4 Gifts Series | Changing the Way You Gift | Need

Last week, we began sharing a series called 4 Gifts. I will be sharing each week throughout the series about more focused gift giving by using these four categories:

1. Want - Check out last week's post for some awesome toy suggestions for toddler and preschoolers and why we decided to join in this series! 

2. Need - this post! 

3. Wear

4. Read

This year I will be focusing on a gift guide for my boys, toddler and preschool ages, in all four categories here on Behind the Camera and Dreaming. Throughout this series, which will spread over four weeks, I will also be personally adding a charitable giving idea that we will be doing along with each category. There are 10 or so of us bloggers participating this year and we've all got fun lists of want, need, wear and read. Hopefully our lists will help to take some of the guess work out of Christmas shopping for you!

Let me just say right here before we go any further, that as I was thinking about this post yesterday or the day before, I texted a friend who is also participating and said "I think my post title will just say... What do my kids NEED for Christmas? #NADT" (not a dang* thing). Which is so true, so I thought I would write a little bit about ways to spend time with them that would be gifts of time from mom and dad, etc. but that became so complicated in my head, I decided to maybe save that for a later date, but my suggestion might be a year's pass to the children's museum or the zoo. Whatever you might like to do together. 

Then after a little more thinking about it, I decided to read my own blog post from Wednesday in which I talked about the boy's bedroom. So, here's my wish (need) list that would complete their bedroom and make our playroom manageable. 

It would be nice to update the Art on the boys' walls. Right now, most everything is Jonah's from his nursery and I'd really like to integrate maaaayyybbee a few things of Ezra's in there! I think Minted may be the solution to our art and photo needs in the boy's room! I love these and SO many more.

1. Your child's drawing in foil print! / 2.Collage with Baby's Information / 3. Balloon Name Print 

 4. Photos with Foil "tape" / 5. Twinkle Twinkle Watercolor / 6. Whale Quote Print

We need a better organization system in our playroom and some larger storage. We also moved from a house with build-ins everywhere to one with not. one. book shelf... because of the built-ins we didn't really have a need for anything like that. So, I've picked a few things that would go great in our space!

1, 3, 4. Land of Nod / 2. Pottery Barn Kids

For the shelving we DO already have, I am always needing more bins, baskets, etc. We obviously love gray, but in the playroom, I love some pops of color too!

1. P'Kolino  / 2. 3 Sprouts Storage Bin / 3. Pottery Barn 4. 3 Sprouts / 5. 3 Sprouts  

One last thing I'm hoping to get my boys is a new play kitchen. We have an awesome one that my mom and dad made out of a bench and I love it, but it's gotten pretty beaten up! A couple of months ago, Ezra pulled a door off and the wood is split so you can't repair it nicely! I love this one.. it looks like the tile in our kitchen and I think we NEED it! haha

KidKraft Uptown Natural Kitchen

Charitable Giving

Speaking of the kitchen and Christmas! I'm having a little trouble with segues lately... but lets just roll with it. Every year the Rehabilitation Center where I work puts together Christmas baskets for some of our patients we've had throughout the year that may not be able to afford a family christmas dinner or maybe they just aren't able to get to the grocery store to shop. Our employees bring non-perishable items and administration provides a ham. Our volunteers pack it in large baskets and social work (that's me) gets to call people we think may need them and tell them when and where to pick it up or arrange for delivery.

So, Jonah and I went shopping this week for our contribution. While we were shopping, I explained a little more about what we were doing and he helped me pick the items for Green Bean Casserole and even helped me at the self check!

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 

Lord, I pray that I can set a good example for my children and be a cheerful giver myself!

Linking up with the #HFTHBlogHop

GIVEAWAY

Since this is all about giving! We had the chance to give something to one of you! Thank you for following along! The giveaway will go on for the next 4 weeks and each week you'll have more chances to enter. Be sure to scroll down and enter for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$165 Target Gift Card  ||  $25 World Market Gift Card  ||  Lace Arm Warmers - Forgotten Cotton  ||  Personalized Cutting Board (9x12") - Laserworkz  ||  Gypsy Dreamcatcher Necklace - Gypsies Box Jewelry  ||  $30 Credit for Keep Collective with Kassie  ||  Adult Coloring Book - This Girl's Doodles

SOME AFFILIATE AND SPONSORED LINKS MAY BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS POST BUT NATURALLY THE CONTENT BELONGS TO BEHIND THE CAMERA AND DREAMING, ALWAYS!