Thursday 8 December 2016

Twenty TOTALLY AWESOME Gifts For The Kids This Christmas!



Brought to you by Nuffnang and Macquarie Centre

I’m not even kidding when I tell you that I seriously struggle when it comes to figuring out what to buy our boys and my nieces for Christmas.

It doesn’t help that I ALWAYS imagined myself with girls and that I would be shopping for all the things that I would have wanted for myself as a little girl and yet here I am trying to come up with ideas for three boys who are all very different to each other in the things that they like.

I typically start my Christmas lists in June and by the time November / December comes around those lists look more like a page full of crossed out scribble than a list of gift ideas because trends come and go and something my kids are utterly obsessed with one month is SOOOOO ridiculously uncool by the next.

The struggle is real you guys.


When the gang at Macquarie Centre in Ryde invited me on a shopping trip to put together a suggested gift guide for kids aged 5-14, I swung between sheer exhilaration because HELLO great love of mine… SHOPPING, but then moments later I was all “Holy Cheeseballs” how the heck am I going to be able to make any suggestions for anyone else if I can’t even figure out what to put on the list for my own children?

And then there is my morbid fear of busy parking lots.

Do not underestimate this fear of mine.

Shopping generally involves having to go into big car parks and that alone is enough to get the heart palpitations going and it’s a legitimate fear you guys, one that has a proper name got with it too - 

Linecostraphobitis; someone who has a fear of parking lots.

See!

OK, so when you finish laughing at me, I’ll have you know that I have been known to have meltdowns in shopping centre car parks after losing my car.
I know you are probably thinking - “what kind of moron LOSES their car?” right?

Well this moron who gets distracted by bright shiny lights and forgets to look where she is parked loses her car and then finds herself walking around in circles with purple hands because her shopping bags are cutting off the circulation to her arms and nice caring people see that she is panicking and stop to help help her and that makes her cry because sympathy always makes her cry and so she ends up sobbing big fat tears on some poor kind stranger who wishes they never stopped to offer her help.

Whew.

But when I went to the Macquarie Centre, this happened… 

That there would be Valet Parking folks.

Can you hear the angels singing? Can you?
Ten bucks and you can drive up to the door, have someone help you out of your car and park it for you and when you are done and dusted and all shopped out, they bring your car back to the entrance for you and they then load all of your shopping into the car whilst your collapse into the drivers seat plum tuckered out.
No more hunting for lost cars.
Oh I can’t even.

Look, I am not one to generally fall for the bells and whistles, well not that much anyway… however for a measly ten bucks for the luxury of valet parking, I do hope that you will forgive me for the stars in my eyes and the blood flowing freely in my arms.


 Ok so onto the gift suggestions for our marvellous munchkins… you have shopping to do right?

Well I'll have you know that I happen to think I have done more than alright with this list you guys, but hey…you can be the judge of that!




A: Classical Acoustic Guitar from Mall Music $179 B: Mini Marquee Letter Lights from Typo $9.99

C: Boys Summer Hat from H&M $14.99 D: Beach Sounds Radio from Sunny Life $64.95

E: Toucan Bag from Sunny Life $26.95 F: Pop Handset for iPhones from Mr & Mrs Jones $20.95

G: Beach Flyer from Mr & Mrs Jones $15.40 H: Sky High Clock Projector from Smuggle $36.95

I: Flamingo Lunch Box from Sunny Life $24.95 

J: Beats Solo Wireless Headphones from JB HiFi $399

K: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not from Dymocks $24.99 L: Yellow Ukulele from Mall Music $34.95

M: Sequins Pencil Case from Typo $10 

 N: Day of the Dead Skull Money Money box from Mr & Mrs Jones $10

O: Watermelon Pool Float from Sunny Life $39.95 P: Book Light from Smiggle $11.95

Q: Barbie Fashionistas from Target $9.99 R: Boy’s Board Shorts from H&M $19.95 

S: Boys Tank Tee from Target $10 T: Remote Control Ferrari from Kid Stuff $99

For any of our Sydney readers, can I suggest that you get your luverly behinds over to Macquarie Centre because they have everything you need under the one roof to nail ALL of your Christmas shopping in one hit.

That’s a BIG win at this time of the year you guys… BIG win.

If you are looking for gift ideas for the family, then check out all of the Macquarie Centre gift guides here. - some of my fellow bloggers and I have got you covered for suggestions for boys, girls, beauty lovers, foodies, tech heads and yep… even us Linecostraphobitics.


Have you done your Christmas Shopping yet?
Any suggestion on what to buy the hubby?