From the Kids: Great (and Inexpensive) Gift Ideas – VIDEO September 24, 2012 13:10

For holidays, I always like to have the boys give their aunts, uncles, grandparents and each other gifts that are from them, not just from ‘all of us.’ Since we have a pretty big family, this can get very expensive if we’re always buying double gifts for everyone. Pinterest can be a life-saver for great ideas, but the recent Grandparents Day provided me with some personal inspiration. 

Grandparents Day was in early September, and I really wanted to have the boys do something special for their Oma, Grandpa Joe, Grandpa and Grandma. We always have oogles of art to give people with how many projects my oldest brings home from preschool, so I wanted to do something a bit different. With technology today, it is so easy to share video, and grandparents never tire of seeing their little grand-babes. So, I recorded a video of the kiddos singing ‘Happy Grandparents Day To You,’ and they said all of their grandparents names in the middle of the song so it was really cute and personal.

It was such a short clip, I could have texted or emailed it or put it up online to share it with them and that would have been a totally free and thoughtful gift. Since we had some blank DVDs lying around, I burned copies and put them out in the mail a few days before the holiday, with a little note written on the front of the disc so they would know what to do with it. Needless to say, the surprise was appreciated, and the boys and I had fun doing it together. They were really into it and knew they were doing something sweet. This idea would work great for any holiday, or just to make someone feel special.

If you do have some cash to spend, or want to mark a significant holiday/milestone, you could take it one step further and give a professional video gift to a loved one. One of our specialty vendors, Collard Story Albums, creates personalized ‘movies’ for special occasions, incorporating favorite music, pictures and video clips into a beautiful keepsake that everyone in the family will enjoy.  The pricing is accessible and ranges widely – you can check it out here.

I’m including one of the ‘outtakes’ from our recent video project, for a little laugh.

-Ashley