toyland

I suddenly got an urge to look up some vintage inspired toys for the kids. It seems as though almost EVERY toy they have makes a noise or lights up. What happened to the days when you had to use your imagination and make up the sounds yourself?!

During my search I have found that cool looking vintage toys are expensive as hell...and I REFUSE to spend more than $30 on a toy for an infant and 2 year old who will just tear it to pieces. I am super glad that fisher price has re-invented their vintage toys (which I LOVE and totally need to start collecting for the boys):

But I also wanted to see if there were other unique toy treasures out there, so here are a few new and used toys I have found that I just adored:

I had to start with my favorite because it's just too precious to resist. I seriously want this...if not for the boys, then for myself.

Jonas recently expressed pure joy over a jack-in-the-box. I am not really a huge fan of scary clowns popping out of a box to an eerie chiming melody...so I found a less abrasive version that is complete with a sock monkey (2 birds with 1 stone!).

The next thing I go out to buy for Jonas is totally going to be a wheelbarrow. I can just picture him pushing it around the yard picking up rocks, sticks, and lizards while pretending to help daddy.

I think little tiny pianos are just super sweet. I've already went out and purchased an actual full-size keyboard for the boys to bang on, but Jonas and Dylan will look like little Schroeders when tapping on these keys!

Ok, so this is actually a knitting pattern to make this octopus doll...and I totally do NOT know how to knit (one of my top things to learn in the next 2 years), but I am willing to beg any of my friends that can work magic with knitting needles to make my kids one of these!

This is so simple, yet I feel like Jonas would be insanely into watching the little penguins go round and round, and up and down.

I love old tops, and Jonas loves anything he can spin and twist...so I thought this was perfectly adorable.

I just feel as though every kid should have a cool tin robot toy.

In fact, tin toys are just cool all around.

Jonas already loves flash cards...and how charming are these?!

Tim would love for the boys to have this little wooden set.

As my search continued I came across some not-so-lovable gems. These were just plain FRIGHTENING!

This is just wrong on so many levels.

I am already having nightmares.

This would cause my baby to never drink from a bottle again!

I don't even know where to begin.

Why is Donald on a hamster wheel, and why is he staring at me?

All in all I think I have a pretty good start. For now I will stick to beginning with the easy-to-purchase/less-expensive finds.

P.S. during my search I found someone who makes vintage inspired toys and sells them for CHEAP! Check it out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedMarionette