christmas

30 Clutter Free Christmas Gifts

December 1 2021 By melbournemamma Leave a Comment

If I learnt anything from spending most of the past 20 months inside my home #LockdownLife #ThanksRona , it was that my family has too much “stuff” and not just the kids, but us adults too [ok, probably me more than my husband but we’re not here to talk about me, so let’s move on], so when it comes to Christmas this year, I’ve tracked down the best clutter free Christmas gifts for everyone.

The giving of gifts is a part of the Christmas season for many of us and while this can be a lot of fun, it can also be a source of stress, especially if you are the parent of a child (or children) that already has everything or you have limited space in your home. It can also be stressful for adults who may be in the process of decluterring or trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle.

So I’m here to help, with the best clutter-free gift ideas for everyone on your list!

Most of these gifts are from local Melbourne and Victorian-based businesses, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find something similar in your area.

Clutter Free Gifts for Kids

At some point, all parents long for less stuff. Less stuff to trip on, less stuff to pick-up and less stuff to hide in the cupboards [or under the beds] when unexpected guests arrive.

If you’re ready to put a stop to stuff, here are some of my favourite clutter free gifts for kids:

Junior Chocolatier Classes at the Great Ocean Rd Chocolaterie
Legoland Discovery Centre Annual Pass
Gumbuya World Season Pass or Gift Voucher
Enchanted Adventure Garden & Maze Membership or Gift Voucher
UrbnSurf Surfing Lessons or Swim in the Bays

Clutter Free Gifts for Teens

Most teens want gadgets (or cash) but if you want to get them off the couch and out and about, check out my favourite clutter free gifts for teens:

IMAX Melbourne Gift Voucher
Firefly Zipline Experience over the Yarra River
Indoor Skydiving at iFly
Bounce Freestyle Academy
Stand up paddleboarding lessons or hire at Stand Up Paddle Board HQ

Clutter Free Gifts for Adults

I love gifting friends something that they may not necessarily buy for themselves but something that I know they will enjoy, without adding clutter to the home. Here are some of my favourite clutter free gifts for adults:

Queen Victoria Market Ultimate Foodie Tour
Robert Gordon Wheel Throwing Workshop
Go Boat Picnic on the Yarra
Distillery Gin Masterclass at Four Pillars Gin
Tickets to Australian Open

Clutter Free Gifts for Grandparents

Grandparents are typically at the stage in life where they already have everything they want and need, so here are some clutter free gifts for grandma and grandpa that will fill their hearts [and not their homes]

Gourmet Kitchen Cooking Class
Steam & Cuisine Lunch on the Puffing Billy
Grazing or Dessert box from Taylor Made Gourmet
Elvis: Direct from Graceland Exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery
High Tea at the National Gallery of Victoria

Clutter Free Gifts for Families

After spending so much time at home during the past two years, give a gift that will create fun family memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some of my favourite clutter free gifts for families:

Zoo Victoria membership
Fondue at Home kit from the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie
Museum Victoria membership
Sun Theatre Gift Voucher
Artvo Gift Voucher

Clutter Free Gifts for your Bestie

Treat your bestie (and yourself) to a fun or yummy day out and create some new wonderful memories together. Here are some great gifts ideas for your bestie:

Paint & Sip at Pinot & Picasso
Soy Candle Making Workshop
High Tea at Mary Eats Cake
Deluxe Pedicure at Beauty on Rose
Peninsula Hot Springs Voucher

What clutter free gifts would you love to see under the tree this year?

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways

December 1 2019 By melbournemamma 1 Comment

I’ve got 12 days of AMAZING GIVEAWAYS to celebrate the festive season and say THANK YOU to all of my fabulous followers.

There’s almost $2000 of prizes given away this year, with fabulous gifts and fun for the whole family.

12 Days of Christmas giveaways kicks off on my Instagram page at 8.00 pm (Melbourne time) on Sunday, 1 December 2019.

One prize will be ups for grabs each day. Just follow the prompts and you could be one of my lucky winners.

