Christmas is over, presents have been opened and played with. Part of me is sad because I feel time is sprinting by, and I'm struggling trying to keep up with the race. It is more obvious when you have a little human being growing next to you. Through back Thursdays make me extra nostalgic now. My little baby is not so little anymore, she is rapidly becoming a social little person #pleasemaketimestop. She can now clap, wave, shake her head to indicate no, send a kiss, clearly let us know she does not want to do something (very skillful in that department). She babbles plenty, loves to dance, insists on walking (assisted) all day and listen to music. Oh, and her favorite things in the world now include: "reading"and climbing up and down dad's or mom's back when we are trying to sneak a snooze between her 6am wake up time and our 8:00am- it's now time to get out of bed time. She is now starting to "play", calling it real play is a little ambitious for now, but she is certainly exploring her toys much more than before. I can comfortably say she's past the first and second stages of circular reactions #piagetstages, when babies pretty much repeat actions, and is now using what she knows to achieve an actual goal, yay! For example, today she pulled the charger plate in order to get what was on top of it. In the process, of course, dropped her sippy-cup, stained my new sweatshirt with prune juice and made a real mess, but way to go baby! Haha, no, seriously, I am legitimately proud.
All these new skills and learning got me extremely excited about her Christmas toys. I thought: finally, I can get her things she'll enjoy more than the empty wet wipes bag, or the cap of pretty much anything, or that tiny piece of lint on the floor (she is better than the Roomba when it comes to looking for trash), and maybe, but just maybe, I'll be able to find something she'll be more attracted to than the tag it comes with. That was certainly a stretch, deep down inside I know I'll never find such a toy. So my search began, for the perfect Christmas gifts.
Let me make a little announcement about other things I look for in toys that don't really have to do with my child's development or her preferences, but have more to do with me. I like pretty things and I am very conscious about how things look. I really dislike plastic toys that are a nuisance to my immediate surrounding with all their flashy colors. I think there is plenty of colorful stimuli in the world for me to add extra in her bedroom. Plus, I hate using too much plastic. I like toys that are more timeless, that look good on display, preferably made out of wood or recycled non-toxic material.
Not all of Tori's toys meet this criteria of course. I mean, she does have her share of colorful-sound-making-plastic toys she seems to really, really like, probably more than some of the ones I get her. These are mostly gifts she has received. I know she is very happy and grateful these generous people are in her life, if not, all her toys would be "boring" colors. I've also broken my own rules and gotten some of these things I dislike, because I thought she might like them more. But, I have to admit, I have a cute wicker basket (with a lid, of course) where we keep these "ugly"toys. She has prime access to them all the time, and we take them out to play, but at night or when we are finished playing, these are the bye bye toys that get put away so mommy can enjoy her view. Am I a horrible/crazy person? Probably, but hey! Being a parent is challenging enough, we sacrifice plenty, this is a small mommy crazy thing I'm allowing myself to do.
She also has a basket of "non-toy toys", or toys I've made for her: e.g. little glass jars with beans inside (their sealed off, don't worry!), random plastic things that are big enough for her to put in her mouth without choking and just arbitrary stuff like and old wallet and a plastic spoon. This box I keep next to my bed and throw things in there when I find something "cool". She plays with these things in that time frame between 6:30 - 7:30ish-8:00 when we invite her to play in our bed while we lay there wondering if we are ever going to be able to sleep-in like lazy grown-ups we once were.
Back to the point, my very first Christmas toy hunting this year, started with a list and a whole bunch of internet browsing. I must clarify, we did not buy all of these gifts ourselves. Our loving family members in Peru, wanted to get Tori gifts, so they send her money so I could find her a present here. Buying her something in Peru would have meant higher prices and shipping inferno. I'm sharing what we finally got her, there is really no order of preference. I would have to wait a while, in order to see whether Tori likes them more than I do.
1. Crate & Kids Baby Push Walker
Tori is 10 months and is already standing up by herself and can walk grabbing my hands and holding on to furniture. I felt she needed something that could help her walk with support on her own and avoid me from being bending forward all day or walking on my knees. I absolutely love this walker. The colors are perfect, the material is high quality an she seems to enjoy the little activities in front. However, she is still too young to use independently, and needs me to hold the walker, or else I feel it goes way too fast and she might fall. However, I assume when she has more balance and can hold herself upright better, she'll be able to use this independently and practice gross motor skills. For now, I'm still slouching over constantly to avoid her from falling over.
2. ECR4Kids Softzone Toddler Play Soft Blocks
These blocks took me a while to find online. I got them through Amazon. They are great for building towers and are soft enough they won't hurt her, but sturdy enough so they won't lose their shape. The material is super easy to clean. Big plus, the colors! I wish they had a way to choose the colors you want, nevertheless, this was the closest thing I found to something neutral. It's what they call the "contemporary"color. I feel it looks better in real life than the official picture. Anyway, she seems to enjoy them a lot so far, and I'm happy it doesn't clash too much with all the colors in her nursery or our living space. I'm sure this is something she will keep enjoying as she grows and is great for her gross motor skills and coordination.
