Gifts for…Him.

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Looking for the perfect gift for the special fella in your life? Here's some gift ideas that may work for you, if your guy is anything like Mr. LL. ;)

Gifts for Him:

1. Bluetooth headphones. Mr. LL hates earbuds, and honestly, I'm with him on this. They never fit well in my ears and we both find them uncomfortable. These wireless headphones make listening to music and podcasts easy and they look really cool. (affiliate)
2. Joggers. Mr. LL loves his one pair of joggers, so I'm thinking another pair would make a great gift. They are comfortable but you can go out in public in them without people accusing you of wearing your PJs out of the house. (affiliate)
3. The Monocle Travel Guide Series. Does your fella dream of travel or just loves learning about foreign places? The Monocle's travel books are a great gift for the worldly gent. (affiliate)
4. Travel mug. Mr. LL is constantly losing his travel mugs, so I probably wouldn't get him one this nice, but maybe if I did he would learn to hold on to it. (affiliate)
5. Black by Kenneth Cole. This is Mr. LL's favorite cologne. (affiliate)

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Gifts for Baby: Something to Read

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I read a post somewhere about giving your children four gifts for the holidays, something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. I love reading to Lazy Baby and here are some books that on the very long list of books I want to read to her.

Baby Books: 

1. The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin (affiliate) - "From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, and a clever gatefold with kids in costumes, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids—both young and old. A great gift for any occasion, but a special stand-out for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation. The Wonderful Things You Will Be has a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetime."
2. Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (affiliate) - "Uni is just like all the other unicorns . . . except for one thing: she believes that little girls are REAL. This magical story by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (author of I Wish You More) illuminates Uni’s not-so-fantastical dream and celebrates the sparkle of believing. This charming board book edition will allow the youngest readers to slide down glorious friendship rainbows alongside Uni and the little girl in whom she believes so very much. Be sure to look for the enchanting sequel, Uni the Unicorn and the Dream Come True, available as a hardcover picture book!"
3. This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe (affiliate) - "Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days—and this one world we all share—unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothe transports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book."
4. Little Feminist Board Book Set by Galison, Emily Klienman and illustrated by Lydia Ortiz (affiliate) - "Mudpuppy's Little Feminist Board Book Set is comprised of colorful illustrated portraits of real women who have made historical impact on the world. Illustrations by Lydia Ortiz and words by Emily Kleinman introduce children to these important people in history with images that are fun for youngsters and also realistic. The Board Book Set includes 4 mini board books (Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, and Activists.)"

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New Parent Must Haves

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We are in our third month of new-parenthood, and I thought I'd team up with Target (affiliate) to share with you my favorite baby products that we could not live with out. These items are total life savers.

1. The number one thing I want to recommend every new parent get is a swing. We have this Graco swing, and this thing is the best. Lazy Baby can be put in it, the music turned on and the swing a-swaying and it gives us a break from constantly holding her. She's almost outgrown it now, and I may cry the day comes that we have to put it away.
2. I never could get the hang of swaddling, and the velcro swaddles didn't work – Lazy Baby got out of every single one. When we tried these zip up swaddles, life become so much easier. I just wish they made these even bigger, but I guess babies don't want to be swaddled for forever.
3. We use all the bottles we have, but I really do think these helped with gas in the earlier days. Added bonus, they are the least messy bottles when we're feeding the baby (one down side is all the extra parts you have to wash).
4. Once LB became a bit more aware of her surroundings, she started to love to play with this play mat. Added bonus: you can walk into the next room and know she's still alive by the sounds of the piano as she kicks it!
5. Once you get diapers from all you baby showers...get more. We like Pampers because we found we had less "accidents" with them and I really like their rewards program.
6. Muslin swaddle blankets. I may not be able to swaddle well, but these are big enough that even my big baby was able to be soothed, momentarily anyway. Now she just uses them as regular blankets because it is too hot here in New Orleans for "real" blankets most of the time. PLUS these are so cute!

She's growing so fast that a lot of these things are becoming parts of her past, but I still think any new mom/dad could benefit from having these tools helping them out in the early days. Best of luck!