Pages

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide- #4 Backpacks

Holiday Gift Guide- #4 Backpacks




1) Skip Hop. I love these little things. They are a great size for a little adventure or a couple of items sent to school. I think these a better for 5 and under where they don't have actual books that need to come home. 
2) Fjallraven Mini Kanken. These are very cute and hot right now! Sammy is getting one of these for Christmas. I love that the bag is really stuffable.
3) Land's End. These are kind of iconic I think. They have new cute prints and the quality is amazing. 
4) Land of Nod. These are new this year and very cute. I love the whimsical look. Kind of like the skip hop this is best for a younger child as a toddler/preschooler backpack.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide #3 Toys

Holiday Gift Guide #3 Toys


1) Playmags. These are something that Sammy's class at school use and they are obsessed. I confirmed with his teacher that it has been like this for months and the magnetic toys are a total hit. I found these on Amazon and there a few sizes of the sets. If you are a grandparent looking for an educational toy - get this.

2) Balancing Cactus. This is from Plan Toys and can be found on their website or Amazon. This is pretty and made of wood so it is a great unique toy. This really stimulates their creative brains!

3) Melissa and Doug Airplane Set. I love these sets, they hold up really well and make stunning gifts. We're not super fond of plastic things at our house so these are cool and colorful enough for even the most imaginative kiddo.

4) Plan Toys Fire Engine. I like this one because it is simple. And there are not a million small plastic pieces that are going to get totally broken off.

5) Hape Happy Family Car. I got this from Amazon. This is one of Sammy's Christmas presents (don't tell him!) I think this is freaking adorable! Just so cute and I like that he can pretend with it being a family car. Just seems so sweet. Sammy has an affinity for a barbie car so I wanted to get him something all of his own. My husband is evolved but the giant bubble gum pink barbie Beetle is not his favorite thing ever...


These are just a few of the items I really like that I've seen in the natural eco friendly kiddo section. I probably am not the greatest authority on toys since we don't watch TV and I have not seen a commercial in years. But if you're looking for a toy that is natural, sustainable, and really cool consider these. There is nothing at all wrong with plastic toys - we just try to avoid them because they are not always make to be hand me downs. I try to find things that are well made and look great.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide- #2 Accessories

Holiday Gift Guide- #2 Accessories

Welcome to part two of my little holiday series. This series is basically aimed at gift giving for fun little boys and their moms! These are all items that I intend on buying for Sammy or items that are similar to gift we've gotten and loved.
1. These slippers are so freaking adorable! They are from Hanna Andersson who has some great stuff out this year. Usually I skip that place right on by but they are really amazing this season. 
2. These gloves are great. They would photograph amazingly for holiday photos and add a little something to your cold winter mornings. From Hanna Andersson as well/ 
3. This hat is simple but packs an amazing punch. The design could not be more fun. Old Navy! 
4. Flannel PJs make a great gift. These are a favorite with moms because you can usually get quite a bit of wear out of these and in transition months put a tee on with the pants and that look is pretty darned cute as well! These are from Gap. Carters has some great ones out (deer antlers) and Gap has several great pairs. Pottery Barn has them but they aren't my style but cute none-the-less!
Happy Holiday Shopping!

Friday, October 24, 2014

We're One!!! Plus a Giveaway!

Happy One Year to Pinwheels and Trains! I am so excited to be here at this moment!! I could go on and on but let's cut to the chase! A giveaway! This is an adorable Fox hat I found at Target! Please enter for a chance to win!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Gift Guide- #1 Tees

Holiday Gift Guide- #1 Tees
Row #1- Tea Collection. These are great for gifts. The brand is luxurious and really holds up well. Moms love this brand! The colors are so saturated and look great in pictures and with so many outfits.
Row #2 Gap. They have a bunch of great new shirts in. They are a fabulous place to look. I really love the two here and will probably pick them up! These shirts are just cool. Totally a nice casual addition to any wardrobe and like Gap is know for lately- give it that special edge!
Row #3- Hanna Andersson. She is totally on her game this season and I could blow $1K in there easily. Second is Boden. They have a few good things in there this season. This one is really cool and would look nice in photos!

