As the last Gift Guide post, I thought I would talk about some items that I’ve loved as a mom as well as some of my favourite jewelry pieces since I adore accessories! Let’s begin with the items that I’ve found helpful as a mom!
Our Solly Baby Wrap was indispensable during Brielle’s first 3 months as we used it ever single day. It enabled us to be hands free to play with Myla and also do our daily activities, like meal prepping. Brie napped amazingly well in the Solly Baby Wrap and having her so close to us at all times was precious! You can check out these super soft wraps HERE and my full review about it HERE. I love how you can use this wrap immediately since it mimics a womb-like environment which helps babies feel safe, secure and comfortable. You can get a custom fit every time because of its wrap-style!
As our girls got older and heavier, we transitioned to the more structured Ergo baby carrier. Its padding on the shoulders make it very comfortable and there is even a little cover built into the front pocket so you can cover their heads if they’re napping. We use this carrier a lot when we travel as it allows us be hands-free in the airport or when they just need to nap when we’re out and about but without a stroller or car!
Below you can see a picture of me putting the Ergo baby carrier to use while hiking in Maui. Myla fell asleep along the Pipiwai Trail and we were so thankful that we had this carrier so we could complete the hike! You can find the Ergo HERE on Amazon!
I thought I would also mention these handy “Mumi & Bubi Baby Food Freezer Storage Trays” too! I bought them when Myla was first beginning solids and I knew that I wanted to make my own baby food for her as it was cheap, easy, and I knew exactly what was going in it. I did some research and saw rave reviews for these trays made in New Zealand that are dishwasher-safe, and certified BPA-free, PVC-free. I simply puree my fruits and veggies, pour them into these trays, put the lid on, and pop them in the freezer! These differ from your normal ice cube trays because they have lids, they’re stackable, and they slide out more easily when you’re trying to remove them (I run hot water along the bottom to facilitate this process).
Below you can see some homemade applesauce that I made! It’s so convenient having bags of these little food cubes ready to go for baby meals (each portion is 1 oz)! You can find these trays HERE on Amazon!
When you’ve got a drooly and teething baby at home, you can never have enough bibs. I did some research on-line to try and find the most absorbent bibs and I came across the “Green Sprouts 10 Pack Waterproof Absorbent Terry Bibs“! They have a set for girls and boys with differing colours, and we bought a set for Brielle. They are indeed very absorbent as they protect Brie’s clothes and they stay on very well with the strong velcro. I love how there are ten in a pack with all different colours (you can always find one to match with an outfit) and you don’t feel like you’re constantly doing laundry (they wash well too). I am so happy we found these bibs and wished that we had found them sooner when Myla was a baby! You can shop for these bibs HERE!
Personalized gifts are so special, and I was blown away when my friend Ania in Poland sent me these gorgeous floral name drawings for our girls! Ania draws these by hand and I love all the intricacies of each letter and how whimsical and beautiful the overall effect is. You can look into personalizing your own name drawings HERE in Ania’s Etsy store! These would be so special and beautiful in a nursery or little girl’s room!
On the topic of custom artwork, how amazing would it be to have a custom mini family portrait in this adorable style below? The artist is Mabel Garcia of I Love the Moon who also did my mini portrait that I blogged about HERE! Mabel is offering these custom pieces through PLUM Home + Design, and you can get an original watercolour illustration capturing your family with a family name banner at the bottom! I think this is so special as it would make such a unique gift that you could display in your home! Check out how you can order your own mini family portrait HERE!
For more whimsical and adorable artwork, you have to check out Laura Uy’s Art + Soul Creative Co. I am in love with all her prints as she enjoys painting animals such as her “Pabu the Spirit Bear” and “Mother and Baby Fox”! They would look amazing in a nursery or feature wall. If you’re looking for unique Christmas or birthday cards, take a look at Laura’s cute and pun-ny ones HERE too!
I love matching as a family, and sometimes it can be hard finding modern clothing that everyone can wear. Whistle & Flute has both cute and contemporary designs for adults and children alike. They generally stick with very clean, monochromatic colour palettes so that their clothing is gender neutral. This means that their clothing items can be passed down to little brothers and sisters, and it makes twinning easy since boys and girls can all wear the items! Here we are wearing our matching Je T’Aime shirts during Brie’s 1 month family photoshoot! I can’t believe she’s 11 months old already…I’m hoping to recreate this family photo wearing our matching shirts again to show how much she’s grown!
Here are the girls donning their signature Kawaii Cloud shirts! You can read more about “Whistle & Flute” in my interview with them HERE and look around their store HERE!
