Holiday Hits and Misses 2014

[hillview]

What did your kids like??

DS1 was UNBELIEVEABLE excited to get to go to San Francisco -- guess my mom didn't ruin it!

DS2 was disappointed for a while -- has since recovered -- this is typical and always upsets me. I think he gets tired and overwhelmed. Plus he wanted stuff he didn't get.

[lil_acorn]

Zoomer Dino was a big hit here!

[jgenie]

DS1 LOVES his chess set! He is over the moon excited. DS2 is flitting about. Not sure yet what his fave is.

[barkley1]

DS favs: a pretend blender that really swirls water around, Simon game
DD favs: fake Elsa hair braid, Frozen DVD

[elephantmeg]

All hits here

DS is loving the minecraft legos (first night and the 5 part crate thing-the name escapes me and I'm at work now :( , remote controll car. Hasn't broken into the boxing thing
DD loved her new doll (newborn nursery and cradle) and got a used digital camera and a used gameboy color and games

[georgiegirl]

The older kids loved the gem mining set I got for super cheap. Both are eager to play with their indoor basketball hoops (those $15 skilz ones).

Ds2 loves his learning resources bug counters and green toys rocket ship.

[jgenie]

DS1 LOVES his chess set! He is over the moon excited. DS2 is flitting about. Not sure yet what his fave is.

[cuca_]

DD1 loves the green screen and iPad tripod she got from us and the mermaid tail she got from my mom.

DD2 loves the sewing machine we got her and the telescope she got from my mom.

DS is still exploring. We got him a lacrosse rebounder and he seems to like it. He was thrilled with the Apples to Apples game, but Santa unknowingly got the teenager version. He seems to love the books and an under armour warm up set the most.

DD3 was thrilled with everything, especially the 2 DS she did not expect.

No misses yet, but it is too early to tell!

[MaiseyDog]

Both girls are loving the American girl wheelchair, casts and crutches.

[JBaxter]

DS3 Fifa 15, iPhone, pop up soccer goals and nerf zombie cross bow
DS4 Maxi Micro scooter, nerf zombie cross bow and wavemaster jr ( taekwondo kicking dummy thing) and LEGOS LEGOS LEGOS

[lalasmama]

Just about everything was a hint with DD! Biggest things were the Frozen DVD, and a Magic 8 ball that she's been wanting forever. Other hits: knitting machine, neon yarn, Nerf bow.

[TwinFoxes]

All building toys (Lego, some crane that Santa brought them, and a woodworking set) were big hits.
The bow and arrow is a big hit, although we haven't tried them out yet (they're "real" arrows...safety arrows, but not suction cups).
Hexbug.
Headbandz and Trouble, hits.

Nothing a real miss. :)

[zag95]

DD1- totally excited about Casta Fierce (Monster High doll) and hair chalk (Santa and grandparents gave her some!!)
DD2- got a tea set that DD1 loves- and a used bike that she is out riding with daddy.....

[pomegranate]

Winners for DS: Skylanders PS3 and 3DS games, Rubik's cube.

[IansMom]

DS (age 5) has loved everything so far. The biggest hit is the Discovery Kids Tornado Lab http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Kids-Extreme-Weather-Tornado/dp/B0094THAPQ that I picked up on a whim at HomeGoods. His reaction "Santa gave me the power of a tornado!" He also loves Snap Circuits Jr.

[wellyes]

11 pounds of kinetic sand was a GOOD idea.

[socaintexas]

Boogie Board and play doh cake making set were hits. No real misses here, either.

[hellokitty]

Ds1 age 10- quad copter (he wanted a drone and this was the closest thing), it is ginormous and scared our dog so badly that he pooped on the floor!

Ds2 age 9- boxes of yughigo (sp) cards, these are the boxes that stores would normally display and sell small packs of. I put them on our amazon wish list as I found older boxes for sale and they went nuts for them. One box had 36 pks and one box had 24 pks.

Ds3 age 5- Lego! I gave him two smaller Lego kits and he was able to do them with me kind of watching him to make sure he didn't miss a step. He did great and is hooked on the kits now and now probably understands why his brothers get so pissed when he wrecks their Lego sets.

