Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Christmas on my mind

I've got Christmas on my mind. Not the good 'Christian' in me type of Christmas, but the 'what do I want to give my child for Christmas' type of Christmas. J is way into copying me and everything I do. A typical conversation with us:

Me: Should we put our coats on?
J: No.
Me: Ohhh, I can't wait to put my coat on
J: Me too, Mom!

Don't let this scenario fool you, we still have plenty of running away when I want her to do something, but we do get our fair share of her wanting to be just like me. (She knows what's good for her, keeping her inheritance in check ;)

Anyways, I think her big "Santa Gift" this year will be one of those play kitchens with food and dishes to go along with it. We live in a small apartment and I wasn't sure if I wanted one, especially because we would most likely keep it in our kitchen so her room isn't too cramped. I don't know about you, but I feel myself hovering over a blurry line between wanting my house to look nice and wanting my kid to have fun. Those play kitchens are sooooooo ugly! I saw one similar to this one on sale at Costco the other day:

While it's definitely not as bad as the giant honkin' plastic ones I've seen, I'm still not crazy about the multicolored look. Also, on big items like this, we've always tried to not buy things that are too girly. Odds are that at some point we would have a little boy. Do boys care? Probably not, but K does :) That being said, I couldn't help but find myself getting excited over all of the sweet accessories!

I've also had my eye on Ikea's play kitchen for quite some time:


Definitely a nicer look, but again, I'm hovering that line between what I want my house to look like and what J would like more. I know I probably should just give up the dream, but it's so hard! In all reality, she would be happy with either, especially because she wouldn't know what she'd be missing out on with whichever one I choose. This definitely falls under the category of "First World Problems!"

What is everyone thinking for their little ones for Christmas?

Anyone have any opinions on these kitchens?

Anyone else still holding on to the dream of a nice looking house? When does that die? :)

4 comments:

  1. I have to laugh at this post because I had the same dilemma when we bought a play kitchen! We ended up buying a cheaper plastic one.
    I'm thinking about Christmas gifts too!!! I can't wait!

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    1. I'm weirdly SUPER excited for Christmas already! I hope my excitement can last for the full two months I still have to go! Haha

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  2. I know exactly what you mean. If I'm going to buy a big toy like that I want it to look nice in my house. :) I debated between the more expensive nicer ones and a cheaper plastic one. But I decided if I'm going to look at it every day because it's in our family room I want it to look nice. We got one for my daughter two years ago for Christmas. It's the same style as the KidKraft one you posted but a more neutral color.

    http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-53260-Uptown-Espresso-Kitchen/dp/B00592BOAO/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381696710&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=kid+kraft+kitchen+stainless+steel

    I decided on a bigger one instead of just the plastic ones also because I wanted to make sure ALL of her dishes, food, etc..would fit inside it. I wanted to store everything inside so it would be organized. And I'm SO glad we got it. A lot of times kids tire of toys quickly but she literally plays with it almost every single day. Not only that but my little boy LOVES playing with it too. I think it doesn't stand out to much and looks nice in our room plus it has enough storage to hold everything she has and she can just shove it all in, out of sight. So I would highly recommend it.

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    1. Great point with the storage issue! I think I'm leaning more towards that one. I'm so glad your little boy plays with it, too! That makes me feel good about spending all that money on a two year olds gift!

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