Along with my year-in-review post (coming next week!), this annual superlatives round-up is such a fun way to remember each year. The things we wear, eat, read, listen to, and do repeatedly mark us, don’t they? Especially because several of these favorites were gleaned from a savvy and/or wise acquaintance, I’m happy to pass them on to you. I hope they can serve as an opportunity for a little reflection on your own 2025, if you haven’t had a chance for it yet! Drop a few of your best memories, finds, and favorites in the comments, if you’d like. As always, I can’t wait to hear!
Best adventure, travel, or trip: Easy – Acadia! After a lifetime of adventuring in Maine, it was a treat to visit her national park for the first time (and to do it with dear friends!). We also spent a rainy long weekend in Wilmington, and though a recap didn’t make it on the blog we loved staying in this downtown mansion (yes), trying Britt’s for the first time, and eating dinner in the lush garden of Indochine.
Favorite outfit: If your kids joined mine on swim team this year, you already know the answer: the Lululemon mesh tennis skirt and light-as-air lavender tank I wore to literally every meet, and plenty of days in between — my only hope of looking cute and staying cool(ish) in the dog days of summer.
Milestone celebrated: Our beloved long-term babysitter graduated high school, and to celebrate, John and I took her and her older sister (already in college, also a long-term babysitter of ours) out to dinner. Sitting around the table with them for 3+ hours, asking questions and offering encouragement as they work their way into adulthood, was just the tenderest opportunity.
Best trend you tried: Watercoloring? Is that a trend? I loved trying my hand at a new-to-me craft, and especially employing it in two projects that mattered a lot to me: creating a pack of mini landscapes inspired by my favorite place in the world for a fundraiser auction and painting daily postcards to send to June at sleepaway camp.
Best new podcast listen, newsletter subscribe, or blog follow: It is rare for me to follow people on Instagram I don’t know in real life; when I make an exception, I want it to be worth my time and attention. That being said, I have so enjoyed following both Shelby from Pretty in the Pines and Stef Turner. Everything they create feels like stepping into a Nancy Meyers movie – cozy, calming, and beautiful without feeling pressure-filled or overly consumption-based. (Both are big thrifters and DIY-ers!)
Best movie or TV show:Andor! John and I watched both seasons this year and I’m still thinking about it months later. You do not have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy it, though it helps if you love a political thriller. The world-building (Chandrila!) is particularly incredible.
Best memory: Our 20th high school reunion with dear friends. More on the philosophical side here and the logistics here.
Best album, song, or artist: It was a Jess Ray year for me! “Day for Singing” became Annie’s and my drive-to-school song, and “Lilies and Sparrows” was another favorite. I am not an anxious person, but when AI gives me the heebie-jeebies, the line “don’t waste today being scared of tomorrow” reliably reminds me of the hope we have as Christians. (So much so that I bought the shirt.)
Best beauty purchase: It’s unnerving when a reliable product goes MIA, isn’t it? I was happy to find a replacement concealer from Kosas when Beauty Counter went dark, and to switch to this (refillable!) deodorant when my previous one was discontinued.
Best meal:Acadia for the win again. Our final dinner at Sweet Pea lives on as the glowiest memory, in no small part because we only ended up there due to a last-minute pivot. Beautiful setting, great company, delicious food – the perfect capstone to a memorable vacation. Otherwise, these chicken piccata meatballs were my favorite new addition to our meal rotation.
Best life or mom hack: They say if you want to change a habit you should make it as easy as possible. That’s what I did with converting from Amazon to Bookshop.org for all book purchases, and it has been a delight: I ship all orders (for free!) to the cutest little bookstore, and because it’s on the way to Annie’s preschool, it feels no more difficult than Prime.
Best new tradition: Working from the library on TCF days. I love my little routine, which involves checking my email at home (while standing up, to keep me from dallying!); driving to the library in silence while ruminating on my topic for the day; and then spending 2-3 hours in undistracted deep work, surrounded by my fellow patrons. It has been both productive and soul-filling.
Best kiddo milestone: Annie learned to ride a big-kid bike! After three such transitions, I can say it feels like magic every time. (Though I think much of the magic is due to training for a few years on a balance bike and John’s calm and encouraging coaching!) Also, June got her ears pierced!
