I've never had so much fun in a box!

Today was a Jake and Mommy Day (my favorite), and we started Christmas shopping in attempt to avoid pre-Christmas angst which usually sets in the Monday after Thanksgiving. I can't stand the shopping pressure, and the endless to-do list on top of everything else I already have to do. I'm no grinch. I love Christmas, and really like to buy/make gifts for friends and family, BUT, you know how it gets... I try to avoid the last minute stress every year, and perhaps this year I will succeed. I'm convinced it's all about organization and condensing errands. Except, when I enter a store, I become overwhelmed, and having Jake along today, I realized that I'd be buying at least two of any gift I got. Which, is how we ended up with the most awesome toy ever...

This cool, recyclable, color-yourself toy house is beyond great. We got it at JC Penney, and it's on sale for $15.  It's fun to color, (Jake told me he was "decorating"...wonder where he got THAT from?) VERY large...big enough for both of us to cuddle up in and read books, and fight bad guys, which we did all afternoon. So, I recommend getting two. One for you, and one for whoever else you have to get a toy for under the age of 6. For $15, the fun factor can't be beat!

And, speaking of beating, it did withstand several whacks with the sword from this pirate costume which we also had to get today. It's adorable, and so is Jake, but as soon as we got home, he put his Spiderman costume back on, and morphed into a sword-carrying super hero. Ironically, he got the pirate costume for completing his "No Hitting" chart (which has only taken us about 2 months to complete the 10 days necessary to get a prize, and I think we cheated).

P.S. That's not me in the photo, and these aren't my children!