Favorites: New Tea Collection / HOLIDAY

The new holiday collection from Tea is up and it's super cute! My boys are mostly always dressed in casual wear--ready to run, jump and play! Remember their outfits inspired by Japan, Italy and India? When Tea sent me some pieces from their new holiday collection, I loved them but to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if they would wear them. I mean, when was the last time Lucas wore a sweater vest? Um, never. But to my surprise, the boys were super excited to don their new outfits for their Nana’s big 70th birthday party that afternoon. Who knew? I was so excited! The boys spent the morning in the holiday collection playing with their Magnatiles, Legos, Keva Tiles, Pokemon characters, army guys and ninjas. The Windowpane Traveler Trousers are tailored looking but super soft and wearable--definitely a new favorite.

We headed off to Santa Rosa to celebrate Nana’s birthday. It was a cold and wet weekend but we took advantage of the break in the rain to play outside. Off went the Haru Sweater Vest the minute Lucas decided to play baseball—underneath it though was the Yomiuri Baseball Henley, perfect for batting and throwing strikes. Theo was cold and kept his Fudo Zip Cardigan over his Heritage Striped Purity Tee as he scootered around the driveway dodging Lucas’ hits.

I love the versatility of these pieces. They’re fancy but SO wearable and comfortable and if you know Lucas and Theo, they are ACTIVE.

Get 25% off now until 10/30 for the Friends and Family event. Use code BONSAI at checkout.

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+ Get 25% off now until 10/30 for the Friends and Family event. Use code BONSAI at checkout.

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Easy Summer Meze Platter for Kids

When Lucas and Theo get off school or summer camp they are usually ravenous. I always make sure to bring them a simple snack like grapes, pretzels or cut up apples when I pick them up. I was at Target the other day and found these new Chobani Meze Dips made with Greek yogurt. It inspired me to make a kid-friendly meze platter--carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, pretzels, crackers, sliced cucumbers and simple chicken tenders. My kids usually don't love hummus so I thought they might like these savory yogurt dips instead and they devoured them. It was great because adding the chicken tenders basically made this an easy dinner they could eat with their hands.

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Favorites: Bitte Spring Collection

This sweet Spring collection by my friend Maia at Bitte is just the cutest--so many of my favorite kids designers.  Have a happy weekend!

1. ECO-EGGS, EGG COLORING KIT - $10
2. HOLZTIGER, EASTER BUNNIES SET OF 3 - $30
3. ELLIEFUNDAY, ORGANIC BABY BUNNY BONNET (pink) - $24
4. OEUF, CHERRIES PRINT KIMONO - $56
5. OUISTITINE, POLKA DOT BUNNY RATTLE - $29
6. PETIT COLLAGE, MODERN BUNNY STACKER TOY - $24
7. POLKA DOT CLUB, CUDDLY RABBIT - $79
8. PETIT COLLAGE, PETIT RABBIT PUZZLE - $5
9. BAJO, MINI CAR (natural) - $9

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PlanetBox Rover Lunch Box

When I was little, I had a Strawberry Shortcake lunch box. That was it. Just one lunch box with a giant thermos sitting next to my sandwich. When I got older, my mom would pack my lunch in a brown paper bag with my name written on the outside. That was it. So simple. Those were the days.

Nowadays there are so many options for lunch boxes--each one with a promise to be the best one. But I've come to realize that, just like a stroller, there's no one perfect lunch box. So when PlanetBox sent me their Rover to try out, I put it to the 3-year old preschooler test with Theo. And so far it has passed with flying colors.

Measuring 10 x 7 x 1.5 inches, the Rover resembles an old school lunch tray with compartments (love!) and it's made of high quality stainless steel (also love). It comes with two smaller air-tight/waterproof containers (Little Dippers) that are great for yogurt, applesauce and hummus. Holding nearly 4.5 cups of food, the Rover is a great way to sample a wide variety of foods. And if you know Theo, that kid loves to eat.

