Amazon recently came in handy when we decided to go away on a last minute trip to Deep Creek Lake and I wanted to stock up on some car/restaurant activities for the children. The items showed up over night, just in time for our departure! I ordered a few Usborne sticker books (this for my son; this for my daughter), an Usborne maze book, these classic auto bingo cards (I think they were the exact same ones I had growing up?!), and a little parcel of tiny troll dolls which actually had more legs to them than I thought — I find toys this size (same goes for those animal toobs they love) entertain them endlessly! I surprised them with two each during a low point of the car trip and then gave them the rest on the drive home, and they were thrilled. They were also very into the Auto Bingo cards. My son didn’t quite “get” it in that he kept insisting he’d seen things we knew he hadn’t, and this irritated my daughter, who was playing very competitively, but it was even a fun solo activity for her, and it really helped us out since she tends to get carsick when focused on coloring books / things in her lap for a long while. This kept her engaged, with her head up, and also made for great conversation for the whole family. (E.g., “Has anyone seen a silo? What do they keep in silos?”)
I’ve also been a little behind on ordering gifts for the birthday party circuit, but a few of my recent go-tos that typically arrive within a day:
THIS SCHLEICH SET (IDEAL FOR 3-6 YEAR OLDS)
THESE INTERACTIVE BOARD BOOKS BUNDLED WITH ANOTHER LITTLE TOY, LIKE CALICO CRITTERS (IDEAL FOR 2-3 YEAR OLDS)
KID MADE MODERN CRAFT KITS (3-6 YEAR OLDS)
Two other quick asides and then I’ll stop editorializing:
1) this is such a great book for little kids. It’s currently my favorite to read to my son at bedtime, and Mr. Magpie liked it so much we had an extensive conversation about it. The illustrations are fantastic and the messaging is that we all see things differently. It’s a beautiful way to present that concept visually to a young audience.
2) This superfood cleanser just arrived and it is fantastic. It lathers beautifully, smells wonderful, and leaves skin feeling fresh but not tight. It won an Allure award which is usually pretty convincing for me, and it has lived up to the hype. Also appreciate that the price point is half what I normally pay for cleanser (I have been using Tata Harper forever). I ordered mine on Amazon because I wanted it to arrive immediately, but it is also included in the Sephora sale in case you want to try while on rare promotion!
01. WOVEN BAG (LOOKS JUST LIKE PRADA) // 02. GLASS STRAWS // 03. OWLS AND OTHER FANTASIES BY MARY OLIVER // 04. YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE SUPERFOOD CLEANSER // 05. CHILDREN’S STATIONERY SET // 06. STRIPED TOWEL SET // 07. HEELED WOVEN SANDALS // 08. CALCULATOR // 09. PAINT PENS // 10. WOVEN FLOWER BAG // 11. CAMELBAK WATER BOTTLE // 12. BABY BOOK // 13. THE DROP SANDALS // 14. AQUIS HAIR TOWEL // 15. STABILO PASTEL PENS // 16. THEY ALL SAW A CAT // 17. VIN GLACE WINE CHILLER // 18. COOKIES BOARD BOOK // 19. SCALLOPED RUG // 20. WALL LAMPS
P.S. What’s making you “lean forward” today?
P.P.S. Great travel gear for families.
P.P.P.S. My travel diary from a recent trip to NYC.