Raise your hand if you’ve ever been ten minutes late to a kid’s birthday party because you had to mad dash to Target first to buy a gift and then wrap it in the car in the parking lot of the venue before you walked in? I’m asking for a friend. Yes, yes, I know it’s not about the gift, but I hate the feeling of a last minute thoughtless purchase simply because our family loves the art of gift giving–so much, in fact, we have a family trademarked term for the person whose gift is the most thoughtful or most loved by the receiver…the Jesse Bear Award. The term originated probably 20 years ago when my mom found this darling bear that came with clothes, and the child we were all celebrating threw everybody else’s gift to the curb when she opened it. My mom took the Jesse Bear Award every celebration that followed for a good several years until her winning streak was broken. To this day, when a child’s birthday is approaching, we indulge in some good smack talk about whose gift will delight the child the most. If I recall correctly, for Dash’s birthday one year, Heidi sent my dad a text after hearing about the garbage truck he was purchasing for Dash: “Oh, so you think he’ll like your garbage truck best? Wait until I buy him a REAL garbage truck. Your garbage truck is dead to him.” We are a very emotionally healthy bunch, what can I say?

We usually spend about $20-$25 on birthday gifts for kid friends. Lainey usually has her own ideas for her friends since she knows them best, but for other friends, the kids and I generally pick something out together that will be loved and used. Ideally when we get an invite, we hop on Amazon and pick out something thoughtful right away. Even better, if we know friends who are also invited to a celebration, we’ll team up with a friend for a joint gift that’s a little nicer.

So, to avoid the ‘ol five minutes before the party slap-dash-wrap-needless-plastic-crap routine, I’m gathering five gifts kids will love based on gifts my kids have geeked out over and things that get played with and used the most in our home by friends of all ages. These all have earned the Jesse Bear Award stamp of approval.

 

1. Disco Lights & Microphone
   This is the GO TO gift. For ANY kid. Or adult, for that matter. If we’re sticking to gift budget, we’ll go with one. If we’re teaming up with a friend for giving, we’ll put the two together for a full dance party effect. Our disco lights and microphone get so much use in our home, never lose their happiness power and have transformed many a Friday nights into family celebrations we won’t forget. For our last neighborhood gathering, we brought these babies out in Nella’s bedroom, and suddenly the kids were IN DA CLUB. Laughter, dancing, singing…instant party.
2. Walkie Talkies
   We used these walkie talkies all summer long at my dad’s cabin, and the kids were entertained for hours, setting out on hide-and-seek hunts, delivering messages, playing spies. The range on this set is incredible (we took it on the boat and could still communicate way out in the middle of the lake). The kids love them so much, we had another set sent to the cabin because there were so many fights over them.
3. Glow-in-the-dark Magnatiles & Black Light Flashlight
   I’ve professed our family’s love for Magnatiles many times, but they really are the toy that brings everyone together. They entertain toddlers, teens–even the adults can’t keep themselves from sitting on the floor and building with these. And don’t let a kid already owning these be a deterrent. Kids who have Magnatiles want more Magnatiles. This little glow-in-the-dark set is super fun for night building. Throw in a little black light flashlight to up the glow factor.
4. My Pop-Up Body Book
   Dash brings me this book every. single. day. An Instagram reader recommended it after I shared about Dash’s insatiable interest in the human body. This isn’t just a book you “read”–it’s a book you explore…for hours. The pop-ups are incredibly elaborate and within each body system section, there are inserts and mini books tucked inside, diving into every area of the body and delivering fascinating information at the perfect appropriate level for kids. With all the Halloween accessories available right now, it’s a fun gift to wrap–dangle a little skeleton from the ribbon.

   

5. Whatchamadrawit, Sketch Book & Chalk Pastels
   You can never go wrong with Arts & Crafts for kids. Fill a box with items that spark creativity, and any parent will thank you (easy on the glitter). We are currently loving this “whatchamadrawit” set–a box full of cards with ideas of imaginative things to draw. Draw a fruit that has a banana body and a pineapple top. Draw a flag for a country where you are the ruler. Draw a creature with a mouse head, lizard body and caterpillar feet. This one is fun to pull out at restaurants while you’re waiting for your food. Lainey and I have been taking it out to the driveway and using chalk to draw the prompts–so much fun and gets us out of our balloon/heart/rainbow drawing rut.

I am pleased to announce we have a birthday party this weekend, and we will not be wrapping a gift in the car…fully prepared!

Happy Weekending, friends.

 

This post is sponsored by Backcountry.

