6 Kids Books We Are Loving Right Now.

Today I'm sharing a few children's books we've had on rotation lately! I absolutely love reading. You wouldn't know it in my current stage of life, because I feel like I don't have enough time for reading, even though I know it's on me to make more time for it. I've been doing a little better lately - I just finished reading Pride & Prejudice again and man, there's almost nothing better than that story. But I digress.

My mom told me when I was a little girl that she loved reading Nancy Drew books growing up. That really inspired me and I started reading the series, too, and that's what truly made me fall in love with reading. Such classic stories! I know my boys aren't old enough yet for those kinds of books but I truly believe that a love for stories and reading starts at this stage with focus from the parents - taking time to read to them every single night is one of our favorite family routines. I hope that my kids love reading as much as I do - it's helped me form my words and ability to communicate and understand so much of the world. It's helped me fall in love with writing! I hope that they find that same love for literature, as well. Everett is almost 4 years old and Daxton is almost 17 months old, and these are the books we've been reading lately with both of them.

1. Polar Bear Polar Bear, What do You Hear? - sound book
Daxton loves this book! He cracks me up the way he tries to make the sounds of the animals (he basically makes the same sound over and over and it's so funny). He's at the perfect age for all the Eric Carl books and this one is nice because it's a little larger than this one and this one (which are also so great!), and it also has the fun sound buttons for each animal! Also, this is a great price point for a gift!

2. Little Blue Truck's Springtime
Gosh, we are such fans of this Little Blue Truck Series (the original and Christmas version are so great!), and I was amped when I saw this one in stores. It's actually much less expensive to purchase here. I put this in Daxton's Easter basket this year and I have to say, the illustrations are ah-mazing. Like, so so beautiful. This book makes me happy to read, and Dax loves all the lift-flap options on each page. Less words, more colors, which is really perfect for his stage. Although Everett has been swiping this out of Dax's room and asking me to read it to him the past few nights... so it really makes all of us happy over here!

3. Winne the Pooh: Original Edition
We started reading Everett this series of "chapter books" a few months ago as part of his bedtime routine and he absolutely loves it! He feels so grown up, getting to read a big book, and he helps me fold over the pages when we stop for the night (I know - some of you might think that's a terrible habit, but I've been doing it basically my entire life and old habits die hard. And also, it's kind of fun teaching my son how to read books the way I did when I was young...) These sweet stories about the whole Hundred Acre wood gang are so classic and darling and funny, they are seriously still relevant to today! Except for the one part when Christopher Robin carries around a gun and shoots a balloon out of the sky. That probably wouldn't fly in this day and age of children's literature... but still! Such sweet stories. We are actually re-reading the first book again because Everett loves it so much. We still need to rent the movie, now that we've read the books. This is another set that makes such a beautiful gift - even a baby shower gift! These books are really pretty in person and you almost want to display them.

4. Little Excavator
Oh, boy books! We have exhausted our copies of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, so this book came along with a fresh take on the construction process and Everett loves it! I don't know what it is about boys and big trucks, but it is such a thing.

5. In New York
I've passed on my love for NYC to my sons, and Everett absolutely loves everything about that city! We have a few books about New York, and this one is his absolute favorite. It's not too detailed, but the illustrations are beautiful and we end up stopping a lot because he has so many questions. I should probably do a better job of having books about our own home town city (someone leave me a comment if you have any Atlanta-specific favorite kids books!), but this one is such a crowd pleaser and most nights he asks to read at least a page or two of this beloved read. And of course, this leads to him asking all the time when we are "going back to New York to stay in a hotel".

6. Dragons Love Tacos
Gosh, is there anyone who doesn't love this book? We usually tell this one in a Boston accent (I have no idea why??) and even though we got it years ago, it's seemed to resurface in popularity over the past few weeks in our house and we've been reading it a lot again. It's seriously so funny and the expressions on the characters faces are just priceless. Great for boys or girls! And taco lovers.

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Our Current Reads.

We are loving books in our household right now. Between my Intentional October reading goals and Everett getting chattier and Stevie following suit with my insanely early bedtime schedule, it's all getting very literate up in here. Everett is suddenly VERY into his storybooks and illustrations. When we're reading to him, he often flips back to a previous page, staring at the pictures for a minute longer. I can see him trying to understand. Pointing out the dogs, of course. Then going "Woo-woo-woo", which is his puppy sound. It's the best. For some reason, we have a stockpile of books about dogs, trucks, and New York City. Priorities, folks. I snapped a few photos of him reading with his Aunt Rachel the other day, and they are just too cute not to share :)

Our Favorites Right Now:
Little Blue Truck
This series is darling. Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way are a few of our rotating favorites, and I'm not kidding when I say that we read these books 5-10 times a day. When we open the story, Everett goes "Beep beep!" because of the sound the truck makes when he rolls into the big city. It's the best. I think the length of the book, the thickness of the board pages and the illustrations are absolutely perfect, especially for my his age.