Me 41 yrs old- my mz Wallace bag and I got a bunch of higher end make up for the first time from all of the sales and I'm loving it! I also scored a bunch of work clothes for dirt cheap this past wk (I found tops at kohls for less than $3 each with coupon), so I'm a happy camper.

Dh 43 yrs old- bought himself a bunch of LPs and is as happy as a clam, and also got himself a new watch.

[kdeunc]

DS1-a personalized signed picture from Wayne Rooney, soccer player for Manchester United, and a Wayne Rooney jersey. He is currently obsessed with soccer and Manchester United in particular.
DS 2- a personal DVD player and a ton of DVDs for the car. He has been complaining about having to watch "baby" movies that his sister can watch on trips. He loves all things tv/movie. Basically the only items on his wish list were DVDs. He got the complete Full House series and was delighted.
DD - Her Just like Me American Girl doll. This was the very top of her list and is her first AG. She and the doll have changed clothes three times this morning all into matching outfits. She hasn't put her down yet!

Great Christmas morning.

[smilequeen]

My older two got an xbox one. If we could actually get it set up (server is apparently overloaded) I think it would be the biggest hit.

My youngest likes everything so far.
My oldest is playing with his sphero, he loves his new Heyward Cardinals jersey, and he got a DVD of one of his favorite movies, The Book Thief.
My middle was beside himself that we suprised him with an ipad mini. DS1 has one and he and DS3 were sharing my old ipad. DS3 does not realize that this means he technically has his own ipad now ;)

And for my middle, my MIL got him a Playmobil set that he really likes. I am pleasantly surprised that she picked that out :)

I got myself a new LV bag. DH is very pleased that he has such good taste ;)

DH wanted new Ugg slippers and he's been wearing them ever since. DS1 asked for his old ones. I wish they made that style for kids and I would have gotten him a pair.

[gymnbomb]

DS (10 months) is happily playing with his new squeaky blocks. DH and I are looking forward to family vacation in lieu of gifts which we leave for in just over a week.


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[AnnieW625]

Hits:
Dd1 (8): cake pop maker, Monopoly, edible chocolate edition of Candyland (this was from the white elephant exchange on Xmas Eve), and Maleficient DVD; she already watched it before we got up!

Dd2 (4): Melissa and Doug lacing boards, paint by numbers, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse chapter books, and Toy Story Andy, Jessie, Buzz, and Bullseye toys. Elf movie (we are watching it now)

DH (40): LL Bean hoodie, LL Bean shirts, and a Dunkin Donuts large coffee mug, and t shirt that says: Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks (Dunkin Donuts is new to our area, but DH loved it on a few trips to the east coast)

Me (37): Michael Kors red wool jacket from DH, Macy's gift card

[wencit]

DS1 (8): safe. Yes, a real safe (the toy ones got terrible reviews). He's also been writing in his new diary, as well as reading Minecraft manuals and the "House of Robots" book.

DS2 (5): Electronic Battleship, puzzle, Minecraft Lego

No real misses. It has been so quiet and peaceful all morning long, I love it!!!

[twowhat?]

Micro Kickboard Sprites are a big hit here, the girls have been riding all over the house and in the backyard! They are REALLY nice scooters!

[vonfirmath]

What did your kids like??

DS1 was UNBELIEVEABLE excited to get to go to San Francisco -- guess my mom didn't ruin it!

DS2 was disappointed for a while -- has since recovered -- this is typical and always upsets me. I think he gets tired and overwhelmed. Plus he wanted stuff he didn't get.

DD (my second) had a meltdown mid-opening gifts and we just told her she could play with what she had and didn't have to open anymore and that is what she did until she was ready to open more. She recovered okay. Christmas is HARD on little ones.


DS -- age 7 -- loves his hexbugs and his vtech RC dino, and his bunjo chair. He's barely touched anything else to focus on these two. The Polar Book Express book got a big thrill when opened, but time will tell if it is read and read or not. For the RC Dino, luckily we have a laminate floor. It is NOT supposed to run on carpetting at all. He has also played his Lego Movie DS twice so far (The first time to the DS needing recharging)

DD -- age 3 -- LOVES her brother's hexbugs and vtech RC dino and bunjo chair. When we can convince her they are not for her, she also loves her dinosaur house, build-a-bear Toothless dragon (and the backpack that came with it, though the backpack doesn't fit Toothless). Pick-a-dog game and Spot it! Frozen (MOM loves Spot it! too) We'll see about the rest when she has a chance to play with them. She's been a bit overwhelmed with Christmas this year. The BIGGEST hit is the http://www.amazon.com/Kidoozie-G02404-Foam-Pogo-Jumper/dp/B00704IO48/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1419540074&sr=1-3&keywords=pogo+stick Kidoozie Foam Pogo Jumper that has travelled ALL over the place since we got it.

