Every holiday season for the last several years I have pulled together a list of some of my absolute favorite things. I love sharing recommendations and things I just love. Here’s this year’s!
Household Items
Ceramic pans – you may have seen these advertised on Instagram – they’re the pans you can cook scrambled eggs in without any butter or oil and they won’t stick. And it’s true!! I’m actually going to say these pans are life changing. {This is a link to the pans I have – there are several other options and brands.}
Milk frother – this was a Christmas gift from Alex last winter and I use it daily. I love this frother in particular because you can steam/froth more than 8 oz of milk.
Molly’s Suds – this may seem like a funny thing to share, but this laundry detergent is fantastic. I have been using it for years and it works *so* well. Try the stain remover, too.
Sidio Crates – a must for garage or gear organization! These are truly revolutionary stackable crates for organization. We just love them.
Books/Magazines
This year I read some absolutely delightful books. Here are some of my favorites:
Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson
The Bookwoman’s Daughter by Kim Michelle Richardson
Good Inside by Dr Becky Kennedy
Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs
Magnolia Journal – a quarterly publication I enjoy tremendously. This is the most thoughtful magazine I’ve ever encountered.
Cookbooks
Half Baked Harvest Everyday by Tiegan Gerard
Baking School from King Arthur Baking
Attire
Cotopaxi coat – Have you heard of Cotopaxi!? They’re a pretty fantastic company. And they make darn good gear. I got this coat last winter and absolutely love it!
Snow boots – these boots may be my all-time favorite! I have been on a quest for the last few years to find the best pair of boots. These are lightweight, cozy, slip-on, have great traction and are waterproof. They’re exactly what I was looking for.
Athleta leggings – I’ve moved on from Zella and really feel strongly about Athleta leggings. I think they’re just amazing. I like the Salutation Stash Tight (I love the 7/8 for not winter), and the Rainier Tight is a bit thicker for winter and great, in my opinion, for running. Also! They have a fleece lined legging which is perfect for chilly winter days.
LL Bean sweatshirt – I’ve had these for years. I just love them. You can wear with anything and I love that there’s a pocket.
Vuori joggers – Ok I was skeptical about these because Vuori advertises so heavily on Instagram. Gosh I love Vuori and these joggers are the absolute best I’ve ever had.
Summersalt swimsuits – it’s not exactly swimsuit season here, but I still wanted to share this for resort season. I just *love* Summersalt suits – I’ve transitioned to mostly wearing a one-piece these days and they have an incredible variety. They are amazingly flattering. I sized up two sizes from my everyday size, though, so beware that sizes may not be as expected.
Personal items
Exfoliating face wash – this is beyond luxurious and nourishing on my skin. I just love washing my face with this. The best part is it’s extremely reasonably priced.
Body cream – so, so, so nourishing.
Kids
Fun Things
Magnetic Tiles – these were a gift from my dad on Ben’s first or second birthday and we all play with them and enjoy them *so* regularly. This is the absolute best open-ended kiddo gift. We have several of the expansion packs, too.
Giant coloring posters – we’ve had a few of these and they’ve kept my kids so engaged for hours on end. It’s a great way to delay the gratification of finishing something, too. They’re so much fun to roll out on the floor and color together as a family.
Ooly art supplies – gosh these are so much fun. My kids have a big art kit with tons of bits and bobs, as well as a variety of their markers and paints. Their temporary tattoos are such a hit with my kids. Also, their coloring books are among our favorites. {beware: their paint sticks are NOT washable!}
Peaceable Kingdom Games – I absolutely love these games, and so do my kids. They encourage teamwork, connection and problem solving, rather than winning and competition.
Gear
Reima outerwear – we run gear through the ringer and Reima is absolutely incredible and withstands forest school in the mountains, ski team and backyard snowy play. It is just the best. Our favorites are: snowsuits, waterproof mittens {truly the best mittens} and bib snowpants!
Bogs boots – the absolute best boots! My kids wear their winter boots and they keep their little toes toasty warm – even Hannah’s when she’s at school outside all day. The traction is excellent, too, and they’re easy to get on/off.
Kids Backpacks – REI just came out with a new kiddo backpack in 12 and 18 liter sizes. Hannah uses the 12L for nature school and it is the perfect size for her. These are designed *so* well.
A final closing note: while I’m always searching for the best gear and products, this year more than ever before, I’ve found myself focusing on the things that bring me the most joy. Of course those things are not things at all. More on that to come.