Favorites: New Tea Collection / Australia

The latest Tea Collection line celebrates the adventurous spirit of Australia. Remember Lucas and Theo rocking the collections inspired by Japan, Italy and India? I've always wanted to travel to Australia--it was one of the top picks for our honeymoon. I love all the inspiration from the animals, the surf, the sun and the incredible natural beauty of Australia.

To kick off the Australia inspired collection, I took Lucas on a day date to San Francisco--I've heard Sydney is very similar--where we started the day at Tartine Manufactory, then headed to Ocean Beach and Land's End, and ending our date with an amazing lunch at Outerlands.

Lucas and Theo really love all the graphic t-shirts, and cozy playwear pants and shorts. The items shown in this post include the Pacific Surf Graphic Tee (you can see Lucas modeling it on the site!), Ishigaki Swim Trunks, Shima Rash Guard, and the Side Stripe Shorts. I just placed another order of the new arrivals and can't wait for them to put them on so I can snap some pics.

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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.

+ This post is in partnership with Tea Collection and contains affiliate links. All words and opinions are my own.

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

+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper), Twitter (@good_on_paper),
Pinterest (@goodonpaperdes) and Tumblr (hellogoodonpaper)
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Favorites: New Tea Collection / JAPAN

I love the latest Tea Collection line inspired by travels to Japan. Remember Lucas and Theo rocking last season's collection inspired by Italy and the season before that inspired by India? As a Tea Ambassador, I was asked where I would take my family if I could travel anywhere and guess where I chose? JAPAN. Yep! I was super excited when the latest collection was inspired by Japan--I love Japanese food and would probably choose it over any other kind of food to eat for the rest of my life.

Check out the entire Tea Collection and get 20% off EVERYTHING with FREE SHIPPING during the Labor Day Sale with code HELLOFALL.

What better way to kick of the Japanese inspired collection with the Mount Fuji Graphic Tee and a game of Pokemon.

I took Lucas on a day date to San Francisco's Japantown. I hadn't been there in years and I thought it would be a fun place to explore with Lucas and get a giant bowl of udon. Our first stop was the Kinokuniya Bookstore. With hundreds of books about art and culture, gifts, and everything Pokemon related, Lucas was in heaven. Needless to say, there was a lot of, "Mama, can I get this? How about that?" We were both a little overwhelmed so I gave Lucas a budget that he had to stick to. He spent it on a Pokemon encyclopedia, a box of Pocky sticks and a water gun. Go figure!

Lucas pairs the Robotto Graphic Tee with the French Terry Playwear Pants.

There were so many little shops in the mall and so much stuff to touch! 

Secretly glad this video game shop with the giant Pikachu was closed.

Pocky sticks are a MUST.

A giant bowl of noodles are my comfort food. For lunch, we went to Udon Mugizo, one of the best spots in the city for hand pulled udon. This dimly lit small restaurant inside the Japantown mall was the perfect spot to take a break and recharge.

Believe it or not, Lucas pretty much finished his entire bowl of noodles, tofu sheet, and fish cakes. Being a true Asian, I took the broth home. The next night I heated up the broth and added udon and some greens. Easy dinner done!

Lucas wears the Udon Graphic Tee.

I took Theo out in his Rice Graphic Tee to get some delicious savory porridge (pink and brown rice, red quinoa, amaranth, sesame oil and gomasio), avocado toast and hot chocolate at Bartavelle in Berkeley.

Lucas wears the Kasai Zip Hoodie.

+ Check out the entire Tea Collection and get 20% off EVERYTHING with FREE SHIPPING during the Labor Day Sale with code HELLOFALL. Ends Tuesday, 9/6/2016.

+ This post is in partnership with Tea Collection and contains affiliate links. All words and opinions are my own.

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Pinterest (@goodonpaperdes) and Tumblr (hellogoodonpaper)
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Favorites: Ziraffe Store + Instagram Takeover

Last week I partnered with the super cute modern kids online shop Ziraffe, to take over their Instagram feed. Owner and mama Yunyi Zhang sent over a couple of outfits for Lucas and Theo and she was spot on in choosing for their personalities. We discovered some cool new European brands including Macarons, Munster Kids and arsene et les pipelettes.

I shot Lucas and Theo in their cool outfits just doing everyday things like playing Pokemon with daddy, eating a giant bowl of noodles, drawing, wrestling and visiting Nana and Grandad in Santa Rosa. We also went on a mama and Lucas day date to visit Tartine Bakery in San Francisco where we had croissants, hot chocolate and an almond latte. Lucas would always say how much he loves croissants and that the ones he's had from Costco are so yummy. It only took one bite of Tartine's croissant to declare them the best he's ever had.

Check out my takeover on Ziraffe's Instagram feed. And here are all the outtakes!

Sign up on Ziraffe to get 25% off your first order and free shipping on all US orders.

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Favorites: New Tea Collection / ITALY

The new Tea Collection is inspired by travels to Italy and it's SO good. From cute graphic tees to super wearable pants for my two active boys, the latest collection is hard to beat (though this one inspired by travels to India from last year is close). Lucas is wearing the Gran Premio Graphic Tee and the French Terry Playwear Pants while Theo is wearing the Night on the Town Pajamas, the Fulmine Graphic Tee and the Ready Set Joggers. Check out the entire Tea Collection boy's clothing sets and scroll down for a 15% off discount code for my readers :)

We started the day hanging out at home eating one of Nick's awesome omelets, playing and drawing before heading out to Nana and Granddad's in Santa Rosa. Nick decided to take us to see the elementary school he went to when he was a kid where Granddad is STILL on the school board. Go Granddad! It was recently remodeled and the school grounds were perfect for the kids to ride around on their Mini Micro scooters (best scooters ever!) and romp around on the new play structure for hours.

