Hey, all! Are you getting in the holiday spirit? We sure are! I'm counting down the days 'til we decorate the house (t-minus 5!), putting together our advent activities, and wrapping up my shopping (bless Target.com).

Speaking of shopping, I love perusing gift guides this time of year; there are usually some great ideas that I can "borrow" ;) for the people on my list. I also love checking out personal wish lists, so I thought I'd kick off my series of holiday gift guides by sharing what would be on my own dream wish list this year. 

Shark Stick Vacuum | Our vacuum is a Shark and is 10 years old -- it's slowly falling apart (literally, lol) but it's still kicking and that's not bad for a decade of vacuuming up tons of carpet and Golden Retriever hair! I'd love a lightweight stick vacuum to do our whole house with (the hard wood shows EVERY hair). Right now I use my trusty dust buster and it's killing my back!

Maya Brenner Initials | I already have this necklace in rose gold -- Steve gave it to me the Christmas after Carrington was born with a letter "C" and I adore it. I haven't worn it much, though, because I need to add my other two children to it, so this year I'm wishing for an "H" and an "I" so I have my every day necklace back. :) The company makes it easy to add initials to your existing necklace -- you just order the extra letters and mail your necklace to them. This makes such a special gift!

Patagonia Jacket | I could use a replacement for my old, worn North Face jacket -- something that is perfect for throwing on for doing everyday things in the wintertime. I have heard great things about this jacket and love this pretty green color!

Smallwoods Gift Card | Have you heard of Smallwoods Home? I've loved their products for a while now but was waiting until we had updated family pictures with our newest member to order something. I would love to customize a few photo signs for our stairway wall. This shop offers e-gift cards so the gift recipient can customize their very own sign! Such a cool idea. 

Quay Sunglasses | My current pair of sunglasses is Quay and they're great quality for the price. I've eyed up this pair in "Black Smoke" for a while now. Great reviews, too!

Sperry Winter Boot | My Uggs get so much wear during the winter (long live Uggs), but they're not really meant for the wet weather. I haven't had a true snow boot in a long time and would love these to wear in the rain and snow. The pink sole makes them extra fun!

A massage, though not pictured, would also be welcomed. I'll even take a back scratch from one of the kids at this point! ;) What's on your personal wish list?

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | Men

I've heard it said over and over again that men are the hardest to shop for, and I whole-heartedly agree. The funny thing is, they probably care the least too, am I right?! Haha. So why are guys so tricky to pick out presents for?

I put together a little round-up of top gifts that I know my guy would like*. I know every man has different tastes, but this could help some of you out there! *Note: The only gift on this list that Steve would not approve of are the slippers; he refuses to wear them, but I still think they'd make a great gift so I included them!

1. Ray-Bans | Steve has a pair of these and loves them (his are a bit different style but I love this pair too). Sunglasses are obviously an extremely useful gift because, you know, we all go out in the sun. ;) Especially useful for guys who drive a lot or are outside often for sports. Great quality, good price point, and stylish.

2. Slippers | This J.Crew pair is classic. Aside from my picky husband :), you can't go wrong with a well-made pair of slippers for the winter. These also come in black and dark brown.

3. Breakfast Sandwich Maker | OK, so this one isn't a necessity -- but how fun! Maybe for the guy who has everything, or the one who is always grabbing a breakfast sandwich on the road... I think this little contraption would be awesome.

4. Headlamp | I feel like most guys would want to wear this just because, haha. But really, it would probably turn out to be pretty useful! Think about the man who enjoys working on his car, doing projects around the house, etc. I know I've heard Steve say about 39281 times "Can you hold this flashlight?" so I think it would come in handy.

5. Nivea After Shave Cream | I picked this up for Steve last year and he loves it, which says something because he's not at all a "product" guy. I can also attest to the fact that it smells really good!

6. Hot Sauce Sampler Pack | True story: You know those little suggestion cards that restaurants/resorts sometimes give you for customer feedback? On our honeymoon in Mexico, Steve filled one out and his only suggestion was: "Needs more varieties of salsa." LOL. So, yes, I think a salsa or hot sauce sampler would be a good choice.

7. North Face Headband | Another thing that Steve has (and has had for years) and still loves and uses all the time. I think most men would probably prefer something like this to a full blown hat to keep their ears warm. 

8. Starbucks Gift Card | Because, always.

9. Old Navy Flex Dress Pants | These pants are now pretty much exclusively what Steve wears to work (plus a shirt, don't worry) unless he needs to wear a full suit that day. They come in five different colors and are soft and comfortable.

10. Monogrammed Stationary | Most guys don't know they need this, but they do. A nice, classic set of stationary is such a good thing to have on hand for thank you's, business notes, etc. 

11. Yeti Tumbler | You've seen these everywhere, yes, and they're worth the hype. They work, and they are so useful for guys on the go -- in the car, travel, at work, at games, even at home.

