Little girls do love their dolls. They love to play and dress them and take them places, as if they really were their mommies.

I have a daughter that first began her love affair, with a certain doll, when she was only 18 months old. The relationship was a bit rocky at first as my little mommy pulled her baby’s hair and competed with the doll for bottle and binky use. Yet as the weeks passed the love my baby had for her baby grew to complete devotion.

She fondly named the baby doll Bah-Bah-Toe (don’t ask, I don’t know) and they have been inseparable now for several years. The cementing moments of the relationship occurred when Bah-Bah-Toe was given her own dollhouse. At first this was a humble dwelling that consisted of nothing more than a few cardboard boxes stacked and taped together.

At Christmas time that year, when my daughter was 2, the idea of getting her a brand new doll was down right blasphemous. Bah-Bah-Toe reigns supreme. One evening as my husband and I observed our little mommy lovingly reciting a story to her precious baby and tenderly tucking her into one of those cardboard rooms it struck us: Bah-Bah-Toe needs a real house.

Finding the perfect dollhouse for our daughter and her baby was not too difficult but was a decision that required some care. There are so many options out there. The first thing to consider is size. In our case the house needed to be able to inhabit the doll we already had. For those who may still need to populate the new residence the size concern is moot. Yet size is still an issue. Tall dollhouses pose a tipping threat and a climbing temptation for little ones. The last thing you want is the dollhouse to become memorable because of your child’s King Kong impression and the ensuing trip to the ER.

Dollhouses that are overly intricate, ornate or small similarly don’t work for toddlers. Those gorgeous Victorian ones are great, but a toddler will destroy it before the sun sets on Christmas day. Those with fine detail and small furnishings also pose a choking hazard. What a toddler needs is a dollhouse that isn’t too big, and isn’t too small. There are several varieties on the market that your daughter will be thrilled to call her own.

Many dollhouses come with just that: the house. Other brands come with a load of extras including play figures, furniture and clothing for the dolls. Price and your existing collection of accessories is a great way to decide what you need for your daughter’s Christmas wishes to come true. If you have many dolls already, then a house by itself is probably the way to go. For those just beginning their doll collections, a house that comes with extras will have a higher price tag up front, but when you factor in the cost of buying extra pieces separately, it might be the better deal.

Our little mommy has grown so much we hardly recognize the 2 year old who squealed with delight as she tucked a baby named Bah-Bah-Toe into her new house for the first time. Yet she still loves that doll, and her dollhouse where her doll baby lives.

What joy she has gotten from those toys and what a great investment they have been in the growing of her imagination.

Edie Mindell is the writer for SimplyUniqueBabyGifts.com. If Santa is looking for perfect Christmas gifts for toddlers, there is a great selection awaiting delivery just in time for Christmas. If Radio Flyer Toys is on the list, visit their online catalog and enjoy free shipping (lower 48 states).

If you’re a mom-to-be, already a mother but planning to redecorate or simply preparing for the coming of a baby in the future, this article is the right fit. Here, you’ll get some ideas on how to decorate a nursery.

A boy’s theme usually makes use of the blue color. If you want something different, you can paint the room a shade of green, violet, yellow and even orange. These are cheery colors that can keep up with a boy’s high energy.

There are many different nursery themes available for little boys today. You can choose from, sports, trains, bears and zoo animals. All of these themes are very cute and your baby boy is sure to be delighted with any of them. Some first time parents choose to avoid the cute little patterns and go with something more neutral that the child can grow with. This is a great idea as well. Try sprucing up the room with photographs, a snazzy rug and window treatments.

For girls on the other hand, pink still reigns supreme. Other colors that come close are yellow, pastels, lavender, peach and orange.

The girl themes are mostly based on fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Little Mermaid, Goldilocks and Alice in Wonderland. Cartoon characters are also a big favorite among girls. Suffice it to say, book characters are favored for a girl’s nursery, especially fairy tales. Perhaps it’s because of the presence of beautiful and brave heroines, potential idols for young girls.

When you are creating a neutral nursery, try using pastel colors. You can use yellows, greens and blues. Wall and window treatments should remain neutral as well. An area rug with a cute theme can be a nice touch to neutral nurseries as well.

If you want a theme for your neutral nursery you could go with baby animals, a seaside theme or even an alphabet theme. These types of themes will be sure to delight little girls as well as little boys.

There’s no need to spend an arm and leg for spicing up your nursery. Save the expenses for the years down the road when your child will get to choose his/her own theme. For now, keep the nursery simple but fun. Cute but comfortable. And of course, a safe haven for your little angel.