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Gifts for the Construction Loving Toddler & Teaching Kids to be Grateful

December 20, 2018

construction toys, toddler boy gift guide, construction toys for boys

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I know everyone is scrambling to fulfill the random gift requests our children ask of us ( I just Amazon primed a whoopie cushion), so I thought I’d share a few gift ideas perfect for the little boy into all things construction. I think we have nearly all of these items, so I can honestly say they are all great gifts a toddler boy will love. These gifts fall more so into the 2-4 age range. Nearly all of these are available on Amazon, so they’ll get here in time for Christmas. Most of the others are at retailers where you can do in-store pick-up or pay a minimal amount for shipping to get here in time for Christmas.

My top 3 picks from the list:

If you have a little finicky eater, buy this NOW. It was gift we received last year when Braden was starting his selective eating phase, and it made eating so much fun for him, and he would eat a lot more because of this plate and utensil set. We still use it to this day.
This book has been heavy rotation in our house. We’re a big fan of the series, and we have the original, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and the second one in the series, Mighty, Mighty Construction Site as well. I know it’ll be a Christmas book we will read for years to come.
We received this crane as a gift when Braden was 2, but he probably was more into it around ages 2.5-3. He still plays with it all the time, and it’s such a well-made piece since it’s made out of wood, and also functions as fun decor for his room.

With all the gift giving this season, I’m sure there might be some parents who are also experiencing a child who seems to have a lot of wants…I know I’m not the only one after talking to a few friends, so I thought I’d also share a note about encouraging kids to be grateful. See below for more details.

Some thoughts on encouraging kids to be grateful

My kids occupy all my time these days so making sure the season is special for them is pretty top-of-mind for me. I’ve tried to manage Braden’s expectations this year, letting him know he will only be getting three gifts from us because Christmas is not really about gift giving but rather spending time with family. Why 3? Because that’s what the three wiseman gave Jesus, and I just don’t want more stuff in our house/playroom. I know he’ll get other gifts from grandparents and friends, and that’s fine, but from us, he will be receiving three items. And, I told him our family vacation next month is our big gift for us all.

I’ve found that even at the age of 4, there is a lot of FOMO going on. Braden has come home from school recently telling me that a kid at school has a snowman shirt and he wants one, too…or that someone is going to LEGO land and he wants us to take him. I’ve really made an effort to explain to him that not everyone has the same experiences or gets the same toys. Does anyone else struggle with this? Per the norm, I’ve been googling a lot of articles for tips and came across this one, which includes 10 Ways to Raise a Grateful Kid.

Two weeks ago, I encouraged Braden to draw cards for troops overseas. My chiropractor’s office does care packages to troops, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try to teach him about giving to others. I’m not perfect, and neither is my child, but it’s important to me to at least try to instill gratitude in him so he doesn’t have a sense of entitlement and is compassionate to others. Braden insisted on coming with me to the chiropractor to drop them off, and he was so proud of what he did and excited to show them to the person at check-in and tell the dr. about them. Sappy mom moment…but it nearly brought me to tears. He’s currently working on making some cards for his school teachers (to include with some gift cards!). We also made some homemade cards for grandparents and mailed them a couple of weeks ago. I’m a big believer in handwritten thank-you notes, so I want him to understand that something like that goes a long way.

So, maybe it’s writing thank you notes, or drawing a card to give to someone else as a gift, but there are some really easy ways to teach kids to give back a little this season.

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Holiday Pajamas for the Kids and Family

November 5, 2018

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It seems like when November hits, a light switch goes off and there’s a mad rush to get decked out in holiday gear. Unless you’re Hobby Lobby — they start around October 1 or late Sept. which is basically crazy town! I am one who feels like Thanksgiving deserves a little love, so I don’t think I can get the Christmas tree and other holiday decor out quite yet. But, I can appreciate seasonal pajamas, especially for kids. Here’s a post of Braden and his cousin from last year to help remind you of my love for seasonal sleepwear. I’ve found that you pretty much have to buy them now to get the good ones in the sizes you want. And, if you have high hopes of getting a matching set for your whole family, then you definitely need to jump on that.

