When my birthday rolls along, it almost always mean major shopping expenses. This is the one time of the year I let my inner shopaholic loose buying gifts for Snubnose and Piglet spending money that I wouldn’t normally think of spending on them.
This habit of shopping for them on my birthday started because Snubnose would pout that she didn’t get anything when I was being swamped with gifts (this was when she was very young), and so to avoid making her feel bad, I would get her a little something something. Very soon it developed into a ritual. Then Piglet came along, and of course, I had to get him something as well.
This year though, I was feeling in a real celebratory mood, and so went all out with my gifts for Snubnose and Piglet. I really think the best birthday present is seeing their happy faces while they tear open the packaging of their surprises
Here’s an update on what I got them. Both of them loved their gifts, and the quality of both these products was so absolutely fantastic that I had to share these finds on the blog.
The Art Desk for PigletA few years back I had blogged about getting Snubnose a table and chair so that she has a space of her own to do stuff – art work, handwriting practice, and so on.
Although we did find some great stuff in the stores, we never actually got around to buying one for her. The one that we really liked a lot got sold out before we bought it, and since she seemed comfortable using our regular coffee table, we didn’t exert ourselves too much.
Now though when it comes to Piglet, I feel the need for a table for him. I had some extra cash lying around courtesy our recent house clean-out binge, and our new house looked a little empty + my recent birthday almost always means shopping time.
This time I was pretty sure what I wanted and so did a little cursory comparison shopping on the internet. My first choice (the one below) was priced a bit too high for my comfort levels.
The Step2 Creative Projects Table
Also, it wasn’t available through Amazon India, which I wanted to use (some vouchers just itching to be used). So, instead I opted for the smaller and more inexpensive option below.
The Step2 Deluxe Art Master Desk with Chair
I am glad I erred on the cautious side because once it arrived and we unpacked it, I realized I much prefer the chair option to the stools in the previous one. It’s so much more comfortable, and it’s great for Snubnose as well. Plus I don’t really see Snubnose and Piglet sitting next to each other and doing projects together anyway. It’s best if they take turns.
You might be wondering how this desk set could be just right for both Snubnose and Piglet. Well, it just is. Sure, Snubnose’s legs are a little long, but she enjoys using the desk for her assignments anyway. And Piglet is a bit too short and stout for the chair but I expect him to grow into it and use it extensively in the next couple of years.
Snubnose and Piglet love this table absolutely, and both of them use it to the max. Snubnose loves it for her homework, but Piglet the sweet little bookworm that he is, sits on his chair and reads all his picture books so very solemnly. He also loves the storage on both sides of the table to store all his favorites.
When I bought the table, it was primarily meant for Piglet because I thought Snubnose wouldn’t be interested in such a kiddish looking table, but I am pleasantly surprised by how much use both of them are getting out of this table.
Piglet at his Desk
Snubnose doing some coloring
What wasn’t such a pleasant surprise was how tough it was to put the table together. I always pride myself on my assembling skills so I was a bit bummed that I couldn’t do this myself. In my defense, I have to say the documentation for this table assembly was pathetic. We opened the box with a great deal of enthusiasm, I got my heavy-duty screwdriver and was all set to get to work.
Almost an hour later, the only thing that was usable was the chair. Finally I gave up in disappointment and had to rely on K to help me decipher and in one terrible moment, actually drill a couple of holes in the table itself to get it to look the way it should.
Anyway, that was a minor quibble. I don’t plan on disassembling and re-assembling the table again, so in spite of our frustrations in setting it up, I am still glad we got this one for the littles.
And Now Comes the Rainbow Loom for SnubnoseHave you heard of the Rainbow Loom phenomenon? I hadn’t but Snubnose came home from a play date one day raving about the stuff and insisted, begged, pleaded that she needed to have a rainbow loom kit right away.
So what is a rainbow loom? It’s a kind of weaving loom for kids to get crafty making their own jewelry.
I saw the starter kit below on Amazon and was very skeptical.
The Rainbow Loom Starter Kit we Purchased for Snubnose
After finally succumbing to Snubnose’s entreaties, I got it for her. When it was delivered to my office, I was so curious about it, I couldn’t help opening it then and there to see what it was all about.
Like I suspected it’s pretty basic, there is a loom, a whole bunch of rubber bands, and something that looks like a crochet needle, which you can use to weave the rubber bands together to make stuff.
Here’s an unboxing video that I found on YouTube so you can see what the basic rainbow loom starter kit contains.
We used online video tutorials available here to get some design ideas. The rainbow loom itself may look basic but making the jewelry sure was complicated. We were able to do the basic patterns in no time, but the more advanced stuff requires quite a bit of dexterity.
Needless to say, Snubnose very soon needed my help and both of us were in tangles trying to get it right.
In spite of the complicated-ness of some of the designs, both of us have got quite hooked on to this pass-time. Since we got it, we spend our entire weekends browsing YouTube and trying to improve our very limited skills.
Once in a while, we get something right
Showing off her Rainbow Loom Bracelet