BabyLit Don Quixote
Talk about trendy kid lit. Have you checked out these books yet? They are so cool! Everett LOVES Don Quixote: A Spanish Primer, and I will definitely be putting a few more of these on his Christmas List. We've even gifted a few - my favorites for girls are Pride & Prejudice: A Counting Primer, The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer, Emma: An Emotions Primer & Sense & Sensibility: An Opposites Primer. The colors and descriptions are just beautiful - half the pages I want to frame and put up on my wall. Seriously.

This Is New York
I remember flipping through a copy of This Is New York in Chelsea Market when I was newly pregnant, living in Manhattan. I remember wanting to buy it, because it was such an iconic, vintage kind of thing, but then I didn't, because I felt like my secret would be out. Which is so ridiculous, because there are literally a drillion people living in that city, and I only knew about 10 of them at the time. That just goes to show how pregnancy hormones really do make a person strange. Our dear friends Anthony & Jessica (who I always brag on) gave us this book at our Gender Reveal party, and now I love reading it to Ev.

A Walk in New York
The sweetest book about a dad exploring the city with his son, A Walk in New York warms my heart every time I read it to Everett. The length of the book is a little extensive for him right now, but I think that's a good thing, because he will continue to grow into it. He always pauses on the page that shows the subway system (it's a complex picture, with hundreds of people doing different things like dancing, kissing and eating, on three different platforms!) - he studies the page so intently. Then he finally locates what he was looking for all along - "wwoo-woo-woooo!" Of course. The dog on a leash :)

How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
I had no idea this book was part of a huge series, but it is! How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? is so cute and labels the type of dinosaur doing things like counting his toy trucks, counting his paint colors, counting the socks under his bed, hehe. It's the simplest story, but Everett adores it. He loves pointing out the dinosaur's toy trucks and trains. Of course.

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Who doesn't love these books? Other than the redundancy, the pictures are gorgeous and it's amazing how much babies love them. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? is the perfect solution once you get reeeeeally tired of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear. Of course, in our family, we are boycotting The Very Hungry Caterpillar for very obvious reasons, but if you like the others, you would probably like that one too.

I'm realizing that we need to invest in some more books before Christmas time! Because we are wearing these reads out. And that's a good thing! What are you reading with your kiddos right now? Any recommendations for me?

P.S. - We read more than children's books! I've been tearing through The Happiness Project and For the Love and I am feeling so motivated and inspired by these women. Stevie's reading Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck because he is forever a business school student.

Our Current Reads + a Book Giveaway!

Our Current Reads + a Book Giveaway!

Ah, the joy of opening up a new book.

I am not even going to pretend that I am reading a whole lot these days. I wish I were. I was given Bread and Wine for Christmas, which is excellent thus far, and I've been reading Bringing Up Bebe since before Everett was even born, but honestly? I'll read perhaps two pages a week of something. That sounds incredibly illiterate of me, but that's the truth. This just ain't the season for in-depth reading! I miss it. I miss diving into a great novel, having my mind opened and illuminated to a fresh story, a transformative world. I will live to really read again, but for now, I am enjoying the nightly storytime sessions in the children's book section of our home, AKA, Everett's nursery.

I will often read board books to Everett during the daytime, but when bedtime rolls around, we pull out the lengthier storybooks. Stevie and I take turns doing "voices" for the different characters and I think we might enjoy each other's goofiness more than our child even comprehends. But he laughs (sometimes) and we are all having a good time with it, so you know, there's that.

We love the classics. We have read through the obvious Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss standbys, but lately we've been reading some oldie-but-goodies, like the Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit Collections. We got both of these story sets for Christmas and have been taking our time to get through them because, like I said, we are having so much fun. My "Eeyore" voice is the worst. Stevie's "Rabbit" voice is really the worst. And Everett doesn't always cooperate (he prefers eating the books over reading them). But we pretend that means he has a great appetite for knowledge and adventure and we just keep going.

A Few of our Current Favorite Reads:

- The Jesus Storybook Bible

- Pooh's Library: The Winnie the Pooh Complete Set

- Make Way for Ducklings

- Oh, The Places You'll Go!

- The Complete Peter Rabbit Library

- You Are My Baby: Ocean

If you're anything like us, you enjoy reading these stories to your kiddos, but often get bored reading the same stories over and over again. It's always good to have a new book to dive into! I was recently asked to review the story Homer the Little Stray Cat, written by Pam Laskin, and I am excited to be able to offer two copies of the book as a giveaway!

My take on Homer the Little Stray Cat:

This book makes me really happy because it seems to be set in New York's Upper West Side, a former home of mine. The story follows Homer, a darling adventurous cat who likes to roam the city streets, never looking to settle down in one place. Homer is much like the millennials who are reading the book out loud to their little ones - his heart is ever divided between the joys of wanderlust and the comforts of home. Who can't relate to that? As he simultaneously longs for both, he discovers a love he wasn't sure he was looking for - in the eyes (and arms!) of a sweet boy who needs him, too. Homer is a poignant tale that teaches our littles it's okay to draw strength from the love and support of others. It's the very fuel that propels the discovery of big dreams with wide open hearts!