I have already purchased a few pairs of PJs for this year now I can fulfill my cheesy mom dreams of dressing my two kids alike. I’ve linked some adorable and affordable options below, especially with some really great deals for 30-50% off right now at some of my favorite retailers to pick up PJs for kids. I got these onesie PJs with cats for Emmaline, and I actually picked up this festive PJ set for Braden and Emmaline last year and they have them again. I also think this firetruck set is so, so cute for boys. If you have nieces, nephews or friends with kids, these make great gifts to give now when you see them for the Thanksgiving holidays!

I put together one widget for the kids, and one for adults and family sets. I think this might be the only set I might be able to coerce Ben into wearing, or perhaps a pair of pants only in this pattern. Don’t be surprised if you see me documenting Braden and Emmaline’s matchy-matchy ways soon. 😉 Happy shopping!

PJs for Kids

Family PJ sets

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Easter basket treats perfect for toddlers

March 28, 2018

I had good intentions of sharing this post several days ago, but my intentions seem to be really conflicting with what real life has to offer me lately. I’ll save that for another day or we could go down a rabbit hole. Speaking of rabbits, Easter has seemed to creep up on us. This weekend will be pretty low key for our family: we’ll have an Easter egg hunt with our neighbors and attend church. I think we have a birthday party to attend as well. I’ll be REALLY happy if I get to take a nap or two. The past week has been crazy busy around here, and I know I’ll be ready for a little R&R in a couple of days.

I’ve been collecting items for Braden’s Easter basket for awhile thanks to my impromptu visits to Home Goods and Target, so I thought I’d share a few of those items and other ideas that make the holiday festive. Keep in mind, I have a toddler boy who is 3 years 7 months. How the heck did that even happen, by the way!? Some of my suggestions are catered to his likes, but I think many of these items are perfect for both boys and girls.

I recall my parents doing an Easter egg hunt for us growing up, giving us Easter baskets full of treats and peppering the front yard with colorful eggs filled with candy. We’d collect them in the yard while dressed up in our new church outfits and pose for pics. I appreciate that my mom did that for us, and I love creating little traditions for Braden that hopefully he’ll remember one day, too. I still have to supplement his Easter basket with some candy because I got into that the past few days. #pregnantladyproblems But for the most part, many of these items are easily found on Amazon, which per the norm, is how I roll. My neighbor told me that we’re definitely winning the package game on our block since we get a ton of stuff everyday. I can’t imagine life without the convenience of online shopping!

I have a basket from the past two years that I will pull out once again for all the treats, but I also picked up another basket because it was just so soft and cute. I’ll probably fill this one with smaller treats and let him bring it to school for his spring party and Easter egg hunt. The other bucket is much larger and I got at Target two years ago. I’ve linked a a couple below plus all the treats I have currently hid in a closet until later this week.

Easter basket essentials

Baskets: cute white bunny basket and larger basket with liner that could be used year after year
Books: We have a few of these from previous years (God Gave Us Easter, I Love You, Honey Bunny, Happy Easter, Mouse! and Llama, Llama Easter Egg.) We’ve been reading this one, The Story of Easter, a lot lately which, of course, helps give some context to the holiday that is much more meaningful. I ordered this little set of four books, which I should be receiving in the mail tomorrow. And, this Blaze an the Monster Machines obsession continues, so I found this book that I know he’ll love.
Spring/Summer essentials: I got Braden a pair of swim trunks and new sunglasses. This kid has more sunglasses than I do!
Playdoh eggs – We’re all about the playdoh lately, so these cute little eggs are perfect.
Artsy items – coloring book, paint, and dry erase markers or colors to use on the art easel are always a hit. I also have a random stash of things I pick up at HomeGoods like this model car kit for him to paint.
Plastic Easter eggs – I have a ton leftover from last year but I would go to the Dollar store if I needed more.
Bunny ears – $1 in the Target One Spot section. I pretty much have a whole cabinet with seasonal items from this section. Target created this section for suckers like me.
Items that fit into the eggs:
- Dinosaurs
- Bandaids – lately, they are basically stickers. I picked up a ton in the One Spot Target section and tons of options on Amazon are available like this pack.
- Stamps – One Spot at Target finds
- Stickers – One Spot at Target has a ton. Here are some cute eggs and bunnies.
- Edible items – I have hoarded some candy that I like (and Braden likes as well) because I pretty much deserve it for all my crafty mom Easter basket shenanigans. Fruit snacks like Annie’s Bunnies are always a hit, and the small boxes of vanilla yogurt raisins, which are Braden’s version of crack that I just buy at the grocery store (much less expensive than Amazon.) are always a winner, too.