12. PS4 Pro | And finally, a large gift idea if you're married to a kid at heart (like me). ;) I mean, any electronic would probably suffice -- a TV, drone. But this year Steve finally upgraded his gaming system to this PS4 Pro and has been enjoying unwinding with it after the kids are in bed. I don't get it, but then again, he doesn't understand why I have like 45 pairs of shoes, so... to each their own. ;)

Hopefully this helped inspire you if you still have some men on your list left to shop for! And, please, if you have any great ideas for guys, I'd love to hear them!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | Your BFF

Good morning (or afternoon, depending when you read this)! I promised a gift guide a week until Christmas, and this week's is all about the people you really couldn't live without: your girlfriends. 

In full disclosure, most of my friends and I don't exchange gifts at the holidays anymore because many of us have kids and we've started choosing gifts for them instead. With that said, I whole-heartedly believe our friendships are one of the most important parts of life and, if you're able, it's fun to pick out something pretty for your BFF! Bonus: All of the picks below, with the exception of the tee, are under $20. 

1. Stainless steel tumbler (with lid) in "Marble" // I'm into the marble look on pretty much anything, and I think this tumbler is so pretty. Really useful for the mom constantly on the go (and who of us aren't?). Plus, just $15!

2. K, See Ya sweatshirt // $17.99 for the cutest (and sassiest) tunic-length sweatshirt ever. Throw on with leggings and your outfit is done, and your message is heard. ;) And check out the fun back!

3. Champagne Gummy Bears // Infused with real champagne, ladies. Enough said. Would also make the perfect hostess gift!

4. Whiskey in a Teacup // Because we all like to pretend that Reese is our BFF, grab a copy of her new book for your actual BFF and she'll love it. 

5. Cozy fringe blanket // I haven't yet met a woman who doesn't appreciate a cozy throw blanket. I literally can never have enough of them. And... wait for it... this one is just $8.99!

6. Cute and Funny Tee // I am, apparently, into clothes with tongue-in-cheek messages scrawled across them -- and this little tee is no exception. I love its "motivational" message, lol.

7. Grown up friendship bracelets // Madewell can do no wrong when it comes to jewelry, in my opinion... or anything, really. I love this entire celestial line and these grown up friendship bracelets are precious! On sale for $16.50 right now.

8. Personalized tassel keychain // One of my most used items ever, a tassel keychain will save your girlfriend the hassle of losing her keys. I love reaching in my bag and knowing exactly where my keys are -- and I really love that this particular option can be personalized (maybe a nickname?). It's just $16 with personalized tag and comes in a bunch of pretty colors.

Do you and your girlfriends exchange gifts for the holidays? Would love to hear your favorite thing on this list, and some fun ideas from your own! Hope this was helpful for anyone planning to shop this weekend. 

Speaking of, I will be signing off for the rest of the week to enjoy Thanksgiving, so I'll see you back here next week. I am so very thankful for each and every one of you who takes the time to visit this little space. Cheers!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | Preschoolers

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingle-ing too, come on it's...

Oh, hi! Don't mind me over here, just prematurely (although I believe that's debatable) singing all of the holiday songs, watching Elf, baking cookies and maybe even beginning to decorate. Eeek! Seeing my kids' joy and anticipation of the holidays makes me remember the wonder of being a child, and each year I get more and more giddy as this season of all things festive begins. Beginning this week, I plan to dedicate one post a week to holiday gift ideas for your friends and loved ones, in case you need some ideas this year. I had a few people ask me what I've picked up for the girls, so I thought I'd kick things off with some tried and true gift ideas (we already have and love these!) for the toddlers/preschoolers in your life. I'll link whatever I can!

Tried & True Gifts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Kinetic Sand - my girls will sit and play with this for hours. This is not a drill!

Magna-Tiles - endless possibilities and encourages creativity.

Puppets - soft and perfect for pretend, my girls love to bring them in the car.

Dollhouse/playhouse - probably the most used toy in our house. We've had ours for 3 years and it is still used daily (love the Hearth & Hand one, but this is similar to the one we have and love)!

Sidewalk Chalk - how cute are the unicorn horns? They also have donuts and ABCs!

Duplos - another most-loved toy in this house, endless creative possibilities.

Dress Up - boy or girl, everyone loves to play dress up! C is obsessed with the idea of a wig recently, so Santa will be bringing a fun Repunzel braid this year.

Tent - a soft tent or playhouse will serve endless uses, I promise. This is the one the girls have and love -- it's so cute!

Ice Cream Cart - H received this for her birthday this summer and the girls still play with it almost daily. It has a great learning component, which is cool.

Play Tools - these are great to whip out when little ones want to be involved in projects around the house. The girls love to "fix" things with their set (we don't have this workbench, but I think it's so cute!).

Bonus! A few of a couple of joint gifts we've picked up for the girls this year:

Face Paint Kit - The girls love to get their face painted, so I thought it would be fun to have a kit of our own to experiment with on snowy days.

Pie Face - Have you guys played this? It looks like such a silly game, but I can just picture C giggling and giggling, so it was a must have!

Woodzeez Tree House - Not a real tree house (though they would love that), but a fun new little play set to play pretend with all their characters. It's their favorite thing to do!

Best Friends Necklaces - Because, I couldn't resist.

Hope some of these ideas have been helpful if you have little ones to shop for! Can't wait to hear the tried and true favorites (and what's on your list this year!) in your house.