Play kitchen

For Elsa's 2nd birthday coming up in less than a month (!!), Nonnie wants to get Elsa a play kitchen which she is going to go berserk over. She's already obsessed with making soup, or SSSOUP! as she calls it. She has a little bowl with a ladle and a frying pan with a spatula that she "makes" soup and eggs with. The Mieulis got it for her for Christmas last year and my mom taught her how to play with it and she picked it up right away. I think a play kitchen and food will be hours of fun for her.

So of course I started hunting around the internets for the coolest play kitchen out there. Some are ridiculously expensive (lookin' at you Pottery Barn Kids), others are terrible to look at, some are too simple, and some have way too much going on in them. The one that Sue picked out by Melissa and Doug is super cute, but I'm disappointed there isn't a fridge with it. I think the fridge is kind of key for a play kitchen because you can store all the play food they need in it.

This also is going to either go in Elsa's room or my sewing room/office so it needs to look cute and not be obnoxiously colored. Some of them seriously have like 18 colors on them. I just can't deal. So I think the one I like the best is this one:

KidKraft Vintage Play Kitchen:

It has really good reviews so I think it's quality. I like all the doors on it for Elsa to slam repeatedly, I love that it has a phone on it so she can call Jude and Shalom and Henry while she's cooking, the water dispenser on the fridge cracks me up, but I like that they made it look kind of realistic and not so cutesy poo. 

And look how gender neutral it is! Even boys will want to play with it!

So what do you think Nonnie? It's a little more than the M&D kitchen but we'll split it with you! Or Marmie and Grampa will. :) 

While I was looking at play kitchens, of course I had to go shopping for play food. Etsy has THE CUTEST play food! I feel a new craft obsession coming on... the felt play food is so creative and most seem pretty easy to make. Maybe in my copious amounts of free time I'll make some. Or better yet, I can post pictures and the links here and Elsa's retired crafty grandmother can make it all. :D

Felt Macaroons:

Frozen veggies:

Crochet patterns for amigurumi fruits and vegetables:

Felt avocado (about the same price as a real avocado from Whole Foods):

Felt tea bags, for tea parties!

Cookie dough baking sets:

Felt salad sets:

Felt fruit salad!

Felt pasta:

This is SO Scandinavian. A felt salmon plate set!

Cookware set:

Bakeware set:

This is going to be the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!! For Elsa I mean, not me. Pssh.