kid reads: holiday collection + book-a-day advent calendar

I've mentioned our book-a-day advent calendar several times over the years, but it continues to be a huge hit here - and I expect I will be doing it for many years to come. Though he's getting a little old for some of the picture books in our holiday collection, Hendrik most definitely still expects to see those 25 books all wrapped up and ready to go on December 1, he loves this tradition so much... which means Freddie's going to get used to it too! Good thing we have amassed a pretty decent holiday book collection gradually over the years. 

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Since I'm getting started now on wrapping all of the books - it takes a while! - I thought I'd share a reminder of this fun tradition, in case you want to try (hint: you can check out an arm-load of holiday books from the library and wrap those up too, making it a free but still really fun advent countdown), or in case you might just enjoy some general recommendations for fun kid holiday reads. Basically I just wrap 25 books (always a combination here of ones we already own from previous years, a couple of new ones, and some library grabs), label them with a number, and Hendrik gets to open one each morning leading up to Christmas. It turns into a fun part of our playroom Christmas decor, in addition to being some lovely reading time together each day - this year I'm going with some adorable dog wrapping paper + some wooden number tags I got from Etsy. (Again, figuring I'm going to be doing this for years to come - time for some easily reusable ones!) 

Couldn't resist adding a few more for our 2021 edition, of course, as shown above - I have been looking for more chapter book/graphic novel options over the last couple of years to go with Hendrik's higher reading level, but it's also nice to mix in some of our older picture books so that he can keep up with the reading (if a chapter book can't be finished in one day), or just out of pure nostalgia. And then with a baby around, I thought we could add to our board book options too, to make it a shared advent calendar - though Hendrik's reading is wayyyy beyond these, he's going to be thrilled to see some new options to read to Freddie.

Below are some past years' setups, and for some of our favorite titles that are wrapped up in them, check out my Bookshop.org list of favorite kid holiday books, ranging from picture books to chapter books.

wearing lately: new mom uniform

I've gone through several iterations of a "uniform" over the years, essentially basic outfit formulas that make it super easy to get dressed in outfits that might seem different but are essentially the same, like jeans + sweater with nice details, or dress + white sneakers in the summer. And I've gone through several versions of a "mom" uniform as well - here's the newest one: jeans + henley tee + machine-washable tailored cardigan. Not ground-breaking or anything, but it's all comfortable and conducive to parenting activities, but also makes me feel put-together and season-appropriate without requiring much thought!

Not only is this a new version of a mom uniform, but it's also a version for a new mom... If I'm going to wear a tee, it's got to be a henley version for nursing access - so I got a lot of use of these short-sleeved versions (I liked that the sleeves were slightly longer, to give it a little more class than your standard henley tee), but now that it's chilly I'm using this long-sleeved white one a lot. Now that I look at it again, it might actually be meant as a pajama top. Whoops, still loving it as my under-layer, so we'll just pretend

And since I'm getting back into the swing of things after maternity leave now, I thought I would pull out some cute flats just to make myself feel the part of working mom, even if I'm still not leaving the house. Have been a fan of Rothy's for a long time and finally tried out the square-toe silhouette. Tres chic! Especially with the fun details on the back, and the jeans-matching color.

five things Friday: personalized presents edition

Is everyone getting an early start on holiday shopping this year? I'm definitely trying to. And while I wish I had time to put together my annual gift grid holiday guide posts this year because they're always so fun to create - and give me lots of gift-buying inspiration for my own life at the same time! - there's just not enough with a new baby around. Instead, here's a quickie guide with a little formula that can work for pretty much everyone in your life... Give a wearable item with their initial on it. 

I think this works great because the possibilities are broad, depending on your giftee - whether young, old, male, female, teacher, friend - ranging from go-with-everything gold personalized necklaces to hats to clothes or bags. And all of these things are more fun with an initial stamped on them, don't you think? 

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I think the idea of doing something wearable is great because it's so useful - a nice personal gesture thanks to the initial, and then also it's not potential clutter even if it's not something they need.  When it comes to jewelry, another way to go for moms is to get the initials of their kids, something on my radar now that I'm feeling all sentimental about having two. Love the idea of this necklace with an F and an H, or a set of stacked rings. These could also be fun to do with a lady's initial + her spouse/partner.

As for gifting to kids, how great are these sweatshirts? Practical but also so cozy and cute with their retro vibe, and special with the personal touch. For teachers or others where you're looking for something smaller, a tote bag with their initial is fun, and you could always stick in some other little treats or a book. I love the minimalist design of this one - very sharp and classy for a simple tote. And finally, I am obsessed with these hats for basically anyone. The baseball caps come in sizes from baby to grown-up, and in a range of colors that would suit husbands, nieces, nephews, babysitters, best friends, you name it. Plus they have beanies too. So cute.

If you're looking for some inspiration beyond this, do check out my gift grids from previous years - links may not all work, but there are general ideas anyway. And the book ideas are evergreen! Happy holiday shopping.

