Valentine’s Gift Ideas

I have never been a big fan of chocolates and roses on Valentine’s Day. I’m more of a French fries girl. Instead, I came up with a list of great nontraditional gifts from small businesses.
1. Cross Stitch Family Portrait:

Kristi from Family Stitch makes the most incredible family portraits. She puts so much time and thought into each one. This is sure to be a treasured family keepsake. Get your own here.

2. The Crafter’s Box:

This is a perfect present for all the makers out there. Each month, The Crafter’s Box sends you a new craft and all of the tools to make it.  As seen in the picture above, the marbled clay planters were a part of last month’s box. They are no longer available for purchase.I can’t wait to see what is in next month’s box. Learn more here.

3.Home Decorations:

I love these glass feathers. They would look beautiful in nearly every room. Find them here.

 

 

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H&M Baby Boy

Here are a few of my favorite items from H&M:

Hat; Scarves; Shoes; Jumpsuit

 

Onesie: Sweatpants; Hat; Pillow; Moccs

Family Photos

After three years, we finally decided it was time to take some more family photos. That’s right! Asher was about Ryland’s age the last time we had our pictures taken. Needless to say, we have all changed since then. Jessica Priest of Fossil Photograph took the pictures, and I absolutely love them. I love how comfortable she made all of us. She had no problem listening to Asher talk about any and everything that crossed his mind. She had no problem with Ryland staring her down. She was a pleasure to work with. Check out her work here. 

Ryland’s Clothes:

Onesie: Bobo Choses

Bonnet: Salt City Emporium(Out of Stock)

Moccs: Freshly Picked

Asher’s Clothes:

Shirt: Bobo Choses

Suspenders: So Little So Hip

Pants: Target

EWMcCall Fall Sneak Peek

Almost a year ago, I began following EWMcCall on Instagram. I immediately fell in love with one of their scarves. I searched their Etsy, but I could not find it anywhere.  I asked one of the owners, Morgan, if she had any more. She told me she they were sold  out. “Sold Out” are heartbreaking words. Weeks later, Morgan found an extra scarf and messaged me to see if I still wanted it. I was so impressed with her thoughtfulness and incredible customer service. Today, I am so excited to show you their fall line, and let me tell you thoughtfulness is definitely a part of it.  Morgan and Lois, the two owners, have put so many thoughtful details into this collection.

Judah in Khaki Vest with Leather Details

Judah in Blue Quilted Vest

Wolf in One of a Kind Sweater Vest and Jean Leggings

Judah in Jean Leggings and One of a Kind Up-cycled Sweater Vest

Wolf in Flannel Poncho and Stripe Shorts

Blakely in Marsala Top and Stripe Bloomers

Blakely in our Blue Paper-Bag Waist Skirt and Gold Sweater

Blakely in Green and Orange Hi/Lo Dress. Bailey in our Navy Dress with Bell Sleeves and Vintage Wool and Leather Vest and Stick Horse

Bailey in our Floral and Lumberjack Hi/Lo Dress

Bailey in our Tan and Ribbon Skirt

My pick for Asher:

This line will be available the first week of August!

Shop it here in August.

Follow on Instagram @ewmccall

Art Hill Film Series

St. Louis has dozens of free attractions for families. The Art Hill Film Series is one of my favorite summer traditions. As soon as this year’s line up was posted, I knew which movie my husband would want to see, Back to the Future! Throwing off every bit of better judgement, Michael and I decided to take both of the boys to the film. The movie starts way past their bed time so we knew we were potentially asking for problems. However, some times you just need to feel like an adult and get out of the house, so we went.

Asher had a lot of fun running all over the hill. (See sweaty picture below.) Michael and I enjoyed trying out the food trucks. We all enjoyed the movie. The boys made it through half the movie before it was time to go. It was such a great experience, I can’t wait to go again. Here is the list of the rest of the movies showing this summer. SLAM

badger + rue

 

badger + rue is a new kid’s clothing company. It launched its first collection just over two weeks ago. I have had my eye on several of their products. I love the incredible thought and detail that has clearly gone into each piece. After interviewing the owners, Kenzie and Danielle, I fell even more in love with their product. They told me that each one of the characters in their line is inspired by a piece of their children’s personality.  How cool! It is clear that these two owners have poured their heart and soul into this company. Learn a little more about them in the interview below.

