Gift Giving . . . Age 4 and 5

My own sweet Jake is 4, so I am very much in the middle of this gift giving cycle.  If you feel comfortable enough to ask, do.  Most families with more than one child have these toys.  It is also helpful to have hte mom suggest what he would like.  Be sure to attach a gift receipt in the event you weren't able to ask and they already have the item. 

Since Jake has a much older brother Jake plays older.  If the child you are buying for is a first born, first born male or has a sibling close in age, his toy request will be different than Jake's.

Giving Gifts . . . Newborn to Age 1

I was recently asked by a long time friend what to give a birthday boy was was turning 3.  My friend has a beautiful little boy who is almost 1, so she is out of her league with what to buy.  She made a wise decision and consulted a most intelligent, well informed, mother of 2 boys, free source!  Me.

I love this!  I love being asked not because people are seeking my advice but because I generally like being helpful.  I like sharing what I know and the groundwork I did to come to this decision.  Since, I have 2 boys, I am well versed on boys toys.  With our first I always, and I mean always, had toys that pushed his intelligence.  They were always, and I mean always, just outside his learning curve and age group.  I learned so much from this!