Leslie Loves...{Unique Gift Ideas}

Hi friends! I got a little side-tracked {Thanksgiving, sickness, work...blah, blah, blah}, so this took a little longer than I expected...but I am back with another gift guide!  

We all have that one person {or five} for whom it is SO.HARD to find the perfect gift! Maybe it's because he {yes, he!} buys what he wants/needs when he wants/needs it...even if it is the week before Christmas!  Or maybe it's because she seems to already have everything you can think to gift her. Well, I've compiled a few ideas that will hopefully help you with that hard-to-shop for person on your list.  Please drop me a comment of unique gift ideas you've given or that you would love to receive! Any help in this category is much-appreciated...AM.I.RIGHT?!!?

Digital Photo Frame: We've given this gift to grandparents on both sides of our family.  It is perfect because it is literally no work for them {after you help them connect the frame to WiFi}...and it is very minimal work for you {and other family members/friends who want to share photos}. You can send pics directly from your phone to the frame from the Nixplay mobile app or directly via email.

Facial Steamer: I know the primary purpose of these is to hydrate skin and clear pores...but I was desperately wishing I had one the other day when my head was throbbing from congestion and the hot shower steam wasn't doing the job! Anyway, I've heard amazing things about these from a beauty/skincare perspective from a couple of friends...but I'm pretty sure it would also be nice to have for allergy/congestion season! Bonus: this one also works as a humidifier. 

Custom Door Mat: A pretty and functional doormat, available in a variety of designs and several different sizes.  We have one of these mats {24 x 36}, and I love it!

Portable Photo Printer: We received {an older version of} this printer as a gift a few years ago, and it has been so awesome to have a way to quickly print high-quality pics at home.  Throw in some extra ink and photo paper if your budget allows.

Indoor Garden: Give the gift that keeps on giving!  Anyone can grow fresh herbs and vegetables with this self-watering indoor garden. Available in a 3-pod kit or 9-pod kit.

Phone Charger and Sanitizer: Simultaneously charge your phone while sanitizing it...nothing screams #PerfectGiftFor2020 more than this! Plus, it works on more than phones! Although it was designed with smartphones in mind, it will sanitize anything that fits inside.  If your gift recipient has a larger phone or a thick case, go for the PhoneSoap Pro, which is larger and has twice the bulbs as the PhoneSoap3. 

Massage Gun: these are all the rage this year, and this brand is the best of the best! I am kicking myself because somehow Ryan talked me into ordering him one of these in late October...why didn't I save this for a Christmas gift?!!? I'm not sure the difference in the mini versus the "big dog," but you can check out the full-size version here.

Family Tree: Display your family tree on a literal tree! Love this sentimental gift idea.

Scotch-Infused Toothpicks: A fun gift for any bourbon lover! A unique little luxury with amazing reviews! 

Wine Chiller: Keep wine chilled for hours...in a very pretty container! 

Personalized Blanket: This is another one we've gifted to multiple grandparents, so I can personally attest to the great quality and cozy softness of these blankets. 

If you haven't seen the Stocking Stuffer gift guides, you can find them here: for her, for him, for kids.

How much Christmas shopping do you have left?

Leslie Loves...{Stocking Stuffers for Kids}

Happy Thursday, Friends! I feel like I'm really on a roll here...Post #3 of the Christmas Gift Guide series. 

I pretty much stuck with my knowledge base on this one. I tried to keep it gender neutral, but this list is probably ideal for kids aged 3-8ish. Of course there are things on the list that younger and older kids would love and/or get use out of...but I'll admit that the list as a whole is sort of designed around the life phase I am living {because let's face it, it's our kids' world and we're just living in it!}. I hope a few of these ideas will make your shopping a little easier!

