Give Your Children the Gift of Christmas Memories #Fab15ToysCGC

That’s me circa 1988!

I remember that one year when my sisters and I got a She-Ra Castle for Christmas.  I thought it was the coolest present ever!  My sisters and I played with it until it completely fell apart.

There are a few toys from my youth like my She-Ra Castle that, when I think back on them, I am filled with Christmas nostalgia.  I remember the excitement of the Christmas holidays, the good times had with grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, waking up on Christmas morning eager to see the goodies that lay behind the festive wrapping paper.  I remember the love at first sight I felt as I laid my eyes upon a toy I’d been dreaming about for months.

I remind myself that I want to help my own children make similar memories during the holidays.

Here are few of the things I do with my kids to give the gift of Christmas Memories…

1. I don’t freak out. LOL, I know it sounds silly, but seriously, what better way to have a memorable Christmas than to relax and enjoy the holidays with your kids.  The following points are what helsp me not freak out. 🙂
2. We choose a way to serve. While serving others is important to do throughout the year and not just during the holidays, when we serve during the holidays there is the added bonus of teaching our kids to focus on the needs of others rather than simply on their wish lists.
3. We look for a family in need.  Some of my favorite Christmas memories as a teenager were shopping for gifts for a specific family in need.  Other times in my youth my family was that family in need.  Being on both the giving and the receiving end each brought their own blessings and memories.
4. We express gratitude. We use this special holiday season as a time to help our children focus on what they are thankful for. Each year we make a Thankful Tree and take turns hanging a tag on our tree that says what we are thankful for.  Since starting this holiday tradition two years ago, expressing gratitude on a regular basis has become a natural thing for my children.
5. We keep the gift giving simple. As a blogger, our situation is a little unique in that right before Christmas my kids get several items that are included in my Holiday Gift Guide.  Even still, I try to keep toys at a minimum.  On Christmas morning my kids each get one “big” present and two smaller presents from my husband and I. Each family has different financial circumstances but we try to keep total spent under $150 per child. Keeping gifts simple and few also helps avoid creating expectations of superfluous, expensive Christmases.

When looking for the perfect gifts we look for gifts that will “WOW!” and that will also be in our budget.  I look at gift guides like theKmart Fab 15! Toy Gift Guide 2014 for inspiration.

Kmart carefully selects the Kmart Fab 15 toys based on industry trends, input from kids and parents, as well as more than 50 years of experience in knowing what toys resonate with different ages, stages and play patterns. From big toys that make great, unexpected gifts to toys inspired by characters that kids know and love like Elsa, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Here are a few of my favorites from the Kmart Fab 15 list of hot holiday toys:

• Disney Doc McStuffins Sleepytime Lambie by Just Play (Kmart exclusive)
• Holiday Auburn Barbie^™ 2014 Doll by Mattel^® (Kmart exclusive)
• My Little Pony Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks Mane Event Stage Playset by Hasbro^® (Kmart exclusive)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles^® Power Wheels^® Lil’ Dune Racer by Fisher-Price^® (Kmart exclusive)
• Transformers Age of Extinction Optimus Prime and Grimlock 12-Inch Electronic Figures by Hasbro^® (Kmart exclusives)
• Zoomer Dino by Spin Master^™
• Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa Doll by TollyTots
• FurReal Friends Get Up and GoGo My Walkin’ Pup Pet by Hasbro^®
• LEGO^® Super Heroes Line from Marvel^™ and DC Comics^™
• NERF^® Zombie Strike SlingFire Blaster
• Nickelodeon PAW Patrol Look-Out Playset, Vehicles and Figurines, and Rescue Racers by Spin Master^™
• Play-Doh^® DohVinci Style and Store Vanity Complete Design Set by Hasbro^®
• Simon Swipe Game by Hasbro^®
• VTech^® Kidizoom^® Smartwatch

 My 7 year old got this a couple months ago to review and he still loves using it.

You can shop the Kmart Fab 15 Toys in store or online (my personal preference).  If you are a Shop Your Way member and purchase any Fab 15 toy now through Nov. 22, Kmart will extend your free trial of the Shop Your Way MAX program, and you’ll receive free two-day shipping for six months. Now, that is my kind of deal!

This holiday season, Kmart–the all-time leading corporate fundraiser for St. Jude’s Hospital–is also encouraging members and customers to give the gift of hope by joining them in support of St. Jude’s commitment to saving children’s lives.

• Beginning Dec. 7, when customers purchase any of the Kmart Fab 15 toys, $1.00 will be donated to St. Jude – up to $25,000.
• Customers can also donate at check-out at any Kmart store or online now through Dec. 27.
• 100% of the donation to the St. Jude Thanks & Giving^® campaign goes toward understanding, treating and defeating cancer other diseases in children.

What a wonderful way to give to your children, and, at the same time, give back to your “community”–in this case to benefit children from across the nation who are being treated for serious, life-threatening diseases!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.