27 replies to this topic

[magickallight]

So where do you hide gifts until Xmas and how do you keep track of all of it?

 

It's just hubby, me and the dog in the house now that all the kids are grown and gone, but I still hide hubby's gifts in the guest room, and stash all the rest of the MANY family members in there as well. 

 

I buy all year long and keep a notebook with a page per person with the items I have purchased them and how much I spent and then divide the gifts into boxes with their names on them and mark the items in my notebook B-1 (box-1) etc.

 

 

How do you guys do it?

 

[bluebear]

I also use my guest room to stash gifts. That's also where I wrap so that's nice. I dont have a super good system of keeping track, just random lists and notes. But for my 3 kids and 1 grandson, I use an app on my phone. I changed phone platforms last year right before Christmas, so I need to find a new app this year. The one I used kept up with number of gifts and money amount, and that is surprisingly hard to find. I also keep a notebook for the 3 kids and write things down as they are received. Used to I would mark if they were being wrapped or from Santa, but that's not so much a concern now. I also make sure the kids at home have the same number gifts to open, so having that list helps me know when I need to combine or separate gifts to keep that even. Because of this it takes me a little longer to get wrapping organized and finished for the year.

I keep the A-1 size Amazon boxes under the bed for stockings, one for each person. That helps me visualize how much "stuff" there is for each stocking. Those also get written in the notebook and marked for stocking.

[berry1014]

We have a few totes in our walk in closet that we store the kids Christmas gifts in. They are marked season clothes and I have a couple shirts or sweaters on top covering up the goods. I also hide hubby's gifts in those too or some where on my side of the closet. Extended family's gifts are tucked under the bed or in the corner of the bed room. I have shoe boxes on the top shelf of the that I store stocking stuffers in.

[Bopeep]

It's just me and one grown son in the house now, so hiding things isn't too hard anymore.  When my boys were growing up, I kept most of their presents in my office for as long as I could. Then they would get stacked in my closet or my room and "camouflaged" with blankets and pillows. 

 

As for keeping track, I keep everything in an Excel workbook.  I keep it in Dropbox, so I have access to it from anywhere.  I have my Christmas lists saved in that workbook, all the way back to 2003.  It's fun to look back through the years sometimes .

[queenkishaa]

Since we moved into our house this year I can access the attic in the guest bedroom upstairs and the door has a lock. So no need for creative hiding spots anymore lol.

[stevierocks]

lol i had to hide a BED before . mattress and all.  moved the couch away from the wall slid it behind. and then put a blanket over the top. dont know how i got them from noticing .

[budgetsRsexy]

I use the guest bedroom closet but I don’t have kids and my husband knows he’s not allowed in there without asking me first. The best hiding place I have heard about (probably from on here) was using the artificial Christmas tree box/storage tub that’s left empty after the tree is put up, but that only works well for people who put their tree out early and don’t shop all year long.

Edited by budgetsRsexy, Oct 27, 2019 - 8:28 am.

[Kanyon71]

We like to travel so we have big suitcases. We hide gifts in those.

[jesusluvu]

I use the attic, garage and closets. I usually put them in boxes that look like storage and blends in with the other stuff. I keep a list of what is bought for each person and check off as I wrap, if something is missing I go looking as it usually would be several items as I box them together. 

[dwc designs]

lol i had to hide a BED before . mattress and all.  moved the couch away from the wall slid it behind. and then put a blanket over the top. dont know how i got them from noticing .

I had to do something similar. I had a bike that was still in the box and put it behind the couch and covered it with a blanket. It worked because it was in the basement theatre room, so the lights are usually dim when we are down there. I have no clue how no one noticed the couch was like 2 feet away from the wall. 

[colemandawn4905]

I hide everything in the spare room until I wrap them n out them under the tree. Lol so glad no little ones in the house so I don’t have to try to figure out a better place.

[atipton129]

I wrap everything immediately so I can just keep it under the tree.  I have an app on my phone that tracks what presents I have bought, what store they came from, and how much they cost.  It also keeps track of my total spending.

[angelbabymommy]

The old fashioned bedroom closet lol my girls are really good at not snooping so everything is safe. After I wrap the gifts, they go in a black trash bag and back in my closet. I love when Christmas Eve comes; I can have my closet back.

[jesusluvu]

The old fashioned bedroom closet lol my girls are really good at not snooping so everything is safe. After I wrap the gifts, they go in a black trash bag and back in my closet. I love when Christmas Eve comes; I can have my closet back.

YES....LOL....EXACTLY HOW I FEEL EVERY YEAR

[BFAddict716]

What app are you using?

I wrap everything immediately so I can just keep it under the tree. I have an app on my phone that tracks what presents I have bought, what store they came from, and how much they cost. It also keeps track of my total spending.

