Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide

TA-DA! Toddler gift guide...just in time for Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

Favorite Toddler Toys (ages 2+)

A list of my kids' tried and true favorite (and most played with) toys! At first I was going to sort the list by girl and boy toys but both of my kids love both boy and girl toys so really any of these would work for any 2+ toddler!

$15 & Under

Baby Doll // Tool Set // VTech Laptop // Stroller // Doctor Kit

$25 & Under   

Toy Food // Cash Register //  Remote Control Car //  Dump Truck // Vacuum

Over $25

Magna-Tiles // Lincoln Logs 

Outdoor Toys

My favorite toys for the kids are the ones that I'm not going to trip over 30 times a day in the family room. If they can be played with outside it's a double win in my opinion -- keeps them out of my way and gets the kids outside! Here are some of our most favorite outdoor gifts that our kids looooooove to play with.  

$20 & Under

Bunch-o-Balloons // Scooteroo Bike // Donut Sidewalk Chalk Set // Bubble Machine // Bubble Mower // Tee Ball Set // Soccer Ball

$35 & Under

Water Table // Pop-Up TeePee Tunnel Set //  Slide // Basketball Set // Scooter

 Big Gifts

Playhouse // Bounce House // Balance Bike // Radio Flyer Wagon // Push Car // Ride-On Truck

Boooooooks!

My kids loooooooove books and even though we have piles and piles of them I am always looking for more! We own some of these books or check them out often from the library, and Santa is also bringing a few too.

Duncan the Story Dragon // Pete the Cat Books (any of them!) // Secret Pizza Party // Dragons Love Tacos // Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast // Princesses Wear Pants // Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls // Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site  // Frances the Badger (any of them!) // Have You Filled a Bucket Today? // The Day the Crayons Quit // Berenstain Bear Books (any of them!) // Where is My Truck? // Trashy Town // Spoon // I'm Dirty!

Looking for more meaningful gifts? Check out this post!

***And PLEASE do not forget to use ebates for all your online shopping this year!!! It's FREE cash back just for doing your shopping online! Sign up here if you need a referral.***

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

Stumped on what to ask Santa for this year? Me too. However, today I'm sharing a few of my faaaaavorite things that I'd recommend adding to your wish list. All items are tried and true favorites that I own, love and have blogged about (sometimes over-blogged about). Let me know if you need a little elf to shoot this over to your Santa. Happy wish list making!





1. State to State Coffee Mug: This adorable mug perfectly captures my heart in my two favorite states and is hands down my mug of choice each morning! This is also the perfect gift for your long distance bestie.

2. Hearthside Slippers:  An annual wish list item, my mom gets everyone in the family a new set of hearthside slippers every Christmas. They are fleece-lined and so cozy!

3. Iluminage Beauty Eye Mask: This rejuvenating silky sleep mask is embedded with copper, a well-known essential mineral with skin-enhancing properties to help minimize the appearance of wrinkles while you sleep! This would be a good mom, mother-in-law or sister gift too!

4. NARS Mini Blush & Bronzer Duo: This is the most perfect (and best-selling) combination from NARS ever -- my favorite blush (color: Orgasm) and favorite bronzer (color: Laguna) in one mini compact!!

5. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum Spray: Another annual staple for my list! I'll never wear any other scent and I always happen to spray my last few drops right around Christmas.

6. Capri Blue Volcano Candle: Both my and Matt's favorite candle (scent: volcano). Matt even asked for the diffuser for his office.

7. Ball Drop Earrings: I wear these ALL the time and always receive so many compliments on them. They pair well with so many outfits -- dressy or casual!

8. 50mm Camera Lens: This is really the only lens I use on my camera and I always get a lot of questions from readers inquiring about my camera lens. Highly recommend!

9. Swig Wine Tumbler: Comes in one billion colors (two of which I own), keeps beverages cold for 9 hours and hot for 3 hours. Oh, and it's dishwasher safe and shatter resistant, making this the perfect stemless wine cup!

10. Revision Black Mask: I use this mask 3x a week! It's so so so good.

11. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: This concealer (color vanilla) works miracles! It's creamy, smooth and can cover even the darkest under eye circles. 

12. Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream: A little goes a loooong way. I've been using mine every night for 6 months and it still doesn't look like I've ever used it. This eye cream is very soothing and creamy.

13. Bath Caddy: Conveniently holds a book/iPad, a candle, glass of wine and more. I use my caddy every single night while relaxing in the bath. Oh, and make sure to get this super inexpensive ($5) Epsom salt bath soap too. It's my absolute favorite and smells heavenly (made with essential oils)!