Post created in partnership with Responsival, but all opinions are my own.

mini me Monday: cold weather gear

It's getting cold out there, which means it's time to outfit my minis for winter weather... Freddie didn't have anything warm to his name yet, and Hendrik had of course grown out of last year's gear, so it was back to the drawing board for everyone. Maybe even for the mom, because sometimes to get through winter you just need cuter boots. Here's our (delightfully, if I may say so myself) coordinating cold weather style, sized from mini to mid to momma, that we'll be sporting in the months to come:

mini: fleece bear suit | bear beanie | quilted shirt jacket | mid-sized: boots | Harry Potter scarf/hat/gloves set | three-in-one coat | momma: beanie | boots | quilted cocoon coat | scarf

 

I can't get enough of little bear outfits for Freddie, so you know 100% this adorable fleece suit caught my eye. It's hilariously big on him at the moment, but undeniably cozy. And the shirt jacket! I may have bought that one in 2 sizes so that we can enjoy the cuteness forever.

For Hendrik, I'm a big fan of the layered winter coat, so that you can wear the pieces separately or together, giving you options for 3 levels of weather. For this year I picked one with a rain coat as the outer, because he really needed a new one anyway, and also it makes the whole ensemble nice and waterproof when worn together for winter. The inner down coat has been getting some good fall wear, and then combined they'll be great for running around on the playground. 

And for myself, I have long been a fan of J.Crew coats, with this year's cocoon puffer being stylish-but-warm perfection in my opinion. Also a big believer in Sorel boots, since they have so many waterproof options, even in the "stylish" ankle boots, which is a must in slushy Michigan. I also love that they have lightweight but grippy/waterproof ones that can function more like a sneaker for dog walking and such, rather than having to clomp around in big heavy boots. I'm loving this cozy shearling-lined option for this winter.

currently

 

appreciating: my teammate. Sometimes we still look at each other in surprise - can you believe we made this perfect little baby?! But being a nursing mom necessitates some lopsidedness in the baby care, which can feel hard, especially at 3am. Having a spouse who takes time to tell me I'm doing a great job makes the hard parts more doable though (not to mention all the other stuff he takes care of around here).

getting: started on my Christmas shopping and even my Christmas cards, since I know I'm going to have less bandwidth for it this year. Hoping to simplify things by coming up with one general idea I can use and tailor it to each person - such as all of the kids are getting one of these adorable Rey to Z initial hats, including Freddie and Hendrik. (Another great blanket idea for nieces/nephews: a Kiwi Crate or Tinker Crate. Great for a wide range of ages - but I already did this last year...) Perhaps for all of the adults I'm gifting to I'll do a book. Or something from Shutterfly with Freddie's face plastered on it, ha! Any other ideas??

making: return-to-work plans. I'm thankful that I was able to arrange a gradual ramp up for this month with my organization, because I'm not exactly feeling ready... but this is the week that I have to start back in. Will be strange to be back with my computer on a regular basis, after so sporadically pulling it out over the last 3 months (as evidenced by minimal blog posts!) Also thankful that our moms are willing to do some childcare, because we're also not exactly feeling ready for outside exposures given that the delta surge is still rising here.

sharing: a list of my most anticipated library holds - and hoping that I get to read a couple of them in November!

wearing: full-on coats. As happens in Michigan, it kinda feels like we skipped over jacket weather, and the down coats are now a real necessity. Luckily I have this quilted beauty that I was actually looking forward to wearing.

With the return to work, I think blogging will take even more of a hit than it has in the last few months, so much as I love doing it and appreciate all of you who join in, this linkup is probably going to go on hiatus for a bit. But December is my very favorite month for it, so we've got to at least do one more, on December 1! Hope you'll join with a post on your holiday season currentlies: decorating, feeling, sending, smelling, and wrapping.

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wearing lately: zippers and buttons

I love a simple sweater with special details that take it up a notch - a zipper front and waffle knit, say, like on this one - but I had to laugh at myself in this outfit (much as I felt stylin' in it) because I'm basically a walking version of a toddler's busy board. You know, those learning toys to help them develop skills like tying and buckling and such? Here I've got zipper on the sweater, button-front on the jeans, and laces to tie on the sneakers - plus some buckles on the bag! All I need is to add in Freddie with his little shirt jacket, and we'll have everything covered with snaps too.

Jokes aside, this is a favorite type of outfit - so easy, but the little details on the sweater (and even jeans) make it a little more luxe and interesting. Not to mention nursing-friendly, unlike my existing collection of crewneck sweaters that are going to end up benched for the season. 

Oh and I didn't even really manage to capture well the details on the shoes! Love how Rothy's always adds some fun colorful piping or heel stripes, and the gum-colored soles on this pair make a (creamy) white sneaker feel perfect for fall, rather than my usual crisp white pair that I wore all spring and summer. A washable sneaker is a great plus too - highly recommend, and you can use my discount code if you want to trt them too!