***This is a sponsored post for Big W.   All opinions are mine and all toy related tantrums are genuine***

Remember the early days when you still had your “Green P” parenting plates on?  Being an absolute rookie at child rearing.

Mistakes were constant.  Like clipping the inside of their chubby thighs when fastening their seat belts.  Or almost burning their little infant tongues because you didn’t properly test how hot the heated milk was in their feeding bottle.

Oops.

When the twinlets were in their toddler prime, Mr Surfer took them for a quick trip to the toy store.  There was no intention to buy anything but for them to have a quick play and kill some time.

Big blunder.  Huge.

Tantrums and tears were imminent.

One by-stander who witnessed the entire meltdown had to have his 5 cents worth:

“Mate, if you knew you weren’t going to buy anything. You shouldn’t even take them in there”

And there folks, lies the absolute truth.

It’s best to leave these things to the experts.

Even being in 5 metres vicinity of the toy section or a toy store, you’re doomed.  You’re never going to win the war.  Your child will always know best.

You leave with an extremely scorched hole in your wallet.

The futile alternative is being at your wit’s end trying to usher out a screaming child who’s sprawled out like a hysterical starfish, refusing to be peeled off the shopping mall floor.

Just in time before their big online sale (starts 20^th of June ends 10^th July), Big W gave me the rare opportunity to conduct a little experiment.  A chance to see how much the twinlets “know their toys”.

Jumping on the Big W website, there was much excitement over seeing on the computer screen familiar characters like Thomas, Lightening McQueen and the Octonauts crew.

When asked which of the toys they would like, there was some deep contemplation.

Sourcing toys is a serious business, didn’t you know?  Especially when you’re a feisty 3 and a half year old.

The process was so much easier than having to drag everyone into the store.

I’ll have to head back there for my Christmas shopping, taking advantage of the online lay-by option.

And the best part…I have 5 x $100 Big W gift vouchers to give away, just in time for the upcoming Giant Toy Spectacular!

To be in the running, all you have to do is:

1. Check out the Big W website and tell me your little toy expert’s favourite 3 items.
2. Follow With Some Grace on Facebook
3. Subscribe to With Some Grace by Email

The important stuff:

• This giveaway is only open to Australian residents
• Closing date for entries is Thursday, 27th of June.
• The winners will be contacted via email on the following Friday.
• If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final

As always, joining Essentially Jess for IBOT

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