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Even though Linky loved the books from our last library post, after reading them almost every day, only 2 made the cut for our bookshelf at home (The Little Red Hen and It’s Spring!). But we’d check out the others again for sure.

And these are the latest favorites. Spoon is now neck and neck with One Fish Two Fish for favorite book and has surpassed Dinosaur Roar. This is a big deal. So needless to say, Spoon will be on our bookshelf soon. It really is the sweetest book and I haven’t tired of it yet. There’s a part at the end where Spoon snuggles in bed with his mom and dad and Linky points and says Deddy and Mama. And then I melt. We’ll be adding Eating the Alphabet and the All Around Us set too. They just have such beautiful illustrations and inspire the imagination. New York Baby also has my heart – a little boy and his mom enjoy a quintessential day in the Big Apple. We spend several minutes on the Central Park page pointing to the doggies, the bubbles, the duckies, and the lady holding an iPad. The rhyming is super cute too. Linky loves Trucks for obvious reasons and in Quiet Loud he recognizes the actions and objects in the illustrations, so he’s especially engaged. We’re also obnoxiously loud on the loud pages and I think it’s helped him understand his volume in certain situations is inapporpriate. They’ll both be favorites that we check out over and over, but probably won’t add to our collection.

Becca Standtlander

Vivienne Strauss

Peggy Wolf

With Mother’s Day coming up, yet another great occasion to give a mama a basket, these are some of my favorite luxuries. Most range from $5 – $25. And any of these on their own would make such a thoughtful gift.

1. Mood music / Itunes gift card – After Lincoln goes to bed and the apartment is quiet, turning on music helps me transition to the more relaxed version of myself. When the Amelie soundtrack plays, it feels as if the Eiffel Tower is right outside my window.

2. A favorite book or magazine subscription – Most nights I work, but if I need a night off, there’s nothing like indulging in poetry or curling up with a favorite book or magazine. Poetry Magazine, Kinfolk, and Anthology subscriptions make such lovely gifts.

3. Tea – It’s impossible to be stressed while drinking tea. My favorite right now is Mint Melange by Mighty Leaf.

4. Candle – When you have a little one, that poop smell sometimes lingers way too long even after all the trash is taken out. I go through these candles so fast. My two favorites are Paddywax Basil Cucumber and Williiams Sonoma Fleur de Sel. They are natural and don’t sting your nose.

5. Healthy treats – These raw, vegan coconut macaroons from Whole Foods are delicious. They’re guilt-free, satisfy your sweet tooth, and so good with tea. But you get bonus points for homemade treats like a jar of granola or healthy cookies.

6. IOU Cards – Ok maybe I’m a bit biased, but these are pretty awesome. :] Promising to do any of these things for a mom is amazing, but babysitting is gold. Pure gold. Time to herself or time alone with her husband is the best gift you could give. You will definitely earn favorite person status.

7. Gift card to a bookstore, coffee shop, nail or hair salon – When she finds herself with some free time, she’ll have a plan of action. You can pair this with a babysitting IOU!

8. Gift card to your favorite restaurant, cocktail lounge, Ticketmaster, or any other date night experience – On the rare occasion she and the husband are out by themselves, they want to do something really cool. Pair this with a babysitting IOU too.
photo credit of the Columbia Room in DC – Max Cook.

9. Leisure Book – Because date nights don’t happen as often as they did pre-Lincoln, when we finally do have one, we want to do the best thing possible on that night and then we can’t come up with anything. Too much pressure.
A little book like this with recommendations from friends would make such a great gift for parents who love to explore and experience their city. There could be a section on date nights out, date nights in (like dinners to make, games to play, movies to watch), and solo outings too.

10. Dry shampoo
11. Fancy soap
12. Cuticle cream
13. Lipstick – NARS Niagra is the only fun lipstick I’ve found so far that I don’t feel ridiculous wearing.
14. Aromatherapy shower tablets

News events like last week’s Boston tragedy break my heart a little more than they did before. Maybe it’s because I don’t want Lincoln to grow up in such a broken world or because I’m so helpless to protect him or explain exactly why these things happen.

But I was touched by this Fred Rogers quote and the comforting words of his mother. Even as an adult, I am comforted reading those words. There are always helpers. There still are loving people in this world in the midst of hate, bitterness, and disaster.

So while I can’t protect Lincoln, I can strive to be an example of love and service, and maybe a little bit will rub off on him as he grows up. And maybe he’ll even quote me too and it’ll end up all over the internet one day. ha!

My big goal for this year was to love a little more, so when a friend (who is an amazing and inspirational life coach) suggested picking a day of the week to do random acts of kindness, I started taking notes. She does 3-4 things for others on her day, but I think I’ll start out smaller. Even though extra effort is involved at first, the thought of doing nice things for unsuspecting people is enlivening. I can’t wait until this becomes a normal part of our daily routine.

. . . . . . .

Some of my favorite ideas include leaving a kind note in a library book for the next person to find, making care packages for the homeless, and visiting someone who is sick (and bringing them flowers!). There are tons of ideas on Pinterest and randomactsofkindness.org. We might put 100 or so in a jar and pick two each week. Do you guys already do random acts of kindness? If not, join in on the challenge!

We sat under the cherry trees for hours yesterday before the rain came and soaked in the magic. These little blossoms are so fleeting!

And he’s all boy. He wows at fire engines. He rawrs like a dinosaur. And his third word was eh-pay. But he whispers it in the most impossibly sweet voice to make me melt and give in to more sweets at lunch time.

And sometimes when he’s just playing with the contents of our recycling bin contently while I’m washing dishes,

he hears one flying overhead…

and then I have to show my awe and excitement too…

MOM, THAT WAS SO COOL, RIGHT??!

I’ve been wanting to document this reaction for months! If he’s by the big window he’ll point outside, then at his ear and ask, “Auzi?” (Do you hear that? in Romanian)

For the record, I’m totally loving vrooming and wee-oh-wee-oh-ing like police cars. The princess and tea party thing is overrated. :]

Just a little exciting bit of news – Daily Candy chose IOU Letterpress as part of their 15 pregnancy gift essentials round-up on Tuesday! Woo hoo! So grateful for everyone that has helped spread the word.

Thought it’d be fun to share a few additional sites where IOU’s been spotted…

Cup of Jo – “Sweetest cards for a new mama.”

Disney Baby – “Adorable cards for new parents.”
“Any new mom would love receiving one of these cards promising you’ll do their chores for them.”

Oh So Beautiful Paper – “When Sophie was first born, we were so sleep deprived and consumed with baby-related tasks that it was hard to focus on the little parts of our normal routine. Running basic errands, doing the dishes, and even figuring what to eat were suddenly huge challenges. I will be forever grateful to the friends who came over with food, helped wash dishes or take care of our cats, and volunteered to run errands during those first few weeks. As a new parent, I absolutely LOVE the concept behind these letterpress printed promissory notes…”

Snippet and Ink – “…These cards are a darling gift idea!”

The Shopping Mama

Elisa Event Design

I’d love to hear if you have seen IOU anywhere else on the web!

Happy Weekend!