We’re already forming plans for a few trips to the Hamptons this summer, and of course, my mind is now permanently fixated on the vision of an expansive green lawn and aperol spritzes at four p.m. and watching my children splash around in the pool and living in bare feet and grilling absolutely everything. I often tarry on buying things for myself for future seasons (I want things I can wear now), but I am good at snapping up bathing suits I love as soon as I see them — I just snagged this pink one-piece (seen immediately below) from new-to-me luxury swimwear label Alexandra Miro after Caitlin posted about it (on sale!!!), and this Agua Bendita (second below) is sitting in my cart…
A roundup of favorite suits at all price points for upcoming warm weather:
MY SISTER WORE THIS IN THE HAMPTONS LAST YEAR IN FIRE ENGINE RED AND IT WAS 100 100 100 100 100 — THE BRAND WAS FOUNDED BY A FELLOW PARSONS’ GRAD LIKE HER
Urgent! Today at 12 EST, Hill House’s eagerly-awaited English Garden collection of nap dresses launches. If you are a nap dress fan like myself, you know that these limited edition collections sell out in minutes. I’ve already studied their preview and determined that I need the Nesli style in the green botanical, so I’ll be adding that to my cart as soon as the clock strikes noon.
These dresses are SO comfortable for the evening hours — I have been wearing my three plaid ones constantly this winter. (I layer the Ellie over a black fitted turtleneck.) I think my favorite is this Nesli. So incredibly comfortable, flattering, and cute. I am short (5’0) and petite (under 100 lbs) yet I can wear all of the styles without feeling like I am swallowed alive by the fabric. They are soft enough to sleep in, but I more often than not wear them during the day. I like that the elastic and smocking they use are non-cinching — I never have indentations on my arm from the elastic — and in general adore the midi length (on me, close to ankle-grazing), which is easy to move around in but feminine.
I can’t wait to add the botanical print to my collection! I know I want the Nesli but I am also in love with the Caroline in the white botanical! Might have to splurge…
And speaking of my favorite at-home loungewear, my beloved Birdie’s slippers were just released in two new suede colors. J’adore the taupe gray!
P.S. Of course, the entire English Garden collection is serving up major Bridgerton vibes…but note that they do have a few nap dresses in solid black, so if you’ve been eyeing these but feeling that they are too feminine for your tastes, now’s the chance to pounce.
I recently realized that I have grappled with an unarticulated impression that we are living an alternity right now, an otherness that is “getting in the way of” or somehow distinct from “real life.” How often do I say: “when things get back to normal…” or “whenever this is done…” or “post-COVID…”? And yet, spring has given way to summer, summer to fall, fall to winter, and winter, soon, to spring again. My children sprout with new abilities and awarenesses. Hill’s crawl disappeared into a wobbly totter months ago and now he lays claim to one speed only: a sprint. He loves lions and trucks. He has a preternatural sense for the clock turning 5:30 p.m., as he always rises from his play at that time, hooks his small hand in mind, and leads me to the door of mini’s bedroom so that I can pour him milk as he waits for me to prepare his dinner. Mini returns home from school singing “there was a man who had a dream / his name was Martin Luther King,” and calls “bon soir!” over her shoulder, and informs me that she is “painting a self-portrait” and that “‘bepectacles’ [spectacles] is another word for glasses,” and says, calmly, as I hover listlessly over the dining table speckled with puzzle pieces, abandoning one possible placement, “It’s OK, mama. Just try again.” I run in circles through Central Park, kneel to pray, spend too much money attempting to reverse time through elaborate skincare regimens, read outrageous or beautiful or smeh books, write outrageous or beautiful or smeh things, make the same five or six dinners my children will deign to eat at 5:30 p.m. every evening, laugh at text chains with my siblings, make a mockery of myself dancing to The Freeze Dance Song for the amusement of my children, make eyes at Mr. Magpie at 4:09 p.m. on Saturday afternoons (“but how will we ever get to bedtime?!”), sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in the soft darkness of my daughter’s bedroom, tut over the current state of affairs with fellow parents in the school drop-off line, text girlfriends who have just given birth, tamper with the way I organize and conceptualize my day, call my mother while I walk Tilly at 7:15 p.m. — not so much to say anything of specific importance, but because the gesture and connection means everything, belabor dinner delivery options, dodge detritus and unsavoriness on the sidewalks and subways of New York City, watch entire series of television, make small-talk with the doorman, toast to minor successes and celebrations, acquire and manipulate new words, cry on Mr. Magpie’s shoulder from the challenge and stress and over-a-year-long absence of my mother’s arms around me, agonize over parenting decisions, FaceTime siblings and parents and friends, linger over puzzles, restock our pantry and medicine cabinet with alacrity, relish Mr. Magpie’s extraordinary culinary skills, and navigate the bric-a-brac of parenting and the colossal load of household admin, which has somehow only intensified in the wake of this world-stopping, time-bending pandemic.
