It's time for another Toddler and Baby Book Review. We love testing out new children's books for you, and sharing our love for reading. We've been reading to our kids since they were tiny babies, and they both love to pick up books and read. Also since it's Holiday season, any of these would make great gift ideas. Books are always a winner! 

1 2 3 Think Touch Learn

By: Xavier Deneux

The ThinkTouchLearn series of books has been a fan favourite in our house. They do such a great job of teaching children topics like colors, numbers, shapes, etc. This 1 2 3 book is the latest in their collection and we adore how big it is. The bright colors and contrast are great as usual for engaging the little reader in. This book features die-cut numbers and shapes which help to teach the kids their numbers. The numbers eventually create an animal which is a great feature. It's amazing for introducing Alder to numbers but is also great for Emery's age for number recognition. They both love tracing the shapes with their fingers. 

But First, We Nap

By: David W Miles

I have always been about finding sleep related books for my kids. They aren't the greatest sleepers so anything to help get the idea of sleeping into their heads is a win for me. 

The Sloth just wants to sleep but Rabbit wants to play. Rabbit tries everything to wake up the Sloth, and by the time he finally wakes up Rabbit is too tired to sleep. They both end up having a nap. Alder loves this book, and calls it the Boom Boom book since Rabbit uses loud noises to try and wake up Sloth. I usually read this fun little book before nap time. The illustrations in this book are also cheerful and cute!

The Hungry Bunny 

By: Claudia Rueda

This has got to be one of the coolest, creative and interactive book we have read in awhile. It's fall time, and the apples need to be picked for Mama's apple pie. The apples are tricky to get to, so the Bunny tries to think of some creative ideas to get the apples down. There is a red ribbon which the reader uses to help Bunny pick those apples. It's a fun book for reading together and solo. I love watching Emery use the red ribbon while she reads it.  

Little Explorers: The Animal World

Written By: Ruth Martin

Illustrated by: Allan Sanders

I'm always finding new and cool to me books at HomeSense, and this was one of them. It's a great educational book for Emery and Alder. It's filled with different facts about the animals and where they live. It features over 30 flaps, which let's be honest always keeps the kids entertained, haha. The more flaps, the better! It's a great introduction to some different animals for Alder, and also great for Emery to learn some new information on the animals. 

Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes 

Written By: Eva Chen 

Illustrated by: Derek Desierto

I have been following Eva Chen and her career for quite some time now, back to the days when she worked at Lucky Magazine. Her children and mine are similar in age, and I love following along her journey into Motherhood and being an awesome, hustling, multi-talented business woman. She's incredibly relatable and honest. It was a no brainer to snag her book up as soon as it came out. 

The main character is Juno, who is based on Eva's daughter, Ren.  Juno looses her shoes before school time and falls into her closet while looking for them. It takes you on a magical journey to a closet filled with inspiring, strong, independent, smart women from over the centuries shoes. Juno tries on all the different shoes while looking for her own. Juno has so much fun learning about all the different women and trying on their shoes, but in the end she realizes that her shoes are perfect for her.  The illustrations are so magical and fun, and play a great nod to Eva's life.

Emery loved it, especially since she is so obsessed with her Elsa slippers and trampling around in my shoes. She loved learning about all the different women in the book and kept asking me to tell her about them over and over again.

Claris: The Chicest Mouse in Paris

By: Megan Hess

This book is absolutely beautiful! The illustrations are amazing, so detailed oriented and fashion forward! It's the story of a darling mouse named Claris who moves to Paris. She not only has the most chic style but also has the kindest heart. Despite being enemies, she helps out a Cat in trouble, and they become the best of friends. I love the nods to all the different fashion designers and how the story of Claris is about more then just being stylish. Emery is obsessed with dressing up, so she loves picking out which outfit of Claris's is her favourite. 

Ultimate Spotlight Dinosaurs 

Written By: Sandra Laboucarie

Illustrated by: Deborah Pinto

I am trying to expand Emery's collection of books with a wider variety of topics and types. She tends to have a lot more girlie books and I was excited for her to add this one to her library. 

This book has pull tabs, flaps and other fun moving parts that shows the awesome history of dinosaurs. It's full of cool illustrations and amazing facts, and is a great introduction to the world of dinosaurs. Emery's favourite section is about all the different underwater dinosaurs. Alder also loves having this book read to him but isn't so patient to wait for all the facts, haha! I keep it up on the shelf so he can't grab it because we all know he would probably rip all the tabs and flaps.

There are a ton of other books in the Ultimate Spotlight Collection, and I think this construction one might be the next one we need to add. 

The Thank You Book

Written by: Mary Lyn Ray

Illustrated by: Stephanie Graegin

This book is beautiful in more then one way. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love all the little details but the story of this book is also gorgeous. It teaches us to be grateful for all the little things in life. It's a great lesson for the kids and for us to look at every day with gratitude in our hearts. 

What are your current favourite Toddler and Baby books? I'm always on the hunt for new ones!

<3 Kastles 

This little Wooden Lion Push Along Toy from Petit Collage has always been a go-to for Alder (Emery even likes to play with it too). It's easy to grip, beautifully made and pushes along nicely. The little beads add another element to the toy, and helps them to master more fine motor skills. It also comes in an Elephant and Whale. 

Another favourite from Petit Collage is their Magnetic Sets. This Little Travelers Magnetic Play Set comes in a cute metal carrying case, which makes it perfect for long car rides or to bring to a restaurant. You can create tons of different creations with the pieces it comes with. I love seeing what Emery creates and the stories that go with them. 