Okay, think about this because I know you have an answer–your Greatest of All Time Moment that came from an outdoor adventure. Like me, maybe you can’t narrow it down to just one because you distinctly remember more than one occasion when you ventured out for a run or a swim or a kayak ride or a sun salutation in the woods behind your house and, a few deep breaths in, realized that this was different, this was special, this was one of those spiritual moments when, for a moment, your heartbeat synced with the earth’s, and you felt everything a bit deeper.

This question is one of my favorites to ask to spark conversation at a party because even the shyest people seem to jump right in–we’re passionate about the one-with-nature moments we’ve experienced, and we love talking about them. Ask me, and I’ll tell you about the February hike our family took beside that icy creek in Vail, or how the sun cast golden shadows on the lake as our kayaks skimmed the fog that morning in Northern Georgia. I’ll tell you about my favorite run in the mountains that one autumn or the horseback climb in Estes Park that took my breath away.

Backcountry calls these moments GOATworthy moments (Greatest of All Time), and their entire brand is focused on inspiring people to get outside and make more of them–try new activities, conquer fears, cross something off the bucket list, connect with the earth on a hike, through a sunset, in a spin class, on a paddle board, bike ride, yoga challenge, mountain climb, camping trip, or maybe simply a walk with your dog through the park on a regular Tuesday afternoon. And they have everything you need not only to make your GOATworthy moment convenient but memorable and stylish!

Often, when I think of my favorite outdoor adventures, I immediately think of trips we’ve taken–as if it requires traveling to make these stand-out memories, but I’m challenged this fall to explore our own little corner of the world and create GOATworthy adventures in our own back yard.

So we did just that recently, setting out as a family for a fall adventure here in Florida with a hike through Koreshan State Park followed by a sunset picnic on the beach.

And sure, maybe our adventure didn’t provide the adrenaline rush of a rock climb or a Black Diamond ski course, but we have our own versions of adrenaline rush adventures here.

(We were so excited to try the Fjallraven mini backpack, and we adore it. It went everywhere with us in D.C. last week, and the girls fought over who got to wear it.)

Blue Planet Sunglasses

In the 1800s, Koreshan State Park was the site of a religious sect, and eleven of the settlement’s buildings still stand, restored as national historic buildings and open to the public. They’re different from most of the architecture here, so they’re fun to explore.

Surrounding the buildings are bamboo walking trails, a campground and the Imperial River where park visitors can kayak and canoe (just watch out for gators). Every time I post a picture of us near a lake or river, I get questions about gators. We maintain a healthy fear, and kids that grow up in Florida know not to jump into lakes. My father-in-law has been photographing alligators in the Everglades for years and has had many “encounters” with them nearby. For the most part, if you maintain a healthy distance and respect them, they have no interest in bothering you.

Nella opted out of a walking stick for her wand, of course.

This little hat on Nella though.

Patagonia trucker hat

This whole smorgasbord of footwear is from Backcountry, but we are especially loving Lainey’s all-season Kamik boots and Dash’s Keens that work for everything! We’ve bought these in almost every size he’s ever worn.

We haven’t been together as a family on the beach since before the summer, so our post-hike sunset was extra special–sea oats and sand and gulf water that is slowly creeping back to a refreshing temperature after a Florida summer. I’m always reminded when I take the time to visit the beach how grateful I am to live only a few minutes from such a picturesque landscape.

This portable little beach table is so perfect–folds up into an easy-to-carry case and is high enough off the ground to create a steady, sand-less surface for food and drinks.

“We live here,” Brett smiles and reminds me, nodding to the sunset because he knows I miss a good chilly fall with cider mills.

But, as with every other year, we create our own fall, make our own adventure, find our own happiness in moments like these.

Pendleton blankets help. Can’t get to a cozy cabin? Take a cozy cabin blanket outside.

We’re looking forward to creating more of our own adventures this fall and remembering that our greatest of all time moments need not be grand and flashy–they simply require us to step out of our caves and say “yes”…to handstands in the sand…

…or holding hands while standing.

What #GOATworthy moments are you chasing this fall? Backcountry has you covered with the gear you’ll need with all the best outdoor brands and products that are both technical and stylish–from Patagonia, Fjallraven, The North Face and Frye to Free People (my sweater), Brixton (my hat–love!), Beyond Yoga, Pendleton and more. Use code ETST15 for 15% off your first purchase at Backcountry.com

Now get on out there. Watch out for gators.

This post is sponsored by Børn Shoes.

Okay, we’ve all been there–stripped of our otherwise reliable confidence from an intimidating event, an uncomfortable situation, a new crowd, a failure, someone else’s shaming attempt or maybe just an off day when we’re questioning silly things of which we usually feel certain: “Wait, are these jeans I’ve been loving actually hideous?”. But how do you summon your confidence back when you feel it’s left the building? I’m partnering with our long time friends at Børn Shoes to share some of my favorite confidence boosting tips with some of their new fall boots that marry two important elements of confidence–style and comfort.

