Gift Giving - Top Toys for Toddlers 12-18 Months

Playing with the Fisher Price Learning Home

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and then....Black Friday.  Whether you shop the early sales, wait until the online deals on Cyber Monday or just shop as you go, the clock is still ticking.  Less than 6 weeks until Christmas. 

If you're looking for great gifts for a toddler in your life, whether it's your niece, nephew, grandchild or your own little one, I've got a resource for you; another of my top picks lists: Top Toys for Toddlers 12-18 Months.

I'm a mom who loves reviewing toys, and between Li'l Girlie, her friends and having volunteered in our church's childcare, I've seen what gets played with and what doesn't.  So I made a list of the best of the best.  Hope it helps you!

Did I miss any outstanding toys?  If there's another you'd like to nominate for a Top Toy, please let me know!

Starbucks BOGO Holiday Drinks

If you haven't been taking advantage of the Starbucks BOGO Holiday drinks, get out there and enjoy them!  Sunday, Nov 20th from 2PM-5PM you can get two of the tasty treats at the left for the price of one.  Hubby, Li'l Girlie and I have gone twice to sip them up.  Technically, Li'l Girlie got vanilla milk, but Hubby and I got our Peppermint Mocha fixes. 

This has definitely been cheering me up since this yucky cold or whatever it is has been lingering and tormenting me with a low-grade fever and headache. 

What's your favorite Starbucks Holiday Drink? 

Forgetful Friday (A.K.A. making up for Thankful Thursdays I've missed)

Our Little Gymnast

I've been exceedingly lax in typing out what I'm thankful for these past few weeks.  I'd been on the ball in the middle of a super-busy season of life then just kind of shut down for two weeks afterwards.  So technically, I didn't forget about Thankful Thursdays, I was just too lazy to actually do them.  Gotta own up to that.  Forgetful Friday just sounded better.  ;)

This Thursday there are a mess of 'small' things that I'm thankful for.  Some may seem a bit insignificant, but they're all God's provision for me and my family. 

• Health -- Li'l Girlie and I have had a nasty cold this past week; very glad that she's over it and that I'm following suit.
• Along the Health lines, Zarbee's Children's Cough and Sleep Drink -- A natural cough remedy that helps kids over 2 years old.  It's all-natural and has honey, vitamin c, zinc and a bit of melatonin to help children sleep when they're sick.  You mix it into warm water and your child drinks it like tea.  Smells fantastic, and Li'l Girlie drank it down, saying it tasted good.  It helped her a ton; she went from miserable and congested right before bed to dropping off to sleep and sleeping through the night.  Just noticed that the website says it can help adults too.  I've gotta try it. 
• Gymnastics Class -- Li'l Girlie loves her preschool gymnastics class.  She's getting great exercise doing things she loves -- bouncing, hanging on to things, climbing, etc. and is learning to follow directions from someone other than her parents.  So valuable.  Little Miss Independent is seeing that participating in something is actually turning out to be fun.  
• Husbands That Make Dinner/Get Takeout When Their Wife is Sick -- This is self explanatory.  Thank you, Hubby!
• Coffee and Tea
• Sales at Old Navy

P.S.

What are you thankful for this week?  I'd love to hear.  You don't need to make a list like I did.  I was just making up for missing the past few Thursdays.  ;)  

Thankful Thursdays

Li'l Girlie with her Daddy, Uncle B and Cousin J

So it's November, the official month of Thanksgiving.  The perfect time to join me on the adventure of practicing thankfulness in your everyday life.  This post and the comments you leave are our little (or big) weekly expressions of gratitude for the blessings we've been given.

What am I thankful for this week?  A great trip to Memphis to visit my husband's family and see a few good friends to boot.  Li'l Girlie got to meet her older cousin J for the first time too. 

What are YOU thankful for?  Please share!