e & i's favourite things, 2008

Plan Toys Rail Set:

I love Plan Toys. Reasonably priced, sustainable, wooden toys in bright colours with whimsical designs. I knew the twins would love to have their own train set (based upon the fact that they make a beeline to the train table at the bookstore), so we started with this basic set. I love that it's compatible with Brio, and has all sorts of fun accessories.

Schleich Animals:

They play with these animals every single day in a bunch of different ways. They have parades, they stack them, they're starting to do some role playing with them. The animals are remarkably realistic, and even anatomically correct. The only criticism I have of them is that they're not to scale (a dog and a baby elephant are the same size...)

Clear View Sensory Table:

Perfect for splashing around with water and bubbles in the summertime, learning the concepts of sink and float, and washing toys. Right now it's in our living room filled with packaging peanuts. Sensory tables are fun, and there are even lists online of things to put in your sensory table.

And now, I will reveal their upcoming Christmas gifts:

Their big shared gift:
Pottery Barn Kids Tall Activity Table

*disclaimer* I can only justify the cost of this because I managed to buy it entirely with Thank You points and it will double as a coffee table in our living room...

I even found a simple safari themed playmat for the top that can be used either with their train set or their animals.

Some smaller presents:

Bilibos:

open ended fun!

Books:

Candela Tooli Night Lights:

Our turtle nightlight has been fantastic, but after nearly two years of nightly use, let's just say he's seen better days. Time to upgrade to something a little more sophisticated. These adorable rechargeable little guys are the perfect nightlights for the preschool set. I love that they're portable, colourful, and so gosh darn cute!

American Girl Bitty Twins:

How could I resist? Seriously.
We went in to the store the other day (which is an experience in and of itself. There's a doll hair salon, a doll hospital, and a place where you can have a photo taken with your doll... There are even doll holders in the bathrooms!) Anyway, all of the employees were going on and on about how e&i looked like the bitty twins.