This next item is something I’ve loved as a mom and is a piece of jewelry as well! I collaborated with “LouLou Lollipop” over the summer and designed the “Blush Crush” teething necklace pictured below. It’s a stylish piece of jewelry that is safe for babies to chew on and grab. I incorporated my favourite colours of blush pink and gold to create an elegant, soft and neutral colour palette!
I wore these teething necklaces a lot on vacation as it helped keep Brie busy! I love how I didn’t have to worry about her constantly dropping it on the floor since it was attached to me as well. They have a variety of different colour combinations available, and you have the option of customizing your own necklaces too! You can take a look around the LouLou Lollipop store HERE as these necklaces serve as both a stylish and practical gift for moms!
I love simple, classic pieces of jewelry that I can wear all the time. I was delighted when I found “Layered + Long” on Etsy as they create custom pieces that can be personalized with initials. Below you can see my “Personalized Skinny Bar Necklace” in 14k gold fill.
I had the necklace personalized with the letters “rsmb” and a heart to represent the first initials of our family (Ryan, Stephanie, Myla and Brielle). This necklace is very special to me and I wear it all the time. I love how elegant and versatile it is, and it can be layered with different necklaces as well. I think this would be a special gift for anyone as you can put your wedding anniversary date, the coordinates of a special location, or initials of loved ones as I did! Take a look around the “Layered + Long” store HERE to see all their beautiful pieces and read the post I wrote up about my necklace HERE!
Kay of MIkaylove has been a dear friend of mine since she started her company three years ago. It’s been my pleasure seeing her small business grow throughout the years as she designs new pieces. I love how she combines suede with gold chains to create elegant and classy pieces. My new favourite is my “Heart + Tassel” bracelet shown below as it has such a stunning sparkly heart and a pretty tassel hanging from it. Kay also makes matching mommy-daughter bracelets so that you can match with your little ones as well! Another plus is that these bracelets are not easily pulled off or stretched by curious babies. You can check out the Mikaylove store HERE!
I’ve always loved collecting and wearing interesting watches ever since I was younger as they are powerful fashion statements that you wear all the time. It always feels like something is missing if I accidentally forget to wear a watch! I have been partnering with the Swedish watch company Daniel Wellington for the past two years to show you their classic and elegant watches. The straps are interchangeable so you can instantly change the look of your watch by switching out a leather strap with a NATO strap. I wear my
“Classic St Mawes” a lot since this rich brown strap matches with everything and the face is so easy to read. You can get 15% off your order using the special code “AMIDW”(expires January 15) and free shipping worldwide! Browse around the Daniel Wellington site HERE to see all their watches!
I’ve been a fan of “Berg + Betts” ever since I first discovered their watches at a local craft fair in April. They are handmade locally (from my hometown in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) using the scrap leather from local designers that would otherwise go to waste. I love my Chained Watch in Cream which you can read about HERE in my blog post (you can also see it in the photo above where Brie is grabbing my LouLou Lollipop teething necklace). Their new Round Watches are gorgeous, and they now offer them for both women and men! I immediately fell in love with the “Rose Gold Round Watch in Pale Pink” since blush pink and rose gold are two of my favourites! I’ve never seen or owned a pink watch before, and it is so stunning and pretty in real life with its very large face. I feel like it’s the perfect watch for me as it suits my style so well, and it adds such a beautifully soft pop of pink to my outfits! You can check out more of Berg + Betts’ classic, double, chained, and round watches HERE!
Here is a photo showing three of my current faves as they all blend so harmoniously together with my love of rose gold and pink! I am wearing my Layered + Long necklace, Berg + Betts watch, and Rose Gold Sparkle Stud Mini’s
by CoutuKitsch. I love accessorizing and all three are so pretty and elegant
❤
Lastly, we have these super cute and modern Jewelry Travel Pouches by Lindsay of Cinder + Sage. Since I am a jewelry lover, it can be difficult transporting my necklaces, earrings and bracelets as they tend to get all tangled together. Lindsay designed these pouches so that there are four pockets inside that velcro shut which really help to keep your jewelry pieces separated. I purchased one of these for myself this past weekend at a local craft fair as I had been eyeing them for a while on Instagram. I love the cute prints that Lindsay uses as they are made of very thick and durable fabric. This is a great gift idea for jewelry lovers as we can carry our jewelry around in style! Check out all six designs that Lindsay has available HERE!
I hope you enjoyed my Gift Guide series this past week and that they gave you some ideas for the crochet, book, stuffie and jewelry lovers in your life! I’ve come across some wonderful small businesses and products throughout my blogging years, so I am always excited to share them with you all! Stay tuned for an exciting new crochet pattern that will be coming your way very soon :)
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon and Etsy affiiliate links.