Birthday Shopping

I was sick yesterday and stayed home from work.  After catching up on my blog reading, I did a little online shopping for Atticus's sixth birthday at the end of the month.  Since his birthday and Christmas are six months apart, we rarely buy him toys except for those occasions.  Don't get all sad - he gets stuff pretty frequently.  The other day I was picking up some free chairs (yes, chairs - theme of my life) and the lady gave me 3 boxes of kids' books, so of course those came home.  My mom is constantly sending him stuff "just because" and the boyfriend can be counted on to bring home random stuff like a six foot indoor basketball game which currently takes up a third of his bedroom.  He's taken care of.

Since he has grown into bigger boy toys, it's become a little harder to shop for him.  He doesn't outgrow things like he used to and I don't want his room to resemble an aisle at Toys R Us.  I gravitate towards purchases that are educational and well-made, and of course I want the best deal possible.  I tend also to do themes - like pirates, or dragons, etc., and buy him a couple of items so then I know he's set in that department.  

This year, the theme was narrowed down to Space Station or Wild West.  So I ended up going with Egypt.  Yep, Egypt.

You've heard of Playmobil, right?  If not, they are amazing.  They are a German company that makes quality plastic play sets with themes like "Future Planet," "Life in the City," "Zoo," etc.  You don't have to worry about crazy Chinese lead-based paint, or that something is going to fall apart the minute your kid touches it.  It also appreciates in value, even after you've taken it out of the box, because people all over the world collect them.  Playmobil is hands down my favorite toy company, so it was a no-brainer that I was going to check with them first.

Luckily, they're running a really good deal right now on an Egyptian Bundle that has been retired.  It includes a Sphinx with Mummy, Egyptian Soldiers, Tomb Raiders with Camels, Egyptian Chariot, and Tomb with Treasure all for $52.49 plus free shipping.  That's over 50% off.

I couldn't add it to my cart fast enough.

I'll find a couple of books to go with the set for his birthday to  help introduce him to the coolness that is ancient Egypt.  Maybe something archaeology related, as well as a more historical look at the pharaohs and pyramids.  And once it gets here I'll have to buy a tub large enough to store all the pieces together. 

If you're interested in other Playmobil toys - I cannot recommend the Pirate Treasure Chest set enough.  We bought it for Atticus a couple of years ago and it's always been a huge hit with him and his friends.  I love that when it's done, it folds up into a convenient storage case.  Amazon has it for $76.99, but I found mine new on Ebay brand for half that price.