Crayola Bath Bombs: Our boys typically prefer showers...and they like to stay in there FOR-EV-ER. Needless to say, baths are a quicker option...excluding the time it takes to battle/convince them to take a bath rather than a shower. That is when these little bath bombs save the day! Both boys will happily take a bath if I offer up a bath bomb. {It's not bribing, just negotiation!}

Body Wash/Shampoo/Conditioner: If your child has any type of skin sensitivity, this is your solution! I am devastated because they are discontinuing this line of kids bath products, so STOCK.UP.NOW {at a discounted price!}. If you don't have a need for all three products, you can buy them individually {we use the shampoo and body wash interchangeably}: Body Wash, Shampoo, Conditioner.

Kids Hydro Flask and Inchbug Labels: I know these are expensive for a kid's water bottle, but the way they hold up to the wear and tear of daily toddler use makes them worth every penny! Both of our boys have these for school, and their water is still cold at the end of the day. My favorite part: they're dishwasher safe! The Inchbug Labels are the best way I've found to make sure these expensive water bottles make it home! With no chance the label will come off like stickers or rub off like markers, it minimizes the possibility of the water bottle getting lost. I rarely remove the labels, just leave them on when running the Hydro Flask through the dishwasher.

Tetris Puzzle: Challenging fun for a wide age range of kids {and adults too}.

Paint by Sticker Book: Keep them busy with this fun, educational art activity book.

Personalized Flashlight: All kids love flashlights...make it even cooler by adding their name! 

Runaway Alarm Clock: The perfect gift for your hard-to-wake kid! Available in several colors.

Socks {Boys} {Girls}: There's no better time than Christmas to re-stock the essentials. Might as well throw some underwear {boys} {girls} in there too!

Battery-Powered Toothbrush and Flavored Floss: make brushing their teeth fun!

Card Games: So many options for family game nights, including Uno, Go Fish, Memory, Guess Who, Old Maid.

Table Topics for Kids: This is a great way to get your kids talking...and they LOVE having the power of picking a card to get the conversation started. This kids set comes with 40 questions. If you're looking for additional questions designed to get your kids to participate in the conversation, try Table Topics for Families, which comes with 135 questions.

Sunglasses: These sunglasses look like the cool ones the grownups wear...and they even come with a cloth cleaning case!  The frames are flexible {ear pieces can literally be bent all the way out} and the lenses are scratch-proof. They come in so many colors and four different sizes. We've had great success with these sunglasses: Huston has not broken his, and it took Sterling almost a full year to break his {that is saying a lot!!!}.

Under the Sea Craft/Sewing Kit: This is probably better suited for slightly older kids {I'd trust Huston (5) with the beginners sewing needles; Sterling (almost 3)...not so much!}. What a fun activity to simultaneously encourage problem-solving and creativity! Other sets available: Farm Animals, Dinosaurs, Jungle Animals.

Don't forget to check out the other Gift Guides I've posted: Stocking Stuffers for Her and Stocking Stuffers for Him.  

What other Gift Guides would you like to see?

Leslie Loves...{Stocking Stuffers for Him}

Looky, Looky...I'm back with another post, so I can officially call this a "series" of holiday gift guides, right?!!?

Am I the only person who thinks that guys are incredibly hard to buy for? Could it possibly be because they tend to buy what they want/need whenever they want/need it? And does it seem like they specifically do this right around the time you want to buy them a gift? 

Well, I've brainstormed, scoured the internet and conducted a few surveys {very official, let me tell you!} to try to make shopping for the men in your life a little easier/less anxiety-inducing than in years past! Let's get right to it...

Stance No-Show Socks: A good pair of no-show socks is hard to find...and these are good! They don't slip down off your heels and scrunch up under your foot in your shoe. 

Dad and Kid Socks: These are really great dress socks in general...but you have no idea how much the little guy will LOVE matching Daddy! It's priceless!

2UNDR Boxer Briefs: It blows my mind how expensive men's underwear is, but my normally fiscally conservative husband {i.e. penny pincher} assures me that quality underwear is well worth the investment. This brand is one of his favorites. 

