the PERFECT excuse! uhh, i mean, REASON

Now that I'm in my 20s, I feel that I have earned the right to begin sentences with, "Well, when *I* was a kid..." For example, "When *I* was a kid, we didn't have these cool toys!" I mean, now little girls aren't playing with the wonderful miracle Easy-Bake oven (how DO they get a cupcake to bake in 5 minutes by the heat of a 100-watt lightbulb??), but are rolling out fondant and decorating multi-layer-cupcake-sized cakes. With real tools! Endorsed by Duff aka the Ace of Cakes! Do you know how much fun I would have had with that? Heck, even now I'm considering buying it just so I can have that same joy that technology hadn't yet evolved to when I was in the 5-13 yr. age group. While I had the mini-kitchen whose cabinet doors actually -gasp!- opened and closed and the burners on the stove were represented by red coil stickers, nowadays the lucky kiddies get to use a mini-kitchen whose refrigerator has an actual fake-ice-cube dispenser and the stovetop actually lights up when the burners are "hot".

Of course I'm not bitter, why do you ask?

Anyway. One of the other things that I have always wanted to do but could never quite justify spending the money on was the magical Build-A-Bear workshop. Where little kids can go in and biuld their dream stuffed animal, complete with matching outfit, shoes, hair accessories, and personalized heart that is placed inside the animal before being stuffed. All for the low, low reasonable price of ~$30. I mean, as a frugal adult, $30 seems totally unreasonable for a stupid little stuffed animal that will just be played with for 15 minutes before being cast aside forever as being too boring, but TOTALLY seems like fun to make. But now that I'm an "adult" and in my 20s, there is really no reason for me to go in and spend money on a stuffed animal that I don't even need.

BUT. Now I have Nugget to think about! I mean, a stuffed animal is a huge comfort item to a small child. And it is My Duty as an aunt-to-be to make sure that this little Nugget of joy is properly cared for, and has a truly adequate amount of love surrounding it at all times.

This is great! Now I totally have a justifiable reason instead of an unjustified want to go into this store! Add it to the new list of previously unneeded trips to the Disney store, FAO Schwartz, Toys 'R' Us, and the Lego store. BOO-YAH.