Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Cheap 'n' cheerful / Cheap 'n' nasty

There's a Christmas party coming up for the kiddies of TLM's daycare, and each family has been asked to contribute a $5 gift, to be presented to their child by Santa.

So, if you have to spend $5 on a gift - no more, no less - then there are two obvious places to try. The first place is the supermarket, because the "good" parents will be giving their healthy offspring the gift of fruit (or something equally virtuous). The other place to shop is among the collection of cut-price shops which deal mainly with el cheapo plastic toys imported from Asia.

If TLM is anything like her mum and dad, then she isn't going to regard a bag of oranges as anything more than an appetiser, so I headed for the el cheapo shops.

The thing is, if you only want to spend $5 then you're kind of limited to stuff that's small, breakable and out of bounds for under-3s. Are toys that are both cheap and safe an oxymoron? Yup. The other difficulty is that the stuff TLM would have liked most - the Elmo and Hello Kitty soft toys and bags - was the most expensive stuff in the shop.

But fear not, I did manage to locate something at the right price and the right lead paint levels. I walked out of the Mr Thank You shop with a set of Hello Kitty magic stickers. TLM can paw them while they're still in their packaging, and once they're stuck to her bedroom walls (they come off too - that's what makes them magic) she won't be able to reach 'em.

I guess that means I can tick the problem-solver box on my CV, eh?

4 comments:

Amanda said...

Lucky TLM! I, for one, am uncomfortable around "good parents" I think things like lollies, computer games, tv, sparkly stickers & cheap plastic crap from the $2 shop, do no harm in moderation & can be a lot of fun and it is Xmas afterall.

Ms Mac said...

I was alkways just about the only mother who ever stuck to the price limit. The other mothers all bought something outrageously expensive and then made excuses about how Nonna wanted to get it for them and they didn't want to spend the money on rubbish! Every year, never failed!

But I'm not bitter.

Anyway, I always found that a packet of pencils and a colouring book never went astray in times like these!

Violet said...

mtnw: My guilty secret is that I've really looked forward to introducing TLM to the pleasures of takeaway Malaysian food, good television and gingerbread men.

ms mac: those mums do have a point though, in that maybe I'd prefer to spend more on a good quality toy i.e. one that she'll love and which won't disintegrate in the first 24 hours), than a little on something she'll break right away. I guess that's the challenge eh?

Amanda said...

Yes, I'm looking forward to mother-daughter Buffy/Gilmore girl sessions. I see no harm in throwing in some take aways and gingerbread men too- all good!