// Matching 'Jamas + Holiday Traditions

This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I was paid for this post and
received the included pajamas as compensation.

While we didn't really have Christmas traditions growing up, I've always known I wanted to have traditions with my kids. We only have a few that we commit to every year: listening to Punk Goes Christmas while decorating the tree (that's definitely one I implemented haha), each member of the family gets to pick one new ornament for our collection/tree, cinnamon rolls on Christmas Day, and matching 'jamas for the boys (that they normally open on Christmas Eve). Personally I always watch 'Love, Actually' too - usually on Christmas Eve if I can squeeze it in! It's been important to me to only incorporate traditions that are simple in nature, and easy to continue. I never want our holidays to feel like a chore. I love to create low-key activity advent calendars for the boys if I'm up for it, but some years it's just too much. I feel like we've struck a good balance overall.

In the spirit of the holiday I've partnered with Kohl's to share America's Favorite Jammies. Destination Dreamland is Carter's holiday sleepwear collection, featuring new colors and themes, like this precious polar bear and buffalo check pairing. They were so soft when I opened up the packaging. I would 100% wrap myself up in them if they came in my size. Unfortunately for me the Destination Dreamland collection only comes in baby, toddler, and little kids sizes. They have footed jamas with non-skid soles, safety tab to keep the zipper in place on one-piece fleece jamas, and elastic back heels to keep the footies on. For girls they have nightgown and doll gown sets (precious!). The pieces come in cotton, polyester, and fleece options. And the cherry on top of it all, Kohl's always has amazing sales and coupons so you can score a couple sets of these precious pajamas.

The boys were tickled pink to get their jamas early. I have to admit, seeing them all matchy matchy just makes my heart sing, and makes me wish I could get away with dressing them alike 24/7. Snapping these photos in front of the Christmas tree just makes it all the more real - Christmas is coming! Quickly! While I'm not typically a fan of cold weather or winter, I love Christmas and the excitement surrounding it. It makes the freezing temps feel a little more bearable. (Heh, bearable...get it?)

How about you and your family? Any fun holiday traditions that you try and stick to, year after year? Do you do Christmas pajamas, too?

Also, what do you call pajamas?
Jamas? Jammies? Jam Jams? PJs?
So many options!

xo KB

PS; I don't have a photo of 2015 or 2016, but here's a sweet snap of the boys on Christmas Eve 2014, wearing their matching bug pajamas from a Carter's collection. They weren't holiday themed, but oh my stars aren't they the sweetest?! My babies were so little!

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These affiliate links are not associated with Kohl’s.

// POP COLOUR - Michael's Dream Tree Challenge 2017

It's Dream Tree time, y'all! This is by far my absolute favorite Michaels Makers challenge each and every year, and this year is my fourth (!!!) tree! You can see the past 3 years here if you're interested: 2016, 2015, 2014 (loved this one so much!) This year I wanted to do something totally different, partially because the Jasper Cashmere tree I received last year was seriously so beautiful and I knew that I wanted to use it again in my living room, and also because I really wanted something fun in my studio. Michaels gave us a couple of different trees to choose from this year and I jumped on the white pencil tree since it was so unique. Not going to lie though, I was kind of intimidated to decorate it! I've never decorated a pencil tree before and I had absolutely no idea how much stuff would fit on it. I have a boatload of things to return but I can safely say I am totally head over heels in love with the way this tree turned out. My tree is publishing 2 weeks after most of the other Makers' trees simply because I opted to do one of the two limited collections and they were put into stores a bit later. The collection I'm featuring on my tree is the Boho Collection and I am so into the color palette! I immediately knew this is the collection I wanted based on the colors alone. I've always been more of a muted pink kind of gal, but here lately I can't get enough of bold, bright color on a clean white backdrop.

While most of my ornaments are straight from the Michaels' shelves I knew I wanted to DIY some things to tie it all together. I ended up taking some clear ornaments and shaking some acrylic paint around in them to get the colors I wanted. I also did some splatter and brush stroke looks on some white ornaments. A few of the clear ornaments include pink crinkle paper and teal paper trim. I love the look of the texture in them. My favorite ready-made additions from Michaels are definitely the super soft pom poms. The little animals are adorable, too. Only one store in the Nashville area carries this collection (Bellevue!) and I bought most of it, but hopefully they've restocked since I swept through. (You can check each individual product's availability at your local store - just in case you weren't aware! Just search by zip code on the product page.) If you're not local to me or you don't have a Michaels nearby you can still get a good bit of the collection online - and you can usually scoop up a code for free shipping! Currently this collection - and Michaels' 4 others - is 50% off.