That is to say – I continue to live my life. The pandemic has constricted its latitude in various ways, but not, as it turns out, in one of the ways that matters most: I still move through my days capable of the same wide spray of emotions. I laugh at Ted Lasso and memes from my sister and mini’s deadpan “was that a duck?” after my son breaks wind; I cry when the son dies in Hamnet and when a girlfriend calls with heartbreaking news and when Mr. Magpie, prompted by a Table Topics for Kids card asking “what is happiness?”, explains to my two small children: “Happiness is finding your perfect match and making her your wife.”
I am not living an alternity, or a rehearsal, or a dressing room. I am living, to quote HRH Mary Oliver, “my one wild and precious life.”
+PSA: Westman Atelier is now carried by Sephora, in case you’re a VIB and want to rack up points there (plus, they currently offer free shipping). I’m obsessed with their foundation stick, blush stick, and highlighter. 10/10 would recommend all three.
+Gorgeous dress — perfect shade of blue, and with a perfectly oversized bow to boot.
+This plaid rain coat is also super cute, though I’m still holding out for a Stutterheim the next time I need a new raincoat.
+Speaking of, there are a bunch of Stutterheim raincoats for men on super sale here in great colors. Contemplating buying the green or brown for my man.
+For children, I love the ones from Petit Bateau and TBBC (these are unlined, so better for warmer months). Gap sometimes has good ones, but not currently. I like the traditional styling of this $30 style from Amazon, too.
I went on a little spring refresh for some basics like bibs (SUCH cute prints; I bought micro the racing car pattern and dinosaurs), cutlery for mini’s lunchbox, and pajamas, and had to share some great Amazon finds for littles in the chicest muted pastel colorway…
I BUY MINI THESE NATIVES IN THE MILK PINK / SHELL WHITE COMBO EVERY SUMMER — LOVE THE SKY BLUE TOO!
P.S. A lot of great Amazon clothing scores for little ones in this post, but let me please highlight this $21 smocked floral top (Liberty-esque). I loved it so much in the pink I had to buy a second color! Very impressed with the quality. So easy to pair with white leggings and a big Wee Ones bow for a traditional-leaning but not-too-precious everyday look.
P.P.P.S. 35% off Valentine’s Day styles at Grace + James Kids with code VALENTINEGJK. This diaper set is so cute, even beyond VDay. I save bundles of money by using these promotions to buy for the next season ahead!
I love (!) pastels. I adore (!!) accents like pearls and bows and jewels. I nearly always choose the patterned over the plain. My brother-in-law handily termed this aesthetic “dressing like a present.”
But I will admit that some days, I’m in an all-black-everything, or black-and-white-only mood and the vibe feels slick. Below, a few picks in white and black minimalism:
P.P.P.S. Some ideas for indoor activities for families in the post-scripts of this post.
By: Jen Shoop
In late December, I was running down West Drive in Central Park when I noticed a congregation of bystanders clustering under a thicket of trees close to the 81st street entrance. Living in Manhattan for three years has conditioned me to expect the worst of such abnormalities, but the tone of the crowd was undeniably festive, even genial. I noticed that people were gesturing excitedly with their thick mittens to a tree branch, smiling at one another, gesticulating wonderment. I paused my music and slowed my pace and then — Well, what the hell? I thought to myself. Curious, I approached and craned my neck, immediately spotting an enormous bald eagle perched majestically on one of the barren branches.
“Isn’t it amazing?” I heard someone say. I found myself smiling and nodding loosely in the voice’s direction.
“This one has been seen in Riverside Park, too,” said someone else.
“Is that right? Wow,” said another, and a shuffling, pleased concurrence rippled through the pack of us. People would peel off, smiling and nodding knowingly at one another, holding up gloved hands in loose gestures of affable departure.
