Gift Guide: Little People

Every year there are more tiny people in our lives and we're much the luckier for it.  This spring we’re expecting our own tiny person and so a few of these things might end up hidden for the new arrival in the new year. I’m making fewer animals than in past years but am still taking custom orders and will be up until mid December. Remember to use code ARGYLSWEATER18 for 15% off the shop until the 27th. Here are some of the things I’m loving for nieces, godchildren, snugglers and for my own baby, clockwise from top left:

As I say, I’ve slowed down with all the sewing but I’m still taking custom orders, please get in touch to order a custom tote bag. I’m working on a few as personal gifts to friends’ children.

This Wooden Rainbow Stacker is gorgeous, natural and looks amazing on a shelf as well as being very fun when added to regular old blocks.

Safari Wooden Animals from PetitCollage are just my favourite things around this year for babies and small kids.

Little Feminist Board Books have already been ordered for my not yet born baby, I keep being reminded how important it is to raise feminist sons as well as feminist daughters and these are so bright and colourful and fun.

The shop is stocked with funky friends but if you’re looking for a ballerina for your ballerina or a badger with glasses, I still have space for Custom Animals this winter.

DC Rattle, I’m clearly partial to the DC Rattle but it’s available for all 50 states and would make such a stellar new baby present.

This Superhero Mask Kit is the perfect stocking stuffer for some kids on my list.

This My Felt Bag Craft Set is the kind of thing I would have gone nuts for as a kid, and, like the superhero mask kit, it encourages little sewers which I love.

I am obsessed with One of One’s gorgeous baby quilts, especially this lovely Beach Grid Quilt, perfect for snuggly little people in snuggly weather.

Honestly, I might just buy this Whale Rattle for myself because it’s very cute and very soft and very sweet and I’m very hormonal.

Gift Guide: Small People

My husband and I are at the age where the number of children on our holiday shopping list is exploding.  I've got godchildren, guys,  a bunch of them.  We also have nieces and nephews galore and the fantabulous children of some of our closest friends.  Since all our friend's babies get McIntosh & Burke animals at birth we have to come up with something different for Christmases.   Clockwise from top left, here are a few of my favourite things for all the little people this year:

Anna Bond's In Bloom Collection of illustrated girls classics are my absolute favourite thing. Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, A Little Princess and Little Women, what better books are there?  I'd like someone to buy them for me but since my fondness for my my Little Women with the red cover and the ribbon bookmark will never fade I'll have to settle for buying these for my goddaughters who are old enough to have these read to them.  

Of all the cards I think that the Badgers might be my favourite.  They are going to be slipped into many a stocking around these parts.

Bunny Nightlight  - This rabbit nightlight is unbelievably sweet and gives off the very faintest glow.

Baby Quilt  - Is there a nicer present for a new baby then a quilt?  Me thinks not.  My friend and neighbor Meg makes such sweet and pretty baby quilts.  I wish I could get one for every single babe on our list.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would sometimes send an advent present.  I love the idea of giving something before the holiday instead of the traditional gift to make the lead up to Christmas a little more interesting for little people.  Your standard Ikea tree and these little advent bags with  small toys or sweets in them would be a lovely thing to drop off on December 1.

Vintage Fair Isle Sweater -  Etsy is a treasure trove of vintage children's knits, Scottish Fair Isles, Irish arans and Icelandic lopapeysa are my current fave search terms and no one in the world looks cuter in a sweater than a round face two year old boy and they beat the heck out of the Christmas sweaters from my childhood.

Holztiger Reindeer, Fox and Penguin - Holztiger animals are always divine but I love these wintery ones for our godson.  Not only are they nontoxic and smooth for playing with/chewing on but they also look gorgeous.

Ida Bear - Because she looks lovely popping out from the top of a stocking and shes a sweet, snuggly little bear.

Previous Children's Guide

Gift Guide: Littles

This week I'm doing gift guides.  Everyone does them but I love reading them and putting them together so I'm throwing my two cents out there.  We're starting out today with Littles:  children, nieces, nephews and godchildren.   I am generally the mean aunt/friend/godmother who gives books but I also love things that kids can do, read and make. Little and big things and one shameless plug.

1. Little Train, $4.25 - I love this little train in a stocking with some simple paints and brushes. 

2. Like I said, mostly I give books. Some of my favourites when I was small and now to give are the Katie Morag books (about a sassy Scottish girl in the Highlands) and the always wonderful In the Night Kitchen  (it's amazing how many kids I know have never read it and everyone should be able to shout "I'm in the milk and the milk's in me!" randomly).

3. To go with your book I LOVE a Custom Bookplate, $16.50 and my nieces, both ten and both voracious readers, might need some of these gorgeous ones. Fabulous for all ages.

4. Another thing for the slightly bigger Littles is this lovely Monticello Children's Garden Kit, $18.  The book covers how to grow your seeds and care for them as well as a bit about the gardens at Monticello and includes Love-in-the-Mist, Nasturtiums, Johnny-jump-ups, Calendulas, Scarlet Runner Beans, Bachelor's Buttons, Sweet Basil, and Globe Artichokes seeds.  

5. I love this vintage children's Tool Kit, $20, with actual tools for slightly older children. Lowe's also has one the same price with a saw (which might be a good or bad thing).

6. These Wooden Deer Family Figures, $24, are so beautiful and wintery.  I think they would be beautiful on a mantelpiece but are sturdy and wooden and good for little hands to play.

7. When I was a little girl I loved to have grown up things. This Hard Bound Sketch Book, $3.09 would have been just the thing, as good for children's drawings as it is for  adults.  For the very little on my list I'll add these Crayon Rocks, from $4.75 and for the bigger kids some coloured pencils.

8. And a shameless plug for Ellen Rabbit, $40.  It's my blog so I can.  She's lovely and soft and squishy and her arms are bendy and she wears a smart red coat and was named after my baby sister.