Baby list, do doo, do doo, do do

Camille here, Anna’s Assistant. I have compiled a few of my favorite baby toys and new Mama and Dad gifts! Hope you find something perfect for your little one! This list may contain affiliate links.

New bath toys are the best!

And a Caddy for the said bath toys and cozy towels!

We have the cutest videos of our Daughter trying out her walker for the first time. This will always be a great go to baby gift!

More of a Mom to be gift but these Heart and Oxygen Monitors are genius.

Never met a baby that doesn’t love Sophie the Giraffe.

Let them hit the things you want them to! Classic Pound and Tap toy.

What kid doesn’t want their own personal roller coaster. They look pretty fun!

Rattles are never ever going to go out of style!

I may have just added this one to relive my own childhood playing the Chatter Phone.

This Cookie Monster was dubbed the FAVORITE from my son’s first birthday! It eats cookies, talks, and it just dang cute.

Anything with the word busy, I’m sold. Busy Gears.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom will there be enough room? A told B and B told C…Ok you get it, this one is so good I know the whole thing by heart or this modern First Year book!

Jelly Cat stuffed animals are the softest things ever. Just trust me, these are the only stuffed animals you want hanging around.

Gifts For the Children…

It’s for the children!

I always think of this Simpsons video when anyone says “think of the children” or “it’s for the children.”

It just makes me laugh.

Because, when are we NOT thinking of the children? Am I right??

Anyway, we have been working hard around here compiling gift ideas for your family, friends, and yourself. We are even thinking of doing a gift list for pets. Because my husband would be stoked about getting our dog a bunch of presents. ha!

This first gift list is all about the children. A kids Christmas gift list seems superfluous… I mean don’t they already create their own wish lists for Christmas, Hanukkah, and all other holidays where gifts may be exchanged?!

My kids start making a list of presents they hope to receive and then become determined that they’ll get whatever is on that list.

Say it with me, AS IF!

As my sons and I were compiling this list, there were a lot of items I showed them that they had never considered to put on a gift list. My eight-year-old son grabbed his “birthday/Christmas wish list” and promptly scratched a few things out to add many items listed below. Because SOMETIMES (or, rather, all of the time), parents know better.

I realize this is mostly geared toward the masculine child, so we are working on a more feminine kids wish list as well. Stay tuned.

I hope you find something in this gift list for kids that will help you on your holiday shopping. Most links are on the photos and to Amazon; they may be affiliate links.

We have had the Swurfer for a couple years and EVERYONE loves it. Especially neighbors. It’s a blast if you have a tall tree or sturdy branch.

The Air Hog was one of those toys that I showed to my boys and they both immediately put it on their wish lists.

We have had this over-the-door hoop for YEARS and my sons are just starting to get into it. I hear them slamming and shooting on their hoop all times of the day. Play basketball all year long! We shoot, we score!

Marbles, roller coaster, building stuff… it’s like a big kid marble run. And it breaks back down to easily fit in a box when they aren’t using it. Save it for the grandkids… someday! ;)

This large connect four game is so cool. It’s big, it makes a statement, and it’s NOT A VIDEO GAME! Score!

Maybe it’s because I have three sons, but this looks like a HIT! And a pedal go cart is up my alley… no need to worry about batteries, gas, or anything else that will probably break within the first week!

Holiday Gift List 2016, Teenager and College Kids

Teenagers have much more discerning taste than the little kids who are stoked to see balloons around the tree Christmas morning. My teenage kids wish lists include electronics and socks. I'm not kidding: SOCKS!

So I have to get creative and crafty to find gifts I know my kids will love that they don't realize they will love. I think I've found some winners!

Once again, the Hover King! I am not kidding when I say that this is the toy of the year. I am so excited for my kids to have a hover board they can sit on and race... with me. Hover board PLUS conversion kit makes for the coolest and smallest go kart on the market. We live in the city, so there isn't a ton of room for big go karts in our garage, so this is a triple win for us. Go check out hoverlikeaking now before their prices go up or they are sold out. Right now the entire package is a STEAL!

The LetterFolk message boards are adorable, but what surprised me most is how much my kids like making messages on these boards. My teenager likes to write celebratory messages and funny puns. My son likes to write the menu for dinner. I like it for reminders. The whole family loves to write messages on the LetterFolk boards, which wins over electronics every day!

