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Books for Babies

Hello, readers! Welcome back to our blog. Today’s post is near and dear to my heart. A lot of our friends are expecting children right now and most of them are partaking in an awesome new trend. Instead of receiving cards with their baby shower gifts, they are requesting a book from gift givers. As I pour over their registries, I can’t help but reflect on the time when we were preparing to welcome our own little bundle of joy. My husband and I both share a passion for reading and were so excited to build a book wall in our nursery. With the generosity of our friends and family, we were able to fill it with tons of stories that would carry our little one to far away lands and take her on countless adventures. Today’s blog post is about some of the best books we’ve read to our daughter and a few we can’t wait to read. Alright, I’ve kept you waiting long enough, let’s get into it.

Our favorite book by far is “I Like Myself!” by Karen Beaumont. We all know that all young people, but young girls, in particular, are constantly bombarded by pressure to meet unrealistic standards of beauty. This board book teaches our little ones to love themselves regardless of their exterior appearance. It presents them with all kind of funny exterior conditions and reinforces the importance of loving themselves. This book also stresses that no one can make you like yourself any less. Honestly, this book has a message that most adults can relate to.

We also enjoy girl power books like “Rosie Revere Engineer,” “Mae Among the Stars,” and “My First Book of Girl Power.” Rosie Revere encourages young girls to be inventive, even when others may doubt you. Mae’s book summarizes the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. Young Mae persevered in the face of great adversity and accomplished her dreams. The last book shows young girls that they too can be superheroes. It highlights how each character has special traits that empower her to do good in the world.

The last set of books that I really enjoy are “Thank You God for Mommy,” “Thank You God for Daddy,” “Thank You God for Grandma,” and “Thank You God for Grandpa.” These books are sweet stories about the types of things each special person does for the child. I am still trying to convince our parents to let me record them reading their respective book so I can play it for our future child(ren) in the event a grandparent should pass before they arrive. Another family-centric book that I cannot get enough of is “Full, Full, Full of Love” by Trish Cooke. It just really emphasizes the family experience that so many of us have gotten away from as jobs have taken us to faraway places. I wish that we could spend more time with our parents, and this book reminds me of my childhood.

It was also very important to me that we expose our daughter to foreign languages early on. For that reason, we registered for several bilingual (English and Spanish) board books. Some of our favorites are:

Well, there you have it. Those are some of our favorite books that we’ve read to our princess. 

Now let’s take a look at some of the books that we’re planning to get soon.

I have so many other books that I’d love to read to her, that I’ve started a wishlist. We don’t have nearly as much space as I’d like to house such a robust library What are some of your favorite books?

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Teacher Appreciation Week Gifts

Welcome back, readers! Today’s post is a special one. Today we’re going to discuss gift ideas for some of the most important people in our society, teachers. Can you imagine what the world would be like without educators? Teachers spend countless hours preparing lesson plans, mentoring children, grading papers, and planning field trips, among other things. They spend hundreds, if not thousands, of their own dollars to ensure their students have basic school supplies.

The origins of Teacher Appreciation Day and Teacher Appreciation week are unclear. Most sources agree, Eleanor Roosevelt petitioned Congress in 1953 to formally recognize educators. At that time, educators were being recognized sporadically in a few states. These holidays weren’t nationally recognized by Congress until March of 1980. In 1984, the National Education Association declared the first Tuesday of May National Teacher Day.

While the pressure of finding perfect gifts may seem like a bit much, I am glad Teacher Appreciation Week exists.

Some of my favorite commercially available gift ideas are:

Not sure if you want to give them any of those items? Why not give them school supplies? Teachers always need:

Elementary School

  • Crayons
  • Colored pencils
  • Washable markers
  • No. 2 pencils
  • Erasers
  • Glue sticks
  • Scissors
  • Plastic folders
  • Assorted construction paper
  • Wide-ruled notebook
  • Tissues
  • Index cards
  • Washable markers
  • Rulers
  • Basic calculators
  • Loose leaf paper

Middle/High School

  • Blue or black ballpoint pens
  • No. 2 pencils
  • Mechanical pencils
  • Highlighters
  • Permanent markers
  • Erasers
  • Three-hole-punch
  • College-ruled loose-leaf paper or spiral notebooks
  • Graph paper
  • Subject dividers
  • Index cards
  • Plastic folders
  • Glue
  • Post-Its
  • White-Out
  • Protractor
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Colored paper clips
  • Binder clamps
  • Push pins

When all else fails, go with the tried and true, gift cards. Amazon gift cards allow our unsung heroes to get the items they really want and need.