14. NeuLash: I have seen insane results in my eye lash growth since using this lash enhancing serum. It is incredible and works to strengthen your lashes so they can grow longer and thicker!
 

Stocking Stuffers under $15

15. Mario Badescu Facial Sprays: I use this cooling and refreshing facial mist to hydrate my skin after getting out of the shower and I also use it as a makeup setting spray each morning.

16. Neutragena Hydro Boost: If you suffer from dry skin like me, you must must must try this gel cream out. I've also read this product is a major dupe for the Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion Moisturizer ($58).


17. L'Oreal Lash Paradise: An incredible $7 dupe for Too Face Better Than Sex mascara ($23)! I've never been married to a specific mascara (I swear I've tried them all and they are all the same) until I used this one. I am now on my third tube and not only does this mascara make my eye lashes look fuller, they are drastically longer since I started using it. If you don't believe me, just read the Amazon reviews for yourself.

18. Seche Vite: The absolute best top coat ever. For a girl who pants her nails in bed and wakes up with tons of creases, this polish has been revolutionary. Not only does this seal your polish for a professional look, it fully dries in less than a minute and my manicures now lasts up to a week without chipping!


19. PopSocket: Pop, tilt, wrap, prop, collapse, grip! PopSockets help secure your grip and hold your phone more comfortably so you drop your phone less. It also allows you to securely prop your phone up at an angle for watching videos, etc.

20. MAC Lipstick: (color Twig). My favorite color since my wedding day! Twig is one of those colors that looks good on anyone which is probably why it's a makeup artist's go-to lip color. It truly is an amazing lipstick in every category - color, quality, long-lasting, etc. Here is my favorite $3 dupe for this lipstick too. It's not as amazing as the MAC version but close enough!

21. Sunglasses // My favorite sunglasses! I get a lot of questions about them. They are super cute and are only $12!

Now tell me what's on YOUR wish list. So far this makeup palette is the only thing on mine!

Holiday Gift Guide + Stocking Stuffers for Him

I cannot believe it's time to start shopping for the holidays. I like to get my shopping done as early as possible and the hardest boxes to check off my list are always the guys in my family. If you struggle with man gifts too, I've got just the guide for you...

1.  Modern Bluetooth Turntable with Speakers. Definitely among the top 5 gifts I've ever surprised Matt with. He has been dying for a Harvey Specter style record player for his new office and is absolutely obsessed with this one. To top off the gift I included The Ultimate Frank Sinatra vinyl to start his record collection.

2. Amazon Echo Dot. A voice-controlled device for playing music, making calls, ordering pizza, texting and more!

3. Amazon Fire TV. Enjoy over 15,000 apps, games, and Alexa skills including access to over 300,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, Hulu, and more. We use our fire stick every day!

4. Nest Thermostat. Want to control your thermostat from your phone or tablet? You need one of these! We have two for our home (upstairs and downstairs) and no longer have to play rock, paper, scissors to decide who has to get out of bed to adjust the thermostat. Nest automatically turns itself down when nobody’s home to help save energy too!

5. Tile Mate Key Finder. For the man in your life who constantly loses his keys, wallet, phone, etc. This magical Bluetooth tracker easily loops onto keychains or attaches to anything you don’t want to lose so you can find it fast.

6. Bluetooth Headphones. Sweatproof tangle-free ear buds that last up to 8 hours on full battery charge. Great for running, hiking, biking, gym etc.

7. Sound Bar. We loooooove our sound bar and use it daily for our TV and for streaming music from our phones.

8. TV Projector. Watch movies or stream TV in your backyard under the stars with this mini projector. We love streaming football games in our backyard with our projector!

9. Fire Pit. And don't forget the marshmallow roaster set too!

10. Grilling Tools Set. This deluxe steel grill set is also a great housewarming gift!

11. Moccasin Slippers. These are seriously the coziest slippers ever. Matt gets a new pair every Christmas!

12. Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls.

13. Wireless Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker. One of Matt's all time favorite golf accessories, this speaker is perfect for clipping to your golf bag -- rain or shine!

14. Laser Rangefinder. Not just for golfers but for hunters too!

15. Fulton & Roark Grooming Products. The best, and I mean the best high quality grooming products designed specifically for men. Matt keeps the wax-based and shatterproof solid cologne in his gym bag (Ltd Reserve: Sterling), a bottle of luxury face wash by his sink and the shampoo + body wash in the shower. Use code CHARM at checkout to save 15% on your order through 12/31!