…

Top 10 Family Christmas Movies

December 14 2018 By melbournemamma Leave a Comment

Top 10 Family Christmas Movies

It’s time to curl up on the couch with the kids and enjoy some wonderful family Christmas movies.

My kids love all of these movies and I sometimes find them watching throughout the year and not just at Christmas time.

I’ve included all the movie classifications and as a guide, the age that I’ve found them appropriate for my kids (Note: all children are different and only you know what is best for your own child). If in doubt I recommend you visit commonsensemedia.org, for further infomation regarding each movie and to see reviews from parents and children who have watched the movies themselves.

Home Alone (Rated PG, Age 8+) – An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.
The Polar Express (Rated G, Age 6+) – On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
Jingle All The Way (Rated PG, Age 7+) – A father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, every store is sold out of them, and he must travel all over town and compete with everybody else in order to find one.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG 13, Age 13+) – The Griswold family’s plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Not rated, Age 3+) – Laughed at because of his nose, Rudolph runs away into the North Pole wilderness, where he meets a gentle polar bear. When his friend Zoey, an attractive young doe, is captured by evil Ice Queen Stormella, Rudolph comes to her rescue and also helps Santa save Christmas.
Elf (Rated PG, Age 7+) – After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.
The Santa Clause (Rated PG, Age 8+) – When a man inadvertantly kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.
Gremlins (Rated PG, Age 9+) – A boy inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (Not rated, Age 4+) – Disney’s biggest stars shine in a magical all-new movie – sure to become a holiday classic! Mickey, Minnie, and their famous friends Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto gather together to reminisce about the love, magic and surprises in three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Rated PG, Age 7+) – On the outskirts of Whoville, there lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch who plans on ruining the Christmas holiday for all of the citizens of the town.

And it just wouldn’t be a Christmas movie list without me mentioning my own favourites, they’re not really suitable for the kids, so wait until they’ve gone to bed to curl up on the couch or in bed; Love Actually, The Holiday, Die Hard, Trading Places and It’s A Wonderful Life.

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

Dear Santa Printable Christmas Letter

November 27 2018 By melbournemamma

I made a Dear Santa printable letter for my kids and I’d love to share it with you.

You can download and print a copy of the letter below.

dear santa christmas letter template

As my children get older (8 and 11), I’m finding it harder and harder to come up with great gift ideas and I’m sure Santa struggles too.

They usually end up giving me a long list of random stuff – stuff, that they don’t need or even really want. Stuff that they play with for a short amount of time, sometimes only Christmas Day (don’t you hate that!!!), before it begins to gather dust on a shelf or gets hidden in a cupboard.

In this letter I give them five choices only – something they want, something they need, something they’ll wear and something they’ll read. They can also ask for one special thing that they REALLY want, so that Santa knows which gift they’re hoping for the most. It’s also a great way to steer them away from only asking for toys.

Please feel free to print it for your kids too. Click here to open PDF version for printing.

There’s only four weeks until the big day, so make sure you get the kids to mail their Dear Santa letter to Santa ASAP.

What are your kids asking Santa to bring this year? Share them in the comments below to help other parents (ie me!) come up with some great ideas.

dear santa christmas letter

Ultimate Melbourne Christmas Gift Guide 2018

November 5 2018 By melbournemamma 1 Comment

There’s just seven weeks until Christmas and I’ve rounded up the best products from some of my favourite local stores and created my Melbourne Christmas Gift Guide.

When you shop from local stores this Christmas, you won’t be helping some CEO get a nice fat Christmas bonus, you’ll be helping a local Melbourne family have a wonderful Christmas, or perhaps a much needed family holiday or even make it easier for a business owner to send their kids to a school holiday program while mum and dad are working during the school holidays.

Avoid the mayhem at the shopping centres and shop from the comfort of your home (all products are available online). Not only will you be doing yourself a favour but you will also be supporting local stores that really appreciate it – especially at this time of year.

