Christmas is 63 days away... Crazy isn't it!

Christmas is 63 days away... Crazy isn't it!

I'm done planning Halloween - just getting ready to enjoy it. I've gotten almost everything I need for the thankgiving dinner except the big ol' turkey. lol so now... now I concentrate on getting christmas gifts and trying to get good ones that she'll enjoy. Mike's a little harder, he wants big big gifts that even grandma can't afford to help get lol.

So what do you get a 12yr old preteen??

BAB - (Build a Bear) - we've done this since she was 3. Mike came home from North Carolina (I think that was the state lol) and he had this little white teddy bear and she slept with teddy all the time. He was gone for weeks at a time for training so this was great, she still had a little piece of him :) So we continued the tradition years later adding onto her collection of bears, bunnies, dogs, kitties.. etc. And the collection of clothes for these guys - did you know that the bunny has a sun umbrella (I don't even have one lol) - Just don't know when to end the tradition, what age is appropriate to say, lets pass on your bears and bunnies to someone that really needs a hug? Of course Teddy has to stay. No questions asked about that one!

DS (Or DSi) - Nintendo, I love you!! lol On rainy days, on long car drives, when your sick in bed or just bored silly from weary days - you can have the kids play their DS. Tons of fun games, educational, training games (the pet vet ones makes her take care of animals or they get sick and get taken away from her). Our Nintendo is on the way back to them since its broken and we are still under the one year warranty. - Now what games do I get her that are girly and she'll like? We just got Wizards of Waverly place for halloween - she bought it :) She turned in her old games and was able to pay 1.45 for the new game. Teaches her responsibility too! Also do we upgrade her to the DSi? I don't allow internet access too much with her. She's got her sites she can go to, but we don't do facebook or anything like that. So is the DSi appropriate?

Clothes - I learned along time ago that she loves shopping and clothes just as much as me but she doesn't want them as presents lol. UNLESS its a warm fuzzy sweater she can cuddle up in or pjs that are fleece bottoms. Everything else just gets that stare of, 'come on mom - what were you thinking' lol

Dress up - yes we just got out of the dress up stage with the dresses and shoes but she's into the other preteen stage - MAKEUP! they want makeup, earrings, necklaces, bracelets - and they need to be 'cool'. I've stuck with the Avril Lavigne line and did Claire's for the earrings. But the makeup I haven't done yet. Lipgloss yeah. But not the other. She breaks out alot from things so What brand do I get?? What do I get?? I know Twilight items this year are a must so I'll be on the look out for the necklaces and bracelets from that :)

Cooking - my moms and mother in law have always sent Amber holiday baskets (full of junkfood) and toys. They started putting in the muffin mixes that you can get for like .89 cents and she can just add water. I hate the stupid Easy Bake Ovens. So this was a nice turn for us and we all enjoyed it. (The wild berry ones are her favorite!) Last year my gf got her a cute apron to wear. She loves to cook!! So what should we get her this year? She has a couple cookbooks. This is her favorite hobby and loves making dinner with dad, so I need to include something for it with christmas.

Books BOOKS books! - I can't stress enough how much both Amber LOVES to read. She can suck down a book and just not let go of it at bedtime. But I want her to finish the books completely before going onto another one. Yeah at her age she should be able to do this, but we are a little behind maturity wise for her to keep up. Would buying her a little journal to put notes in about the book, too 'schooly'? Do I buy her a couple sets of books or just keep it to one?


What I already have for Amber? umm not alot lol. Normally I'm stacked to the cieling with gifts hidden in the basement. This year, not so much. I have a dolphin bank that was handmade that she can put in her room. Help her learn money and earning it better. And I have a vampire book collection - My Sister is a Vampire. We had to get them off Ebay since they don't make the #2 one anymore in the states. But that's about it... I've got alot of shopping to do Lucy!!