Best faith grower: Spending time with our friend Jason at our high school reunion. Sadly, it is rare for John and I to encounter someone we knew in childhood whose faith is still as vibrant as it once was, but that is Jason. It was so encouraging to talk to him about life, faith, ministry, and what God is doing.
Didn’t have that on my 2025 BINGO card: Being interviewed on a local news segment in support of a county bell-to-bell phone ban. I am so gratified that our state legislators actually enacted tighter regulations than our county, though there is still work to be done!
Most surprising goal progress: I don’t exactly know if this counts as progress, but the most surprising aspect of a goal this year was finally going to a PCP and getting less-than-ideal bloodwork results. I suppose I expected to pass with flying colors, and that was not the case. Though disappointing and a bit frustrating, I was and am grateful for the insight.
Best home improvement: Well, we got an entirely new home this year, so there’s plenty that could go in this category. Our larger backyard and flat cul-de-sac feel like the biggest improvements in terms of lifestyle, but I also want to give a shout out to our new salad plates (we finally replaced the ones we got for our wedding, which we loved but had worn into the ground over 12+ years of daily use) and the cleaning spray that makes swiping counters a joy.
Best habit you created: This is an easy answer but also a bit of a frustrating one. After receiving my bloodwork results in June, I immediately began a habit of a daily 30-minute walk: brisk, hilly, first thing in the morning. It worked perfectly while the kids were out of school – I kept up an unbroken streak despite sweat-drenched summer temps – but the timing just didn’t work once school was back in session. I LOVED this habit, though, and am contemplating how to best incorporate it year-round. Stay tuned to my 2026 goals 👀
While we’re on the subject of fitness and wellness, a few other small and large upgrades worth mentioning:
1) With the move to the new house, we were able to move our “gym” out of our bedroom and into the garage. Incredible.
2) On the recommendation of a doctor friend, John and I both started taking magnesium and a multivitamin with Vitamin D and fish oil. It might be coincidence, but neither of us have had a cold since and my restless leg syndrome has abated almost entirely. (The latter is definitely not coincidence – magnesium is known to help with RLS!)
3) I stopped bringing a folding chair to kid soccer games and instead stand or walk for the hour. I’ve also been known to do calf raises to strengthen my knees :)
4) Two things have helped me be more consistent than ever with my strength workouts: I chose Wednesday and Friday, the days I don’t work, as my CANNOT MISS strength days and do my workouts as soon as I get home from dropping the kids at school, before anything else. (I also try to do strength on Saturdays and Sundays, but am less consistent.) Also, John used the new Peloton Strength+ app (included with a Peloton membership) to program eight workouts for me. I rotate between them and never have to waste time thinking about what I’m doing each day.
Favorite blog post written: I’m grateful that so many of you stick around for what I have to offer in this season! Each Disc a Day was easily my favorite post of 2025.
Best little luxury you’ve enjoyed: The Eby Relief bra! I have completely abandoned every other option in my drawer in favor of this one. It’s comfy, it lays smoothly under shirts, and it’s shaping even without an underwire. I’m so happy I gave it a try!
As always, I’m ending the year so grateful for the delights, big and small, that filled it. I’ll be sharing more in my year-in-review post soon, but in the meantime, please do share: what are some of your “bests” from 2025? Can’t wait to hear!
Affiliate links are used in this post!
A family trip to Acadia National Park
Though I have been to Maine almost every year of my life, I had never been to Acadia National Park until summer 2025. This often surprised people, and felt like a gap that needed be filled in my Maine resume. Last year, we decided to rectify the situation, and in August, we made it happen. I’d love to share some photos and a few details on what we did, if you’d like to see!
Like many national parks, Acadia takes a bit of work to reach. We flew into Portland (Breeze has a direct flight from Raleigh!), rented an SUV, and drove an hour and a half north to spend a few days with my family on our island in the Midcoast region. And we weren’t alone! It was a delight to travel with family friends and get to introduce them to our beloved place.
Day One
After a few days in the Midcoast, we drove 2.5 hours further north to reach Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia. We arrived in time for a late lunch at the appropriately-named Lunch Bar Harbor. It’s on the Village Green (one of two central hubs in Bar Harbor — the other is the waterfront) and it was tough to find parking even on a Tuesday afternoon. This made us thankful we’d rented bikes for the week, meaning this was one of the only times we’d need to find parking downtown. We ate our paninis and grilled cheeses on the green, picked up a few cookies from The Sweet Bite to bring on our hike, and hopped back in the cars to head to the park.