In the guide you will find gifts idea for kids of all ages, along with mums, dads, teachers and stocking stuffers under $20!

Rainbow Wall Clock $79, ICONIC Rainbow Puzzle $110, Kid O Myland STEM Car $60, Toddler Christmas Creative Box $39.95, See-ya Suitcase $99, Red Velvet Santa Sack $69.95, Toddler Dinosaur Creative Box $39.95, Vintage Balance Bike $99.95, Dinosaur Crayons $16.95, My First Multi Play Activity Cube $64.95 ,

Preschool Christmas Creative Box $39.95 , Name Crayons $20, Animals of the World Canvas $124.95, KontraBand Kids Headphones $34.95, Sunjellies Retro Basket $35, Dear Little Mailbox $39.95, Le Toy Van Popcorn Machine $69.95, Preschool Space Creative Box $39.95, KICKBricks $99, Sailor Wall Clock $79

Freckle Christmas Tree $4.95, Sphero Mini $81.99, Neon Clock $69, Happy Mail $21.95, DIY Sound-Activated Walking Dinosaur Kit $36.99, T-Rex Money Box $19.95, Wing Bookends $59, Hands Free Walkie Talkies $39.99, LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar $38.95, Christmas Reindeer Chocolate $6.95

Forever Young Print $99, Origami Animal Necklace $99, Harry Potter Hedwig Owl Mug $24.99, Stainless Steel Flask $45.00, Neon Clock $79, Metropol Scooter $129.99, Beach Sounds $69.95, Herschel Backpack $79.95, Ultra Drone Storm Camera Wi-Fi $94.95, Tallala Towel $39.95

Craft Beer Gift Box – Four Pack $44.95, Chocolate Freckle Thanks $6.95, Best in Black Tea Kit $35, The Ultimate Movie Buff Quiz Mug $22.99, Teacher Gift Box $20, Personalised Teacher Bookmarks $17.95, Twelve Days of Christmas Tea Advent Calendar $40, Weekly Pad $12.95, Santa’s Specialty Hamper $40, Michel Cluizel Chocolates $49

Christmas Calories Block $6.95, Antipasto Platter $85, Glasshouse Hamper $119, Bucket List $29.95, Sun Umbrella from $129, For the Love of Tea $80, Goal Digger Planner $44.95 , Vintage Ladies Bike $289.99, Folding Wine Table $99.95, Kollab Shopper Tote $24.99

Skwosh Swim Trunks + Craft Beer $99, LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter $114.99, Personalised Best Dad Bamboo Wall Hanging $45, Beard Oil Gift Pack + Craft Beer $59 , Get Shit Done $12.95, OrbitKey Clip $49.90, Weekender Hamper $149, Gents Shoe Polishing Kit $32, Mens Travel Set $185, Coffee Break Basket $60

Get Shit Done $9.95, Pastel Arch with Unicorn BIY Kit $19.95, Outer space crayons $16.95, Mini Patternation Magnetic Game $18, Xmas Grab Bag – Chocolate Raspberries $6.95 , Fortnite Do Not Disturb Sign $12, QUUT Alto Sand & Snow Toy $19.95, Fornite Dance Tee $15, On The Go Colouring Book with crayons $6.50, Glow In The Dark Temporary Tattoos $7.99, Who Am I? The Hilarious Guessing Game $14.99, Little Messages $16.95, Xmas Chocolate Freckle Pop $6.95, Little Whale Light $19.95, Desk Pad $12.95, Frosty The Melting Snowman $16.95, Mesmerised Book for Newborns $15.95, Apple Park Mini Bunny Rattle $11.99, I Love Gaming Poster $12.99

Have you started your Christmas Shopping? What’s on your wish list this Christmas?

All prices in the Melbourne Christmas Gift Guide were accurate at the time of publication. Please contact individual stores for any porduct enquiries.

* This post contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase via one of these links, I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you.