Nell's Christmas List
As promised, here is our Christmas list for Nell this year. We try to avoid buying too many large, plastic toys as they get tired of things so quickly and they take up so much space. She likes playing make-believe with her play kitchen and baby dolls , reading books, painting/drawing and building towers with LEGO Duplo (I’ve linked a few of our favorite sets, above). We encourage independent play and creativity so we try to buy things that she can enjoy and repurpose for many years to come.
Last year we bought her this play kitchen from Pottery Barn Kids and a few books and it worked out great! She plays with her kitchen daily and it’s super solid. I knew we wanted a white kitchen but was worried about it standing up to toddler wear and tear. The paint finish on this one is super hard, it’s been a year now and it’s still scratch free! We knew we didn’t have time to customize a play kitchen, paint, etc. so we wanted one that was beautiful as-is. It’s also been great for other family members who want to give her gifts as they’ve given her felt food, play fruits and vegetables, and little pots and pans over time vs. buying random toys they don’t know if she will like. These cupcakes for example we a gift and not only does she love them, every child that comes over gravitates to them! They come apart and go back together easily and Nellie loves baking her “cakies.”
This year we will follow the same model of giving her one large gift and a few accessories in her stocking. We are planning to get her a play table and chairs and then give her a few arts and crafts supplies to get her inspired :) We live for these washable Crayola markers and these Chunky Paint Sticks that dry lighting fast and are easy for little hands to hold. I wanted to give these natural beeswax crayons a try as well.
I’ve also included a few things she has and loves that would make great gifts, like Lake Pajamas (currently on sale!) or this adorable pair of from Sammy & Nat, these LLBean Toddler Slippers (25% off today!), her favorite water bottle (VSCO-girl approved apparently), her Patagonia vest and a few different hair bow options that we will put in her stocking. Nell’s hair parts on the opposite side of most bows so we like pinwheel ones like this that we don’t have to put in upside down. We are also expecting our last Lovevery Box in early December and we plan to wrap those items up for Christmas as well. These are the ONLY toys that Nell takes to right away and I recommend them to everyone!! They are also beautifully made from sustainable wood and hold up great!
She is also obsessed with baby strollers so we may sneak in this guy as an extra treat if I can get a good deal this weekend. I love that it’s neutral (i.e. not hot pink) and looks like it will grow with her vs. a lot of the others I’ve looked at that seem short. We also plan to grab her a tutu or two to support her early obsession with all things dance (and hopefully to stop her from bringing them home from school every week).
Nell’s birthday is in February and we plan to continue with her creativity theme and get her an art easel or give her an outdoor playhouse. Not much better than getting one in December but at least we can say spring is right around the corner. We’d like a non-plastic one that we can paint to match our house, lmk if you have any suggestions!
Hope this helps, happy shopping!