16. American Crew Pomade. The secret to Matt's perfectly styled hair. Also a good stocking stuffer.

17. Dolce & Gabana Light Blue Cologne. Ahhh, my favorite man fragrance!

18. BurgaBox of The Month Club. A monthly subscription box shipped to you with simple instructions and fresh ingredients to cook right in your own kitchen! 

19. Yeti Tumbler.

20.  Sipping Stones. Chill your drink without diluting it!

**BONUS ITEM** Matt insisted that I couldn't publish this guide until I included the Minimalist Wallet -- "the ultimate man gift." You can frequently find Matt showing off this super compact wallet to his friends. He is so picky about his wallets and finally found one that he is truly obsessed with. He claims you cannot feel this wallet in your pocket at all when you're sitting down, it fits 8 cards plus cash and comes with 12 built in tools (bottle opener, tool driver, wrenches and flathead screw driver).

GIFTS & STOCKING STUFFERS
Survival Kit in a Can // Golf Tees // Just a Drop // Star Wars Socks // Metal Collar Stays // Pocket Ref // Pocket Knife // American Crew Pomade // Survival Pocket Tool // Portable Charger // Sipping Stones  // Moscow Mule Mug // Fake Lotto Tickets // 50 Caliber Bullet Bottle Opener // Fulton & Roark Grooming Products // Table Topics // Gift Cards // Candy // Gum // Car Wash Coupon
 

Other Wish Lists:

The Wish List for Her 

The Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide 

Christmas Tradition Gifts 

Gifts for Her under $35 

Toddler Bath Time Gifts 

Summertime Gifts for Kids

Wish List Wednesday || Gifts & Stocking Stuffers for Him

What is everyone getting the men in their life this year? Seriously, Matt is so hard to shop for and I'm guessing you may have some hard to shop for men in your life too. So today I'm sharing a gift guide I previously pulled together (and updated) with a list of presents Matt has received (not just from me) over the years that he's really, really loved.

This Christmas Matt and I agreed to keep our gifts to one another simple since we've unexpectedly run into some large expenses recently with our kitchen ceiling falling in from water damage and some larger repairs to my car. So anyway, we set a modest gift limit and I'm pretty excited about what I've picked up for him. I purchased an iGrill Mini (a Bluetooth meat thermometer for the grill), North Carolina socks (he has an obsession with dress socks) and a few other small things. However, I think I am most excited about his stocking this year because I purchased some fake lotto tickets! I'm planning to sprinkle them in with some real tickets and cannot wait to see him react to winning $10,000. HA! I also found a really awesome bottle opener made out of a real 50 caliber bullet!

TV Sound Bar // Dolce & Gabana Light Blue Cologne // Titleist Golf Balls // Yeti Tumbler // Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon // FitBit // Men's Trunk Club // Poker Set // Moccasin Slippers // Grilling Tool Set // Fire Pit & Fireside Fishing Poles // Titleist Hat // Amazon Fire Stick // iGrill Mini // Cards Against Humanity

GIFTS & STOCKING STUFFERS UNDER $20!
Table Topics + Other Games // Survival Kit in a Can // Ties or Bow Ties // Golf Tees // Bluetooth Shower Speaker // Just a Drop // Socks // Hair Styling Pomade // Metal Collar Stays // Pocket Ref // Pocket Knife // Man Soap // Survival Pocket Tool // Portable Charger // Sipping Stones  // Moscow Mule Mug // Fake Lotto Tickets // 50 Caliber Bullet Bottle Opener // Gift Cards // Candy // Gum // Car Wash Coupon

Other Wish Lists:

The Wish List for Her 

The Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide 

Christmas Tradition Gifts 

Gifts for Her under $35 

Toddler Bath Time Gifts 

Summertime Gifts for Kids

Wish List Wednesday || The Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide + Stocking Stuffers

That's right -- I have the ULTIMATE toddler gift guide for you today in case you're looking for a present for the little tot(s) in your life. I've walked our house and yard and compiled a list of our very, very favorite toys that have grown with our kids and they actually play with often. So without further ado...