If you'd like to win a copy of this book, enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter below. The winners will be randomly selected and emailed a week from today, on March 30. Many thanks to Lisa Vanterpool (check out her online magazine Flat8!) for making this giveaway possible :)

Also, a quick reminder that the Lucky Palm Tree $50 gift card giveaway is still going on until the 24th at midnight - if you haven't entered yet, you can do so here! And you can get 20% off "new arrival" items online using the code OYKRISTEN at checkout.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, sweet readers!

Current Reads.

Images Via 1, 2, 3

A Little Comfort Reading.

Autumn is really, truly here. It's officially biting cold outside and my hands beg to wrap themselves around a steamy cup of green tea every time I leave the apartment. It's a grand time to cozy up with a home-spun blanket, a hot beverage and a delicious book. Right now I'm reading several delightful books that are less about traditional storytelling and more about a journey in photos. Humans of New York is brand new, released last week, and based on a blog of the same name. It was gifted to me by my dear friend Mary who is always on trend, especially when it comes to the literary world. It's a gorgeous and candid look at, quite literally, the humans of New York. It's mini stories, quotes and striking photography. Plain and simple. And pretty mesmerizing, too.

I've also been thumbing through Gwyneth Paltrow's latest cookbook, It's All Good, which is based on a pretty strict/healthy diet with the intention of creating clean recipes that are still tasty and satisfying. Every so often I feel rather guilty about the amount of butter or oil that I cook with, and I'm often trying to find ways to incorporate more vegetables into my cooking. This book does both. We shall see how the actual implementation goes...

Finally, I've been reading/looking at the pretty house photos in the new Design*Sponge At Home book. Since moving into our new apartment in August, my husband and I have been trying to style our home in a carefree way that suits our busy lifestyle. It takes a lot of time to get your home just right, and I'm learning to accept that it will probably always be a work in progress. This book has helped me realize that I should embrace my own style quirks and showcase them in my home, instead of succumbing to the pressures of a manufactured decor template. It's been a fun journey, and certainly one that I want to share with you all soon.

What are you reading right now?

The Great Indoors

A blizzard is brewing. The flurrying has begun and the sky is furious to rid itself of the snow. I could keep whining about the cold, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Instead, I thought I would share my delightfully cozy indoor activities. I am currently job hunting so I have found myself with an excess of indoor time. In the case that you getting a strange episode of cabin fever yourself (or if you live in New England and you're about to be home-bound for DAYS), I thought I would ravish you with my woefully thrilling indoor fun.

Doing:

Job Hunting, Video Editing and Crocheting. And staring out the window at all the cold people walking by. Is that mean? It's a lovely coffee time activity.

Reading:

A few different treasures. One of the beauties of being out of school is reading, just for fun.

... "The Alchemist" (in honor of my bro-in-law Joshua, because it's his favorite book. Ironically, he used to tease me when I was little - FOR READING. So cruel.)

... I'm also still powering through "Anna Karenina", although it's a bit of a weary read. I'm going to reward myself with a viewing of Keira Knightley's interpretation of the text when I'm finally done. There will be kettle corn involved. And probably fruit snacks.

... "Audition", in preparation for my nervously-nearing future. Have I mentioned that yet? Mmm perhaps another time.

... And probably most importantly, "My Utmost for His Highest", for the Jesus factor. We all need the Jesus factor.

Watching:

...House Hunters and Love it or List it; I'm officially addicted to house shows. Even though I don't and probably won't anytime in the near future actually live in a house. Been in an apartment for.... 5 years and counting. And I don't think they actually make houses for people in NYC. So there you have it.

...Duck Dynasty and Swamp People; I can never live without cable now. How glorious are these people? I just love them and want to go gator hunting. No I don't.

Baking:

Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookies... I may have perfected the ultimate fluffy cookie. More details to come; I need to do one more test run. Market research. Whatever it's called. Okay fine. I need to eat more cookies.

Cleaning:

Ha. Only occasionally, but Mrs. Meyers products have made it slightly more fun. The Rosemary, Basil and Honeysuckle counter top sprays are my favorite. Somehow, Mrs. Meyers has made cleaning sort of trendy.

Crushing:

Essie confections Turquoise and Caicos, Tart Deco and Lilacism. It's safe to say I've developed a healthy addiction to this nail polish. As my husband says, it's better than my addiction to Sour Patch Kids. Mmm that's my movie candy.

Avoiding:

The gym. But just so my insanely fit friend won't reprimand me, let me mention that I've been hitting the Brazilian Butt Lift DVDs hardcore, and my oh my, I have to open a window once I get going. The cold in my apartment suddenly becomes sweltering and my hiney forms vocal chords and screams obscenities at me. It's great. Spring break, I'm coming at you. Along with my mouthy tush.

Any indoor activities that you're enjoying? I could use a few tips, since job hunting can get me a little down. You might call it the winter blues. Muahaha I made a relevant joke. See, I already feel so much better.

Stay warm, my New England friends!