If you have a teenage daughter or know of a teen or college-aged girl, you know about bath bombs! They are the bomb! (Oy, I just showed my age.) Shine Happy Life has bubble bars, bath bombs, body butters, and they all smell great and look amazing. I love how many look like desserts, because great baths are better than a dessert. (So I've heard!) Plus, just having Shine Happy products around will make your daughter's room smell better.

Speaking of happy girls and bedrooms, Aimee Ferre prints add the perfect touch of art and positive reminders of who they are. Aimee designs the most beautiful artwork that my daughter loves to have in her bedroom. If you think her work looks familiar, she also designed our best-selling shirts for Kids are The Worst! We love Aimee!

My son loves to cook and bake. He wakes up first every weekend and asks if he can make waffles or try a new cake recipe. Watch out, Jamie Oliver! When I saw Ashley's Fresh Fix new levoons and levups (measuring spoons and cups with an automatic level), I knew he would dig them. Perfect for the teenager who wants to cook and bake and even better for the college kid who needs to learn how to cook on their own.

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I love having a little treat for my kids in their stockings. Sometimes you want something better than a candy cane. Sweet Tooth Fairy sells their cakebites to deliver nationwide. My daughter loves giving these little packages to her friends and music teachers for the holidays. It is a perfect gift for teens and for teens to give. From now until Monday, November 28, use the code KIDSARETHEWORST at thesweettoothfairy.com to get 20% off your order! Huzzah!

It might seem to soon to think about swimsuits, but there is always winter vacations, hot tubs, and Spring Break just around the corner. Rad Swim has the cutest suits for teens (and women and girls) that my daughter loves. Mix and match or choose from some of RadSwim's adorable one-piece suits. Quality swimwear at a great price, so when your teen daughter is out playing, you aren't worried that it's going to fall apart and cause embarrassment.

Adult coloring books are awesome, but have you ever wanted to learn how to do hand lettering like a professional? I know I have. My kids love to try out new handwriting and letter designs, so they will love this new creative lettering book by HandLetteredDesign. They can learn to letter AND color and spend hours off their mobile devices. Grab a few markers and you've got a great gift for any teenager!

One thing all of my kids love (and my dog, sadly) is the lip balm from It's All Good. These giant chapsticks are so soft and last a long time... unless someone leaves them where my dog can get to it. The flavors are great, they help with our chapped lips in the dry winters, and they come from a rad small company. It's All Good, indeed!

I am sure I can find socks somewhere, too. But now my kids have other things that they never knew they always wanted. What are you getting for your teenage kids?

AnnaM

 

Holiday Gift List 2016, Dads and Men

I don't know about you, but buying presents for my husband and dad are some of the hardest gifts to get. If I asked either of them to make a list, they'd both shrug their shoulders and say something like, "I'd just love a nice note or to spend time with you." Which is super nice, but also kind of a lie. When everyone else is opening presents Christmas morning, you know they would love to have something to open up, as well.

This was not the easiest list to come up with, but when I put it all together it became one of my favorites. I think both my dad and my husband would love all of these items--and so would I!

When I first saw Selfie-Shirts, I knew I needed one or ten. It is such a simple idea but so genius. For the man who should love himself as much as Kanye loves Kanye, can you imagine a better gift than a shirt with his own face on it? Or you can do as I did and put YOUR face on a shirt and give it to your dad or husband. Selfie-Shirts took this fine portrait of me and put them on shirts for all of my kids. Best. Idea. Ever.

Mugs are the perfect gift to give every winter, but skip the "World's Best Father" or even the "World's Best Farter" and go for the really unique and fun with these rad mugs from Creature Cups. I love the creepy animals inside that seem to keep you company with your warm beverage of choice. My husband would love the Cthulhu and my dad would like the lion. Which Creature Cups would you get?

The tie is always a great gift for dad, but Waltman Co Ties has taken tie-giving and wearing to the next level. Not only are these ties super sharp-looking, they also feature a microfiber lining to clean your glasses, smartphone screen, and other electronics. My husband is always asking me to clean his sunglasses and now he can have a handsome way to do it himself! Huzzah and woot woot for the multipurpose tie!

We got a Madsen Bike last year and love riding it around to get groceries, take the kids to the park, make a quick run to get snow cones... you name it. You don't always want to take your car on short errands or places you could easily walk. But when you have kids, you know that you need a quick exit strategy. The Madsen Bike is perfect for all kinds of rides--it is super sturdy, totally handsome, and everyone who sees you will want to know how they can get one, too. On Black Friday they are offering an amazing deal on all bikes: $225 off a Madsen Bike + 20% off all Accessories OR $425 off a FULLY-LOADED Madsen Bike (includes: Bike, Soft Top, Front Rack, Dutch Upgrade, Shiny Brass Bell, Madsen Water Bottle, Steel Front Lights, Rear Light). Get on it!

