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As my kids are getting older I feel it gets more difficult to shop for them. When they are little it is easy to get them toys, and Legos and they were pretty much happy with just about anything. As they are getting older, I tend to find myself searching for practical gifts, things they will use throughout the year, and things that will last. Quality over quantity is key! 

I always try and remind my children that Christmas is not just about gifts, although it is fun to give gifts and fun to receive gifts. Most importantly I try and have time for our family to reflect on all the blessings we have and try and emphasize time with family is priceless. Savoring the magic and what some would deem simple miracles all around us is so essential. 

Here is a list of some gift ideas, some practical, and others experiences, and gifts that can be used throughout the year. 

A practical gift that has become a tradition is Matching Pajamas, I am happy that they still let me do this and I hope they always do. It is one of my favorite holiday traditions. I used to give them their pajamas on Christmas Eve, and although they wear them all the way through the winter season, which is pretty good. I saw another mom share that she gives her family their matching pajamas on December 1st so they can wear them longer. I think that is a great idea! That will also be a great way to change it up this year since they already know matching pajamas are coming.

Books - we always gift our children a book or book set for Christmas, I hope to instill in them a love for reading. Sam's Club and Costco are great places to find deals on book sets. I also will always recommend supporting your local bookstores. Family Books & Gifts is a local bookstore I love to support, they not only have great books but also unique gift items. 

Experiences - this is my favorite gift to give at Christmas, it is the gift that keeps on going.  Over the years we have done Raging Waters Season Passes, I am so sad they just announced they are closing the Sacramento location. I am still for any kind of experience gift ideas.

The Get Out Pass is a great one! It is not just for only one place, there are multiple experiences with the Get Out Pass.  This is available nationwide, if you are in Northern California like us here are some of the places you will find available, All-Star. Strikes Bowling Alley, Scandia, Country Club Lanes Arcade, Sea Quest, The California Automobile Museum, All-Star Karting, and so many more locations. They have a Black Friday Sale that is already live right now, so it is a great time to purchase! Use code BLOGABOUTITALL you'll save even more on top of the Black Friday deal that is available now. Regularly priced at $149.95, with the Black Friday deal it is $79.95, use code BLOGABOUTITALL to drop it down to $74.95. 

Sacramento Zoo Membership or SeaQuest Annual Pass. By the way, Sea Quest is included on the GetOutPass. Our Sacramento Zoo Membership is $60 for an adult or $175 for a family pack for two-adults and up to four kids. There are more options, read more here. The SeaQuest Annual Pass is $39.99, for more info click here.

Ice Skating - A fun way to gift tickets to your local ice skating rink would be a gift basket with hot cocoa, a beanie, or maybe a scarf and mittens. Here in Sacramento, we have the cutest outdoor ice rink in the heart of Downtown. Our kids love going ice skating, and with our busy schedule, it is a fun holiday treat. 

Quarry Park Adventures - Located in Rocklin, CA, this Adventure Park has it all, zip-lining, rock climbing, aerial adventures and more! They have family packages and right now you can save with their holiday sales. Check out Quarry Park here. 

Discovery Kingdom Season Passes - One year we gifted our children Discovery Kingdom season passes and this was such a fun gift we used all year long. They often have great Black Friday deals on season passes, so keep your eye out for that. 

Event Tickets - Monster Jam in January, Disney on Ice in February, Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, Imaginarium, Sacramento Kings Game Tickets, any other Football Game, Basketball Game, or Soccer Game depending on who you are shopping for. You can always print out a homemade ticket, or photo and wrap that up. Another idea would be to find a Christmas ornament that represents the experience you are gifting and wrap the ornament. 

Classes - If you are a grandparent or an aunt or uncle, offer to pay for a class or set of classes. Cooking classes, music lessons, swimming classes, art classes, find out what interests them. This is a gift to both the parents and the child!

Subscription Gifts - Depending on your budget, if you can gift an annual subscription, others may be able to pay for a six-month subscription. Disney+, Netflix, Cinemark Movie Club, and whichever other subscriptions your loved ones may enjoy. If they already have this, you could still gift a coupon of some kind that says I want to pay for your Netflix for the next three months, six months, whatever works for you. Gift them cash or a Visa Gift Card. I know with the way prices have increased this would be a blessing to our family and those I know. I know quite a few families who recently canceled their Netflix or Disney+, and I know others who have told me they are not renewing their subscriptions. 

Photo Gifts - I love photo gifts, they are priceless in my opinion. A photo gift can be a photo ornament or a photography session. I love these DIY Photo Ornaments I made years ago, I still have mine on my tree. One year I gifted the grandparents these of all the grandchildren. If you are local check out my photography friend Britney at YourCreativeCounterPart. Again a photography session would be a great gift to a family, but also if you know someone who is a small business owner. They would appreciate a gift for new headshots or images they can use for their business. Mapiful is another great photo gift option, they do more than just photos. I love giving a photo calendar to our family, again it is a practical gift they use all year, a calendar with everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, etc, and also a snapshot of family photos throughout the past year. 


Consumables - I love homemade cookies and also love to gift homemade cookies. I feel like homemade goodies go unnoticed as for being on gift guides but definitely do not go unnoticed by the recipient. If you do not bake or cook, you can do a fruit basket, homemade caramel dip, or store-bought candy, popcorn balls, and baked goods maybe just repackaged and with your touch of creativity. Check out my TikTok of this easy homemade caramel.

Grazing Craving - This is a local gal I know Sheila who makes the most beautiful charcuterie boards, and charcuterie-style boxes. I have gifted these before and they have absolutely loved them. Check her page out on Instagram @GrazingCraving be sure to place your order early as she gets busy with the upcoming holidays. If you are hosting people over during the holidays this would be great to order and one less thing for you to make. 

The Gift of Time - This can be different depending on who you are shopping for. If you are shopping for a mom gifting a house cleaner, babysitter, or professional organizer would be an amazing gift. Shopping for a college student, dinners delivered, house cleaner, car detailing, all of these are still giving them the gift of time, more time to study right. You could also schedule actual time together to do something, go somewhere, travel somewhere, a mother/daughter trip, a father/son trip, a sisters trip, the list goes on, again thought time together making memories, which is priceless. 

Still need more ideas . . . Check out this blog post I wrote on How to Personalize Gifts, for more gift ideas and ways to personalize them, click here.

Click here to check out a Gift Guide I did for Kids ages 4-12, even though this is an older blog post you will still find great ideas that work for this year.

If you have a Keto person in your life click here for a blog post I did on 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Friends and Family on Keto.

I hope you found this post helpful with your Christmas shopping I also add, any of these gifts could also work for a birthday present, so Pin it and save it for later.