Both kids devoured their candy cane of chocolate.

[trcy]

DD was thrilled with her bike, so we were pretty happy about that. Now DH & I need to get bikes so we can all ride together.

[alexsmommy]

I have finally stopped giving them extra things that "I" think they'll like and sticking to the reasonable things on their lists and only getting "sure thing" extras. There seems to be no misses this year. It was a big "idevice" day here and everyone is happy. Also got a Roku for the playroom tv as they constantly use the one in the main room in lieu of going through the xbox in the playroom. They were all happy with that one. Peaceful day with happy kids and tired parents.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds2- The $2 inflatable boxing gloves were a hit. ;). The Harry Potter wand has been great too. I think he likes his Wii Amiibos too.
Ds1- all about Super Smash Bros.

[BabyDahl]

DD loves her Tinkertoys, Pop Arty beads and Legos, she keeps asking to use her Lush bath bombs, and has gone through a set of batteries in her bubble gun. She was less than thrilled about her big kid bike from Santa :shrug:

[barkley1]

DS (age 5) has loved everything so far. The biggest hit is the Discovery Kids Tornado Lab http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Kids-Extreme-Weather-Tornado/dp/B0094THAPQ that I picked up on a whim at HomeGoods. His reaction "Santa gave me the power of a tornado!" He also loves Snap Circuits Jr.

I picked this up at TJMaxx about 6 months ago and ds has played with it all day! He's about to pop to put something in there, so we put food coloring. Definitely a hit!

[Raidra]

Colwyn and Lachlann love their phones (first phones for both of them). They've spent the day downloading games and sending each other ridiculous texts. Colwyn is eager to try out his new Wii U games but everyone is busy enjoying the new Infinity figures they've gotten. Lachlann loves his leopard gecko. Fiona loves her new AG doll and the DIY pup tent that Santa brought her, as well as the pretend camping gear we got her. Niall loves his new Duplos (Jake and Batman) and Imaginext (Batman). They got a ton of other cool toys and they were super excited about everything, but the above is what's getting the most playtime today.

Everyone likes the canvases I painted for their rooms, so that made me happy. :)

[petesgirl]

I bought DH a set with two nerf guns for him and DS to play with (DH doesn't really 'play' with the kids--he isn't really into getting down on the floor and pretending with them so I was hoping this would help.)--and so far I think it has been DS's favorite thing! Probably because he is playing with daddy :)

DD was just super excited about all the wrapping paper and tasted everything she opened.

[melrose7]

So far DD2 loves the faux makeup done with nail polish that has been mentioned on here before.

Magformers for DD1 have been a hit with DS

Everyone likes the free play magnatab and the boogie board.
Also DS likes the plan city garage that was regifted from before he was born.

DD1 has been sick for the last 5 days so we'll see what she likes when she's feeling better

[123LuckyMom]

I find it hard to tell on the first day. Often there are sleeper hits! DS seems to be incredibly thrilled with his Playmobil pirate ship, plasma car, and syma remote control helicopter. DD is sick, so she didn't play with everything, but she loved her plush horse and riding outfit for an 18" doll, her new playdoh and playdoh tools, and a plush tree trunk that houses multiple wild animal stuffies. That was gifted to her twice because certain people don't know how to use an Amazon wishlist, but that turned out to be a blessing, because DS loved it, too, so we gave him the extra one.

DD wishes she had a plasma car, too. She isn't a huge fan of her micro mini scooter, which makes me sad. She tries to ride it, but she's used to DS's razor, and she can't get the hang of leaning to turn. She has to get off and reposition it instead of turning. I'm seriously considering returning it and getting her a different scooter where the handlebar turns the front wheel(s). I'd appreciate any suggestions as to what you all think I should do scooter-wise.