John had mapped out our hikes in advance, and Tuesday afternoon’s was the Gorham Mountain/Cadillac Cliffs loop. As usual, he did a fantastic job, selecting a hike that had a great view at the top and was challenging but not too taxing for the kids (five of them, who ranged in age from four to nine). Everyone enjoyed navigating the iron rings, crawling through rock tunnels, and bouldering up the mountainside.
Though we were a bit short on water (since we had partially emptied our bottles at lunch) the cookies were a great reward at the top, as was the beautiful view of Sand Beach. In total our loop was 1.7 miles.
Once back at the bottom, we piled into our cars and drove about 15 minutes out of the park and back into town to check into our rental home. After considering several options all over Mount Desert Island, we opted for this one, and we were very pleased with it! In addition to the floor plan, aesthetic, and amenities (a goodie basket of local treats, s’mores supplies, a foosball table and so many toys in the garage, and the best host guidebook I’ve seen in years), we loved that it’s owned by MDI natives who teach at the high school on the island.
Bethany and I quickly made a grocery list and drove a minute or two into town to pick up supplies for the week at Hannaford’s. Dinner our first night was at Abel’s Lobster, a picturesque spot on Somes Sound (the only fjord on the East Coast!) with an incredible sunset view.
We waited about 45 minutes for a table (they don’t take reservations), but there’s plenty to look at while you wait. We wandered down to the marina next door, played a bit of corn hole, and got drinks at the bar. Once we sat down the food was delicious.
In addition to its three bedrooms, our rental had a yurt, and that’s where the kids slept. Though it was a tiny bit nerve-wracking (it was located about hundred feet from the house with no way to lock it) the kids were excited to sleep in such adventurous surroundings. It also meant the adults were free to chat, play games, and move freely about the house in the evenings without worrying about waking anyone up, which was a real gift!
Day Two
The only small downside to our rental? It was at the top of a steep hill, which meant every bike ride to and from town — including our first one on Wednesday morning to pick up our bikes — ended with a final push of exertion. We just told the kids they were earning their ice cream :)
We rented bikes from Acadia Outfitters, which was fine, but the guide book said Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop was hands-down the best bike rental option and because they didn’t steer us wrong otherwise I’d choose them if we could do it over.
After stowing the bikes and breakfast at home we drove out to hike the South Bubble. I had heard horror stories about Acadia hike parking while planning this trip, but this was one of the only, or perhaps only, times we had to wait for a parking spot. (It was a small lot, for one of the park’s most popular hikes, and we waited about 20 minutes.)
This hike was just fine but probably the least interesting for our crew, which tracks with my grand theory of hiking with kids: they are so much more likely to complain on an easier-but-boring trail than they are on a harder, more interesting trail. Though more challenging hikes might seem intimidating, we find that they’re almost always the better pick for our crew.
Something else I’ve realized over the years: I’m not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of edges, especially when it comes to kids. While I was never worried about edges on the Gorham Mountain hike, South Bubble made me quite nervous at times.
This all sounds kind of negative, but it was a lovely hike and fun to spot our next destination while still up on high: Jordan Pond House! We were not able to make a reservation in advance (they only release a few for each day) so we waited about 30 minutes for a table — but again, there was plenty to do, and the kids enjoyed poking around at the edge of the pond until our number was called.
We sat on the lawn for lunch and had a picturesque view on a bluebird day. We ordered a few of their famous popovers to split (so yummy); I ordered the chicken pot pie, which is also served over a popover. I loved the whole experience, but if you have a kid who’s nervous around bees (as we do) just know that they come out in droves when the jam arrives with the popovers. They have a whole jam protocol in place and no one got stung, but just something good to know.
One more random note: the bathrooms at Jordon Pond House, a park property, were not great. This was kind of surprising, because it’s otherwise a nice spot, and the bathrooms everywhere else we went in the park were fine.
After wrapping up lunch, we drove over to Cadillac Mountain for our 3pm reservation. (Timed entry is $6 and slots open 48 hours in advance.) We spent an hour and a half at the top: taking in the view, clambering over the rocks, looking at the ranger’s interactive activities, chatting, and picking and eating a LOT of huckleberries. Fun fact: Cadillac is the highest peak within 50 miles of the East Coast all the way until you reach Brazil!
