The 12th Day: Holiday Gift Guide 2014 for Him

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Him by oykristen // 1. Banana Republic Plaid Utility Shirt // 2. GoPro Hero 4 // 3. The North Face Men's Aconcagua Vest // 4. LL Bean Wicked Good Moc Boots // 5. Stanley Classic Vacuum Mug // 6. Barnes & Noble The Curious Bartender Book   // 7. Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls // 8. Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Classic Sunglasses // 9. Timex Ironman Shock Resistant Watch // 10. Aveda Men's Aftershave Balm // 11. Scoutmob Shoppe Custom Monogram Cufflinks //

Holiday Gift Guide 2014 for Him. 

Oh, how I love the countdown to the best holiday! I'm excited to share this year's 12 days of Christmas posts - 1 each day up until Christmas! Kicking it off here is a gift guide for the manliest of lads in your life. As many of you know, I am a bit of a gift fiend. I just absolutely love finding the perfect present for someone. And it gets challenging with guys, because finding out what they like just isn't second nature to me. It takes a lot of research and "getting into their head", if you know what I mean. Hopefully this will help inspire your gifting and shopping for every guy on your list this season.

1. Banana Republic Plaid Utility Shirt

Because you can't put a good shirt down.

2. GoPro Hero 4

So adventurous, right? This will make you the most epic wife/girlfriend/mom EVER.

3. The North Face Men's Aconcagua Vest

For all your vested interests. 

4. LL Bean Wicked Good Moc Boots

Moccs! I'm having a bit of a love affair with moccs lately. Can't get enough of those toasty toes!

5. Stanley Classic Vacuum Mug

Having a really crappy mug is like having no mug at all. Stanley does the trick every time.

6. Barnes & NobleThe Curious Bartender Book

For the mixoligist in your life.

7. Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls

These are the best. So I've been told.

8. Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Classic Sunglasses

Put these on. Cue your iconic at-bat anthem of choice.

9. Timex Ironman Shock Resistant Watch

Excellent watch for any kind of basic athletic training. And it won't break your bank.

10. Aveda Men's Aftershave Balm

Sometimes, just sometimes, they won't admit that they like to be pampered. But they DO! 

11. Scoutmob Shoppe Custom Monogram Cufflinks

A touch fancy, but really spankin' cool for the dude who actually wears cufflinks.

Merry Christmas to HIM. Am I right or am I right?

The Count Down Begins!

The Count Down Begins!

Happy Friday, friends! What a glorious day! Is it just me, are are you really starting to feel the Christmas spirit? Maybe all this cold weather is what's doing it, but I'm feeling all sorts of merry and cheery and bright. Which is helpful, because I've definitely fought some moments of stress and anxiety about the holidays. Taking some time away really helped. But I'm reeeeeeeally excited to share some fun content with you over the next twelve days, aka my 12 Days of Christmas posts. I've got some fun recipes, family activities and gift guides - along with a few of my personal favorite traditions and remembrances :)

Join me tomorrow, when I will be kicking off the 12 day count down to Christmas!

Underaccomplished and Overjoyed.

Underaccomplished and Overjoyed.

I don't know about all of you, but this Christmas season has been a complete blur for me. The exhaustion mixed with the to-do lists mixed with the incredible guilt of GETTING NOTHING DONE has led to a lot of purchasing on Amazon - sorry to all of you on my list this year! If Amazon doesn't ship it, then I don't give it!

But aside from all of that, I really am trying my best to slow down (seriously, I don't think I could go any slower), live in the moment, and soak up all the Christmas joy around me. And be okay with it. My baby is only going to be this age once. I have to keep reminding myself that. (Someone also reminded me that I have the same amount of hours in a day that Beyonce has. That dreaded thought is probably what urged me to write this post. What a terrible reminder of my underaccomplishments. I mean, Beyonce met the ROYALS this week.) But you know, sometimes you've gotta just lay aside your lists (or in my case, a scroll the length of the Torah) in order to enjoy that good cup of coffee while watching the baby drink in the wonder of the lights adorning the tree. Remember when that was the magic of Christmas? Just laying beneath the tree, staring up into all the evergreen, spindle-y branches and catching glimpses of the twinkle, twinkle, twinkle? Dreaming of what Santa (or in my case, a total Santa non-believer, what my parents) would bring this year? Helping my dad shop and wrap all the gifts for my mom (which we always did completely last minute on Dec. 24th). Wearing my pajamas inside out in hopes of snow (I didn't really ever think it would work, but my baby sister Rachel was so certain it would). Trying my hardest to stay up late on Christmas Eve in hopes of forcing myself to sleep in a bit later. Because I was always the one waking up too early. (So early that it annoyed the inside-out pants off everyone in my family). Yep, that was the good stuff.