Announcing Holiday Gift Guide Series!

Hello! With the holidays fast approaching I decided to start a little holiday gift giving guide. (To the naysayers that this is before Halloween even... I know a LOT of us need to have Christmas gifts done and dusted before everything gets crazy!) Stay tuned for several gift guides for the little dudes in your life. I will start out with different types of clothing that I've found here and there that I think would make great gifts!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Update.

Sorry for the lack of posting. I try to be more regular but things have been a little chaotic in my life. I have posted here that my Grandfather was sick from Pancreatic Cancer and that I was scared he didn't have long left.

Sadly he died last Saturday. It was a really nice day out with my family. Saturday is our family day as my husband's work schedule is limiting. We went to Target and Best Buy. We were heading for some lunch at Firehouse subs when my mom called. I kinda knew. He died at noon. Very peacefully which is a relief.  He was on some anxiety and pain medicine and I know that really helped everyone. Suffering is horrible to watch and cancer is pretty horrible.

All in all I feel pretty robbed by cancer if I am telling you the truth. He was so fit. Still so active until about a  year and a half ago. He could mend anything- put together anything and repair everything. He was probably one the smartest people I ever will know. I had never considered my children not knowing my Grandfather or him seeing them grow up. I have an eleven year old cousin that he won't see graduate middle school and another not yet done with high school. I know we all loved each other the best we possibly could. I believe that he's in Heaven so there is a lot of peace in that.

We traveled to Atlanta to see my mom and grandmother. It was surreal to be in their home without him there any longer. My parents moved around so often that my grandparents home really represents my childhood home most of all- more memories and good times there. It was hard but I feel like we're all processing and moving forward as these things go. Sammy has been so much help. I just wanted to get this out there- two relatives passing away within a month of each other has been draining and I feel like I've been running a marathon. My to do list will one day get shorter and this season will pass. I am really ready for this one to pass.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Fall Pictures

Fall Pictures
Fall pictures are some of my favorite. I love the colors! Here are some of my best tips for great school pictures.
1. Pick something that is pretty neutral colored. You never know what kind of crazy background they are working with for school/preschool pictures. 
2. You want your kiddo to be comfy. They are going to be at school all day. I like to do an outfit that is pretty much an everyday outfit- just styled up a notch to look nice and interesting without being formal.
3. Add in interesting details that can be left out. Here the plaid shirt can be folded down and hidden if it contrasts too much with the background. I just let his teacher or the photographer know. A vest or a hat. Something with some personality but nothing that can't be removed if it does not work out.
4. Hair needs to be something they can mess up a bit and still look nice. If I full on gel Sammy's hair I know it won't be too great when they finally take him back. I try to use a pomade to get it mostly looking decent and instruct his teacher to comb it a bit and wet it if there is an issue. Pictures after lunch are pretty much a disaster!
5. Skip trendy/prints/patters/characters... unless you absolutely want to look back on that photo in 20 years and see the outfit and not the child.
6. Keep in mind your child's coloring. If they look great in blue make sure there is some blue near their face. If they look washed out in orange skip it for pictures.
7. Finally remember that you don't have to buy them if they turn out badly. We got three prints last time and just used an actual photographer. I think the cost was pretty similar but you mainly want to take the pressure off of yourself. With this digital picture age, you likely have thousands of great shots to remember these days by- hating a school photo won't be a big deal.
8. If you have instructions write them on a card and hand them to the teacher. Such as - wet hair if sticking up and comb down. leave off blue shirt if clashes with the background. please dont force smiles want a natural look. Just little instructions that might help the pictures go better since you can't be there.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Temptations

Temptations



First quad is from Gap. Set from Carters. Peanut tee: Target. Boots & yellow shirt: Tea.

