Shot of Brandi Gift Guide - 40 Things for 40 Years

Monday, November 29, 2021

Earlier this year, I celebrated a milestone birthday. The big 4-0. So when thinking about themes for this year’s gift guide, I decided to break down 10 gifts for the last 4 decades of my life. I figure by offering things by year, it could match up to anyone at any age on your list (i.e. gift number 1 would be for a 1-year-old or something I liked at that age - like 21 = booze!).


Let’s get things going with the first 10 years!

 

0. One of my favorite newborn gifts is a personalized blanket from Pottery Barn Kids. In fact, their personalized towels are a great gift for older kiddos too!

1. Another go-to gift for a baby girl: her first American Girl doll! The Bitty Baby is an awesome option and has some adorable accessories! Lennon received her first Bitty Baby when she was 1 and a half and named her “Baby Suri” and the name stuck to this day! Also, Lennon was still using the jogging stroller today (five years later)!

2. Parents today say the same thing - our kid has too many toys. At two, they won’t remember what you bought them. I suggest you go to Five Below and get some cool crap and then put the rest of the money you’d spent in a card and hand it to the parents. Or, ask if they have an account set up for their child. I recently started an Acorns Early account for Lennon and I’m excited to see her savings grow!

3. My cousin and I would spend HOURS on our battery-powered cars. The options today are unbelievable. From a ride-on carriage to a food truck to a Mercedes-Benz, there is a car for every kid!

4. Four is a good age for a big giant present to surprise your little one. I’m thinking of a dollhouse or car tower.

5. Something that’s been on the Santa list in our house each year is Barbies, which it’s pretty cool to see this toy passed down from generation to generation. This year, I love the astronaut spaceship! Add on the Chelsea rocketship for extra fun!

6. Ahhh the age that I’m doing a lot of shopping for now. The “big” wishlist items are anything but big! Lennon told Santa that she wanted the Got2Glow Fairy Finder (although this product name is a little difficult for all of us to remember).

7. It might be a little late for this or time for an upgrade, but every kid needs a bike. I’m obsessed with the pint-sized beach cruisers. Scooters have become popular too and tend to travel well!

8. Little me would have been so into any craft kit. I mean, old me is also into this and thankfully so is my kid! We are big fans of Kid Made Modern in this house. I can’t tell you how many times the Arts and Crafts Library saved us during the long early days of the pandemic. These small kits make great stocking stuffers, items to bring on long car rides, or to pack into a bag for trips to relatives (that don’t have toys!). OR, you can pick some up for young guests!

9. Growing up, if you would have asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I went through a “talk show host” phase. Could you imagine young me growing up with today’s technology? I probably would have convinced my parents to let me have a YouTube channel. For the younger budding talk show host in your life, this wooden reporter set is just way too cute. I also like the Vtech Kidizoom Creator Cam for actual video recording! I’m also hearing the Fujifilm cameras are popular among the early tween set!

10. I asked my resident expert of 10-year-olds, Amy, for a pro tip on what this age wants. I was anticipating the answer was going to be “gift cards,” but to my surprise, the list is LONG. Clothes (American Eagle, Abercrombie Kids, Forever 21, and Nike - LOTS of Nike). The real thing I discovered here was that this 10-year-old wants some expensive shoes from a website called GOAT. Once I started exploring these super expensive shoes, I started digging these almost $500 Nikes. I guess I need to start saving now for 10-year-old Christmas in 4 years!