Toys My Girls Actually Play With

Fellow blogger Christy over at Superheroes and Princesses has a post about the top 5 toys that her kids play with, without fail. It got me thinking...our house is overflowing with toys...but which ones do the girls play with regularly? With the holiday season comes my annual toy sort & purge. The toys that will be staying are---

1. Play Food:One of the cheapest toys out there has brought hours upon hours of fun as the girls have played restaraunt, house, bakery, etc. Cara and I have also used the food to work on colors, similar versus different, shapes and phonic activities.

2. Building blocks:We have Duplos, Pop-Onz, Peek-a-blocks and the old school ABC wooden blocks. Cara's favorite at the moment are the Duplos but she can be found creating architectural masterpieces out of just about any blocks in the house. Caitlin, Ben & I even get in on the building action.

3. Dress Up Clothes:The girls have a big chest that is home to a wide variety of dress up clothes. We've got "princess" dresses, a cowgirl costume, purses, hats, scarves, you name it. One of the favorite past times in our house is to dress up and dance to some music.

4. Balls:With a little bit of creativity, the various balls that we have in our house have been meatballs, snowballs, scoops of ice cream and eggs among other things. Both girls just love the Roll-Arounds that Cara got a few years ago.

5. Magnets:Not just for putting artwork on the fridge. Both girls love to play with them--writing words, sorting by color and just transferring them from a plastic cup to the fridge, to the table and back provides hours of entertainment.

6. Dolls:This encompasses baby dolls, Barbies, Polly Pocket and everything in between. My girls are little mommas and love to role-play with the dolls and dress them up. Caitlin prefers Barbies and Polly Pockets these days while Cara shows a preference for soft dolls that she can carry around. For years, we had a doll stroller in which both girls have pushed around their babies.

7. Books:While not a toy, like Christy mentioned, books are a favorite go-to activity for both Caitlin & Cara. At times, you can find both of them curled up on the couch looking at their favorite books. Nightly reading time is looked forward to and enjoyed by all. Our library card never has fewer than 30 books checked out on it and we love to browse at the book stores. Caitlin is reading chapter books but still loves reading the shorter story books while Cara loves board books, especially touch & feel.

As I look around my living room, I am not surprised to see that it is the toys listed above that are scattered around. If only I could honestly say that these are the only toys in my house!

So, what are YOUR child's favorite toys? And, I want to add another question...actually, it's more like a plea...how do you keep the toys organized without breaking the bank?

My Favorite Time of Year!

Fall is, by far, my most favorite time of the year.

I love the crispness in the air, the cool nights made for curling up under blankets and sipping cocoa.

I love the beautiful contrast between brilliant blue skies and the color of autumn leaves.

I love the colors of fall, the reds, oranges, deep yellows and browns. So very comforting.

I love how fall seems to foster a sense of family togetherness. Hunting for the perfect pumpkin, getting lost in a corn maze, playing in piles of leaves.

I love the foods of fall--apples, cider, donuts, pumpkins and the familiar comfort foods like soups, roasts and casseroles.

I love wearing layers of soft clothes that make me feel warm and safe.

Fall is the most wonderful time of year!