The other things I thought would be big hits that got overlooked or overshadowed were tinker toys and green toys flowers for DD, and a maze book Santa got for DS. We'll see how it goes as time passes. It took a full year for Magnatiles to kick in, but they're HUGE favorites now.

[sunnyside]

DD (4) loved everything. She opens very slowly, so we still have a little more to open. Here's hits so far:
American Girl Isabelle doll and 5 outfits (4 from the Target line) and 2 sets matching jammies
Woodzeez Treehouse and 3 animal families (squirrels, foxes, and Calico Critter sea otters)
Tinkerbell fairies set and Tink's cottage
Dress up clothes I've been collecting from various deals on Zulily and other sites
Art supplies, sticker and coloring books,
Elsa singing doll (but this stopped working, and she's sad about that)
Fur real friend Butterscotch pony

I sent my 8yo nephew and 11 yo niece razor 360s and they did not like them, sadly. My brother didn't open them, just said they were for 6 year olds. My nephew told me they were too small for them and that they don't like tricycles. My feelings were hurt and I won't be sending nice $ gifts that direction anymore.

[MMMommy]

DDs love their knitting boards (wooden 28" Knitting Board) and kinetic sand.

[buddyleebaby]

DS really, really (really) likes the Batbot.

[Pennylane]

[QUOTE=sunnyside;4070996

I sent my 8yo nephew and 11 yo niece razor 360s and they did not like them, sadly. My brother didn't open them, just said they were for 6 year olds. My nephew told me they were too small for them and that they don't like tricycles. My feelings were hurt and I won't be sending nice $ gifts that direction anymore.[/QUOTE]


That's too bad! My sister sent my DS ( who is almost 10) one and he loves it! It was super easy to put together and a welcome gift to more indoor toys!

Ann

[alexsmommy]

I sent my 8yo nephew and 11 yo niece razor 360s and they did not like them, sadly. My brother didn't open them, just said they were for 6 year olds. My nephew told me they were too small for them and that they don't like tricycles. My feelings were hurt and I won't be sending nice $ gifts that direction anymore.

Wow. I can't believe that they actually said that to you! So rude. You have every reason to have hurt feelings. Your brother should know better and tell the kids to be gracious and say thank you and figure out how to quietly return/exchange/resell them for something they prefer. I'm not the best with things like thank you notes, but my kids know they are expected to be grateful 100% of the time that someone does something nice for them big or small.

[Pennylane]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/26/3cc48b46a23c29163baeb9e72ea999f4.jpg

The IPad was our only miss [emoji23]. Talk about a priceless reaction ! Luckily a few presents later he opened the real thing.

Ann


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[pastrygirl]

^^^^ I LOVE THAT!! laughing so hard. My 8yo is in hysterics.

[JBaxter]

I sent my 8yo nephew and 11 yo niece razor 360s and they did not like them, sadly. My brother didn't open them, just said they were for 6 year olds. My nephew told me they were too small for them and that they don't like tricycles. My feelings were hurt and I won't be sending nice $ gifts that direction anymore.
Sorry your feelings got hurt but I'll agree with your brother I know my 11 yr old would not like or use one and I cant see him even at 8 or 9 unless it was something left over from when he was younger. I'd probably have left them in the box said thank you and asked to return them.

[Pennylane]

^^^^ I LOVE THAT!! laughing so hard. My 8yo is in hysterics.

I about wet my pants laughing! He kept going "But I wanted a IPad" and we were like it is an Eye Pad! He was sooooo confused !

Ann


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[Pennylane]

Sorry your feelings got hurt but I'll agree with your brother I know my 11 yr old would not like or use one and I cant see him even at 8 or 9 unless it was something left over from when he was younger. I'd probably have left them in the box said thank you and asked to return them.

My neighbor , who is 12, rides his all the time which is why my ds wanted one. I guess it just depends on the child. Regardless their reaction was less than polite .


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[twowhat?]

Sorry your feelings got hurt but I'll agree with your brother I know my 11 yr old would not like or use one and I cant see him even at 8 or 9 unless it was something left over from when he was younger. I'd probably have left them in the box said thank you and asked to return them.

I'm curious about this now - is it the brand itself (Razor) that is more "little kid"? Or is it the scooter? I'm just curious because we got our girls Micro scooters that will last them forever (with wheel replacements as they wear out) since the handlebar adjusts up so high and the footbed is long (DH and I got ourselves some too!) and now I'm wondering if they will only use them for a couple of years!

