It took us until Harvey was over a year old, but we have finally gotten our kids to successfully share a room! It's funny because when we started this process last spring, we had a baby and a toddler that we were trying to transition into room sharing. We finally succeeded after … [Read more...]
5 Favorite Toys in the Gavin House Right Now
I don't know about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with toys in my house. On the one hand, I want my kids to be happy and love watching them play with something new, but I despise adding to the clutter of our house and nothing annoys me more than seeing a brand-new toy … [Read more...]
Our Experience with ISR Self-Rescue Swim Lessons
There are a lot of things I have missed ever since the world slowed down and we started staying home, but these days one of the things I miss more than anything are Dessa's self-rescue swim lessons through ISR (Infant Swimming Resource). We've made a few trips this year to Rob's … [Read more...]
Our Weekend Getaway to Charlevoix: One Last Vacation as a Family of 3
A few weeks ago, our family took a long weekend getaway up to Charlevoix in northern Michigan before this baby arrives. The trip was exactly what we needed to rest up and enjoy one last adventure as a family of three. Neither Rob nor I had ever been to Charlevoix before and we … [Read more...]
What We Feed our Dairy-Free and Tomato-Free Toddler
Last month we shared Dessa's long and complicated journey through food allergies and sensitivities. Right now, she doesn't technically suffer from any food allergies, but we have discovered that she does have some sensitivities to dairy and tomatoes that we are trying to … [Read more...]
Our Complicated Story in and Out of Food Allergies
If you follow any of our Instagram stories, you may have seen me share a few of the difficulties we've encountered juggling Dessa's food allergies and sensitivities. In the past year and a half, we've faced allergies and sensitivities to dairy, sesame, and tomato. And just when … [Read more...]
Stitch Fix Kids Review: Dessa’s First Fix
I finally tried Stitch Fix Kids for Dessa! You already know how much Rob and I love using Stitch Fix to shop for clothes, and several readers have asked if we would try Stitch Fix Kids for Dessa since the service expanded to children's clothes last July. With spring just around … [Read more...]
What We Are Doing to Raise a Child who Loves to Read
As an early childhood educator, I know the importance of reading to young children. It sounds so simple and, to be honest, a little unbelievable, but reading to a child for 20 minutes every day from the time she is a baby is the simplest, most-effective thing a parent can do to … [Read more...]
A Day in the Life of a Toddler
No two days in the Gavin house are ever exactly the same, but I thought it would be fun to share a typical day in the life of our 19 month old daughter, Dessa. I kept a pen and paper by my side so I could record every snack break, meltdown, doggie snuggle and everything else in … [Read more...]
