{ Essie Clambake Polish }

I go to the nail salon only when absolutely, positively, horrifyingly necessary. It's just not my favorite thing to do; it takes so freaking long. And it's expensive, especially if you get gel pedicures (which I do so as to lengthen the amount of time that passes before I have to make a return trip). And there is always the possibility certainty that I will fall asleep leaning back in my chair with my mouth hanging open and start snoring, because parenthood has turned me into a borderline narcoleptic. But after our Ohio week, my nails were an actual emergency situation, so on Saturday I asked Kendrick if he minded watching the kids for a couple of hours while I ran off to make them less frightening and gollum-ish.

And then Kendrick said one of my favorite things I've ever heard him say:

When my parents visited over the weekend we drove over to one of my favorite local spots, a little used bookstore in Campbell with a great kids' section. I got all excited about a bunch of books and started to buy a whole stack of them "to read over the holidays," and then remembered that I have two children and put back all but one (the Stephen King, obvs). There's always the chance that Goldie will fall asleep on the flight to Ohio and let me get through a few chapters (ha hahahahahahah).

But MAN am I excited about the books that are out right now. So I thought I'd put up a list of some recent favorites and a few I'm looking forward to reading...someday. And if you have any suggestions, I'd love love love to hear them!

Recent Favorites:

There are three things that I require. All are completely non-optional.

{ Something To Wear }

The first is a new pair of pajamas. I ask for new pjs ever year - oversized and cozy and old man-ish and zero sexy, please and thanks - and every year I try to manipulate the present-opening process so that I can get my hands on the box that I suspect holds said pajamas first. And then I change into them, and wander around in my brand-new pajamas all day long. It is wonderful.

{ Magic. (Follow on Instagram @ramshackleglam) }

 Hahahahahaha best desk accessory EVER.

 I was just hunting around in my archives in search of a cookies-for-Santa recipe, and went down a wormhole of completely bizarre posts that I put up back in the day. How To Make the Perfect Snowball, anyone? ...Anyone? ...No? Sigh.

This little bug hasn't gotten in a lot of air travel yet - we thought we'd hold off until she reached the iPad-as-sedative age - but all that's about to change! In the coming year, we have lots and lots of plans for family travel, including a trip to New York for my dad's 70th birthday, a trip to Ohio to see Kendrick's family, and hopefully a trip to somewhere involving a lobster roll and a lounge chair and silence.

I've partnered up with Alamo for the second year in a row, so I'm going to be blogging about all our family travel experiences - along with ideas for how to make the whole experience not just "doable," but awesome (really) - over here. If there’s anything in particular relating to family travel that you especially want to see – any questions, suggestions, or just stuff you enjoy and want more of – let me know??

P.S. If you missed my Alamo posts last year, some snippets: