Certain pressing matters are creeping up to bite me on the bum. Never mind that they’ll get a mouthful of white wobbly cellulite when they do. Diverting my attention to social media is not going to make them go away.
To start with Halloween is drawing nigh. As sure as our politicians wear arsehats, my girls will need spooky costumes for kindy. In Halloweens past I have decked out my princesses in glorious home made confections. I enjoy seeing my daycare Mumrades shaking their heads and muttering about me “having too much spare time”. This year both P1 and P2 want to be devils which is very fitting. Mind you they don’t want to be any just old devils. They want to be “fashion devils”. I’ll see what kind of magic I can weave with spangly red horny headbands, red t-shirts and rhinestones. We’ll add some tulle and sequins to the mix somewhere.
In the meantime another issue has been racking my poor addled brain. P2′s birthday is fast approaching and I have no idea what to get her. Its a text book case of what to get for the girl who has everything. Chez ‘Abulous has been affected by that most prevalent of first world problems. We have far too much crap. Our theme song comes straight from The Little Mermaid.
I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thingamabobs?
I’ve got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more
Somehow we’ve managed to accumulate so much junk that it we laid it out end to end it could circle the equator. If we put it all for council clean up our pile would be featured on Google Earth. We’ve got enough stuffed toys to start up an army – if an armada of teddy bears is part of your defense strategy. There’s a zoo load of plastic animals and zu zu pets. We could re-enact the move Jurassic Park with our dinosaur collection. Our duplo supply is large enough to construct a new suburb and our Barbie Doll tribe resembles the first episode of Australia’s Top Model. Lady Ga Ga herself would be dazzled by the Chez ‘Abulous dress up collection and Carrie Bradshaw would sigh in envy at our walk in wardrobes.
Jurassic Park 4 – Dinos vs Zu Zu Pets
Who will be the next Top Model?
I’m thinking of building a float for next year’s Mardi Gras just to use up our art and craft materials. Then there’s the bike, the scooter, the pool toys, the bath toys, the plastic fruit, the tea sets, the books, the dolls houses, the musical instruments and the uber irritating talking electronic stuff. DVDs? I’m sure there’s over a hundred on the media centre hard drive.
I wish I could “forget” about this birthday so as to stem the marching tide of plastic crap. This makes me feel really mean indeed. P2 will have her birthday celebrations but the whole thing will be low key.
Do your kids have a serious excess of toys? Any suggestions about what to get P2?
When you’ve got your own castle what more do you need?
Love
Mumabulous
We are trying to establish a tradition of doing rather than giving for birthdays – so, special concerts, zoos, playcentres etc might form part of the gift. My Miss 5 is 2 days after Christmas though, so she’s usually already had her fill of plastic crap by birthday time! PS. I never tire of seeing that castle bed.
I completely agree and plan on doing this when my girls are just a little older.
I am with This Charming Mum. My eldest will be 4 in march and that is exactly what we are going to do start giving experiences rather than gifts.
ps is that bed yours??
Yep. Dadabulous is a weekend woody and the castle bed was his master work. Talented and has killer abs – no wonder I rave so much about my husband.
We are overflowing in an excess, so the 3rd, gets dress ups or 1 thing (as she plays with all the boys stuff) or we add to playmobil or lego with a ‘girlie’ bent. Fills up the same boxes so it’s not like more stuff….love the idea of doing rather than giving, but I suspect our tradition is ingrained….
The amount of presents is one reason I’m worried about Squirm’s first Christmas coming up. Everyone wants to buy him ‘stuff’ and of course we have nowhere to put anything! Looks like I’ll need to keep decluttering our stuff just to have room for his!
We have so much stuff, so this year we bought our 1 year old a family zoo pass for her birthday. We’ve been to the zoo 4 times since August (and made sure we got lots of photos of her enjoying her present – even though realistically we didn’t need to pay a cent for her zoo entry) so it was worth it. Every time we go, the three other children thank her for sharing her present with them. My four year old is getting tickets to see Charlie and Lola at the Opera House for her fifth birthday in December.
That’s a fantastic idea. I may have to check out Charlie and Lola myself.
Im so over toys its not funny.. Miss M turning 8 next week asked for smiggle stuff.. so happy!! lol!