I resumed my run a minute or two later, and when I got home, I told Mr. Magpie:
“Oh man, I just witnessed the biggest ice cream moment.”
Mr. Magpie is routinely moved by people waiting in line for ice cream cones. I first learned this about him when we lived on Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park in Chicago, around the corner from Annette’s Italian Ice. In warm weather, a trail of wiggling children, families, and the occasional singleton would wind past Annette’s ice cream window down Bissell Street.
“Look at those people,” he would say, as we’d scurry toward the L. “I mean, all they want is a little scoop of ice cream. There’s no ulterior motive there — just pure enjoyment. That’s all they’re after.”
I knew what he meant. Ordering ice cream is guileless, childlike, frivolous in the best way. And waiting patiently in line to order ice cream only underscores the point: “I want this simple treat, and I’m willing to wait politely for it.”
I felt the same surge of poignancy observing those Manhattanites in Central Park that morning. New Yorkers are of the tough, direct, non-meandering ilk. In fact, if I am walking down the street and someone appears to be moving at a lackadaisical pace, I near-instinctively afford him a wide berth, assuming something’s off. New Yorkers tend to keep to themselves, too, out of tempered self-preservation — under normal circumstances, if someone waves me over with a mittened hand, I keep moving. (Trust me, most of the time, you should keep moving.) But here I witnessed a band of city-dwellers stalled and clustered under a tree, collectively enthralled by the rarity of a big bird in our big city. There was no possible trace of chicanery, ill-will, untowardness: just ten or twelve human beings, standing still together, united in the simplest of pleasures.
I needed to see that — to observe the brittle edges of these times give way to the shared tenderness beneath.
Post-Scripts.
+More on living in NYC this past year here and here.
+Random kitchen splurge that has brought me joy for years (purchased before I was married!): an Emile Henry ceramic salt pig. I keep it out on the counter and it makes seasoning a cinch.
+Oh my gosh, this personalized scalloped bib is beyond. If you’re having a big smash cake moment with a professional photographer and all that, this is your ticket! (More birthday outfit finds for little ones here.)
I wrote recently that micro has been very into trucks lately, and, thanks to Target (AHEM!!!), a theme for his upcoming second birthday (in May) has taken shape. Thought I’d share my latest truck finds for little ones, including several cute gift ideas:
There have been so many epic deals on the feminine pieces from Brock Collection, one my favorite high-end designers, lately, and I had to snag this pretty bow-shouldered white top (70% off!), also available in the sweetest floral print here. I also absolutely adore this floral print style.
There were so many exceptional variations on “The Pep Talk” from Magpies in response to last week’s icebreaker, but I wanted to single out Stephanie’s rejoinder to feelings of anxiety or instances in which we are aware that we are making a mountain out of a molehill:
Will this matter in a day? A week? A year?
Mr. Magpie often asks me this exact trio of questions when I am fretting over something, whether a protracted and heated customer service negotiation or a misstep in the writing of this blog or the shocking forgetfulness I displayed when I did not remember that mini had a half day at school a few weeks ago and showed up an entire hour late to scoop her up. (I was mortified and felt like a wretch for consuming the time of the faculty who stayed with her!)
The provocation invariably yields perspective, usually making me realize that whatever it is does not, in fact, truly matter, or that it cannot be materially changed by my hand-wringing. And more often than not, these questions assist in the crafting of a proportionate response to the incident at hand. In the case of forgetting mini’s half-day, I apologized profusely (through multiple media!), modified my calendaring system (adding a digital alert) for scheduled half-days in the future, and took the time to treat mini to a special afternoon snack to reassure her that she is the center of everything for me. And then I had to let.it.go. It was a mistake, not a symptom of my ineptitude or a pattern of behavior.
How do you achieve a sense of perspective in moments like these?
+Speaking of children dining on the go, I just bought mini a few sets of this cutlery for her lunchbox. We had still be using these Beaba sets but she’s truly outgrown them as she closes in on four years old!
+Pretty spring dress for a little. Mini has owned this style in a few prints over the years and it’s an effortless style to pair with leggings or tights!
+A huge drop of Ulla at The Outnet. I love their breezy midis and have been eyeing this dress (also avail in a cute midi) for like two years now! I think it’s time to pounce. (And this jacket means BUSINESS. SO CHIC.)
