17 replies to this topic

[kimpooh19]

Hiding from my younger 2 is still easy, but it's getting harder and harder to hide it from my teens   Then of course, there are times I've hidden things so well, I've found them years later, lol.  Share your tips and tricks here!

[Bopeep]

I used to keep as much as possible at my office until the last minute.   Now, I just have 1 at my house and he's grown.  If there is something special that I'm afraid he'll see, I move it around a lot .

[Kanyon71]

We have a habit of hiding it in our big luggage that normally has other luggage inside of it. She never thinks to look in there.

[Elmck]

We keep a list so of things bought so I can check it off as I wrap. Some things are in the attic but others are hidden in other parts of the house DD 17 loves surprises so she doesn’t snoop and the grandkids haven’t thought about it yet.

[kimpooh19]

We have a habit of hiding it in our big luggage that normally has other luggage inside of it. She never thinks to look in there.

 

That is so stinking smart! I may have to steal that idea!

[berry1014]

We have 2 totes in our walk in closet. I place smaller gifts in them and then place a blanket or some off seasonal clothes on top so if the kids snoop and open the lid they find clothes/blankets. The kids know I love to use totes to hold blankets and clothes so they wouldnt think anything of it. Stocking stiffers are placed in empty show boxes that are kept on the top shlf in our closet. One shoe box per person. Bigger stuff is either kept in the locked shed and we hid the key or in my office at work. 

[Bopeep]

As for keeping track of it, I keep everything on an Excel spreadsheet (password protected). And I keep the spreadsheet in Dropbox so I can access it from the office or home. As I make purchases all year (usually really getting started in July), I can update the spreadsheet from where ever I am.  When it comes time to wrap, I print the list so I can mark them off.

 

My spreadsheet goes back to 2003.  My, how the lists have changed!  

 

*Edit to say - Maybe the lists haven't changed as much as I thought, after looking at them.  Last year, I got my grandsons a Beyblade arena. For nostalgia's sake, I got my grown sons a Beyblade spinner each, to play with the kids.  The first year I started this list, sure enough, they got Beyblades!    

Edited by Bopeep, Oct 1, 2020 - 9:12 am.

[Suzy Crampton]

Usually hid in our bedroom closet. Last year was the first year that I wrapped them and left them out in the basement. My kids are 22 & 23 so they know enough that if they peek it just ruins it for them on Christmas. Of course, they give me their lists and I shop from those so there aren't that many surprises anyway. I have more trouble hiding from the husband his gift. He doesn't snoop but he usually gets something bigger (some kind of tool) so that is harder to hide and sometimes it's just because I can barely lift it. 

[tyreejames]

I have a locked closet in the basement that only I have a key for. DH doesn’t even know where I keep it, lol. Everything goes in there; I wrap in the basement as well. Luckily it’s finished so I can throw a Christmas movie on, turn on the fireplace and really set a mood .

My youngest is 10 and while she is still into dolls and things, I shop off their lists for the most part. I’m always searching for the wow factor.

[lucyismycat]

I normally hide stuff in my office at work. Working from home this year, so I will need to manufacture some reasons to run into the office with stuff piled in the back of my car.  I have two big gifts this year that absolutely cannot be spoiled, so I will definitely take those and hide them.  Little stuff, I usually hide in my sewing studio, which is also my home office, so I think I can keep that up.  My kids aren't really snoopers yet. 

 

On second thought, I might not take the big gifts to the office just because I'm NOT there every day and we have some different people roaming through our building periodically.  I might have DH stash those gifts in the attic instead. 

 

I keep track of all of the gifts in my Christmas Microsoft OneNote notebook.  It contains everything from Christmas card lists to gifts to menus to decorations, ornaments I collect, traditions, addresses that are known to have great Christmas light displays, outfits for photos, etc. I have a section for each year so I can go back and reflect on things that worked and didn't, recipes that were received well (or not).   I like that I can access it from my phone, iPad, MacBook, work pc, wherever I happen to be.

[jesusluvu]

I usually have most of everything from online shopping delivered to my office and I leave it there until about a week before Christmas. This year that will not work. I put some things in the attic, in old boxes in the garage that I stack things on top of. In the Christmas decoration bins once I have removed stuff from them, attic or my closet. I am at the point that if you are going to be nosey then you will not be surprised. I have a Christmas list app that I use to keep track of my gifts and where I hid them. 

[speeddiva]

I have a box I keep in my closet. When my kids were little, it was all locked in our camper or if it was big, the neighbors kept it in their garage for me.

[ytmomof4]

I used to use layaway for a lot of my hiding but now I just use my craft room. No one was to go in there with all the glitter

[msyves]

I hide items in my personal laundry hamper. I also hide items in the coat closet. No one ever looks in either of these places. I keep up my gift purchases in a notebook.

[msyves]

I hide items in my personal laundry hamper. I also hide items in the coat closet. No one ever looks in either of these places. I keep up my gift purchases in a notebook.

[abentley]

I am a firm believer of right in plain sight.....disguised as something they would never look at. I had the snoopyist  child ....he found a much coveted PlayStation 2 hidden under a vanity in my master. Who snoops that hard??? HIM! 

From that moment put items in boxes labeled things like Easter home decor, summer clothing. Anything that was completely normal, yet of no interest to him! 
Anything that could be snooped in like closets, he looked in! 

[packratfamily]

I don’t know where she hid stuff, but my mom used to find stuff after Christmas and give it to me for my March birthday.

[stevierocks]

i no longer have to worry as much about hiding. but i still try to hide so they dont see it or how much they are getting. but i keep a pen and paper list .. with whats wrapped . and who its for.