Wrapped, Part III: Gifts for the Mini Magpie

I’ve heard that you’ll never be able to experience the magic of Christmas like you did as a child — until you have your own kids.  And I can see why: I recently helped mi madre select some gifts for some Mini Magpies at classic old D.C. toy store Sullivan’s, and it was a total, giddy throwback.  The store even smelled the same — like plastic and rubber and packaging, but a little sweeter.  I saw all of these little knick-knacks I used to beg my Mom for — little bouncy balls with glitter inside; stickers (my sisters and I collected and traded those bad boys like it was our job); useless wands with some sort of glittery liquid on the inside; slinkies.  (What do you do with that stuff?!)  I think that if I had a Mini Magpie in my life, I’d start with the big guns, like a classic Radio Flyer sled ($77, Amazon).  When my siblings and I received this classic staple one Christmas, we were ecstatic, although a little unnerved by my parents’ claims that many children “lost their fingers” by putting their hands underneath the runners.  Yikes.  (There was also some debate about whether it was actually faster than the plastic-bottomed ones.)

And while we’re on the topic of sleds — and please note that I normally, categorically, do not feature products that are not photographed against a white background — um, I died when I saw this precious pug-in-a-sled onesie ($12, Square Paisley Design) and literally spent ten minutes racking my brain in search of an expecting mother who would appreciate this.  None of my besties are preggo, so I toyed with the idea of awkwardly sending it to a friend of a friend and then I realized — woah, woah, woah, Miss Money-Burns-a-Hole-in-Your-Pocket.  But seriously, it is that cute.  The Rudolf daschsund version also caught my eye, but that PUG!  With it’s nondescript little face!

I die.  I die even more when imagining a wee one in one of the onesies above and a pair of  baby mocs (red pair: $60, Freshly Picked — Kourtney K’s baby Mason wears these all the time! — bottom pairs are both by Minnetonka, $30, PiperLime), which would be a cute little present for baby winterwear:

Also, aren’t footsie pajamas sort of a given for baby/toddler Christmases?  Love these semi-funky printed versions ($26 each, Hanna Anderson):

Add a snuggly animal blanket ($45, Serena and Lily), and you’re set.

And while we’re on the topic of baby gear, um, this lobster bibski ($22, A Plus R Store) is the perfect gift for a Northerner, and would be darling bundled up with these ergonomic toddler utensils (read the description on the side-bar of the linked page — the implements are crafted specifically for the chubby little hands of a kiddo — $42 for set, A Plus R Store):

Baby things are so fancy these days.  While on the subject of Christmas mealtimes, I saw these plastic mats and, though these specific ones are intended for pets, I would totally snag them and slap my child’s name on them instead (especially love the dog bone print! — $18 apiece, LaPlates):

Finally, is it mean to dress your child up like an animal?  If not, I would totally foist this little moose cap  ($26, QVC) or these leopard booties ($40, Endless) on a wee one:

These animal accents remind me of these adorable, customizable wall art pieces ($28.80, LeoLittleLion), which I think I’ll nab for all of my friends who have babies, although I realize I’m quickly digressing from a “gifts for minis” to a “gifts for expectant mothers”:

The latter reminds me of one of my favorite books as a child – Babar! – which would be such a lovely present ($9, Amazon) alongside my other favorites (Curious George; Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; the Angelina Ballerina books; Caps for Sale; etc; etc.  Notably missing from this list?  Dr. Seuss.  My Mom hated Dr. Seuss because he invented “jibberish” words, and we were always instructed to use adult language.  We never called things ba-bas or binkies or ta-tas, and my mom often tells the story of when, as a precocious 3-year-old, my doctor asked me, “Oh, honey, do you have a boo-boo?!”, and I turned to him, nose pointed in the air, and said: “It’s not a boo-boo.  It’s a cut.”)

Anyway, back to the “kid classics” I launched with — I love the idea of gifting an old-school chalk board ($12.95, Fish’s Eddy) with some chalk ($3.95, Fish’s Eddy):

These rudimentary “toys” provided myself and my best friend in elementary school hours of enjoyment.  I should also note, at this point, that though I do not plan to have children for awhile now, I am absolutely addicted to this motherhood blog (“Life in the Clark Lane”), which is authored by the elder sister of that same elementary school bestie.  I can only aspire to this young mother’s grace, perspective, and obvious talent as a parent.  And…I literally cried as I read the beautiful words of wisdom and love that her family shared with the newest addition to her family, baby Jack.  I also read Cup of Jo and Southern Eclectic regularly, and am similarly moved by the beauty of their motherhood.

For little gals, I loveee these sweet little lettered necklaces ($70-$85, Mija):

I feel as though I would have been obsessed with the idea of special jewelry as a little one.  Did anyone else read the Elizabeth Koda-Callen series as a child?!  O.M.G.  I died and went to heaven with them — each book came with a theme-specific locket.  I think my Mom gave me one for each birthday, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day for about four years of my life.  I had so many dinky little lockets around my neck…

That, and a frilly tutu ($20, PiperLime) — what little girl doesn’t like to dress up like a princess?

And, while on the subject of ballerina gear, how beyond darling at these little trompe d’oeil socks ($3 for set of 3, Target)?!

And, now, I know that this post has been heavy on the footwear (what can I say?  Love tootsies!), but how beyond are these printed mocs ($38.50, Trumpette)?

Their graphic prints bring to mind these darling customized silhouette plates I spotted on Etsy ($45 apiece, Aedriel Originals):

Beautiful keepsake.  Happy shopping!