A few more gift ideas

Still shopping for Oliver and I? Probably not. But we could use:

Music. I've been enjoying the Rockabye Baby - Good Day, Goodnight CD where they make lullaby versions of popular songs. Soothing for Oliver to listen to, and still entertaining for me. I here the lyrics in my head while I listen and sing along (not very well, but Oliver doesn't care). I know they have a lot of versions, including country. Other music is good, too. And then some is truly terrible.

Kid's books. It's amazing how quickly it feels like you've read everything in the collection too many times.

Paci Tether. We've gone from 3 to 8 pacifiers, and somehow they're even harder to find. And the worst is when we make it out of the house without one. So, attaching one to Oliver in the morning just makes sense. It needs to be something that works with his funky soothie pacifiers, and it looks like this kind with a thin loop would work.

Fragrance that lasts

I picked up a nice smelling diffuser at Nordstrom Rack, must have been two years ago while i was working downtown. I've had it out since, and it is STILL going. It's not an ever-present scent, but every once in awhile someone will walk by and literally exclaim about the whiff of fabulous scent. But after such a long time, its staring to look worse for wear. I figured I wouldn't be able to get the same scent again since it was at the Rack, but Mitchell suggested I Google it, and sure enough it seems to be everywhere. It's the Archipelago Home "Currant" Diffuser and it is amazing.

Reading Material

I managed to finish the Hunger Games series since Oliver was born, but that was an incredibly fast read, and very good. Really, I'm more likely to glance through a magazine. So, here are a list of my favorites. Some are just candy, and others make me feel like I'm still involved in a more professional world. I starred the mags I already have a subscription to. No real particular order...

• Dwell*
• Wired
• People*
• Town & Country*
• Garden & Gun
• Real Simple
• Us Weekly
• Cosmopolitan
• Lucky
• InStyle
• Time
• Communication Arts - only if you can apply my professional discount - it's pricey otherwise!

I miss Domino Magazine. :(

Crispy Bread

As most people would acknowledge - the panini is a superior sandwich to the otherwise cold meal. There is something about melted cheese and crisp bread that makes it better on some sort of cosmic level, for the same number of calories. It is, however, difficult to make a great panini without a panini press. So I am asking for a panini press for Christmas. The best one. Whichever one that is!

Shiny Objects

I'm not going to lie - I had heart palpitations when I saw these balloon animal blind box vinyl toys listed in some gift guide. So cute and clever! The website suggests decorating your Christmas tree with these. Brilliant! Now I know what to do with all of my other little critters. So many blind box collections, so hard to choose!

Diaper bag

It is time for Mitchell and I to part ways - at least when it comes to the diaper bag. He likes things orderly, and to only carry the necessities and emergency survival gear. And while I love our sleek, unisex diaper bag, by the time I pack my wallet, sunglasses, a bottle with ice pack, bottle for feeding and a burp cloth, I can't zip the bag. Then when he does use the bag, it's like handing over my purse and telling him to organize.

I think I've found the winner for diaper bag #2. It is a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag, which I swore I'd never own, as they're as mainstream as Uggs (yes, I note the irony with the previous post). But, it IS pretty. Girly, but not so girly that everyone assumes Oliver is a girl. And most importantly - it is the biggest diaper bag I can find. I suppose that is indicated by the "weekender" in its name, but that makes it the winner!

And no, I won't purchase anything of this matter until after Christmas... Hint. Oh, and they sell it at Goodnight Room

Cliche gift for feet sake

I love my warm, fuzzy Uggs, but I'm more paranoid than ever (since learning your arches can drop while pregnant!?!?) about my feet and the need for support. (seriously - fallen arches are up there for worst fears) So now, I would love a pair of supportive slippers. I spend a LOT of time in the house. You don't need to go all orthopedic on my ass, just something with more than just pure fluff. I have done no research to see if what i want exists, but that's what makes it a gift! Something with a sole that will survive a walk to the car would be nice, too. Size 10. Yes, I am asking for slippers for Christmas. Thank you.

Blue is the new Black

An observation Andrea and I made today on our travels through expensive and desirable leather goods was the emergence of an amazing shade of blue in handbags. Blue has historically been my go-to color, except for my recent foray into kelly green, so you can imagine my excitement with this beautiful hue.

Kate Spade calls it "dark lapis"

Coach calls them "ocean blues"

and Cole Haan calls it "Prussian Blue"

Love.

Love the Wallet

I was fearful that it might be too mature - what with all of the space for cards, and the sheer size of the thing. But I suppose it's time to realize that now I am a 30-year-old mother, and not only do I have a Costco card, I also have both my insurance cards and Oliver's. So, I think that I need this lovely wallet piece by Kate Spade. Love the green color, love the ostrich texture leather, and really, love all of the room to hold all of my crap! Next, I need to find the perfect diaper bag...

Curling with a Straightener?

Did you know you can curl your hair with a straightener?? I feel so hip and in the know. Thanks to the gals at Megan's wedding! I need a good one, now. A GHD IV styler.

To Wish List or not to Wish List

Well, the time comes again where my family will request a birthday and Christmas wish list, and I will shamelessly oblige. While surprises are the best, it's always nice to truly need/appreciate/want what you get for a gift. So, a few ideas for those who choose to apply the suggestions:

• A new set of water/drinking glasses for our house. It seems that we really have outgrown the pint glass collection. And I will do anything to get rid of the stupid McDonald's Coke glasses that come free.
• I'm obsessed with magazine subscriptions. So a new gossip magazine (People), renew my Real Simple or something totally new - Wired, Architectural Digest, Lucky...
• A nice, blank journal for the cabin would be nice, so we can have a record of those who have visited and shared our new place with us.
• A new pair of Uggs. Size 10. Both slide in slippers and boots. A fad, I know, but they're so comfortable. Must have thick sole, as that's what's so amazing yet functional about them.
• I always wanted a metal detector!
• A subscription to Pandora.com. I hate the ads!
• New gloves - not skiing, but more going to football games and driving to work.
• A digital photo frame for my desk at work.