I hope everyone has had a good week!
Sharing a few things today. The first is two families from the People Helping People giveback that I chatted about briefly last week. I’ve included their stories, as well as an amazon wishlist that they have put together. I know that 2020 has been a challenging year for so many, so hoping to be able to sprinkle a little bit of joy to those in need.
And at the end of the post I’ve put together a gift guide for little kiddos… these are items both the girls have and love… things they play with regularly and that we have gifted to them. Hopefully it helps if you’re stuck trying to decided what to give a little kiddo in your life….
I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead!
PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE
Kathryn nominated her friend Lizzy Kartchner and wrote:
Lizzy’s husband Collin, 40, shockingly passed away in his sleep a few weeks ago while the family was on vacation. He didn’t have life insurance, was the sole provider and had recently convinced Lizzy to go back to school to pursue a masters degree. They have four children, the oldest is 14, the age Lizzy was when she lost her father 🙁 He was an inspiration to children and families, mine included. He made such an impact working with children, traveling to speak at schools across the country. Doing amazing things at https://savethekids.us His TedTalk and IG page is what further influenced our decision to get a gabb phone for my preteen and to keep her off social media completely through high school. I’m forever grateful for his work.
You can find their amazon wishlist here
Taylor Street nominated her best friend of 20 years and wrote:
My best friend for the last 20 years just lost her dad on 11/10 due to COVID-19. His body was not in the best of shape and died within 10 days of testing positive. He did not have life insurance and his wife, Donna, recently lost her job two weeks ago due to COVID lay offs. They are unable to have a funeral due to costs, and Donna does not have money to pay their mortgage this month because she had to use their savings to pay medical bills. She tested positive as well so she has not been able to look for a job or start working again because she is in quarantine. I know that they would whole heartedly appreciate being a selected family.
You can find their amazon wishlist here
GIFTS FOR THE KIDDOS
WOOM BIKE + BALANCE BIKE: We got Harper a balance bike several years ago and I swear it made her transition to the Woom 3 bike so easy (we did it without training wheels in a relatively short span of time)… which is why we ended up getting Camille this balance bike. These bikes aren’t cheap, but they are really lightweight and all components of the bike have been specifically designed with safety in mind and bear the KIDSAFE PLUS seal, something that was really important to us.
MICROBOARD SCOOTER: We bought this for Harper last year and it’s such a great scooter… lightweight, easy for her to steer, and durable. Camille has sort of taken over it as of late, so we will likely be getting Camille her own for Christmas this year.
RESIN ALPHABET PLAYSET: Love this beautiful educational letters set. It’s a great pre-dinner activity that Harper and Camille can do together. It’s all about matching the letters with the corresponding letters on the leather mat. It’s made by two women from Southern California and they offered a 15% off discount with code SHANNON15.
ALL ABOUT TODAY BOARD: I bought this for Harper this year as an “educational” toy. Since she’s not back in school yet, I thought this was a really great way to create that “beginning of the day” school atmosphere at home.
BAND IN A BOX: If you want to give your ears a Christmas gift this year, don’t purchase this gift… but if you want to see your kiddos have a blast this is a great, imaginative, gift. We’ve had a form of it for several years and both girls love seeing the cause and effect of their actions on the instruments.
STIR + SERVE COOKING UTENSILS: Since Harper loves helping in the kitchen when we’re cooking, we purchased her these cooking utensils several months ago as a way she could “cook” alongside us when we’re making something that is a little too involved for a toddler. We give her a bowl and she cooks away with the utensils.
MAGNET TILES: We purchased these for Harper last Christmas and she still loves building with them…. I love that you can add to the collection so the towers + buildings can become more elaborate. We purchased additional pieces for her this year for Christmas. We also brought up this STEAM race-car tile set and the girls have been loving it! We have the 81 piece, but the 150 piece would have been even better.
WOOD SHAPE SORTER: This one is for Camille… I love that it’s educational and allows her to learn shapes at the same time.
GUITAR + MICROPHONE SET: When we were in Park City several weeks ago, the house had these amazing play electric guitars and Harper was having the best time playing with them. I love that this set comes with a microphone.
TODDLER PUSH CAR: This was Camille’s birthday gift from my parents this year and she loves it… it plays music, has two side flaps for her feet, and and secures her in nicely.
BATTERY POWERED CAR: Harper loves this car! It was her Christmas gift last year. She has the SUV version, which I couldn’t find to share here, but this one is almost identical.
BABY DOLL STROLLER: We gave this to Harper two Christmases ago and it’s still a favorite for both of the girls. Camille just recently started placing dolls in it and pushing them around. I love the muted colors + it has held up well over the last couple of years.
FAUX FUR BEAN BAG CHAIR: I’m trying to reorganize both of the girls’ rooms and create a small corner for reading and relaxing… and I’m considering gifting them these oversized bean bags for those corners. I love the faux fur look and think they would be a really comfortable alternative to a chair.
SLIPPERS: Harper has had a pair of these slippers since February… and I think they’re a cute gift for an older toddler or little girl. They’re super plush, come in beautiful colors, and can be worn around the house or out and about since they have the heel strap.
KIDKRAFT PLAYHOUSE: My parents purchased this for Harper back when she was about a year and a half and it has been such a hit with her since… and now Camille loves playing in it with Harper. It’s very well constructed (but be advised it takes hours to assemble) and I just love seeing how much fun they have in it.
