I challenged myself to read 200 books in 2017, which includes the books I read to the kids. I mentioned with pride last night that I had reached nearly 50 books already in the first month of the year. A certain someone in the house (who shall rename nameless although I can tell you this conversation occurred after the normal hours of a child’s bedtime) commented that “it kind of seems like cheating to count the kids’ books.” And while I know he meant no harm, it got me thinking, as I tend to do from time to time (WHA??!!)

Sometimes in life, we begin where we are. Where am I? Spending much of my day with a child in my lap demanding my attention and dominating my thoughts. I could whine about this (let’s be honest, I do.) Or I could seize these moments as moments for me too. No, reading Brown Bear for the 500th time is not my favorite moment. Neither is that ridiculous Minni Mouse book with the obnoxious story and the uninspiring illustrations (sorry Disney) you HAD to check out. But so many other books we stumble upon leave me feeling like I just stole a moment for myself too. I let them pick the books THEY want to read, but then I also search for those that capture my attention. The stories that cut to the heart, the illustrations of pure beauty, the poetic messages that my children need to hear but that I kind of need to hear too. Why can’t these moments be for me too?

So in these monthly book reports I plan on highlighting the books that caught MY attention. Because everyone will tell you reading to the kids is important for learning and growing. But I like to argue to that it is a vital part of our development too.

In January, we read…

Extra Yarn By Mac Barnett. First off, a book after my little crafting heart. A girl who knits. And knits. And just keeps on knitting. Because she has the yarn, and she has the skill, and she has people who want beautiful sweaters.  But I think the most beautiful part of the whole thing is that it makes her very happy. #makergoals

Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers. What was fun about this book is there are short stories, only a couple pages, for each letter. So you can kind of treat it like a chapter book but also jump around. Yet, in the great subtle humor part of Jeffers’ work, if you look closely you can see how the stories start to blend together. This one is fun.

Bear’s Winter Party by Deborah Hodge. I want to get this book and curl up with it every winter. This touched a chord with me about the struggles of making friends and how sometimes the simplest gestures like inviting some friends to a party can make a huge difference. Lessons on community are strong in this one. And the pictures are so lovely. And the bear going to hybernate at the end with peace in heart because of the comforting knowledge that he has friends? That is everything to me.

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads by Bob Shea & This is Moose by Richard T. Morris. I highlight both of these books together because I love them for the same reason, they are hilarious. The number one requirement is they are read with the best dramatic readers in the family, preferably one who can do a great Wild West accent (that’s a thing) and also a great Movie director accent (also a thing.) You will be giggling so much from these books.  Also these books were gifts to the kids from my sister and brother respectively which goes to show good book taste runs in the family.

Photo credit Book People

The Nix by Nathan Hill. NOT a kids book, but I’m reading for me too. I read this in book club and it was really fantastic. It is LONG and I think if I were the editor, I might have suggested cutting it down a touch. However, the way this author goes deep into the psyche of characters is applaud worthy. Essentially, the book weaves challenging family dynamics with a backdrop of the political protests in the 1960s. Only a portion of the book is about the 60s but I liked that part the most and it made me want to know more. While the book is an investment, it is a fantastic combination of dark humor, personal reflection, family conflict, and political perspectives. This one challenged me in the best kind of way.

Of course I could sit here and talk about books all afternoon. Cup of tea in hand. Cozy fire in the fireplace. It’s snowing outside but I’m at a lodge somewhere in the mountains so it’s ok because I don’t have to shovel it. And our kids are nowhere to be seen, or heard for that matter. Maybe you’re knitting something. We’re both in sweats, or maybe big puffy sweaters.

Alright, I’m getting carried away with this fantasy. Either way, point being, I love to talk books but there are only so many spaces for words. So check out my Good Reads account for more of what I’m reading. I’m horrible at reviewing but I at least give them a rating (which isn’t all that helpful because I tend to really love all books and being ruthless is difficult for me.) Also, TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE READING! I didn’t mean to shout that. What I meant to say was, I love to talk books so share all of your favorites and I will put them on my next library cue.

 This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you purchase through them, I make a small commission. That being said, these are my honest opinions and I was not paid to talk about any of the products mentioned. I just think they are pretty great! Happy Shopping!

In the aftermath of a heartbreaking election season, to pull myself out of shock and grief, I made promises. I promised I would do more. I would listen better. I would speak louder. I would love stronger.

But I’ll be honest, that also terrified me. Here is what we need to do, they said. Call up your congressman. Study this book. Reach a hand out. Further. No even further. Take in all the oppressed and let them know they belong. All of them. Every single one.

It was enough to paralyze me.

Which in itself is the problem right there.

