BOYS!!!!  It seems easy right? Buy them a train, or a car, and they are happy. True, BUT they are only really going to be happy for the  20 mins when they first receive said car or train and then they will toss it in with the millions of others they have just like it.

Rowan with his Freight Train by: Donald Crews book, its simple and colorful and still a favorite!

My first two children were girls, I could shop for DAYS for the two girls. Maybe this is because I myself am female so I find I know what they like because I just buy what I would have liked.   When Rowan came along, I was stumped  his first Christmas and EVERY Christmas Since. There is usually ONE  very commercial item he asks for , and I feel obligated to buy it. Last year it was that Zoomer Dino. As of today the 79$ toy he has played with exactly 1 time, on Christmas day! Currently I think the tail is broken on it, and it needs to be charged, and who knows where the controller is for it.  Other than that one  main thing  I find I'm usually  frantically asking people what to buy and what they are buying, or people are sending me lists from bloggers, who I think have NO clue what kids like or even have children of their own.  This Christmas Rowan will be 5! He's kind of in a funny age group right now,  he doesn't necessarily want baby toys but he's not big enough for some of the big boy toys..  When I was trying to think of  the toys he  has had the longest and likes the best   and ALWAYS plays with, I thought ok why not embellish on that.

 His first Christmas  he got a few toys he has played with  for the past 4 years  they are as Follows





lets talk a little bit about what is NOT on this list. VIDEO GAMES and ELECTRONICS!  My son has an Ipad, we got it for him for his birthday, right before we went away to a cottage  that  had a VERY long drive.  I  bought it for that reason, but ALSO because  Ipad has some of the best educational apps you can find. Also my kids go to French Immersion so there are a variety of french games also. It didn't make the list for me 1. because we do have it but 2. because  that is  something people either are all for or totally against and to be honest, I don't love the idea of  Santa bringing electronics. I'd rather see them from parents for birthdays where we can then stipulate the amount of time  spent on them etc.

No video games on this list either, or remote control toys. Simply put they NEVER get played with! Either a remote gets lost, or  siblings fight over video games and I end up taking them away. There is also nothing I  HATE more than watching kids sit around playing mind numbing video games... Previously we did  buy a couple Disney games for the xbox 360 and we do have some dancing games. My kids Loved Disney Universe, but its 2 player and there are 3 of them.. I do not like waking up to  fights at 7:30 in the morning, so the game was taken away  and put in the cupboard, its been there for a couple years now.. They also  enjoyed Disney Infinity, a little less fighting with that one as it can take more players, there are 2 if not 3 versions of this game.
For me the in the spirit of Christmas, I like to see Santa bring toys that are 1. Played with 2. Appreciated and 3. Use a little imagination, or require some  brain power.  Which is why it doesn't bother me to buy multiple sets of building toys.  These are ALWAYS  played with. My kids favorite thing to do is to go to their Nany's house and  build with  the oversize empty rolls she brings home from Walmart. I don't even know what comes on these rolls, Shopping bags perhaps  but she brings them home and they build for hours and cover the entire basement floor.
The Fur Real Friend may seem  strange for a boy, but for a boy who has grown up with sisters, and loves animals its a huge hit.  For starters  my dad (Grandpa) has a pug . A much chubbier and probably more boisterous pug and then  my little guy has seen his sister get a Fur Real Kitty and the other the monkey, so he  was due and this pug is perfectly gender neutral!
Super Hero's are  a no brainer, I don't need to explain that, I tried to stay away from them as long as I could because I hate when little boys run around kicking and shooting and pretending to fight,  I have no come to realize they just do that all on their own, you cant control it, so you may as well learn to live with it! plus  when you build all your towers and the dinosaurs invade you need some one to save the city!

With that clearly these are just a few things that I have found to be a big success, they are not crazy elaborate toys, they are simple which I'm a big believer in, there is nothing worse than randomly purchasing toys just to hit a certain dollar number because that's what was spent on another child. We also try to add 1 book at least per kid, a pair of Pj's and some article of clothing, My little guy doesn't appreciate that as much as his big sisters do, we also are big on  the stocking stuffers being  cool toothbrushes (the expensive character ones that spin, and  body washers etc.  We don't do chocolate, because truthfully, we still have Halloween candy in the house and there is enough buy and cake and ice cream at Christmas we just don't need to. It wont get eaten ! I probably sound totally un hip  with my lack of video games and  chocolate for Christmas but i promise you my kids get more excited over  say chocolate milk and eggnog in the fridge  or  special goldfish crackers than they ever do chocolate!  Enjoy the holiday season every one I hope you all find whatever you are looking for and have healthy, happy holidays! Take the time to slow down and have a cup of hot cocoa with your family!  If you have snow (in Southern Ontario we do not current, its been almost 10 degrees every day this week) enjoy it Tis' the Season!

XOXO

Samantha