Holiday Gift Guide for Kids | #TheMomBlogCollective Week 5

November 28, 2017 Heidi Wells

Welcome back and thank you to our loyal followers of this series! If you're new here, here's the scoop. Once a month, our group of amazing and inspiring mamas will discuss the same topic having to do with blogging, Instagram, photography, collaborations, sponsored posts, balancing it all with motherhood, and more. We each have different perspectives and different opinions, so this is a fun way to learn from one another. We hope you'll join along! Check out the hashtag #themomblogcollective to see everyone on Instagram, and I will also link you to all of the amazing blog posts here at the bottom of my post!

We thought it would be kind of fun to switch it up and talk about something besides blogging. This week, 6 of us mamas are talking all about the holidays! We have a total of 13 kids between us ranging in ages from 3 months to 7 years and we each put together a gift guide for our littles in this installment of #TheMomBlogCollective.

[A special Thank you to @sproutssanfrancisco, @kazambikes and @kidtrax_toys who sponored this post. As always, I truly belive in everything I share, so all opinions expressed are my own.]

A little disclaimer. Christmas is and always has been my favorite holiday. And now that I have a child to celebrate it with, I definite may go a little overboard. I still remember that Christmas as a little girl that I ran downstairs and saw a new cabbage patch doll, and that was all I needed until my mom said wait, there's more. A light bright! Oh man, hours of fun. I just love the feeling of Christmas, I love the joy it brings me to give someone something that makes them happy. I know, it's not all about the gifts, but for this post it IS!

All of these items are going to be under the tree this year for Finn and I can't wait to see the excitement on his face when he runs down the hall to see Santa has come and delivered happiness straight to our living room.

If you haven't read my post on 8 stylish ways to kid-proof your home you should check it out but one of the main things I live by in order to avoid my home looking like a preschool is I buy toys that match my style. Toys that blend into my decor rather than stand out. That's why I shop small. I avoid those big bold plastic looking toys filling my organized and adult looking living room. Here are some of my favorites that will be under our tree for Finn this year.

Amazon is taking over the world y'all, right? So many people are getting all there shopping done via the world wibe web these days, but I've always been a big believer in shopping small. I get it, it's just so easy now to say, "I'll just get it from Amazon," but I'm not ready to not have face to face interactions with people just yet. So, I try and support the family-run or small businesses. And most of the time I find better, more ethically sound, and organic items that just fit my lifestyle better.

1. Little Cottonwood - This wooden guitar has real strings and can be tuned and played

2. Sprout, San Francisco - This musical band drum set is made of natural rubber wood and water based non-toxic paints.

Finn is constantly obsessed with music, sounds, and dancing. I once had an old lady who told me she was psychic and she said, "Never turn off the music around him, this boy thrives with music, so feed that desire and always play the beats." No clue if she was crazy or right or both, but here goes nothing. Guitar and drum set coming right up.

3. Kazam - The KaZAM mini ride-on is designed with three wheels and a curved frame that is perfect for any constantly moving toddler and helps to develop motor skills

We have a little 12-year-old neighbor who rides his scooter outside and Finn is obsessed. He isn't quite old enough for a skateboard but I wanted to get him something besides his little rocket he has been pushing himself on for over a year now. This balance bike is legit you guys! It's the perfect starter bike for your little one. I think this is going to be the overall winner of the Christmas morning excitement.

4. Sprout, San Francisco - KicKee Pants Zipper Footie is made with super-soft organic bamboo and will keep your little sprout stylish & cozy on Christmas morning

I know, clothes aren't the most fun presents to open but I wanted to start a tradition this year and get him a new Christmas-y jammie set each year. Kickee Pants are insanely soft and I wish these came in my size!

5. Toys R Us - In my family, there is always that one BIG gift, and this year, the Avigo Land Rover Defender 12 Volt Ride On is that one.

I know, I know...this is too much but when we visited our friends a few months ago, they had one and he loved it. He also has a yellow toy jeep he got with Grandma that he won't put down so it just seemed like he needed this. We will need to grow into it, but i'm so ready to have him drive me around for awhile.

6. Sprout, San Francisco - Your little chef can chop & prep with this Assorted Fruit & Vegetable set

7. Sprout, San Francisco - We've been obsessed with this Tegu's Magnetic Wooden Block Set since we played with it at our local Patagonia store, I waited to get it for Christmas and I might be more excited about this one than Finn. It's also on Sale currently!

8. Amazon - Stabilo Woody crayon set is my favorite stocking stuffer. They don't break when thrown and they come off of any service, walls, floors, and even windows. The most genius crayons of all time. I heart you Stabilo!

9. Sprout, San Francisco - Your aspiring chef can cook up anything with these wooden Cooking Utensils. Made with rubberwood and non-toxic paints.

10. Sprout, San Francisco - This environmentally friendly flatbed truck with race car by Green Toys is a must-have. Finn is obsessed with these whenever we go into Whole Foods. Thank goodness my favorite little boutique carries all of them.

11. Sprout, San Francisco - The Mini Golf Set is made of sustainable and preservative-free rubberwood colored with natural water-based dyes coated with a nontoxic finish

I spent my Saturday running errands and got pretty much my entire shopping list done just by visiting one of my favorite children's boutiques, Sprout, San Francisco. They have one simple mission; to handpick the safest and healthiest products for your children. There are so many new chemicals and recalls being thrown at us in this modern world, it important to find the right toys that are safe for your little ones. I don't have to think twice about what Finn is putting in his mouth when I get it from Sprout because I know they have chosen the safest and most organic toys out there. I've been shopping at their Palo Alto location since Finn was a baby, and they have several other locations up here the bay but, you can also shop online if that's your thing or you don't live close by.

Ok, yes yes yes...I know. Going out in holiday traffic to shopping with a toddler isn't the easiest. So even though I love the face to face interaction with small shops, I do also do some online shopping every now and then. I do love me a good sale too, so I couldn't pass up a few items from my favorite online shops too!

So, that's it. It's not even December and my shopping is complete. It sounds crazy but in 2015, I was 9.5 months pregnant and I had the early stages of preeclampsia, so I wasn't really in the decorating or shopping mood. Then in 2016, Finns first Christmas, we were actually told we had to move our of our home because the owners were moving back in, so the whole house was in boxes on Christmas morning and only 1/3 of my decorations were out. It was still a great day but, because the last few years have been hard for me to fully enjoy my favorite holiday, I'm going to enjoy every last minute this year.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!