One Lovely Thing

I think that Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. can do no wrong. I can't wait until this gem is available to add to our bookshelf! xo, Lauren

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Little Reader

One of my favorite things to buy for the girls is books - you can never have too many! Here are a few on our list:

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Puffin Hardcover Classics Box Set

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett 

Heidi, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess: Puffin in Bloom Books

Once Upon an Alphabet: Oliver Jeffers

Foxy Bookshelf: Cardboard Friends on Etsy

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

Brownstone Bookcase: Land of Nod

Peter Pan: J.M. Barrie

Big Wolf & Little Wolf: Nadine Brun-Cosme

P.S. I still love the books in my 2012 and 2013 Holiday Gift Guides for Little Readers! You can check them out here and here.

Lovely Reads: Puffin in Bloom

I just discovered Puffin in Bloom and I am kind of obsessed. They're illustrated by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. and I swear she can seriously do no wrong. Amazing. You can find them on Amazon (available for pre-order and only $12 each - wee!):

Anne of Green Gables . Little Women . Heidi . A Little Princess

25+ Sweet (but Sugar-Free) Easter Gifts for Kids

I have nothing against a little candy on holidays, but I like to fill Violet's Easter basket with other things too. Here are over 25 of my favorite alternatives to the sugary stuff:

1. Rainbow Stacker
2. Flower Jump Rope
3. Colored Pencils
4. Egg Shaker
5. Bunny Bag
6. Beeswax Crayons
7. Silly Putty
8. Pinky High-Bounce Ball
9. Paint Your Own Bunny
10. Eggling Crack and Grow Plant
11. Boon Odd Ducks Rubber Duckies

12. Inch by Inch

13. Ant Farm
14. Wooden Sailboat
15. Blabla Wooly the Sheep
16. Bubbles
17. Play-Doh Eggs

18. Pat the Bunny

19. Tulip Clips 

20. The Tiny Seed

21. The Runaway Bunny

22. Easter Egg Crayons

23. Wooden Duck Call

24. Red Metal Watering Can

25. Embroidered Tulip Clip

26. Egg Cup Car

27. Garden Treasure Box

P.S. 50 More Easter Gift Ideas + Free Printable Bunny Bag

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Little Reader

Puffin Classics Set ($140) | This Moose Belongs to Me ($11.16) | Journey ($10.27) | The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm ($39.99) | P'Kolino Book Buggee ($36.40) | Madeline and the Old House in Paris ($17.99) | Little Owl Lost ($) | Maps ($35) | I Want My Hat Back ($12.72) | We're Going on a Bear Hunt ($10.88) | Pride & Prejudice ($8.99)

Last year's little reader gift guide plus don't forget to enter the foxy thing and play time giveaways!

2013 Holiday Gift Guide:

For Your Little Artist

For the Babes

Make Believe

Musical Toys

Play Kitchen

Animal Friends

Little Movers

Pretend

Dolls

Featured:

Candlewick

The holidays are just around the corner!  It’s time to get in a holly jolly mood, break out the eggnog, and select some wonderful gifts for your loved ones.  

Easy to wrap or tuck inside a stocking, our seasonal titles are perfect for family togetherness. Please visit our website to view our 2013 gift-giving picks, tailor-made to spread holiday cheer. 

We have some dynamic picture books on our list including How to Train a Train, a field guide to finding, keeping, and training your very own pet train – a must-have for young train lovers. Also among our holiday favorites are Forever, a charmingly illustrated story about the bond between a polar bear mama and her baby, and With a Mighty Hand, a unique adaptation of the Torah brought to life by richly-hued paintings. Offering all of the games, puzzles, and comics you can dream of, The Goods: Volume 1 by McSweeney’s is the perfect way to spend a snowy day indoors. Finally, Dragonology, the book that launched the New York Times best-selling Ology series ten years ago, is now available in a stunning anniversary edition.

  

Baby Lit Board Books

Just a PSA - Baby Lit board books are on sale at Zulily! xo, Lauren

Get On My Shelves!