Aaargh! I’m dreading two birthdays and xmas coming up. It’s not that they don’t have too much, it’s more shit to clean up and trip over.
we had a low key birthday for my daughters 3rd birthday.. think it will be low key until she goes to school… much easier, less stress.. and still gets lots of presents from family members!
whoops! #teamIBOT was here
xx
Her very own castle, what more could she want. That bed is awesome, my daughter would have loved something like that in her room.
My kids have way too many toys, i need to go through them and donate what they don’t play with anymore, to make room for christmas, which seems to be approaching way to fast.
Before every Christmas and Birthday I do a cull. Reassess what DS has and what he wants. DS has been growing like a weed the last 12 months so clothes and shoes have been high on the wishlist. Books are always a winner. I got him a new bookshelf for his birthday back in July but with your hubbys handyman skills maybe you could get him to construct one to match that gorgeous princess bed.
The bunny has been quite the hit in the Household. Lives indoors … Or what about a kid-friendly digital camera? That’s what we have planned for the Sprogs for xmas. And Lego. Lots of Lego.
‘fashion devils’ I love that. My son has his birthday 2.5 weeks after Christmas and, like you, I’m dreading the influx of things we don’t need.
I have no suggestions on what to buy but I do have one to stop the clutter. When I was little, every year after our birthdays and Christmas mum would make us pack up some toys for the poor children – we had to choose good toys, ones that we didn’t play with anymore and thought a little girl or boy with nothing would love. I do the same with Dexter but donate to the childrens hospital which has much stricter guidelines (toys must be able to be steralised), as he gets older I’ll probably change where they go but for now it’s a great way to cut the clutter and teach him about sharing with others less fortunate.
Thanks for sharing this lovely idea.
I don’t care how old you are, you can never have too much chocolate
I laughed my head off at ‘you having too much spare time!’ It is true though, isn’t it. We always look at those fabulously crafty people, wondering where they find the time to do things, forgetting that it doesn’t take crafty people anywhere near as long to do things as us ‘all thumbs’ people!
I just got rid of a whole heap of stuff from the boys playroom, while doing the 20 day cleaning challenge from The Organised Housewife, but I know this Christmas I’ll be adding to it again. I think while they’re little, it’s just a never ending cycle.
BTW, am I the only one who does NOT get into Halloween? It just seems to be everywhere. I’m starting to feel like there’s something wrong with me for not getting into it! lol
xx
I have purposely stop myself from getting my two lo everything I see, and still they have quite a lot of toys. I plan to donate the toys as they grow out of them as per some previous suggestion – teach them about charity hands on. As far as gifts to come: I like the idea of experiences that some people already suggested. If they’re into being little divas, maybe some singing lessons. However, I wouldn’t get too carried away kids seem to enjoy the most simple of things. Some good quality time, maybe a mum and princess day getting mani’s and pedi’s.
I think having too much stuff is a common malady nowadays. I like the idea of giving to charity. It would be a great learning experience that will stay with your kids for life, if they can be included in the process. As far a gifts to come, I also like the idea of experiences. Kids cherished the most simple of things: quality time spent with mum and/or dad. How about a girls day out with mani and pedi included and I bet that if that was game that would make their day.
OMG that castle bed is the bomb!
I’m a not-very-good-at-it crafty person. Our results are shocking, but we have so much fun it doesn’t matter. So I would say, get her something she can make. And then, you can give the results to one of the grandparents and make them display it in their house rather than cluttering up yours!
Lego plastic I can handle, and barbies are fun to pull apart and stick back together, but cheap plastic that breaks after two seconds and does nought but add to landfill drives me bonkers. Sometimes a birthday treat out with a best friend can make it extra special
Similar challenge here and we became fans of the consumable gifts. Whether it was bathtime body paint, craft items, chalk for the footpath, playdo, baking kits (the cake mix with pretty pattys and some fun icing treats from the local bakery) or something like that, they could still have something to open and play with, but it had a limited life span in the storage closet.
Now she is 13, we do days out at fun parks and such.
Best of luck de-plasticising the birthday.
Yes I am in the same mind frame coming up to Christmas! Seriously how much more stuff can they get? It’s a bit crazy. I’m thinking of opening a zoo with all the littlest pet shop toys.
Don’t know what you should get P2 for her birthday, but I do know this – I want a castle bed.
is it wrong that I’m 30 and wishing I had a castle bed?
Dadabulous sometimes sleeps in it and he is 44.