And slender list of what’s bringing me joy this week —
+Mango’s new arrivals are next level. I am dead over this wool coat in the perfect muted green, and love the way they’ve styled it with white denim and taupe loafers. But the knitwear is beyond beyond, serving up major Ulla-meets-Missoni vibes, and most of it $59. I currently have these three statements in my cart:
+This oversized, Bottega-inspired dumpling bag (seen at top of post) from the collection also turned my head, in no small part because of the showstopping model. I need her makeup situation — love the dramatic mascara with the pale pink lip. So good! (More great spring bags here.)
+OK, so did everyone know about the TV show “Ted Lasso” and just not say anything to me? Mr. Magpie and I were positively delighted by this series, in which Jason Sudeikis plays an underdog American football coach recruited to lead a British football (i.e., soccer) team. The show has so much heart and boasts countless wisdoms about good management and leadership. I cried, I laughed, I loved. Cannot wait for the next season.
+Picked up a new word while re-reading Dracula: saturnine. Saturnine: adj. (of a person or their manner) slow and gloomy. How do you keep tabs on new words? I write them down in my planner (more on that beloved but heavy daily tool here) and aim to trot them out within a week of acquisition. So, this is my lazy attempt to make good on that plan with regards to saturnine. I’ve been ISO an opportunity to use the words philological and epidemiology for weeks now to no avail, though the latter shouldn’t have escaped my purchase for so long given COVID. Any other word lovers out there? (P.S. Some words I hate here.)
+Related: my verdict about one third of the way through Dracula: interesting but probably best-suited to an academic context. I’m slowly making my way and can’t say I’m exactly atwitter with frisson when I pick it up, though certain elements of the text positively jump out at me on this re-reading. For one, I am keenly aware of Stoker’s representation of anxieties around miscegenation and racial/cultural “otherness” this go around. Still, I am anxious to get to Didion’s latest and my next thriller, Lisa Unger’s Confessions on the 7:45!
+Ordering tickets to attend this virtual reading and interview with Jhumpa Lahiri, a longtime favorite author of mine (permanently in my personal canon), who just published a new book, Whereabouts. Note that the ticket includes a copy of the book, which they will mail to you! I was able to listen to Madeline Miller (virtually) read from and talk about Circe last week, so this will be a big season for hearing directly from some of my favorite writers.
+Two movies we watched recently that I enjoyed purely from the standpoint of — I have missed BIG HOLLYWOOD FLICKS: “News of the World” starring Tom Hanks in peak patriarch mode (description: “five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas”) and “The High Note,” featuring a likeable Dakota Johnson and an absolutely electric, scene-stealing Tracee Ellis Ross (description: “Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis, a superstar whose talent, and ego, have reached unbelievable heights. Maggie is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who’s stuck running errands, but still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer.”) I wouldn’t say either of these movies startled me in any profound way, but both were deliciously well-designed and well-cast with uplifting messages sorely needed at present. Solid four star territory. Perfect Friday night movies with a big bucket of popcorn. “Tenet,” on the other hand, we had to turn off. I found the premise absurd to the point of distracting (it’s an action film in which we are closing in on WWIII because bad actors have figured out how to reverse time) and prone to glossing over details in a transparently smoke-and-mirrors kind of way. Ha – guess it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
+What audiobook should I listen to next? (Some of my favorites in the past here.) I am looking for something on the lighter end of the spectrum.
+Going to test this Vitamin C Serum next, on the recommendation of a Magpie reader. Just finished my bottle of Vichy, which was fine but I did not care for the consistency (very runny). I do feel that adding a separate vitamin C serum makes my skin much, much brighter and is worth the extra step.
+We just started watching “Derry Girls” on the recommendation of a girlfriend. It’s a British sit-com in which a group of Irish girls navigate their teen years during the end of “The Troubles in Derry” (the North Ireland conflict). It can be Rabelaisian and flip (not sure this is a great show for you, mom), but we’ve laughed out loud!
+We occasionally turn on Selena Gomez’s HBO cooking show when we’re looking for something super lowkey and light, and a lot of the episodes are admittedly vapid, but I loved (!) the one with Jose Andres, whose zest for life and love of food is positively contagious. Pessimism always seems cooler until you cross paths with someone of such prodigious joy. Fun fact: we had our rehearsal dinner (eleven years ago…) at one of his restaurants in D.C.! We have loved him forever.
+Counting down the days until Hill House’s spring nap dress launch (slated for Feb 10th). I have positively lived in my tartan nap dresses from November through present, from the hours of 5 pm until bedtime. I often change out of my “day clothes,” refresh my makeup, and slip into one of these to mark the end of the work day. (More details on this routine here.)