I'm totally a "More is More" gal when it comes to decorating Christmas trees. This tree, despite being quite skinny, boasts so many different kinds of ornaments and garlands. I picked up a few awesome things (like pom pom and tassel trim) that would have made for great makeshift garland, but I'm not sure it would have fit on my tree haha Instead I opted to use some of it on my gift wrap and bags. I just hot glued a few strands of it here and there, and I love how it helps tie the whole thing together. Below I'll link some of the stuff I used in case you want to put your own spin on it.

From trees to ornaments and holiday décor, Michaels has everything you need to MAKE this holiday your own! You can even shop over 100 Christmas Trees at Michaels.com. Thanks for checking out my tree and giving me a space to share things like this. I definitely want to get myself back into regular making, no matter the medium. 

xo KB

SHOP THE TREE

white pre-lit pencil tree (under $60!) // vintage glass ornaments // pom pom tree skirt // metal wire cactus // pom pom trim stocking // pom pom ornaments // assorted plush animal ornaments // felt tree ornaments // bright pom pom garland // fair isle ornaments // embroidered bird ornaments // small wood chip tree // large wood chip tree // small - medium - large bottle brush trees // large felt tabletop cactus // mini tabletop cactus // pillow // wall garland // wooden wall prints

// On The Glitz: A Glittery Glam Christmas Tree

This is without a doubt my absolute favorite project to work on every year. This is my third (!!!) Dream Tree with Michaels and I swear it never gets old. (See previous years: 2014, 2015) This year's tree took a 180 degree turn on like, November 7th... Yeah, like, last week. I had decided on my theme back in October and I spent a solid day picking out ornaments and things to craft. The theme was neat (in my opinion), but it wasn't really ~me. I love the creative freedom we get in the Michaels Makers program, and I really wanted the tree to reflect our home a bit more than first theme did. I recently repainted the living room and bathroom in our house, totally on a whim. The bright white reflects so much light, it really makes the space feel bigger. There's a lot of gold and pink in the living room (but the boys dig it. Well, Toby does. L doesn't care) so one day when I was lurking the #MakeItWithMichaels hashtag on Instagram I saw the newest collection of ornaments that were hitting the shelves and OH MY WORD! If I were a Christmas ornament or decorative accent, I would totally be in this collection. It spoke to me on an almost spiritual level. I scooped up stuff off the shelves at the One Hundred Oaks Michaels as the associates were basically unboxing them. (I totally apologized profusely for being all up ~in their biz, and they were so sweet). Anywho, I wanted to decorate around the colors and textures of the new throw pillows and accents I recently picked up/upcycled, and this collection fit so perfectly! Here's my ~glitzy glam Christmas tree! 

Everything on the tree (including that fabulous tree skirt) is from Michaels. Most of the ornaments are ready made, but I did grab a box of gold and pink "decorative filler" styrofoam balls which I simply stuck a straightened out ornament hook into. Easy peasy! Didn't even need hot glue! The gold garland is one of my favorite things on the tree. I love the different sizes of all the balls and baubles. In this collection they also had those awesome glittery tinsel "trees" you see on my trunk next to the door. They're so pretty and they come in like three different colorways, but holy glitter. If you're at all anal about glitter, don't get them. But otherwise, they're so fantastic and worth the extra sweeping. 

Looking at these pictures makes me realize just how much of our decor is from Michaels or the product of a DIY for Michaels haha! I'll try to link as many relevant products as I can, but if it's not linked feel free to ask and I'll let you know where it's from. You must stop in at a local Michaels soon though because you gotta see this collection. There's a white version and a pink version basically, both with gold accents. There aren't really many pieces online.

