I am no toy or parenting expert, but what I can share is the toys my kids keep coming back to over and over again. The toys tend the be the classics, from art sets to sandboxes these are the items that will last.  I am sharing 8 classic gifts that you can't go wrong buying.

Home from a very fun 8 day California vacation. We had planned to do this vacation 15 months ago, but as you know a lot of plans have been ruined in the last 2 years. Once Disneyland reopened, I immediately started planning the trip. I was so eager to get Leo there before the "magic" wears off. Originally, when we planned the trip he was really into the movie Cars. I was a little sad that he wasn't as mesmerized by Cars land as I wanted him to be. But Avengers land put that magic and sparkle in his eye. I am so glad we were able to take him before he got too old. I am sharing a few tips and tricks for traveling to Disneyland and what I would recommend.

It is no secret if you follow me on social media that we live by the pool from mid April - early October. I haven't really shared on here much lately because I haven't had as many creative juices flowing and we quite simply have been busy resuming all the fun life things. Oh how we have missed traveling, going out with friends, taking the kids to parks and playdates, heck we have missed all the things. But nonetheless I finally felt like I had some fun summer items to share all from AMAZON.

For Leo's 5th birthday we gathered our closest family and friends and had a mad scientist birthday party. This was a drop off birthday and in true form of Leo having a February 7th birthday there was an big snow storm. It dropped a foot of snow on us the night of his party. Thankfully all his little friends were able to come and we had one heck of a science party. I have planned quite a few parties in my day but this BY FAR was the best party yet! Check it out.

Unplug from social media! Something that sounds so good in theory, but something I have never done. Social media carries a lot of weight and is the cause of many mental health issues. Fact is studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, harm, and suicidal thoughts. Social media should be a place that makes you feel happier, healthier, and more positive. I also find that it is a big ole waste of time. In fact, not using social media for a week my phone usage was down 38%. During my week off I read a book, listened to an audio book, was more productive and the biggest thing is my husband and my kids noticed I wasn't tied to my phone. I'm sharing some of my other thoughts and tips for a good social media detox. I will be doing another break from social media in May and  I invite everyone to join with me!

Today I am sharing my educational gift guide for kids. I have items from your tiny builder to your science kid. Mind you these are toys I have had for Leo but I think that some of these toys would be enjoyed up to 9 years old. Especially things like the ant farm or the venus fly trap. Also another educational item WE LOVE the Ranger Rick magazines. My kids look forward to getting theirs every month. So check out my educational picks and also I shared what they both asked for from Santa!

So I technically know we aren't supposed to be traveling for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I think if you decided to spend the holidays with your family or not that is a personal choice. We will be seeing my parents and in laws but not our large extended families. That is our comfort level and I understand it isn't for everyone.

With that being said some of you might be traveling so here are my travel items for kids.
We probably spent a good 100 hours in the car road tripping this year. Our longest being 20+ hours that we went from Scottsdale back home to Washington after covid hit. Now that I have put the hours in I figured I'd share all my secrets for entertaining kids in the car.

Halloween pj's in our house as just as exciting as Christmas pjs. Halloween isn't that far away so here is your reminder to get your Halloween pjs TODAY!  I have found quite a few that I am sharing with you today. Who knows what Halloween will look like this year but at the end of this post I share some fun ideas that could work in place of traditional trick or treating.

Hey all you cool cats and kittens....did I really plan a birthday around the Tiger King? The answer is no but it may have swayed me that way. It is so funny what your children chose as their favorite thing. We bought Leo a bunch of lion things as a baby, I mean Leo the Lion, but he had absolutely no interest in them. Then our little Roe Roe enters the world and as much as I have tried for her to live in a world full of princesses, butterflies, and unicorns, she just loves lions, tigers, bears, dinosaurs, and bugs. She has a special love for Lions since about the age of 1. I would say she is actually OBSESSED with Lions to put it mildly. I had a different planned theme for her birthday but when covid hit and we had to have something a lot smaller I knew what the theme had to be. Carol Baskin from Tiger King.... then I texted my party planning girl Kate from Posh Party Bebe and she made my dream come true!

As schools begin to be called off for fall and as we prepare to  "hunker down" this winter I wanted to highlight some home school items and toys. I would say it is highly likely things will get worst over the winter and we will be spending just as much time at home than ever.... I'm sorry to break that news to you. So before things sell out here are a list of some educational and play items I suggest getting. I have a feeling alot of "homeschooling" items are going to go fast. While Leo's school (private) is choosing to go back Sept 1, we are opting to keep him at home at least for the first month, but probably going to keep him home all year.