Our oldest has a December birthday and throughout the year we are drowning in toys. Lego land mines, hot wheeled assassins, monster truck ankle rollers are just a few of the dangers in our house and they multiply every holiday season. But why do we continue this cycle? Nicole and I, well mostly me I guess (but she doesn’t stop me so it’s really her fault), buy the kids lots of things then get frustrated with how many things we are living with. Kids need toys, definitely, there’d be no getting the dishes done or dinner cooked if toys weren’t around but our toys didn’t create our best memories, our experiences did. I remember taking a road trip just me and my dad, going to a theme park and getting on a big roller coaster for the first time, eating a giant ice cream trough, baking my cake with mom, crawling through the tunnels at Discovery Zone (RIP), etc. In none of those instances do I recall having toys with me. The experiences are what make the time together special, not the things. All that to say, if you find yourself in the same boat, weighted down by things, maybe spend the cash on an experience you can share. They’ll get toys and they’ll get experiences, my biggest fear is not being involved in the latter. If you’re struggling to think outside the box as I do, one cool strategy a friend used to employ is to look at Groupon for what is around. I guarantee you’ll find something new there. If you made it this far, comment on what your favorite gift was growing up. Mine was a Mongoose BMX bike that I ride everywhere for years! Happy holidays and, as always, Stay feral!