+Westman Atelier just launched some super gorgeous new cheek stick shades. I want to try “Minette” (peach!) for spring.
+I have been dutifully keeping up with my manicures-at-home regimen using Essie’s Gel Couture, which really does last a full week (even with using my hands fairly heavily in cooking, cleaning, activities with children, etc). I love (!) their pre-show jitters color, which is the perfect white-pink. My Instagram friend Nan (her blog is excellent!) recently told me about Dazzle Dry and I have to say I am intrigued. Any other converts out there?
+A couple of recent shopping finds worth a mention:
BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT MICRO’S WARM-WEATHER WARDROBE, AND EYEING SHORTS FROM RALPH, TBBC, CADETS, AND MINNOW — ALL STYLES THAT ARE A BIT MORE FITTED / SHORTER THAN TRADITIONAL STYLES CARRIED ELSEWHERE
I had not even thought to share a post along these lines because Mr. Magpie and I do not exchange gifts on Valentine’s Day, instead preferring to splurge on an indulgent meal and good champagne, but I realize now that I may be in the minority on this one, as I just received a few queries from thoughtful Magpies searching for something special for their significant others. The above photo is a reminder that experiences make great gifts for guys — Mr. Magpie’s parents treated him to an afternoon driving luxury sports cars on a track back when we were first married, and he flipped out over it. One of my girlfriends bought her husband a membership to a vintage car rental service, too!
Below, a few items at all different pricepoints that would make great Valentine’s Day gifts. Mr. Magpie owns and loves *all* of these items…
(01.) WHO DOESN’T LOVE VIRGINIA PEANUTS? I BOUGHT THIS SAMPLER FOR MR. MAGPIE AND IT’S THE PERFECT FIVE P.M. HAPPY HOUR SNACK
(03.) ONLY THE FINEST WRITING IMPLEMENT WILL DO FOR YOUR MAN — WE BOTH LOVE THESE PENS! A SMALL EXTRAVAGANCE FOR NOTE-TAKING AND COMES IN A COOL CARRY CASE
(04.) MR. MAGPIE’S NEW KICKS — I PERSONALLY THINK THIS SPORTY STYLE IS THE COOLEST VEJA ON THE MARKET
(05.) MR. MAGPIE JOKES THAT I AM TRANSFORMING HIM INTO “A COOL DOWNTOWN DAD” WITH MY RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS WARDROBE, INCLUDING THIS STREET-STYLE-APPROVED MAISON KITSUNE SWEATSHIRT…GOTTA KEEP THAT DRIP FRESH
(06.) MR. MAGPIE USED TO DO POUR-OVERS EVERY MORNING; THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE BUT ACHIEVES THE EFFECT OF A MANUAL POUROVER
+Sweatpants that look just a little more structured and pulled-together than their counterparts.
+Show me a man who doesn’t love Patagonia Baggies. Great lounge/swim/outdoor shorts and I like the slightly retro (shorter) length.
+I bought Mr. Magpie a pair of Vilbrequin swim trunks last year — they are SO attractive, simple, classic. Dress like a jetsetter even when we can’t go anywhere…
+Great, masculine mugs for coffee — porcelain is apparently the best? Perhaps order two of these and a subscription to their amazing coffee!
+Pasta rolling machine — so fun if you have a foodie on your hands. We have a manual crank style like this one, and it’s really lovely to roll fresh pasta with your loved one! We regularly use this cookbook for fresh pasta dish recipes.
+More great gifts for men here, and — if you have a cocktail enthusiast on your hands — you might find inspo for a good gift here.
P.S. More Valentine’s Day finds here. Still time to order some things for littles!
It’s interesting how toys will fall into and out of favor with little ones. For months and months, my children played obsessively with Fisher Price Little People. Then they were heavy into Picasso Tiles. Now they are hooked on a couple of other sets that, interestingly, despite their nearly two-year age difference, they both thoroughly enjoy at the moment. (For reference, micro is 20 months and mini is just shy of four years old.) I think this is in part having to do with access/availability. I try to rotate their toys with some regularity, and often “invite play” by repositioning a set of toys somewhere new, like on our coffee table or the floor of our dining room, organized into color-coordinated stacks, etc. Below, a couple of toys that are in heavy use chez Magpie…
My First Safari Magnetic Animals. I’ve written about these before, but these are fun, re-configurable magnetic components that children as young as 12 months can safely enjoy. I’ve loved watching micro figure out which pieces attract versus repel one another, match the right color/shapes, and even learn what is magnetic in our home (I found him sticking these to the side of his metal diaper pail!). A cool (attractive) STEM toy that can be used a lot of different ways.
