Pepper Design Blog

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Kids

It’s that time of the year again! December has officially arrived and my list for gift giving is beginning to fill up and up. Just as I did last year (if you’re in need of a few more ideas, check out this round up too), I thought that I might share several of the kid-related presents that have caught my eye, either for one of those kids on my list, as an idea for Liv or because it’s just too cute!

Ladies and Guys Gift Guides to come.

I always have a lot of fun shopping for girls and this year was no exception. This multi colored trapper hat is a happy and fun accessory for winter and this sequin cardigan is perfect for holiday parties and special gatherings. I’ve always been a huge fan of little striped and polka dotted tights on Liv and these are adorable (though I wish the stripes extended all the way to the top? Does that bother anyone else when dressing their wee little one?). This peacoat is a total splurge but I had to include it. When Old Navy comes out with their version, I’d love to be on the must-know list.

I found these moccasins in Spain and was so thrilled to have stumbled across them again on Amazon! They are the most comfortable shoes that Liv wears almost every day. They have a zipper on the inside (critical for getting boots on toddlers), are super durable and absolutely adorable with leggings, tights or skinny jeans. (Now they make them for infants, too!)

For the boys, I’m digging this baby huxley polo and these Livie & Luca cowboy boots (possibly my favorite find). Big fan of cute, out-of-the-ordinary hats like this moose beanie (sort of resembles a reindeer, right? and would be adorable for this winter!) and check out these cool shades for little men, now they can look just like daddy. This boy’s button up cardigan is a stylish winter staple.

Back to the toys, and I have plenty that have caught my eye after much internet and catalog trolling.

I still can’t get enough of the phenomenon of these cute bouncy toys that have taken over the market these past couple of years, and I’m sure kids can’t either! Unconventional (and absolutely adorable) stuffies like this corduroy lion always win me over, perfect for a new baby (the same company makes an elephant, alligator, horse, cat, you name it).

Liv is currently enamored with the idea of cutting her own food! This wooden set by Melissa & Doug is perfect for toddlers. And I wish I had thought of this next idea! Chalkboard placemats! Perfect for active kids at the dinner table.

You may know well my love of wooden toys from previous posts, this little buggy is perfect for toting around baby dolls, toys, play food supplies (pretend grocery store shopping?) and anything else your little ones might like to carry. Speaking of wooden toys, I would love to make Liv a little dollhouse next year, but this foldable version is a great alternative to tote around to Grandma’s house and for playdates. Take the guesswork out of learning to tie shoes, and for those that are just about that age this toy seems like a fun way to practice.

Kiwi Crate is such a clever idea and would make the perfect gift from a Grandma or Aunt to a child for Christmas. It’s a subscription based program with a new box filled with 2-3 craft projects arriving each month – a fun reason to sit down and have a little family craft time! You might have caught Liv building her little gingerbread house on Instagram (you can follow us @morganspenla) earlier this month, Kiwi Crate was kind enough to send us a holiday kit. Use this link to get $5 off your first $20-per-box subscription.

Last but not least in the above collage, this extreme DIY wall coaster (a marble run that flips and zips over 16 feet) looks like a lot of fun! A great idea for kids that love to connect and build.

Family board games are a must – here’s one that prompts storytelling and the imagination for kids of all ages. Toys that get the kids outside are also a favorite of mine, this chalk trail for a kid’s bike seems like a lot of fun – attach chalk and draw/bike away! Here’s a cool spin on the ever popular deer head – but in the form of an upcycled sweater moose! This would be great in a nursery. And a gummy bear nightlight? So cool.

Another find for picky (or easily distractible) eaters… construction zone placemats. Talk about constructive eating! I would have loved this ticket stub booklet as a little girl and I’m sure most 8-12 year olds will think it’s awesome. A great way to corral train, plane and museum souvenirs in (ticket stubs are free!) and to track family vacations.

Liv is getting a new kitchen for Christmas, and these sugar cookie accessories are on the top of my wishlist! How cute is that little oven mitt and those build-it-yourself wooden desserts? (I can’t decide which of us would dig playing with these more…). Healthy fruit pops and wintery desserts are just an ice mold away. Love me some great toy storage, these felt bins are awesome. 

This is probably a given , but we LOVE Olivia books in our house! And this little paperback travel pack is perfect for carrying around. This adorable owl find is even customizable (ps check out the cool whale by the same company).

I was never great about putting bows and headbands on Liv as a baby (and now I regret it because she refuses to put anything in her hair), but this company has developed a non-painful solution to the traditional clips and headbands (the imprint many left always made me wary).

This little book buggee is perfect for kids like Liv that tote armfuls of books from room to room. Especially those kids that love pull toys! And finally, last but not least, lincoln logs are reborn as simple Kubix plank wood blocks, these look like so much fun.

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Happy shopping! Enjoy the rest of your gift list making this December and hopefully these inspire a few ideas for your favorite people this holiday season. I also have a trove of handmade ideas that I’m working on and I can’t wait to share them here as well.

Ladies and Guy’s Gift Guides coming soon! And don’t forget to check out last year’s kid’s list, too. PS All previously posted gift guides can be sorted on the site using this link.

Favorite Baby Products: 12-18 Months

Liv turned 18 months old on Monday! The months have flown by awfully fast and I can’t believe that our brand new baby from just last year is now a talking, running, laughing toddler.

Amazing! I’m sure all parents experience this crazy time warp, but it’s really pretty wild.

She’s got her momma’s eyebrows .

As a new parent I have loved sharing favorite finds here on the blog in hopes that other mommas and daddys (or grandmas and aunts and sisters) might find them equally useful. Here are links to favorite baby product posts for 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months.

