Blogs

Three years ago this week I was in labor with Georgia.  Actually if you ask one of the 3 nurses that cycled through the 24 hours that I waited in that hospital before they finally yanked her out, I was never actually in labor. Excuse me but that is B.S nurse number 3.  24 hours of a pitiocin drip, and contractions 2 minutes apart is labor.  Technically I never dilated much and she was taken out of me via c-section after it was clear, that even 10 days late, she wasn't coming on her own. But I earned my stripes with her from November 22 to 23rd 2009.

I begged to come home early from the hospital and hobbled in the door 2 days later on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has never been the same for me since. I bet 25 years from now I will still be telling Georgia's birth story over turkey and mashed potatoes and wine.  It will never get old for me. It was a miracle. Two babies in 5 months. A house full of children when just 10 months before I had all but given up hope of ever having one.

Because Georgia was a thanksgiving baby we have the difficulty of making sure she gets her birthday celebrated amongst all the holiday craziness. And because her sister is basically like her twin, so far every birthday for both of them has meant two sets of gifts.  They think they are twins and as of now I don't mind treating them that way while they are young.  

But for family members and us that means two sets of toddler gifts in a window of 30 days.  Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a big order.  Luckily I've been able to embrace the stage of mommy hood I am in and throw myself into products at QVC that cater to my time of life.  Problem solvers, linens, electronics, beauty items, anything a busy mom can use and that includes toys!

So here it is the last of my toy blogs for the season. The final 4 toys my little girls got the chance to test before I made my recommendations to moms and grandparents like you.  If you missed the last two, go back and take a look. My favorite toy for Grace is in this blog so read on! I don't have a favorite for Georgia, she is my little flighty, indecisive, flower, a lot like she was those 10 days and 24 hours she refused to exit the womb! 

BOO

To start my kids love dogs, we have two bulldogs that have been surrogate parents from the start.

They love our dogs but our neighbor just got a puppy and it is pretty much all they talk about. They want a puppy.  So when Boo came home they were ecstatic. I'll be honest; I didn't get it at first. It's a stuffed dog, so what? But the craze on Facebook is undeniable and I will say this little dog does have a face to die for.  The girls are placated for the time being. They tote the lusciously soft puppy around and even try and make our dogs play mom and dad.  Oh what troopers Pumpkin and Gourdie are right?

 PUZZLE TRACKS

I knew this one would be a hit! The girls love puzzles and love trains and love things that light up. These have it all. The car is very similar to what you find in twister trax but the track here is a very simple large puzzle that creates a track for the car to maneuver around. My girls are young so I didn't expect them to get all the puzzle pieces to connect correctly so the car wouldn't go off the track but they managed to do pretty well. The good news is even if they don't put it together the "right " way it doesn't matter. The car still goes around and around. It might hit a dead end of go off the puzzle but the girls just put it back on. It's a great confidence booster. It's great for a small space on the ground and it keeps their attention for quite a long time. Plus it comes in its own carrying bag.  It's a keeper!

MAGNAMOBILES

My overwhelming number one suggestion for a younger child like Grace, who is beyond curious and is always taking things apart, is the Magnamobiles.  They are like magnetic blocks that come together in all sorts of different ways to make cars, trucks, and engines.  In my family there are no boy and girl toys, so I didn’t even question handing my 3 year old a dump truck.  She was hooked.  She was taking that thing apart, asking how it worked (shocking, I know) moving it around, breaking it apart.  It was fabulous.  Here is the ultimate test.  I gave her this toy on a plane and it gave me nearly an hour of peace.  For that I would have spent 18x’s as much.  Nothing keeps this busy child’s attention, not even movies, so I knew this had to be a great toy. 

GYMBOREE

I saved one of the best for last. This Gymboree building set uses magnetic logs and balls to help the child build.  It is a great toy for a child like Grace that loves to put things together and take them apart and for Georgia who is wildly creative.  The colors are bold, the pieces nice and chunky and they are so so easy to use.  My girls made everything from cars with working wheels, to dumbbells so they could pretend they were working out to Tracy Anderson like mommy. This is one of the toys at the top of my list for all kids of all ages.

I hope these last thee I blogs have helped you in the search for the perfect gift for the little one in your life. The one thing I really learned is that it helps if the giver really loves the toy as well.  What the kids want is someone to play with them.  Get them something you love so you can spend time with them.  My girls are growing up so fast,  I just can't believe they are three. I'm taking as much time as possible this season to sit and relax and play with them while they are still kids and still want mom around.

Enjoy the joy this year.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Kerstin

Don't forget to like me on Facebook and see all the fun pictures of life with almost twins,  www.facebook.com/kerstinlindquistqvc

I'd love to hear what you are gifting to the little ones in your life. Who Is that special child that you want to find something inspired for?