CrumbBums – Page 31

Favorite Kids Brand: Lennon and Wolfe

Style, by lauren, May 26, 2016, Leave a Reply

As my boys get older, I’m finding it harder and harder to find good quality, basic clothes for them. There is an outpouring of wonderful baby brands coming out, but my boys have all outgrown them! But recently, I found Lennon and Wolfe, an LA-based clothing company that states, “Kids are people too. Their their style and comfort matters.”

And comfortable they are! Their Dylan tee comes in muted yellow, stripe, pink, grey, shadow, blue, and cream, and are the softest tees I’ve ever touched. I also like the slimmer fit — none of those boxy tees that shrink up higher and higher with every wash (but if your kids have broader shoulders, size up!). Oliver wears his blue tee so often, I’m anxiously hoping it makes it through the summer (so he can hand his down to Emil). I ordered a few for Milo, as they only go up to size 8 (though some of the other styles go up to size 12) and this will be the last summer he fits into them.

And while I find the other products they sell just too expensive for kids’ clothing, these basic tees are worth it. Find Lennon & Wolfe clothing at Barney’s, eggy, Family Store, Ollie + Me, Ethel + Row, Sweet William, and more!

Castlewood State Park

Green Living, by lauren, May 24, 2016, 2 Replies

Last weekend we went for the nicest hike, a 3-mile loop in Castlewood State Park, which is located in Ballwin, MO. The drive there was short, but it felt like we were in a different state (which was the point). The nicest thing about doing hikes like this is that they can be done over the course of a morning and we’re still back for lunch, albeit pretty tuckered out and ready for a little lying around!

We started the hike later than expected because the kids wanted to play in the creek (no surprise there!). Milo found fish eggs (or salamander eggs?) under a rock and gave them a quick inspection before returning them exactly where he found them. He was so worried he had harmed them, sweet boy!

All of the boys could have stayed next to the water for the whole morning, but Andrew and I were itching to get a good walk in. Once we got moving, the boys quickly fell into line and enjoyed themselves. Oliver kept repeating over and over again, this is so great! I love this, Mom! while we walked, which is funny, because he is pretty different on walks elsewhere. In nature, that kid just comes alive and becomes so positive and cheerful!

The whole hike was great. The mosquitoes have yet to make an appearance, so it was really bug-free other than one tick Oliver found crawling on him. We made sure to check everyone once we got home too. Still, 100% worth it!

I’m already planning plenty of hikes with these guys this summer. It’s such a great way to bond as a family, as all the walking opens up so much time for just talking about things that we wouldn’t otherwise discuss. Maybe someday when these guys are a little older, we’ll tackle part of the Appalachian Trail together.

Reading…

Books, by lauren, May 24, 2016, Leave a Reply

Can I Eat That? by Joshua David Stein, illustrated by Julia Rothman

Another great book geared toward preschoolers, Can I Eat That? is a clever, whimsical book by food critic Joshua David Stein written with his three-year-old in mind. It is full of plays on words (do eggs grow on eggplants?) that bring just enough silliness to a book with some really cool facts that we tend to take for granted as adults.

If… I eat jelly… and I eat fish… can I eat jellyfish?

The answers may surprise you! I also love that the book is full of multi-cultural references and foods that we may never have tried (jellyfish, sea urchins) along with ones we’ve seen a bit too much of (chicken fingers).

A lovely, refreshing book about food to get your little ones thinking. The illustrations are simple and beautiful too. Be sure to ask for it at your local bookstore!

Reading…

Books, by lauren, May 24, 2016, 2 Replies

This is Not a Book, by Jean Jullien

This is, indeed, a book. But it’s so much more than that! It’s a sturdy board book with few words; instead, each time a child turns a page, he finds a new imaginative take on the two-page spread. Emil, who is the most imaginative little guy, loves it.

His favorite page is the laptop computer, which he props open on the couch and pretends to work on. He has even been sleeping with it in his bed, asking me Mama, can I please sleep with my REAL computer tonight? Um… sure.

The rest of the book is just as clever. Among others, there’s a monster opening his mouth wide, a piano with sheet music, a toolbox, a tightrope walker, a tent with a camper inside meant to be propped up like a real tent (you can stick a little mini flashlight inside for extra fun!), and even a bare bottom which made Milo and Oliver dissolve into a fit of laughter, shouting booty! booty! It doesn’t take much, I guess!

This book is lots of fun for preschoolers with big imaginations. Be sure to check it out if you have a creative little one!

Weekend Shenanigans

Motherhood, by lauren, May 23, 2016, 4 Replies

It’s officially summer break (for us, anyway), and this weekend kicked it off in the best way — but not before going through a bit of emotional turmoil. After a really rough few of weeks with Andrew in and out of town (and mostly out of town), the boys and I were all pretty tuckered out emotionally and physically. The timing of all the travel was just rotten — Andrew had to miss most of the end of year school events, including the boys’ spring concert. Sometimes the old pity party train arrives at the worst moments. I found myself tearing up within the first five minutes of the concert as I sat in the audience really missing Andrew and feeling all the wrong feelings — the immature ones I wish weren’t a part of me at all anymore. It all probably sounds worse than it was, and long story short, the concert was wonderful (they sang a David Bowie song, for goodness sake!) with Emil rocking quite the interesting outfit (he dressed himself, velcro tie on top of tee shirt and all), and Andrew arrived home late that night just in time to give hugs and kisses goodnight.

Emil was such a good boy, sitting through the long lower elementary and upper elementary production after he sang his part early on. He drew me a picture of “two snails and the universe” with the only marker (yellow) I could find in the depths of my purse.

I was so proud of my boys — they have worked so hard this year, learned so much and made so many good friends… and now I get them to myself for the summer! Woo-hoo!

We, the whole family, had a remarkable weekend. With circus classes over until camp later this summer, we had the whole weekend open and spent it together being carefree and slow. We hung out with friends on Friday night, neighbors on Saturday and Sunday, and went for a long hike on Sunday. Emil spent much of his afternoon naked in a plastic tub. Go figure.