Peter Pan . The Wizard of Oz . Pippi Longstocking

I'm completely smitten with these pretty children's books over at Anthropologie - curse you Penguin for making me want to re-buy books that I already own!

My Everyday: Stories We're Reading

Sorry I'm a bit late on this post! It was supposed to run last week, but we were all sick and it just didn't happen. But better late than never, am I right? In case you missed the first post in the series, My Everyday is all about what a typical day looks like for other mamas. Some of my favorite bloggers have agreed to share bits and pieces of their everyday lives here on A Lovely Lark, and there's a link up below for you to add your own posts (or if you don't have a blog, you can let us know what stories you're littles are loving in the comments!) 

Lately when we read, Violet actually likes to read to Lucy. No, she can't read words yet, but she knows a lot of her stories by heart and makes up the rest from the pictures. It's so much fun to watch as a mom!

A lot of our books these days actually come from the Salvation Army. Most are 25-50 cents a book, which you really can't beat, and a lot are in great condition. It's definitely a hunt to dig through all of the shelves and bins and boxes compared to typing in the title of a book on Amazon, but it's worth the savings for sure! Sometimes I have to dig a book back out of Violet's basket that I know she won't like and sneak it back onto the shelf :) I think she enjoys the hunt just as much as I do! Her current favorite books include anything Disney princess, Are You My Mother? and Little Owl Lost (which are very similar storylines), I Want My Hat Back (although she doesn't quite get the story yet she still loves it anyway), a book of fairy and folk tales, and most Dr. Seuss tales.

Next up is Shari of Spearmint Baby. Did you know that her youngest, Rexford, was born only a few days before Violet? We were pregnant "together" and I worked with Shari for a bit when I contributed to Spearmint Baby - she's one of the nicest and hardest working ladies I know! Here's what stories her kids are into...

Hi A Lovely Lark readers! I'm Shari from Spearmintbaby.com and I'm guest posting today for Lauren's "Our Everyday" series...

So, a bit about reading...

This is the first year that both of my kids are going to school full time. Harper is 4.5 and Rexford is 3.5 years. They attend a Spanish immersion elementary school that starts at 3 years old. It is a fabulous curriculum that teaches about a third of the six hour day in Spanish. Once they reach kindergarten it will be 50/50 English/Spanish.  When we walk into the classroom each morning we are greeted with, "Buenos dias!" and all kinds of friendly Spanish chatter. It is fascinating to see all of these little ones following Spanish direction already. No joke when they say children are like little sponges! When I pick the kids up from school Harper is usually singing some fun Spanish song (lately Un Elefante se Balanceaba) the entire ride home. She has also started correcting my pronunciation on things like "verde" and "delicioso!"

A few weeks ago, the school sent home the first of the monthly Scholastic Reading Club flyers. The flyers look exactly the same as they did 25 years ago... that same newspaper print! Since they are at an immersion school, Harper and Rex brought home both English and Spanish book flyers. We ordered a ton of new books, mostly in Spanish since our current book collection is almost entirely in English. I love the idea of ordering from Scholastic because each book you purchase earns points for the classroom library. Supporting the public school system and its fabulous teachers is really important to me!

Almost every evening after school we pick out a few of our new books, get into bed, and spend about 15 minutes reading together.  The kids are usually exhausted so laying in bed with a bunch of books feels like the right thing to do! (If you're interested all of the books below can be found and ordered through Scholastic.com).

Thanks so much Lauren for letting me share a bit about the stories we are reading!

And last but not least here's a peek at Drea of OhDearDrea's sweet little Marlowe reading her stories of choice:

Here is the schedule of topics in the My Everyday series if you want to play along!

