The Loot

Let's get materialistic for a moment. I have a very generous family, on both sides. They love to give, and I am going to brag on a few of the treats they sent our way this season...

Red Envelope Deluxe Wall Gallery

I have been disappointed with my own attempt at hanging (crooked) picture frames in a set, so this will take tilt out of the equation.

Melissa and Doug Wooden Pounding Bench

The "nails" are thin at the top, fat at the bottom, and a little wooden seesaw underneath each pair makes one nail go up while the opposite nail goes down. Since they don't come out, they don't get lost (or swallowed).

Magic Grow Dinosaurs

Mister Man ripped the tail off of his yellow Stegosaurus last night and then proceeded to cry about it. "Fix it, fit it!" Only one thing calmed him down: Daniel promising to send it to the Island of Misfit Toys. Whatever works.

The North Face Maya Jacket

I love raincoats, and yet I haven't had one that fits in years. I drooled over this online and my mom scoured eBay to find it for me.

Crayola Color Wonder Fingerpaints

This stuff is CLEAR - as in, will not stain carpet or walls or clothes - until it hits the special Color Wonder paper. Then it turns the appropriate color. Mister Man loves arts and crafts, but with a crawling baby getting into everything, I can rarely sit nicely to help him not make a mess. This is a dream. I don't care how much the "refills" cost in the future. It's a winner. I will probably buy the markers too.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

My brother is a great resource for book recommendations. Right now I am reading his copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I suppose this one will be next. I am told it is written from the perspective of a dog. Thanks bro!

Melissa and Doug Shape Sorting Cube

I love wooden toys, and this shape sorter came all the way from family in Texas. What I like best about it is the more obscure shapes it includes - the heptagon, octagon, rhombus, etc. I need to brush up on my geometry so I can teach my kids to count sides.

Ravensberger Puzzles

This is our favorite brand, hands down. I like any puzzles, even the 24-piece Thomas the Train puzzles Mister Man got for his second birthday. This one may interfere with my quest to get back in shape. It kind of makes me want to look in the freezer for some ice cream.

Play Doh Beach Creations

I am going to have to get over my fear of mixing Play Doh colors for this one. Making lobsters, starfish and dolphins just looks like too much fun.

iBaby Monitor

We are hooked on our iPad, so what's better than a baby monitor with software that turns the iPad into the screen? You can log in from anywhere in the world to see your kid's room and scroll up, down, left and right to move the camera and survey the entire space. I am going to use it to spy on babysitters. No joke.

Wacky Water 4-Square Mat

We have tried and failed time and time again to find an outdoor water toy that actually works as depicted. (Don't ever get the rainbow sprinkler your kids can run under from Toys R Us. It's a disaster.) Uncle Joel hit us with this one for the spring (ours is CARS themed, of course), and it has gotten really good reviews. With how much Mister Man likes to stomp the water at the Coolidge Park fountain, this should be a winner.

The Grand Finale

Daniel really outdid himself this year. I spied a small wrapped box in his sock drawer about a week before Christmas and he played it cool (but still hinted he had gotten me something shiny). This David Yurman ring matches a necklace my dad got me years ago. It is so pretty.