[ilikefree]

I usually keep everything in my bedroom until it is wrapped. Then it gets put into boxes or totes as to where it goes on Christmas day. I keep a list in a small notebook that I keep in my purse as to what I've bought, each person getting their own page. If I have an idea of something that I want to buy, I write that on the person's page as well, but I circle it so I know that it hasn't been bought yet. I try to wrap as I buy so I'll have to be getting into my wrapping paper stash soon to wrap the ones I've already bought (and the ones that are ordered and waiting for delivery on).

[atipton129]

What app are you using?

It's called "Gift List" on Android.  When I used an iPhone they had an app called "Santa's Little Helper".  They are both great apps to use though.

[AuntJamelle]

 I hide everything upstairs in black trash bags - once wrapped I put back in the trash bags

 

Everything I buy is tracked on a Google Word doc that I can access from anywhere...I keep track by each person what I have gotten, what I plan to get, what is wrapped so far, stocking stuffers (if applicable), etc.

 

It's worked well!

[Coastiwife]

I have Rubbermaid containers in my closet and in the guest room. I also currently have boxes and bags stuffed in the corners of my room because I’m unorganized and can’t get it together this year

[speeddiva]

When the kids were little, I stashed it all in our camper. I would even wrap out there. The big stuff our neighbor would hide in his garage for us.
Now that the kids are grown, it’s all kept in a big box in my bedroom closet.

[stevierocks]

When the kids were little, I stashed it all in our camper. I would even wrap out there. The big stuff our neighbor would hide in his garage for us.
Now that the kids are grown, it’s all kept in a big box in my bedroom closet.

i use to do this too.. i had an r.v. and in would wrap in there and keep everything in there.  now i do it all in my room or my kitchen .and hide it in closets under the bed or i a big box in the corner , 

[dantegirl]

I used to stash in giant rubbermaid tubs but in the new house, I have a extra closet. I put in a keyed lock and now don't have to worry about peeking from my teens

[msyves]

I hide it under my clothes in the closet, my clothes hamper and in the laundry room. No one looks in any of these places so I'm good.

[tyreejames]

All gifts are stashed in the locked closet in the basement. The basement is our movie room so when it’s time to wrap, I just pull the gifts out, put on a Christmas movie, and get to work. I have been using Santa’s Bag on my iPhone to track what the kids want, if it’s been purchased, ordered, wrapped, etc.

Edited by tyreejames, Nov 16, 2019 - 6:38 am.

[lucyismycat]

Our boys are snoopers (aged 8 and 9). So, I’ve been known to stash gifts in my office at work. My mom keeps the boys after school, so she stashes her gifts in DH’s pole barn. I need the visual of what I’ve bought for them up close and personal lol. I am really liking the idea of using our camper for this, however; I might try that this year. They want some bigger sports equipment that could go in there and be more out of the way. Most of the stocking stuffers have been hidden in my craft room for the past several years, but the boys are “helping” me make some gifts for other family members this year, so I’m going to have to move that stuff. 
 

I keep track of what I’ve purchased using my Christmas notebook in OneNote. I track from year to year, per person, what I purchased and how much I spent. I also have things like door/window/table sizes, which linens I have, which ones need to be replaced, decorations, “to-dos”, shopping lists, menus, etc. It makes it a little easier when I’m out and find an unexpected sale, to know exactly what I might need. I can access it from my phone, iPad, computer, etc. I make notes on events we’ve attended in the past so I can remember if they are worth doing again or were duds. My whole life is in Microsoft OneNote

[yakinhix]

Our 4th bedroom is my office and I changed the lock on the closet to a keyed lock.  I have the only key.  I can store gifts in there anytime I want and don't have to worry about prying eyes.  First time I've ever had the luxury.

[riven3d]

Above our pantry we have a couple storage areas that nobody can reach without the use of a stepstool even for me its a stretch i can barely see in it, so my daughter would never be able to actually see inside if she actually tried

[marathonshopper]

Since my kids are older now, and dont really go on a big hunt for their presents anymore it’s not nearly as hard to hide them. Usally I just stash stuff in my closet behind clothes or in the floor under them, bigger stuff sometimes in the storage building out back. Not so hard to stash them in the closet since mostly what they ask for is video games and movies. BUT, last year one son wanted a new computer gaming monitor. I bought it and then decided I didn’t want to store it outside in the cold, so I stashed it in plain sight, so to speak. I put it in his closet at the back, hidden by the shorts and summer clothes that I knew he wouldn’t move. And I for sure wasn’t afraid he’d get the urge to clean his closet out and find it! LOL!!

I use my Note 9 to keep up with my present & stocking stuffer ideas and purchases for each person. Now when I wrap a present I make note of it, so I don’t go on a mad rampage around the house looking for it later on (yes I have done that, and then had to unwrap a couple of presents to double check!!).