We are so fortunate to have built-in playmates on our street, so we’re doing an easy potluck Easter breakfast after the kids do their Easter egg hunting. I picked up some Easter egg hunt signs from Target for the yard. Cute signs linked here and here. Getting paper plates and cups for them is another fun way to make the morning a little special for them. I picked up some at HomeGoods weeks ago because I go to HomeGoods and come home with a bag of random things every time. Tell me I’m not alone! I’ve seen the meme that basically says: I go to HomeGoods so it can tell me what I need not vice versa.

Cupcake toppers to put on muffins (store-bought or homemade) are super easy and I have Peter Rabbit ones I picked up at HomeGoods ( are you surprised?) and also saw these cute toppers the other day, too. I bought Braden a few things for his kids table that we’ve already been using like this plate, cup, napkin and utensil set. I bought a set of two so we will have for family breakfasts in the future because I’m a cheesy mom who likes to set up a kids’ table for holidays. Ben – don’t hate. We’ve been using these items the past week or so. I did a Thanksgiving kids table as well, which I shared in this post.

I have a feeling I’ve probably bought too many things and some items will end up getting saved for later. The good news is many of these items are perfect for using over and over again like the baskets or the books, so don’t feel too guilty for buying all this random stuff.

Let Amazon Prime be your friend and make your life easy if you’re still working on putting together baskets. Otherwise, I have seen plenty of cute items at my local Kroger, HomeGoods, Target, World Market, and Pottery Barn Kids. William Sonoma and Nordstrom have festive items, too.

My MIL gave me a Easter bunny cake mold recently, which Ben and his sister told me they remember as children. It’s 3D, sort of like this one. Honestly, this looks like something I could easily turn into a Pinterest fail. This looks really intimidating and sort of gives me anxiety to think about making it. Can you imagine how long it would take to make this? This link say it’s a weekend project. Um, no. If I get a big wave of energy, perhaps I will share my efforts.

If you have any other fun treats or Easter traditions, I’d love to hear!

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Kid’s Room Inspiration: Chalkboard & Magnetic Wall

March 6, 2018

I’ve wanted to create a chalk wall for Braden for awhile, so of course I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. I have two boards saved with playroom and kid’s room ideas here and here. Give me a follow on Pinterest while you’re there! https://www.pinterest.com/laureenloves/

We have a space upstairs that doubles as a playroom and game room, and I debated whether or not I wanted to create this space in there, but ultimately, I landed on putting this space in Braden’s room instead because:

1) We are in the process of shifting him to a new room that’s just a tad farther from the master bedroom that’s more of a “big kid” room. His current room that’s closer to the master will be for the new baby. In B’s new room, there’s a wall that needed something on it, so the chalkboard idea made sense here.

2) I wanted to create space that made him feel special and excited about the transition. We have a queen bed in his new room. When we made the transition to him being out of the crib, I didn’t think he would be ready to go straight to an adult size bed since he likes to move around quite a bit, so I thought easing into a toddler bed in his current room, which feels familiar to him, before moving him to a queen would be best.

