When most moms add up what she spends on all the gifts she needs for holidays and birthday parties, it’s quite a list. And some of these parties come up at a point when it’s not convenient to take a trip to the store.

My solution is to stockpile gifts, but where can you shop for children’s gifts that make the kids say “wow” without making your wallet say "ouch"? 

I recently found some great deals at the Rochester Hills Borders' going-out-of-business sale. And from a conversation I overheard there, I was not the only one with gifts on the brain.

Sometimes I forget that there is more at one of these big bookstores than simply picture books and chapter books, as wonderful as those are. Puzzle books, activity books, sticker books, board games, travel games, puzzles, kit books (a book plus supplies packaged together), look-&-find books – I even found a book with a pair of 3-D glasses attached.   

My stash of kid gifts just got bigger.

At the moment, the Borders sale gives you 20-40% off all items in the store, but I understand the sales will get better as time goes on. Of course, the selection will get steadily smaller, so there is a trade-off. 

Right now, however, there is still a large selection from which to choose, including many potential gifts for under $10. So if you have a regular need for kids' gifts, it’s worth checking out Borders.