I'm a busy dad of 2 who shops at Costco. Here are 16 things I like to buy in the winter.

• My family shops at Costco at least twice a month for household items, food, and random finds.

• The store offers great gift ideas during the holidays, like themed ceramic sets and dog toys.

• Other winter-themed Costco finds include space heaters, candles, wrapping paper, and festive decor.

My wife and I are busy parents of two teens, and we've been shopping at Costco for as long as we've had kids. We love that the store stocks items for everyone, including pets.

Here are the items I like to buy from Costco in the winter.

Bridgestone's emergency kit is a good deal and a smart purchase.

Our teen daughter recently purchased her first car, so one of Bridgestone's auto-emergency kits went directly into her trunk.

The kit comes with 50 safety items in case of a crisis on the road for $50, which is a great deal.

Costco has a great selection of festive gift wrap.

We never seem to have enough wrapping paper.

Luckily the options at Costco are high-quality and come in a variety of patterns and quantities.

Snack Factory's pretzels coated in white crème and peppermint are so good.

Pretzels are one of my favorite snacks, and these amp them up to new, festive heights.

The Pretzel Crisps are a great mix of sweet, minty, and salty flavors.

Long and durable power cords are crucial in the winter.

We usually go a bit overboard when decorating our house and yard for the holidays, so we always need more extension cords.

The two-pack of extension cords from Costco ensures an impressively bright holiday display.

Costco offers great options for holiday decorations.

The LED holiday decor at Costco helps us create a festive mood during the dark and wet winters in Seattle, Washington.

Vornado's space heater helps with the cold drafts in our house.

Space heaters mediate the chilly draft in our older home. They also keep our cats warm and happy in the winter.

I buy Sanders' caramels year-round, but they make a great gift.

I buy Sanders' caramels all the time. The combination of sweet caramel, chocolate, and salt is delicious.

In the winter, I think the tins are a great inexpensive gift idea.

The ceramic holiday villages set a relaxing but festive tone.

My wife had been looking for something exactly like the winter-themed ceramic set at Costco, so it went right into our shopping cart this year.

My family loves the big candles from Costco.

During the colder months, candles are all over our house. The options from Sea and Sand are 53 ounces and usually last us a long time.

I also appreciate that they come in fantastic scents — like coconut and palm — that my whole family enjoys.

Starbucks' holiday set is an easy gift for coffee and hot-chocolate lovers.

My family goes through travel mugs quickly, so the Starbucks gift set at Costco is perfect for us.

The festive set comes with coffee, hot cocoa, and two travel mugs.

I love our digital picture frame so much that I want another one.

I received an Aura digital frame as a gift two years ago, and we get complimented on it all the time.

Its screen rotates through tons of photos and videos with sound, and it's very easy to use. I'm glad Costco has them because I'm considering buying another one.

We buy pre-lit garlands every year.

Since pre-lit garlands are usually in stock at Costco during the winter, we buy new boxes every year.

They're easy to use, hang, and connect to create huge strands.

Costco's Swiss Miss package is also a great deal.

Each Swiss Miss gift set includes four types of hot cocoa.

My favorite flavor is peppermint, but my wife and kids prefer the salted-caramel option.

We adopted a dog this year, and she'll have toys from Costco under the tree.

Kong products are my absolute favorite to alleviate our dog's boredom.

I appreciate that Costco has some options with a nice holiday theme.

Starbucks' Winter Blend has been a staple in our household for years.

I look forward to the arrival of Starbucks' Winter Blend at Costco every year. It makes fantastic espresso and is organic, which we prefer.

The bags are limited edition, so I buy at least two whenever I see them in stock.

I love the big packages of Toblerone.

Costco offers six bars of Toblerone in one pack, which makes for a great and affordable gift for my family.

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