I can’t believe my toddler is turning 3. It felt like just yesterday I brought my little bambino back from the Krankenhaus (hospital) and here she is, blowing her 3 candles on her birthday cake soon.

I think 3 is a fabulous age. Even now at 2, I’m blown away of her capabilities. There are times I feel like I’m talking to a mini-adult, she placing her hands on her hips, conversing to me about everything and anything. So what’s more at 3. They’re developing in leaps and bounce – physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially, their sensory and motor skills are improving, and language.

Now that they’ve entered the early tween stages, shopping for gifts can be a challenge. She’s no longer that little girl but also not quite your teenager. She’s in between. This is the time where she explores and discovers new interests. Wanting to do things independently, but not totally. She wants her privacy at times, but still needs her parents very much.

It’s that time of year again where I’ll have to fill my children’s Advent box. Sure, I could just buy Advent calendars from the store to make my life easier. But they’re just not the same. To me, it’s not just about chocolates or little toys in those little windows. It’s also about doing things and spending time together as a family during Advent.

I’ve been wondering for weeks what to get for my soon to be 2 year old. The fact that she has an older sister (who has pretty much everything) made the task challenging. I needed to think of gifts that are different and matches her interests. Something where she could work on her fine motor skills, develop a new skill or sparks her imagination. And lastly, without spending too much.