Doreen DiCrecchio
Mom of Twins | Grandmother
Twitter

You know that saying “time flies”? Well, it really does. It is hard to believe it was almost a year ago that my granddaughter turned 7. And now she will be 8. But I digress as this story is about shopping for her 7^th birthday present.

Last year, my granddaughter could not decide what she wanted for her birthday so I suggested that we go shopping and she could pick it out herself. She thought this was an awesome idea! A few days after her actual birthday, we went to a local toy store in a strip mall in her town whose sole purpose was to sell toys. I was so pleasantly surprised she picked this store as opposed to a chain store and asked her why. She told me that every time she walked by the store, she looked at the window display and she knew that this store would have the perfect toy.

We walked into the store and her eyes lit up. Now I have not been in an actual toy store in a long time so I was excited too. She spent at least 30 minutes looking at every single toy. After the initial walkthrough, it was obvious she had eliminated some toys because now she would pick up certain toys and examine them.  Another 20 minutes passed as she narrowed down her selections. She confirmed her spending budget and began walking back and forth between three toys. Another 15 minutes and she had made her selection. It was the exact amount of her budget as well. She said she had always wanted this toy and was very happy to have been able to pick it out.

I totally enjoyed the hour and a half we spent in the store not only because I was able to spend time with my granddaughter and make her happy, but because I recognized almost every toy in the store as a Mom’s Choice Award winner.  A toy with a Mom’s Choice logo has gone through a rigorous evaluation to ensure it is high quality and meets the Mom’s Choice standards. Because I spend a lot of my time looking for possible winners, to actually witness so many winners in one place was gratifying.

My granddaughter opened the toy as soon as she got in the car and started playing with it. She said it was now her favorite toy. Realistically, it was probably her favorite toy for a couple of days until something else caught her attention, but for those few moments, it was.

And now she is turning 8. We will once again be going shopping for her birthday present as our new tradition. She said she knows exactly what toy she wants this year and exactly where it is in the store. I’m sure in a couple of years she will decide that she wants clothes instead of toys, but for now, I will enjoy my foray into the local toy store. Not only do I get to enjoy my granddaughter’s company but I get to support a small business, something that is so important right now for small businesses to survive. It’s a win-win situation. Hopefully, she chooses another Mom’s Choice Award winner this year!

Next time you’re considering shopping at or ordering online from a mass retailer, perhaps you’ll consider shopping local and enjoying the experience, as I did and still do every year with my granddaughter.

About Doreen DiCrecchio

A ’60’s baby who had ’80’s babies. I am passionate about my children, my grandchildren, my dog, practicing yoga, and my two favorite sports, football and soccer. I love to write about my passions and anything else that interests me including cooking, baking, and reading. I believe in doing what makes me happy. Writing (among other things) makes me happy.

View all posts by Doreen DiCrecchio here.

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