I'm sure some of you are thinking "Those poor boys!" because it's so feminine, but I bought the boys their very own 4 foot tree - with multicolored lights, as requested by Toby - to keep in their room. (Yeah, their. Linden has been bunking with Tobes lately and boy it's nice to have my bed back! Tangent, sorry) Anyway, making and shopping for ornaments will be activities in their advent calendar come December, so I'm excited to decorate it with them. They are 110% in the driver's seat with theme and everything. We'll likely decorate this tree some more with our personal family ornaments, but I'm really excited to see how theirs ends up. They helped decorate this one and it was the most precious thing. I really really love this time of year. This year is extra special in so many ways. I want the boys to remember it forever. All the feels to be felt!

As for your holiday decorations go, Michaels has their largest tree assortment this year, including colored and flocked trees. Check out all of their trees, ornaments and coordinating holiday décor on Michaels.com. Are you feeling inspired to start decorating your own tree? Eh? Maybe? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the rest of the Michaels Makers’ dream holiday trees that were created this year.

xo KB

PS; This tree is by far the prettiest artificial tree I've seen, no lie. I totes called it flocked on snap, but it's ~"cashmere" tips and they make a world of difference aesthetically. Seriously, love this tree!

sources: tree // assorted gold ornaments // sequin pillow // instax holders //

An InLinkz Link-up

// The Present of Presence + Holiday Experiences

The hustle and bustle of the holidays always swoops in and takes me by surprise. It's like a giant typhoon that roars through town and engulfs everything in its path. I love the holiday season, don't get me wrong. But I have a tendency to get a bit stressed out and anxious about everything. This year we're really trying to focus more on the "experience" of the holidays as opposed to the worry and pressure to surround the Christmas tree with far too many presents. Buying gifts for my kids is one of my love languages. When I see a shirt that would look darling on one of the boys, or a little tchotchke that they might like, I love scooping it up and surprising them. I try not to do this too often, but I'll admit I'm a bit more indulging than I'd like. Struggling to figure out what the boys should get for Christmas has been too much of a headache for us. I love seeing them get excited about "stuff," but at the end of the days it's just that... "stuff." Sometimes it gets played with for 15 minutes, sometimes a few days. But very few presents really stick around for the long haul. It got me to thinking about giving the gift of presence and experience instead.

It's not a novel idea or anything, and it's certainly not new. I know many families practice the "want / need / wear / read" model of gift giving, but that just didn't really seem to fit our ideal this year. We have yet to solidify any actual plans or activities for the season, but I was hoping some of you could share what you choose to do with your kids (or when you were a kid). 

Mike had to work the other night when the Christmas parade was in town, so I loaded up the boys and took them with Whitney and her crew. They had a blast! It was so much fun and I loved seeing their faces light up. I may or may not have cried a few times (but that's really no surprise there. I even cried when we took the boys trick or treating for Halloween.) It sort of hit me that these moments are what really matter. I love being able to just go do stuff with the kids. Seeing them experience something that they'll remember for a long time is so rad. I wish Mike hadn't had to work, but I understand the importance of what he does. It definitely made me more aware of how important it is to try and schedule these things for all of us to experience together.

Since we've only got a couple of weeks left until Christmas, I'm hoping to find a few things we can sprinkle into our calendar and experience as a family. Nashville usually has a pretty good selection of things to do / see, but how about where you live? Do you do seasonal activities as a family? I'd love to make it our tradition to invest our time and money into things we can do and remember as a family. 

xo KB

PS; I totally get the irony of posting something like this immediately after sharing a wishlist of my own. Things are nice, but experiences are way more fun.

// Dear Santa: KB's Christmas Wishlist

I love creating little wishlists like this. Truth be told I have absolutely no "needs" this year, and that's a pretty rad thing to say. But we all love to window shop and wish, right? I threw together a few things that I've totally had my eye on, just for the heck of it.

This year I'm daydreaming about:

1 // DIY Print Shop's Gig Poster Kit: I want to SCREENPRINT ALL THE THINGS!

2 // an IKEA gift card: because we want to give the living room and kitchen a makeover and we'll be in Atlanta a month after Christmas anyway. *hint hint*

3 // an ULTA gift card: because I always feel less guilty spending money on frivolous things like makeup when it's in gift card form. and there are so many pretty things I'm eyeing!

4 // a new set of cookware: I totally scorched the bejeezus out of both of our ceramic pans (oops! - but the dinner was the bomb dot com!) so I'd really like to replace them (mostly for Mike, because I totally feel awful!) I really love the copper plating on the outside. They'd look fab in the kitchen Mike and I are dreaming up.

