Hiding gifts from kids (and significant others) can be a challenge. Here are some guaranteed ways to preserve the element of surprise in your gift-giving.
1. Have some unlabeled, moving or liquor boxes emptied and ready to be filled.
2. Before shopping bring along some bags from OTHER stores… for example if you are planning a trip to Toys’R’Us bring along some bags from a grocery store or other store of non-interest.
3. Swap bags with other shoppers at the mall… they may look at you as if you are crazy (and well you are!) but they may love the idea and share a good laugh!
4. Before you plan on doing your shopping figure out a good hiding spot for gifts – places where the children do not readily go such as in the basement or the attic.
5. Ask a family member or close friends to host a present holding swap. Have them hold yours and you hold theirs.
6. Bring blankets with you while gift shopping to cover up bags in the back or the car or van or truck.
7. DO NOT try to bring gifts inside when kids are home… send them to a neighbor’s, friend’s house or grandma’s for present-car-to-house-transfer and offer to do the same for them.
8. Have gifts wrapped at store, if possible. Do not include gift tags. Bring along some paper (a small notebook) and pen and mark down paper type, gift recipient, and gift. Gift tags can be written in advance and put on last minute (in case of nosy children!).
9. Get a rental storage unit for the month. Maybe share one with a friend or two!
10. Let Santa take care of everything!
View Comments (8)
I have two ideas:
1. Don't buy anything for your kids for Christmas and tell them it's becuase they were naughty this year.
2. Buy everything online and leave them in the shipping boxes for the kids to "unwrap."
Love the luggage idea... don't trust my nosy kids though... LMAO at the Ironing boxes!
What about buying gifts online and just leaving them in the packaging until shortly before Christmas? There are tons of great online stores out there- I just bought a children's books from http://www.seeitsmebooks.com
I read somewhere to put gifts in a big box and clearly label it "ironing". NOONE will touch it then!
I've heard that stored luggage makes a good hiding place.
Thankfully mine are a bit young to go searching.
We had a rule when the oldest kids lived at home, if you find the gifts, you can't open them until New Year's Day. I wasn't serious about the rules, but they were pretty good about following it.
Oh NO! That is my biggest fear! At the moment everything of ours is in the garage in a car we do not drive much. Since there is no room in my bay for my car (on another list to do at another time!) I don't use the garage as a point of entry... need to get them in to the house though!
HA! Your list came 2 days too late! My 8 y/o has already found the stash. But she was quickly found out thankfully so we were able to relocate prior to her seeing too much.
I still have more shopping to do though so I'll def take your advice!