Holiday Gift Guide (1 year old)

This is Whitney's first Christmas but even more importantly, it's the one Christmas where he doesn't have any say over his gifts. I know there will be a future Christmas filled with legos and toys but for now, I wanted to focus on some items he needs or things we can enjoy through the winter (okay, and a few fun toys). I know it's not as genuine and sort of"tacky" to have a list but here's the thing... some people love to find that organic perfect gift but some people really like a nudge in the right direction, or, a direct link.

These are functional gifts more than they are toys, and they are based around an almost 1-year-old. He will be one this February and we are so excited to be out in the snow this winter with our 1-year-old. If you are looking for a gift for the little one in your life, this guide is a great place to start. 

Kidkraft A-frame Hideaway & Climber Tent
I loved that his compact climber functioned as a tent too. I figured this would be really fun for his room... especially during the winter months **currently on sale $30 off **  

Seasonal Books
We have a seasonal rotating bookshelf in his room. We have a lot of Christmas and Halloween books now, but we are on the lookout for the other seasons (spring, summer, easter, thanksgiving, whatever!)

 

Flexible Flyer Sled 16"
Hoping we could tote him around the trails and let him sled in the front yard!

Foldable Pail Bucket Collapsible Buckets
These look super fun and easy to tote around for beach or camping trips

Water Table
Kids love water tables! Fun summer activity

LLBean Snowman Kit
How fun is this kit for building snowmen in the winter??!
10% off when you signup for their email list

 

REI Kids Water Bottle
No Caption Needed :)
Use discount code “gearup2021” for 20% off through November 22 anything at REI

 

Playkit subscription

They send high-quality age-appropriate toys on a subscription plan

 

Garden Cart or Outdoor Cart 

This would be great for getting him and our things down to the beach or concerts on the green

Burley Encore Bike/Run/Ski trailer
This is a big-ticket item that Adam and I bought for each other and Whitney - it goes from bike trailer to running stroller to skiing trailer! We bought this as a 2 seater so it's the perfect way for a growing family in the future, to tote two kids around and have a 2 kid running stroller. I originally wanted the Thule Multisport but at over $1,000 and no discount codes accepted, I couldn't stomach the price tag. The Burley is currently on sale at REI and had amazing reviews for a middle price point bike trailer.

Mini Gallery Walls - Poster Store

You all know the past year has been one big home project. From nearly gutting our 1979 colonial to completely redoing the landscaping, we've had our hands full with big projects. 1.5 years later the bigger projects are winding down and I'm starting to focus on the details. I'm slowly hanging art in our home, trying to find that balance between thoughtfully curated pieces and that thing we like to call a budget. I had big ideas for a stairway gallery wall and some of the other empty white walls in my home. For the stairs, I envisioned this eclectic but flowing combination of art, making its way up the stairs in a series of multi-sized black and light wood frames. I started by using public domain art which was really hit or miss in some spaces but somewhere in the middle of this process, Poster Store reached out to me about a collaboration project and I thanked the art gods for sending them why way. I started browsing the galleries of posters and prints and was pleasantly surprised by the selection of themes and categories with a new poster collection released every Tuesday. 

I instantly loved the style of posters and settled into the hard part - picking art. They had it all from quotes to landscapes, watercolor to caligraphy. Poster Store has a unique selection to help create a gallery wall tailor-made for your home. If you browse through the galleries, you will quickly notice a Scandinavian design that is both beautiful and affordable (and you guys know how I feel about Scandi design and updating my home in a way that is affordable). All the posters are printed on sustainably produced high-quality paper and it felt like Christmas morning as I opened up all the boxes of frames and envelopes of prints.

Holiday Gift Guide (my favorite things)

This isn't your traditional gift guide where I put together a set of random things I don't actually own, curated for "Hikers" "Moms" or "The Runner In Your Life".  

Nope, this is a list of things I have bought myself lately (or have been gifted) that I love and think would make a great gift. It's an eclectic list with everything from hiking packs to cordless vacuums. There's something for everyone and trust me, e v e r y o n e needs a cordless vacuum. 

Osprey Poco Plus Review - Baby Carrier For Hiking

If you read my travel stroller guide, you won't be surprised when I tell you I did a good amount of research when it came to our kiddo-carrying hiking pack. To be honest, this was much lighter research. This pack is constantly making the top of kid-carrying backpack reviews, and I really already had a brand and pack in mind, I just needed to make sure this was the right decision and not just the trend. For our family, it was down to the Osprey Poco Plus ($330) and the Deuter Kid Comfort ($315) and we decided on the Osprey because of the extra storage. 

However - this is another one of those "the pack that is perfect for me, may not be perfect for you". Not one pack does it all so you need to find what you need. Before we go into the pros and cons and full review, let me say this

Get this bag if: 

You are a very active family who is willing to make an investment - you are an outdoor enthusiast who wants a trusted brand (and a quality product that will last) and a pack with a ton of storage that is just as good for an overnight hike as it is for a few miles or a day trip. Buy it/check the price here ** we waited for an REI member sale and snagged this pack for 20% off (from $330 down to $264) Use discount code “gearup2021” for 20% off through November 22.

Don't get this bag if: 

You are more of an occasionally outdoor/varied use family on a budget - you only intend to use this on occasion or smaller day trips and prefer the lightest most comfortable option. There are cheaper and lighter options for this kind of family if this is you.  Check out some of the other bags available and how they compare here. 

2021 Travel Stroller Review

I spent 3 days down a deep deep rabbit hole of travel stroller research. 

A deep hole isn't even accurate, it was like Marianna's Trench of googling, videos, reviews, and spec sheets. My husband never wants to hear the word "stroller" again and he thinks I have some sort of problem, but hear me out. There are so many baby products out there, begging for your money and I refuse to just give my hard earned cash to the highest bidder. I wanted to do my research, to see what even makes the perfect travel stroller. Safe to say I sort of feel like an expert and what I came back with is this: no one travel stroller is perfect - you need to figure out what your priorities are and pick accordingly. I learned there are a lot of features to consider and the key to the best purchase is to find what is most important to you. Thanks to this guide, the trench feels more like a large pothole and I'm confident that within 20 minutes, you can pick the "perfect for you" travel stroller.