WFMW: The Toys Worth Buying Edition

This week is the "Toys Worth Buying" edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. It took all of a second to realize which toy I would be sharing today, and that's the Evenflo Exersaucer Tea for 1-2-3. We bought this nearly 2 months ago for our little princess, and while it's normally $69.99, we got it at a steal for just $47. It was on sale at Toys r Us for $59.98, and I was able to get an additional discount of $11.99 with a 20% off coupon.

I'll be completely honest and admit that nearly $50 is more than I ever imagined spending on a baby toy, but this thing has been worth every single penny. When we first bought it our princess was a grand 4 months old - she's so teeny tiny that her feet couldn't even touch the bottom, even on the lowest setting. And every-time we put her in it, she just sat there like a rock because she was so completely overwhelmed by all the different toys and colors.

But time passed and she got used to it. She turned 6 months old over the weekend, and now she spends hours in the thing. She grabs at all of the toys, and since she's started teething the attached teethers have really helped. But I think her favorite toy is the little rolly thing that makes noise - she spins that thing constantly for at least half an hour.

Mommy's favorite part of the toy, besides having somewhere safe to put baby and being able to shower, is that I can shift the toys around. Just to keep things interesting, I yank all the toys out on a weekly basis and put them in different locations. She never gets bored with it, because to her it's like having a new toy every week. Right now as I'm typing this, she's staring at herself in the mirror and trying to peel the flowers off. I also like the fact that I can yank off all the toys and throw them into the dishwasher for a good rinse (minus the musical teapot).

My only complaint about this thing is that I would prefer it to have a padded rim. There's no padding on the seat area, and since she's only 6 months old and hasn't quite mastered the whole standing thing, she ends up leaning over the front a lot. It's not like it's hurting her or anything, but I would prefer my precious baby just have something soft to lean on. I've taken to sticking a burp cloth or two there, and I'm sure a more ingenious person could invent some foam cushioning on the actual seat cover, but it's a solution that's quick and works for now.

Forget swings, jumpers, bouncers, or anything else - my baby never put up with them. The only thing that has constantly kept her entertained has been this exersaucer, and it is truly a lifesaver. She loves it so much she even falls asleep in it:

Note the cute little hand resting on the spinny rolly thing.