Instant Cocktail Cubes: Just drop a single cube into a shot of vodka/splash of water to make a quick Old-Fashioned, Manhattan or Moscow Mule.  If he prefers a lighter cocktail, try this trio to make a Mojito, Cosmo or Mint Julep.

Shower Beer Holder: A little silly, a lotta fun! And if I'm going to enjoy a glass of wine or sip on some bubbly in the bath, then he should be able to have a cold beer in the shower.

Engraved Apple Watch Band: You can't beat the look of a leather band on an Apple Watch. I love that the engraved initials and/or the message on the inside make this such a personalized gift. Available in black, brown and tan.

New Phone, Who Dis? A hilarious adult party game. 

Wireless Meat Thermometer: The perfect gift for the grilling master! This is a newer model of the one that Ryan uses, and the only complaint he's ever had with his thermometer is that he wishes he could monitor it on his phone/app. This updated version does just that...and also comes with two additional probes.  If you don't care about the phone/app availability and only need two probes, I can attest {via the master chef in our home} that this model works incredibly well.

Peeps Glasses Cleaner: This is the perfect tool to clean your sunglasses {or regular glasses} without scratching the lenses. It would be great to leave in a vehicle...where you always seem to notice how dirty your sunglasses are but never have the right cloth to clean them!

  

Gaiter Face Mask: This is the type of mask that Ryan prefers to wear. He joked this summer that it was actually a benefit to get to wear it because it protected his neck and face from the sun...and now that winter is rolling around, these gaiter masks will keep him warm! These come in a variety of colors. We buy them in packs of six {because ain't nobody got time to be doin' laundry every night!}.

Pocket Hand Sanitizer: This is one of the very few sanitizers I've found that doesn't leave your hands sticky and smelling like alcohol. Plus, it contains aloe vera so it isn't as drying as other sanitizers. The best thing about this line is that it fits perfectly in a pocket and contains 500+ sprays.

Portable Charger: There seem to be at least a million portable chargers out there, so I took some time to do a little research...and every resource kept pointing back to this one. If you're looking for something a little more compact and don't need the rapid recharge speed, this model may be a better {and cheaper!} option.

No-Fog Shower Mirror: Ryan has had this exact mirror for 4.5 years now {the date I bought it popped up when I found it on Amazon}, and it is still going strong.  That says a lot given that two little boys have had their little fingers all over it and dropped it at least 2,476 times.

Poo-Pourri: I don't think there is a man in this world who doesn't have a need for this!

Have you seen the "Leslie Loves...{Stocking Stuffers for Her} post?

Leslie Loves...{Stocking Stuffers for Her}

Hello, Hello! I'm back with another round of "Leslie Loves..." This is the first of a series {hopefully I'll get them done!} of holiday gift guides. I love stocking stuffers...probably to a fault given that the stockings are usually overflowing at our house on Christmas morning.  It's just so fun to find little things that will actually fit in the stockings...until there are too many little things to actually fit in the stockings. Ha. 

Anyway, enough chit chat...let's get down to business! I present to you Post #1 of the 2020 Leslie Loves Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Her...

Initial Necklace: A great necklace for every day wear; perfect for layering. If you don't love the personalized initial on the pendant, this necklace is a great alternative.

Face Masks: These are my favorite of all the face masks I have. They are breathable {as breathable as a face mask can be} and comfortable {relative}. Added bonus: they are cute and neutral, so they are like an accessory to your outfit. Kinda. Maybe. Ok, not really...but they are cute in terms of face masks.

No-Crease Hair Ties: Because hair creases are ugly.  Plus, these don't pull or break my hair...and I am convinced they even help my thin hair look a little thicker when it's up in a top knot.

Tyler Diva Sachets: You're probably aware of my obsession with the Diva laundry detergent, so it's no surprise that I love these little Diva sachets. Toss them in the dryer like a dryer sheet to freshen up your laundry and leave it smelling amazing! 

Corkscrew and Bottle Opener Set: This set is so pretty and fun; perfect to display on a bar cart!