Truthfully. I did find a lot of great stuff that was interesting. There isn't a bunch at Target I just have to have right now. They usually kill me in the Genuine Kids label but there isn't anything I really would buy without a 50% markdown. 
Tea has just what I put here. Maybe a Patagonia jacket but I can't really justify the price when I have more than enough. 
Carters sets interestingly enough will probably be my next splurge/major buy. They have a bunch that I am interested in. And they only go to a 4T so this will be my last size run for Sammy in these. Kind of sad, but again time prepares us for changes because we've really moved on a lot of the things we bought there. When he was small almost everything came from there. 
We've been really loving skinny jeans for this time of year. Sammy is pretty solidly into a 4T in those. Funny how items meant to fit close to him we're truer to size. If it's baggy we can fit into smaller sizes because he's just a skinny kiddo. 
My process is usually to identify the things I think should be purchased. Then I wait. I won't pay more than 50% MSRP. And no where near that on the Old Navy and Carters stuff. Tea I will pay more because I can resell that on one of the Tea BST resell pages on Facebook. Gap too for the most part. So far I have been hanging onto all clothes for an eventual second child- but I know at some point I will be doing a massive online destash and hopefully sending some of these great pieces onto new homes. 

Tripp Trapp....

Tripp Trapp....




Our highchair journey was pretty intense. We started out having a counter height table and our options were very limited. We ended up first with the Fisher Price Space Saver highchair. It was fine. More than fine. The issue ended up being that my son pushed himself off of the table and landed onto the ground. Anyone that knows Sammy knows that he can be accident prone. We didn't need the stress of another injury.

Even before we purchased the space saver - I just could not find a highchair I really loved. I thought the Stokke would be too expensive and I wasn't sure if the features were really for me. I thought it was cute but not sure it was the best choice. And of course at first we were very limited in what would extend to a tall table. 

To solve this problem I started researching. I moved us over to the smaller table that was normal height. At this point Sammy was nearly two and we really needed something that we could justify purchasing. The highchair we did have did nothing to prevent him pushing back. Relying on a toddler to not hurt himself isn't a go-to plan. After much research we landed on the Tripp Trapp by Stokke. It is a classic and can last Sammy until he's an adult. The features of this high chair directly addressed our two main concerns- will this purchase be worth the money long term? And- will this chair prevent him from tipping back and hurting himself?

First off the chair is rated to 300 lbs. It configures itself in a few ways so that we will be able to use this for a long time.The chair isn't distracting. It blends in with our furniture and Sammy is so proud to be sitting right up at the table. The footrest is very adjustable and we move it around as he grows. It was $150 and worth every penny. It still looks brand new.

There are special feet that prevent tipping. You can see them on the image on the right on the bottom of the chair at the end. Any force that pushes the chair backwards forces the chair to just slide backwards rather than tipping with these little feet placed correctly. I did a little research and all reviews I found with issues, the owner had not correctly installed this attachment.(There were a few ominous YouTube videos where the kid pushes against the table and the dad pushes the child back with his foot... no attachment).

At nearly 4 Sammy cannot undo the buckle himself. He still prefers to be buckled in the chair. He claims it is so he won't chase the cat. Preschoolers are basically hilarious. Most of the time he can buckle himself but sometimes needs assistance.

We plan to get a second one of these after we have another child (whenever that way may be) and have a pair of these chairs. They make baby kits so you can use it earlier than we did. The classic design and function of this high chair remind me why I love Stokke. I just wish their cribs were less expensive.

We did purchase the chair from Albeebaby.com for about $150. We have the natural signature edition and love it. We also purchased a cushion for the chair and have been absolutely pleased with it. Wipes down very easily, stays in place, and is holding up extremely well. It looks brand new.

A couple of little tips from me to you. First, after you are done using the chair- slip the buckles over the sides of the chair so you can easily use them again. They do have a tendency to get tucked in and under your kiddo. Secondly- the bottom buckle is long and will get tucked under your child's bum. Just make sure it is hanging down before they sit down completely.