Since Oprah didn't do her annual Favorite Things episode, I thought I would step in with some ideas for you.  There is something for everyone, and I have also included some of my favorite back-ups, which I really feel are gifts that anyone would love to get bc they don't really want to spend the money themselves on something so unnecessary (especially in this economic climate).

BROTHER

Under $35

 How could you NOT love this?!  It calsl for immediate installation & smells of vacation-long, competitive marathons between all the relatives taking over the hosuehold!!    

Splurge

Have an athletic sibling? Or, do you want to inspire him to become a bit more healthy after the holiday binging?  This watch reads your heartrate and has many more exercise-friendly accessories!

DAD OR GRANDPA

 These really DO remind me of my own grandpa! They look comfy and will surely be adored by a tired dad who needs to rest their feet after hours running around after the kids (or grandkids)!

 HUBBIE 

Yes, another watch.  This one is so classic & modern at the same time that I haven't been able to keep my eyes off of it, ever since it debuted in the catalog a couple of months ago!  Any guy would love to wear it, and you can even personalize it a bit by purchasing different colored straps.

HOST OR HOSTESS

Under $25

My FAVORITE list for grocery shopping! I know ANY hostess would love to receive this to do list that is categorized by areas of the supermarket. 

These tags are a dream come true for foodies who leaf through their cookbooks and/or food magazines and then forget which recipes sound most appealing to them.

MOM OR SISTER

Under $25

These reusable totes are eco-friendly & can be bought in a variety of colors and patterns.  A VERY chic way to support taking care of mother earth.

Splurge

 Gorgeous earrings that look a LOT more expensive than they cost!  They will add just the right amount of bling to any party outfit.

Two bags in ONE!!! This tote can be folded down into a clutch! An amazing buy and VERY cute.

FRIEND

Under $25 

 Something that may be a bit too racy to give to an acquaintance.  These are my all-time favorite pair.  They are comfy & not visible.  Introduce them to your friends.  They will love you for it.

Splurge

A way to give back and also look great, this small cosmetic tote includes 3 lipglosses and also provides 10 disadvantages women with food and job training through the United Nations World Food Program.

BACK-UPS

You can never go wrong with getting anyone in your life one of the following gifts.  I see them as my back-ups, but I would always be happy to receive any or all of them:

- Sports/Concert/Event tickets: hard to get tickets will be MUCH appreciated months in advance of that once in a lifetime concert or tennis tournament.

- Starbucks Gift Card: no one likes to admit to spending $4 on coffee, but you all love going in to orde that extra special brew made especially for you...even better when you don't have to hand over the cash to buy it!

- Spa Appointment: who DOESN'T need a massage or manicure?  A little R&R never hut anyone!!

- Magazine subscription: doyou know a secret food lover? Or a soon to be mommy or daddy?  Subscribe them to a magazine that will help them along the way!

As a second child, M has had the misfortune of hand-me-downs.  Her clothes, toys, and even most of her nursery furniture have been hand-me-downs.  My motherly guilt made me search for a couple of good toys that I thought she would enjoy as a growing toddler girl.  I also wanted to take into account the fact that L would inevitably want to play with those new toys as well...I mean, God forbid there be new toys in the house, and he not be allowed to play with them. I am not sure that concept would sit well with an almost 3 year old boy. 

Our friends at All Modern Baby helped me with these feat, and sent me a set of the Rainbow Sound Blocks by Wonderworld that both L & M have truly enjoyed!  M is such a ham, that anything to do with music or sound is right up her alley. She carries around different pieces and you can hear her coming from across the house bc of the block that she is carrying!  L actually sat down with his dad one afternoon and began building houses with the blocks, using the storage box as part of the structure.  Being the neat-freak that I am, the storage part of the toy is what had me sold!  To make the house look more neat, I decided to buy some storage units for all the toys laying around, but since the blocks come sorted in their own little 'home' I don't worry about having to pick them all up & finding another place for them! 

We also just got M a little walking stroller & her first doll!  The stroller was great bc it really encouraged her to start taking her first strides on her own.  Now, a few weeks later, she is walking around everywhere on her own, it's amazing!!! She still seems to love the toy, though.  I guess bc she feels like she is taking the baby for a walk...something L likes to pretend he is doing sometimes as well!  Even though she has these new toys to play with, it still seems like they are always fighting over the smallest, most insignificant little things!  I guess that is just the way sibling relationships work, right?! At least I hope so!!