5 // ProDoula Placenta Encapsulation Kit: as far as "needs" go, this is as close as it gets, but naturally it's also the most expensive. I need to finish 3 encapsulations in order to finish my certification, and I can't do that without all the supplies. But I'm slowly but surely stowing away pennies for it! ha

6, 7, 8, 9, 10 // a bevy of Lindy Bop "Audrey" dresses: because they're my absolute favorite dresses and they fit like a freakin' glove. (I'm a size large/US 10 *cough cough*)

11 // a new Skill Saw: to MAKE ALL THE WOOD THINGS!

12 // the Overtone Extreme Teal hair kit: this is how I keep my hair vibrant, and I'm running mad low on it. I love this stuff so much.

13 + 14 // some fluffy petticoats: to go under my Audrey dresses! (size large)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Hey, a girl can dream, right?! What's on your list this year?

xo KB

// Our 2015 Holiday Cards

I'm so head over heels in love with our holiday cards for this year! We didn't get around to doing any last year... or the year before that. This was the first one of us as a family of four! I wasn't able to lock down a family photo shoot in time to get seasonally-appropriate photos, but I did manage to use the film photos we shot back in the summer. I love that Linden and Toby are the main focus of the pictures. Since they were self-shot, we didn't get any with the four of us. Toby did take the stellar one on the back cover though! I love looking at that photo because despite the fact he's not in it, I know how overjoyed he was when we let him run around with the camera. Toby gets so proud when he photographs things, and it's definitely a skill I want to help him build over time.

Since these were our first cards in so long, and because so much has changed in the past year, I wanted to go all out with a tri-fold design. More bang for my buck! The more the merrier! This design was a template on Shutterfly, and it only took me about 10 minutes to do it - start to finish! I love the chalkboard texture and style of the card, too. I'm so so excited to mail these out later this month! I think my favorite thing about the cards is that I didn't have to narrow it down to just one photo. I love simple cards, but since I didn't have one of all of us, I wanted to showcase a variety. (Pretend you don't notice that I used one photo twice! haha) The matte finish of the cards is really nice, too. I ordered the matching return address labels, just to continue the theme. The heavy black writing on the envelopes helps tie the design together (in my opinion!) Overall I'm pretty stoked on the outcome. It was fast, easy, and I think they're so stylish! Normally I love to design all of my own things, but there were too many good designs to choose from. I'm going to make sure I stow one card away just so I can have it as a keepsake! I'm not the only one who does that, right? (I seriously have a box with a wedding invite, college graduation announcements, birth announcements, etc! I'm sentimental, y'all!)

Do you and your family do holiday cards each year? I'd love to see them! (If you're hoping to have some made in time for the holidays, Shutterfly is having a 30-50% off sale right now!) You can also try a free Shutterfly card to check the quality, too. Just use the code CARD4U.

xo KB

This post is in partnership with Shutterfly and Collectively, Inc. All opinions and words are my own!

// Michaels Dream Tree Challenge 2015 - Visions of Sugar Plums

In standard Michaels Makers fashion, I put my Christmas tree up on Halloween. This is the second year participating in the Dream Tree Challenge, and my tree couldn't be more different than last years! Last year we did a Rustic Cabin Christmas theme, and this year I opted for something much more feminine and fun. This year's theme is "Visions of Sugar Plums" and IT'S SO FLUFFY! Truth be told: I didn't start on my tree until Saturday morning. I've been so swamped with a million other things that honestly, it just slipped my mind. And I kind of panicked because Mike came home from work siiiiiick. He was laid up in bed all day Saturday and couldn't lend a hand. It was raining on Saturday, too, but I put the tree out on our carport and spent a few hours spray painting it. Loads of people have asked me about spray painting my tree and how it worked out, and honestly I'm so pleased with the outcome! My initial goal was a much more opaque coverage, but I only had 4 cans of spray paint and uh, it needed a lot more. Now I'm kind of glad I ran out because I love how it looks flocked with pink sugar or snow. The tree was pre-lit so I covered each light (!!!) with a tiny square of tin foil, then after I painted the tree I just slid the tin foil off. Easy peasy and it worked so great! (I used the Design Master ColorTool spray paint from Michaels and it worked like a dream!)

