Thrifty Holiday Gift Exchange

Austin is an active member of the local library's Teen Library Council. It's very important to me that Austin learns integration with his peers as well as a selfless sense of humility for the smaller humans in this world. I always remind him that, "Somebody did it for you when you were that age." It has proven to be quite productive to his social skills. For example, I was VERY proud when he took it upon himself to be a knight at the princess party and impressed by his patient authority over the sweet little girls in their adorable frilly dresses. He also surprised me on game night. When one of the younger boys became upset about losing, Austin encouraged him and helped to avoid a meltdown by saying, "Now that you know my strategy, I'm not sure I want to play you again. You might beat me." Later, he told me that he gave the boy 'a run for his money,' but winning is 50/50 based on your AI players.

For this season, the TLC has done Operation Christmas Box. Oh my, it was such an exciting and hectic event. The boxes had to be reorganized at a designated person's home. At the end of our Teen Movie Night, we gathered for one of the members to do a blessing for the boxes (our mod wasn't affiliated on-shift for this). The blessing couldn't have been anymore appropriate and touching. These kids never stop amazing me!

The teen Christmas party is tomorrow. We agreed to a $5 cap on a Secret Santa gift exchange. I was kind of worried about how to choose $5 in gifts that were neutural in gender, desirable, and not all candy. I tried not to take authority because this is Austin's gift bag to fill. It was SO hard that Austin allowed me to choose one of the 5 dollar gifts. 

If you're trying to figure out what to get as neutural gifts for a kid of an unknown age, please review this list of 2015 Dollar Tree finds. It's a good idea to keep a few pre-wrapped gifts in your trunk for when your cousin bring his girlfriends kids or the neighbor's little one just doesn't take a hint...you never know. Every kid deserves to be included, right?!

Here are some of the things we eyeballed in the Dollar Tree:

- puzzle boxes

- 2 for $1 jingle antlers

- an ear flap hat of Santa or Frosty

- stockings both big and small (for money or candy)

- a very small wind-up toy train and tracks

- ornaments

- Snowglobes both small and large

- tons of choices in candy

- goofy stuffed animals

- candy canes of assorted flavors

- 2 ceramic ornaments with 3 paint colors and a small brush

- stickers

- coloring/activity books

- a print of 'A Christmas Carol' as well as other Christian reading and mini-bibles

(Oh how I love my Sheetz cup - for size, NOT included)

We chose 5 of the things from the list above. Feel free to guess as a comment, tell us which 5 items you'd choose, or just vent about the surprise guests/gift exchanges you've experienced. "Look, it's the gift of warmth" *passing a trunk hoodie wrapped in a Walmart bag and duct tape* You know, you can avoid this nightmare by packing an emergency gift. 

(You see two. Now guess the other 3)