Our last few times out to eat have been eventful…and I don’t mean in a good way.  M’s squealing, which is sometimes endearing and funny, has been annoying to some of the other patrons at our regular cafes.  So much so, that I have been scolded TWICE by people telling me that I should not go out to eat if I can’t control my children.  While I know that M can sometimes scream, and it can get annoying for everyone around her, I must defend myself as a parent and say that I really cannot control what a 1 year old does with her voice.  And, I must point out that we do NOT frequent restaurants that are not kid-friendly!  

Given our luck in the past few weeks, and the fact that our weekend rituals usually include at least one meal out with the kids, I thought I would impart some of the lessons we’ve learned about eating out with the tots.  Before M was born, going out to eat was pretty easy.  L has always been pretty easy to entertain, and we always had tricks up our sleeve to keep him happy, just in case he became antsy.  Now, that our party is one person larger, those tricks have had to double.  And, given M’s exuberant personality, going out to eat has become a bit more challenging, but we have found places and ways to enjoy some meals out. 

With L now being an older toddler, it’s become a lot easier to entertain him.  I am always armed with an iPhone or iTouch, so he can watch some of his favorite videos, play games, or even listen to music.  He also seems content to doodle on some paper with crayons or play with some toy cars.  He is hungry ‘round the clock and M is always happy to munch on ANYTHING, so I always keep extra snacks on hand.  I know that seems counterintuitive, especially since we are going OUT to eat, but my kids aren’t especially good at waiting very long.  

M is a BIT more difficult.  I can usually entertain her with snacks, but if the time at the restaurant lags on too long, she becomes very antsy.  My best sort of entertainment is hoping that the waiter or co-patrons pay some attention to her.  M feeds off of the coos and awes of people!  So, if she finds someone that catches her eye, she is content!  But, when this doesn’t happen, I usually have to put her in my lap and eat my food at the same time.  Not the most relaxing way to eat, but it keeps M happy & quiet.  Whenever possible, especially when the weather is nice, we eat outside.  This way, L can run around and M can practice her walking.  I can also avoid getting snipped at by others!

This is why I am SUCH an advocate of taking your baby out to eat when they are newborns!! They are so portable, and can fall asleep ANYWHERE!  I can still remember the nights when Mr. & I would go out to dinner with a newborn L in his stroller.  L would fall asleep on the walk over to our favorite steak place, and he would happily snooze through the entire meal as we ate.  So, for those of you who are still expecting…keep that in mind!  Enjoy those meals out!! Even though mine are sometimes stressful, I believe that taking them out now will make outings easier as the kids get older, since it won’t be something new to them.  Crossing my fingers for this to be true, bc another confrontation may just break me!

I love this time of the year! The weather, the leaves changing colors, the holidays kick off with Halloween, AND it's college football season!! Everything about it just makes me want to get out of the house and enjoy it.  This past weekend was one of the best, just doing things that celebrated Fall!! So, I have decided to give you some ideas for you to enjoy the cool weather and to prepare for the Tick or Treating.

We ventured out to the park this Saturday.  They actually just renovated one near L's school, so he was excited to play around and explore the new area (for those of you in the NoLa area, it's Daneel Park in Uptown).  I LOVE this park bc besides all the play structures, there are tons of trees that provide shade from the sun and a huge lawn where dogs can run around and families can pic-nic, which is EXACTLY what we did!  L fell in love with this idea, especially bc he got to drink some soda for the first time!  But it was a nice change of pace to lunchtime at our house. 

Sunday, we decided to venture out to a plantation, Oak Alley.  They were holding their annual Fall Festival.  We had been last year, without M bc she was just a newborn; so we decided to take her along this year.  The kids loved petting the animals, L did some moon-bouncing, and we all listened to music & took in the incredible views of the historic plantation.  Although it was somewhat cooler than the day before, the kids didn't seem to mind.  Fall Fests are great fun!  This was our second of the month, and I don't think it will be out last of the season.  If you can't find a festival, try searching for a Pumpkin Patch.  That is one of our upcoming activities.  They usually have hay rides, lots of pumpkins to choose from, and sweet treats!

Once you have those pumpkins, if you are anything like me, you instantly want to decorate them.  I learned the hard way last year, that a carved pumpkin does not hold up that long.  While we did an AMAZING carving job, they fell in about a week before Halloween.  So, this year I decided to try something different.  I found some Potato Head kits, that L was SO excited to help with and have drawn in daily visits from all the kids on our street!  Then, I did something crafty and painted another pumpkin with a witch face & nailed on a toddler size witch hat. 

Now, I am looking forward to our first Halloween bash this Sunday!! Hopefully, these ideas will help you and your tots enjoy the season a little more and create some fun activities for the entire family!