What We Are Giving the Girls for Christmas
This post marks a decade since I did my very first “What we’re ACTUALLY giving our girls for Christmas” post!
It’s been wildly popular year after year and it’s also super useful personally to me because it forces Bart and me to sit down and make decisions about what gifts we’re going to get for our girls.
It feels FANTASTIC to have everything ordered before Thanksgiving and then get everything wrapped up early – the best Christmas present I give myself each year is going to bed early on Christmas Eve.
Here are the gifts that will be under the tree at our house this year (plus what will be in their stockings!) I hope you’ll find it helpful!
For Ella (age 14.5)
Shokz Headphones
Ella has earbuds but she’s been really interested in these bone-conducting headphones (we gave my father-in-law a pair for his birthday a few months ago!). I think she’ll love these!
Paint Markers
Ella LOVES all things art related and one of my Instagram friends recommended these markers a few months ago and I’ve had them saved in a tab ever since. I think she’ll be THRILLED!
Piping Tips
Ella has been very into cake decorating this year (she and her cousin who also loves to bake signed up to make cakes and cookies for kids in the hospital who are celebrating birthdays) and she was not impressed with our piping tip situation. Problem solved!
White StarBlends
Look, I don’t really know anything about face painting supplies, but Ella knows a LOT and asked for this for Christmas so . . . white StarBlends it is. (Details about the other face painting supplies she uses here, if you’re interested!)
Workout Leggings
Ella has been coming to my gym class with me this fall which is really fun. She only has workout shorts, so I figured a pair of workout leggings would be nice for winter. I also added in a set of these super-popular workout socks.
For Ani (age 12)
Carving Kit
A reader recommended this as something her tween son LOVED and I immediately knew it would be a hit for Ani who can’t get enough of projects like this. In addition to the carving kit, I got a set of these wood blocks.
Remote Page Turner
One of the items on Ani’s Christmas wish list was a remote page turner for her Kindle. Wish granted (and I added a new Kindle case too because she’s had the same boring blue one that came free with her Kindle for ages).
Raycon Earbuds
This was another item from her wish list and this was an easy yes for me. I use my Raycon earbuds CONSTANTLY and I know she’ll love these too!
Latch Kit
She wanted one of these so much that it was on her wish list TWICE! I picked the Swan design because it looked like it had the most detail so it would be the most advanced.
Pickleball Bag
Ani started taking pickleball lessons this fall and has been really into it. We got Ella this same pickleball bag last year and it has been great so we got the same one for Ani in a different color.
For Star (almost 10)
Tool Set
Star spent much of this summer working on little wood projects with Tally – sanding, nailing, and cutting. I think she’ll LOVE this little tool set (it’s designed for kids but it it is really tools, not toy ones).
Krispy Kreme Stuffy
Star has loved stuffed animals her whole life (she got one for Christmas when she was 10 months old and absolutely lost her mind) and it just wouldn’t be Christmas without one for her.
Hammock
The girls’ cousins have these hammocks and my kids LOVE them so this will be fun for them to have their own!
American Doll Car
I love that my girls love and play with their American Girl dolls like my sisters and I did when we were growing up. This is so cute and fun!
Instax Camera Film
For Star’s 9th birthday earlier this year, we gave her an Instax camera which has been very popular. She asked for some more film and she’ll be delighted to get it!
For Tally (Almost 8)
Beddy’s Blanket
Tally LOVES blankets and has several of them. This year, she asked for a “light, not heavy blanket” and I knew instantly which blanket would be right! We have one of these on-the-go blankets from Beddy’s (who makes our beloved zipper bedding that my girls have used for years) and it is SO good. Perfect cozy weight without being super hot. She’ll be so thrilled to have her own! (My Beddy’s affiliate code is JANSSEN)
Bunny Night Light
This was a surprise request when the girls made their Christmas wish lists this year but it was so cute that I couldn’t resist! Plus it’s under $15.
Baking Kit
Tally has really started getting interested in being in the kitchen this year and one of her requests was for a baking kit. This cinnamon roll one will be a hit, I think (and she’ll have plenty of eager family members ready to help eat them)!
Squishmallow
Look, I don’t quite understand the wild appeal of Squishmallows but their hold on my kids is STRONG. And when we got each girl a Squishmallow a couple of years ago for Christmas, it was unreasonably delightful how thrilled they all were. So I’m going back for more since it was on Tally’s wish list this year.
Hammock
We thought Star would enjoy having a companion in her hammock adventures! (Plus these hammocks aren’t very expensive and have excellent reviews!).
Family Gifts
Universal Yums Subscription
I’ve heard about this for YEARS and this felt like the right year to test it out as a family – I think it is going to be so fun! Every month you get a box of snacks with information, games and trivia about different countries. I cannot wait! (Is this somewhat a gift for me? Yes).
Mini Trampoline
Our girls play on our trampoline ALLL spring/summer/fall long. Having a mini trampoline for indoors during the winter is going to be so nice!
Musical Boxing
We’ve been talking about getting a boxing something for years and this one, that syncs to music and mounts on the wall so it doesn’t take up a lot of space, seems perfect! I think this will be very popular for the kids and adults alike!
And here’s what we’re putting in their stockings:
Luggage Tags
It seems so simple, but I think my girls will love having their own special personalized luggage tag to attach to their suitcases for when we travel.
Travel Jewelry Boxes
These are as much for at home as they are for travel – it’ll be so nice for my girls to have a place to keep all their jewelry in one spot!
Paper Airplane Pads
These are so fun (and were CRAZY popular on this year’s $5 gift guide) for making cool paper airplanes. My girls will be delighted.
Magnifying Glasses
My girls have all been very into magnifying glasses this year so we thought these 30x ones with LED lights would be a stocking stuffer hit.
Nail Polish
I couldn’t resist the new metallics collection from Olive & June and got one for each of my girls’ stockings (plus right now, everything on their site is 25% off with the code 25OFF which only happens once a year!).
Sharpie Sets
My girls LOVE art supplies and so I got a few Sharpie sets to mix and match to put in their stockings this year.
Guest Checks
My girls play restaurant ENDLESSLY and I thought a set of these guest order books in their stockings would be a fun (and super affordable) addition to their play.
Earrings
This is just for Ella since she’s the only one with her ears pierced. She loves the screwback earrings from Hey June because they don’t irritate her ears and she can wear them around the clock. My affiliate code is JANSSEN
Candy
Our girls always want some peppermint bark and Ghirardelli’s chocolate!
Pringles
This is a longstanding tradition from Bart’s family that we’ve carried on in our family! A single serve pack or two for everyone!
And if you’re interested, here’s what we got the girls last year, in 2022 in 2021, in 2020, in 2019, in 2018, in 2017, in 2016 and 2015!
Love these posts, thank you! My serious question – how do your girls (the ones who are online more) avoid the temptation to look at this list?!
They would never! They’ve known for years I do this post and they have ZERO interest in ruining their Christmas by looking. They also know where I keep all the presents, so they could look in 2 seconds if they wanted to know!