It looks like a totally different tree when it's lit up. It's warm and fluffy and fun. But I also really love how it looks without the lights, too. It really has a "winter" feel to it. For the ornaments I decided to just run with a pink, lavender, and baby blue accents. I wanted to use a lot of textures, too, so I opted to stuff various sized glass and plastic balls with feather boas! I also wrapped a few styrofoam spheres with yarn, and I glued rhinestones on ceramic ornaments. I picked up loads of fun little bits and bobs to wrap around the branches, too. And because I'm overly sentimental and needed a bit more of our family on the tree, I grabbed some mini frames from the dollar section of Michaels and I added ribbon loops to the back to make them ornaments. The garland I used is just several white feather boas strung together. In all the hustle and bustle I totally neglected the underside of the tree, but Linden put one of our falsa blankets down there Saturday evening and we just kind of ran with it. Now I sort of dig it haha It worked out since I totally blanked. I also didn't add presents or anything this year because, uh, time or whatever. But now I have so many ideas! 

I was really panicking that I wouldn't love this year's tree because I truly am still so in love with last year's. Luckily I ended up surprising myself and really digging this one too. Mike laughed when he woke up and saw it. He said "Everyone on the internet is going to hate you because you subjected me to this" ha! He gave it two big thumbs up though and said he actually thought it looked awesome. Toby loves it, too. Linden just likes to poke the lights. Georgia keeps parking her big butt underneath it and it's pretty adorable. I honestly wasn't too sure we'd even leave a tree up this year because we were afraid Linden would just pull it over. He's been surprisingly good about keeping his hands (mostly) off it so maybe we'll leave it up! I'll probably go grab a handful of the ornaments from last year though, and throw them on it, too. But now I am preparing to decorate the rest of the house for the holidays! I'll write more about that later though.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  

Anyway, here it is! My Dream Tree. What do you think? Totally overkill? Way too feminine for a house of mostly dudes? Deliciously adorable? haha! I honestly feel like it's the tree I've always wanted. I'm sure the boys will overrule me next year, so I better enjoy it while I can! 

If you want to check out the other 49 Michaels Makers Dream Trees, you can see them on the Michaels' blog, The Glue String. There are some ornament projects and tutorials on the Michaels site, too. // If all of this wasn't rad enough, you can get free shipping on all Christmas trees (6ft or taller) between now and November 14th. Go on! Get your tree up! There's no shame in stretching out the season! (Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving!) 

xo KB

// The Art of Gift Giving + a $100 Opry Mills Giveaway

So I totally went Black Friday shopping this year. Not the "wake up at 2am so you can be in the door by 6am" kind of Black Friday shopping, but still totally the "battle crazy traffic and hoards of people" kind. It was the first time I had gone shopping on that day in like... 10 years or more. And you know what? It was fun! I even had Mike and both boys with me... Haha I had a few errands I needed to run in Nashville anyway, so we decided to spend a few hours at Opry Mills on the busiest day of the year because the sales were calling my name. I partnered up with Opry Mills to do a blog post on gift giving, so I wanted to stretch my gift card as far as possible and this seemed like the time to do it! (Seriously, everything pictured below was at least 50% off. WIN!) Anyway, I managed to knock 5 people off my list during Black Friday, and below is what I scored. (Warning: If you're a family member, please skip this post! Or you know, ruin the surprise of your gift. No, but really. Don't.)

Up first is Toby! He was with us, so it might seem like the magic of the surprise is gone, but we let him pick out some pieces that he really wanted (and he's already forgotten about everything except his bear ha). He told us he wanted some new brown "dress" shoes since Mike had recently gotten some new ones. We picked up this pair at The Children's Place for all of $12! Then he saw the cardigan sweater at Old Navy and asked for it. He picked up a Linden-sized version and it took us until we got all the way home to realize it didn't match (That's why he asked to get it for Linden. He loves when they wear the same thing haha!) He had a couple of small Lego things that he had picked out, but I think they went in for an early wrapping haha. We also let him make his own bear at Build-A-Bear. He made a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bear, complete with the theme song and all. He asked to spend the last bit on making Linden a bear and y'all, I about lost it. It was SO sweet to see Toby be so thoughtful. If that kid loves anything, it's being a big brother, and that makes my heart sing!