Another thing I love about the Rover is that it's all one piece. I really can't stand a lot of lids and extra parts so the one piece Rover is great and easy to wash. Ooh, bonus: it could go in the bottom rack of the dishwasher! I'm guessing this is probably a bonus for Theo's teachers too who would rather open one piece than a bunch of individual bowls.

One thing I've noticed is that the Little Dippers are a bit difficult for Theo to open. I don't use them every day though so it's not a huge deal--and of course he could just ask his teachers for help. And I figure he'll eventually be able to open them more easily on his own as he gets older.

PlanetBox also sent me their Jetpack backpack that is specifically designed to transport their lunch boxes along with everything else. Unfortunately, the Jetpack is way too big for Theo and turns out it's recommended for kids 6 years or older as it's really big. I'll have to save it until he's in 1st grade :) But I do love its features which include a cool docking station that fits the Rover perfectly flat.

They are also on the expensive side ($49.95 for just the lunch box without any accessories), but I honestly think it's worth the price. It's super durable and will last through Theo's school years.

The bottom line: Considering quality over quantity, I think of it as a great investment. Plus, it perfectly suits our needs and Theo loves it. In fact, I actually think his lunch box is coming home emptier than before. Yay!

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Jackson Family Photo Shoot: December 2015

As always, the year flew by way too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to design our holiday card and take our annual family photos. Of course, we asked our friend Sarah to shoot our family's photos--she's been taking our photos since Lucas was a year old (remember last year's shoot?). Incredibly talented, sweet, patient and a genius with my boys, Sarah somehow magically captures the best little moments--all while the boys are running around like crazy.

+ All photos by Sarah Hebenstreit
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Favorites: Tea Adventurer Campaign

I can't believe Lucas will be starting kindergarten this Fall. I don't think I'm over preschool yet -- he's ready, I'm not. Tea Collection recently asked me to help them launch their back-to-school campaign by sharing Lucas and Theo's hopes and dreams for the year with their #TEAADVENTURER campaign, a Tea-take on the already popular back-to-school tradition of First Day posters. I'm really loving their latest collection inspired by travels to Argentina and Bolivia (remember Lucas and Theo in their last collection inspired by India?).

We spent a Theo and mama day at Pizzaiolo (one of my favorite restaurants) in Oakland where we devoured pumpkin spice donut holes, a frittata and an almond latte, and then getting Theo his first real haircut at the the Temescal Alley Barber Shop.

Lucas wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Thunder, the Rayo Graphic Zip Hoodie in Heritage Blue and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Forest.

Theo wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Arabian Spice and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Olive Drab.

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Favorites: Kids Toys/Gift Guide

When it comes to toys, we have everything in our house from quality wooden American made toys, to metal tractors from Nick's toddler days, to commercialized Spider-Man figurines made in China. Here are some of our very favorites that keep Lucas and Theo (and their friends both boys and girls) super busy and happy (think hours of unsupervised fun!). Many of these were gifts to us and we are always recommending them to friends or giving them as gifts.

1 /  BluTrack 18' Starter Set - This is the most popular toy in our house. Engages kids of all ages and it teaches them physics, I promise!

2 /  B. Pop Arty Beads - Lucas and Theo spend quite a long time making necklaces, bracelets, and other trinkets. Great because they can take it apart and make something new. Also excellent for fine motor skills. Just watch for small pieces.

3 /  Grimms Large Wooden Conical Stacking Tower - The kids (mostly Theo) still play with this one. Big pluses: made from sustainably harvested natural alder wood, the sides of the rings are flat so you could roll them, can be stacked in any order, and looks pretty on the shelf!

4 /  Vilac House of Balls - Most kids are drawn to this toy at house. Theo loves watching the balls zig zag down and ring the bell at the end.

5 /  Modern-Twist Placemat - We love these coloring placemats and use them for every meal. Super easy to clean and helps the kids stay seated at the table (about half the time at least).

