With the holiday season fast approaching, I often search for that perfect present online or browse the aisles of my favorite stores. Not only do I need to buy gifts for my three children, but as most moms know, there are also gifts needed for grandparents, cousins, teachers, and anyone you love and appreciate. I find myself overwhelmed trying to start shopping early and get ahead of the chaos before it starts.
This year, I decided that I would not only buy traditional gifts but also look at experiences as potential gift ideas.
I also realized I don’t need to buy a million gifts to make my kids happy. Opening presents is fun and exciting, especially for my younger ones, but they also love having something to look forward to with their family. I need to embrace that before they become teenagers and would rather hang out with their friends!
I recently started doing this in lieu of birthday parties, so why not add some fun adventures into the holiday fun, either during the lead-up to the holiday season or as a surprise under the tree for after the holiday madness?
Some ideas that I like are holiday light displays (we are going on December 23rd!), weekend trips, movie tickets, Broadway shows, concert tickets, spa gift certificates, cooking classes, subscription boxes, and sporting events. Don’t forget to check out our recent post with links to great ideas!
I would love to surprise my family with a week or two of vacation on a tropical island, but that will have to wait a few more years. Life is expensive right now with three littles!
After hosting two huge birthday parties for my two older children, I tested my theory of giving an experience as a big present. Planning these parties while trying to tackle everything else on my never-ending to-do list was exhausting. After that, we decided to have parties every other year, and then they could choose an experience the year that they didn’t have a party with their friends.
This year, my son and husband got to go to a Yankees playoff game. He had the most amazing time, a memory he will have forever. He still got a cake on his birthday, and we may still have given him the baseball bat he wanted. But his smile at that game was a gift in itself. 
My daughter also jumped on board with this idea. Instead of having a 13th birthday party this coming March, she’ll be re-doing her bedroom, which she has wanted to do for a while. According to her, she needs a new aesthetic.
As for my soon-to-be five-year-old, well, he will be opening the most gifts under the tree this year. And he will have his first birthday party with friends—the third kid! The joy of seeing him tear open all his gifts every year is a gift for me, and those memories will always be special to me.
