Penelope's Practical Birthday Wishlist

lol - so some people don't know how to have fun and have already asked that I make a list of practical things that Penelope still needs. These are all items that I have been researching since I was pregnant and have my mind set on getting her sometime this year - so if we got them as gifts, that would be wonderful. So here it is:

This fun item is called the Trunki. It's a child's suitcase that is made of heavy duty materials to allow the child to ride it! You can attach a strap to use it like a wagon and pull your child through the airport. Perfect for going to visit Grandma :)

We have been looking into getting Penny a nice toy box for her bedroom. On the left, we have the Turner toychest by Pottery Barn Kids and on the right, Beat Our Chest found on landofnod.com. Both have excellent reviews and are made to last.

Potty time! I would like to start Penelope on potty training as soon as she starts walking (if she's willing). Clockwise starting with the pink seat we have a Disney Princess foldable training seat. Perfect for keeping in the diaper bag to use in public restrooms or when out visiting. Next is the Potty Bench by Boon. We have a tiny tiny bathroom and literally do not have any extra space for a potty seat, so we would have to keep the seat in either the living room or in Penny's room. This potty has compartments on the sides to fit wipes and toilet paper rolls, so that we can keep all of her potty essentials right with it!
The next two items are both by Baby Bjorn, a training seat and a step stool. These would be for when Penny is a little older and can climb onto the big toilet. Last is a pair of Imse Vimse training pants found on CottonBabies.com.

Penelope has hardwood floors in her bedroom. For now, we have foam puzzle pieces serving as a rug. Eventually I will be moving the pieces downstairs into Penelope's playroom and will be replacing them with either a 3x5 or 5x7 foot chenille rug. The top rug pictured is called the Shaquille Chenille rug from landofnod.com, the next two are both from Pottery Barn Kids: the Border Chenille and the Amy Chenille rug.

The closer we get to Penny's birthday means the closer we get to having a walker on our hands - and with that comes the need to get sensible walking shoes! Clockwise we have a pair of cute, soft soled Puma sneakers, the cute, pink shoes with the strap are by Stride Rite, Purple Chuck Taylor All Star high tops, and some sweet Mary Jane style shoes by the Target brand, Circo.

We will also be weaning Penelope soon and have been starting her on the sippy cup. We have decided to stick with the Tommee Tippee brand of training cups. So far we only have the style that is recommended for 4 months and up - above are the ones recommended for 6m+ and 9m+ , which will be our next steps up the training cup ladder...

Here are some fun options for dining utensils. The blue place setting in the top, left corner is by Skip Hop, the mat stays put and you can switch out the silverware and plate as needed. Clockwise from there, we have some cute cutlery by Gerber, the Tommee Tippee Explora mat. It sticks to the table and the large suction cup grips to the bowl or plate so Penny wouldn't be able to pick it up and throw it to the dogs! The bowls shown go with the Tommee Tippee mat.

Car seats! Penelope will be fitting in her infant seat until she is 30 lbs, but we would like to switch her to a "big girl" carseat sometime before then. We know that we would like to get a Britax brand, but are undecided of which we like best, so we narrowed it down to 3: The Round About 55 in smokey pearl, the Marathon in crocodile, and the Boulivard in castlerock.

The bookcase that is currently in Penelope's room desperately needs replacing - luckily she hasn't tried to climb on it yet. A screw has popped out of one side and now the side keeps separating from the rest of the shelf! We have also been unable to find a proper strap to attach it to the wall to prevent falls. So here are 4 options that we have come up with: The Carson bookcase sold by Target, the Thomas wide base bookcase by Pottery Barn Kids, the Cottage bookcase also sold by Target, and the Low Rider bookcase sold by landofnod.com. All have excellent reviews and would be sure to last until Penelope moves out of the house.