That time is approaching once again! - KB's birthday!!
We appreciate your time & thoughtfulness of choosing a gift... however, your friendship & love is present enough - so please don't feel obligated to give anything but a smile... and maybe a hug or two. :)
Nevertheless... if you do wish to give a little something... we just ask that you help us to balance the wants with the needs and present them with what will help her to grow in the way we want her to go. Let's bring in toys that are responsible – even in this small way our monies will shape their future, both in where the money goes and what it brings home to them.
When it comes to gifts, please keep in mind "less is more". A few quality items that will last are a much nicer way to go. Also, the more simple the toy, the more the imagination is used – and the more use the item will get! Here are some ideas:
Activities/items she enjoys:
- Bubbles
- Balls
- Ballons
- Water
- Being outside
- Animals (esp elephants, & kitties (no real ones, please... mommy's allergic!!) & monkeys)
- Coloring/drawing/cutting & pasting
- Music (esp singing!)
- Building/stacking/Nesting
- Helping mommy in the kitchen
- Playing in her toy kitchen
- Playing mommy to her baby dolls
- girly stuff, like painting nails (see below for some non-toxic options...)
- Her favorite color is currently blue (& sometimes pink & purple)
Things we love:
- Things made of natural materials (wood, cotton, silk, wool)
- Toys that use the imagination rather than toys that use batteries.
- Waldorf or Montessori style toys – toys that are real things (musical instruments, gardening tools, art supplies) or that encourage creative play (household related items, wooden play food/dishes, cloth baby doll, wooden blocks and cars), etc.
- Books!! (or bookstore gift certificates!) -- she LOVES Curious George & Animal themed books!
- Magazines like “Ladybug”, “Wild Animal Baby” or “Little Kids National Geographic”
- Things we can do as a family like: Annual passes to State Parks, Jungle Gardens, the Children's Garden(!!!), Selby Gardens, Mote Marine, MOSI, etc
- Hand-made things (if you aren't crafty, www.Etsy.com is a wonderful place to purchase everything for adults and kids.
- Clothing, sizes 4T & up (please note, we only wear dresses & skirts - so no shorts or pant sets please! - sets with leggings under a dress is acceptable! ;-)
Things we'd love to avoid, as much as possible:
- Toys made of synthetic materials such as plastic - and *especially* battery-operated ones!
- Items depicting cartoons/companies (ie - toys/clothes/books with cartoon/TV characters such as... Sesame Street, Dora, the Wiggles, Backyardigans, Carebears, Barbie, Bratz, etc.)
-- one exception.... Curious George. ;)- Any edible items which contain dairy, sugar or wheat!
Brands:
- "Melissa & Doug" is a good toy brand that I've also seen locally - at bookstores and even Home Goods
- "Plan Toys" "Selecta" & "Haba" are also both excellent brands, and can be found in many online stores as well as various retail ones.
- Sites for healthy/natural/non-toxic alternatives to commercial nail-polishes: Piggy Paint --- Go Natural.biz --- Polished Mama.com
Some great places to shop:
Websites:
Local Stores:
- KB's Amazon Wishlist
- Natural toy sites, such as :
- Toy Lab, Funtoysia --- [Baby & Kids at] Bennetts --- and Learning Express all carry these types of toys & products
- Pitter Patter & Snappy Turtle Consignment stores are awesome, as well! **
- ** Don't forget, buying USED saves money & prevents waste! Ebay, Craigslist, Amazon, & 2nd hand stores hold many beautiful treasures
We thank you for your understanding!
~KB's mommy & daddy <3
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