{Scroll to the bottom for a big SALE items that you have been asking me about… AND some fun blog shares!}
So I mentioned not wanting to buy a lot of toys this Christmas. Howeverrrrr, call me a softie, but I still want Christmas morning to be exciting for the girls, with presents to open. (Fine- I’m a glutton for punishment…and for spoiling my kids on holidays!)
With that being said,we are making an effort to GIVE more this year and I’m also trying very hard to suppress my shopaholic tendencies and buy the kids items for Christmas that:
A. They actually need
B. They will actually get good use out of.
You know what that means? Less of those giant space sucking toys that light up and cry and sing and pee and bark and god only knows what else, that the kids play with for approx three seconds and then get buried in the abyss of “toys never played with”. Yeah, those. I will probably cave and get them each one thing that they really WANT (that I cringe over) but that will not be the majority of the toys under the tree, like in years past. I cleaned out out the playroom pretty seriously recently and only left the girls with 5 “toy” categories:
- Blocks/Legos
- Barbies
- Dolls/Doll accessories
- Kitchen Set
- Dress Up/Pretend
These are the things they play with the most, so I basically got rid of everything else. I guess I don’t include books, games, or art in those categories, but I’ve made a drastic change in the items we buy for THOSE categories as well. Only classics games are allowed…no more “Trolls Chutes and Ladders” or “Princess Candy Land”. Nope, it’s classics or bust. I make exceptions for card games and other newer QUALITY games I come across (most are educational).
Quality is our theme this year; items that will be cherished, will last, and items that already have a need and/or a place they can fit into in our house. There is no space left to create “new homes” for more STUFF!
So, here you go…some of the quality items I’ll be getting the kids this Christmas!
(Note: These are ideas and wish lists. The kids will not be getting ALL of this stuff!)
1.Public Bike | 2. Rainbow Streamers (I got this cuuuute idea from my friend Lee’s Gift Giving Guide. Her site Do Say Give has SUCH great ideas. Definitely check it out!)| 3. Bike Bell | 4. Helmet |5. Basket | 6. Handstand Practice Mat (goes on the back of the door and then folds out to be a cartwheel mat as well! | 7. Gymnastics Mat | 8. New Leo from Remie Girl | 9. Balance Beam (in case you are wondering, gymnastics equipment will live in the walk-in attic that opens directly from the playroom…perfect placement and storage option!)
1.Julia Child Book (to go with the cooking equipment theme) | 2. Family Scavenger Hunt (how fun?!) | 3.Cooking Kit (my girls LOVE helping in the kitchen!) | 4. Children’s Cook Book | 5. Moulin Roty – Another sweet cooking kit option | 6. Kid’s apron | 7. All Natural Spa Day (how fun to save for a sleepover?) | 8. Time Capsule (I’m excited for this one!) | 9. School Time |10. Fort Building Kit
1.Rhyming Sound Sort (I did an IG story on this game, once!)| 2. Me: A Compendium (like an “all about me/baby” book but for older kids!) | 3. City Atlas (a gorgeous giant book- thought it’s be fun to have for all our travels!) |3. (The second number three, since I put it up there twice and was too lazy to fix it -haha!) The First Big Book of Why | 4. And Then, Story Starter Cards | 5. Allowance Game (like Monopoly for littles!) | 6. Domino Set (Q learned to play this summer with her Aunt Britt-Britt so I told Britt these would be a great idea to get for her! | 7. Smarty Blocks (looks like such a fun game that both girls can play!)
1.Spirit horse and girl figurines (Did you watch the movie Spirit? They now have a show on Netflix and the girls LOVE it!) | 2. Melissa and Doug Horse Mat | 3. Hearth and Hand Dollhouse (I thought Cub would love this in her room since Q has a little Pottery Barn one in hers.) | 4. Q is obsessed with her American Girl Bitty Baby, named Autumn so she wants some cute AG Accessories and | 5. I found an Etsy shop that makes the cutest handmade doll clothes! | 6. Pottery Barn Lock Box (they are obsessed with “hiding and storing their treasures” lately. And, it’s personalized! | 7. Little Cosmetics (fake makeup!) | 8. Rainbow pillow (bc, rainbows!)| 9. New craft box (we get a new one every year- they use it every day!) | 10. New clothes for Cub’s Hazel Village doll | 11. Wooden Wagon Dollhouse (we keep our collection of wooden blocks/toys in a basket downstairs so I thought this would be an adorable addition. This one is sold out, but I linked a similar one! | 12. Some furniture and dollhouse people
1.Roll up piano (obviously not for restaurants but cool for the girls to bring to their rooms/playrooms when they “perform shows”, etc.) | 2. Tiggly (a great educational game/app for Cubby’s ipad | 3. Build a Cupcake magnet game | 4. Joke Books |5. Pink Etch-a-sketch | 6. Lego on-the-go case | 7. Osmo (a great educational game/app for Q’s ipad!)
1.wooden cars | 2. Gathre Car Mat | 3. Shape Puzzle | 4. Tool Work Bench (I know Max is too young for this but I HAD to get it from the Hearth & Hand Collection before it was gone…and I’m sure the girls will play with it in the meantime!) | 5. Skiphop Play house book | 6.Cactus rattle | 7. June and January pom beanie hat
1.iRig microphone | 2. Rainbow Maker | 3. Magnetic Slime | 4. Kid friendly nail polish | 5. Whatchamadrawit card game | 6. Flashlight projector | 7. Rubix Cube
1.Push car | 2. Magnetic alphabet practice | 3. Slime Making Kit | 4. Solve the Mystery Books | 5. Rainbow Blocks | 6. Cutest little poodle plush | 7. Crayon “Rocks” | 8. Science Myths Kit | 9. Instrument Set | 10. Wooden Marble Run
AND A FEW FUN EXTRAS:
Jump Rope Rhymes Book | Double Dutch Jump Rope
personalized blanket from Highway3
NEW Additions to the Gift Guide and on SUPER SALE!!!
Spreading the LOVE:
Since my gift guide is mainly for my own kids, and therefore isn’t all-encompassing, I’m sharing a few other Mama Blogger’s Guides with you! For some more Christmas Gift Guides, check out these fabulous ladies linked below! There are six of us and between us all, we have a total of 13 kids, ages 3 months to 7 years… so I’m sure there’s something for everyone!
Check them out:
Hello Tiny Love |Steph Pollock |The Love Designed Life |
Occasionally Perfect Style |Cultivate Motherhood
Such great selections! We try to buy only what we hope would be used and played with but the toys still takeover every room in the house. It’s hard not to spoil them. Happy shopping and good luck!
omg I pretty much need to add like 100 things to my list now. thanks a lot! 😉 also, I need to see this playroom tour, stat!