My Favorite Toys for a 2 Year Old

As I watched Eleanor play yesterday, I started thinking about all the toys that she has that have made my life better. If you are around kids then you probably know that kids' toys fall into one of two categories: they either add clutter and chaos to your life or they have the magical power to make your life (and your child's life) happier and easier.

I decided to turn my mental list of those magical toys into a real list to share, hopefully benefitting someone who is stuck thinking of what to gift their favorite toddler.  I know that it can be tough buying gifts for kids, wondering what developmental stage they are at or what kinds of toys they will actually play with.  So here are the things that Eleanor loves and that I love for her.  They are almost all under $30, with the one exception being the toy kitchen.

18 Gift Ideas for a 2 Year Old (with links below):

1. Musical Instruments: Perfect for the impromptu music making session.  Especially great when you have lots of kids over and you want to have a semi-controlled activity (insert "music time").  Try to get a music set that comes with a bag.  I love when things have their own container.

2. Backpack: Eleanor has this hedgehog backpack and asks for it all the time.  She plays "school" with it at home and uses it to bring her toys with her to church or to a friends house.  We love the SkipHop ones, so cute! Well made and just her size.

3. Matching Game: Eleanor never gets tired of a simple matching game and nothing is cuter then her saying, "Oh! A match!"  I couldn't find the set that we have online but this is a pretty cute one too.

4. Saltwater Sandals: Not a toy but seriously THE BEST thing you could buy a toddler.  They are the greatest all around sandal.  She wears them to the park and to church.  They last forever and never wear out (I've had my adult version for 8 years and they look new!).  Ford will be able to wear Eleanor's eventually which is awesome.  And now at 2 years old and 8 months old, Eleanor can buckle them on all by herself, which is the greatest thing in the world.

5. Puzzles:  We have a couple of these Melissa and Doug puzzles and love them.  Eleanor does them once a day.  Any kind of toy with "pieces" can have the tendency to get lost or scattered rendering the toy useless and annoying.  However, these puzzles are used so frequently in our house that the pieces all stay together.  It's wonderful.

6. IKEA Table and 2 Chairs: Everyone needs this!! It's a steal for $25 and the low cost means that I don't stress if Eleanor happens to write on the table.  I leave paper and crayons out on it at all times.  Several times during the day I find her at her table coloring all by herself, which is pure gold in my book.

7. Block Set: Eleanor's grandparents gave her this for her first birthday and it has been one of my favorite toys of all time.  Blocks manage to grow with children and I love to see how she is constantly figuring out new ways to build.  She is always on pursuit of "the tallest tower in the world!!" And every time we have kids over they all gravitate to the blocks.  I'm actually thinking of buying another set just so we have more to go around.

8. Tutu: Eleanor has hit the age where she loves to dress up and where she loves to dance.  The tutu marries those activities perfectly.  Plus, it's so much cuteness for such a low price.

9. Music: We listen to the Toddler Pandora station a lot and Eleanor's favorite songs always happen to be from the 52 Sing-A-Long Silly Songs CD.  It's your classic "Five Little Monkeys," "Old MacDonald," "You Are My Sunshine," "Alphabet Song," etc. Yes, they can get old and kind of annoying for the parents but I've learned to deal with it.  I love that she knows all these songs now and I constantly overhear her singing them to herself. And really any kind of music would be great, it doesn't have to be this CD.

10. Doctor Kit: Eleanor is into everything doctor related.  She loves giving shots and checking your heart.  I think this kit has actually helped her be excited to go to the doctor, which makes my life a lot easier.

11. Sticker Book: She is all about stickers these days.  This is a random sticker book of animals (you can never go wrong with animals...) but any sticker book will do.  I love it when she has to match stickers to an image in an activity book.

12. Baby Doll: Eleanor plays with her baby dolls all.day.long.  She swaddles them, puts them down for naps, sings to them and even holds them over the toilet saying, "Baby has to go potty."  She has a couple different baby dolls but the one I linked to here is my favorite.

13. Stroller: This gets pushed around the house all day long and is a favorite amongst all of Eleanor's friends.  We have the stroller I linked to here and I think the quality is good enough to last without being exorbitantly expensive.

