Holiday Gift List 2016, babies and toddlers

Your baby might not remember if you got them anything for Christmas this year, but what a great excuse to get them something that you really wanted, anyway.

This week I will be posting a list every day of rad items from small shops and businesses. Sure, there are the big gift items everyone is standing in line at Target to get, but you have good taste and like to be a little more unique. That's one of the reasons I like you so much.

These plates from DylBug are so adorable. My two youngest sons use these plates and the clothes food cutter for pancakes, sandwiches, and to make even a plate of after-school veggies fun. Check out the adorable dress-up ideas on their Instagram page for inspiration. DylBug plates are genius for helping picky eaters to try new things.

My kids love to build forts--there's something magical about having a secret space. Dolly Estelle makes beautiful teepees that take the homemade fort to the next level. These are the kind of teepees that are so handsome, you wouldn't mind keeping them up in your family room all year long. I want to go take a secret nap inside one of Dolly Estelle's teepees right now.

As your little one grows, it is fun to see the progress they have made. I have countless photos of my children when they were babies and my husband and I play a guessing game of "how old were they in this photo?" BatzKids has taken the guessing game away with the most adorable milestone blanket. No worry about having your baby sit up, hold a toy, or making sure you can see the number on their shirt. Where were BatzKids blankets when my babies were little?

Your baby's wardrobe is usually more stylish than your own, but that's ok. We all know that your toddler dresses cool because their parents are super cool. Mochi Kids offers the most adorable shirts and sweatshirts that simply state the coolness factor of the entire family. A bowl or ramen, a simple hamburger, a solar system--all of them are seriously adorable. I am dying over Mochi Kids' holiday shirts as well.

I have a thing about quality jewelry--I want to have something for a long time. I want my jewelry to be passed down to my kids, and their kids and so on. I feel the same way about little girls' jewelry. My daughter still has necklaces and bracelets from Angela Henrie Studio that she wore when she was a baby. It still holds up and still looks amazing. Your little baby girl can wear Angela Henrie jewelry without turning green. Everyone else may turn green, because it's so stinking cute, but the wire-wrapped, sterling silver, real pearls and Swarovski crystals will not easily break or rub off on your baby's sweet skin.

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When I saw the little hats at oeufnyc, I giggled. I couldn't choose one to share, because they were all so adorable. The banana, the bunny, the unicorn... they all cried out "buy me! I am so amazing and cute!" Which one would you choose?

Babies and toddlers LOVE getting into makeup. I could have an Instagram account solely dedicated to that, considering all of the submissions I get of babies covered in their "art" by makeup. Little Cosmetics is incredible pretend makeup because it looks just like the fancy makeup Mom has. The packaging and colors all resemble "the good stuff" so kids will feel like they have pretty makeup, too.

The trickiest part about diaper bags is finding one that everyone in the family will wear. I always wanted my husband to hold the bag full of bottles, blankets, clothes, wipes, diapers, snacks, half of my house... because that thing got HEAVY! He was always a trooper, but the floral over-the-top bags didn't usually go with his outfit. Thank goodness for Leader Bag Co and their stylish backpacks. They're so rad, I want one even though I don't pack diapers around anymore.

One of our favorite books to read is the Edgar series by Jennifer Adams. She wrote all of the beautiful classic tales everyone knows and loves of BabyLit. These Edgar books, though, have a special place in our hearts. Edgar is a little boy raven who gets in little boy situations, but with an Edgar Allan Poe twist. I love good stories and quality books, because I know I will have to read them over and over and over again.

That's it for the Baby/Toddler list. Anything you'd suggest? Tomorrow we will post our favorites for the kids--it's a good one!

AnnaM