That can still be the good stuff. I think.

So I've got a fun exercise for today. I urge you to set your list aside (just for today!) and remember what it felt like to be a child. Close your eyes for just a minute. Remember the things that excited you about the holidays. Before the hype of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and all the other consumer-centric days of hectic frivolity. Remember the exhilaration of getting out of school for winter break. Remember the awesome fun of playing with your cousins after extended family meals. Remember the scent of your kitchen while mom baked all sorts of special treats. Remember praying to God (and bargaining with him a bit) for that Super Nintendo/American Girl Doll/Insert-your-item-of-choice-here to be underneath the tree. Are you having trouble remembering what it felt like to be a kid? Then I encourage you to go talk to one. A child, not a goat (ah, kid humor. I digress.) Ask them what they're excited about this year and why.

Because I'm getting absolutely nothing done. On the accomplishment scale, I am certain everyone else in the world is winning at holiday life. Beyonce especially (did I mention she met KATE MIDDLETON this week?!) But watching my own child has helped me just be okay with that. Because I'm beginning to remember the simple sweetness of Christmas. The charming wonders. Being a child at Christmas is more than magical. It's more than just cute. Children are the purest little carriers of hope and bubbling-over joy. And I think it's time that joy made it's way back into our whacked-out version of "the holidays".

But for the record: Santa, if you do exist, all I want for Christmas is my sleep back. That would be the best. K thanks.

Also, stay tuned! Starting Friday I will be counting down the days to Christmas with my "12 Days of Christmas" posts!

The Family that Climbs Together.

The Family that Climbs Together.

We have loved living close to our families this year. We feel so lucky to be able to drop by unannounced, have impromptu full-attendance meals, and last-minute hangouts at a super duper central location - it makes us feel very Cosby Show-esque. Friday night burgers in town? Sure! Midweek bowling birthday celebration? Of course! Sometimes when you know something can't last, it can really put some pep in your step to invest your time wisely. Since we aren't sure where we will be living a year from now, Stevie and I do everything we can to make family time a priority. And since having our own baby, the months have passed by so quickly we can't even believe it. Before you know it, it will be August again! Whew!

So we went rock climbing a few weeks ago to celebrate birthdays. How fun is that? I had to share these pics, because how fierce are Stevie's brothers and sisters? The answer is very/a lot/VERY. It was a ridiculously fun evening, sans kids, pure adrenaline, all laughter and showcasing our spider-man slash parkour skills. I really love silliness. And this was an excellent opportunity to be hardcore and silly.

// Katie climbed to Heaven. //

// A BREAK WAS NEEDED. //

// I was trying to be Popeye. The other two were just cute. //

Challenging Yourself.

Have you ever rock climbed before? I'll be honest with you, it isn't for the faint of heart. It tests all sorts of personal boundaries you probably have. You know, like that whole attachment to gravity. I like rock climbing because it challenges your own strengths, both physically and mentally. It's a total mind game. Stevie and I had done it one other time, in Austin a few years ago, with one of his former bosses who climbed real rocks, out in the wilderness, barefoot. Yes. That guy was truly a boss.

I'm so glad I had a tad bit of experience before climbing with these radicals I call my kin. My sisters-in-law are seriously beasts. At one point during climbing, after Katie had reached the ceiling, she called down to the guy belaying her, "Oh, is that it? I can't go any higher?" I just stared at her, open mouthed. These people. Are so sublime.

The family that climbs together. You know. Goes out to pizza afterwards together.

Thanksgiving Thoughts.

Thanksgiving Thoughts.

You could call this Thanksgiving a milestone or sorts. Obviously, it was Everett's first Thanksgiving with us (outside of my uterus), so that was incredible in itself. But this was also the first Thanksgiving that my husband and I haven't traveled in years, since we are living in our hometown for the moment. Not traveling on Thanksgiving is awesome . But - in tandem with that last statement - it was also a little bit awful because I didn't get to see my older sister for this particular holiday. I really really love my older sister. She's the most sane one of our bunch. And my younger sis won't take offense to that because we all know it's true.