14. Books: You can never go wrong with books.  Two year olds can handle paper books without ripping so you no longer just need board books (although she still loves all her board books).  Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is a fun one and I've overheard Eleanor read it to herself several times now.

15. Chalkboard Easel: We use this everyday.  I love that it's basic with neutral colors so I don't mind it just hanging out in our living room.  We've used it to practice Eleanor's letters and shapes and I'll randomly find new drawings on it.  So far we have only used the chalkboard side.  I'm still a little scared to let her loose in the house with dry erase markers :)

16. Toy Kitchen: I like the look of this IKEA version but I can't vouch for it's quality because we don't have it.  Our neighbors brought over their old Sesame Street kitchen they had grown out of, which was really sweet of them.  It's a plastic monstrosity but I don't even mind because Eleanor loves it so much.  She plays "restaurant" all the time these days, making me sit down for "dinner" and everything.  I always thought that toy kitchens would be great in the beginning and then kind of neglected after that initial excitement but I was wrong.  We have had ours for 8 months now and she uses it now more than ever.  Knowing that may help justify the higher price because toy kitchens are surprisingly expensive!  I definitely don't think you need an elaborate one though.

17. Toy Food Set: You need food to go along with your kitchen.  We don't have this set but I like the look of it.  Can't go wrong with Melissa and Doug wood toys.

18. Watercolors: Eleanor loves to paint everyday so this watercolor set gets a ton of use.  She's been painting for the past year and it never gets old.  Plus, I love all the artwork she makes.  I can't recommend gifting paints enough!  Just make sure that whatever kind of paint you give is non-toxic and washable.  We have this jumbo palette set that I've linked to.  It used to be just $10 on Amazon, but now it's $45 which is insane.  Don't buy it for that much!! I'm still linking to it in hopes that the price will go back to normal.  I love the vibrant colors and think the palette look is fun (although it is huge).  Crayola watercolors are a classic too and have great Amazon reviews.

And if anyone out there has more to add to this list I am all ears!

Happy Friday

Hello all!

I have had such a great week and I mostly credit it to two major changes--officially deleting instagram for good (never going back!) and deciding to not look at my phone for the first hour of the day.  I am finally starting my days off right, being more selfless with my time and more present with my family. We haven't done anything profoundly new or amazing this week, but I have just enjoyed all the little things so much more.

This week, Eleanor discovered brownie batter for the first time (see above photo) and I wish you could've seen how her eyes lit up at the first taste of it. Aaron and I have been chipping away at our Harry Potter reading.  It's been fun trading off the book so each other can get caught up.  Also, I did a little better at meal planning this week, which has taken stress and guilt away from our dinners.  And our house is now filled with pink peonies that both smell and look amazing (get thyself to Trader Joe's and get some!).  Finally, We have been getting lots of rain this past day and a half, which makes us pretty happy for our dear Fresno.  So yes, we are embracing the little things this week for sure.

I haven't done this for a while, so here are some things I have been loving lately...

"Bestie Row": sounds a little extreme but also totally awesome.  Who's in?

Aaron and I (along with some family members we've talked into it) are doing this 30-day challenge.  I don't necessarily care about getting "slim for summer" but I do want to feel healthy and strong so this challenge is working for us.

32 pictures that will give you intense elementary school flashbacks.  For real!

I LOVE these kinds of family photo sessions. Also, I'd take a pretty house in San Francisco any day.

One day, Eleanor will have enough hair for me to do this and I will be one happy mama.

No-bake cookies that are refined sugar-free.  I've made these twice and love them.  I usually just make a half batch.  I might try this version next.

And I made this smothered chicken meal again and it is pure heaven.  Eleanor hasn't eaten dinner so well in months!  The meal is a more labor-intensive slow-cooker meal for sure, but totally worth it.

Happy Friday!  Hope you're weekend is just the best :)

Happy Friday and Things I've Been Loving Lately

I took the following photo a couple Fridays ago when Aaron had just gotten home from work.  It's pure joy around here when Aaron gets home, especially when we are kicking off the weekend and know we will have him around nonstop.  He is definitely the more fun and energetic of Eleanor's two parents so both she and I love it when he's here :) 

We had a great past week with celebrating Aaron's birthday and all.  We are still getting used to saying we are twenty-seven year olds.  I visited our local high school last night for an event and it blew me away that it's been nine years since I've been in high school!  Makes me want to seize every moment and enjoy life--it goes by fast! 

