A ways back, Austin and I started to plan what to get Maisie this Christmas. It has been more difficult than expected to come up with present ideas.
What in the world are good gifts for a (will be) 19 month old for Christmas?
Last year, she was still so little, so we ended up buying lots of random baby toys. You know the ones that just end up at the bottom of the toy box/diaper bag left there to be forgotten. So this year we decided to plan out specific items and have a plan of attack. We wanted toys that will suit her age now, but will still suit her 6 months from now. This list consists of mostly bigger ticketed presents (which we will have to then narrow down from), but also some fun goodies.
First, let's start with the"Must haves"...
Katie & I had this same toy growing up (Kate, are you freaking out that I even found this and that Fisher Price still makes them!?). Even then we remember that it was an old toy. It may have been my oldest brother's, but these toy record players circa 1970-something has proven how great they truly are. I am seriously so excited to have Maisie play with one of my favorite childhood toys.
Maisie's night time routine of "The many adventures of Winnie the Pooh" still holds strong. At first we were boycotting any new Pooh shows/movies, but after a little research we found out that for the new movie that was just released on DVD and Blu-ray, used old animation (like hand drawing. Not computer generated) and that makes this a must have. We actually already purchased it, its been torture for Austin not to open it and watch it with Maisie.
For a little bit now we have been wanting to get Maisie a little play kitchen. We figure Christmas would be a great time. Her imaginative play increases by the day and this is something she will love for a long time, possibly even years. Plus future Lee babies will also get good use out of it. We like this one because it's made of wood, looks fun and not too big because space is valuable in our new apartment.
Of course the fun things to go along with the kitchen...
I have been eyeing this block set since before Maisie was even sitting up. I would have purchased them earlier, but they are not the cheapest blocks around and I didn't want them to get lost or soley used as teething pain relievers, but Maisie is really good about not sticking things in her mouth and knowing where things belong. I think we are finally ready for her to get great use out of them. I dare you to find a cuter block set.
Next category: Gifts Maisie would adore, but doesn't need
(ok she doesn't need any of these, but you know what I mean).
Items that are a maybe...
I am completely obsessed with this Haba play tent. It's on the expensive side, but I think it would be hours of fun for little Maisie. Plus, it folds down and can be stored, so you don't always have a cute, but massive structure in your house at all times. Oh and her kitchen would look darling in it... something to think about right?
Since the weather is so nice here year round Maisie loves to play on our patio (poor substitution for a backyard, but better than nothing) and this would be perfect for her to play with out there. There is a park that has one nearby but, the water is filthy and I can only imagine what amoebas are breeding in it. This would be the perfect solution for at home outdoor play with the limited space we have.
These Boon rubber duckies are awesome. I have admired them for quite some time now. Nothing says bath time more like a floating rubber duck. I love the colorful modern appeal and the fact they are BPA, phthalate and PVC free. Also no holes or deep crevices which prevents mold and bacteria growth.
Next catergory: Etsy goodies:
Lou and Lee make the cutest little girl hair accessories. I seriously could buy every item {no joke}. It was hard narrowing it down to one picture, but this set is adorable. It would be perfect for Maisie's brown curly locks. Prepare to get sucked into the cuteness...
Vintage print of the German alphabet with corresponding animals.
I found this lovely print on
Pinterest and fell in love. Although it's not something Maisie can play with it would look darling framed and hanging in her room. Austin would have fun teaching her the names of all the animals in German. {He needs to speak German to her more often, he has been slacking}.
A wooden camera with Maisie burned/engraved into the side. I love it. I could only see her playing or being interested in it for so long, but it would be adorable displayed on a shelf in her room.
Since we found
Scooter a new home two Septembers ago I have been wanting to keep something Dachshund around the house for a memento. I found this adorable
night light but Austin wasn't too thrilled about it (I still love it) so I searched some more until I found "Opal" the bright colored, fun patterned Dachshund stuffed animal, which is perfect because Maisie adores any stuffed animal, but I have a feeling her and Opal would be attached at the hip.
Ok, so there you have it. That's Maisie's Christmas gift list. The hard part will be narrowing down from all of the fun stuff, but what we do get her, she will be so happy with. She is at such a fun age and this Christmas is going to be so exciting watching her face light up.
Feel free to vote on your favorite items, all suggestions are welcome!
