2nd Birthday Gifts
Hello! I was feeling a bit “blogged out” after the holidays so I took a mini break. I had a few inquiries as to what we gave Nell for her second birthday - we kept things very simple so I initially thought it wasn’t worth sharing and then I realized, “hey! maybe other people want to keep it simple too” haha. So here we are!
Our approach to gift giving has always been “less is more” - full transparency I really enjoy dressing Nell (shocker) so I already feel like she is quite spoiled in terms of clothes and other not-such-necessities. That said, we’ve seen the benefit of fewer, better gifts since she was born and try hard to be very choiceful about what we bring into our home. Children are so imaginative; it doesn’t seem to matter if she has two toys or 25, her attentiveness remains the same. The day after her birthday she laid on the floor with a balloon pretending to “fly kites” for over 40 minutes!
For her birthday this year, we felt very blessed that she got a wonderful balance of things she needs (a new swimsuit) and a few treats that will bring her so much joy for a long time (a few princess dresses, a pint-sized purse) from our family. Everyone also generously contributed to her college fund in lieu of a ton of toys and we could not be more grateful! She’s got a nice little nest egg growing already from all of her birthdays, holidays, christening, etc. and we could not think of a better gift for her in the long run.
That said, of course we also wanted to get her a few special gifts as well as a few things she needs. Her “big gift” was this set of wooden golf clubs because she’s obsessed with playing with daddy’s (much to his delight - I am not a golfer and he’s dying for a partner in crime!). I searched the internet to find a non-plastic, sustainable option and stumbled upon Odin Parker. Their entire site is BEAUTIFUL and everything you buy comes with a card telling you how many meals your purchased provided for children in need. This set is more affordable and also wood.
We also gave her this fun print of NYC that we plan to frame for above her play table. We are still a device-free household (Sesame Street on TV once a week or so but no iPads, phone play, etc. aside from an insta story or facetime with grandparents :) so we like to buy toys that encourage creativity and independent play. I work in kid’s digital and C works at a school so we are fully aware she will interact with the digital world soon enough (they do use an iPad in her classroom), so we feel no rush and are focusing more on things like imaginative play that build confidence and independence as well as things like eye contact, responsive conversations with peers and adults, etc. C got her an Etch-A-Sketch (note: recommended age is 3+, we will always supervise when using) which she loves and will be fun for plan rides, car trips etc. She also got some fun new coloring pads and markers.
Lastly, we’re in full-on prep mode for potty training so we snuck in a few things to get her excited, like days of the week undies and lots of fun socks (school gave us a heads up we should send in 10+ pairs haha). School also requires waterproof shoes for potty training so I picked up these sparkly jelly flats that are great quality (and supportive) that I knew would get her excited as well as these PVC platform sneakers with neon yellow soles (I die). I did my best to find these as cute alternatives to Crocs, I will keep you posted on how they work out! So far she calls her jellies her “Elsa shoes” (her Frozen obsession is amazing considering she’s never seen the movie) and loves to put them on and off herself (they are velcro!). She already has this lunchbox but I threw it on here as I think it makes a great, practical and sustainable gift for her age group and up!
I also picked up this Duplo Alphabet Truck and the classic Number Train set but will save them for potty-training rewards. She loooves the alphabet and trains right now so hopefully she will be motivated by these treats! The other day I had a work presentation printed out on the coffee table and Nell flipped through it and said “mama! Look, LEGO!” I was blown away that she already knows what LEGO bricks are and it made me feel so proud of where I work!
Anyway, I hope this was helpful - not the broadest list but she had an AMAZING day and genuinely appreciated all of her gifts. Her little “tank you everyone” after finishing opening her gifts made my heart swell :)
