Holiday Gift Guide For Children!

This holiday season I did exactly what I said I wasn’t going to do and left everything for the last minute – and yes, that includes holiday shopping! To be fair, holiday shopping can be absolutely overwhelming with so many toys and gadgets to choose from, not to mention the ever-changing trends and my little girl’s evolving tastes as she grows into a big kid (someone pass me a tissue)!

And then there’s the little guy. Just because baby Fox can’t talk doesn’t mean he isn’t expecting some awesome gifts too. So after a little eavesdropping during Kylee’s visit with Santa and some research of my own, I’ve narrowed down my top favorite gift ideas for them this year.

Gifts for Second Grade Girls

The Dork Diaries – Now that my girl is in the second grade and getting a better handle on reading, she is devouring anything she can he her hands on! This mama is excited and encouraging of her love for reading. These books are absolutely adorable, easy to read, and the best part? It’s a series! Start with the first book and, as her love of reading grows, so will her collection! It might be a good idea to encourage friends and family to add to the collection as well. Her little library will be expanding in no time.

2. Skateboard – I must admit this one wasn’t one of my favorites, and when I heard her ask Santa for it I panicked a bit. In total mama fashion I just see her falling and getting hurt, but after I got over it, I realized this is a great way to keep her active and outdoors. Of course this little baby is coming accompanied by knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, etc… because safety first!

3. This one has to be my overall favorite! As a science nerd I’m over the moon that my little girl is showing a lot of interest in science. Since she is a ‘mad scientist’ – her words not mine – I know this baby is going to be a big hit. Also, as a bonus it will give us some mommy/daughter time as we work on these together.

4. These were easy and so I wasted no time buying this list item – I added a few more games to our family game night selection. Now that she’s a bit older and has a better handle on reading and following directions we can play games that are a bit more complex!

5. This is perfect for your girly girl. As she gets older my girl has become more interested in bath bombs, glitter hand lotions, and scented hand sanitizer. She is even getting to the age of bubblegum body spray. Not quite ready for that. In the meantime, these are perfect.

Gifts For Toddlers

For my 16 month old I’ve decided to go with fun, educational cause-and-effect toys that help with hand-eye coordination and help babies use their growing brains. If I push this button than that happens. Plus it keep them engaged and entertained. Win-win in my book!

Who loves eating keys, and turning mom’s car on by pressing the start button? Baby Fox does! Most babies and toddlers are attracted to shiny keys and the fun jingling noise they make. It’s time to upgrade his chewy teething ring set for this fun alternative with buttons and fun sounds.

2. He’s cute, he’s fun, and he requires hand-eye coordination practice! He is Spike the fine motor hedgehog. Plus after playtime is over clean up is a snap!

3. The Vtech Learn and Spin Aquarium is another adorable learning toy for your little one! It spins, lights up, and plays music for hours of entertaining play. I don’t know about you guys but I’m always down for anything that captures my baby’s attention!

4. No, it’s not a horse it’s a rocking sheep! How adorable is this plushy rocking toy? Guaranteed hours of fun and no batteries required. This is a great addition to any playroom, nursery, or in my case, office. Not to mention it adds a lovely little touch to the decor!

5. For the last (but not least) item I went with a classic. Kylee used to have one of these bad boys and she loved it! This one is fun, helps your toddler burn some energy (that’s a good thing trust me) and its gives them great indoor play during inclement weather.

So there you have it! My top five last minute holiday gift guide! All of these can be ordered through Amazon Prime and arrive at your door just in time for ‘Santa’ (who of course gets all the credit.) And the beauty of it is that most of the toys on my list are on sale and under twenty five dollars with only a few exceptions. Kid friendly and budget friendly. Can’t beat that. Happy shopping!

How to Breath Through Your Cold!

As the cold and flu season nears its end, Typhoid Mary (aka my first born) brought home the bug to beat all bugs – the dreaded sinus infection with a nice helping of upper respiratory misery. For the past month we have been fighting a losing battle. Fevers, chills, congestion and zero ability to breath through our noses. Now we are a family of professional Kermit the Frog impersonators.(we do birthdays, weddings, corporate events etc. college ain’t cheap y’all) After numerous trips to several doctors and a serious cocktail of antibiotics it looks like we might actually survive. However, even modern medicine needs a helping hand and Fox just couldn’t understand why his cute little button nose stopped working.

I was left with two choices,

Get rid of the source (that would be the germy children)
Consult my old world medicine woman. No, not Dr. Quinn but the woman we all run to when things get tough – mami

After reassuring her that, yes I’d cleaned the house, steamed all hard surfaces, and cloroxed my apartment to the point of needing gas masks, she proceeded to tell me that while I had to let the antibiotics do their job I could help out our noses and relieve some of the pressure with one simple thing -an herbal face steam. Of course, I’m skeptical, but when all modern medicine fails, why not try it? Guess what? It worked!! I felt like all those people on the Breathe Right commercials. Coincidentally this concoction does wonderful things for your pores too!

It’s so simple I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. Here’s what you do…

Pick your herbs. You can use freeze dried stuff but I recommend fresh herbs as the scent is much more potent.
What you’ll need:
- a small pot for boiling water,
- 1 sprig of fresh eucalyptus (anti-inflammatory)
- 1 sprig of rosemary (Anti inflammatory),
- 1 sprig of mint (Great for digestion but I chose it because of the strong scent. This is totally optional.)
- Two slices of lemon and a large towel. (and this is totally optional I just really like the smell)

Add two cups of water to the pot and set it to boil. Once the water starts bubbling add your herbs and let it boil for another five minutes. Then remove from stove top. You can leave it in the pot or pour it into a bowl. Move to a comfortable spot, set down, and make sure the steam is not too hot. Let it settle to a temperature you’re comfortable with and won’t burn your skin. Lean over the bowl with the towel over your head creating a tent and inhale through your nose. Do this for about ten minutes. Once you’re done discard the water and herbs, wash out your bowl and pot thoroughly, rinse your face and Presto! A freshly smelling nose with some clean skin on the side.

PS: not recommended for the kiddies because of the hot steam, for my little sniffle bugs I turned on a humidifier with a Vicks VapoPad inside and let it run through the night. Not quite as quick acting but definitely helps.

Hola!

Welcome. My name is Annie and I live in New Jersey with my husband of nine years and my two bundles of everything, Kylee who is 6 and sassy and baby Fox, 7 months who still hasn’t figured out that it’s totally fine to sleep through the night. I’m currently and not-so-elegantly juggling work, finishing my degree, home, kids (I still cant believe that one is plural), and winking at the hubby from time to time while trying to remember if I’ve brushed my teeth.

For the last few years I’ve been waiting to have some free time to sit down and satisfy a passion I’ve had since I was a kid – writing. Well I’ve discovered that what I used to call free time before kids (especially the one I named after a nocturnal animal, way to go mom!) is now bedtime. So here I am, not writing the great American novel but instead recording the ups and downs of this very strange journey called motherhood.