Then I picked up a few cozy things for my mom. I thought she might like some warm loungewear from Old Navy. Everything was 50% off so I got her a pullover hoodie and some super soft lounge pants. I love the coral color of the hoodie so much. I also picked her up a coffee mug from Bass Pro Shop to keep in the RV when we go camping/on vacation.

Mike was up next! He was with me, but I already knew what I wanted to get him. A new clinical bag. He had been saying for a few weeks that he would like a bag separate from his class bag so he didn't have to pack and unpack all of his books for each clinical day. I took him over to Fossil to find something he liked and he picked out this messenger bag. I love the navy and brown together. It was originally $148 but was 50% off! And since he's sort of into my whole coffee mug collection, I bought him this fun moose mug of his own. It was from Bass Pro Shop, too. (I totally got one for me and my step dad also. Matching RV mugs!)

I bought this gorgeous chiffon dress and infinity scarf for my sister in law, Laine. I was so jealous of the dress after getting home, I made a note to check Old Navy next time we were at Opry Mills so I could get my own. (Spoiler: It was last Saturday and I totally nabbed one. Is it weird to match your SIL?!)

And finally, the littlest Flynn! I know Linden can't really "appreciate" Christmas/gifts yet, but I had to take advantage of the sales at the mall that day. The two on the left are from Baby Gap and the two on the right are from Old Navy. Itty bitty tiny clothes are just so precious! So really, it's more like these are gifts to myself. Can you blame me?! 

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Overall I'm pretty stoked I was able to knock off so much of my shopping list in one day. I still have quite a few folks to buy for, but I'm working up the courage to face more of the holiday shoppers at the mall haha. I'm definitely going to be shopping for my step dad at Bass Pro Shop, and probably picking something up for my mother in law on the "fashion wing" of Opry Mills. Even though I risk sounding like a commercial, I'm just going to say it: Opry Mills has a crazy amount of stores, and they span every price point and "genre" you can think of. Legos, Disney, and a candy store for the kids. H&M, Forever 21, and Old Navy for the young adults. And Coach, Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, etc. for the more upscale crowd. If it's Saturday, we're probably at Opry Mills haha! (Seriously though. It's a little alarming how often I find myself there...)

Now if you're local to middle Tennessee/Nashville/plan on visiting soon, check out the giveaway below. One of you will win a $100 Opry Mills giftcard to spend any way you choose!

To be entered to win, leave a comment below sharing who you'd spend the $100 on. Would you use it for some holiday shopping? Or would it be more of a "Treat yo'self!" splurge?

For additional entries, do as many of the following as you'd like. Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each! -- Like Opry Mills on Facebook // Follow Opry Mills on Twitter // Follow Opry Mills on Instagram

A winner will be drawn at random next week and contacted shortly thereafter. The winner must arrange for gift card pick-up at the Opry Mills mall! Good luck! xo

Congratulations Jana!

// Dear Santa: Mama + Linden's Wishlist

Last year I had a really hard time thinking of anything I wanted for Christmas aside from a nice, new down comforter and some matching dishes (ha! So adult. Much boring!) but this year I can actually think of a few fun things! They're mostly pretty boring and adult still, but I guess that's what happens when you reach your mid-twenties. Just me?

There are a few things for Linden on here, too. But let's be real, they're really for me. He's too young to really care haha Cloth diapers to round out our stash, and a fun door jumper to help me get some work done. We can still say they're for him though, right?

Dear Santa, we've been really good this year!

