Which easel would you keep?

[sarahsthreads]

Both sets of DD's grandparents bought her an easel for Christmas (my fault for not asking in advance what each was thinking of getting her, apparently!) and so now we have to decide which to keep and which to return.

One is the Melissa & Doug Easel with a white board and chalk board. It can be (relatively) easily exchanged as there is a gift receipt. Feel especially guilty about returning it because my parents are super-uber busy and actually went to an independent toy shop specifically to get it for DD.

The other is the Rose Art Smart Easel which folds fairly compactly and looks pretty neat, but I don't think it has the white board/chalk board option. We would have to 'fess up to DH's parents that we want to return it as I'm 99% sure it came from TRU and there's no receipt.

Anyway, DD is begging to paint so we need to make a decision relatively soon. (Oh, and the M&D one came with a box of accessories including an extra roll of paper and paint, the other one didn't - are the paper rolls all sort of a standard size?)

TIA for any help!
Sarah :)

[bubbaray]

I would keep the M&D easel. In fact, DD#1 received this as a Christmas gift yesterday from DH (along with the accessories) when we already had a Step 2 easel that she never played with. I'm going to give the Step 2 easel to her daycare I think. I'm really impressed with the quality of the M&D easel.

HTH

[new_mommy25]

I would keep the M&D easel. We have it and it's great. You shouldn't need a reciept to return to TRU. You can get a store credit and let DD pick out something else. You might want to call them in advance to verify.

[ellies mom]

I would keep the M&D one also. It is height adjustable and since it is double sided two kids can play.

I think Rose Art is a Target brand.

[vludmilla]

If Rose Art is a Target brand and they stock it, I think they will let you exchange the item for something else (it will have to be in the same department IIRC) as long as you haven't made more than 2 other non-receipt returns in the current year.

[sarahsthreads]

I would keep the M&D one also. It is height adjustable and since it is double sided two kids can play.

Now there's a point I didn't consider. The Rose Art one is definitely not double-sided. Sigh. I was leaning toward keeping the M&D one anyhow. Now how to break it to the ILs that we're returning the other one. (It's not even so much a gift receipt thing as that they'll expect to see it when they visit next month.)

See, this is what happens when I don't actually try to manage what DD gets for gifts - I gave up this year since nobody ever takes any of my suggestions - she gets two of something I'm more than happy for her to have and I have to make a decision that's going to offend somebody close to us. And here I though the stress of the holidays would be over by today...

Sarah :)

[ellies mom]

Now there's a point I didn't consider. The Rose Art one is definitely not double-sided. Sigh. I was leaning toward keeping the M&D one anyhow. Now how to break it to the ILs that we're returning the other one. (It's not even so much a gift receipt thing as that they'll expect to see it when they visit next month.)

See, this is what happens when I don't actually try to manage what DD gets for gifts - I gave up this year since nobody ever takes any of my suggestions - she gets two of something I'm more than happy for her to have and I have to make a decision that's going to offend somebody close to us. And here I though the stress of the holidays would be over by today...

Sarah :)

Well, I'd just say that you got two and chose to return the Rose Art one because of the features the M&D has but that you used that money to stock up on additional art supplies that you just know your DD will love.

[kijip]

Now how to break it to the ILs that we're returning the other one. (It's not even so much a gift receipt thing as that they'll expect to see it when they visit next month.)



I think telling them you got 2 easels is a reasonable explanation. Just say, we got two easels and we need to exchange this for something else she will want/need. Then make a big deal of letting her pick out the second thing and make a big deal of showing it to them when they visit and having her thank them for it.