My Christmas List (+ Madeline’s too)

The Christmas season is here and it certainly has had us very busy. Our home is decorated and I’ve switched all of the ornaments on our trees out for shatterproof for Madeline. I was feeling so ahead the game by already wrapping her presents and putting them under the tree but then I caught her unwrapping them! So now, I’m off to do it over again!

Corey and I have started a big construction project at our house and it is already well underway so we are foregoing Christmas gifts to each other this year in favor of some of the fun things we will need to purchase when it is finished but we will still be doing small gifts and I have a little wishlist of things I wouldn’t be sad to show up from other family.

I had to upgrade my phone last month unexpectedly so my new one has a much nicer camera but I am still trying to make an effort to take photos with my nice camera. I have an older version of this one and I really want to upgrade my lens to this one that I hear is amazing. It’s number one on my list this year. 

I have seen this luggage all over Instagram and just love it. It has been on major sale recently (over half off) as the holidays approach and I am in need of a new carry on after the handle of mine snapped on our recent trip to Baltimore. I love the look of this one – totally different from what you usually see strolling through the airport. 

These leggings are my absolute favorite (also available in high waisted) and I look to add a new pair any chance I can get so that I always have a clean pair. 

For a stocking stuffer, I’d love to add a few new colors of my favorite nail polish. I’m also loving this bronzer (plus the packaging is so cute) and love to have a backup of my favorite sunless tanner on hand. 

Madeline is loving her play kitchen (we have this one that I snagged from our local mom group) and could use some extra toy food and dishes for her Christmas. I am also planning to paint the wooden table and chairs that were mine as a child for her to use to serve her creations and for art projects. 

She has been so eager to help in our real kitchen recently and always tries to push a chair over from the kitchen table so I have this kitchen helper on her list as well. I love that it folds so I can tuck it in the pantry when we aren’t using it. 

We renewed her membership to Music Together for the winter term as part of her gift from us. She loves music class and I think for kids it’s really important to balance the “stuff” with experiences. 

Santa has a special gift for her as well. This year Corey and I really had to think about our philosophy for how we plan to handle Santa. For most of my career I worked with low-income populations and I really struggled after Christmas break when the kids would return and one child would have gotten the world from the same “Santa” that brought the child next to them virtually nothing. It just seemed really disheartening and hard to explain to a younger child who wants to believe so badly why Santa would bring one child so many gifts and them very little. So Corey and I decided that we will do one nice gift from Santa a year and then let us as her parents do the rest. This year Santa is bringing a Bitty Baby.

What is on your personal list for Christmas this year?

Linking up with Sarah today.