That night we opted to eat an earlier dinner at home (spaghetti and meatballs in the backyard, yum) then biked downtown for ice cream at Jordan Pond Ice Cream & Fudge Shop. This was at the other green center of Bar Harbor, the one on the waterfront, and it was a good five degrees colder than at our rental. We were sad we forgot our sweatshirts! (We visited in late July/early August and had impeccable weather — sunny skies and mid-70s temps with just one grayer day.)
While at the waterfront we spotted the restaurant, Geddy’s, where we had a reservation for our final night’s dinner. My heart sunk a bit when I saw it, because while I’m sure it is perfectly lovely, it looked a little more touristy than I had anticipated. Put a pin in that, we’ll revisit :)
Day Three
Thursday was Shep’s birthday! We ate breakfast at the house then headed to the park to start our day at Anemone Cave. Like a few other attractions in Acadia, this one needed to be timed to the tide, as you can’t enter the cave if the tide is too high. (We used this site to check the tides in advance.)
Not only did we hit the tide right, but we hit the crowds right, too — when we arrived, there was only one other family present, but by the time we left there were about 40 people inside.
When it got more crowded we walked along the coast to explore the tide pools, which the kids loved. In addition to the eponymous anemones we saw an urchin, periwinkles, hermit crabs, regular crabs, and — after MUCH dedicated searching by John — a beautiful palm-sized sea star.
From there we drove a few minutes along the park loop to Sand Beach. By this time it was spitting a bit – not your ideal beach day – but we made the most of it, dipping our toes in, throwing the football, and exploring the lagoon behind the dunes. We also ate the picnic lunch we had packed back at the house. To be fair, we might not have swum much more even if it had been sunny — the ocean temp was about 53 degrees during our visit — so we didn’t mind having a cloudy day.
After an hour and a half or so we returned our beach supplies to the cars and set out on foot for Thunder Hole — a 10-minute walk along the coast. Thunder Hole is another of Acadia’s more-famous destinations, but John had wisely warned us to keep our expectations low (which, as all EFM readers know, is a major key to life happiness!). He was right to do so, because even though we arrived in the ideal mid-tide range, it was a calm day at sea and the Hole was not particularly thunder-y.
We had left this afternoon open in our schedule. After realizing it was our best chance to take the bikes on the carriage roads, we zipped back to the house, repacked, and zoomed down the hill to meet the free Island Explorer bus at 3:15pm. We had the bus to ourselves and riding on a mini coach bus was an exciting novelty to the kids :)
We opted to ride around Eagle Lake, a 6-mile loop. Though we saw plenty of e-bikes, we were all on manual bikes — the big kids on their own, our friends’ five-year-old on a tagalong and Annie (4) in a trailer. There were some hills as we pedaled through the peaceful, misty Maine forests, but the kids conducted themselves valiantly and we made the 4:30pm bus home with time to spare.
Dinner that night was at Side Street Cafe (we rode our bikes downtown) and we were grateful we made a reservation. We all enjoyed our food and the kids really enjoyed the complimentary air-dry clay handed out with the menus, which did a bang-up job at keeping them occupied. We ended the night with birthday cake back at the house, and I think Shep felt celebrated even though he had to blow out three hastily-lit matches instead of birthday candles :)
Day Four
Friday, our last full day, dawned bright, warm, and crisp once again. We biked downtown to Jordan’s Restaurant, drawn in by the blueberry pancakes on the sign out front. While the blueberry pancakes themselves were a bit underwhelming, the blueberry muffins were particularly delicious and the classic diner vibe was a delight.
From there, we pedaled down a side street to the sandbar to Bar Island. This was our final destination that required timing the tide, as the sand bar only opens for the hour and a half around low tide (and they won’t let you forget it, with dire signage warning you to be back across to the mainland at the appropriate time lest you be stranded and require a $150 water taxi rescue). We moseyed our way across, stopped to stack several rock cairns on the far side, then walked up to the summit for a view of downtown.
Once safely back across the sandbar, we split up: June and the moms headed to the Village Green for a tiny bit of shopping (Window Panes was easily our favorite store!) while the dads took the other kids to Sherman’s in search of keychains. We met up to return our bikes then walked back to the house to have a clear-the-fridge lunch.
