Birthdays, holidays, or even random events that prompted for gifts, were the ones that stood out from the rest in my childhood and helped me become the person I am today (even if I am still a child at heart).

1. American Girl Doll

Around 4th and 5th grade these were like the “next level” of dolls. I loved American Girl Dolls because they were like toys for “big kids” and you could accessorize in any way your small child heart could desire. If you broke your foot and wanted your doll to have a cast too, you could do it. Have matching outfits? You bet! Get your ears pierced with your doll? Yup! Have a birthday party where everyone brings their dolls to the store and you pamper them and sit them in special chairs next to you at dinner? A little excessive but yes! (Yeah, that's me at my 9th birthday party).

2. Littlest Pet Shop

Earlier on, around the ages of 8-12, I was low key obsessed with Littlest Pet Shops. It got to the point that I would always beg my mom to go into the store Limited Too (which doesn’t exist anymore) to look at clothes (which I never even bought from there) and I would make a beeline straight for the LPSs in the far right corner of the store. You know when kids become obsessed with a toy so they always want to expand their collection, well mine got a little out of hand, to the point that several times people would get me them as gifts and I would have to return them because I already had the skunk with purple hair, or I already owned the blonde and brunet ponies.

3. Polly Pocket Jumbo Jet

To this day the Polly Pocket Jumbo Jet is one of my favorite holiday presents ever! It was amazing; it had a pool, a fashion show stage, an elevator, lounge area and even a tiny helicopter! Even now I remember when I first saw the commercial for it and how all the girls were so excited and the dolls just glowed and I remember begging my mom for one. Later on though, at some point, there was some recall on the old Polly Pocket dolls, something about led based paint. I don’t know, but my mom ended up taking the dolls away from me…little does she know I found where she hid them and would play with them when she wasn’t around. Probably not the smartest move on my part but what can I say, I was just a young girl who wanted to take her dolls on a luxurious plane to somewhere exotic for a fashion show, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

4. Cinderella's Castle Playset

Oh a classic. I’ll never forget the day when my mom bought me the Cinderella Castle Playset. I remember leaving the store at Walt Disney World in the stroller holding on to this giant box that was bigger than I was. I remember people giggling at us as my mom pushed the stroller around, at the time I just thought they were all jealous of my amazing castle, but truth be told it was probably at how stinking cute that must have been!

5. Barbie Tea Set

Nothing made me feel fancier than when I played with my Barbie Tea Set, it was pearl white, all plastic, and had details of pink flowers everywhere (super classy). The thing was, I was a very clumsy kid growing up (like spilling a drink twice everyday clumsy) so my dad always told me to not put any drinks in the cups or in the teapot of my set. And every time I obliged because I knew he would take the toy away if I spilled something on the carpet. But one day I decided to pour water in the pot and drink it out of the tea cup; I was just bored of sipping air because I knew it must have looked childish. So I broke the law, later that day my dad asked me if I had used water in my tea set, and like a good kid… I lied. And that’s the story of how one of my favorite toys aided me in accomplishing my first lie.