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Gifts for Homebodies

Hello, readers. We’re back after a bit of a hiatus. We’ve been working on our gift ranking tool and hope to roll it out in the very near future. In the meantime, we’re back and ready to help you find gifts for the complicated recipients in your world. Today’s post is focused on gifts for the homebodies out there. We’ve all got that friend who says they’d love to hang out, but you know they want nothing more than to stay at home in their comfortable sweatpants and watch movies with their closest pals. Admittedly, I just described myself. So, what do you give those who value smaller, more intimate gatherings over large and boisterous activities? Keep reading to find out.

Girls Night In

Matching Pajamas

Aroma Therapy Candles

Ladies Night Topic Sticks

“Framily” Dinner

Sherry Wine Vinegar

Matching Aprons

Italian Gift Basket

Tea Time

Loose Leaf Tea Diffuser

Loose Leaf Tea

Tea Cookies

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Gifts for Pet Lovers

Hi again! We’re continuing our holiday prep series with a blog post about gifts for our non-human loved ones. Why should humans be the only ones who get gifts? Animals are so much more than accessories. They can be our trusted confidantes, fitness partners, and source of comic relief. These days, there are awesome subscription-based services for pets like BarkBox.com and Chewy.com. This post identifies some pretty neat gift ideas for our furry and feathery friends and their pretty awesome owners.

Dog Lovers

Cat Lovers

Bird Lovers

What awesome things have you purchased for your pets lately?

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Gifts for Book Lovers

Hi again. Thanks for visiting our site. Can you believe Christmas is just 12 weeks away? I don’t know about you, but I feel like this year has flown by. Summer is over and we are officially back in the holiday season. If you are a planner like me, you are probably starting to think of your holiday shopping list. If you are not a planner, you might still find this post (and the next 10 posts) useful. We’ll be examining gifts by personality type. Today’s post is about gifts for the bookworms in your life.

I am old school. I really enjoy curling up in a comfy chair, covering up with a blanket and cracking open a real book. There is something so nostalgic about the smell of a brand new book. There is something intoxicating about the feel of crisp new pages between your fingertips. Some people say the printing industry is in trouble. They believe the majority of people would rather read on an e-reader or listen to an audiobook. You know what? That is completely fine, to each their own. This post features gift ideas for all book lovers, regardless of their preferred format, so let’s get to it.

For the Printed Book Lover

For Audiobook Lovers

For eBook Lovers

For All Book Lovers

What are some of your favorite gift ideas?

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Wedding Gifts

It is that time of year again, wedding season. I love witnessing two people profess their love for each other. There is something that is just so magical about watching the groom’s face as the doors open and he sees his the love of his life walking toward him. I don’t care how many times I witness this moment, my heart skips a beat each time. We all know a lot of time, money, and careful planning go into making this magical moment in time materialize. For that reason, I always try to ensure we give the bride and groom a gift that is thoughtful and customized to them. My first stop is always the couple’s wedding registry. I mean, it takes a lot of effort to put a registry together and I definitely don’t want to ignore it. But what do you do if they haven’t registered for anything?

I am not a fan of giving people money or gift cards, but if I do, I do it with style. More on this in a later blog post. When I don’t have a registry to guide me, I think about the couple’s personality and try to identify something that best matches it. Some of my favorite gift ideas are:

The Athletic Couple:

The Foodie Couple:

The Religious Couple:

The Romantic Couple:

The Relaxed Couple:

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Boss’s Day Gifts

Hi again. Thanks for visiting our site. Did you know that Boss’s Day is just around the corner? Yes, you read that right, Boss’s Day. You might be thinking “Why does Boss’s Day even exist? I’m the one busting my hump while my boss sits in a cushy corner office!” Let’s be honest, everyone likes to feel appreciated, and most bosses are actually really cool people. Boss’s Day has been a formally recognized holiday since 1962. It is held on October 16th, or the next business day if it falls on a weekend. Legend has it that in 1958, Patricia Bays Haroski, then an employee at State Farm Insurance Company, felt younger people in her office didn’t appreciate the hard work their bosses did so she petitioned the Illinois Chamber of Commerce to create Boss’s Day. In 1962, the governor of Illinois heard about the petition and decided to officially recognize the holiday. Patricia chose October 16th because it was her father’s birthday and she believed he was a great boss.

Now that you understand the holiday’s humble beginnings, you may be wondering what types of things you can give your boss. Have no fears, we’ve got you covered.

For the Comedian:

For the Serious Boss:

For the Zen Boss:

For the Boss on the Way Out:

You have now seen our suggestions, what are some of your favorite Boss’s Day gifts?

