Thursday, November 13, 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like...oh crap.

After mocking people for starting Christmas way too early, I'm starting to get a bit freaked out about it myself. Maybe it's the unexpected carols in local paper store, or the 3 AISLES of Christmas decorations already up in the superstore, but my pulse is starting to race just a bit at the thought of all the things that I have to get done before December 25th. Christmas cards! Bridal shower! Holiday parties! Gift exchanges! Oh yeah, and going back to work on Monday. It's too much.

The Boy and I have been pouring over the toy flyers that have been mysteriously showing up at our door (how do they know where we live??), trying to find gift ideas for the multitude of children that are on my shopping list. Our evenings go something like this:

flip-flip-flip
"Oh, mummy, can I have this?"
flip-flip-flip
"This is my very favourite thing!"
flip-flip-flip
"Can I get this, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeasssssssssssse?"

We're not materialistic at all.

Everything is too expensive, has too many flashing lights and loud sounds, or is just too old or too...much. And I've got a serious hate on for all things branded with movie or tv characters (yes, Disney, that means you too - eventhough my sister-in-law is a bigwig at your company). And I love the handmade, wooden, environmentally-friendly, politically-correct toys but WOWSERS do they cost some big bucks! We're on a budget, people! But Christmas is for the kids, and it's a BIG DEAL around Casa Earth. I want to see the magic in their eyes when they walk downstairs and see what has appeared beneath the tree overnight. And I don't want to spend a gazillion dollars.

So I'm trying to think back to all the Christmas mornings and birthdays that I've had over the years, and to the toys or gifts that really stood out for me. I've compiled
a list of my favourite toys that you can read over at Playdate. Go and have a read if you have a moment. Who knows - you may be inspired yourself. And for the love of Pete, if you have any really good ideas for gifts in the 4-year-old or 1-year-old range, please let me know in the comments here or at Playdate. I need help!

12 comments:

MARY G said...

Oh, my. Do I hear you. Disney to the Bastille! The one thing I have found needs to be done early is to buy (if you are buying) a girl her Christmas dress. The good ones vanish by December and you are left with overdecorated, unwashable junk.

Mimi said...

Disney has breached the defenses at my house. On 'Princess Pullups'. Dear God, it's the beginning of the end.

painted maypole said...

i find that buying toys at garage sales and thrift stores allows me to get more stuff for less cash, and the kid STILL doesn't care that all of her stuff comes used. Besides, then there's none of that pesky packaging to get through to play with the toy... unwrap and go!

I'm doing your photo tag right now, BTW...

karengreeners said...

Bee thinks that the 3 princesses names are Cinderlella, Ariel and Jasbert. Who am I to argue with a 3-year old?

As for xmas? don't hate me, but I'm pretty much done my shopping. Chalk it up to an early autumn trip to Florida and the knowledge that once I returned to work, I would have noooooooo time for such things. (and I was correct.) I do however, still have to finish a few homemade presents, but I think I'm ok. And I'm Jewish, so extra points for me ;p

motherbumper said...

That last "Can I get this, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeasssssssssssse?" was you, right?

I'm in Christmas denial right now, panic will set in soon.

Anonymous said...

The one gift that I bought for 2 one year olds recently was "The Ball Popper" by Hasbro...we have it as well and Samantha would not stop playing with it...

For 4 year olds; my all time favourite is any of the Little People sets...

Woman in a Window said...

4 year old boy - PlayMobil, PlayMobil, PlayMobil. My son loves the knights!

The baby, oh, any old thing to slober on and beat. Ya, something to beat with too.

KC said...

I JUST conquered a whole batch of Christmas shopping online. I can not resist free shipping. And the fact that I don't have to pry myself off the couch.

Kyla said...

My kids are doing the same thing! They've both taken to circling things with markers in the flyers. KayTar can't write a K yet (to mark her circles) so she brought it to Josh the other day and said, "Write K's on these circles, please." Ha!

Mad said...

Miss M has wanted the same 2 things for 9 months: a camera and a violin. Seriously. She has been calm in the face of the Sears wish book. I am wondering what's up. The violin I found cheap on kijiji. Now I just need to track down a pre-school digital camera. I think they're $50--I can handle that.

But then there is the advent calendar. I'll need to post about the advent calendar some day b/c I live in terror of it all year long.

bren j. said...

Oh man, I loved (!) Lite Brite! At this point though, I'm sure the LG would confused the little plastic things for her vitamins though and quite obviously, that wouldn't be a good thing. We're looking at the wooden toys too. I've seen a couple of M&D 'jumbo knob' puzzles for about $7 USD. I'm sure you can get those in Canada too.

Beck said...

I'm done shopping and I did it all online in November. Nothing to do now but relax and be festive!
Mr. Potato Head is a LOT of fun. It was The Baby's favorite toy for like SIX solid months.
Lite Brite is a lot of fun, too, if you have a very precise kid. Mine found it frustrating and threw the little pegs at each other.
Okay, for four year olds: a big metal Tonka truck, something he can use in his school's sandbox in September. This is a BIG DEAL, status-wise for little fellas.
A toddler sled for your little fella so you can pull him down the sidewalk.