Vivienne is 3 - Gift Ideas for a Toddler Birthday
My daughter Vivienne is having a birthday and it feels like we barely finished taming the holiday gift overflow. I am trying to come up with ideas that are practical or activity related especially now since New York is a drab wintry mix. Finding a variety of ways to amuse ourselves indoors is essential. Last year we gave our little bundle of joy a personal trampoline in the hopes that it would use up some of her boundless energy. Great initially, now, almost a year later, it basically serves as the official resting spot for the exercise ball I brought to the hospital 10 years ago when her brother was born. Another item that has not seen much use. I am going to have to think a little bit harder and smaller this time around. Hope springs eternal!
I do have an advantage in that we already have a gift to give. It’s that one straggler that came too late to stick under the Christmas tree. I consider ourselves lucky that it was just the one item considering all the supply issues and the usual holiday delivery complications of elves getting into the eggnog. Besides, her birthday coming up was in the back of my mind. So here we are. It is called Magical Mixies and it was such a big hit at the holidays that it was being price gauged. We actually paid less than retail with a sales promotion from Walmart. Clearly my daughter seeing it on television commercials enough to beg me for it (yes, the old school way still hooks ‘em) was not the life or death situation I was presented with as Vivienne has not brought it up once since then. I am certain that upon conjuring up her Magical Mixie she will hop right back on board the Magical Mixie train! You may be wondering what a Magical Mixie is. There is a magical cauldron where the action takes place. After adding the magical misting powder, you tap 3 times with a light up magic wand and when the spell is cast the cauldron mists and behold! Appearing out of the mist before your very eyes is a magical creature I will attempt to describe as a rainbow tie-dye colored chipmunk faced/possum tailed/unicorn horned/winged stuffy aka the Magical Mixie. To add to the fun it has over 50 sounds and robotic life-like reactions and your Magical Mixie can be summoned over and over again. A gift that keeps on giving, no doubt.
And I guess I could call it a day here, but there are well-meaning relatives who will be asking what they can get the birthday girl. As much as I would like to say she doesn’t need anything, I know that is not an acceptable answer. These are grandparents and they don’t take “no” for an answer! So, here I go breaking all the rules from whence my son was this age. I am allowing all the things that I previously refused. Never say never. I am older and a little wiser and realize how my sanity depends on the scraps of “me time” these messy activities allow such as an uninterrupted opportunity to play Wordle.
So, here goes. Get the Kinetic Sand. I know I said it was okay, but it’s like shaking a beach towel inside my house and purposely getting the sand in my eyes. But she LOVES it. Absolutely loves it. So, please get her this one. Vivienne saw it on television, pointed to it and said, “That one. Mommy, I want that one. I love it.” It’s rainbow according to the example picture on the box. “Vivi loves rainbows.” I hope it comes that way. It also has tools to shape and slice and dice over 2 pounds of sand. Yay! It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just some kinetic sand in my eye.
In the same vein I am also advocating for Play Dough. The bane of my own mother’s existence that she actually banned it from my childhood for being too much of a pain to clean up. Not only am I advocating for it, I am asking for the Play-Doh Super Color Pack of 20 Cans because she has a container a day habit. Vivienne would also enjoy some Play-Doh Tools and the carrying case as you never know when she will have to Play-Doh on the go!
And as much as I remember as a kid those practical gifts that don’t bring joy, here I am thinking, well, I can just gift them as long as I make it SUPER FUN. You know what’s SUPER FUN? Underwear! Yes!!! Big girl undies. The kind you wear when you don’t wear diapers. And nothing is more fun than My Little Pony Underwear! There’s one for every day of the week! All she has to do is use the potty to wear them. Genius, right?
My last gifting idea is another practical gift. It’s a bank for all of her loose change. Maybe it’s because she is so low to the ground or she has the eagle eyed vision of youth, but she is always finding loose change. She is a human Roomba/metal detector in desperate need of a money manager. She has the right instincts to diversify except that I keep finding coins in the laundry, in shoes, on a dinner plate. We need a centralized bank and this personalized one with her initial and name by CrftsNCreatns on Etsy should appease even the most demanding of toddlers. The clear acrylic with the pink wooden frame will allow her to actually see her money add up. I feel like this is something that she will not outgrow for at least a year. Maybe it will teach her the value of saving or delayed gratification. At the very least it will hopefully stop my dryer from sounding like a pinball machine. Jokes aside, this is a beautiful personalized gift and I loved it so much I bought 2. The other one is for my niece’s 1st birthday. I can’t wait to give it to her!
And last but not least, there will be cake or ice cream or ice cream cake with lots of icing and sprinkles. Her birthday cake is a favorite topic of discussion. We decided it would be a great opportunity to give her the Unicorn Battery Powered ToothbrushUnicorn Battery Powered Toothbrush. She is a big unicorn fan and she actually asked for a toothbrush that “shakes” like the rest of her family’s toothbrushes. What can I say? We take dental hygiene seriously. We’ll probably get her some toothpaste, too.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl. Hope all your wishes come true! Except for the one where your baby dolls come alive. That one scares me just a little.
Catch up on PS<3 Reports here:
