephews and parents (after all, they did give you the gift of life).
• Goodies — “Goodies” are for adult siblings and close friends. They deserve special, yet less expensive gifts.
• Gestures — People on your “Gestures” list are special to you and rate a thoughtful token of your appreciation, such as teachers, the bus driver or neighbor.

Once you have a list, establish a budget. Really consider what you can afford. It would be nice to be able to buy everyone you love a $100 gift, but few of us have a bank account that allows for such generosity. Remember, it’s the love and thought behind the present that makes it special, not the price tag.

For those in your “gift” category, allot a specific amount of your Christmas budget for each person on your list. You don’t have to spend the same amount on everyone, but you should try to keep it somewhat even when you break it down into sub-categories. For example, you may want to spend $50 on each of your children and $25 on each grandparent.

When considering your “goodies” list, set a limit across the board. Whether it’s your sister or your best friend, the budget is the same, say $10 a piece. Gestures are great, because they’re usually homemade and ultimately cost a few bucks. Think $1 to $3 per person.

After you’ve worked out a budget, stick to it. I even take cash out of my account, and separate it into envelopes. That way, I can’t exceed my predetermined limits. If the money’s gone, then it’s gone. Debit and credit cards are convenient, but it’s easy to get off track and overspend when you use them.

Saving money on the “Gifts” list is the most challenging endeavor. I usually get a similar gift for each of our parents and nieces and nephews. Then, when it comes to my kids and husband, I buy their most desired gifts first and then fill out their stockings and space under the tree with smaller, less expensive items. Dollar aisles and stores are filled with great odds and ends that make little ones happy, and you can really get a lot of bang for your buck.

For the people on your “goodies” list, keep it simple. I often whip up a themed goodie package like small pampering items or cold weather treats with flavored coffees and a pair of cute mugs. You’d be surprised what you can do with $10 and some creativity.

Last, but certainly not least, are the folks on your “gesture” list. Bake cookies, decorate a simple dollar store picture frame or make personalized ornaments. You can save a ton of money by making these gifts, rather than going to a store and trying to find something cheap yet impressive. You’ll almost always go over your gift budget that way, and those gifts lack a personal touch.

You don’t have to spend a ton of dough to have a great holiday. If you think through your gift list and prioritize your budget, then everyone will have a Merry Christmas, and you won’t spend New Year’s in the poorhouse.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/diekatrin/4123324486

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If your kids haven’t started hinting around about what they’re longing for this year, then ask them. Have them make their list for Santa now, so you can keep your eyes out for amazing deals. Many major retailers start having door-busters and special sales BEFORE Black Friday, because they know parents will be busting their fannies to buy up the best toys. And after Thanksgiving, they’ll be willing to pay more to make their children’s holiday dreams come true.

If your children haven’t said much about their Christmas wish lists yet, here are five items that you’ll want to have on your radar.

The vTech MobiGo: My kids have one of these bad boys. It’s an awesome handheld video game and learning system. It features a touch screen and full pop-out keyboard, so it’s perfect for ages 3 to 5. Although, truth be told, my 19-month-old loves it, too. It comes with a removable game cartridge, reminiscent of the old Nintendo games, but you can buy all sorts of other games to go with the system. I personally recommend the MobiGo for beginning gamers. It’s a ton of fun to play — just ask my husband — and it’s a sturdy little machine. It actually withstood having a glass of juice poured over it. True story.

Pillow Pets: Pillow Pets are amazingly huge this year. They’re full-sized plush pillows that, when closed with a strip of Velcro, can easily transform into a cuddly stuffed animal. Simple and snuggly. At first, you could only buy Pillow Pets through their exclusive Web site, but now they’re showing up all over the place. Honestly, I asked for one this Christmas myself… and the hubz better deliver. They’re adorable and functional. Love it!

Stinky the Garbage Truck: Boys love trucks. Make it a robotic, talking garbage truck named Stinky, and you’re sure to please your little pal. My son played with this fella from Matchbox and Mattel at a local toy store and went nuts. Stinky tells your child jokes, sings and, as your little one fills him with “garbage,” he can sense when he’s getting too full and needs to dump his haul. It’s a pretty cool toy and will definitely be making its way under our tree this year. If not, I’m in trouble.

Furry Frenzies: Furry Frenzies are this year’s Zhu Zhu Pets. The cool thing is, they come in a much larger variety, from hedgehogs to cats. They also have clothes, houses and play sets like Scoot & Scurry City. While a gift like this — that seems like the madness never ends — may seem like a curse, it actually makes future gift-giving a breeze, because you can always just buy a new addition to the collection.

Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster: I’ve seen this big guy in action, and he is definitely a mover and shaker. He’s over a foot tall and kind of hefty, but luckily, he’s remote controlled. Another sturdy, electronic gadget geared toward the 3- to 5-year-old crowd, he performs back-flips, and his belching is sure to please your youngster. Bigfoot the Monster will be stomping his way around your house and into your child’s heart for a long time to come!

Getting ahead of the Christmas shopping season is a surefire way to get make your tyke’s dreams come true, and at a reasonable price. Start your search now and you’ll all be in for a happy holiday!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/ncbrian/2154779798

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Flowers and chocolates: Isn’t mom sweet enough to deserve a bouquet and a box of yummy-ness? Granted, it seems to be such a standard gift. However, knowing that moms really just want to be remembered and appreciated makes these traditional fall-backs things of sentimental beauty. Flower arrangements start as low as $15. Many companies will still deliver before Mother’s Day when ordered today (Friday!)…and these flowers will look better than what the grocery store carries, and make mom less exasperated than seeing her gorgeous garden arrive in the grubby hands of her little loves.

Digital camera: Mom is the biggest maker of memories in most homes. Let her be the best one to capture those moments! Trust a mom on this one – we love a new digital camera! I bought one “for my husband’s birthday” (cough cough) a year ago. I may have let him take 3 of the 3,000+ pictures on there. Being around my daughter all day, I have many opportunities to catch her at her most adorable. Not sure what kind to get? Check out our Digital Camera Buying Guide!

Family pictures: You want her to be able to show off her most prized possession (her family!) right? A brag book she can take in her purse is a great way to remind her daily of the people she loves most. If there is one or two pictures she is particularly affectionate for, blow them up and frame them. Let mom find the best place to display these pictures. She may chose to put them where every one can see them and “ooh” and “ahh.” She may decide to put them right where she can see and smile, like a bedside table. There are some adorable picture frames that start at less than $5. Show her how much you love her by letting her see the ones she loves.

Those are just a couple of ideas that can be pulled off last minute. And if none of these tickle your fancy, let me know what you pull off!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/happyworker/4584638873

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