• Wed Oct 16th - My mom uniform
• Wed Oct 23rd - How we do the grocery store
• Wed Nov 13th - Typical Lunch
• Wed Nov 20th - Naptime
• Dec 4th - Favorite Holiday Traditions
• Wed Dec 11th - Favorite toys
• Wed Jan 15th - Getting the chores done
• Wed Jan 29th -Typical Dinner 
• Wed Feb 12th - Arts & Crafts
• Wed Feb 26th - Bedtime

Violet's Favorite Apps

I've been trying to find fun apps for Violet to play with while I'm feeding Lucy, as she always seems to get really jealous while we're nursing. I've tried reading to her during that time, but Lucy is a very thrashy eater and I'm just not coordinated enough to manage it all without frying my last nerve. Luckily we've found a bunch that occupy her and make her feel like she's getting to do something special. Here are her faves:

Nosy Crow's Little Red Riding Hood:

We seriously both love this app - it's really interactive, a super cute take on the story (no one gets gobbled up), and my favorite part is that it's a choose your own adventure book as there are different paths you can choose for Red Riding Hood to follow.

The Three Little Pigs by the Nosy Crow:

This one isn't quite as interactive as Red Riding Hood, but Violet still loves it. For some reason we can't get the wolf to blow with our microphone - we have to press the button (maybe because we have an older iPad?) but otherwise this one is a ton of fun!

Nosy Crow's Cinderella:

Can you tell we love Nosy Crow? This one is very interactive as well - Cinderella asks you to help clean up the kitchen and get her stepsisters ready for the ball, and you can aid the fairy Godmother in finding items to transform so that Cinderella can attend as well. Violet acts like she is sooo tired after helping Cinderella clean up the kitchen - it's pretty hilarious!

Toca Boca Hair Salon 1 & 2:

Violet LOVES to cut, shave, comb, wash, curl, and blow dry the hair of all of the quirky characters in these apps. The second version has a lot more options, but she likes a lot of the fun characters (like the lion above) in the first one.

Foot Spa and Cupcakeroo:

Okay, kind of creepy, but Violet apparently loves to give pedicures. She washes the foot, rinses it, trims the toenails and cuticles, removes the old "toenolish", and of course paints the nails, and outfits them with sparkly gems and new shoes.

Cupcakeroo is basically virtual baking - you choose your recipe, mix up all of the ingredients, add icing and candles and all kind of goodies on top. And then of course you blow out the candles and eat the cake - yum!

Disney's Storytime App:

Love this - your child gets to choose books by character, and while at first I thought it would just be shortened versions of the movies, I found out that they are actually totally new stories with the characters your kid already loves. You get a few books for free and then can buy credits for your child to "purchase" new stories. The illustrations are very good (I'd expect nothing less from Disney), and your kid can choose to have the book read to them or to read it by him or her self, so I'd say that this one has some longevity.

So there you have it - if you need to entertain a toddler for oh, say 15-20 minutes I highly recommend all of these. Sorry, most are not free, but a few bucks (to me) is a small price to pay to not have a toddler crying and climbing on you while trying to feed a wiggle worm of a baby.

What are your favorite toddler/preschool age apps? I'm sure Violet will eventually tire of these, so I'm happy for any recommendations - thanks so much! xo, Lauren

Making Hotels Feel More Like Home

Posting some travel tips for kids over on Apartment Therapy today! These things were lifesavers for us when we traveled to Australia withViolet. What would you add to the list? xo, Lauren

Something To: Meg of Oh Bother

Our last Something to post is from my friend Meg, who I've known since high school! She just started blogging and I love what she's done so far. Her blog is called Oh bother and she writes about her sweet daughter Holden, life as a working (sort of single) mom (her husband works out of state five days of the week), and my favorite part - her hilarious Pinterest fails :) Without further ado, here are Meg's picks for today:

make: DIY stuffed dino
wear: upcycled little girl's dress (made from a men's dress shirt!)
live: Every Little Thing sign by Susie Harris
read: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
play: garden veggies

Something To from Dani Hampton

I'm excited to have Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet for today's Something To post! Dani has a beautiful lifestyle blog where she writes about her adorable little boy, Henry, and her baby to be. I'm so excited for her and her family to welcome their new addition (and to see what she comes up with for the new little guy's nursery!) Here's what Dani rounded up for us today:

make: lemon curd tart with raw coconut crust
wear: 'yay' sweater and wild things crown
live: orange stripe teepee
read: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
play: make the connection toy set

