COUSIN MOMS â—½ TIPS
Mom of Three
​
If I’m being honest, date nights – going out – are few and far between. We were in a season for a long while where we really didn’t want to leave the kids, because free nights were few, and we wanted to include them. Date nights are definitely important, but there is also a balance. For us, we do a good job of connecting on a daily basis – at night when the kids are asleep we chat and talk. Other times, we get a random night when kids are at a sports practice or with grandparents. This past season, while the kids were in school, my husband and I had lunch together because we both work at home! I do know that having time with him, dating him, is important. But only “date night” connections every so often is not enough, and we also have a budget, but day-to-day connections work as well.
It’s the day to day connections where we chat and spend time over coffee, or even a ride in the car to pick up the kids, that works for us! Our date nights don’t have to be big or fancy or every week. They can be a simple lunch or a shopping excursion to pick out wood floors for the house!
​
When we do have a designated date night, we often stay in (to save money). We watch a show we enjoy together, and have dinner at home, and make it cozy. If we do go out, it’s a coffee date for sure – and sometimes bowling! Our love language is coffee, and we sometimes play a game. We don’t visit the theater a lot, because we watch enough shows at home. We like to go somewhere that we can talk and do something, or even just walk around!
​
Sometimes we plan our dates nights together, or sometimes we surprise each other – especially on birthdays.
​
So both – date nights out and daily connections – are a great balance for us! I’ve been so grateful for this season. Finding time with toddlers is hard, but now that the kids are in school we have more time. We also love to serve together, and call that connection, because we are super compatible that way!
Kid Faves
by Charissa & Kamrin
Every mom wants to buy things for her kids for Christmas that they will actually enjoy and use, not something that will end up being in the back of a closet somewhere.
​
Kamrin​
Holidays are coming and that means presents and gifts and lists, and of course, I have three kids. However, the kids aren’t tiny anymore and are so different, and have their own activities and interests. They’re also really not into toys and things, as such. My oldest son’s list is mostly memorabilia, t-shirts, caps and shoes – he loves shoes – and sporting equipment. The youngest is the same with sports things, and he is really into Funko Pop. Our daughter’s list has definitely turned a 180 this year. It’s gone from dolls and toys and sparkles, to arts/crafts supplies to create and sell (she loves to make her own money). She also has skincare and clothing on her list – as she’s a pre-teen.
We see ads and the top 10 toys and things for kids in every age group, and some are for the older kids. But from a parent standpoint, for the older, if you don’t want to buy all the video game “stuff,” etc., my recommendation is:
​
-
Give them categories to make a list, if you want it. My mom still does this for us, as adults! This helps us think of what we need and triggers things we might need in each part of the house. As I age, I love getting the necessities…practical gifts.
-
Maybe do less on the gifts (even though that’s so fun) under the tree, and do a memory or an event or memory. Opening gifts with kids may be everything, but for us, we have Christmas a both sides of the family and they get lots of gifts there. A couple years ago we did a huge family gift of Nintendo Switch and games. Another year we did a big gift which was Disneyworld! It can just be a weekend away. Ask the kids for info regarding events, and maybe you might want to give cash or gift cards for those events.
-
Don’t be afraid of gift cards or even snacks – the boys always love that.
-
Listen to your kids and look at their lists. I think sometimes, will they really like that? YES, if they put it on their list, they thought of it.
-
Christmas is about thinking of others to give and be a blessing, and my hope is that the kids love whatever they get – candy in the stocking or a huge gift.
Lastly, figure out traditions for the holidays. I don’t really care about a gift from my husband or the kids at the moment. Some do love that. But I love the events, the traditions and the fun outings. The kids get a gift card and favorite candy sometimes. Traditions are the best! So if it’s finding the hottest toy, get it. If you want to do a trip instead, do that. Our traditions we do as the five of us are different than my parents’ traditions. I love the tradition with my parents, with a whole day event - I cherish it. My husband’s family has dessert and opens gifts. Enjoy what YOU do with the people you love. Don’t compare, find the joy instead. Don’t break the budget. Have fun.
Charissa
​
For me, as a mom of three girls, a lot of our toys and gifts are geared towards things that girls love. When we do look for gifts, we try to look at things the girls want, but also need, and could things that can expand their creativity and get them outdoors!
​
Our girls are still into dolls, and when I looked at American Girl dolls I was surprised at the price! However, Target sells Our Generation dolls and I bought each of our older girls one of these a couple years go to see if they would like them. They love them and take them places. Even Walmart has a brand called My Life. The accessories are cute, too, and the cost is much more affordable.
We also love to encourage reading. One of our favorites is our Jesus Storybook Bible – especially for the youngest kids. There are great pictures of the main stories in the bible, and there are also even study guides for the kids! Also, the Usborne book line is great. You do have to buy from a seller, but these books are very unique. One of my favorites is one that uses a flashlight to see things in the books, and there’s a “boo boo” book for toddlers. These encourage readers to have fun while reading.
​
Our kids love to color or to do arts and crafts. I found that my oldest girls (ages 8 and 6) love colored pencils, fine coloring, instead of fat crayons and markers. There is a set of colored pencils of 72 different colors in a cute case, and it comes with a sharpener, and a book! A great to-go and organized art set.
Sometimes it’s nice to give a family gift together. One big family gift we’ve given to all of us that has been worth every penny is a trampoline. Amazon has affordable ones and they’re easy to put together. The girls expend energy on it and this gets them outdoors. Another family gift is a tree swing from Amazon, they’re huge and wide, and are great for swinging!
​
Sometimes it’s also great to give experiences. We’ve done this a few times, like maybe local to your area. We love Dollywood, so we try to go once a year to this park. The Smoky Mountain Railroad is fun too, with different themed rides. Around Christmas is the Polar Express. So this is a great idea as an alternative, as well!