Perfect gift for my tot!

Tomorrow is my son's 2nd birthday party!  Like most moms, birthdays have me planning, decorating and reflecting on how quickly time passes.  Afterall, it certainly doesn't feel like it's been a whole year since we celebrated Scott's 1st birthday!

Last year's party was such a hit at Quinn Farm that we decided to host his party there once again.  The kids loved the tractor ride, playing and picking pumpkins in the patch, decorating their pumpkins, visiting the animals... and I loved not having to clean up!

 

Of course, as is with any birthday, there are always gifts involved.  This year, more than ever, I feel great knowing that I made my guests' lives a little simpler and registered a gift.  I don't know what it was this past week, but it seemed like everyone was super busy with work, school and just day-to-day life.  I'm pretty sure that many of my guests would not have had the time to shop for Scott's gift and I feel relieved knowing that I made their lives a little less hectic.

Scott made choosing his WishGift a little easier this year.  My husband Danny and I were in a little dispute as to what Scott would love.  After witnessing the same passion with tools as his dad, we both agreed that he'd love a Melissa and Doug Workbench however I thought it'd be great to compliment the workbench with a Handy Manny Talkin' Tools Set while Danny thought Scott would love a Melissa and Doug Solid Wood Stacking Blocks set.  That same night, Scott proudly showed off a tower he constructed from his sister's dollhouse furniture and stacking blocks were registered!



We ordered the two items from a wonderful, family-run toy store called the Cape Breton Baby Company.  I chose their site over other large retailers due to their customer service and competitive pricing with shipping.  We got the parcel within a week of placing the order and just in time for tomorrow's party.  Can't wait for everyone to see the awesome gifts they contributed towards and Scotty's reaction when he sees things he can build and smash down!!

Doomed to Fail? Moms who work!

Tracy and I are both new to starting a business.  We don't have backgrounds in tech or business, we didn't major in marketing or advertising and we had never heard of terms like "startup" or "mompreneur" prior to launching WishGift.  We're two mom, who recognized the stresses with gift-giving and have set out to fix it.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to attend the International Startup Festival in Montreal.  The 3-day event was my very first welcome to the tech industry and it was terrifying!  So many brilliant ideas, confident individuals effortlessly talking about their business, prizes being awarded, media opportunities...  I couldn't have thrown myself in more unknown waters BUT I didn't drown!  I made wonderful contacts and received invaluable advice that has really helped guide the growth of our site (Thank-you "Women in Tech" tent; Yes Montreal and Montreal Girl Geeks).

The one daunting phrase is how difficult and time consuming beginning a Startup is.  Every speaker I've heard has touched on this point, and although probably so, I can't help but wonder if being a working mom of 2 children under 5, puts WishGift in the automatic fail bracket.

I truly love WishGift and the problems it solves.  I love how we're making any gift accessible!  I love how a parent can think of their child's passion, and register any gift for them.   Hockey gear, traditonally categorized as pricey, becomes affordable when WishGifted for a child's birthday.  On the flipside, I'm grateful when my friends register a gift because finding time to shop and knowing what to get is often a challenge.  WishGift provides a simple option for guests when they're looking for ideas and still allows for traditional gifts to be given.

It is for these reasons, that I have every intention of continuing my commitment and desire to build the site.  I'm happy that 4 of my friends' children received swingsets as birthday presents.  I love that my daughter has been dressing up as a Disney princess every night since her 4th birthday (a $200 gift).  I'm thrilled that a little boy is beginning hockey lessons and received all the gear he needed.  I enjoy receiving email messages from people, whom I don't know, who registered and received a stroller and baby gear for their baby shower.  And seeing messages like the one below, puts me over the moon.

"Thanks for setting up this high tech way of shopping for your gift. I love it! 

 Wishing you a healthy birth, and much happiness to you and 

 your family on this happy occasion of new life." 2012

Seeing great gifts being given and received makes me feel good and gives me the drive to push the site forward.  So although a Startup may be "hard", "time-consuming" and "difficult", I've never been one to shy away from obstacles.  And I don't intend on shying away now!

Too Many Toys

Above is a pic of my kids' playroom...on a GOOD day!!  How this clutter and toy overload happened, I honestly don't know.  I can literally count, on one hand, the amount of toys my husband and I purchased for our kids.  It's not that we had set out to have a toy-free home, but we were amazed at how many toys had been collected after one year of birthdays, holidays or hand-me-downs from friends.