Side Note: This BluTrack toy is one of the best things ever. I put it on my Toy Guide a couple years ago and Lucas and Theo still play (nicely) with it all the time.

We all just love this shirt--Lucas' Granddad used to race cars so Lucas couldn't wait to show him his new tee.

Always moving--whether it's their bodies or their eyeballs ;)

Finally made it to Nana and Granddad's house where there's so much outdoor space for climbing, running, falling down and getting up.

Here we are at Wright Elementary.

Lucas the Ninja

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This mural is still here after 35 years!

+ This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. Tea Collection is offering 15% off your purchase for new customers with code GOODONPAPER15. This code is valid from 2/29/16 - 6/1/2016 and cannot be used with other promotions or on third party merchandise.

+ Get 25% off Tea Collection's favorite spring styles with code ROMA

+ Tea Collection ships to Canada for a flat rate of $15, free for orders over $150!
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Favorites: Ink & Wit

I've been a longtime fan of Ink & Wit, the illustration and design company of Tara Hogan. I met Tara at the National Stationery Show in New York over 8 years ago and just loved her and her sweet illustrations and organic style--I have kept two of her letterpress calendars from a few years back. Now a sweet mama of two boys, Tara has a line of super soft and simple t-shirts for kids and mamas. Two little boys is no joke--finding the time to get back into the swing of things work wise is a huge deal and I'm in full support of that. Tara was kind enough to send us the Earth Dweller t-shirt for Lucas, the Cloud Hopper Rain Stopper t-shirt for Theo and the Moon Mama t-shirt for me, and we have been wearing them all the time. I love the super soft cotton and the gender neutral colors and designs. Plus, they're made in the USA from 100% Fine Jersey cotton.

See how cute Lucas and Theo look in their new t-shirts and scroll down for a sweet discount code for shirts and scarves in the Ink & Wit online shop.

I really don't like photos of myself but I love this t-shirt so I'm making a sacrifice ;) By the way, this is a size large so it's a bit on the looser side which I prefer. Thanks to Nick for snapping these.

Tara is offering Good on Paper readers 10% off shirts and scarves with code GOODONPAPER10. Also, check out their beautiful hand block printed Tulsi scarves--more to come on those! Thanks so much Tara!

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Holiday Gift Guide: For Babies and Kids

Here are some of my favorite gifts for babies and young kids--there's so much cute stuff out there right now, I could have gone on and on. Here's a list of my favorite childrens books and my favorite toys for kids.

1 /  Areaware Horseshoe Magnet - Made of beech wood, this super strong magnet has twice the lifting strength of a bar magnet.

2 /  Plae Sneakers - We LOVE these shoes. They're flexible, breathable, washable, lightweight, stylish and vegan. Plus, they're customizable with interchangeable tabs.

3 /  Deuz Organic Nature Playmat - This mat is perfect for little ones to hang out on and let their imagination run wild.

4 /  Little Miss Workbench Natural Camera - I love this camera and recently bought it as a gift for friends due very soon. Handcrafted in the USA and finished with natural beeswax sealant and packed in an organic cotton canvas case.

5 / Rylee + Cru Foxes Jumper - This is just adorable. If only I could stuff Theo into one!

6 / Hedley & Bennett Wishbone Jr. Apron - Theo loves baking with me in the kitchen and we love our Hedley & Bennett apron. This would make an awesome gift for your little baker or chef.

7 /  Whoa Bots Ninja! - Make a tower, knock them down, build them up. Lucas is all about ninja everything these days.

8 /  Sycamore Street Press Indigo Alphabet Print - Such a beautiful print for a child's room and doesn't look too kid-like.

9 /  Mabo Organic Fleece Sweatshirt - How cute is this cozy sweatshirt with wooden buttons on the opening? We love Mabo everything!

10 /  Iddy Biddy Fleece Jogger - We love Iddy Biddy clothes--remember Lucas and Theo sporting their duds earlier this year? These cozy fleece joggers are so cute and comfy!

11 / Walnut Animal Society Clover the Fox - Made of soft brushed wool, these charming animals are lovingly handcrafted in the USA, using natural and locally-sourced materials whenever possible. We love our Henry the Fox!

12 / Pengaloo - Instead of a traditional board game, go on a South Pole Egg-spedition with this all wooden memory game. Strengthens color recognition, visualization, memory and social skills

13 / Janod Alphabet Puzzle - Learning the alphabet is super fun with this all wood puzzle.

14 / Different is Awesome Book - We love this book by Ryan Haack. Simply written with a powerful message, this book helps kids understand how everyone is different and that being different is awesome.

15 / A Magical, Personalized Storybook - This personalized storybook is far from cheesy. Choose from two books that will take your child on a courageous journey personalized to the letters of their name. 

16 / Butterfly Joint Gift Certificate - Another great gift idea is an experience. Give a gift certificate to a favorite museum or a class like a woodworking class at the Butterfly Joint. Lucas had the best time when we visited.

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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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