My family has always been into BIG Christmas.  We’ve always gotten (and given) lots of gifts, and to be honest, we’ve really gone overboard quite a few times.  That’s not a bad thing, and I will never look back on my childhood Christmases and think…”Man I wish I’d gotten fewer of the things I begged my parents for all year.”  But as a parent (in a small house with hardly any storage who struggles to keep things clean)  I’m not really looking to buy lots of toys.  Instead we’re going for useful gifts that will benefit her and our family in the long run.  This might mean a few new toys

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1.  Upgrade that Car Seat!   Clara is growing steadily, but she’s all the small side.  She’s almost 18 months and is still pretty comfortable in her infant seat BUT, we took advantage of some Black Friday deals and decided to upgrade!  This carseat has a zipper cover that you can toss in the washing machine.  Clara won’t really appreciate it just yet, but it was a good opportunity for us a to spring for the upgrade. She’ll be riding comfortably in no time.

2.  Memberships to local parks and recreation.  Our family loves to get out and have fun on the weekends with all of our kids.  We make memories and have experiences that will outlive any toy.  This year I’m thinking we’ll get a membership to the Hogle Zoo. This membership also give discounted entrance to other zoos around the country too! Find out what your local recreation areas can offer you.

3.  Fire 7 Kids Edition with Kid-Proof Case  You may think that this is a little over the top, but these things are loaded with educational games and entertainment for DAYS!  My niece has one and is completely obsessed. She can navigate it better than I can.
4.  Clothes for the season.  Clara is growing out of clothes faster than we can buy them.  That means that we have to get her new stuff every few weeks.  I think Christmas is a great time to look at what she’ll need for this year and take advantage of the winter deals.

5.  Bath tub toys & tools.  As Clara gets older, she enjoys tubby time more and more and all those wet squishy toys get moldy.  Now is a great time to take a look at her toys and send the ones that are worse for wear down the road and upgrade  to a few new things.

6.  Books! I’ve started collecting books for Clara to read as she learns and grows.  She loves reading stories and I’m so excited to show her the new books we got her on Christmas morning. I also get her a different Christmas story every year.  Last year was the Polar Express.

7.  Christmas ornaments.  As our family is still new and we don’t have much for Christmas decorations just yet, I started a tradition where I get a Christmas ornament for Clara and Corey each year.  This way when we have a tree filled with ornaments, we can look back on the years that they got them and what great memories we had.

8.  Potty Training tools.  This one may not apply to everyone, but I think Christmas is a time for new beginnings.  And for us, that means kicking the diapers to the curb.  Clara isn’t walking just yet, but when she does, we’ll be ready to start potty training with all the tools we need.

And there you have it, 8 unique gift ideas for your toddler.  What’s on your list for you kids this year?  Are you more traditional and like to get them the latest toys, or are you looking for the most useful things you can find?  What will be under your tree on Christmas morning?