The last two weeks I’ve felt a little bit less inspired when it comes to writing blog posts.  A lot of that is a direct result of not getting out much, due to my broken ankle.  I’m only on week two of wearing my hard cast, with two more to go before I hopefully will be in a walking boot.

The good news is that we are officially living in our new house now, but I still am very reliant on Craig and my family for help.  Being that Friday through Sunday are Craig’s work days, we decided it was best for Gia and I to stay at my mom and dad’s while Craig works his 12 hour shifts.

I’m able to put pressure on my ankle more and more, and I’m using one crutch instead of two, fairly regularly.  Yesterday I did get a little overly excited when I realized I could take a few very hobbled, unassisted steps.  I certainly paid for that afterwards – by the end of the night I felt like my ankle was swelling and had caught fire inside my cast!  Now I know to not push too hard and take the help I’m being offered.  Duh, Ashley!

All this sitting has led to some online shopping.  Uh oh, yes, online shopping can be very dangerous, but I promise everything I’ve picked out is super functional and will make for great Christmas gifts!  So here I am, ready to share some of my finds with you, because they are especially nice for families with children.

Find #1:

Guidecraft Kitchen Helper

 

I’ve been meaning to order one of these kitchen helpers for Gia for quite some time now.  I’m big on letting her do a lot on her own and I think it’s really catapulted her development.  She loves doing everything that we do, so we like to encourage her and include her by cooking together, letting her help feed the dog, letting her throw things away, etc.

I like this Kitchen Helper because it folds up nicely, it’s sturdy and it can grow with Gia as she gets older.  It can hold up to 125lbs!  Crazy!  It has fun little cut outs and a marker/chalk board on the side too.

I didn’t buy ours through the Guidecraft website, only because I found it on Amazon where it was a better price.  I believe that some Target stores carry the Kitchen Helpers too.  There are many varieties and brands available, so what works for Gia may or may not work for your child too.

Find #2:

Restoration Hardware Luxe Faux Fur Bean Bag

 

As if you needed a reason to purchase such a plush, cozy bean bag – I knew this one was a no brainer!  With a multitude of colors, these bean bags are the ultimate childhood dream turned adult reality!

This purchase was for me, as much as it was for Gia.  Although she already has a bean bag chair with an adorable star print and custom embroidery, I knew she’d love to sit on this in the family room.  As of late, she has enjoyed sitting like a big girl on our furniture.  Again – she wants to do everything just like us, so there’s no surprise there.

We decided to go with the “Wolf” faux fur, as it fit our color scheme best.  I even got my mom to order the “Sable” version for her house.  The best part about these bean bags is that they’re on SALE!  Even better yet, I’m a member with RH and I got a fab deal!

These bean bags normally retail for $249 and the sale price is $199.  If you’re a member you can score one now for $159!  That’s a $90 savings!  Go get one now!

Find #3:

ECR4 Kids Bentwood Multipurpose Table

 

A kids table and chair set was another thing I’d been searching for the last few months for Gia.  I had a few in mind and truly just stumbled upon this one while searching Amazon.  Yep, Amazon does it again!

This ECR4 Bentwood Table sold me right away with its multipurpose functionality.  There is such an added value in it because it can be used in a variety of ways.  This table and chair set is significantly more expensive on the ECR4kids website than it is on Amazon.  That is also probably the reason why it is currently out of stock on Amazon.  I believe I saw this set on the ECR4 website for $220 and I ordered it on Amazon for $161.40.  Go me!

Regardless of it being out of stock, I will be notified of when it’s available to ship and won’t be charged until that time.  I don’t care if I have to wait a little while, I think it’s worth getting the one I want for Gia.  I see lots of crayon coloring, snacking and reading happening at this table set in the future.

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Hopefully if you’re in the market for any of these items you’ll consider the ones above.  I think they’re going to work great for our family.  I guess you know you love being a parent when you enjoy finding things for your child more than finding things for yourself!

xo