15 winning toys for toddlers

There's nothing worse than collecting piles and piles of expensive toys that your kid never has any interest in playing with. Sometimes the beautiful, handmade toys we love just aren't a hit with our children. And other times we spend big bucks on the flashiest, most obnoxious toys and they go untouched for months!

Hence, we decided to come up with a sure-fire list of toys for kids...starting with the most hard to please of the bunch: toddlers! Read on for a round-up of toys both boys and girls will love.

1. Doctor's kit Toddlers are really starting to get their imagination going, and this doctor kit facilitates that. Plus, it's a great break for you as you lay on the couch to get your checkup. :-)

2. Tegu magnetic blocks set These blocks are one of those toys that are both beautiful for adults to appreciate and entertaining for kids. They are well worth the cost and so genius - no block tumbling disasters on the road, airplane, church bench, etc!

3. Little Tikes slide For when kids need to get some energy out, we love this slide perfect for the littlest kids in the family. Keep it in the house in the winter months and your kids will love you for it!

4. I Spy books Story time can get boring real quick when the kids want to read the same book over and over, but luckily the "I Spy" books break up the monotony. Perfect for object recognition, vocabulary building, etc.

5.  Magna-tiles Like Tegu blocks, these magnetic pieces are perfect for travel and really bring out the imagination of your child. You can't go wrong with Magna-tiles!

6. Shopping cart After blowing through a few cheap plastic shopping carts/strollers, we say this more aesthetically pleasing cart by Melissa and Doug is a worthy investment. Your kids will love that it looks like the real deal, too!

7. Bath dropz We're always looking for ways to kick things up a notch at bath time, and these color drops fit the bill. Kids love watching the water turn colors and picking out the drops for the nightly bath.

8. Play kitchen Every kid loves to pretend cook, and this one is pretty enough to keep in your own kitchen so the kiddos can cook alongside you.

9. Little People farm We love all the Little People series, and this farm set is especially cute for animal-obsessed toddlers. Practice animal sounds and watch them play for a good 30 mins — a.k.a. eternity in toddler time.

10. Play-Doh kit Oh, Play-Doh. We love the time you buy us when we need to get things done, but hate the messes you make. Hence, we love the Play-Doh fun factory kit for keeping the messes isolated to Play-Doh friendly tools (no more smashing the dough into the Barbie house!). Bring it to the table for special occasions and your toddler will be in heaven.

11. Basketball hoop The perfect size for tiny tots, this basketball hoop will help kids hone their fine motor skills and get a head start on their NBA dreams.

12. Plasma car We often sell these cars as a deal on PS, and they are always a smash hit! These cars aren't just for toddlers — they'll seriously entertain your kids for a good ten years or more!

7 Mother's Day gifts to warm any mom's heart

As much as we love homemade gifts from our sweet kids and extremely practical household items from well-intentioned husbands, we must say that Mother's Day gifts could really often be a whole lot better.

Hence, we've rounded up our favorite gifts currently featured on PS, perfect for gifting to your own mother, friend, mother-in-law, or really any lady in your life! Husbands, we hope you're taking note too!

1. Skinny band name rings. Add the names of all your kids in these amazing stackable rings, or customize any other way you like. You can add up to 8 characters, set of initials, or a single date. $15 per ring.

2. Double circle love necklace. Comes in your choice of two colors and two sizes, perfect to customize for any style. $11.99

3. Mother's Day tumbler. These 16 oz. BPA-free double wall-insulated acrylic tumblers are personalized with the name of your mother or grandmother...because we all know you can never have 
too many ways to feed your Diet Coke addiction! $11

4. "Thanks for helping me grow" stamped vintage spoon. This gift is truly unique and is the perfect accompaniment to a bouquet of flowers - plus, it will last much longer than any rose or tulip! $8.99

5. Mother's Day coffee mugs. Personalize with up to eight names of children or grandchildren. Perfect for the mom who always has her morning cup of jo.

6. Lucky mom keychain. This Hand stamped key chain includes silver round and up to 4 pennies. You can choose the year of penny and name you want stamped. We have penny dates from 1940-2016. $9.99

7. Mama Bear tee. Because who doesn't want to show their mama bear pride? This tee is printed on a super soft American Apparel tee. $20

The most efficient baby gear list you'll ever read

We have seen a LOT of baby gear guides out there for new mothers, ranging from completely excessive to bare-bones minimalism. Of course, every guide is subject to personal opinion, but with our motherhood experience we think we've honed in on a pretty amazing list.