Let’s dive right into 12-18 months!

Clockwise from top:

1-2. iBert & Giro Me2 Infant Bike Helmet: This bike seat is by far one of Liv’s favorite activities to do with Kevin. ‘Bike’ was one of her first words and every time she sees a biker pass by these days she eagerly points them out. When she see her iBert in the garage she’s giddy with excitement. I love the concept of being able to see your child as well (instead of having the seat on the back of the bike) though we were big fans of a traditional trailer for the first 9 months and definitely for longer rides these days.

Second on the list must be the infant helmet that protects her little noggin when biking with dad. The title is slightly deceptive as there really aren’t any helmets that fit an infant, but just about the time she was big enough for the iBert was when this guy fit appropriately.

3-6. Toddler feeding supplies: A few suggestions that have made meals a lot easier include soft, large spoons (what toddlers need are a shovel, not the dainty baby spoons that so many stores sell) and we have a set similar to these that we love. Bowls with lids are another plus – I found myself frequently transferring unfinished meals into tupperware containers for the fridge, now I pop a lid onto one of these inexpensive baby bowls and save yogurt, pasta or soup for the next meal with minimal clean up. #5 is quite genius! The company Sili Squeeze has come out with a reusable squeeze containers (similar to those 4oz store bought versions that must be tossed) to be filled up with applesauce, purees, yogurt, etc. I always found the disposable versions to be soo wasteful and never enough. This guy is perfect. Last but not least is the search for a perfect sippy cup. We have gone through every cup in the book during the transition from breastfeeding to cup (where a soft, malleable pour spout is preferred) and nearly all began leaking after 2-3 months of use. It’s no fun watching milk trail across the carpet as your toddler carries a sippy upside down. We are moving on to ‘big girl’ plastic cups and squeeze bottles, but I found Dr. Brown’s Soft Spout Training Cup to be the best when it came to the longest lasting, no-spill solution.

7. Combi Coccoro car seat: I travel quite a bit for work and I was not looking forward to the day that we would be upgrading Liv from her very light weight infant car seat to a toddler version. I did a ton of research before settling on the Coccoro car seat. It’s best in class in terms of safety ratings, the lightest car seat on the market (12 lbs!) and extremely narrow (but reassuringly sturdy). I can easly tote this car seat, Liv and my diaper bag/briefcase down the aisle of an airplane on my own. Another huge bonus is that it fits in the BOB (just like an infant seat) for to and from the airport gates (when traveling solo this is amazing). PS just found this guy on Zulily right now on sale!

8-12. Favorite Toddler Toys: This category is entirely subjective depending on your little one’s loves, but it was also a hard transition for me. When it was time to buy some toddler-esq toys I wasn’t exactly sure what would be developmentally helpful and funfor that 12-18 month age (plus I really didn’t want to fill the house with tons and tons of toys, just a handful in addition to the traditional books, drawing supplies, etc). The winners? Our wooden animal farm shape sorter cart, this Whacky Ball set (a gift from a friend), flapping duck push toy (amazingly popular! another gift from a friend and I actually remember having one of these as a kid) and the original wooden rocking horse that Liv LOVES at this age but that I scooped up on Zulily when Liv was brand new. You can find it here on Overstock now. Last but not least are books. We love Olivia books, animal books, books about farms and dogs and fish… but small board books like these have been a huge hit because they’re easy to tote around, Liv has started to identify and show off characters in the books and she can carry them as she goes. Another gift from a friend and another winner!

My previous lists include must-haves that we still use to this day. I cannot be happier with our OXO Tot Sprout high chair (the company is wonderful too – we’ve had to replace the tray, velcro strips and padding due to LOTS of use and they’ve sent every piece out free), and we still love our Fisher Price portable high chair which we keep full time at Grandmas. Sadly, Liv has outgrown the super-easy-to-travel with Wriggle Wrapper.

Anything by Mishi Design (like this wooden walker & wheelbarrow) is pretty genius. All of the toys ‘grow’ with your child and are pretty easy on the eyes (they fit into that wooden Melissa & Doug category).

Here’s another set of the above links for checking out previous finds! 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months

Dad’s Day Ideas

Father’s Day is not too far away! I was thinking about what creative little idea Liv and I can put together for the dad and granddads in our lives, I’d like to focus on something simple, sweet and handmade (kind of like our Mother’s Day gifts).

In the not simple and homemade variety, Dads can be a little difficult to shop for and it can be hard to come up with something thoughtful and unique. Here are a few ideas for the guys that I have been eying:

A very cool leather bike frame bag, Rapala fishing fillet knife, sheath and pliers for the fishermen in your life (or these neat Rustico leather log books for classy fishing, golf, etc recording), every water man needs at least one Dry Pak cellphone case, this Etsy lumber dad card is adorable, we all benefit from dad’s great cooking skills + a custom dry rub spice kit and this Stephen Campbell ’5 Bottles’ embroidery art print is perfect for the man cave or bar.

Bose IE2 headphones would be a much loved gift, Kevin insisted I include his top wish list Rocketballz golf club (not gonna happen) and I would really love to see this desktop globe in our one day joint office. The idea behind this scratch off world map is so awesome! and these Etsy artist golf tees and custom marker set are great for the golf lover. Roku HD Streaming is a really neat Dad’s day splurge, as would these vintage map cufflinks be. Let Dad stash all of his odds and ends (golf balls, coins, random screws and bolts found around the house – is that just us?) in his sweet stache jar. Finally, there’s something about this Frieiri leather journal that works so well with travel junkies and future architects alike (hint, totally something for Kevin).

More gift guides for the guys can be found here.