Favorite Things

I have been keeping a little list of some of the things I love, and I think most families should consider having. They are random, and when I think of it I just jot it down in my handy dandy little note book...uggg I have been watching to much Blues Clues with my kids....These are in no particular order.

1. Groovy Girl Dolls
These are the cutest and funkiest little dolls! Violet and I both love them! They are soft little dolls that have yarn hair and are oozing with hipness! They are sweet and dressed very modestly. They come with all kinds of accessories, that are not so small that they get sucked up in the vacuum followed by tears about a lost Polly shoe or THE essential hair dryer from the Polly Pocket Beauty Shop (can you tell I can't stand Polly Pockets!) I highly recommend the Groovy Girls for your Groovy Little Girls! Oh and did I mention they are in the ballpark of $11-$20. That is significantly less than an American Girl doll...and a good compromise until your little lady is old enough to take care of such a lovely little doll.


2. Playmobil
This IS the most favored toy in the house from Tage on down to Ben. I can't say enough about this wonderful toy that allows their imaginations to go CRAZY! The little ones carry around the horses and guys, while Tage and Simon set up great big adventures and battles and act it all out while they build. This is a toy that hardly ever breaks, in fact we have some of Brant's Playmobil from when he was a kid.

3. NOGGIN by Nickelodeon...
For those of you who do not have TV...I am really sorry! I understand the desire to set a tone in the home that does not revolve around the boob tube...BUT...This little preschool station is SOOO fabulous! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! There are NO commercials and all the programs are educational in some way. It does not seem like these shows really have much of a political/social agenda such as PBS Kids, just a fun little interactive pre-school station that cares about teaching kids their colors, numbers, and the importance of sharing and being kind to one another. All the stuff we are working on at home! Oh and by the way...if you go to Noggin.com you can view the different shows and possibly find them at your local video store.

4. LLBEAN...
Backpacks, Travel Duffel's, Sleeping Bags, and Lunch Boxes...Basically anything with a zipper. THEY DON'T BREAK...And if they do, they have a lifetime warranty..which they honer without question. I am not an advocate of DEBT however, if you have an LLBean card they give you free monogramming and shipping on anything you purchase. That ends up saving you somewhere in the ball park of $7-15, I have the card and use this feature often! Just remember to pay it off every month :)!

5. Match Box Cars

All my kids love to play with Matchbox Cars! They line them all up, drive them on the floors, walls and all furniture, and use them to knock down their Lego towers! A must have in our home!

Enough for now...I have more on the list that I will share later...