In other news, Eleanor is trying to stand on her own more and more (usually just for a few seconds at a time) which is all sorts of fun for us to see.  She is also saying "momomom" more clearly, making my heart burst every time.

We have a fun weekend of spending time with Aaron's parents and grandparents planned so we are pretty excited for it to be Friday! Hope you all have the best weekend too!

And for fun, here are some things I've been loving lately...

It's the little things as a mother.  Such a great reminder to find joy in a slow paced life.  I find her instagram to be incredibly inspiring as well.

I shared a thought on honesty this week with our 12-13 year old youth group.  We watched this video and the message took me back to my teaching days.  As a teacher, I was so grateful for the parents who instilled values of honesty in their children because it showed when they were in the classroom.

Jessica's yarn wrapped letters in Clara's room are inspiring me to maybe to the same for Eleanor's.  I had them up in her old nursery but haven't taken the time to hang them up in this house.  They really are spectacular, Jess!

Loved reading about this project. A cause worth supporting.

I've been inspired by large map prints recently, especially here, here, and here.  It would be fantastic to find a large vintage map that's already been framed but if not, here is an an affordable one (it's huge!).

After finishing Eleanor's baby quilt I'm thinking this approach to quilting isn't so bad.  You can find the fabric for it here.

I've got floral Easter dresses on my mind for Eleanor.  We always had special Easter dresses growing up so I'd love to continue the tradition in our family.  Here are a few of my favorites at a variety of price points: Mini Boden, Old Navy, Target, and Zara etc.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Happy Friday and Things I've Been Loving

^^Family selfie last Saturday morning during breakfast at Batter-Up Pancakes

Happy Friday!

Wow, we are ready for the weekend! This week has had its ups and downs but we made it and we are better for it!  Eleanor is determined to drop her morning nap but I've been desperate not to give up our 2 nap schedule.  And my back got out of whack after a night of working on the bed and I just haven't felt the same ever since.

But there have been so many great things too--Eleanor has entered the CUTEST phase this week, made even cuter with her discovery of clapping.  And I went with the youth to a middle school play that one of our girls was in and I just LOVE things like that.  Also, Aaron came home almost every day for lunch and getting to see him so much just confirms our decision to move to Fresno :)

We are excited for some family bonding this weekend and are even going to brave a BYU Alumni social (we think)!

And just for fun, here are some things I've been loving lately:

I don't know if I'd be brave enough to paint these beautiful flowers as wallpaper but oh they are gorgeous!

7 Motherhood Ideas I Love.

How to Have a Great Life Without Spending a Lot of Money + Saving Some Too.  This post was a refreshing read amidst all the other things on the internet that seemed aimed at getting you to spend all your money (one of my biggest beefs with the blogging/social media world as of late).

If I had a bathroom to tile I would love to use this.

I was in a terrible, awful mood on Wednesday morning until I read this message and then I decided to get my act together and try to be a better person.  The rest of the day was fantastic!

Is this not the world's happiest lamp?  It would be perfect in Eleanor's room. Ohhh, if only :)

I'm planning on ordering this book in hopes of becoming more organized and tidy.

Wouldn't this print be a fun conversation piece for your home?  Especially mixed in to a gallery wall. I wonder how many people would test out their eye sight!

It's little moments like this that make me so grateful I'm able to be a stay at home mom.

Happy weekend everyone!

Happy Friday and Things I've Been Loving

^^We met up with Aaron for a lunch at Chipotle on Wednesday.  

This little blue-eyed one loved her barbacoa pork. 

Happy Friday the 13th!  I hope your week has been fantastic.  Aaron passed an important exam yesterday, Eleanor got one of her top teeth in and I have been surprisingly productive around the house.  And now we are looking forward to a great weekend!  We have plans for a Valentine's dinner date tonight and then a family park day on Saturday.  My mom drives in to town Sunday evening and then we will celebrate my 27th birthday on Monday.  If you're contemplating a good day to give birth to a child on then definitely choose February 16th--it often falls on a President's Day, which makes for an awesome, no-work day and therefore a fantastic day to party.  Your future child will thank you :)

Here are some random things I've been loving lately.  Hope you find them fun/helpful/entertaining!