3. Rocking Sheep
The one in the picture is Pottery Barn Kids, but I was a little hesitant in spending so much money in a rocker I wasn't sure she was going to absolutely love, or thought this is something she was probably going to outgrow pretty fast. Just when I was about to buy the Hare version of the rocker (it's too adorable and pretty). A friend called me while she was in HomeGoods and sent me a picture of one that was really similar. It was under 50 dollars and seemed as cute as the PBK one pictured above. It was a no brainer for me. I'm not a brand loyalist, if I can get a similar product for cheaper, I certainly will. I love PBK because they sell lovely toys, however, they're usually a little pricier than what I would like to spend. In spite of that, when it's something I really like, I'm OK with splurging a little, hence the next toy.
4. Not your typical doll: PBK Designer Doll
Ok, so this was on the pricier end. But this was a gift from her great-grandma and I wanted something that would be in her room forever and not look too babyish in the future. I thought this one was perfect. I ordered it online and was pleasantly surprised when we received it, the size was bigger than expected and the quality is great. She loved it, but to be honest, she was surprised by everything she opened on Christmas. I don't see her playing with this just yet and I don't want her chewing on it, so I placed it as decoration in her room. It looks very pretty.
5. Jellycat The Magic Bunny Book and Bunny Stuffed Animal
Tori loves books, and they are the only thing that she can enjoy looking at independently for more than 5 minutes. I'll do a list of our favorite books later on. But for Christmas dad got her a gray Jellycat bunny we are going to pair with The Magic Bunny book, I think it's such a cute goodnight story. I'm thinking ahead of when we transition her out of her pacifier and into something such as a stuffed animal for sleeping, I thought this Jellycat bunny and book would be perfect. Additionally we got her the one of the "If I were a...." books. These are great because they have touch and feel pictures.
6. Pottery Barn Kids, Toolbox Set.
Personally, one of the most precious things I have in my house is my own little toolbox with my electric drill and all sorts of screwdrivers and every kind of nail. Tori has caught on and always wants to grab my things. I thought this was perfect as her little starter kit! Plus, it's all made out of wood, the pieces are very smooth and well-made, and the storage box is lovely. The only thing is, that for now, I've taken away the little drawers with the smaller screws and nails because they look a little hazardous for her age. This toy is not intended for babies and we only play when we are together. I like the different textures it offers and think this is great for hand-eye coordination.
7. Ikea MULA collection.
We went to Ikea to get a smock and I had to get these toys. They are super well made with wooden materials, the colors are a little bright for my taste but since they come in a series, they all match with each other. Best part: they are 9.99 each or less. They are developmentally appropriate. I can leave her play with these without worrying she will choke on anything. Although, I'm still watching her with my hawk eyes, since she wants to climb on the abacus or bead roller coaster and they can topple over.
8. Ikea LILLABO 20-piece basic train set
I've been wanting to get her a train or car set, ever since she fell in love with her friend's Hot Wheels car. I don't like that the Hot Wheel tracks are made out of plastic and are super colorful. I've seen these wooden tracks with several brands, but so far, none beat Ikea's price point. 9.99 for this 20 piece set is hard to match. Tori and I have fun putting it together, and her biggest enjoyment so far is taking the track apart and of course, trying to eat the wood. These cars run smoothly along the tracks and you can purchase add-on tracks or extra trains later on.
9. Toddler Educational & Musical Percussion for Kids & Children Instruments Set
She loves noisy things. This set has plenty of instruments and we got it for around 25 dollars through Amazon. The instruments are well made, most are made of wood, and the colors aren't too crazy like others I've seen. I know Schoenhut Band in a Box is very nice too, but it had less instruments for around the same price. So decided to get her these instead, and I don't regret it. The only thing, this is not something designed for kids under 1. I would assume 3 years and older. However, we use these instruments together and are great for hand-eye coordination, rhythm and playing along her favorite songs. I won't let her use on her own without being watched.
10 . Fisher-Price Little People
Ok. I know I said I don't like plastic, but as I mentioned, I break my own rules from time to time, especially because Tori loves her Little People Animal figures. I'm not intending on buying the whole plastic barn, however, these are the perfect size for her to hold. She can drool all over and bite without any problems. They're fun to teach the animal names and sounds, and we pair them with books about different animals we have. Since she loves them, I'm ready to love them too. Plus, she enjoys putting these away during clean up because she can comfortably hold them her hands. Im thinking of getting her extra animals later on and more wooden blocks for her to make her own barn and setting further on when she is imaginary playing.
These were the Christmas presents we chose for her this year. Thank you grandparents, aunts, uncles for most of these lovely gifts. Now, to see how much she actually enjoys them.
*The pictures belong to the official product pages.
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