Melissa + Doug Wooden Wooden Bear Dress Up Set. Mini has enjoyed playing with these for awhile, and now micro gets in on the action, too — it’s not depicted well in the photo, but the top of the box has an indentation for the figure of the bear so micro has been figuring out that he must put the head at the top, then the arms and legs pieces next, then the legs. A very simple (three-piece) puzzle but with lots of different configurations. I’ve noticed he’s figured out which outfits “go” together by matching the patterns. When mini was younger, I noticed that the bear’s different expressions prompted frequent conversation about emotions with mini: “She’s sad,” mini would explain, pointing to the tear on the bear’s face.
Tinker Totter Robots. Super cute set of configurable robots that both children adore. Micro is actually quite good at putting them together!
Dinosaur Figurines. Great for imaginative play — and a good size for little hands. I like how realistic the figurines are, and mini has enjoyed matching each dinosaur to its page in the corresponding book. Micro just loves to pretend they are roaring at one another.
Duplos. My children spend hours and hours building towers and monsters and cars with their Duplos. A classic for a reason.
Melissa + Doug See and Spell. We primarily use this for letter recognition and, now, a little bit of sounding out words with mini. It’s also a great puzzle for little fingers, as the indentations are pretty shallow and it takes dexterity to get the letters to stay in place. I noticed that micro used to be frustrated by this but has learned fairly quickly how to manipulate the letters into place (after we give him the three or four designated letters for a given paddle).
Melissa + Doug See Inside Alphabet Puzzle. Another great letter recognition/alphabet song tool. We use the letters from this puzzle and the see and spell set for other activities, too, like sensory bins, letter tracing, spelling on the carpet, etc.
Tool Set. There are even cuter tool sets for little ones (love this pastel set, this wooden toolbox, and this workbench), but I bought these for micro back when he was just a year old or so, and these were the most age-appropriate. I have been surprised to find how frequently mini plays with this set, marching around the apartment asking what she can fix.
Musical Instrument Set. You’ll love and hate me for this recommendation — the whistles in particular haunt my dreams, but I love how much they enjoy participating in music with this set. We recently installed a HomePod mini in my daughter’s bedroom and nearly always have music playing in there, so these have come into heavy rotation for our frequent dance parties. (If I have to hear the “Freeze Dance” song one more time…)
Doctor Kit. Both children absolutely love this set, which mini received when she turned one.
Maileg mice. I’ve talked too much for too long about these darling plush toys, but they remain in good standing with mini, who has played with these since she was only a year old. (Micro is not as interested in them, though.)
What toys are your children into at the moment?
Note: Many of these toys first appeared in my roundup of slow-burn toys here. And if you are scrambling to find some Valentine’s Day treats for your little one, many of these books are still available for delivery by the 14th! I bought this one for mini and this one for micro.
Another note: I always get questions about toy storage solutions for little ones. I shared a lot of thoughts on that here, but wanted to point out that these stackable woven boxes (so chic!) are back in stock, and big woven bins like this ($10!) or this are great for corralling bulkier toys and stuffed animals.
P.S. Mini’s favorite book at the moment is The Anthology of Intriguing Animals, a gift from one of her loving aunts. We read about two animals each night before bed. She is obsessed with the built-in ribbon bookmark and loves the ceremony of finding the page. I have to say this has been a lovely development for me — the profiles on random animals are actually very interesting, and the images are incredible. It is also a welcome departure from reading Pick a Pine Tree and, before it, Goodnight Gorilla — she was transfixed by both of those books to the point that I think we read them every single night for a string of two months with only a handful of interruptions (!) Micro’s favorite books at the moment are The Bear Snores On, Some Bugs, and any of the Spot board books.
P.P.S. My favorite bedtime books for children here, and some of the hottest children’s books on the market right now here. On a related note, like many of you, I have worked towards a more diverse and inclusive library for my children this past year, and I think We’re Different, We’re the Same is my favorite of those recent acquisitions. It does a remarkable job of recognizing and celebrating differences.
