What’s on my toddler’s Christmas list
Glittering roof lines, garland adorned storefronts, & a fresh chill in the air that leaves noses cold and calls for extra snuggles. Christmas season is officially here! It’s time to cherish age old family traditions, experiment with new seasonal recipes, and create lots of sweet memories with our loved ones. Oh, and did I mention shopping?
Our baby boy’s birthday is in early January so I like to start gathering ideas for his Christmas & birthday presents early on to help take some pressure off of the busy holiday season. I have a Pinterest “Gifts” board that I organize by person in our family (including myself), and add to it throughout the year whenever I come across something that would make a great gift. I highly recommend this to help keep your ideas organized!
As I create my Christmas lists, I try my best to practice mindful shopping & avoid products that contribute to wastefulness. As our family continues to embrace a more minimalist lifestyle (and home), I like to include need based items such as pajamas & clothing as well as more fun ideas like natural stuffed animals, sustainable toys & nontoxic art activities for Hudson to explore in the new year.
The holiday season is a great time to go through any unused clothes, toys, and household items and donate them to those in need. It brings me so much joy knowing that items that were once collecting dust in our closet will soon be a blessing to a stranger. This is also a good reminder of what toys and clothes you already have, to help not make duplicate or wasteful purchases.
Shopping for our baby boy is one of my favorite things to do, so putting together his Christmas list is always a lot of fun. Some of these ideas are more practical, while others are more playful - I’m so thankful for the opportunity to shower him with gifts & lots of love on Christmas and every day. Sharing a few of my favorite (mindful) toddler Christmas gifts below!
Organic pajamas
When the cold comes around, it’s time to bundle baby up in some long-sleeved, cozy pajamas. Christmas is the perfect time to stock up on warm pj’s for the chilly winter months ahead. There are so many great, organic cotton options out there & I love seeing brands release their fun, new Christmas prints each year. Linking a few of my favorite organic sets below. For some more affordable options, check out Little Planet, Gap, & Burt’s Bees!
Organic clothing
Cozy socks and beanies make perfect stocking stuffers - and brands like Q for Quinn & Little Planet have plenty of classic, tasteful styles to choose from. Pact also has reasonably priced, organic non-slip crew socks that are great for busy toddlers who like to run about the house like our little one.
The holiday season is also a great time to stock up on jackets and pullovers to help stay warm on all the nature walks & family outings to come in the colder months ahead. Colored Organics has a variety of neutral, versatile & 100% organic cotton options to choose from. I’ve also purchased hoodies from Little Planet and Pact that we’re very happy with!
Cotton stuffies
Before I learned about the potential toxins found in synthetic fabrics, I bought Hudson many of the popular, soft (& super cute) Jellycat stuffed animals. Later, I was disappointed to find that they are made of polyester and filled with plastic pellets.
It gives me so much more peace of mind seeing Hudson cuddle up with (& chew on) the more natural stuffies I’ve found him. One of my favorites is the German brand Senger Naturwelt - their animals are made of cotton and filled with sheep’s wool & cherry pits that can be heated for a warming effect.
I’m also a fan of brands like Cuddle & Kind whose heirloom quality dolls are made of hand-knit cotton yarn and although they’re filled with polyester, they are tested and certified nontoxic. While not 100% natural, these cotton stuffies are a better option than the common polyester alternatives. Linking a few of my favorite options below.
Nontoxic art activities
Our baby boy is turning 2 in January, so I wanted to find some fun art activities that he can begin to experiment with. While most normal crayons and play-dough are considered non-toxic, Honeysticks takes safety one step further with their 100% natural, food grade ingredients. Considering toddlers like to put everything in their mouths, I couldn’t be more excited to find this option.
Ailefo similarly created a modeling clay that is naturally pigmented, contains 98% organic materials, and is made up of completely natural, food grade ingredients. This gives me peace of mind since Hudson’s hands are constantly in his mouth at this stage of teething. Linking these great, natural craft options below!
Sustainable, wooden toys
Talk about heirloom quality. Classic, wooden toys are sustainable not only because they are made of natural materials - but they can also be shared & passed down from generation to generation. One of my must have gifts for Hudson this year were some old-fashioned, simple wooden building blocks. The ones I purchased are by HABA and are made in Germany. I love that they are unfinished and leave room for imagination so he can create whatever his sweet little mind wants!
I’m also excited to gift Hudson his very first train set this year. Tender Leaf Toys creates such high quality, beautiful products, and I love how tiny their Treetops Train Set is. It’s the perfect size for a 2 year-old! Lastly, I love the mix and match animal tiles by Wee Gallery. They come in a precious wooden box, and I like that there are grooves that make it easy to swap out each piece. It’s such a cute activity that I look forward to doing together.
More important than finding the perfect gift, my goal this season is to not be overwhelmed by all the to-do’s, but instead practice being more present. I hope to set my focus on the true meaning of Christmas this month, soaking in Christ’s love and the peace He has so graciously given to us. Let’s enjoy all of these sweet, cozy moments with our precious families.
til next time,
Becks