Satin Pillowcase: This just might be the next best thing to dry shampoo for your hair! Not going to lie, I had my doubts about all the hype surrounding satin/silk pillowcases...but I received one of these for my birthday, and it really does make a difference. I have significantly less "bed head" after sleeping on my satin pillowcase. These pillowcases also claim to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and improve your skin's hydration. I can't say I've noticed a huge change in my skin {in the month and a half I've been using my pillowcase}, but I'll never turn down something that may slow the aging process!

Stress Relief Rollerball: I don't know much about essential oils, but I can personally verify that Aveda aromatherapy products work! I first used the Aveda Blue Oil rollerball when I was pregnant with Huston and couldn't take anything for my migraines. It was the only thing that helped reduce the pain. For stress relief, I apply this to the temples of my head, the back of my neck and the insides of my wrists. Maybe it's all in my head, but either way, it reduces my stress/anxiety {and smells so fresh and clean}, so I call it a win!

Bath Bombs: Baths are my escape, my "me time," the sanity-saving moments after a long and/or hard day. With all that said, I take my bath products seriously...and these bath bombs are legit!

Cozy Socks: Who wouldn't love a cute pair of cozy socks to lounge in on a cold winter day...especially necessary in the Work From Home era we're living in!

Tweezer Set: I just love this pretty set of tweezers! Plus, I feel like I'm constantly rummaging through my {disastrous} drawer to find my misplaced tweezers when I need them, so maybe this nice little case would make them easier to find???

MakeUp Eraser: I was hesitant to believe that this incredibly soft, pretty pink cloth could remove all of my makeup {including waterproof mascara} by just adding water...but it works! Gently wiping this wet cloth over your entire face seriously removes every trace of makeup. And it's reusable...just throw it in the washing machine and it comes out looking brand new!

Hair Turban: This hair towel/turban absorbs water to dry your hair faster and reduce frizz and static. It's easy to wrap your hair in and so lightweight that you might forget it's on your head.

Ice Roller for Face: A fabulous tool for self-care! It reduces puffiness and redness while soothing your skin. It promotes blood flow/circulation to make skin look more vibrant.  Added perk: it can be used for to the pain of a tension headache or migraine. 

USB Lighter: This.Is.Genius! It recharges just like your cell phone. 

Wick Trimmer: I didn't realize how important it is to trim the wicks of candles...but it can extend the life of a high quality candle by up to two hours because it ensures that it evenly burns.

Anecdote Candle: A true tribute to the craziest year in the history of...ever! "Smells like WFH and WTF." This just might be the perfect way to close out 2020...by burning it down!

What do you want in your stocking?

Ho Ho Ho!

Here comes Santa Claus

Here comes Santa Claus

Right down Santa Claus Lane...

Our first 2016 visit to Santa resulted in this photo...

To put it simply, Huston wasn't a huge fan of Santa. In an effort to try to make him more comfortable, I held him and tried to get as close as possible to the guy in the big red suit. H absolutely, positively was NOT going to sit on Santa's lap without getting terribly upset, so we ended up with a photo of him sitting on Momma's lap with Santa looking like a statue beside us! It's cute...but not exactly the Santa photo I had in mind.

The very next day, Daddy took H back to visit Santa...

Once again, not exactly the ideal Santa photo I had it mind...but at least we have a pic of just H with Santa.

Later that same week, we visited Santa's Village and made a a quick stop {literally less than 30 seconds!} to try out Santa's lap one more time...

I promise our little guy was instantly happy again the minute we picked him up off Santa's lap. And he is perfectly fine looking a pictures of Santa...he just wants nothing to do with Jolly 'ole St. Nick in person.  Since the day after Thanksgiving we've been asking, "Huston, what does Santa say?" Although sometimes he gets a little confused and responds with "Gobble Gobble Gobble!" {which makes me laugh every.single.time!}, his little voice saying "Ho Ho Ho!" is pretty much the cutest thing ever.  

