A Visit with the Big Guy

We visited the big guy this past weekend, and I'm calling it a success! Violet didn't want to sit on his lap, but thankfully he was more than accommodating with a roomy bench that had plenty of room for mom. She was too cute - so starstruck that she forgot what she wanted to ask him for! Luckily that's what mamas are for, right?

Lucy was quite suspicious of this strange furry man, but didn't cry when Kev plopped her on his lap :)
Maybe next year we'll be able to get a picture of the two of them together!

And just because she left on the pretty bow that I put in her hair for more than a minute (probably due to the cookie in her hand), here are a couple of pictures from just before we left:

Our Christmas New Year Cards

Based on my Facebook news feed, I'm not the only one who missed the Christmas card boat this year (I hope!) We scored a great deal on professional photography last year ($45 for a 45 minute session plus all of the digital files) but our photographers couldn't make it due to snow. Luckily, we were already dressed and managed to snap some iPhone pictures to use for last year's cards. This year we tried again and this time got rained out. :/

Luckily we were able to reschedule, but not in time to get Christmas cards out. Rather than scrapping the cards entirely, we decided to go with New Year cards this year! I love how they turned out:

I just love Violet's pouty face! She SO wasn't into the idea of posed photos, but did better on the more candid shots. A big thank you to our awesome photographers, The Susquehanna Photographic, for the great deal and for working with our grouchy little person and crazy family! And to Minted for the beautiful cards - we always love working with them!

Here are a few more favorite photos:

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Dolls + Dollhouses

I definitely have a soft spot when it comes to dolls and dollhouses, and so do my girls! They could both play with them for hours. They're definitely some of our most-used toys in the house. Here are a few of my favorites this year:

Handmade Doll Bedding
The Dollhouse Book
Knit Doll
Dress-up Dolls
Mouse House
Doll Carrier
Cottage Dollhouse
Wooden Dollhouse Family
Felix the Cat
Jenny Lind Doll Bed
Handmade Wooden Doll Stroller
Super Ted
Goldilocks Doll
Wooden Dollhouse

P.S. Last year's doll gift guide

Handmade Love

Isn't this the cutest little shop? I found it on Etsy and fell in love with just about everything. You can see more right here. xo, Lauren

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: For Him

A few of my favorite gifts for the guy in your life this year...

The Curious Bartender
Atari Flashback Game Console
Minnetonka Moccasins
Larry's Bag of Smoke
Weekender Bag
German Kerosene Lantern
Faux Shearling Check Long-Sleeve Shirt
USB Vinyl Record Player
Santa's Steak Combo
The Essential Bar Book
Crisp & Co. Pint Pickles
Refillable Brown Leather Notebook
Fireside Chestnut Roaster
Whiskey Stones
Polaroid CUBE Action Camera
Wusthof Classic Chef's Knife
Walnut USB Charging Bank

(Actually, I think I want the Atari for myself!)

P.S. 2012 Gift Guide for Him

Reminiscing...

Tonight I found myself reading back through past posts, reminiscing about Christmases past and dreaming of those yet to come. It's hard to describe what it's like to see your child's eyes light up at the first snow of the season, or how you can almost physically see their little hearts skip a beat at the mention of Santa. I'm so thankful for my girls and how much joy they've brought into our lives. I'm reminded of this during the holidays most of all - everything just seems more magical, fresh, new again. Here are a few of my absolute favorite photos from years past (really I wanted to post about a hundred more!)

Lucy's first snow:

A visit with the big guy:

A very merry Christmas:

Christmas is love:

'Tis the season:

Can't. wait.

Choosing our Christmas Cards

We're getting our photos taken for our Christmas cards this weekend and I'm so excited! We tried for it last year after I got a great deal on professional photography ($45 for a 45 minute session!), but we got snowed out and ended up taking our own selfie photos with our iPhones. Luckily they still turned out great, but I'm very excited to have photos taken of our family where we can both be in the shot without our arm extended lol. I've been browsing Minted's selection of Christmas cards, and I think I've narrowed it down to the top contenders...

1. I love these super simple foil-pressed cards - they really make the photos the focus, and that simple gold-dipped edge is just perfection:

2. Love this year-in-review style card as well. It'd be such a cute way to share some updates with family and friends without writing the full-on Christmas letter:

3. Maybe it's the baby and the toy car, but I think these cards are completely adorable:

4. These gold foil cards are pretty amazing as well - I love the calligraphy and the clean, simple look:

5. Another option I'm considering this year is the ornament card. I love the idea of our friends and family being able to hang it on their tree and use it from year to year as a decoration if they so choose, rather than tossing it in the trash after one season:

Which do you think we should choose? And keep your fingers crossed for us that we don't get snowed out again!

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Little Travelers

My kids have family in both Germany and Australia, and we very much love to learn about the world around us. Here are some of my favorite gifts to inspire your little ones to learn about faraway places and distant lands...

U.S. Map Puzzle: Land of Nod
Statue of Liberty Nanoblock: Alex & Alexa
Scratch-off Map: Amazon
Scratch-off Globe: Urban Outfitters
Sydney Opera House Nanoblock: Alex & Alexa
Pop-up Book London: Alex & Alexa
World Chalkboard Map: Dirtsa Studio on Etsy
Maps Book: Amazon
This is the World Book: Amazon
Paris Play Set: Anthropologie
London Guard Maileg Mouse: My Sweet Muffin
London Bus: Anthropologie

P.S. Don't forget to enter the big holiday giveaway - over $1100 in prizes to one lucky reader!
P.P.S. More gift guides right here

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Little Movers

Boys and girls alike, everyone loves gifts with a little action. Here are some of my favorite finds for little movers...

Wooden Riding Toy: Amazon
Wooden Marble Run: Amazon
Street Tape: Amazon
Wooden Pirate Ship: Amazon
Boxed Wooden Airplane Set: Amazon
Handmade Wooden Car: Ooh, Look - It's a Rabbit! on Etsy
Unpainted Train Cars: Amazon
Wooden Push Cart: Pottery Barn Kids
Slinky: Amazon
Wooden Sailboats: Poketo
Pinky Hi-Bounce Balls: Amazon
Wooden Cars: Candylab Toys
Wooden Railroad Set: Amazon

I also love these road play mats and these handmade custom neighborhood mats. And did you know that if you use Amazon, using Amazon Smile will allow you to donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice - even local ones! It makes me feel a little bit better about all of the online shopping that I do! Because let's face it, getting out and shopping with two tiny people in tow during the holidays is a recipe for disaster! xo, Lauren

(And no, this post wasn't sponsored by Amazon or Amazon Smile, I just love the idea!)

P.S. Last years' Little Movers Gift Guide
P.P.S. Don't forget to enter the 2014 Holiday Giveaway - over $1100 in prizes to one lucky reader, including an Ergo360!