You see because of my privilege, I can care when it really matters, but quite easily retreat into a world that is safe and stable when it feels like too much.  I didn’t want to do that. But I didn’t know where to begin. Because adding something to the to-do list that itself is never finished was the part I couldn’t wrap my head around. Where does “saving the world” fit into my schedule? Can I fit it into nap time, among all the other tasks that "perfect" mothers do?

I’m not ready to give up yet. I’m not ready to stop doing more, stop listening better, stop speaking louder and stop loving stronger, not ever.  But in the face of paralysis, I know I need to start small. Much like closet clean outs and marathon training, one small step at a time. I realized there is something I can do every single day. There is something I do already. And it is probably one of the greatest hopes we have for a brighter future.

I can raise my children to save the world.

These little people in my house and the little people they encounter are the ones we can count on to carry our mission. If we can teach them to love and celebrate diversity, to not be afraid but to be kind, to see the world as big enough for all God’s children, then we can, indeed, save the world.

And the conversation begins in play.

So my final gift guide for this season is more than just great suggestions for the little people in your life. It is an opening for dialog with your children. We need conversation, one that actually talks about the differences we might see in our world, instead of hushing it. Children have so much insight. Their curiosity about the world is contagious. They are building maps in their brain for the rest of their lives forming the kind of people we need more of as the next great leaders. Fill your homes with toys and books that spark conversation about the incredible beauty of diversity and kindness. Because it is through these thoughtful discussions at our home where they feel most safe and loved and supported that they can gain the confidence to take this mindfulness beyond.  

Raising our children to be better is a promise I am willing to keep.

Here are some of my favorite gifts that celebrate diversity…

Dolls

Provide dolls for your children of varying skin tones. Racial diversity is a fact in our country and the more we are comfortable around it, the easier it is to talk about. Our skin tone is something to be proud of, to love, and to celebrate. After stealing her babies all too often, Caroline decided she needed to get Elliott a doll of his own. I saw this as a great opportunity to pick out a doll with different skin color than the other 29,000 in our house and Caroline agreed we needed a baby with brown skin like some of the children on her soccer team. This lead to a great conversation about how exciting it is that we can all have different skin and hair, to be proud of that, and then to talk about how all the children, all the little dolls need the same love. My favorites in this category are these soft dolls for the littlest ones, a larger baby as they grow, and this Barbie doll, who I want just because that hair is everything. 

Crayons

I'm sticking these crayons in Caroline's stocking. Her illustrations are still in the stage of coloring people green and pink. But as the details fill in, I would love for her to feel inspired to create a diverse look of her people. I want the conversation to lead to an awareness that skin tone itself is not just black and white but a rainbow of hues. 

World Puzzle

This summer we took a week to study different countries from around the world (in between pool splashing and popsicle eating, of course.) I found it to be such an enriching lesson on learning about children all around the world in a positive light. I think too often the conversation goes to pity of our brothers and sisters who don't have enough (eat your dinner; there are starving children in Africa.) As we learned about how children go to school and how they eat and how they play, the conversation highlighted the differences while also allowing room to celebrate what we do. You need both. Awareness and appreciation. For a child interested in puzzles, this is a great one to begin that conversation about people of our world, how they might be different and the same. And also that these differences can be seen right here in our own neighborhoods. 

Socks

Socks? That help us raise culturally aware children? These socks are called Pals and they are designed especially to start conversation. They feature mismatched socks in more ways than one. The pair of characters are two unlikely friends demonstrating how a dog and a cat or a t-Rex and a brontosaurus or a bird and worm can be quite different, but still remain Pals. I want these in big people sizes. 

Games

The Peaceful Kingdom company creates games that encourage all the players to work together to all collectively win the game. There are plenty of opportunities in a child's world to encourage healthy competition. I love that these games teach a different lesson for our young learners, that cooperation can be a winning strategy as well. Oh if only more of our leaders could get on board with this. We have an owl game from this company, but this version stood out to me because it teaches empathy, a skill we must develop to respect the diversity of our neighbors. Children draw tokens and decide if they can help someone on the board. What a great conversation starter about empathy and feelings. 

Books

And of course, as I have said repeatedly, if you do nothing else, read books. There are countless options out there. I chose just a few that stand out. But if I were to give you one suggestion, it is to judge a book by it's cover. An odd request, especially in light of this post about diversity. Here is why: beyond the great books that encourage the conversation of diversity, sometimes it is as simple as just seeing faces that look different than ours. Our children need to have heroes and heroins that look like them and that look like their neighbors. A book about a black child from the inner city does not need to be a book about overcoming hardships. It could be a story about a Snowy Day, something children everywhere (except in Texas) might be able to relate to. So as you pick out books, look for diverse characters, judge that book by its cover, and begin to normalize the beautiful shades of color in our country for our children.

Be sure to add these to your personal library, or at the very least your library hold cue. 

Say Hello - This little girl love Ina neighborhood full of many different people speaking different languages, but they all speak the language of friendship.  

