KIDS
Whenever someone asks for toy suggestions, Magna-tiles come to mind first. They are fun and easy to use, quick to clean up, and don't have any small parts for babies to choke on. My kids have made structures taller than them! Ours are stored in two clear plastic shoe boxes and only take a minute to clean up, while still building enormous and varied structures. We have the clear colored sets (they also come in opaque colors). These are a toy investment but it's easy to add on more sets if you want to start small. These would also be a great idea for the grandparent's that aren't sure what to get. I've watched kids from ages 2-12 build these for whole afternoons at a time. My kids are hoping for the clear set this year (my daughter wants them to build Elsa's castle).
I love Legos as much as the next mom but the first time you accidentally step on a Magna-tile, you'll see one of the reasons I prefer them to Legos most of the time. These are available on Amazon and at Target. There are a lot of knock off brands but I haven't tried them. I will say we've used our Magna-tiles almost daily for a few years, on hard tile, with push toys and books and kids all over, and none have chipped or broken.
Nose Frida
It's actually not gross at all. After my baby had Pneumonia and RSV last winter, I buckled down and bought one. I wish I had had this with each of my babies! Easy to use, easy to clean, makes a big difference. It's so scary when baby is congested and sick and for me it always seems to happen in the middle of the night which makes it extra stressful. It's not as fun as a new outfit, but I'm sure the new mom in your life would get a lot of use out of this weird but useful thing.
Bonus-
Priddy Baby makes our favorite board books. The pictures are vibrant and clear. We keep the Treasure Hunt books in our car and every kid wants to look at them.
BOOKS
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Habitat by Lauren Liess
Design Mom by Gabrielle Blair
Secret Paris Coloring Book
BEAUTY
I felt so validated the other day when I saw that this is Sephora's top eyeliner. I've recommended it before and keep going back to it. The marker type applicator makes a good cat eye a breeze and works just as well for a subtle line with its tapered tip. It also comes in a lot of colors but I've only tried black (give me all the black eye makeup! And clothes! And furniture! It's a problem.)
The other product I am consistently asked about is my blush. I resisted trying this for years because I didn't think it could live up to the hype but it does. Strangers stop and ask me about my blush frequently.
I am inappropriately into nail polish. I've tried to give it up and not care but I love it. Doing my own nails takes most of the cost out of it so that's how I make my peace. I've tried a lot of things but recommend CND Vinylux to anyone. It's much easier than Shellac (I have this gel system and love it, but it takes a lot of time). Vinylux doesn't even need a base coat and the polish lasts a week on fingers- even with persistent dish washing that takes a toll on my hands.
You can also use the topcoat with any brand of polish. It keeps my girls' nail polish on so much longer than others I've tried, even among professional brands.
Hair- The Wet Brush & Biolage Shine Milk
My best friend does hair and got me hooked on both of these products. I keep recommending this brush because moms keep talking about hair brushing battles with their children. One of my darling blondies has sensory issues and cannot deal with having her hair brushed or washed. A few sprays of shine milk on the ends and she doesn't even mind having her hair brushed when its wet. If you have a sensitive child, I can't recommend the Wet Brush enough.
I also use it for myself (I prefer the paddle brush) because it works well and feels good. I keep a mini brush in my bag and in the bathroom as well because it's just the right size for little hands and fosters independence. They come in a lot of fun prints and colors and are also available at Target.
Note about knock-offs: I bought a few small off brands at Sally and while they feel good, they haven't held up nearly as well as my Wet Brushes. The bristles bent over and the handles got gummy.
Biolage Shine Milk is a great, lightweight detangler. It smooths and tames fly aways and dry hair and does a great job refreshing my girls bed head. My friend recommends it for all hair types and uses it on all of her clients after washing their hair. I may or may not have five bottles of this stuff hoarded in my cabinet.
Wool Dryer Balls
Twirl Dresses
I can't make a list of our year without including the Lularoe Dot Dot Smile Twirl dress- the ultimate twirling dress for little girls (click on this link for a 5 second video of the twirling). I mentioned sensory issues above- this dress has single-handedly eliminated clothing battles with my daughter. She picks a dress, I pick a bow, she's dressed and darling. She wears Playground Pals shorts/bloomers under them so she even wears them to the park and PE. She also wears leggings underneath when it's cold and a cardigan or jacket on top when necessary (we live in Arizona so these are definitely suitable for about 11.5 months of the year here!)
We buy from Lularoe with Lauren but there are consultants all over the country, check out instagram and facebook. These dresses cost more than I normally spend on kids clothes but they are made in the USA and definitely support my new less is more, becoming minimalist policy. I could throw away 95% of the other stuff in their closets and they would never notice. They also broke my 2 year old's Princess Dresses Only Habit that got old after about five minutes. I do laundry so often that having just a few of these works fine- machine wash and hang to dry. Watch the rest of your kids clothes languish (is that good or bad?) I love the Cassie pencil skirts and happy patterned baseball tee's for myself.
This is a decidedly un-cooking list, but if you are looking for recommendations I have lots of posts for my favorite kitchen tools. What's on your list this year? I love reading people's recommendations!
*some affiliate links used. that means you pay the same price but a portion of the sale price comes back to me to help support this sorely neglected blog and my Trader Joe's habit.*
