Bucket List, Check: Turning My Home into a Toy Showroom

It’s not every day that I am afforded the opportunity to turn my home into a baby toy and gear showroom, so when I am… oh yeah, I go for it.
This past weekend, joined by blogger friends from all over Ontario (some travelling in from London, St. Mary’s and even Ottawa), in addition to local moms of babies and toddlers, we celebrated the season with good wine, good food and of course, good cheer.

And, great toys, courtesy of Fisher-Price.

In fact, you could say that we were privy to the hottest toys of 2014! If you have a baby or toddler to shop for this Christmas, scrutinize the photos on this post – because, trust me, they’re the only shopping list you’ll need this season.
The evening started (even before the festivities began) with the team at Spider Marketing Solutions putting together the toys for the showroom. It’s not exactly how I normally kick off my holiday parties, but hey, I’m not going to say no to a living room filled with the most sought-after baby gear. 

The wonderful thing about holiday get togethers is the chance to simply slow down – if even for just one night. Catching up with old friends and meeting new people; swapping decor and design ideas, sampling delicious canapés and sipping dry wine. The things that are so good for our soul.
Of course, it was a blogger’s event, so there was an extraordinary amount of smartphone checking. Borderline obsessive, actually – but that’s why we’re amazing at what we do! Thank you to everyone who tweeted along on the #fpshowroom hashtag.
In addition to loads of laughter – including the belly laughs that can only come from years of camaraderie (and perhaps a second glass of wine), I took some time to present my personal toy picks for 2014. From Fisher-Price classics (Chatter Telephone, Baby’s First Blocks and Corn Popper) to new and exciting gear (4-in-1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother, Comfort Curve Bouncer and Kick and Play Piano Gym) we demonstrated exactly why they should be top of mind when shopping this Christmas.
(Above, I even enlisted Lisa of Growing Your Baby to demo the Woodland Friends SpaceSaver Jumperoo.) Why do I love this toy? It’s the ONLY jumper on the market that folds flat for portable play and space-saver storage – with ALL the bells and whistles of the classic Jumperoo! It comes with a soft-sided overhead toy bar and two Woodland Friends spinners, a light-up musical piano, froggy teether and more. At a suggested retail price of just $89.99, this is my top pick for baby gear.

Now, can I just talk about the food for a moment? From the talented chefs at L-Eat Catering, we were treated to an absolutely scrumptious spread.
We totally geeked out and posed for a group shot. I mean, what is the point of being surrounded by talented, influential women if you can’t record the moment for prosperity? Special thank you to Ryan Nolan Photography for suggesting this photo, and for photographing the event.
Recognize some of these gorgeous faces? You should! You can find their blog posts by following the #fpshowroom hashtag on social media. And now, I’m ready to ring in the holidays! My deepest respect and gratitude to Fisher-Price for partnering with me on this extraordinary event.

For the hottest baby toys and gear for 2014, visit Fisher-Price.