Up until now our day had gone pretty much as we had planned it, but in the afternoon we veered from our itinerary and it was 1000% the right decision. Isn’t that a good feeling?! We ended up canceling our kayak rental as well as our 5:15 Geddy’s reservation, and instead, we were able to do our planned final hike — Beech Cliffs — at a more leisurely pace AND have time to take a dip in Echo Lake at the end.
Beech Cliffs was a perfect final hike, a real crowdpleaser with four ladders to climb and a gorgeous view of Echo Lake and the far islands at the top.
Swimming in Echo Lake was a delight, too — much warmer than expected (about 75 degrees!) and just so fun to swim in the shadow of a mountain.
After changing back into clothes in the parking lot, we drove straight to our new dinner spot, plucked from the pages of our rental hosts’ guidebook: Sweet Pea’s Farm Kitchen. We were charmed from the minute we stepped foot on property: there were high-bush blueberries to graze on while we waited for our table, a fire pit to gather around, rolling green paths for the kids to run and chase each other, and a sumptuous garden filled with tomatoes, leafy greens, sunflowers, dahlias, and so many other beautiful things.
This dinner lives on as a perfect evening in my memory: good friends, delicious food (wood-fired pizza and jewel-like salads!), a soft sunset, and fun conversation recapping our highs and lows from the trip. 10/10 would recommend if you ever find yourself in Acadia.
Because we couldn’t help ourselves, we ended the evening with one last scoop of ice cream at Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream – our favorite of the shops we tried (of which there are many in MDI).
Day Five
After packing up and checking out of our rental, we made a last-minute decision to visit the Bass Harbor Head Light Station before going our separate ways. It was a bit out of the way, but an easy path down to the water once we got there and worth taking the scenic route out of town.
And there you have it, friends! As an honorary Mainer, I am SO glad I can finally say I’ve been to Acadia, and would heartily commend it to any reader looking for a New England adventure. Happy to answer any questions in the comments, as always!
December 2025 goals
What a difference a month makes!
Over the last few weeks, my perspective on our new home has steadily shifted: from a feeling of dislocation (and frenetic energy to make it less so) to a feeling of almost total peace and contentment. Yes, there are still things I’d like to do over time, and there is still artwork leaning against the wall and a bin of things to give away, but in the midst of it all I feel at home.
While it’s tempting to attribute this cozy, settled feeling to the familiar Christmas decorations that now surround us, this shift predated them all. Time, and the way it makes space for rational sense to take root, definitely played a role. What made the biggest difference, however, was two things: the gentle encouragement from those around us to embrace this in-between stage (including many of you in the comments – truly, it made an impact!) and welcoming loved ones into our home. In November alone we hosted three families for dinner, a pair of pals for post-kid-bedtime chatting, and the inaugural Articles Club at our new address (not to mention neighborhood friends crashing in and out on a regular basis).
While these gatherings revealed a few gaps (fitting ten in our dining room was a tight squeeze!), they much more so shone a spotlight on all the best parts of our new home: the kitchen island it’s so easy to gather around, the flat cul-de-sac and big backyard that so safely allow kids to run and play, the aerie-like loft that so generously houses our kids as they stretch out and create.
Our friends’ presence and encouragement allowed me to see our home through their eyes — to see what I couldn’t quite yet see on my own — and I am so grateful.
The mountaintop rental where my family spent Thanksgiving!
On my calendar: — Caroling with June’s elementary school chorus through our neighborhood. Perks of living right across from the school! — Our church small group’s Christmas party. We’re doing a Yankee Swap like always, but this year with the caveat that all the gifts have to be handmade. I am loving this twist and think I’m going to attempt some hand-painted taper candles. — Dinner out with John for our 2025 review and celebration. We’re returning to an old favorite – Jujube! — A post-Christmas California trip to see John’s family. Disneyland awaits!
