It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is here! It seems like 2018 has truly flown by for our family. It has been a wonderful year in so many ways and I am so excited for the holiday season this year. It will be our first Christmas as a family of four! That being said, we are scaling it back…way back…this year. Both of our babies have so much stuff and I am honestly tired of cleaning it all up. We are working toward a more minimalistic household and part of that is having things that can be used for multiple purposes. Not only does this reduce clutter, but it also saves money and inspires creativity!
How To Do Less This Holiday Season With a Toddler
Set Expectations.
This is important not only for gift-givers, but also for your toddler. We have let our families know that we aren’t doing much this year as far as gifts for Christmas and we’d rather them give our children experiences (the zoo, meals out, etc.) vs. toys that tend to break and get lost. We are also having discussions with Levi about the true meaning of the holidays and why it doesn’t mean a ton of gifts.
Quality Over Quantity.
One thing that I am working on is cleaning out things that are of low quality. Whether it be clothing, towels or even toys. We are focusing more on quality gifts this season vs. quantity. Let’s face it: toddlers don’t care about the amount of presents they have to open, they care about what’s inside (and often…if they can play in the box the gift comes in). We are doing the same thing for our gifts to each other this year as well, Josh and I are focusing on getting each other one quality gift vs. a million small gifts.
Experiences Are Important.
I mentioned this a bit in the first point, but this one is huge. Experiences are what memories are made of. Let’s face it: do you still have favorite toy that you opened on your 3rd Christmas? Probably not. What you DO have, if you’re like me, are photos of you playing with those toys with your grandparents/parents/siblings. Memories. This is one of the reasons that we love the the Thomas & Friends Super Station from Walmart! It’s one of those toys that even the adults love to play with! Josh and Levi spent hours playing with it recently and I spend at least 30 minutes a day with Levi playing with it. It’s SO much fun! I am all about toys and gifts this year that we can enjoy as a family, together. This Super Station is one of those gifts for sure!
Multipurpose Is Key.
This is my number one rule this year when doing ‘less’ for Christmas. I am looking for items that can be utilized in a variety of ways. For example, coloring books that also teach counting. Another great example is our Thomas & Friends Super Station! Not only will the set hold over 100 engines, but it has multiple configurations that can fit in a variety of spaces! If we want to create a smaller track for Levi to play with, we simply adjust the configuration. We all know that toddlers get bored easily, they are constantly exploring and excited to learn new things. This can lead to what I call ‘toy burnout’, they play with a specific toy for a few days/week and then they are tired of it. The super station solves that issue, with all of the various configurations it offers! It also works with ANY Thomas Engine of any scale which was a huge plus for us, considering we have a ton of Thomas Engines already.
If you are looking for a high-quality gift for your toddler (or husband, haha!) this holiday season, I highly recommend the Thomas & Friends Super Station! I am so impressed with the quality of this set, and I love watching our little guy’s creativity flourish while playing with his new favorite toy. If you haven’t already realized it, Walmart Layaway is also back and this is the perfect gift for any child on your list!
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