Maybe you need to express your love in lights to the man in your life. I am loving these lights by HarsenHope. They make custom-accent lighting that can express your love, your interests, anything you can think of. I particularly love the thumbs-up and HOT! Sriracha lights--I can imagine my husband putting it at his desk at work to remember how much we support him or the HOT sauce by our bed to remember how hot he is. HA! But really. I can think of a different HarsenHope light for every room in our house. This is revolutionary lighting, folks!

We stumbled upon CocosOrganics at an art festival the other day and fell in love with the charcoal Dirty Mouth Tooth Polish and face scrubs. Not only is Coco--the owner--adorable and passionate about her products, but the products themselves are so well-made and cool. My husband was surprised that we wanted him to put charcoal on his teeth, but he's always up for a new adventure. No chemicals are used in CocosOrganics products and from the lip balm to the coffee scrub, your man needs a little help with his skincare. 

Thread Wallets are so slick and slender. These are the opposite of the bulky wallet your dad used to have that would mark his back jean pocket from its size. Thread Wallets are slim and minimal, showing your personality with fun elastic patterns or simple leather. If your husband, boyfriend, or dad is super active, he will like the lanyard option that keeps his important cards close when he doesn't have a pocket to put it in.

I, personally, love that the watch is coming back in big style for men and women. We didn't "need" watches since we always had our phones nearby that told the time. But if you're anything like me, when you open your phone to check the time, you accidentally get sucked into looking at your email, checking a few social apps, finding out the weather, searching for the next movie showtime, and then "oh yeah, what time is it?" Arvo watches are so handsome and do just what you need them to do: tell the time. I love their simplicity and I love wearing them. My husband just mentioned how he wish he had an Arvo watch, too, so BINGO! Christmas gift! They are giving away a ton of watches over the next few days so go check out their website to win.

Maybe your husband, dad, man wants to take better photos, but doesn't know what camera to get. The smartphone is fun to take photos with, but he wants to hold on to a serious camera or try out some gear that isn't available at Target. Parachut is a high-end club for creatives with unlimited photo gear access delivered on rotation for a price that fits your budget. You get unlimited access to a warehouse full of drones, cameras, lenses and creative gear. Parachut is genius for the man who wants to be creative but doesn't want to commit... to a camera.

See why this list became my favorite? So many cool items! Which is your favorite? What are you getting the dad/man in your life?

AnnaM

 

Holiday Gift List 2016, for the kids

I am so excited about the kids' Holiday Gift List. I want every one of these items to be under our Christmas tree for me... I mean, for the kids. For the family, whatever.

I didn't get any of my kids a hover board last year, mostly because I didn't want my kids running into walls throughout my house. Then I saw the conversion kit that turns your hover board into a GO-KART! Coolest. Gift. of the year! HoverLikeAKing sells the conversion kit AND the hover board with the kit, if you are like me and didn't get one last year. My kids are going to freak out. Especially when I beat them in races! (By the way, there are similar conversion kits out there, but this is the best deal I have ever seen. Go NOW before they sell out or the price goes up.)

The main reason I bought the home we are in is for the giant tree in the backyard. It even came with a crummy old tire swing, too. This year I am replacing it with the raddest swing I have ever seen: The Swurfer! A swing you can stand on and not have everyone yelling at you to sit on your pockets. Oh, was that just me? The Swurfer can be used by kids and adults, sitting or standing. It is shaped to get speed and height in any direction and has long enough rope for giant trees, if you have one. Swurfs up!

If you have sons, you know how difficult it is to find cool clothes that fit well for them. Rowen Christian offers fashion-forward denim for boys and a portion of every sale goes to charities to help children in need. Fashion with a purpose is always something I love to support--AND my boys can have great-fitting clothes, too! Hallelujah! Check out these awesome denim joggers from Rowen Christian.

We have a couple of rules about using electronic devices in our house, but one that I stick to the most is "turn it down or turn it off" for the device volume. I don't want to hear my kids' music or game soundtrack while we all hang out in the family room. Regular headphones make me uncomfortable because of the damage they can do to my kids' hearing health. Enter: Puro Balanced Response bluetooth headphones. These headphones have the most advanced noise-limiting solution on the market and are the best-sounding kids headphones available. Heavenly Peace.

