How to Organize Christmas Toy Shopping

Written by Barbara Myers


It's so easy to go overboard when shopping for kids this time of year. We want them to enjoy allrepparttar things we didn't have growing up. It's important to set limits though.

1. List allrepparttar 111502 children you'll buy for this Christmas. Don't forget an extra toy for your local shelter.

2. Set a firm budget for each child.

3. Note individual interests, hobbies and collections.

4. Ask them what they want for Christmas. You may think Will needs more Legos, but all he really wants is a caboose for his train set.

5. Look through mail order catalogs and internet toy sites for ideas and note them on your list. Place an order if you findrepparttar 111503 perfect toy.

The Red Balloon of Happiness

Written by David Leonhardt


Just when you think you know it all, some 17-month old child comes along and teaches you another valuable life lesson.

Little Lady lost her favorite ball. There are few things that bring this 17-month-old more joy than playing with her favorite ball. And, of course, we want our daughter to have allrepparttar happiness she can get.

So we headed out torepparttar 111501 store to replacerepparttar 111502 missing ball. Little Lady enjoyedrepparttar 111503 outing, since there were so many exciting things to pull off shelves. And when we reachedrepparttar 111504 ball aisle, she nearly jumped for joy. (OK, more like raced torepparttar 111505 bin and started coveringrepparttar 111506 floor with her joy, one bounce at a time.)

As we leftrepparttar 111507 aisle, Little Lady was happy and smiling. She held her replacement ball in her hands as we walked up torepparttar 111508 cash. While waiting to pay, Little Lady caught sight of a red balloon that had obviously been used for some promotion, but was now wandering aimlessly aroundrepparttar 111509 floor like a lost puppy.

If you think a ball can bring happiness, wait 'til you seerepparttar 111510 sparkle inrepparttar 111511 eye of a toddler who has just found her very own red balloon. Pure joy! Of course, she adoptedrepparttar 111512 balloon immediately and clung to it allrepparttar 111513 way back torepparttar 111514 car. Did she want to holdrepparttar 111515 ball? No way. She had a balloon!

I couldn't help but marvel at how she valuedrepparttar 111516 free, fragile balloon more thanrepparttar 111517 sturdy ball I for which had just paid good money. Is there a lesson we can learn for self-actualization? Here arerepparttar 111518 possible lessons that immediately occurred to me:

1. Why bother having a thick skin, if your daughter prefers thin skins? 2. If you drift aimlessly long enough, you might get adopted. 3. Money can't buyrepparttar 111519 most important things in life (happiness, joy, smiles, balloons, etc.) 4. Your child can see value where you cannot, so listen to what she says.

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