We'll always have the memories {and the photo documentation} of the year H would have preferred for Santa to have just stayed at the North Pole.

Click here to see last year's {happier} visit with Santa Claus.

Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas 2016

Christmas cards from previous years:

2015

2014 and 2013

Merry Christmas from the Martins!

Halloween 2016

Oh...Halloween!  

The {tiny} golfer and his caddies

We had So.Much.Fun "trick-or-treating" with our tiny golfer!  

Although H had zero interest in stock-piling candy in his Halloween bucket, he managed to at least look like he knew what he was doing...

 He must be a pretty special golfer to get TWO personal caddies...

Even Lily got in on the trick-or-treating action...

And I can't leave out the pics of a boy {and his dog...in a box} in his jack-o-lantern jammies...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2016!

To My Husband on His First Father's Day

Dear Ryan,

Where do I even begin to express my gratitude for the incredible father that you are? 

From the first time you held our baby boy in your arms, it's like you were a natural. You instantly mastered skills that I never even came close to conquering {swaddling, shhhhushing}. You've been 100% involved in H's daily life since the day he was born...going above and beyond to make my life as a new momma a little easier in any way that you could. THANK YOU!

Our little guy is 110% your "Mini Me" {just ask anyone that sees the two of you together...including complete strangers!}. Although sometimes I might get a tiny bit jealous that he looks sooooooo much like you, I realize just how lucky I am to get to be the wife/momma of such handsome guys.  It is truly my hope that our son is as much like you on the inside as he is on the outside. I pray for the Lord's guidance in raising him to be a respectful gentleman...a hard-working, patient, loving and generous man, just like his daddy. THANK YOU for being such a solid role model.  

Sometimes I just sit back and watch you interact with our baby boy...and it's in those moments when I can clearly see just how exceptional you are as a father. I oftentimes get caught up in the chaos that is our daily lives, and I fail to see all that you do on a daily basis to keep our little family running like a well-oiled machine. When I actually take a moment to fully absorb how well you fill your daddy role, I am overwhelmed with emotions. I always knew you would be a great dad, but you have far exceeded my expectations.  THANK YOU!

Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for putting you by my side to walk this parenting journey. We're just ten months in with a lifetime to go, and I look forward to experiencing all that lies ahead for our little family. For now though, I want to savor every minute...because these really are the moments that memories are made of.  THANK YOU for sharing this life with me...and THANK YOU for being a beyond-incredible daddy to our son!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

Happy first Father's Day, babe! I love you more than life!

All my love,
Leslie

Mother's Day 2016

My first Mother's Day was perfect...a very laid back, relaxing day spent with my little family. 

Mother's Day 2016

We went to church at our usual time {the 8:45 am service}...where our little wiggle worm managed to entertain all of the people surrounding us.  H is actually pretty quiet during the church service, but over the past few weeks the kid has been squirming between Ryan and me like it's his job. Yesterday we figured out that feeding him Cheerios will pacify him for a little while...but once he gets bored with that, then he's right back to flirting with the little girl sitting behind us!  

After church we brunched, and this little guy ate ALL the fruit in sight...

We had planned to spend part of the afternoon outside, but every time we thought about venturing out, it started to rain. What does a momma do when she's already buckled the babe {who LOVES to go for walks} in the stroller only to realize it's raining outside? Well...walk in laps around the living room and through the kitchen, of course! 

Our non-napping little man actually slept for an hour and a half...maybe even two hours, I lost track of time. It was long enough that I was continuously checking on him though because we're definitely not used to extended periods of sleep during the daylight hours around our house. I caught a short little nap myself {fabulous Mother's Day gift!}, and Ryan and I were actually able to get some stuff done around the house that is impossible to do while H is getting into everything awake.