It's budget-friendly but long-lasting. It's simple, but doesn't skimp on anything you need to have the happiest baby on the block. (And happiest momma, of course!) Read on for our ultimate baby gear guide.

1. Ergo 360 carrier with infant insert. As a tired momma with things to get done, you will be praising the heavens for this beautiful invention, and if you're anything like us, you'll be wearing it all day/every day. We love the Ergo 360 with the infant insert because it can be worn from baby's birth through toddler years and baby can face inward or outward. No need to buy multiple, difficult wraps!

2. Graco 2-in-1 Glider and Bassinet. Another gadget that gives you more bang for your buck, the glider and bassinet is perfect for putting by your bedside to put baby down at night, as well as moving it into the living area for baby to swing in during the day. It's definitely the most compact and quiet swing we've ever tried, and it plugs into the wall (no need to worry about expensive batteries!)

3. Medela Pump In Style Breast pump. Ah, the notorious breast pump. It can be a nightmare or a beautiful blessing, depending on which one you go for. And we think it's a unanimous statement that Medela is the best brand out there by a long shot!

4. Britax B Agile Travel System. Buying extra parts to make sure your car seat goes along with your stroller can be a hassle, but the Britax travel system makes it hassle-free. We love the stroller and car seat for both being super lightweight and easy to pop in and out of the car. The stroller opens with one hand at the push of a button!

5. Dr. Brown's Wide Neck Bottles. Colicky, gassy babies are every moms worst fear, but Dr. Brown's bottles help prevent any problems with that. Their bottles minimize bubbles in milk and slow the flow so that baby's stomach is more settled after eating. And the wide neck is perfect for formula-fed babies: no messy formula spills!

6. Pacifiers: Here's one area where we recommend NOT listening to any recommendations. Stocking up on pacifiers before the baby comes is probably a mistake. We say you start with one pacifier, see how your baby likes it, and continue buying different brands until you find the right fit. Most babies are very particular about the one they'll go for, so no need to waste money buying loads of them that your baby won't even use!

7. Swaddle blankets. This is another area where we think waiting it out to see what is best for your baby is the best advice we could give! Both moms and babes have opinions about what swaddle style is best, so pick one or two to try before you go wild! We recommend Little Unicorn or Aden + Anais for muslin swaddle fans, SwaddleMe brand for Velcro styles or Carter's brand for classic blankets.

8. Gerber onesies. It's hard to believe, but newborns really do grow SO fast, we say hold off on the cute clothes until your baby is at least three months. No matter what time of year it is, most newborns spend all day wrapped in a blanket anyway, so white onesies will get the job done perfectly. And there's just something about those fresh onesies that is so sweet!

9. Diapers and wipes: Last but not least, we give our take on the never-ending diaper debate! Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, cloth diapering...really, it's another area that is more of a personal preference. Try out every brand and go with the one that leads to the least amount of blow-outs. It'll be worth the money, even if you go with a more expensive brand!

And there you have it! We declare all other baby gear items to be non-essential...or something you can wait on after your baby has grown a bit.

Mighty Hero Mckenzie!

Meet our April Mighty Hero Mckenzie. What a beauty!

McKenzie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on September 25, 2015. She will be undergoing treatment until 2018.

She had join paint, bruises started popping up all over her body and she was extremely tired.

She's so strong and such a fighter. She also has a great attitude. She understands she is sick and can't attend school and gymnastics, etc like her friends, and she has gracefully accepted that. 

This beautiful 4 year old loves to ride her bike and play with her pet bunny, Hershey. She also enjoys coloring, going to the playground, playing dress-up, having her toe nails painted, singing and dancing, and playing with friends.

Mckenzie said her 6 year old brother Sawyer is her hero. You Mckenzie are brave and inspirational and are our HERO!

Her sweet smile and laugh helps us get through the tough times. The support of family and friends has been truly amazing and we could not go through this journey without them. Also, our faith keeps us going.

Every penny donated will go to Mckenzie and her family. Click here to donate www.psiadoreyou.com 

Mckenzie you are so strong and we are sending all our love and prayers! You got this pretty girl! STAY STRONG!