While it’s been nice having this room double as an extra guest room, we’re not living in a McMansion with multiple guest rooms; we’re making one guest room downstairs,which is actually my new office — also a work in progress. I hope to share that soon! I’m definitely in nesting mode since I’m now in my second trimester and am no longer on bedrest, so I’m trying to maximize this time to get things done around the house. For me, this means it’s time to purge, organize and make some decisions when it comes to home decor. While on bedrest, I had a lot of time sitting, staring at blank walls, empty spaces and even boxes that still needed to be sorted through. Eek, I know. We’ve been in this house for almost a year, which I can’t even believe. While one would think you’d edit and purge before you moved to a new house, we did not because – well, because life. Building a house and moving while two people work full time jobs wore us down. I don’t think I ever want to move again.

Anyway, back to home decor. I think decorating is a marathon not a sprint, and I don’t have the budget or the decisiveness to pull the trigger on things and complete the transition from new house to new home. I love a curated home, and I’m definitely taking my time with picking up pieces here and there so I feel like our home has a personality. All that said, I’ve made quite the honey-do list for my handy husband and have prioritized rooms, with Braden’s being at the top of the list since he’s here and all. 😉 I don’t have the head space right now to think of the baby’s room yet (total second child problems already!).

So, that brings me to the chalk wall. I’m lucky in that I can show my husband a picture, and he can usually build what I want or tell me if it’s worth it to buy it. He’s my Ben of all trades!

Chalkboard and Magnet board details:

I wanted the chalk wall to also have a magnetic element to it. Braden is doing such a good job of learning his letters and our kitchen fridge is not magnetic. At our old house it was, and he was so good with learning all the different animals when he was younger while were in the kitchen cooking. Playing with magnets kept him entertained while we made dinner, so I would highly recommend these animal magnets for kids ages 1-2 and these letter magnets for kids ages 2.5 – 4.

I came across this chalkboard and magnet board, and I knew it would be perfect for B’s room. I love the barn door element. If I had my way, I’d have multiple barn doors around my house but alas, the hardware for barn doors is a little pricey. So, what a fun way to bring this element into the home and not break the bank. (I have a spot for a barn door in my house that we left open that we’ll put in one day. Don’t you worry, sweet husband. It’s on my list. 😉 ) I think this chalkboard is meant to be in a kitchen or mudroom, and I think hanging in these rooms would be fabulous, too! I’ve been finding some great things at this retailer lately. I bought this beautiful brass light fixture for our playroom/game room and I’m really happy with it. I’ll share more on that soon, but if you’re looking for a cool brass fixture, I highly recommend this one! And, good news — there’s a great sale going on now for up to 30% off, plus free shipping if you spend 100+. This sale ends on 3/6. Use code STOCKUP to take advantage of this amazing sale! I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything from this site without at least a 20% off coupon, so sign up for their email alerts so you know when the good sales are happening (which are pretty often!).

Details on the benches:

I have been a fan of navy buffalo check print for awhile and love that it has made a resurgence lately, probably due to Caitlin Wilson’s impeccable taste and design talent. I want EVERYTHING in her store and as soon as I win the lottery I will be buying tons of her rugs, throw pillows, and wrapping every room in grasscloth wallpaper, etc., etc., For now, her style serves as serious design inspo for me. So, when I saw these ottomans online, I knew I had to find a spot for them. I originally thought they would be great in front of B’s bed but I like them better in front of the chalkboard. B sits on them while he draws or plays and he can kneel on them if he needs to reach a little higher.

I plan to share more of Braden’s room once I get it a little more squared away. Same on my office! I’m sort of working in chaos right now. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into B’s room, and check back for more home posts soon!

Chalkboard & magnet board | I like a couple of others as well – Farmhouse chalkboard or Gray Chalkboard | Buffalo check ottomans | Galvanized Metal Letter

Animal magnets | Alphabet magnets | Eraser| Eraser & Chalk set

The links in this post contain affiliate links, and I will receive a small commission (AKA pennies) if you make a purchase after clicking on some of them. This is a mandatory FTC disclosure, which a lot of bloggers/influencers don’t follow, but I’m trying to follow the rules and be transparent. It takes some time to source things and share the things I love, and I’m happy to share the great things I come across, as I’m sure you might just love them as well. Thank you for your support and taking the time to read my blog!

