More on Giving Money. . .

I thought this topic deserved another post.   I have written a few times about the letters that I am writing to my boys and adding a little cash in each one.  Those stacks of letters will be given to the boys when they graduate from high school.    I saw on Pinterest where someone took a pizza box and had put dollar bills of varying denominations spread around to make a fan, I thought that was a neat way to give money to a teen or young adult.  These were suggested for graduation gifts but I think they could be given for birthdays and Christmas too.  I also saw a wreath made out of dollar bills to give as a Christmas gift.  I think that would be more appropriate for a girl than a boy though.  I cannot see my boys wanting a Christmas wreath, even if it was made out of money.
Here is one for someone that likes gift cards, you could buy a cheap box of playing cards and take them out and put an assortment of gift cards in the box instead.  I may use this one for Sprat, he has asked for gift cards to a couple different places.   He does like his playing cards too.    I like the Visa gift cards I give those a lot to my nieces, that way they can use them wherever they want, they are not locked in to one store.  
Would love to know how you give your family money as a gift.  Let me know what you think.

Clever Ways to Give Money. . .

I always hated giving money to kids as gifts, this was before I had kids.  I felt like I was being lazy as the gift giver.  What I did not realize, was that sometimes kids really want money because they really do not know what they want.   My hubby and I were married for six years before we had kids so we were giving nephew and niece gifts before we knew anything about kids.
This particular year my hubby started in November telling his niece and nephew that all they were getting from him were a bag of nuts.   I took walnuts and cracked them open and took out the nut part and folded, very tightly, a dollar bill and put it inside the nut and glued it back together.  Walnuts crack very easily and equally so that you can glue them back together and you could not tell they had ever been cracked.  We did this for five nieces and nephews that year.  We gave them the nuts in a stocking with a nut cracker and an ornament.   I did put some real nuts in their stockings, I did not want to make it too easy for them.   The hubbs family was the first stop on Christmas morning and his niece and nephew were not impressed with the stocking full of nuts and neither were their parents. My hubby knew how to tell what nut had money in it and he snatched his nephew's stocking and proceeded to crack open a nut with a dollar in it.  It did not take them long to figure this one out.  We had a good laugh about it.
Sprat's first Christmas the niece and nephew got a very special present from Sprat.  I need to preface this by saying my husband's family is a little warped anyway so I do not recommend this for everyone.  You really have to have a special sense of humor to appreciate this one.  My nieces and nephew did not get this gift.  My hubby took the money we were giving and put it in a ziplock bag and tapped it inside a clean diaper, then he made chocolate pudding and slathered it over the baggie.  He then folded the diaper as if it had poo in it and we put it inside a grocery bag and tied a knot in it just like you would if you were disposing of a dirty diaper.  We then placed that in a gift bag with pretty tissue paper and all.  I know this is unbelievably gross but it was also very, very funny!!
Yes, we are that aunt and uncle and now that mom and dad.  I believe I shared how I filled the heart chocolate box with money for Valentines for the boys this past year.
If you have given money in a unique way I would love to hear about it.   Stay tuned for more Christmas ideas.

What to Give A Teenage Boy for Christmas? ?

Trying to think of gift ideas for the boys for Christmas.   I have teenage boys so, I know at their ages the gifts get more expensive.  They rarely ask for things so I have to play the mind reader game.  Three months ago we thought Christmas would be slim, yes I have my Christmas envelope, but it still looked bleak.   Today I feel like we have already  celebrated Christmas because we have been so blessed.  I know that will not fly with my boys and I would not expect it, they are still just kids. 

Now, what do teenage boys want for Christmas?  Don't  say teenage girls,  because that is not happening.   This is what I have been thinking about:  pj's (lounge pants), t-shirts, fluffy blankets for TV watching,  food gift cards, playing cards, money given in an unusual way, sweatshirts, ear buds, phone case, Google Play $$, auto accessories for Sprat, movie tickets, and concert tickets.
Can you guys come up with any different ideas?  I would love to have some feedback on this one. 
Tomorrow I will  tell you how to give money in a most unusual way.  Stay tuned.