And sunnyside, I agree their response was, well, really rude:(

eta: sorry, should've looked it up first - it's not a scooter at all! But it looks like fun:)

[AnnieW625]

Well for us it was the fact that DD1 (8) in her own words didn't get any toys (while DD2 (4) got Jessie, Buzz, Woody, and Bullseye). I feel bad about that, but on her list were Shopkins, a bunch of American Girl stuff, and cooking lessons. I quickly ruled out the cooking lessons because they were insanely expensive IMHO, $250 or so for 8 lessons (and they were of course like every other activity in our area on a weekday at 4 pm:shake::banghead:), and I knew she'd want more than just the AG Isabelle doll and we didn't have the funds for any of the other accessories. Instead she got two outfits (both of which she liked), a set of the first 3 Dork Diaries books (which she had mentioned wanting to read....and started the first book yesterday), Maleficient (this was a last minute addition to get free shipping at DisneyStore.com and I am really glad I did it otherwise I think Christmas would have been a total dud for her), Fugg boots from Payless she had been bugging me for, and a cake pop maker (which she did use yesterday with DH). I spent about $120 on all of that stuff, but I know had I gotten her the AG doll (Isabelle) she wanted she would have been dissapointed with just the doll because going over $120 per kid just wasn't in the budget this year. I feel like such a bad mom for missing the cues that my 8 yr. old still wanted toys for Christmas, even if they had just been junky looking overpriced Shopkins that would get played with for a month or two and then donated by the end of the year (anyone remember Squinkies from 2011? At least those were cheaper).

I am thinking of picking up some Magformers this week for her though because one of her cousins got a set for Christmas and she and the cousin liked playing with them yesterday, but I still feel like that might not be enough.

For me I am not sure this is entirely a fail, but DH bought me fleece pjs from Target. I complain about being cold at night, but I am totally afraid I am going to be too hot sleeping in fleece in the combination with flannel sheets.

So what were the gift fails for this year?

[twowhat?]

Nothing from DH?

LOL, it's funny but I'm not all that upset about it because we tend to be real loose with gifts, buying them at any time of the year when we want/need them. But I do at least try to have something for him to open:)

We didn't really have any gift fails for the kids, everything was a hit a hit. Basically a ton of My Little Pony stuff and scooters:)

[bisous]

I feel bad almost posting this but DH got me a clutch purse with Elsa on it. From Frozen. It looks completely cartoony and it is plastic! I was nice. But really I can only imagine using it if I was without kids (it is tiny!) at Disneyland or something. I like Disney but this was just beyond...I can't imagine taking it anywhere else! But I thanked him a lot. :)

[elliput]

Nothing from DH?

LOL, it's funny but I'm not all that upset about it because we tend to be real loose with gifts, buying them at any time of the year when we want/need them. But I do at least try to have something for him to open:)

Yeah, this. It seems he doesn't even start asking about gift ideas until less than a week before Christmas day. I ended up buying myself a new winter coat on Wednesday when I was out so I told him he bought me a new coat for Christmas. I do drop hints about other things I would like, but he doesn't seem to understand what I am doing (and it's not like we don't *know* each other by now).

[wendibird22]

DH got me a really nice puffer vest but in sz xs. I thanked him for that but my 32DDs haven't fit into an xs since I had kids. He went today to exchange it and all they had left were XLs. I'm so disappointed because I really really liked it.

Some of the stuff from my ILs to the DDs was a fail. They never ask for our input, which is fine, but then they usually end up with some misguided gifts. They gave each girl a ton of "fille" type stuff like coloring books and stickers. We have soooooo much of that stuff already that they just toss it aside.

Other than that things were really good here.

[belovedgandp]

Biggest day of fun for 10, 7 and 4 were handheld rocket things - stomp rocket like but launch from what looks like a bulb syringe.

DD - 4YO - loves her bitty baby twins - probably would have loved any new dolls. The stroller/pram from Costco has been fabulous with them.

DS - 7YO - Nerf bow had him dancing. Classic knock'em sock'em robots was a last minute call, but lots of fun.

DS - 10YO - Legos were a sure thing.

