I’m the mother of 3 children. Two daughters in elementary school, and an infant son in daycare. Even though they are all under the age of 10, keeping them entertained is almost more time consuming, and mildly stressful as entertaining the world as I do as a recording artist and radio personality. My children are my biggest critics. The things I think are cool, they say is corny or will kindly let me know what is not in style anymore. So whenever they get their “I’ve been good all week” allowance, here are a few stores we hit up for the best bargains not only for toys, but sometimes for apparel. These are in no specific order, but depending on their budget the order is subject to change.

TARGET

6717 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061
(410) 487-0038

This is a major chain store so it can be found in basically any state and town, USA.
They have the best prices and all of their equipment is very durable. They are my favorite store far as pricing and quality. Soon as we see the bull’s-eyes the kids go insane. You can also shop online at TARGET.COM

The Disney Store

Columbia Mall
10300 Little Patuxent Ste 2725
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 992-6823
You can never go wrong here. They have all the Disney licensed products. From Halloween costumes, figurines, dolls, plush toys, clothing, gift cards and the list goes on. You cannot go wrong in here. If you are team Mickey, then this is your spot. If your family vacation takes you to Disney World or Land in Florida or California, you can stock up and not pay the extra sight seeing fees to get your character on. The kids love this place too.

TOYS “R” US

10200 REISTERTOWN ROAD
OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117
(410) 356-4824

This is another chain store. World wide. The title is self explanatory. This is a one stop shop. You can register for your baby shower (which I did for all 3 of my pregnancies. You can stock up and save here as well. You can also shop online. You can’t beat that. Because when kids have to go to the bathroom, you don’t have to pit stops if you are already online. A sure hit with the whole family. Register for their insider club card to get discounts and goodies with the points you accumulate.

WAL-MART

6721 Chesapeake Center Drive
Glen Burnie – (410) 863-1280

The greatest thing about Wal-Mart is not only is the toy section humungous, the whole store is like one big roll back sale that won’t bust your budget. This is the good part, there are so many that are open for 24 hours. So if you can’t sleep, why not wake the kids up at 3 am and take them to get some goodies. Maybe not But if you felt like it, you could find a 24-hour Wal-Mart and make it appen.

The Dollar Tree

1151 Annapolis Road
Odenton, MD 21113
(410) 674-3334

I know you are probably thinking a dollar store may be kind of pushing it to get toys from. But trust me, give an 8 year old and a 5 year old ten dollars each, and watch the smile on their face when they realize they can get 9 or 10 things, depending on the taxes in your state. This is one of the best stores that has revamped all of their products. I’ve furnished toy chests and even guest bedrooms and bathrooms off of their products alone. I’m a firm believer in don’t know it, until you buy it. For a dollar you can’t beat that.

Hopefully you have gathered that I am a very frugal shopper. I use to get caught up on thinking that the most expensive toys meant they were the best. So untrue. In actuality kids will pick what they want to play with and then put it down. But a good book to read never goes out of style.XOXO,
Lil’ Mo of Afternoon Drive (2-6pm) on 95-5 WPGC FM.