*Just a side note here. I am always very careful about when Emery plays with this since magnets can be very dangerous to babies if they swallow them. I always count the number of magnets afterwards to make sure all the pieces are counted for. She also usually plays with it during quiet time when Alder is napping or high up on the kitchen table.*

Petit Collage really knocked it out of the park with this Carnival Play Set Wooden Ferris Wheel. This is one of those toys that you love having out on display and don't need to hide. Whenever I see this it brings such a smile to my face. It's classic, timeless and great for imaginative play. Emery and Alder both play with it. It comes with three wooden animals that fit into each of the carts. The beads on the side are great for counting ferris rides or tickets. It's also printed with non-toxic water based paints. One totally random thing I also really appreciated about this was it came in the cutest recyclable box with the most minimal packaging, I was really impressed haha! 

*If you want to place an order with Petit Collage, use the code : kastles for 15% off.*

BlaBla Dolls have been a long time fan favourite in our household. I absolutely love the company

and everything they do. We also have some of their bedding, and it always brings an extra smile to my face. The quality is amazing, and each doll is hand knit which I love! They have been working with the same artisans for fifteen years which is so cool. 

Machu and Pichu the Alpacas are the two newest members to our BlaBla family. Alder and Emery love them, and they are the perfect duo for my little duo. 

Alder particularly likes to body slam Machu, haha! He's really into wrestling whether it's with me, his Dad or Machu. Thankfully he knows better then to wrestle his big sis 😉.

They also have the most adorable little furniture like this high chair. Which will fit perfectly into the Doll House I'm redoing for Emery's Christmas present. 

It's been a long time since I've watched the original Anne of Green Gables show, but the other month we got the cutest kids book from Raincoast Books, Anne of Green Gables. She also has the novel version from Rifle Paper Co. on her dresser. A little light bulb went off for the cutest Halloween costume. Of course I will be making these kids dress as a couple for as long as possible, right?

I can't believe we are here again, a 1st Birthday for my littlest babe. I was trying to come up with a theme for his party so I asked Emery what she thought. She said "A tree party", which was perfectly fitting for Alder. There are several reasons behind his name, one of them being one of my husband's favourite verses:

Psalm 1: 3

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding it's fruit in season, whose

leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does."

I wanted to keep his party simple but still cute. Thankfully we already had this vintage window from our cabin hanging in the kitchen so I based the decorations around it. Originally I wanted to fill some mason jars with Alder branches but Alder trees are hard to find around here, so I just found several Alder botanical prints on Pinterest instead to print out. I already had the pom-pom banner from Alder's room and used that across the mirror. 

In the past I have always stressed out what kind of food I'm going to serve, especially if the party is around lunch and supper time. I just want to be able to enjoy the party and not having to worry about cooking food. Obviously ordering Panago Pizza is the answer. Everyone loves pizza, it's delicious, and so so easy! We have some people in our family who are vegan, gluten free and dairy free, and Panago has those options available which is so awesome!

When these two play together, it might just be my favourite thing ever. 

I ordered from Whipped Up, and she made these dairy free with a yummy marshmallow filling. They are also made in a gluten friendly kitchen. She was super accommodating, especially since I ordered these super last minute. 

My Mother-in-Law had these wood stumps and slices already cut from their yard so I just borrowed them. It made a perfect mini cake stand for his little smash cake. I very quickly painted a number "1" on a bigger wood slice to put it up on display. I already had the wood crate so I used it to create some height to the table display. I put out some Instax photos of Alder from the past year as a sentimental touch. It's so crazy how much they grow and change in one year.

This little guy could not love those balloons anyone more, so obsessed! We just got a bag of balloons from the Dollarstore and blew them up. I know the foil number balloons are fun but they can be a pain to order or to go pick up. Alder didn't know any better, it was super simple, cute and he loved it!

Right before the party it looked like it was going to storm but it blew over right away, so grateful we could be outside.We just put out all of our outside toys and some bubbles, (including a water table) for the kids to play with. It was simple, and the kids just played together and entertained themselves. We didn't have to plan any fancy or complicated party games or activities (they can be awesome and fun, but we were trying to keep it as simple as possible). 

Again going with my simple theme, I found a little cake at Safeway and Emery & I re-did it together. We took off some extra icing on the bottom and top, added macarons, moved a few things and added sprinkles. When in doubt, add sprinkles! I feel like as Moms we sometimes put this huge added pressure on ourselves that we have to do everything and we have to do it perfectly. I like baking but cakes aren't something that comes naturally to me, so I didn't want to add extra pressure or stress to myself by attempting to do it . We also decided to throw this party pretty last minute so this option worked best for us. You could also order a little cake from a nearby bakery. If you are in Edmonton, I would definitely check out Sugar and Spiced off Whyte Ave. They make the cutest cakes!

Oh he went right for that cake! So so cute and funny! Of course I had the kids matching in their Forest From Harper outfits, they were just perfect for the theme of the party. I love that they both can still wear these so many months later (see here). 

Alder had the best time and loved seeing everyone, and that's all that matters to me. I was so glad I choose to keep things much simpler this time. I broke down some tips for you to keep parties simple.

4 Tips for a Simple & Cute 1st Birthday Party 

1.) Use items you already own for decorations, borrow items from a friend or family member, or scour Pinterest for simple, printable items.

2.) Order food. Take off any added stress by ordering food such as pizza, sandwiches, treats, etc.

3.) If possible have the party outside with simple toys you already own, or at a park. Kids are great at playing together and using their imaginations.

4.) Buy a simple cake from a grocery store bakery and redecorate it with your own touches. Or order a cake from a Cake Shop. 

What are some of your tips for keeping Birthday Parties simple? Let me know!

<3 Kastles