[bisous]

The older kids loved the gem mining set I got for super cheap.


My DS1 was also SO excited about this! I think I got it for $6, lol.

DS2 was over the moon about his lego set. He asked Santa for it last year and I waited too long and the price DOUBLED. It killed me. I had just had a c-section and I wandered through B&M stores to find a better price and ultimately couldn't! While I got him other things on his list, I did not get him the set as it exceeded our total budget for him. This year he asked for it again. It never got as low as it did last year but when it dipped to $80 I bought it. It was a huge, huge win for DS2. I'm glad he could get it. :)

DS3 was all about his Thomas Trains. True success and only cost me about $10 each. :)

[mackmama]

DC's favorite present was the drum set by grandparents. It's a really drum set and is really cool (albeit loud). :)

DC's fails are usually clothes - just doesn't interest DC.

[mackmama]

DS favs: a pretend blender that really swirls water around, Simon game
DD favs: fake Elsa hair braid, Frozen DVD

DC really wants a blender... which one did you get?

[Mommaof3]

Mostly hits here, definitely for my DD's. I am finding it is more hits the older they get IMO.

DD13 loved her huge yogibo pillow and chi flat iron and of course her clothes from PINK.

DD11 loved her ipad mini, and her spongebob doll I got at Macys. In fact last night she said soongebob may be her favorite gift, I thought that was too funny.

DS4 loves his light saber and easel. The easel was the $15 deal posted here so thanks again to who posted it!
Also loves his Star Wars comforter I got at Target on Black Friday for $20. He has only played with the learning resources cash register a little so that may be a miss but he can at least keep his money in it. (another great deal posted here) Magnatiles haven't been played with yet but he loves them so I see them getting play eventually.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I hate being difficult but I wish if my MIL were spending $165 on a purse for me that it wouldn't have been something totally plain, utilitarian, and NMS. And, it was purchased from an individual designer vs a store so not returnable. I could exchange it but it's a brand new line and they only offer 2 bags- both identical other than size. She really tries though and I'm incredibly lucky to have a great MIL. Our tastes and style just don't match at all.

[lauren3110]

Dd(20 months) loves the hide and squeak eggs, little tykes slide, and baby stella. She also seems to have claimed older sisters our generation doll jeep as a push toy.

Dd(5) likes the our generation dolls and outfits she got and connect 4 also liking the leap reader pen/books and some new Innotab games.

The girls like it but I think the gogo pup is pretty lame. What am I missing? It walks and sits. That's it?

[jam224]

DD is 3.5yo. Hits: Magnatiles (http://www.amazon.com/Magna-Tiles%C2%AE-Clear-Colors-100-Piece/dp/B000CBSNRY/), Build-a-Bouquet (http://www.amazon.com/Green-Toys--Bouquet-Arrangement-Playset/dp/B007BSXZZG/), Dear Princess book (http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Princess-Dear-Book-Group/dp/1484700260/), Tinkerbell Storybook (http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Fairies-Storybook-Collection-Special/dp/148471623X/), Glitter Elsa & Anna Magiclip dolls (http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-Glitter-Glider-Anna/dp/B00IVFCIFG/), Frozen ribbon dancer (http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-Ribbon-Dancer-Featuring/dp/B00KXCWXZ0/), Etsy bow & arrow set (in her favorite colors, pink and purple!), and Daddy Doll (http://daddydolls.com/HugAHero). There a few things she hasn't gotten to play with yet, but so far she seems to like most everything! Oh, and Santa's gift was a HUGE hit! He brought her a Plan Toys dollhouse (http://www.amazon.com/Plan-Toys-Terrace-Dollhouse-Compact/dp/B00009YOQO/) with a customized wooden peg family of 5 (which took this elf two VERY late nights to paint!). I love the dollhouse. Very impressed with the quality and I like that you can move the windows, walls, and door. So neat!

[Tondi G]

DS1 Hits were his gaming mouse, Xbox and PC games, Attack on Titans cloak

DS2 Hits were electric razor scooter, minecraft figures and his Nerf zombie strike shotgun.