Baby Doll Stroller + Baby Doll // Kid Table // Play Kitchen + Pretend Food // Tool Kit

Outdoor Toys  

Bounce House // Water Table // Playhouse // Radio Flyer Wagon // TeePee Tunnel Play Tent // Scooteroo Bike // Bubble Machine // Bubble Mower // Scooter // Slide // Balance Bike // Ride-On Truck

Under $25  

Bubble Mower // Swing // Pop Pop Piano // Dump Truck // Flip Phone // Play Makeup Kit // Piggy Bank // Bubble Machine // Squeak Eggs // Building Blocks // Cash Register // Doctor Kit // Laptop

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Glow in the Dark Stars // Shampoo + Lotion // Sippy Cup // Utensils // Band-aids // Sidewalk Chalk // Bubble Bath Foam // Snack Keepers // Color Bath Drops // Flip Phone // Toothbrush // Koosh Ball

This year we are celebrating Christmas in Florida. So instead of toting down a bunch of packages of more toys Matt and I decided to get the minis one big joint gift -- a power wheels version of Matt's truck. Our neighbor has this and our kids completely light up when they play on it. I found it on super sale during Black Friday and shipped it directly to my parents house (to assemble, charge and top with a bow -- thanks mom & dad!!). Now someone talk to me about helmets...

Other Gift Guides:

The Wish List for Her 

The Man Gift Guide

The Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide 

Christmas Tradition Gifts 

Gifts for Her under $35 

Toddler Bath Time Gifts 

Summertime Gifts for Kids

Wish List Wednesday || Meaningful Gifts for Kids

Between shopping, decorating, parties, traditions, baking, traveling and more, the holiday season can quickly escalate from enjoyable to stressful for us. And now that our minis are at an age where they are excited for Christmas I want to make sure we make it as meaningful as possible without overextending ourselves (I'm looking at you, Elf on the Shelf). So this Christmas I'm hoping to implement just a few new traditions and continue some old traditions that require minimal effort but still excite our kiddos and provide a good mix of Jesus and Santa!

So today I'm sharing a few simple Christmas tradition items you can use throughout the season with your children.

Advent Calendar: From candles to candy, there are tons of advent calendar varieties to choose from. Last year we received a wooden tree calendar with little boxes which we fill with m&ms. Every night leading up to Christmas Caroline would get so excited to open the next box (and eat an m&m). We saved the advent calendar as the very last activity before bed so it also doubled as an amazing toddler incentive to eat dinner, take a bath, clean up the toys and get in jammies. :)  

Fisher-Price Little People Nativity Set: A super simple way to break down the Christmas story for little ones. Both of our kids love this set. This is also a GREAT gift for baby's first Christmas!! 

Books: God Gave Us Christmas //  The Night Before Christmas // Itsy Bitsy Snowman // How the Grinch Stole Christmas // How to Catch an Elf // The Mitten // Christmas in the Manger // The Polar Express 

Mini Christmas Tree: Last week a note was sent home with both Thomas and Caroline's daily report cards asking parents to consider putting a small Christmas tree in their kids' bedrooms this year. Each year it's encouraged to add a new ornament so that one day when our kiddos go off to college they have a small tree with lots of meaningful ornaments of their own. Cue the tears.

Christmas Pajamas: I've already covered this in a previous post so I won't go in to it again.   

Pickle Ornament: If you don't already have a pickle ornament for your Christmas tree you need one! The person to find the pickle hiding in the tree on Christmas morning gets to open the first present. 

Magic Reindeer Food: Last year one of the little girls in Caroline's class gave all the classmates bags of "magic reindeer food." I thought this was the cutest idea and we loved sprinkling it in the yard on Christmas Eve! Reindeer food is a mix of oats and glitter which makes for an inexpensive gift idea if you're trying to gift a class full of kids something at Christmas. I found this super cute printable too!

Cookies & Milk for Santa: Growing up we always set out cookies and milk in front of our fireplace for Santa as well as some carrots for the reindeer. I love this special little set!

Birthday Cake: This is a tradition I really wanted to start last Christmas but dropped the ball. Each year I want throw a little birthday party for Jesus with a cake or cupcake and sing "happy birthday" with the kiddos.

Want some additional tradition ideas? Check out my previous post on meaningful holiday traditions!

Hosting a Gift Exchange || Gifts Under $35 for Her

Our 5th Annual Girl's Gift Exchange is around the corner! Easily one of my favorite holiday parties, this event is one that all of us look forward to attending year after year! Over the course of an evening about 20 girls gather around a huge pile of perfectly wrapped presents, drink lots of wine, snack on appetizers and have the very best time exchanging gifts.