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Anniversary Gifts

My goodness, where has the year gone? I cannot believe that it is almost October and the holiday season is finally upon us. October is special to me for many reasons, but the most important one being it’s my anniversary month. My husband and I got married in October of 2013. We are not big on traditions but decided we would try and give each other anniversary presents that follow the traditional gift themes. It gave us a starting point for gift ideas but left plenty of room for creativity. I am not a fan of cookie-cutter gifts or your standard gift card, not that there is anything wrong with either of those options. I just prefer to customize my gift to the occasion and recipient.

For our first anniversary, we exchanged paper. My husband is a huge sports fan, so I knew I wanted to give him tickets to watch one of his favorite teams play. I know what you may be thinking, tickets are definitely cookie cutter. I agree, and knowing that, I chose to be creative with how I revealed his gift. I created a crossword puzzle and he had to solve it and the corresponding cipher to figure out what his gift was. My husband knows that I really value sentimental or handmade gifts. He gave me a handmade gift using maps of the state of Virginia that highlighted where we met, got engaged, and got married.

The second anniversary gift had to be made of cotton. I thought about giving him socks, undershirts, and boxers, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, I decided to buy him a jersey. He didn’t have one and I knew he wouldn’t buy one on his own. I just had one problem, the jersey was going to be more polyester than cotton. In keeping with the tradition, I put the jersey in a shoe box. I covered the box in Valentine’s Day themed felt, and covered the jersey up with cotton balls. When my husband opened the gift, he was confused as to why I would have given him cotton balls. After some digging, he found his gift and loved it. My husband gave me a calendar with our wedding date circled printed on cotton paper and put it in a gorgeous frame.

The third anniversary was a bit more tricky because it was leather. I could have gone in way too many directions. My husband is not a fan of frivolous things, so I wanted to ensure I gave him something practical. I found a beautiful leather, RFID-blocking wallet and personalized it with our wedding date and our favorite saying, “I love you more…” My husband gave me a beautiful handcrafted leather bracelet. It even had a hint of turquoise, one of my favorite colors.

For our fourth anniversary, we exchanged gifts of linen and “silk”. We were less than a month away from welcoming our daughter, so we bought comfortable new bedding for our room. We are not silk people, so we settled for “silky” sheets. 

I cannot believe how quickly the years have gone by. We’ll be celebrating our fifth anniversary in a few weeks. The traditional fifth anniversary gift is wood. I can’t wait to see what my husband comes up with. What are some of your favorite wooden gifts?

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Baby Prepping - Essential Gifts

Having a baby is one of the most exciting and terrifying times in a person’s life. There are so many decisions to be made, do we find out the sex? What should we name the baby? Do we have a gender reveal party? What baby items should I purchase? The questions are endless. While all of your friends and family mean we, they can be a source of endless frustration with their helpful suggestions and advice. It’s easy to become overwhelmed throughout a pregnancy, especially when it’s your first child. This blog post describes and links to some of the items we found to be most useful as we prepared to welcome our baby girl and after she arrived. These items would make perfect gifts for your friends and family members. Are you expecting a little one? Add them to your baby registry and thank us later. Happy reading!

Pregnancy Essentials

  1. Preggie Pop Drops. All things considered, I had a smooth pregnancy. I didn’t get sick, have major pregnancy acne, or gain a lot of weight. I did, however, have long-lasting queasiness. I tried mints, ginger candies, tea, saltines, etc. in search of relief. None of them worked for more than a few minutes. Fortunately, a friend told me about Preggie Pop Drops, and they did the trick. They’re natural, citrus-flavored candies that taste great and provide decent nausea relief.
  2. Maternity Leggings. Man, oh man, maternity leggings are a lifesaver. They’re comfortable and pair well with almost anything. I highly recommend getting maternity leggings as early as possible since you can grow into them. They’re super convenient early in pregnancy when your clothes fit but aren’t as comfortable as they once were.
  3. Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow. I am totally a stomach sleeper, which is a pregnancy no no. I used the snoogle to find a comfortable position in the latter months of my pregnancy.
  4. Maternity Shapewear. I have thick thighs when I’m not pregnant. I had super thick thighs during my pregnancy and these things helped prevent the wildfire caused by chafing.
  5. Folgers Simply Smooth, Decaf, Low Acid Coffee. Coffee lovers rejoice! While I know it’s acceptable to drink one cup of coffee each day, I didn’t want to risk it. The days were long and exhausting until I found this coffee. I had reflux issues throughout my pregnancy so I had to reduce my acid consumption. This stuff was amazing. It tastes great and didn’t bother my stomach.