But on this particular holiday, I wasn't just missing my sister. I found myself a little more nostalgic, a bit more weepy, craving the traditions of my childhood. Thanksgiving is the big kickoff to the holiday season. From here on out through New Years, everything and everyone is set aglow with a cheery magic. The holidays are always special because of the memories, right? Memories. Just strands of heightened moments; Snapchat-like vignettes, brightening the mind-clutter with crazy in-focus depth for blinks of time. I can easily conjure up these quick memories, like I'm pulling them directly out of Santa's hearty sack. I'm seeing the glowy faces of my sisters while we giggle at my dad's lengthy Thanksgiving prayer. Watching Stevie throw the football across the lawn with my cousins in the all-too-warm-for-this-time-of-year Georgia weather. I can remember the expression on the faces of our families when we told them, on Thanksgiving last year, that we were going to be parents. (To which Stevie's mom adorably replied, "You're going to PARIS??", because apparently the thought of us reproducing was the most unlikely thought crossing anyone's mind. Paris seemed much more tangible?) And suddenly, I'm adding to this endless list of magic moments - I have a gorgeous little son who is here to absorb all the traditions and all of our quirks and decide for himself how funny/dramatic/ridiculous/loving his family really is.

And one of the most stand-out moments this year? I will leave out the lame 30 minutes when we tried to take family photos for our Christmas card (see above. That's the real deal people.) What child actually participates well for that?? And I'll also leave out the night(s) that Everett decided to re-enact his 4-month sleep regression and hatred of the bottle, because you people have already heard me complain/gnash my teeth enough to that tune. I will even leave out the "how to cook a Thanksgiving meal while simultaneously entertaining a howling bored 4-month old" how-to (mostly because I don't have one - HOW DO PEOPLE HAVE MORE THAN ONE CHILD AT A TIME?!) All of these are good, funny, timeless memories. And I will store them right alongside the delicious moments where Everett just hung out, righteously enjoying family time, wowing us with his tummy time skills (somehow, that time is pure magic when it's your own kid.) Making us laugh with his chatting, cooing and chuckling, it's like he's already in on the joke. How is he doing this?!

These moments. This is the stuff of life. I am careful to remember, to both savor the moments and photograph the moments. I am tucking all of them away in the recesses of my mind like a squirrel packs his cutie cheeks with prized nuts and fruits and whatever else he finds especially scrumptious. But there was one moment, one particular occurrence, that has me both aghast and bewildered about this Thanksgiving.

It's when I realized that my son is actually watching, and enjoying watching, football.

"Ugh, puh leeze mommy, THE GAME is on."

My son watches football.

Let me explain the moment.

It's Thanksgiving Thursday. I come upstairs to find my dad, my husband and my son (in his bouncer) all watching a game. Like, he's WATCHING it. Engaged with the game. How the heck does a 4-month-old baby know to like football?? Which game, perhaps you're wondering? Gosh that is so unimportant to the story. I leaned down to my sweet son, whom I hadn't seen for the past 30 minutes, to give him some love and pet him and baby talk (I hate baby talk, but you literally cannot stop once it starts coming out of your mouth.) As I leaned down in front of him, to deliver my coveted love, I blocked his view of the game and he shrieked at me. Then started crying. THEN. He attempted peek around me, wriggling his body in his little baby bouncer seat in the greatest attempt ever TO SEE THE SCREEN. I gasped. My dad and Stevie's mouths dropped open, aghast (and let's be honest - SO PROUD) of what they had just witnessed. My baby son. Watching football. Didn't want to miss a moment of the action. Didn't want mommy's kisses. Didn't need mommy's love.

Can you feel me shriveling up inside. Because I've barely processed his birth, can hardly see straight from the insanity of sleep deprivation, and already he is separating himself, siding with THOSE MEN and leaving mommy's mushy affections in the wake. Of the football field. On the television screen. It is the infant equivalent of, (in a deep, dude-ish voice), "Woman, GET OUT of my way when the game is on."

So that happened. And that's how I am remembering this Thanksgiving.