My aversion to toys did not begin because of the clutter but rather because my daughter rarely played with them.  My daughter was more the type of child who enjoyed playing with the pots and pans in the kitchen drawer.  She loved using my wooden cooking spoon to bang on plastic containers.  Her favourite mobile toy was her old diaper box that we attached a belt to and pulled her around in.  She loved colouring, so crayons and colouring books were always a big hit.  Because of this, I had extreme guilt for those who had purchased gifts that my daughter rarely played with.  I often felt as though friends and family were wasting their money (quick search on Google revealed that the average cost spent on a gift for children under 10 is $25.00.  Multiply that by the amount guests and it's amazing to think how much money is spent on a child!!).

So by my daughter's second birthday, I attempted the "no-gift" party and it totally backfired.  My friends and family are extremely generous and enjoy showering children.  When I requested "no-gifts", they basically laughed and told me they'd be buying something anyway.  That's when we decided to reveal the purchase of a swingset and I was surprised by how many guests requested to contribute towards it.  2 years later, my kids, friends' kids, cousins and neighbours have been playing and enjoying the swingset tremendously and the contributions made towards the swingset have definitely been put to good use. 

Wishgift.ca was designed to make gift-giving simpler for both the gift giver and recipient.  It allows for an item to be communicated while providing guests with an option they can choose to contribute towards.  It is not limiting to a store's inventory or selection, and therefore the gift possibilities are endless.  It's all about taking in to account the child's biggest passion at the time and for my 2-year-old, that was outdoor play.

"A Perfect Partnershp"

"As co-founder of the "WishGift" venture, I've often been asked "What attracted you to the whole idea?".  Well let me share with you a little of our background....
Rheanna & I first met through mutual friends but we really connected when we walked in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, both in memory of lost love ones.  Even back then we worked really well as a team, so of course I was thrilled to join her on this new and exciting adventure.  Both on maternity leave for our second children and overwhelmed with the growing abundance of toys and the oh so often asked “what does she need?”, Rheanna had the idea of a website to make gift-giving effortless.  Wow…fantastic…I loved it!  Of course starting a business can be a daunting task but as a team, it just seemed tangible.  The adventure then began.  We’ve come a long way and learned many new things and looking back on the past year and what we’ve achieved I can honestly smile and say “Wish It, Get It” ;). "

Posted by: Tracy

@wishgiftcanada
FB/wishgift.ca
Pinterest/wishgift

The Beginning - Toddler Gift Idea

The quickest thing I learned after having my first child is that people love spoiling children, love buying them gifts and in no time, homes with children resemble toy stores!

It was the end of April 2010 and my daughter's second birthday was quickly approaching.  The invites had been sent and I was focused on the final touches for my daughter's Crayola themed birthday.

But when the RSVPs began ringing in with the question of "what would Aliah like for her birthday?" panic began to settle in.   Between her past birthday, holidays and borrowed toys from friends, my daughter's playroom was stocked!  She had all the cool toys, gadgets and activities that any 2 year-old could dream of...and she rarely played with them.  I tried "No gifts, please" and although I truly meant it, none of my family members or friends would comply.

In expressing my dilemma to my Mother-In-Law, she came up with the suggestion of purchasing an outdoor swing set and having family and friends chip in.  Although I loved the idea, asking for people to contribute felt awkward.  We knew Aliah would love a swing set but having recently purchased our 1st home and being pregnant with baby #2, the timing of such a costly gift wasn't right.  After some discussion, my Mother-In-Law explained that she'd rather contribute towards such an item and was positive that my family members and close friends would be willing to as well.  My husband and I discussed the idea and we decided that since a swing set would be great for our active two-year-old, we'd try this approach and cover the missing funds.

As the RSVPs kept coming in, I was surprised by how many friends asked what Aliah would like for her birthday.  I decided to tell those who asked for suggestions about the set we had bought.  Much to my surprise, everyone that was looking for suggestions asked if they could contribute towards the swing set as her gift.

Thanks to my husband, father-in-law, dad and brother the swing set was assembled for the day of the party and the kids had a blast playing!

Swing set WishGift

Playing on the day of the party

 At the end of her birthday, I was shocked that the contributions received lead to her swing set being fully covered!  Moreover,  I was surprised by how many family members and friends thanked me for making finding a gift so simple.  This statement was so powerful that I realized that people find gift-giving challenging.  There's deciding on a gift, shopping for the gift, finding the gift, wrapping the gift...The experience made me realize that people want to give kids gifts and they want to give good gifts.  Even if you say "No gifts please", people will still get your child a gift.

Wishgift.ca began with the intention of simplifying gift-giving.  It's not a replacement of traditional gifting but rather provides a gift-option for guests who are looking for ideas.  To quote one of my friends "Wishgift takes the guess work out of gift-giving" and allows you to contribute towards something amazing!

The birthday girl enjoying her WishGift!!