What I’m loving right now: — I’ve had a pointelle henley on my shopping wish list for months now, but the option I was considering was quite spendy. Somehow, I landed on Everlane’s henleys last week, and though not pointelle, they scratched the same itch. I bought this one (in port royale, note that it is cropped but an acceptable look to me with high-waist jeans) and this one (in bone, chic when tucked in!) on super sale and they are easily my favorite things to wear right now. They read a bit like cardigans to me and therefore are a dressier look than I was expecting! — This is more of a recommendation for the men among us, but John often forwards me Jon Tyson’s emails and gosh, he is a good writer. And a good thinker. I love learning from him about faith and family discipleship and think you (or your favorite guy) might, too. Just scroll down to the bottom of his site here to sign up. — Another man-friendly recommendation! I have been listening to the Walk in Love podcast for years (probably almost a decade!) and always enjoy catching up with Brooke and TJ. Recently I’ve shared a few episodes with John, and he’s enjoyed them, too – particularly how TJ, in his usual raw, honest, and funny way, gives voice to things that John has also felt as a father, husband, and provider as we approach midlife.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— The Brick was far and away the bestseller of everything I shared last month! I am so, so grateful that so many of you took the leap and feel confident you won’t regret it. If you need a refresher on what the Brick is, I’ve got you. While their BFCM sale has ended, you can still get 10% off with this link. I think it’s a deal at any price. — Right behind the Brick was Camp Snap cameras, with so many of you snapping up the original or CS Pro for your families. This link gives you at least $5 off! — Continuing with the low-screen fun, Yoto Minis slid into third place. All three of our kids use theirs daily. (Would an updated post on their favorite cards be helpful? The options are so many now!) — John’s favorite comfortable-but-suit-appropriate shoes were quite popular. — Finally, all three of the kid gift guides were hits: shop picks for a nine-year-old girl (these lilac sneakers), a seven-year-old boy (this light-up soccer ball), and a four-year-old girl (these clickable markers).
What I read in November: I spent the majority of my month reading through an absolutely massive Atlantic issue (the Revolutionary War one, which I thoroughly enjoyed). I also finished a novel, but would not recommend so am not listing here. I’m a few pages into Code Name Helene and will report back next month. Also excited that Wild Dark Shore and My Oxford Year have finally arrived as library holds for me – picking them up tomorrow!
Revisiting myNovember goals: Lovingly hand off our first home well, equipping the new owner as I’d want to be equipped Finalize plans for June’s tenth birthday (Getting there! Made progress!) Begin painting the kids’ 2025 book ornaments Buy window candles, a Christmas tradition I’m so delighted our new home allows us to partake in (Yes! Mostly these plug-in ones plus a few of these battery ones where cords couldn’t reach.) Choose and order sconces for two spots in our home Help my Dad get his Storyworth off to print (Yes! This felt so good! We were able to gift everyone their copies at Thanksgiving.) Edit Sheptember Practice my Christmas recital song Send care packages to our college gals Finish designing, order, and send our Christmas cards (Done! Never done this so early!)
December goals: — Edit Sheptember, Volume 7 — Finish the kids’ book ornaments — Send care packages to our college gals — Finalize plans for June’s tenth birthday — Make progress on a big birthday project for June — Carry out our gifting plans with joy — Prepare well in advance for our post-Christmas travel, so that Christmas Eve and Day can be languorous and peaceful — Execute our end-of-year generosity plans — Savor the Christmas season by focusing on loving the ones I love most, and loving those who need it the most. Even to me this sounds somewhat trite, but also the best way I know to celebrate the arrival of a tiny baby king who did the same.
I’d love to hear: What have you read and loved recently? I’m working on my 2026 reading list and would love to hear your suggestions for what should make it on!!
Affiliate links are used in this post!
What we’re actually giving our kids this Christmas
While I don’t hold tightly to any one gifting formula (e.g. something you want, something you need, something you wear, something to read), I’ve realized we do try to check at least two boxes with each gift collection: an experience, and something that will bring immediate delight (a kit, a toy). This year, the experience is the same for all three kids, and it’s a big one: a day at Disneyland with the cousins when we’re in California at Christmas. I’ve never been, and I can’t wait (and I can’t wait to see their faces). We’re also gifting our trio the Wingfeather Saga boxed set – read aloud delight awaits! For everything else our kids will be finding under the tree this year, read on…
June (who is almost 10), will be receiving:
— A weekender of her own. She has been asking for a small duffle for weekend trips and sleepovers, and this colorblocked version is quite fun. — “Fashion” sneakers. Fourth grade came with a noticeable uptick in brand/trend interest, including a desire for fancier sneakers. She picked out this style in the store but we’ll surprise her with the online-only lavender colorway. — A Camp Snap Pro camera. We got Shep the original Camp Snap camera (a screen-free, old-school, easy-to-use digital camera!) for his birthday this year; he he has loved toting it on adventures and snapping away. June will love this upgraded version (and to stop borrowing her brother’s.) — A Kavu sling bag. June came home from camp requesting a Kavu bag after seeing many other campers toting one. She likes that they’re big enough to pack a paperback :)
Other ideas I gave to relatives: Crocs, a small jewelry case for earrings, outfits and accessories for her American Girl doll, a Doodle Crate subscription, the Mysterious Benedict Society books she doesn’t already have (numbers three and four!)
