Motherhood

Charlie turned one a few weeks ago and I have been mostly excited, and a little bit heartbroken about it. He is, and has always been a dream baby. He is happy, giggly, sweet, and content, and is everyone’s favorite around here. We threw a small family party for him this last week now that we are back in town, and I think he loved it. His favorite part had to have been the smash cake, a whole cake for a one year old?!

I thought a lot about a few gifts we could get him that he would love and get some use out of and thought I would throw them together in a gift guide. I also enlisted the help of some of my mom friends and family to help me come up with 12 of the best gifts for a one year old, from all price points. So here we go!

Nino Percussion Egg Shaker Se t-These are adorable little shaker, percussion toys. These are the perfect gift for a one year old, because they make fun music, without being too complicated. We gave these to Charlie, and he LOVES them.

New York: A Book of Colors (Hello, World)-My sister-in-law gave us a few of these Hello, World books for Jays first birthday and he (and I) absolutely adored them. The illustrations in them are so sweet, bright, and colorful, and the book is simple and brief.

Stacking Cups-these are the perfect size for their little hands and are a nice little activity to keep them content for a while. And the price point on this one can’t be beat! We got these for Jay when he was one and he loved them, and still does, haha.

Hape First Shapes Toddler Wooden Learning Puzzle-a great simple first puzzle, for helping them start to understand how to fit things together. This is another gift we got for him this year and has definitely been a fan favorite.

Moluk Plui Rain Bath Toy-this little bath toy makes little streams of rain. It’s simple enough that a one year old will be able to grasp it, but it will also keep them so entertained and amused!

Kid O Go Car Early Learning Push & Pull Toy -what child doesn’t love a car that they can push all by themselves??

Boon Water Bugs Floating Bath Toys-bath toys that are fun and encourage hand-eye coordination!

Jellycat Stuffed Animal-These stuffed animals are the absolute best. They are so soft and cozy, snuggle able (is that a word?).

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze -this is a more simple bead maze, so it won’t be too overcomplicated for a one year old. Also, made by Melissa and Doug so you know it’ll last forever.

Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone-This is so cute and perfect for the music-loving side of one-year-olds, just like the shakers.

Step2 WaterWheel Activity Play Table-water tables are perfect for a one year old, because they are so curious and love to play and splash in the water, and this is a safe way for them to do it. When Jay was one he *loved* playing at water tables at our friends and cousins houses.

Hape Scoot Around Kid’s Wooden Ride On Balance Bike-a balance bike is great for encouraging one year olds to balance, and this one is SO cute. Most one year olds won’t be able to use this right away, but around 18 months they’ll love it!

I hope this is helpful! Happy shopping for all of the sweet, little one year olds in your life!

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When Jay was a baby I remember being overwhelmed at how many books there were for kids and didn’t know which books to get first. As Jay got older he didn’t love a lot of books that I got for him yet, because he was just too little and didn’t have the attention span. I found it was so helpful to have age appropriate books so I could read to him and not get frustrated with his lack of interest, and really enjoy that special time with him. Once I had Charlie, I knew, generally, which books he would enjoy and which he wouldn’t, and it was so nice!

Having said all of that, in an effort to help you not go through the same learning curve I did, I thought I’d share my findings here. Here are, in my opinion, the 5 best books for babies 0-12 months!

1.Black & White-this book is perfect for those first 6 months when they love contrast so much. This whole book is black and white figures paired against each other. The book folds out like an accordion, so I would just stand it up next to my boys and they would stare at it forever.

2. First 100 Words-This book is awesome! Its the first 100 words your baby might learn, which is perfect for helping them build their little vocabulary. Its colorful and fun for babies to look at, and the outside of the book is soft and padded which is nice too.

3.Little Polar Bear: Finger Puppet Book-this has been a huge fan favorite with my boys. There is a whole collection of them with all different animals. They are so fun. And my boys love that there is dimension to it, I’ll wiggle my finger around in the finger puppet to make it interactive and keep them interested.

4.Fox in Socks (Beginner Books)-this book is a classic, and has been a favorite of my boys because of its rhyming. The rhyming is quick and the each page only has a short phrase or two, so you aren’t stuck on a page for too long for little attention spans. Also, the book is really is small so its perfect for baby to be able to hold.

5.Baby Babble: Indestructibles book -these books are indestructible just like the name says! Your baby can chew, tug, pull, tear and they will stay in tact. This is HUGE for me, because we’ve ruined so many books by my boys sucking on them or chewing on them. These are also made out of a non-toxic material that looks and feels like paper. This specific Indestructible, Baby Babble includes some fun first words for baby, which I love. Charlie is a big drooler and he drooled all over this book and it looked good as new after!

I hope this is helpful, enjoy cuddling with and reading to your little one! Did I miss any of your favorite books for baby’s first year? Let me know!! I’d love to hear more ideas!

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12 Gifts Ideas for a One Year Old

5 Best Books for Babies 0-12 Months!