[Globetrotter]

[QUOTE=alexsmommy;4071015]Wow. I can't believe that they actually said that to you! So rude. You have every reason to have hurt feelings. Your brother should know better and tell the kids to be gracious and say thank you and figure out how to quietly return/exchange/resell them for something they prefer. I'm not the best with things like thank you notes, but my kids know they are expected to be grateful 100% of the time that someone does something nice for them big or small.[/

I just looked it up. I thought they were scooters. sunnyside, Your brother was out of line! If they didn't want the gifts they should have quietly gotten rid of them but thanked you.

ETA: I was curious about this and read several reviews from parents of older kids and even small adults who like it! It does look like a tricycle but it's too bad your brother couldn't see beyond that. My 11 year old would love this.

[Melaine]

Back in town and surveying the damage.

DDs, age 8 hits: American Girl pets and dolls. They were thrilled with the historical dolls (Josefina and Kirsten) and loved the pets although when I compare the "old pets" they just got (Pepper and Honey)....the newer ones (Sheepdog and Terrier) are infinitely more playable. Off brand of kinetic sand was a hit but the deal from amazon was pathetically small for something that was supposed to retail $50. Our Generation doll jeep and bath tub seemed to be a hit but not sure how much long term play they will get. Razor scooters were a hit and so much better than the radio flyer monstrosities we had. A friend of mine got them handmade doll sleeping bags and they love those. Adorable. Also a hit, nerf guns for EVERYONE (I found a deal at last minute for $2 each). I ended up giving them early, but they love the red cowgirl boots and have been wearing them constantly.
misses: nothing really fell flat although the girls seem pretty skeptical of the Rush Limbaugh historical fiction from my dad. Word to Rush: your face on the cover does not appeal to 8 year olds (or 32 year old SAHMs).

DS, age 2.5. Gosh, this kid is hard. His whole life I have been searching for a toy that would actually entertain him and he is TRICKY.
Hits: Imaginext batcave with figures and batmobile. Very big hit and he keeps talking about it. He also loves star wars figures from my sister and BIL. Kinetic sand (off brand version) occupied him for a long time the day after Christmas. I found a super hero pack of wrist thingys, mask and cape at Michaels for $3 and he really likes that. Of course loves the nerf guns.
Misses: almost everything else. Notably, the train table so far has been a scene of hurricane like violence. I'm concerned when he throws pieces (he throws everything eventually) how I am to put this massive table into time out. Caillou figure set and doll have been completely ignored. He actually said he wanted me to return the Caillou doll. Caillou was his FAVORITE up until recently but he keeps saying "Caillou spider" and my girls said there was an episode that scared him with a spider. Now that I think about it, he hadn't asked to watch it in a couple weeks so apparently he is serious about this change. The scooter has been an utter fail although I really hope that changes when he takes time to try it without being totally distracted.

[gatorsmom]

Ds1 and cousin who is 13 love their anki race car sets.

Ds2 loves his lego sets and wood whittling stuff.

DS3 loves his lego sets. His magic set was not a hit.

dd loves her Barbie dream house.

The surprise hit here was the Lazer Maze game. We all love it!

[indigo99]

DS1 LOVE LOVE LOVES the snapcircuit jr set. He also liked the discovery projector a LOT initially, but he hasn't played with it as much since Christmas. I got him a science lab kit and a kit of experiments. He needs an adult to help with those so he hasn't used them as much, but he does really enjoy it when he gets to.

DS2 really liked his Bruder cement mixer (as did DS1) and the r/c plane. They got a lot of play on Christmas but not much since then. He enjoyed the gear fear gear set when someone did it with him. He's super excited about his icecream maker, but we haven't used it yet.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

nothing was really a miss here. Both kiddos (almost 4 and 5) LOVED the Snap Jr circuits set. They also really loved that Science kit...kept begging to do more experiments. technically the snap jr circuits was for DS and science kit was for DD, but when one was playing it the other immediately wanted to join in. :) Oh and I got Plasma Cars for both kiddos and they loved riding around in them..took them for a spin Christmas day. Even I loved riding them :bag

and what is really funny - the Magnatiles & PlayMags from LAST Christmas are still huge hits here...kids were making castles, trains, and other homes for their new toys. Sstill getting lots of play even a year later.

[baileygirl]

Ds2 loves his lego sets and wood whittling stuff.


May I ask where what wood whittling stuff you got? My boys would love that, but I have no clue where to start.

