Favorites: Swoop Mini Bags

I don't know what's worse--a million Lego pieces all over the house or a few Legos on the floor that you step on with your bare feet. Ouch, right!?! Either way, Legos need a place of their own. Lucas and Theo were so lucky to inherit their cousin's gazillion Legos which they love and play with on a daily basis (remember our trip to Legoland?). And Lucas just got a bunch of new Legos for his 6th birthday. Though we have some Ikea storage bins, we could always use more storage for all those tiny pieces. So when Sarah at Swoop Bags sent us their new Swoop Mini Bags, we were thrilled! Not only are they perfect for storing the Legos and MagnaTiles they're playing with at the moment, but they are also great for traveling--we just took them to visit Nana and Grandad in Santa Rosa last weekend! And I swear they encourage cooperative play! Win Win! ;)

Designed and made in Seattle of tough, water-resistant nylon fabric, they have an inside pocket, heavy duty nylon cording with locks, are machine washable (yay!) and have a lifetime warranty.

Scroll to the bottom to find a special discount from Swoop Bags.

Hello, mini pocket!

Took our Legos and MagnaTiles to Nana and Grandad's house for the first time!

I love that these Swoop Mini Bags can hold so much yet cinch up easily and feel so compact.

+ Sarah at Swoop Bags is kindly offering 20% off in their Shop with code GOOD20 through Sunday, June 5th.
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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: 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.