Speaking of hanging out, I want a mountain full of these Rock Pillows to lounge on with the kids. When we saw the original Rock Pillows at a market a couple of weeks ago, all four of my kids made a beeline for the pillows that look like rocks. They tossed them, sat on them, threw them around, and couldn't stop talking about them the next few days. And they look cool, too! Boulder Fight!

And since we are talking about lounging, I am always looking for cool new pajamas that I wouldn't mind my kids wearing to pajama day at school. Our family elf always brings the kids a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve with a note of "good luck" for Santa's upcoming delivery. I would not mind at all if he brought us all LazyOne pajamas. They are cute, fun, and so soft. Plus, we can all match!

You know what I miss the most? My daughter wanting to play with dolls. Isn't that funny how we can miss something that used to feel like a never-ending search for the favorite doll so she can go to sleep? These gorgeous dolls from LatterDayHome are so sweet that my daughter might be getting a new one this year, anyway. Perfect for the little girl or the girl you wish were little. Maybe even the perfect doll for me, too.

What better way to remember when they were little (which might be right now for you) than with a photo book? I have never been a scrap booker, and the old photo books often took me hours to put together. Then I discovered chatbooks! If you haven't heard about them, you are in for a real treat. If you've heard about them, but never ordered a chatbook for yourself, you have to try it. They print and are delivered so fast, you'll be reliving memories with your kids before you know it. My kids can sit and look at these books for hours. They love remembering when they were little(r) as much as you do. Use the code Merry20 for 20% off your order this week!

You know what makes me smile more than almost anything? Seeing someone wearing a funny or clever shirt. It's one of the quickest ways to my funny bone, for whatever reason. StatelyType has some of the most clever and cool shirts I have ever seen. And they are super soft, too, which is a huge bonus. Whenever I wear one of my StatelyType t-shirts or sweatshirt, I get loads of compliments. My kids are all asking for the Mas Tacos shirt and I might see who is best behaved this season to get one. ;)

That's all for the Kids' List this year. There were SO many awesome gifts for kids this year and I love that this list has small businesses and brands who are hustling to be in your home. Check them out and let me know if you have other suggestions for kids!

AnnaM

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

 

Holiday Gifts for Kids You Love and for Others, Too

Ok, parents, aunt, uncles, grandparents, and godparents: It is already time to get on your holiday shopping. Take a deep breath, clap your hands together three times, shake your shoulders, and then let it go, because I got you covered with some pretty fantastic ideas (if I do say so myself).

Speaking of "let it go," for those kids or parents that haven't been necessarily good this year, may I present for your consideration, the Frozen Recorder set. Less than $10 and guaranteed to make enemies of friends and ecstatic small children, this little gift will keep on giving long after the holidays. Mostly headaches to parents and babysitters.

Another kind of cruel, but mostly funny to give, is the inflatable pizza. Not only can you NOT eat it, but there's a big chance that you can't even use it until next summer. Unless they plan on using this pizza to go sledding on, which will be fun for the first few rides until it inevitably pops or the rider realizes that there is nothing to hold onto as they barrel down the slippery mountain. But, fun to give.

Remember the insanity last year that was the "hover"board? (I have to put "hover" in quotation marks, because we all know they don't actually hover, so it's a misnomer and incredibly misleading.) This year, the fire issues should be extinguished AND you can get a super handy chair to put on top of it, making your "hover"board a go-cart. Which seems safer, anyway. Maybe? I'm tempted to get this bad boy a spin. Can you imagine the epic races you could have on these?

If Pie in the Face was the must-have game of 2015, Watch Ya Mouth will be the game to have for 2016. I just wish they came with more cheek guards, because I'm weird about sharing things I put in my mouth and stuff. Weird, I know, but have you seen what goes in and comes out of kids' mouths? You can buy more (40 more, exactly, because you're going to have so many parties)!

And for a shameless promotion, get your kids and the adults in your life a really cool shirt. Because you're cool and they're cool and we can all be super cool if we had a cool shirt. Cool? Cool. For those of you who read this and buy a shirt from theworstgoods.com use the code GiftsAreCool for 20% off. I'm feeling generous and cool and stuff.

Do you have a product you think I should share for holiday giving? Email me at kidsaretheworstest@gmail.com (notice the extra "est" at the end of kidsaretheworst) and tell me what you got.

AnnaM