6 /  Kinetic Sand - I had no idea this existed until we got them as gifts. It's incredible how you can pack it, squeeze it, and shape it. I love watching the boys create things over and over again (construction sites, buried treasure, food molds) without the mess of real sand in the house.

7 /  Little Sapling Toys Rainbow Stacking Stacking Nesting Toy - This well designed wooden toy not only looks beautiful on the shelf, but Lucas and Theo still play with this all the time. While Theo loves to stack them, Lucas loves to make ramps (using the BluTrack) or pretend they're boats, tunnels, or bridges.

8 /  Battat Garbage Truck - This was Lucas' favorite gift from his 2nd birthday (can we say obsessed?). They both love pushing it down the hallway and jamming as much stuff into the back as possible.

9 /  Janod Robots Chunky Puzzle - Brightly colored, wooden puzzle is super cute and great for teaching object orientation, fine motor skills, and creative play. Plus, who doesn't love robots?

10 /  Munchie Mug - Okay, not technically a toy, but this is one of my all time favorite kid products. It's spill resistant (don't you hate it when your child puts their hand into a snack bin and everything comes out including the top?), easy for little hands to grip, a snap to wash, free of lead, BPA, phthalate, and latex, and made in the USA.

11 /  Oeuf Gold Crown - Also not technically a toy, but I love all things Oeuf, and this crown has been in our family since before Lucas was born. The kids wear the crown every birthday -- it's kind of a little tradition over here (not sure what I'm going to do when their heads get too big!). See the crown in action on Theo from his second birthday.

Apple Picking with Lucas and Theo

The last time we went apple picking was about three years ago somewhere near Boston on a rainy weekend with our good friends. Lucas was only about 16 months old and we made a triangle trip by train (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.) to visit some dear friends. One of my favorite things we did was go apple picking.

A couple of weekends ago we discovered Gabriel Farm, the cutest organic apple farm in Sebastopol. The family farm features eight varieties of Asian Pears, several varieties of Apples, Fuyu Persimmons, Lavender, Plums, and many sorts of berries. Sadly, due to the drought, the apple picking season was cut short, but I'm glad we made it on the last day of the season. I was so happy to have found this place -- it was just the right size for Lucas and Theo to run around and not get lost or in trouble, pick Fuji Apples (my all time fave!), take a stroll, and taste some of the best fruit we've ever had. Plus, we were able to meet up with Nana and Grandad there (they live about ten minutes away) which was a total bonus. We are definitely going to make this an annual tradition.

This pretty much sums up Theo and Lucas' personalities.

This too -- Lucas is always running and Theo is always eating.

I absolutely LOVE these shots of Theo -- he doesn't know I'm there and I spotted him examining his apple and then trying so hard to devour the heck out of it. Too cute!

Silly monkeys

Theo and Lucas adore Grandad.

If you get a chance to visit Gabriel Farm in Sebastopol, I'd highly recommend it. Fuyu Persimmon picking starts October 25th!

What are your plans for the weekend? We have a birthday party and a retirement party to attend, as well as hosting a movie night in our yard.

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Jackson Family Photo Shoot

We had a fun photo session with friend Sarah Hebenstreit of Modern Kids Co. at our home and neighborhood late last year. She is a photography genius and is just so good at what she does. One of her smooth moves involves pretend barfing which instantly seems to catch the kids' attention or at least make them crack up. The boys were squirmy which was a challenge but I love all the shots.

I take a lot of pictures of the boys and have a bunch of the boys with Nick, but there aren't too many photos of me with the boys or our whole family together so this was a nice treat. I will cherish these forever.

// Photos by Sarah Hebenstreit of Modern Kids Co.

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Snippets: Some recent favorite Instagrams of the boys

I take a lot of photos of my boys and love using Instagram to document them. Here are a few recent favorite snaps of my boys. You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid. This shot of Lucas and his buddy Cashel was even chosen for one of VSCO cam's weekly selects. So sweet.

// Photos by Good on Paper

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