Huge hit for both boys (5&8) was the Hot Wheels Street Hawk (remote control airplane). I am glad I got bought each one their own plane. I think DH wishes I had purchased one for him too.

Other hits: DS 8: Minecraft Legos (this was a miss with DS 5), Guiness Book of World Records, Yoyo Factory yoyo, MIP, brother's fort kit Questionable: several Thames and Kosmos physics sets, Knex and I think the pogo stick he asked santa for is a little harder than he thought it would be.

DS 5: anything nerf, zoomer dino, small rocket balloon set, cotton candy maker (only thing he actually asked for) Misses: Minecraft Lego and building the above mentioned fort

[BDKmom]

DS (5) loved all of his super hero toys, especially the Spiderman webshooter: http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Ultimate-Spider-Man-Motorized-Shooter/dp/B00AOKCYZU/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1419881462&sr=1-3&keywords=spiderman+web+shooter He also liked the Learning Resources Jumbo Dinosaur figures.

DD (2) loved the Duplo Cinderella's Castle that I'm glad I made the last minute decision to get. It was, by far, her favorite gift. She is also enjoying the stuffed talking Olaf that my bro and SIL got her.

No real misses, although some things aren't getting as much love as I thought they would. DS hasn't even opened the Spiderman storybook collection, even though he loves the similar Marvel one he already has. DD hasn't really played with the Duplo creative cupcakes that I thought she would love from my mom. But I'm sure those things will get some attention at some point.

[fauve01]

So far DD2 loves the faux makeup done with nail polish that has been mentioned on here before.

what is the nail polish that was mentioned before? DD is obsessed with nail polish, so please share! TIA

[melrose7]

what is the nail polish that was mentioned before? DD is obsessed with nail polish, so please share! TIA

It's making fake make up using old nail polish and letting it dry. Got the idea from here from this link

http://notsoidlehands.com/2009/08/freecycle-friday-faux-makeup-for-your-kiddos.html

[AngB]

Our little trampoline has been a huge hit and a lifesaver (iBounce brand I think, at Costco.)

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game was a huge hit

DS2's little foam bat and ball has been a huge hit, and has been used as a weapon only twice in 2 weeks, so I'll consider it a success.

Thomas Avalanche escape set was a big hit initially but they don't play with it much now (could be because they wore the batteries out from the trains and we have been lazy to replace them.)

Misses-

Paw Patrol lookout tower. They played with it a couple times but it truly is a piece of junk. Still worth buying for DS1's excitement when he opened it and it was the main gift he told people about when they asked what he got from Santa. Too bad it was so poorly made.

Knock off Rody- not much love. Really glad I didn't pay for the real Rody.

[Kira's Mommy]

DD(almost 5) loved her very first American Doll Samantha and the doll furniture DH made for her. She also loved a new storage box for her Rainbow Loom and a metal hook.

DS(almost 3) loved his Bruder garbage truck and his guitar http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HGHHD2/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1/189-6982338-0566513?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=17NM1106ZHKYTP25NSAH&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_i=B00DQRV6CA

[essnce629]

DS1 (11 yrs old). Pretty much everything was a hit-- Legos, new bike, video games, Dominion game, books, Dr. Who stuff, Kendama, Lucky Charms cereal in stocking. Can't think of any misses.

DS2 (5 yrs old). Pretty much everything was a hit for him as well-- Spirograph, Maxi scooter with pilot stick, give/spend/save bank, Carrom Skittles and bowling games, Crayola marker maker, books, Kendama, Lucky Charms cereal in stocking. He hasn't wanted to play either of his Zingo word games, but I wouldn't call them misses just yet. I bet he'll like them once we play. We played his Robot Turtles game once, but he hasn't asked to play it again.

[lizzywednesday]

DD (4) is crazy about her Hess truck, X-Wing fighter, and "squishy sand." She was ecstatic to open her Jumping Jack game, but we haven't played it yet (I'm still assessing whether or not she's lost any pieces.)

She's also over the moon for her stuffed Baymax, R2D2 pjs, Baymax t-shirt, and Yoda t-shirt.

But, the biggest hit by far was the iPad Mini (DH scored a screaming deal on it) which is great because we're going to need it on our trip out west later this month.

Next year, however, I really think we can SCALE THE FRACK DOWN. She got So Much Stuff!!