Yep! Jingle Baskets Are A Thing Now, Too

Remember just a month or so ago when we were all processing what in the fresh hell a “boo basket” was? Well, the momfluencers of TikTok have struck again, this time with “jingle baskets” — a pre-holiday bundle of stuff to use throughout the extended season. Sure, it seems like a money grab, and “jingle baskets” are absolutely peak consumerism. But, if you know you’re going to buy your kids the red and green stuff anyway, why not at least give it to ‘em early enough that they can actually enjoy using it? It’s a way to “get them in the spirit,” and honestly, it kind of makes sense.

Sure, we want our families to have the matching gingerbread village pajamas from Hanna, but it’s wild to think of spending a bunch of money on PJs that they may only wear on the night of Christmas Eve. And why give ornaments as presents when they won’t open them until the day everyone stops looking at the Christmas tree? The same goes for all those holiday-themed gifts like mugs, pencils, erases, and chapsticks. Once Christmas is over, we’re done with the Santa-themed sh*t. So, why not give it a bit early?

Of course, there is absolutely no rule that says you have to give a jingle basket. If you can’t afford it or just don’t buy into the hype, that’s OK! If you’re balls-to-the-wall for Christmas and want to max out a credit card while spoiling your fam-bam and kicking off “the season” with gifts... well, then, here’s what you need to know about jingle baskets.

WTF is a jingle basket?

Jingle baskets can be buckets, bags, or baskets, and they hold the same kind of crap you might use to fill an Easter basket. Just imagine less pastel and more red, green, and gold. You could easily make a jingle Bbasket in blue, white, and silver. Or any other standard color scheme for your favorite winter holiday. Christmas people seem to go the hardest, though.

These can be as inexpensive or as baller as you want them. Your jingle basket might introduce your family’s matching holiday PJs or give each kiddo the special outfit they’ll wear for holiday pictures and big holiday celebrations. It’s also a great time to load ‘em up on holiday-themed school or craft supplies. And, yeah, you probably want to include a couple of holiday-themed candies or snacks.

What do you put in a jingle basket?

There are literally no wrong answers here. You can make a jingle basket as fun or functional as you want. Here are some ideas to get you going, though:

For Kids, Big and Small

• Christmas PJs
• A holiday-themed shirt or outfit for school
• A fancy outfit for holiday photos and events
• Holiday-themed hair doo-dads
• The Christmas version of their favorite cereal, like the Winterfest Fruity Pebbles
• Holiday socks
• New stories for their Tonies player
• Holiday-themed games (this could be the reindeer paddle/ball toy or a dreidel)
• Holiday coloring books, art supplies, craft kits
• Fairy lights for their room
• Christmas movie
• Mug and cocoa or tea
• The Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes
• Candy (they even make naturally-flavored gummy worms now, so don’t be stingy!)
• Red/green Gatorade
• Chapstick
• Winter accessories
• Christmas cookie supplies
• Their advent calendar
• Fidgets with holiday themes
• Holiday-themed school supplies
• Melting Snowman
• A holiday Squishmallow
• Build-A-Bear gift card to make a holiday bear
• Something warm, like a new blanket or a Warmies stuffy
• The Holiday Barbie (the fancy one or the cool one)

For Grown-Ups

Moms want jingle baskets, too! And you can’t expect to be spoiled if you don’t do some spoiling yourself. Here’s what you can add to a grown-up jingle basket.

• The matching PJs
• That fancy Osmosis face serum you want but won’t “treat yo self” with
• Some holiday-inspired lingerie (though, who is this really for?)
• A new candle (Did you know Swiss Miss has a hot chocolate candle this year?)
• Mulling spices
• Holiday wine
• Microwavable slippers
• Literally just a Starbucks gift card, please
• The Dunkin’ Hot Chocolate Bomb, for the Dunkin gal
• Seasonal essential oils
• Favorite snacks, like hummus and pretzel chips
• A “babysitting” coupon for a child-free afternoon of decorating (or game-watching)
• More ornaments
• Fancy chocolate
• Face, feet, or hair masks
• Little Debbie Christmas Trees (yes, again)
• That oh-so-perfect shade of lipstick or lip plumper

When do you give jingle baskets?

You might have put your Christmas tree up on Nov. 1, but let’s not forget that your kids are still hopped up on Halloween candy. So, it might be a little too early. Perhaps the perfect times to give your family their jingle baskets are:

• The day after Thanksgiving
• Dec. 1
• The first day off from school

But, really, because this is still a fairly new and under-the-radar tradition, there aren’t many rules. Surprise ‘em with jingle baskets on a bad day, or use jingle baskets as a reward for a really good day. Got that basket locked and loaded in the closet? Whip it out for entertainment when they catch the next plague from school. Or hand it over on a day when you’ll be distracted with chores and need them happy and not underfoot.