Other items she owns and loves or is wishing for:right here!
— A father-son weekend with John. This is how June eased into sleepaway camp, and it was the best opportunity to get the lay of the land, meet the directors, and set her up for success before her first session. Plus, we had the best time together, and I know they will, too! — A Charlotte FC jersey, since he outgrew the Nashville FC jersey my sister gave him that was very beloved. — Two soccer goals for the backyard. A dream for the guy who plays soccer at recess every single day. — A wooden block set. It must be his Montessori training showing, because this was his number one request this year. I’m not complaining!
— An enchanted castle. Do I want to get this for her? Not particularly. But it was at the very top of her collage wishlist (starred, highlighted, circled) and so it is the one item we will be getting from it :) — A deluxe bracelet kit. Annie specifically requested a bead kit after eyeing all of her sister’s crafty creations, and I think she’ll love this one customized with her name. — A unicorn air dough kit. She spotted this at one of our favorite local stores and I was happy to pick it up. — A glow-in-the-dark marble run. Another catalog request :)
Other ideas I gave to relatives: anything Frozen, a gift card to our local ropes adventure course (she’s hooked now that she’s conquered the zip line!), a pottery painting place gift card
Other items she owns and loves or is wishing for:right here!
A FEW OF OUR TIME-TESTED, VERY FAVORITE TOYS AND GIFTS:
— The Nugget, a key component for hours of open-ended play. — This ice cream play set, which has provided hours and hours of entertainment. FIVE STARS. — Roller blades. June and Shep got these for Christmas last year and they still strap them on multiple times a week. Go for the light-up wheels! — A set of MagnaTiles, because yes, they’re as good as everyone says they are. Definitely add the cars, and remember MagnaTiles and PicassoTiles are interchangeable! — A giant box of chalk. This sidewalk chalk is incredible – bold and vibrant – and with 180 pieces is still going strong one year later. — America’s Test Kitchen Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs, which has some of the most delicious recipes I’ve ever tasted (those chocolate crinkle cookies!). — A box of letter writing supplies (cards and envelopes, postage stamps, a fancy pen, stickers, a return address stamp, maybe even pre-addressed labels printed with the addresses of grandparents and friends!). — A Micro Kickboard scooter. These are hands-down the best scooters – we’ve gifted them to all of our kids around age 2, and 3-5 is the sweet spot. — A glow-in-the-dark soccer ball – perfect for street games after Daylight Savings Time! — A Priority Start bike. June started with the 16″ at age 4 3/4, graduated to the 20″ at age 6, and got the 24″ for her 8th birthday. Shep now rides the 20″ and Annie got the 16″ on her 4th birthday. These bikes are SO well-made – they’ve been through several kids in our family and still look perfect! — An art case coloring set. One of Shep’s most beloved items, used daily! — A game you can play together: try Cover Your Assets, Ticket to Ride, or Sushi Go Party, all family favorites. (More ideas here!) — The cutest personalized notepads. BIG favorite with June.
Whew! I hope that’s helpful! I’ve rounded up a bunch of ideas, but remember, kids don’t need much to be happy – in our family, we’ve actually found that too many gifts can be overwhelming and dull the whole experience. So choose wisely, and with joy – giving our kids good gifts is a really fun part of being a parent! :)
Below, tell me what you’re getting your kiddos this year — I love hearing your shopping lists!
Previously: — 2024: An 8-year-old girl, a 6.5-year-old boy, and a 3.5-year-old girl — 2023: A 7-year-old girl, a 5.5-year-old boy, and a 2.5-year-old girl — 2022: A 6-year-old girl, a 4.5-year-old boy, and a 1.5-year-old girl — 2021: A 5-year-old girl, a 3.5-year-old boy, and a six-months girl — 2020: A 4-year-old girl and a 2.5-year-old boy — 2019: A 3-year-old girl and a 1.5-year-old boy
Affiliate links are used in this post!
hi! my name is em.
This is where I share the marvelous people, places, and things I love.
