Thanks Christie!

Another post about awesome family members finding the perfect thing I've been searching for and buying it for me!

We've been looking for a cute, affordable, solid-wood rocking horse for Sara for a while now. I had basically given up after not wanting to spend upwards of sixty bucks on one of the only ones I found that I thought was cute. But then I got a call from Rob's sister saying she found one at a local thrift store for only $2. Then later I found out she talked them down to $1 because it was a little wobbly (just needed to tighten the screws). After hearing this, I was a little uncertain about how it would look, but I was so pleasantly surprised when we went to pick it up. Check it out!

  {only $1 from D.I. Seriously.)

Can you believe what a steal this was?! Especially considering I was at one point willing to spend $70 on this strikingly similar rocking horse?

{$70 from Amazon}

Hmmm, glad I talked myself out of making that purchase!

Oh, and Sara loves it by the way. It is just the right size for her.

Thanks again Christie!!

Gabba Friends!

Guess what showed up in the mail a few weeks ago?!

Gabba friends from Grandma!!

Remember this post when I talked about wanting some plush Gabba toys for Sara, but the only ones I could find were way too expensive? Well my mom took it upon herself to find some reasonably priced Gabba merchandise, and she came across these perfect little stuffed figures!

Here's a video of Sara's reaction upon opening them.

Remember the Lego Gabba friends we made? Here are side-by-side comparisons of Sara's new "official" Gabba friends next to her old Lego ones.

The new Gabba friends average about 5 inches tall each (the tallest is 6", the shortest is 4"). They actually have these little clips attached to their heads that are meant to hang from a backpack or something.

At first I thought I would remove the clips so Sara would just have the little figures, but then I realized it would make them easier to carry with the clips still attached. Just slip each clip onto your fingers, and off you go! You can carry all 5 in one hand much easier that way. 

We actually use a little carabiner clip type thing to hold them all together which makes them even easier to tote around, and then Sara can remove them from the clip when she wants to play with them individually. Works perfect for taking them with us in the car or to a friend's house, etc. because they all stay together that way.

Thanks Grandma Christine! Sara LOVES her new Gabba friends!!

I want Gabba?

Sara loves the television show Yo Gabba Gabba on Nick Jr. It's a little crazy, but educational and fun too. They always teach some kind of social, developmental, or emotional skill like sharing with friends, eating healthy foods, or keep trying/don't give up. I think the reason Sara loves it so much is because they do a lot of singing and dancing; two of Sara's favorite pass-times.

Anyway, I have been trying to find some Gabba toys for Sara, but it is nearly impossible to do so. It seems like nobody makes them anymore. I guess the show has passed its peak of popularity and therefore Gabba toys are no longer being mass-produced. I've had my eye on these cute little plush figures of all five of the characters...

...but the only places I can find them are on eBay or Amazon for ridiculously outrages prices. Can you believe people are trying to sell these for as much as $112 or $115?? Insanity I tell you.

Since I am not willing to drop $23 each on those cute little Gabba dolls, here is what we have come up with for a solution in the meantime.....

Lego Gabba Friends! Sara and I were playing with her Legos a while back when she asked me to make Foofa (the pink flower-headed character). Once I came up with something that slightly resembled her, she asked me to make all the other characters too! So now Sara has her own custom-made set of Gabba friends, and she loves them. She talks to them or has them talk to each other. They help her with things like cleaning up her other toys, brushing her teeth, or eating breakfast. She gives them goodnight kisses when it's time to go to bed. She asks for them randomly throughout the day and will say, "Foofa, where are you?!" when she is looking for them. All in all, I'd say these homemade Gabba pals are a real hit, and with a zero dollar price tag (since the Legos were a Christmas gift from Grandma), I'd say they really can't be beat.

If I do ever to want to buy official Yo Gabba Gabba merchandise, I might have to settle for these bath buddies or bath squirters which are both reasonably priced around $9. Now that I can handle.

However, if those adorable plush Gabba dolls ever come down in price (say to about $20 for the whole set!), you know I'll be the first in line to buy them.