I’m a consumer despite my best attempts to be an investor, so I’m reigning my gift-giving instincts in by trying to stick to one gift per category.

Want: Because my kid is too young to request specific things, we redefined this as “things that aren’t practical or necessary and that we normally wouldn’t think to buy.” My kid loves big trucks and his dad loves radio-controlled vehicles, so this was a win for both of them. Hubs can’t wait for Santa!

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Need: This is really my world — the world of practical, helpful things that keep us organized and under control. I’ve been wanting a sling or front-facing shelf for a while and this one gets good reviews. Bonus for being able to label the shelves like we label his clothes drawers.

Wear: We buy him what he needs on a fairly regular schedule so to make this category fun, we’ve decided to make it Disney-themed. The kid loves Mickey and we’re going to Disneyworld for the holidays, so this was an easy choice.

Read: We buy books fairly regularly and use our library extensively, so for this gift, I chose a book that benefits our local children’s hospital, a really lovely place we’re lucky to have nearby. My son has had two experiences there, and though no parent wants to go to a hospital with their child, this is a great place if you have to be there.

Bonus category: Make! Most years I want to make most gifts for most people, but with the relocation looming, I don’t have the time. However, in the interest of getting LL out of his (huge) queen bed, we’re going to make him a full-sized loft bed before we move. We won’t be finished by Christmas, nor will we be trekking it to Florida, but it’s a big investment so I’m counting it as a gift.

Want //  Need  //  Wear //  Read  //  Make

I might end up including another gift or two, like a down jacket or some puzzles, but the nice thing about this plan is that I feel “done” with gifts for my son. Whew!

How are you handling Christmas gifts?