Postpartum Essentials

  1. Depends. Oh my gosh, I used to think these were only for older people. Boy was I wrong! Those first few days postpartum are interesting, to say the least. Thank goodness for the mesh panties and seemingly industrial strength pads the hospital gives women. I had a c-section and needed to keep fabric away from my incision. Enter Depends. They were surprisingly comfortable and obviously disposable. The convenience of not worrying about washing my undergarments in those early days was amazing.
  2. High Waisted Panties. Yes, I’m still talking about undergarments. These were a godsend when the nastiness subsided but my incision was still healing.  
  3. Disposable Ice Packs and Heating Pads. These were amazing as I healed up. Just crack, shake and apply. The hospital gave them to us, make sure you ask your nurses for extra heat and ice packs.
  4. Fig Bars. These were clutch in the days immediately postpartum. I was always hungry but not willing or able to go to the kitchen and make food. These bars are yummy and not terrible for you.
  5. Disposable Nursing Pads. I love these things. They saved me from many embarrassing moments once my milk came in. They’re super absorbent and easy to place in your nursing bra.

New Baby Essentials

  1. My Brestfriend Nursing Pillow. I am definitely of the “fed is best” mindset, but I personally chose to breastfeed my daughter. Those first few days are extremely awkward as you adjust to the baby. Each of you is figuring out how to connect the beautiful (seemingly fragile) tiny human to a swollen and probably painful nipple. Understandably, it’s hard to remember how all the holds and tips they share with you at the hospital. Enter the My Brestfriend. It helps create a solid and supportive platform to help you get your little one into the right position. It was well worth the money.
  2. Hands-Free Pumping Bra. This is the last breastfeeding related “essential” I’ll discuss for now. This bra is amazing if you pump. It helped me get more milk than I did just holding the pump bottles against myself and freed up my hands so I could occupy my time online shopping, reading, searching for tv shows and movies… whatever I wanted. This bra is fairly comfortable and adjustable so it’s good for women of all sizes.
  3. Baby Kimonos. I was absolutely terrified to put my little one’s head through the opening of onesies for her first three months. Yes, I realize this is irrational. These baby kimonos were easy to put on and easy to remove when she spit up and needed to be changed.
  4. Swaddle Blankets. This is obviously a no-brainer. We loved these blankets because they were large and super stretchy, which came in handy once we actually learned how to swaddle her. Their larger size allowed us to use them longer as she grew.
  5. Disposable Changing Pad Covers. These are really a game changer when you use any surface like a changing table. We initially used puppy training pads, but those are loaded with chemicals and irritated our daughter’s skin. These pads are ridiculously absorbing and a great investment. I can’t tell you how many times these things prevented us from having a wet couch, bed, or floor.

Infant and Beyond

  1. Graco Aire3 Click Connect System. Everyone has their preferred brand of baby product. We happen to be Graco people. We loved the click connect system because it’s super lightweight and easy to install. The baby stroller breaks down with the pull of a strap. There are no awkward buttons or levers which cause inevitable embarrassment as you struggle to put the stroller away at the grocery store.
  2. Brica Firefly Baby-In-Sight Car Mirror. When I say this thing is a lifesaver, I am SO not exaggerating. We love this mirror. It is battery operated and has a remote control. The mirror has two settings, awake and asleep, and plays music that can soothe a crying baby. This has come in handy so many times.
  3. Baby Einstein Music Player. This is probably our daughter’s favorite toy. It plays classical music. Our daughter is instantly captivated by its simple light up display and often tries to eat the little rings on the handle. This is a must pack in our diaper bag.
  4. The Nose Frida. Our daughter has some of the strongest boogers on the planet. They laugh in the face of traditional nasal aspirators. While it is slightly difficult to use with a wiggling baby, this thing has superior suction abilities and will definitely clear out those congested little nasal passages. We often paired it with saline Boogie Wipes or Boogie Mist.
  5. All Free and Clear Laundry Detergent. We LOVE this stuff. Why should you spend 100s of dollars on baby specific laundry detergent when you can just buy this and use it on everyone’s laundry?
  6. Fisher Price Rock n Play. Oh my goodness, this was a lifesaver when our daughter was smaller and sick. We couldn’t get her to sleep flat on her back when she was extra congested. This allowed her to feel snug and secure and sleep at an angle. Our pediatrician said the angle helped her mucus drain and made her more comfortable.

That’s it. What are some of your favorite baby items?

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