The Colors of Us - Skin color is a rainbow of shades, a great pairing with the multicultural crayons.

We're Different, We're the Same - Sesame Street has always done a nice job of showing diversity in their neighborhood. 

Whoever You Are - How children all over the world may look different but they all share similar ode experiences.  

The Sandwich Swap - This not only teaches a great lesson in respecting cultural differences, it also might remind your children to try new foods! 

I Love My Hair - Celebrate what makes us different as well as others.  

The Last Stop on Market Street - An award winning book of a boy with many questions about his world and the grandmother who is willing to open up his eyes.  

One Family - Families come on many different numbers and ways, but are all together as One.

Praying for Peace on Earth this Christmas, and let it begin with me.  

I'm with her.

This girl who dreams of being a doctor and a ballerina and a princess and a mommy.

Who firmly believes she can and will be all these things.

A girl with big goals and the confidence to make them happen.

This is a girl I want to stand behind.

I'm with her.

So to keep supporting these aspirations, I try to fill her world with creative play and learning that reflect this spirit.

Despite our best efforts to raise gender neutral children and girls who like trucks and dirt as much as the boys on the playground, these strong girls we are raising let their opinions be known, opinions that more often than not involve some combination of pink, twirly, and sparkly.

So don't fight it, I say. Line up the dolls, fill the closets with pink, don that sparkly crown. But ALSO don't don't leave out the important discussions around strength and confidence and initiative. She needs to hear that too.

Because I want every girl to know this world is big and there is room for all our dreams. They can dance around in a princess crown and engineer a trip into space all in the same afternoon.

Here are a few of my favorite gifts for raising strong girls with big dreams...

Star Exploration Lego Set

Here is an example of a building toy that does not need to be pink for a girl to enjoy it. Truth. However, I love how Lego company draws in a different audience, maybe one who prefers the aisles of pink and purple, thus inspiring a budding engineer and a star gazing explorer. This one is on our Christmas list this year. 

Lottie Doll

My snail loving girl's face lit up when she received this Fossil Hunter Doll from her aunt last birthday (see, Aunt's can be both cool AND nerdy!) A doll with hiking boots, a backpack, and tools. What more could you want. Or how about a stargazer? Maybe a pirate? These Lottie dolls are as darling as they are inspiring, just the right combo for your strong girl. Perfect for the little one who hasn't quite jumped into the world of Barbies. But if she has...

Career Barbie 

Mattel is so on point with their Barbies this year. Their line of Career dolls show our little girls that their life goals do not need to end at mall shopper, fashion model, or housewife. There is the pediatrician, the game developer, or my personal favorite the girl president and her girl running mate, pantsuits and all! Talk about dreaming big! 

Doc McStuffins Dress Up

Another great way to encourage big dreams is in dress up. Sure, princesses can be honorable, but so can doctors. I don't let a lot of characters make their way into our play space. But I love Doc McStuffins as a model for our children and this little doctor coat would be a perfect addition to the dress up box.

Goldiblocks Craft-struction Box 

The Goldiblocks line is a fantastic resource for encouraging girl engineers. Many of the kits are best for ages 6+ but this one is a good start for the younger crowd. It involves a bunch of different pieces encouraging imagination, planning, creative thought, and more. The possibilities are as big as they can dream.  

Books

It wouldn't be a Raise and Shine gift guide without a book line up too. This is usually my go to way of inspiring a young girl. Stories open up the imagination more than any other resource. But more importantly, it provides an outlet for discussion because we are reading together. Here are some of my favorites...

Rosie Revere still brings me to tears with the powerful message of never giving up in learning and creating. Ada Twist is the next book, and while it's not my favorite, a science loving girl will be inspired by a very similar message. ​

I fell in love with this book, Bloom, as soon as I began reading. Essentially a tiny little girl with an even tinier voice learns to take up space, speak up, and make a big mess, ultimately saving a crumbling kingdom. Even the font of the book changes as the meek little girl gets braver. It's a powerful message. Listen up ladies. This one is for you. Take up space. Be heard. Save the world. 

I came across two new to me books with a similar message at our local book store and I wanted to bring home immediately. In Stand Tall little Molly Lou's grandmother has some wise words about being exactly who you are. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun has a similar message. Have courage to be the unique you. That's the best dream to dream. 

These books come from a series called Ordinary People Change the World. There is no better message than that for raising strong girls. There really many to choose from but this collection of great female role models is an excellent way to teach our young growing little girls how to dream big.  

Finally, we can't leave out the princesses. Two favorites, Not all Princesses Dress in Pink and Paper Bag Princess. Because having dreams of being a princess is perfectly fine, as long as you don't mind just being exactly you and not needing anyone to rescue you but yourself.  

If my little girl grows up with those dreams, I'd say we did alright.