Something to from Katie Stratton

Today I have a lovely Something to post for you all, created by Katie Stratton of Katie's Pencil Box. Her blog is filled with the most gorgeous imagery, and I have to say I am just simply dying to see her daughter Phoebe's finished nursery. Thanks so much Katie for sharing your picks with us! xo, Lauren

make: diy mountain pillow
wear: ochre dress
live: spotted pouf
read: A Long Piece of String
play: toy banjo

Something to from Esther Garfield

Today's Something to post is brought to you buy the lovely Esther Garfield of Buy Modern Baby. Esther is mama to two adorable little boys, so I was super surprised when I saw her adorable girly pink picks for us today! Take it away Esther:

I'm so excited that Violet is going to have a baby sister to play with!  Inspired by lovely little girls and the upcoming spring, I've got something to...

make: diy lockers
wear: neon pink star dress / fringe suede mocassins  
live: hot pink side chair
read: Spring is Here
play: fade out nesting dolls

Something To from Jess Craig

I'm happy to welcome the lovely Jess Craig of irocksowhat for today's guest post! Jess is a super-inspirational mama who tells it like it is. I think that sometimes blogs can be a little too sugarcoated, but Jess just feels, well, real. She's open and candid about motherhood, her weight loss journey, and how she manages to look completely gorgeous day in and day out - I mean, those eyebrows! But I digress. Here are Jess's fun and fresh picks, thanks so much for sharing them with us! xo, Lauren

make: lit campfire
wear: small skivvies
live: golden toadstool lamp
read: The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids
play: bearded folk man dolls

Something To from Bron Bates

Our post today comes from the lovely Bron Bates of Baby Space. Bron lives in the land down under with her fifteen-year-old, five-year-old, and sweet baby girl. She was one of my maternity style inspirations and is currently rocking one of Sakura Bloom's slings for the Sling Diaries. I hope I look half as gorgeous when Violet is fifteen! Thanks so much to Bron for sharing your lovely picks with us today. xo, Lauren

make: papier mache unicorn bust
wear: poplin halter suit
live: Utzon crimson wave willow chair
read: Olivia and the Missing Toy
play: Omm nesting dolls

Something To from Shari Lott

Today's Something To post is by the lovely Shari of Spearmint Baby. Her blog has been a long-time favorite of mine for nursery inspiration, and lately I've been eating up her idea boards! Shari's youngest, Rexford was born just days before Violet, so I've always felt a special connection following along with her and her family. Thanks so much for sharing your ST picks with us Shari! xo, Lauren

make: cardstock paper animal masks

wear:  star sandal

live: half moon blanket

read: the dot by Peter Reynolds

play:  giraffe plushie

Something To from Bridget Hunt

Today's guest blogger is the lovely Bridget Hunt of Tales of Me and the Husband. Bridget is the mama of adorable little Parker, and step mama to four others! She's also super chic and stylish and completely gorgeous to boot. Thanks to Bridget for sharing your finds with us today! xo, Lauren

make: eraser stamping
wear: Prefresh Lincoln tee
live: notebook stripe pouf
read: Big Red Barn
play: tool bench

Something To from Kirsten Krason

Today I'm happy to welcome the lovely Kirsten Krason of 6th Street Design School as our guest blogger. Kirsten has two adorable kids - Jett and Jane, and I was just recently thrilled to feature her daughter's gorgeous nursery over on Apartment Therapy. (The rest of her home is pretty much perfect as well). Thanks so much Kirsten for sharing your Something to picks with us today! xo, Lauren

make: Charley Harper paint by number kit
wear: polka dot dress / bow sandals
live: giraffe bust
read: If I were a bunny...
play: Melissa & Doug grocery cart

Something To from Reichel Broussard

Today's lovely guest blogger is Reichel Broussard of Copy Cat Chic. Her blog is a must read if you're into creating a beautiful home but are on a budget. She's got the best taste, and I'm so excited to follow along as she decorates her new home. Here are Reichel's picks:

make: Belted Shelves
wear: Ring
live: Vintage Stool
read: A Small Surprise by Louise Yates
play: Little Ozzie