This post is sponsored by Huffy; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Choosing the right gift for your kids: 

Tis the season to start thinking of wishlists, gifts, and family gatherings! I know I talk a lot about keeping the excess down in my Instagram Stories. So I thought I’d share an easy way we do that when it comes to the holidays. But first, let me preface with this: no matter what you decide, never let anyone make you feel guilty about what you do or do not gift during the holidays. Whether you feel 1 or 27 presents is perfect for your little ones – that choice is all yours.

Here’s how I keep things simple with our almost 5 year old:

All year long, H will stop us in stores. “Mom, take a picture for my list! I like this one!” He’s a kid. He loves stuff. He loves toys. He loves sound and bright colors and wants it all, now. I was worried about figuring out how to get him something he would actually love each year. Especially because his birthday is so close to Christmas, there’s just a lot happening at once. About a year ago I came up with a solution: we’d take pictures to keep tabs.

Taking pictures of gift ideas all year long:

This does a few things: one, it lets him know I’m hearing what he’s asking for. I know people may think I’m silly, but I want him to not feel like I’m blowing off his requests. Taking a picture on my phone takes .2 seconds, and he gets to tell me whether he thinks of it as a Christmas or Birthday gift. 

It also helps me keep track of all the things he’s showing interest in! Like last year, it was pretty much all wheel’d items and dinosaurs. This year has been pretty much the same! A HUGE love for anything with wheels, anything that moves, and even better if it’s something he can interact with.

We’ve also noticed he tends to gravitate towards the same thing. When looking through his special wish list pictures last month, I noticed he had chosen the same item multiple times. To me, this shows that he will actually be interested in whatever it is! It’s not just a novelty, one-off item. While trying to keep down clutter, having toys that he consistently uses, plays with, and requests means it’s something I’d be totally fine with adding to our home.

Things to consider when gifting:

Along with the photo idea, and similar to the idea I just shared above, I go through a checklist when buying for the boys:

• Is it useful?
• Is it sturdy?
• How many ways can he play with it?
• Will this be something a younger sibling can play with down the road?
• Does it encourage imaginative play?
• How much help will he need while playing?
• Will it keep his interest / attention?

If the gift idea doesn’t fit at least most of the checklist above, then I just don’t buy it. We do one Santa gift every year, and it’s usually something small. The rest, which I like to keep at 2-3 gifts per kiddo, come from mom and dad.

Here’s what he’s getting / already received this year:

Santa gift: 

A yo-yo! He’s been begging for a yo-yo for forever, and it’s the perfect gift from Santa. I read somewhere awhile ago that it’s a good idea to keep the gifts from Santa at a low monetary value. And I totally get why. Not everyone’s Santa can afford the big ticket gifts. 

From us:

A Huffy RC Monster Truck. I saw this online and FREAKED. This checks off SO many points on H’s requests lately, and every box on my checklist. Plus, it’s so stinking fun! He’s also been asking for a skateboard, so we’re getting him a board, pads, and some lessons! And that’s it. No over-doing it. No millions of toys. Just fun, but practical and useful gifts!

Huffy RC Monster Truck:

Ok, I have to talk about this more. This Huffy RC Monster Truck is the COOLEST remote controlled, drivable truck I’ve seen. And makes me wish I was a 4.5 year old again so I could ride it myself!

It’s TWO toys in one.

Yep! Talk about multifunctional and useful! One: a monster truck ride-on, and two: a mega-sized radio-controlled monster truck!

The Huffy RC Monster Truck is recommended for kiddos 3 – 7 years, up to 65 pounds. So I love that it’s not something he’ll only be able to use for a few months. And because of the easy to use foot pedal, both he and J can use it! Which means an even longer lifespan of use. 

Changing the Huffy RC Monster Truck from a ride-on to a remote controlled toy is easy. Just remove the steering wheel! The steering wheel then becomes the remote control! So again, no excess, and just easy fun. 

A few other things we love about this two in one toy:

Safety wise, Huffy did something pretty cool. They added safety sensors to the Monster Truck! So the remote control portion only works when 1 – your kiddo is not on the truck, and 2 – when the steering wheel is removed.

It comes ready to use straight from the box! No assembly required. And the wheels are huge! Why is this important? Because with the bigger sized wheels, there’s way more fun. The Huffy RC Monster Truck won’t get caught up and can drive easily over everything they’ve taken it out on. Grass, cement, our carpet and hardwood floors!

The Huffy RC Monster Truck is officially available at your local Walmart!