1. BumGenius 4.0 FreeTime All-in-One Cloth Diapers: I really love our Flip Hybrids, but I'd love to add some AIOs to help keep things chugging along. The convenience of AIOs being just like disposables (plus you know, washing...) has me sold. // 2. Lenny Lamb "Summer" Wrap (Size M - 4.6m): I really want a woven wrap to add to our arsenal of babywearing gear. I love the versatility of wovens and I like the idea of back carrying, too. (The price is in Polish - Don't let that scare you if you're on the hunt for a woven yourself! They're super affordable!) // 3. Brother Serger: I don't really care what brand it is, but I'd love to have a serger so I can work on some baby sewing projects. The zig zag stitch on my sewing machine only offers so much help. // 4. Alva Baby Cloth Diaper Gift Card: Again, more cloth diapers to round out our stash. We have a good start with our Flips, but I need more to keep up with this heavy wetter! The price and prints on these just can't be beat. // 5. Duvet cover: I love our down comforter from Christmas last year, but one year and one co-sleeping baby later, it's a little dingy. Adding a bright white cover would perk it right up! // 6. Deep pocket sheets: Another boring adult thing. I'd love some cozy new deep pocket sheets to sleep on at night. I always forget to buy the deep pocket ones, argh! // 7. Sephora gift card: Mama needs some pampering, too! I feel guilty spending money on myself since Linden came along. The spare cash can always go to clothes for the boys or a rainy day fund. Having some guilt-free money to spend on that expensive foundation that I totally don't need would feel nice haha! // 8. Door jumper: Just a cute little door jumper for Linden to hop around is so mama can get some work done. How cute is this one?!

We're not the type to spoil at Christmas, but even so I can't really think of much to get for Linden. A couple of books, a few pieces of clothing, and a toy or two. What do you suggest for a 5 month old baby's first Christmas?! I'd love some ideas! xo

// SHOP SMALL - 9 Small Businesses To Support This Season

'Tis the season to be shopping for your loved ones! There are so many amazing small businesses out there that deserve your patronage this season. I've made so many wonderful friends via social media over the years and a lot of them are making it their own way by being their own boss. I've chosen 8 of my favorite independent shops to highlight below (and I threw in my little sign side biz, too. Shameless plug!). If you're looking for something special to give this year, hopefully one of these shops will have you covered! You certainly don't have to only shop small this year, but it's kind of awesome to know that every purchase you make with an independent maker means that money is going to stay with them and their venture/family/whatever. I also own at least one thing from each and every shop below so I can vouch for the quality of their goods!

Be sure to keep these folks in mind for Small Business Saturday (November 29) and Cyber Monday (December 1), too! Here you go!

Shauna and Stephen make some of the most amazing bow ties, neckties, and handkerchiefs. Mike and both of our boys have their own Forage pieces and they look so dapper in them! The quality is above and beyond, and they're just really cool people. It's always nice to know the folks behind the brand are genuine and kind!

Kelley was recently featured in one of my Rad Gal, Rad Gig segments, talking about being a candle maker! We have a few Candelles around our house and they smell so good! The Pomegranate Cider is my absolute favorite! I love seeing what new scents she comes up with.

Carolyn dreams up some of the most adorable costumes and creations for the littles ones in your life! Linden has been a strawberry, a cupcake, and a blueberry, too. Toby and Linden also have matching letterman cardigans (left) and they're so soft and sweet!

Jenny and Aaron are so incredibly talented, I can't even! They released a book earlier this year (It's fantastic!) and their paintings are the perfect blend of novelty and realistic. The three shown above are ornaments (!!!) I love their pastel aesthetic!

Nicole is a caramel whiz! She has made an entire career out of creating delicious caramels, sauce, and caramel popcorn. The popcorn is what dreams are made of, I'm telling you! We just won't talk about how many late night bowls of ice cream and caramel sauce I've had, okay?

If you've got a baby, you've heard of Little Hip Squeaks. Amy blows me away with how she's built LHS over the years. It's so inspiring to see something take off the way her business has. The prints and patterns of her pieces are so fun and perfect for babies!

Beca and Doug are unstoppable. Just when you think they can't possibly create anything more amazing, they go and do just that. They're the creators of the original wood veneer sunglasses, and now they're whipping up these adorable "tiny knives" and camping utensils.

 

Elizabeth is the creator of yet another super fun kid (and adult friendly!) clothing line. Those pants in the center are by far my favorite pants of L's. I'm so sad he had a growth spurt and has almost outgrown them! She's the whiz behind the super popular "As Seen on IG" shirts, too!

And of course I had to throw in my custom painted signs. I mean, they are kind of perfect for the holidays... I'm down to just 3 remaining sizes though so if you're interested, check out a sampling of paintings on Instagram (#kbsigns) and give me a shout!

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If you're looking for special gifts for your loved ones, this is a great place to start! I promise you won't be disappointed by any of them! Do you have any small businesses or shops you'd like to suggest for awesome gifts?!