Playtime is among my favorite time.

When we first had Holland, I was very unsure of how to “play” with her. I mean, it is a little hard to “play” with someone who can barely even track you with her eyes. Now is a different story. Holland is 7.5 months old and playtime is pretty much anytime she isn’t asleep. But from very early on, I was concerned with the type of play and the kind of playthings Holland would have.

I don’t mind Holland having “girlie” toys but I wanted to expose her to a wide variety of toys. I didn’t mind her having a toy or two that made noises and had lights, but I also wanted her to have to think for herself and not always rely the toy to do all the work. In short, I wanted playtime for Holland to be educational and full of surprises. I wanted her to have to exercise that little mind of hers and I wanted her to grow up believing that she could do anything and be anything that she wanted. If she wants to dress up like a fairy princess one day… so be it. But I wanted to give her options and let her know that she could also build skyscrapers or be a scientist like her Dad.

Once that decision was made, I had a new hurdle to cross: Finding appropriate toys! I don’t know if you have tried lately, but toy stores are SO crazy. Everything is blue or pink. Everything is divided into dress up or construction. And everything.. and I mean nearly everything makes noise! That’s not to say that I haven’t found some great options at local stores (I have) but I also learned very early on that the internet would be our friend when it came to finding toys for Holland.

One place in particular that I have loved shopping from is UncommonGoods. I will confess, Adam and I shopped at UncommonGoods long before Holland showed up. Adam would occasionally treat himself to a handy gadget of some kind for the kitchen or I would snag a perfect house warming present for a friend. I was initially drawn to their company because they make a conscious effort to partner with small businesses and manufacturers. They also focus on sustainability and are environmentally responsible. I always try to #BuySmart so these were selling points for me.

So it was probably fairly natural for me to turn to them for Holland too! She loves playing with blocks and hand puppets but most recently we bought her the “Little Patient” doll (at Adam’s request) and she just loves it. I love it too because let’s face it, it is pretty funny to watch a baby tear the guts (and other organs) out of Erwin (that’s the doll’s name by the way) as she squeals with delight! Who knows? Maybe she will grow up to be a doctor. (Or a psycho. She really enjoyed chewing on doll’s heart!)

Adam and I don’t necessarily want to be the crazy strict parents that don’t let our kid have fun. We don’t. But we honestly do believe that all play is not created equal. I personally love to see Holland really digging in and enjoying a toy that makes her mind tick. I think those are the moments that really help shape her personality and instill in her a love for learning.

And really, there are two things I really want this kid to love in life: 1) Learning; and 2) Harry Potter. If I can accomplish that, I think I will have succeeded as a parent.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget that Father’s Day is coming up. UncommonGoods has lots of goodies that Dad is guaranteed to love! Happy Shopping.