Hanukkah is currently in full swing and Christmas is just days away but I’d bet my Sunday night glass of wine on the fact that you probably don’t have all of the gifts you need for your kids this holiday season. Or maybe your parents and/or in-laws are asking what to get the little one. Perhaps you have older kids like me and the baby of the family really doesn’t need anything at all. But the look on his face when he tears open the gift wrap is too much to handle so you’re asking yourself the question – what to buy an 18 month old?

Here are my top picks for the 2017 holiday season that little Leo will be ripping into over the next few days.

Clothes make the (little) man

Yes, I have a storage closet full of hand-me-downs from big brother Alex but I’m starting to realize that their seasons are slightly off. In the New Year, Leo will be wearing some of our favourite brands as he quickly moves up a size. Thanks to Instagram we discovered two amazing brands: Little Cottons and Surfing Ninjas Clothing. While one is based in the UK and the other is local to Toronto, they both have one thing in common – extremely well-made, durable clothing. This year for Hanukkah, Leo unwrapped two pairs of toddler leggings, the Black X style and the Distressed Denim Look style from Little Cottons. After outgrowing his collection of Surfing Ninjas gear, I couldn’t resist the ABC raglan to pair with his new pants.

• Surfing Ninjas is currently closed for the holiday season but if you’re planning a beach vacation this winter check out their cute tees, tanks and shorts currently on sale.

Elmo’s song

None of my kids were ever into Elmo, until now. So a plush red stuffed doll seemed like the perfect gift.The first night he threw it out of his crib but now you can find them snuggling together every night.

Bowled over

Last Christmas my mother-in-law bought Leo an Avanchy plate. We literally use it on a daily basis. Made from bamboo with a suction that keeps it from being swiped off the table this is the most practical plate ever, so I got Leo the bowl this year. A must for any little eater.

Available in Canada at Crocodile Baby Store.

Hats off to that

I’m secretly dreaming of March break in Mexico so I figured we better have the gear to make it happen! This hat from Headster was my Black Friday steal of the year at 50% off. I may have gotten styles for the entire family actually…

Bubbles!

Because what toddler doesn’t love bubbles? Instead of blowing them outside in the snow I started blowing them while he’s in the bath. With this smart packaging I don’t have to go digging for the bubble wand since it comes up when I squeeze the bubble bear‘s belly.

Play-doh perfection

The only Play-Doh I had left in my house was dried up mixed balls of colour from a good 3-4 years ago.  I figured Leo was the perfect age for his very own art project so I purchased the Cookout Creations set. He got it on the third night of Hanukkah and all three kids were totally into it, working together as a team to build tiny hotdogs and hamburgers.

Pyjama party

The last item on my list was advocated for by my 8-year-old daughter Hannah. After watching countless videos of families waking up on Christmas morning in their matching PJs she was convinced we needed our own. Surprisingly, Walmart had a Canadiana PJ collection with sizes for everyone in the family. Leo’s one piece sleeper even has slip proof foot pads so he can keep up with the rest of the gang all holiday season long!