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Holiday Pajamas for Kids

December 18, 2017

christmas pajamas, holiday pajamas for kids, matching PJs

matching holiday pajamas, Christmas Pajamas for kids

Jack is a little skeptical of Braden’s affection.

matching holiday pajamas, Christmas Pajamas for kids

Kids in matching pajamas might be one of my favorite things ever. We had some family visit a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t resist getting some matching holiday PJs for Braden and his cousin Jack. They’re both at such a fun age right now where they can start to play together. Gifting matching holiday pajamas for siblings or cousins is a tradition I hope to continue!

Honestly, kids in matching clothing is sort of the best thing ever. I used to wonder why people did it all the time, but I get it now. I tried to get matching family pajamas for us this year, but Ben refused. I will have to be content with mommy and me outfits for now.

I’ve linked a few more that are super cute and still available that you can get in time for Christmas! All the ones below I’ve linked are unisex and would look great on boys and girls (the ones I picked up for Braden and Jack are only available in one size, so snag them if you need a 3T. They’re from Old Navy, and they were really affordable!)

Red and green fair isle unisex PJs

Red and white bear fair isle PJs

Santa sleepwear

matching holiday pajamas, Christmas Pajamas for kids, toddler Pajamas

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Thanksgiving Kids’ Table & Tips for Entertaining Kids During the Holidays

November 10, 2017

I just love the holiday season, and Thanksgiving might be one of my favorite holidays because it’s a great time to get together to see family and friends. Because of the season of life we’re in, it means we are often accommodating to feeding and entertaining children who come over for these family and friendsgiving get-togethers. Eating is still hit or miss for us with a toddler, so keeping him occupied while food prep is happening is key. I love putting crayons and stickers out for the kids to get a little crafty with before they eat dinner!

In my head I’d like to think I can create amazing Pinterest-inspired tablescapes, but in reality, I’m barely getting by, so this Thanksgiving kids’ table setting is very accessible for anyone using some basic festive items you can get at Target or Amazon. Some of my decor like the chair backers and plates I picked up on sale from Pottery Barn Kids in previous years, but you can find pretty similar pieces out now like these backers and plates that are adorable. I found some other kids’ table decor items that are on sale like these plates, bowls, placemats and napkins.

I’ve included a few tips below for keeping the kiddos happy and occupied while the adults are mingling or doing food prep.

Tips for Keeping Kids Entertained during Thanksgiving

Crayons with built-in coloring placements are perfect for the kids’ table, and it also gives you the opportunity to talk to your kids about what they’re thankful for this season so you can write down those memories. I’m a sucker for my my kid’s homemade art, so having him color a place setting every year and seeing how they progress over the years is something I plan to do for the next few years. We are having our second annual Friendsgiving ( pot luck get-together with all my yummy holiday favorites) so I’ll probably use this tablecloth for a larger kids’ table.
These cute pumpkins are festive and are great way to bribe the kids to eat some veggies. These little jelly pumpkins are delicious, too.
Give them some things to keep them entertained after dinner, too. I’ve filled the chair backers with fall stickers, playdoh and bubbles, which are all some of Braden’s favorite things right now.
Make things personalized. I love the little place card settings, as it makes each child feel special and causes them to know they have specific spot claimed at the table which, in turn, might make them stay put for a little longer than usual. 🙂

I feel like I’m learning new tips all the time about being a mom and dealing with toddlers. If you have any secrets for making the holidays fun and stress-free for the whole family, I’d love to hear them!

This table and chairs are my husband’s from his childhood. He can remember eating at this table with his siblings during the holidays, and I just love that we have it now and Braden is using it everyday. I have dreams of B and his cousins eating together at this little table! We did repaint it to make it feel a little more modern.