Although we weren't able to celebrate with our moms in person this year, H was able to FaceTime with both Grammy and Grandma Jo. He's getting better at the whole FaceTime thing...at least we didn't hang up on either one of them! {He likes to try to grab their faces through the phone, and it oftentimes ends up with a disconnected call.}

All in all, it was an incredible Sunday being pampered by my boys with gifts and, more importantly, all the love in the world! They sure know how to make a momma feel loved and appreciated. As I posted yesterday on Instagram, I thank the Lord every single day that I get to be this little man's momma...and that I get to travel this parenting journey with Ryan. Mother's Day 2016: it was a perfect day!  

Oh, and I capped the day off with this teeny, tiny piece of cherry pie...

Mother's Day 2016

Easter Celebration 2016

Pictures say it so much better than words, so I'll just let the photos do most of the talking in this post.

I happen to think this lil' Easter Bunny is pretty cute...

Photo Credit: LuLu's Pictures

I had Good Friday off of work, so Huston and I ventured down to Lee Park to have his picture taken with the bunnies. James French Photography was taking the photos, so it will be a week or so before we get the professional image in the mail, but here's what I snapped from my phone...

On Saturday, Huston and I met Ryan at Stonebriar for the Easter EGGstravaganza. We posed with the Easter Bunny...

#PictureOfAPicture

...we checked out the petting zoo...

...and we had lunch with Daddy {too bad Daddy isn't pictured!}...

On Easter morning we woke up early to get ready for church {we go to the 8:30 am service}...

The beginning of a tradition: a family photo on Easter morning

After church we came home to find that the Easter Bunny had left baskets for the whole family...

I had so much fun putting H's Easter basket together, but the Hide & Squeak Eggs were pretty much the only thing he cared about {after he threw every.single.thing out of his basket}. Speaking of his Easter basket, thank you Grandma Jo for this fabulous gift, a special tradition among all the Martin grandkids.

I lost count of how many times we read "The Easter Story" book, but that's ok because it's never to early to start teaching our baby boy the true meaning of the holiday.

What a great weekend with our little family celebrating the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ.    

He is Risen!

Five on Friday

TGIF! I don't know about you, but I felt like this week drug on F..O..R..E..V..E..R! I'm beyond ready for the weekend! Let's get the party started with my Friday Five...

One: The Kansas Jayhawks

Texas Tech will travel to Lawrence tomorrow to play my beloved Jayhawks. A win over the Red Raiders will seal the deal for the Jayhawks to win at least a share of the Big 12 title...FOR THE 12TH YEAR IN A ROW!  All I can say is ROCK CHALK! 

Two: My Wishlist

These booties. They need to be mine... 

Three: "You Should Be Here"

If you've been around my little corner of the internet for awhile, you're well aware that I'm a HUGE fan of country music. I've been loving Cole Swindell's newest song, "You Should Be Here," since I first heard it on the radio. And then I watched the video. Tears. I couldn't hold back the tears. What an incredible song!

I heard an interview with Cole Swindell on The Highway after I'd seen the video and learned that the emotional video is very real. The people in it are his real family, and it truly was the first time he'd been back to his dad's grave since the funeral. Such an amazing tribute to his dad...and a song that pretty much everyone can relate to in one way or another.

Four:  Easter Decor

I just realized that Easter is only one month away! Time to break out the Easter decorations...

Five: Code Black

Do you watch this show??? I'm addicted...to the point that I almost love it as much as Nashville {which returns March 16}! I haven't yet watched this week's episode because I think it was the season finale {and I've been known to save the finale until just before the next season starts so I won't be so sad...come to think of it, it's about time to watch Season 4's final episode of Nashville!}.  Anyway, I know absolutely nothing about the medical field, so this show could be wayyyyyy off track from reality...but I still love it and will continue to watch.

Cheers to the Weekend!

Today I'm participating in a couple of Fabulous Friday link-ups: 

"Oh, Hey Friday!" {hosted by The Farmer's Wife and September FARM} 
"5 on Friday" {hosted by A.Liz Adventures, North Carolina Charm, The Good Life, and Hello! Happiness}

Thanks so much to all of these ladies for hosting fun Friday link-ups!