Things I Bought for Christmas this Year

This is purely for voyuerism, because I'm always asking people what they're getting for their husbands, kids, mother-in-laws, etc. Mostly I want to steal their ideas and claim them as my own. 

I'm not spilling everything because I have a few family members that read here, but presently Duke is not one of them, so I'm just trusting that the secrets are safe with you. Here's what's wrapped up and under my Christmas tree --

Santa, to whom I give the least credit on Christmas morning (aka, he only brings a gift or two - everything else is from Mom and Dad), brought some family games this year. I'm not sure if Yahtzee is too old for Duke still, but we'll try it. I also got Tenzi and CandyLand. 

Ooh I'm very excited about this zero gravity RC car. It is supposed to be able to drive up walls and along ceilings. 

This wooden "laptop" with chalk and magnets to hopefully quell the absolutely unrealistic requests for a laptop of his own. 

Ryan asked for an electric kettle this year, which I was delighted to oblige because it means I get to choose the aesthetic. He's snooty so I knew I need to get a really nice one and this Target find fit fit the bill. 

Shoes would be a weird gift for someone else, so I'd like to be clear that I wrapped these babies up for myself. 

And also this pop-of-red Yeti is for me. I have not yet subscribed to the Stanley hype, because I'm a Yeti gal, through and through.

Kitsch key chain for a friend. Just a fun find, no?

Another fun and luxurious get is this Glossier cookie butter balm. I love to gift elevated goodies that are functional staples, but also a little bougie, so maybe it's not something someone would buy themselves. 

Sephora's exchange policy is very generous, so I felt confident scooping up a Rare Beauty blush for a friend. I *think* she'll like the color, but if not, she can exchange it really easily. 

The robo-fish is such a fun present for little ones! Drop these babies in the bathtub and they swim away like the real thing. Duke looooves them, so I grabbed some for his friends. 

Not pictured, but I also think you can never have enough socks, and I really just like the look of these retro stripes. Duke has been enjoying the heck out of this Bluey Christmas color book (we're in a real Bluey phase). And how fun would it be for a millennial mom to give their kiddo a giga pet or tamagotchi? Talk about blast from the past! 

A bit more long-winded, so buckle up. I am the resident photo taker in our family and while I make photo books every year, those live with my in-laws. This year, I thought it would be fun to print out some snaps and send them along with my Christmas cards. Two reasons: first of all, I get lots of Christmas cards that I love, featuring photos of the family that sent them. That's very nice, but ultimately I toss them sometime in January and feel guilty about it too - those smiling faces staring up at me from my garbage can feels like sacrilege. I like those people, but like, what do I do with their family picture? On the other hand, I have plenty of pictures I've taken of people I love through the year, that just stay unseen on my laptop. What if I sent them those pictures? Honestly, it seems more useful and enjoyable for the receiver. I have several great pictures of my niece and her baby daughter - shouldn't she have those prints? 

I'm basically patting myself on the back for thinking of such a good idea, but I'm not humble. I think it's a great idea. I'd love to get pictures in the mail from someone else's cellphone. Anyway, I found these tiny prints from Pinhole Press. Small enough to mail a handful, and printed on nice hearty cardstock. They were not expensive and I have a few left over to enjoy myself. 

***

Your turn! What's under your tree? 

PS - there are some affiliate links in here, but aren't they everywhere? If you click on a link, they'll throw me a couple pennies for our combined hardwork, so I guess click with caution.