Monday Fave Rave: Tis The Season

Tis the season for frantic shopping, assembling, wrapping, and stashing all of those gifts for the kiddies. But what about the adults? You know, the ones that wipe noses and asses, that run the errands and cook and clean, are up all hours of the night and rise with the sun to face the day head on…yeah, those people. Don't forget to get something special for the ones who do all the work and expect nothing in return.  I have a great little list of local places to stop in and find something for the parental units on your gift giving list this year that caters to every style.

1. Got Karma? Major karma points for stopping in this unique and zen boutique to grab a great gift to keep the qi flowing.  Perfect for your hippy momma gal pals.
2. Retromended is the perfect place for your throwback kings and queens.  I can always find the perfect accessory for my Mom Uniform.
3. Rocket Fizz  is the perfect place to put together a special gift for your favorite sugar addict.  They have everything you could think of all in one awesome place that will bring you back to the old school days.
4. The Lovely is a a beautifully put together boutique market that brings together both locally made artisan crafts and impeccably selected vintage finds brought to you by local entrepreneurs.  You will find something for everyone and probably some stuff for you too.
5. Etoile Boutique has some of the coolest and one of a kind creations you will find in Orlando…or anywhere.  You can always walk out of this place with something special.

Try to remember to shop local this season.  You won't be disappointed and neither will your friends and family!

Good Luck!

-W and Boo

WTF Wednesday: Toddler Toys Are The Worst

I would say nothing drives me more bat-shit crazy than a few of my son's favorite toys.  Seriously, who ever invented some of this crap needs a slap.  With Christmas fast approaching, my little guy is looking forward to receiving plenty of gifts from the big man in red.  I, on the other hand, am dreading it…oh, and conveniently we have a birthday right after.  Double to crap, double the pain in my ass. Look, it's not like we don't or won't buy or kids annoying shit.  It's just that we have to deal with them and we all deserve the rant.  So heres my list of "pain in my ass toys of 2015."

1. Play doh.  What sick bastard thought that this was fun for anyone but a toddler? It gets everywhere.  You have to tell everyone (including the dog) to not eat the damn stuff. You will never have a nice area rug ever again if you imbibe in the play doh, just a fair warning.
2. Legos…no surprise here.  We've all stepped on one and screamed a few curse words that may or may not be the reason your toddler says the "F" word in public to this day.
3. The Fart Blaster.  Good gravy, this thing has pushed me almost to my limits.  There isn't anything more annoying than waking up to a toddler fart blasting you in the face with this very annoying gun-like toy that makes me want to run for the hills screaming and pulling my hair out.
4. Anything with glitter on it.  Ugh, really? Like I need more shit to clean up, now we've added sparkle to the mix? Thanks.
5. Anything that requires a PhD in Engineering for me to A) remove from the box or B) assemble.  Real talk: I'm too tired for that shit and my kid wants the damn toy, so why do they make it all so difficult to play with?

So do us a favor and don't buy us this stuff, OK? If you promise not to we will invite you over for birthday parties and pool parties and not complain when you eat all of our food or drink all of our wine.  Even better, we won't buy these for your kids.

Monday Fave Rave: Hanna Andersson

Welcome to our first Monday Fave Rave! Every Monday we will be spotlighting one or a few of our favorite brands or products to share with you.  Boo and I have lived in both Florida and Brooklyn NY so we have had access to great products and over the last three years I have become a real "pro" at testing the tried and true performance of everything from mattresses to toys.  I'm excited to share our faves with you every week and look forward to hearing from you about some NEW things we can test out.  So let's get down to it. This weeks Fave Rave is all about Hanna Andersson brand clothes and shoes.  We absolutely adore this quality, functional and fashionable clothing line! From their use of organic cotton to toddler friendly zippers and velcro, I have found this brand to be our "go to" when shopping for school, camp or special occasions.  The brand has Swedish roots and European sizing so their focus on color and durability and long-lasting wearability helps justify the higher price point. Also, if you really love to dress your family up in coordinating PJs or outfits for holiday pictures the FAMILY SHOP offers everything you need for a totally awesome snapshot for this year's cards and gifts for Grandparents!

Our fave of this fave rave are Hanna Andersson's shorty pjs, amazing rash guards and swim trunks, and completely and undeniably adorable undies!

Pros: 

unique designs, bold colors, classic prints and limited edition collections with recognizable characters such as Star Wars, Disney, DC Comics, Peanuts, Pippi Longstocking, etc.

Euro sizing goes by height (waistbands are adjustable) so finding the best fit is easy.

Organic cotton!

And as an added bonus they have an unconditional guarantee and 20% off when you refer a friend.  Sweet!

Cons:

Brick and mortar retail locations are few and far between so online and catalogues are pretty much the only options for ordering.  (Some people need to see and feel the product before they buy, personally, I do not.)