 

1. Tell me a little about each of the people in your company.

Danielle: I have a family of four; two beautiful daughters, Beckham(3) and Nola(1), my sweet husband Trent and I. They are my reason for pursuing scary dreams, and, in turn, long hours and late bedtimes! I am a sucker for cheap rootbeer, a thoughtful vocabulary, birthdays, soft rock and late-night conversation.

Kenzie: I married my junior high sweetheart and couldn’t be more in love 15 years later. We have our daughter, Berkley, who is 3 and our son, Boston, who just turned 1. We have another little boy coming in November, HUGE surprise, but are super excited to meet him nonetheless. I love sleeping in, family cuddle sessions, the ocean, nice people and all things chocolate.

2.   What is one thing you would like your company to be known for?

We believe clothes are no longer just something you wear, they are an expression of a child’s personality + nature and we want to aid in bringing that out. We’ll do this by giving life to our art, creating connections with these characters, and, in turn, showcasing the most detailed traits of the child’s personality.

We want children to always feel like they can express themselves in whatever way they see fit. To dare to be different, to go against the grain. That they have the tools to do + be whatever they want. Their future is unlimited, paving their own road by being proud of who they are, and using this individuality, acceptance and kindness as currency in life.

3.     What is your favorite piece from your current collection? Why?

Anything Tough Tom! He is our most detailed piece and is so different than anything out there.

(Tough Tom is pictured on the model on the right.)

4.       What inspired your current collection?

Our kids!! Each character was inspired by some piece of their personality, something they said or enjoy. We will continue to create this way, as they will always be our muse!

5.       Can you give us any hints about your fall line?

Since we launched late for the S/S line, we included items appropriate for the A/W season. Many items work great now in the heat, but can also be used in layering as it starts to cool down. We believe the raglan pullovers and cozy rompers will be a big hit come Fall. We do, however, plan to run a little differently than most brands. Instead of waiting for a whole new line and phasing the last one out, we plan to listen to our customers and keep things exciting. We will come out with new apparel sporadically throughout the year, while keeping those items in demand available in garments fitting for the weather and style. We can tell you this, we have much more up our sleeves. This is only the tip of the iceberg, we are excited to grow!

Thanks Danielle and Kenzie!

Here are my picks from this line for my boys.

For Asher

For Ryland

shop badger + rue here

follow them on Instagram @badgerandrue

Traveling with a Baby

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to get out of town or a little bit, and I jumped on it. The military kid in me needed a change. Since I wasn’t ready to be a part from Ryland, he had to come with me. Here are some of the things that I found most helpful on this trip.

A Sling: I flew alone to Washington DC. DC has such great mass transportation, I decided to leave the car seat at home. Wearing Ryland was so convenient and fun. I used a Wild Bird sling. He was kissably close to me the whole trip so I got to see his reactions to everything on our trip. Plus, the sling was easy for me to get on and off at security. I also used the tail of the sling to cover him, so no one could spread their germs.

A Swaddle Blanket: I used my swaddle blanket from Modern Burlap for absolutely everything on this trip.  I used it as a nursing cover, a spit up cloth, and a play mat. I love the design of these blankets. They are both beautiful and functional, which can be a rarity in the baby world. I packed one for each day of the trip because they  were so useful.

A Pacifier Clip: This proved to be so handy on the trip. I simply clipped it to the outside of the swaddle, and I never had to worry about losing it in the airport. I used one of the beautiful hand braided clips by Loved by Sophia Claire.

Rompers: Here is one thing I have learned about traveling with children: always dress them as cute as possible. People are so much more willing to forgive the well dressed baby.  I dressed Ryland in rompers from June and January. Their rompers are classic, and they come in gorgeous colors. I had two of them in my carry on. Rompers also make travel easier, no searching for two pieces.

Moccs: Baby moccasins are the perfect traveling shoes, because they don’t kick off. The elastic in them kept them snug on Ryland’s foot. Ryland wore Freshly Picked on our trip.

If I could do it all over again, there are two thing I would bring. I would by this diaper bag from Fawn Design. I love that it can be a back pack or shoulder bag. This would have come in handy so many times. Plus, it is beautiful!

I would also have brought a hat for Ryland for the flight. Airplanes get so cold, and it would have been nice to keep my guy extra cozy. I love the hats from My Mila. Their toques would be adorable on Ry.