Each year our exchange gets more exciting and more competitive because we've learned which gifts are the most desired. Undoubtedly there are always a few epic squabbles over candles and gift cards which makes the night even more fun and entertaining. And there is nothing more victorious than watching the gift you brought get stolen and leaving with an equally amazing gift.

If you don't have a gift exchange to participate in you should consider hosting one! Here is a rundown of how ours works...

Hosting a Gift Exchange

Invitation: To ensure a strong attendance send your evite out to your closest girlfriends at least several weeks in advance of the exchange to give everyone enough time to pick out a fabulous gift.  In the invitation note all of the important details like bring a bottle of wine to share, bring an appetizer to share, price range, no collusion, etc. Also, we've found that the closer the group of girls are the more wild things get. Some people may hold back or err on the side of caution when stealing a gift if they don't know the other person.

The Gifts: Set a gift limit (we've found $35 is the perfect price point) and make sure everyone knows these are NOT gag gifts. No one wants your re-gift and half the fun is watching your gift be stolen and fought over! It is imperative you bring something you'd be happy leaving with (even though that's against the rules). Also, spend as close to the gift limit as possible. So if you buy a $30 item, consider including a $5 gift card or a complimentary item to ensure the gift you brought is fair to the one you're bringing home!

The Rules & Instructions: Prior to kicking off the exchange make sure to go over all of the rules with the attendees. We've tweaked our rules over the years as things have gotten more competitive (ha!). For example, opened gifts must be kept out in plain sight - no hiding! And you may not leave with the gift you brought! 

1.) Each girl will pick draw a number and choose gifts in that order.

2.) Player #1 will select a gift & unwrap it. No shaking, sniffing or peaking. The gift you pick up is the one you open -- so pick wisely.

3.) The following player can either "steal" a present from a previous player, or select an unopened gift to unwrap.

4.) If a gift is stolen, the person stolen from may choose to steal from another player, or open a new gift. The "round" is over once an unwrapped gift has been selected.

5.) A gift may only be stolen THREE times the entire game. After that, it is "frozen" or "safe" with the last person who has it.

6.) If a gift is stolen from a player, that player can't steal it back until another round.

7.) After the last player has stolen/picked a gift, player #1 gets a final turn to either keep their gift or swap with someone else. ((Note: They cannot swap with a frozen/safe gift!))

Lastly, I can't write a post on how to host an exchange and not include a few of our favorite gifts over the years! Here are some of the most fought over and stolen items from the past five parties!

Gift Cards: Target, Starbucks, Nail Salon (+ polish). Some girls bring a $35 gift card while others include a $5 gift card with a gift -- both are always big hits!

Stemless Wine Glasses: Shatterproof // Cooling Set // Rubber Sleeved Set (my favorite!!).

S'well Insulated Water Bottle: 9 oz // 17 oz
Insulated Totes: Casserole Carrier // Cooler Bag
Fun Jewelry: Bracelet ideas: 1 / 2 / 3 | Necklace ideas: 1 / 2 / 3
Cosmetics: Ideas: Lip Scrub // Eye Palette // Smashbox Eye Palette // MAC Eye Palette // Urban Decay Eye Palette // NARS Blush + Bronzer Duo // Lip Scrub
Coffee Mugs & Tumblers: Ideas 1 /  2 
Scarves: Ideas 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Candles: Rewined // Aquiesse // Volcano // Nest

Happy gift exchanging!

Wish List Wednesday!

Since we're quickly approaching Christmas I thought I'd start a fun series called Wish List Wednesday! Each week I'll pop in with awesome holiday finds, gift guide ideas and more! If there's something you want me to feature just let me know!

Today I'm sharing our Christmas jammies! This year Matt requested family Christmas pajamas. Yes, Matt's request. At first I wasn't really in to the idea of matching family pajamas but Matt insisted sooooo I began my quest for the least cheesy set I could find and fell in love with these family jammies buuuuut couldn't bring myself to spending $250 on pajamas, let alone seasonal pajamas!

Before I scrapped the jammie plan I did a little shopping around and sure enough I found almost the exact same family pajama set HERE super cheap:

Baby ($5) // Kids ($6) // Mama ($12) // Papa ($14)

Grand total = $40!

One more thing -- I found all sorts of HA look-alike jammies for a fraction of the cost on Amazon. Don't be afraid to shop around! For example: HA Very Merry Pajamas ($40 + shipping) = Homewear Christmas Pajamas ($12 + free shipping)!

Happy Christmas pajama shopping!