Keli’s Gift Guide for the One-Year-Old Crowd

First off, I’m having a hard time accepting that I might even have any experience on this topic. How is my girl almost one??

OK, moving on…

I’m all about not (completely) spoiling a child come Christmastime. When it comes to a one-year-old. lets face it… Christmas, much like their first birthday, is for us-their mommas and daddies. I’m fairly certain that EJ will neither know that she’s getting a single thing, nor care. My guess is that it will 100% be about crunching, tearing, and eating all the wrapping paper. Even though I know she would be more than satisfied with her very own TV remote control and an all-access pass to any all paper tags, I have quite a few things on my wish list for her. 

Going along with the, “Something you want, something you need, something you wear, something you read” rule, here’s my gift guide for the smaller babes in our lives. 

(Disclaimer: The following items have different age recommendations varying from 0+ to 18+. Just use your best judgement, K? 😉 )

• Something you want.
  • My First Camera and My First Phone – The thing I like most about these two toys is that they’re pretty bells and whistles-less requiring children to, wait for it…use their imagination. I know, right? They’re made out of eco and baby friendly materials. And the camera lens is a kaleidoscope! 
  • Little Tikes Shopping Cart – Because every kid needs their own shopping cart! EJ is really getting into picking thing up and putting them into other things, and I think this would be right up her alley, especially since she’s a walker now. Now, if I can only find one in Peru…
  • Hape Walk-A-Long Snail – A pull toy is one of those classic toys that usually makes its way into a child’s collection. This little guy combines a pull toy with another classic-a shape sorter. And it’s wooden, so it gets an A++ from me!
• Something you need.
  • bumGenius – These diapers make up the majority of our “stash” with good reason. They fit our girl great (actually they’re an all-in-one and fit 8-35+ lb.), dry faster than the average AIO because of the overlapping inserts, wash up well (we rarely have stains), and come in tons of super cute colors and prints. 
  • sustainablebabyish | sloomb knit wool covers – My interest in wool stemmed from needing a better overnight diapering option for EJ. We ended up using disposables because everything we tried ended up leaking by the morning. And we bed-share. So, there’s that. I didn’t want to invest in several of them in case they weren’t a good fit for us so I bought one along with a Sloomb Underwoolies (better for daytime). We have this Sloomb bamboo fitted for overnight, and this Sloomb velour fitted for daytimes with the Underwoolies. Confession: we haven’t actually had a chance to try these out yet. I’m sure I’ll write a more inclusive cloth diaper post in the future and be able to give an informed opinion. We just received these and haven’t had a chance to prep them for use yet. But I’m so pumped to finally have them!

 

• Something you wear.
  • Baby Moccasins – These are majorly popular right now, and I’m totally OK with jumping on this bandwagon. They can be found in tons of colors, and a few different materials. We hope Santa brings us some. 😉  
  • Sloomb Playwoolies – I’m obsessed, y’all. Can I put these in the “need” category? Keepin’ baby and toddler thighs warm in the winter and cool in the summer, these are a great year-round option that can be worn under other clothes or on their own. They can also double as a diaper cover when lanolized. Swoon. 
  • Little Sun Hat Classic Bonnet  – I can’t even put into words how my heart goes all gooey when I see my sweet girl’s little noggin’ topped with this bonnet. I mean, it’s a bonnet, you guys.

• Something you read.
  • Indestructibles – We currently only have one of these books, but have three more on the way! The pages are made of a paper-like material that the Indestructibles website states are BPA-, phthalate-, PVC-, and lead-free. They’ve even been safety tested for babies 0+ so they can “grow with” your little one. According to the Itsy Bitsy Bums website, “Indestructibles are 100% baby-proof: chew-proof, drool-proof, and rip-proof.” You can even throw them into the bath tub with the kiddos  to give it a wash! I don’t know about you, but EJ is a little menace when she gets her little mits on real paper. This way, I can not only sit with her and show her the book, but I can let her explore the pages on her own, too.
  • BabyLit – These are a great way for book lover parents to share some of their favorite literature with their little ones, in little one language. We have three of these, and two more on the way. We love them!

And because I’m the one writing this I’m adding my own extra categories…

• Something you play.
  • Hape Shake It Up Duo – A fun little set of wooden maracas perfect for little hands. We have a set in the mail on the way to us now!
  • Hape Pound and Tap Bench – A close cousin of the Shake It Up Duo, this is a cool little set up that combines some good ole hammer tappin’ with some xylophone action. Two oldies, but goodies! 
• Something you eat (with).
  • Fun Bites – This little gadget does exactly what the name implies. Try out one of these to make meal time healthy and fun!
  • ezpz Happy Mat – It didn’t long after the first time EJ picked up her bowl full of food and slung it to the floor for this item to move up her our my wish list. I’m in love with this thing. It’s made of silicone and a cinch to clean up.  The company is coming out with a Mini Mat that can be used on a high chair tray and is also convenient for traveling. We actually received it as a freebie from IBB when we purchased some Sloomb items on Black Friday. Score!

(Everyone enjoy my lame attempt at rhyming up there?)

You may have noticed that most of my gift ideas link to Itsy Bitsy Bums. That’s because I adore this shop! We were frequent shoppers while in Kansas City and boy, do I miss popping in that sweet place for a browse. OK, let’s be real, I never left without purchasing something. Browse, shmowse. Sign up for their Bitsy Bucks program and get some seriously awesome benefits from shopping with them. We got $100 worth of free stuff with ours. Not to mention, they have great deals and sales and usually offer loads of great freebies. And the cherry on top? Their staff. Cream of the crop. 

Maybe you’re looking for a good DIY gift option? This tutorial for a hooded towel comes highly recommended from my friend Heather. 

Lest we get wrapped up in spending too much money on toys that will be forgotten about in a mere few months, I was reminded by my friend, Ellen, that sometimes toys and “things” aren’t even necessary for our littlest nuggets. Her sweet baby boy, who is nearly the same exact age as EJ, is more into exploring cupboards, balls under couches, curtains, and playing in dresser drawers than actual toys. What a great opportunity to encourage creativity and imagination! 

These are all some faves in our home. Many we have, a few are on the way, and the rest I’ve got on my shopping list for the future (Santa’s sleigh is only so big, right?). 

Happy Shopping, mango friends!