-I would love to turn this fabric into curtains like these for Eleanor's room.

-I was chatting with a girl at church and found out that she used to write the successful blog called Black Eiffel.  I went home to look it up and found myself going through all her old posts.  Her content has so much depth and everything is uplifting and beautiful. Isn't it amazing to discover a new side to people you know?

-This valentine made me smile.  That song reference will always remind me of the movie 13 Going on 30.

-The other week I shared a mini lesson on inner beauty and individual worth with our Young Women (ages 12-18).  I found this short video's message to be so true!

-Dreaming of this household gadget, which shows that I really am getting old!

-If I had a fancy occasion to attend and money to spare then this dress would be my go to.

-This marriage advice from author Richard Paul Evans has been shared a lot on my Facebook.  I think every relationship could benefit if we all asked the same question every day to the one we loved.

-Last night at a Relief Society party we each shared our favorite things.  One of the favorites I shared was chia seeds.  I first used them in this Chocolate Banana Avocado Shake but can't wait to try them in homemade chia jam.

-The cement tiles in this dining room are beautiful.

-Loved reading through these ideas.  I've implemented some of them with Eleanor and they have made a big difference in our home.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The number one thing boosting my productivity this week

I have accomplished so much these past couple of days and I credit one change for my increased productivity: the Elise Gets Crafty Podcast Series.

The podcasts are a series of interviews where Elise (a crafty blogger/creative small business owner) interviews a new person each episode about some creative topic.  The interviewees are most often women who are artists, photographers, bloggers or business consultants and the topics range from maintaining creative habits to how to price your products to getting a book deal.  Most interviewees are young moms so often times the discussion touches a bit on balancing home life and being good parents.

I am not a small business owner nor do I have plans to become one any time soon, but I find this creative small business world fascinating, especially as it continues to grow with blogging and instagramming.   These are women about my same age (usually) doing really awesome things with the gifts they have been given.

I think all the podcasts are great but the Season Two podcasts seem to speak to me more or are just more interesting.

So how it fits in to my life...

Usually when I put Eleanor down for a nap, I crave relaxation and adult interaction.  While I should be cleaning my home or working on a myriad of projects, I'll often find myself sitting and perusing the internet for something to engage me and get my mind thinking about things other than kiddie toys and meal prep.  The problem though is that Eleanor's hour long nap passes quickly and I realize all I've done is sit around.  I don't really felt rested or recharged and therefore I don't feel like I can give Eleanor my all when she's awake.

This week though has been different.  I'll put Eleanor down and then start a podcast soon after.  While I usually start out sitting down and relaxing to listen, all the talk about creativity, getting stuff done, making it happen eventually motivates me to get up and start cleaning.  My kitchen is dishes free, my laundry pile is diminishing, the toys are being picked up and my meals are getting prepared.  All while my brain is engaged and thinking about adult things.  It's fantastic! Of course, the house goes to chaos again when she wakes up but things have improved overall!

Some of my favorite thoughts gained from these podcasts are that:

1) It's not always fun.  Sometimes you just have to do things (like dishes, family record keeping, etc.) Just do it!

2) Take "creative field trips" (go to a museum, Anthropologie, an antique store, an art gallery!).  I think this is why I love going thrifting with Eleanor.  I don't buy anything usually but it gets me outside and I find a lot of inspiration in the old things I see.

3) Make time every day to be creative.  I don't think of myself as a super creative person, but I can see that when I engage in a creative activity (such as cooking for fun, playing the piano, taking photos, making homemade birthday cards) I feel reinvigorated and strangely well rested.

I never thought I was much of an audio learner (I usually dislike others reading to me out loud whenever I'm in any kind of class), but I'm thinking I may be more of one than I thought.  I'm motivated to seek out audio books now when I used to be certain I was a book-in-hand kind of reader.  Think of all the books I could be getting through by listening to them!

Anyways, I thought I'd send this out into the universe (internet) in case anyone is looking for a little inspiration.  I love being a stay at home mom and wouldn't change it for the world and yet it is this bizarrely isolating experience at times.  So discovering things like this that uplift me and make me a better mom is wonderful.

Happy Wednesday!