Birthday Gift Ideas for $15 and Under

This time of year always starts to feel like "Birthday Party Season" to me. Now that Christmas is far enough behind us and the snow is starting to melt (even if just a little), people are throwing birthday bashes again. Indeed, I wrap many gifts on Saturdays and Sundays for families in route to the party.

A customer said to me last weekend, though, that she was embarrassed to ask for my help because she could only spend $15 on a birthday gift. She also commented that she was sure we wouldn't have much in that price range. I was happy to show her how many options we have for gifts $15 and under! And for the record, I think that's a generous gift amount for classmates. Just think, if your child gets invited to 5 parties in the year, that's $75! We understand how quickly gifts for friends add up!

So I thought I'd share a few examples of fun gifts for $15 and under.

1. Stomp Rockets ($14.99): Great active fun for boys or girls! The soft foam rockets fly into the sky when a kid stomps on the launch pad. Fun alone or with a friend. For ages 3 and up.

2. Potato Spud Gun ($3.99): This gift can be fun to give an older boy. Get two guns (it will be more fun to play with a friend), a few potatoes, and wrap them up in a box together. They will never guess what's inside! Best for ages 5 and up.

3. Water Flutes ($14.99): My kids love these! Kids can make music in the tub! A great gift for the 3-7 crowd.

4. Pass the Pigs ($14.99): What a fun spin on a dice game for kids 8 and up! Instead of rolling dice, roll little pigs to get your score!

5. Various Stamp Sets ($11.99): Choose from dinosaurs, horses, and others. This gift works for a large age range since it is open-ended and creative. Younger kids will enjoy making pictures to hang on the fridge, while older kids can use them to make cards, book marks, etc.

6. Porcelain Tea Set ($14.99): A nice, classic toy, beautifully painted with pink butterflies.

7. Silly Bandz ($4.99): These are the new craze. One pack has 24 uniquely shaped rubber band bracelets. Shopping for a dinosaur lover? Get the dinosaur pack with a small Schleich dinosaur ($6.99). Shopping for a girl? Get the spring mix and a few Japanese puzzle erasers ($1.25) to go with them.

8. Butterfly Mobile Craft Kit ($13.99): This beautiful craft project will add sparkle to a kid's room for years to come! For the 7 and up crowd.

9. Metal Locking Toy Cash Box ($14.99): It really locks with a combination and key. What a great place to store one's diary, eraser collection, or anything else special. Ages 5 and up.

10. Rocket Balloons and Pump ($12.99): I'm not really sure why these are so fun, but they really are! Use the balloon pump to fill up the rocket balloons, pinch the bottom, count off, and let them go! The balloons whistle and whirl around on release. Great fun, active play indoors or out as kids chase and retrieve the balloons. Refill packs of balloons are only $5.99. Ages 5 and up.

We also have games and large sticker books and infant toys in this price range. So don't be embarrassed to ask us! And we'll happily wrap it for free so you can get to the party on time.

Making Thanksgiving Fun for Little Ones and Making Memories

I think Thanksgiving is a tough holiday for kids. There are no presents to open, no little plastic eggs to find. Instead, they have to dress in stiff, fancy clothes, wait all day for food that is weird to them, and keep from getting in the way of the television where adults are gathered for football. They probably are shuffled to a house or two filled with unfamiliar relatives who want to fawn over them and pinch their cheeks to boot.

As a mom of three little ones, I'm creating a plan to help them enjoy the day more. My answer? I'm coming to Grandma's house stocked with some crafts. But not just any crafts: I'm coming with crafts that will capture and create memories.

Here's my first plan of attack. I'm getting one of these scrapbooking bags. I've called my relatives to ask them to have one family photo out that we can have. I'm sure many will forget, though. But no fear! I will send my kids around with my digital camera to catch the sights and fun of the day. I figure this will give them something to focus on besides waiting for the turkey and pies. We'll start making the picture collages to fill the pockets with the ones we have that day. We'll use the spare time throughout the weekend to have the pictures the kids took printed out to finish filling the remainder of the picture pockets. When it's all said and finished, we will have a practical, usable tote bag filled with holiday memories. I could see us changing out the pictures each year! Or I could see this making a great Christmas gift when it's all done for Grandma. Yes, that's what we'll do! She'll love it!

I'm also bringing one of these Christmas banner kits as Plan B. Just in case we don't have enough photos to work on the scrap bag any amount of time, I think the kids will love working on this project. Each child (and the adults not intereseted in football) can make a different felt shape in the banner. Once all the shapes are put together on the satin ribbon, we'll have a one-of-a-kind Christmas banner to start the decorating! I know my kids will delight in seeing the banner year after year and remembering who decorated the gingerbread man and who did the santa hat.

Yep, I think the kids will start to look forward to Thanksgiving with these little projects to work on. They will be fun and capture the memories we all are hoping the holidays inspire in the first place.