Stand up straight.
Scientifically, it’s proven there’s a psychological connection to your confidence when you physically straighten your posture and stand up tall. I’ve been known to slump my shoulders which can subconsciously transfer to slumping my spirit, especially when I’m in a moment that is challenging my confidence; so a good purposeful inhalation and straightening of the back and shoulders sends a message to the brain: “Hey! Look at me! Standing tall! I can do this!” Standing up straight also makes a compelling statement on the outside.


Making a confident statement with the Knee-high Cricket Boots

Remember, confidence is not about puffing out your chest, it’s about grounding within.
That outside statement? I try not to get too caught up in it as a motive for confidence. Trying to prove capability and confidence isn’t really confidence–it’s just another form of insecurity, and thinking too much about portraying it on the outside leads to chest-puffing which, to the wise souls, interprets clearly as self-doubt. Instead, when I’m feeling a lack of confidence, I acknowledge my vulnerability within and remember that reestablishing a moment of confidence is about me and no one else–reconnecting to my truest self.

Rich, classic Cognac Casco Boots–instant confidence boost

Lipstick, Favorite Shirt, Great Shoes.
Yes, our confidence comes from within and not what we wear, but the good Lord gave us helpers. A statement pair of earrings that makes us feel put together, a swipe of red lipstick that adds some color when we’re feeling a little peaked, or a fabulous pair of shoes that looks good on us and fits whether or not we’re easily slipping into our favorite pair of jeans–these can all serve as temporary training wheels until we’re pedaling fast again in the Tour de Confidence. And no need to overcompensate with 4-inch heels, bold lip color you’re not quite ready to wear or an outfit that feels uncomfortable, or you’ll be thinking about it too much, sinking your confidence even lower.

These Aire boots are the perfect compromise–a stylish statement that’s still uber comfortable–shoes that give you a confidence hug.

Do Something Hard.
This one’s never failed me. A sudden lack of confidence often comes from a moment when I’ve been knocked down. There’s no quicker way to recover from it than to jump back up and prove to myself that I can handle hard things….by handling a hard thing. Foolproof ways for feeling a surge of confidence: throwing on my running shoes and hitting the pavement for a quick full-effort run, completing a task I’ve been procrastinating, attending to a confrontation I’ve been avoiding or even simply making an appointment I’ve been putting off.

Channel Beyonce.
She’s the yoda of confidence, and playing any one of her songs is sure to summon assurance. You don’t even have to know the lyrics–her voice magically repairs the cracks. In fact, there are so many powerful women out there whose examples of fierceness and strength can be used to find our own again. And we’ll be that for other women at times too. So when you need a little boost, there’s nothing wrong with asking yourself “What would Beyonce do?” or maybe it’s Eunice Shriver or a favorite author or your fierce Aunt Mabel who always takes the high road. But I promise you, dancing to Beyonce alone in your kitchen helps too. Start with “Run the World,” maybe end with “Halo.” Other confidence boosting songs? Sia’s “Unstoppable” (the chorus lyrics will raise your feet off the ground and practically give you the ability of flight), Katy Perry’s “Roar,” and anything by Pink.

Put your phone down.
Our phones, feeds and “scrollables” are notorious for creating confidence-zapping effects whether we’re comparing ourselves to others or wasting time that needs to be spent elsewhere, decreasing our productivity and leading to less confidence later. While reaching for our phones to distract us from an uncomfortable loss of confidence might be our first impulse, it’s unlikely to make us feel better. And while it’s difficult to always adhere to this advice, I know that reaching for something else is the best choice–an uplifting poetry book (Rupi Kaur, Rilke and Rumi are all favorites), a journal and pen, a sketch book and watercolor palette.

Kindness.
It might seem simple, but the most impactful thing I can do to raise my confidence is to get out of my own silly head and think of someone else. A check-in text to someone who’s hurting, a package of goodies in the mailbox to a friend, an offer of my time to a worthy cause or a small donation to an important need. Kindness always recalibrates my confidence.

Speaking of kindness, one of my favorite things about Born Shoes is their commitment to supporting worthy causes. I’ve partnered with them for several years now, a partnership that was born from them reaching out to get involved in supporting Ruby’s Rainbow. They’ll be back for a great giveaway, participating in Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October, and I’m thrilled to have a closet full of Born favorites that always make me feel comfortable, stylish and confident.

The three boot styles in this post are Aire, Casco and Cricket.