Happy Camper Essentials

We LOVE this lantern!  It is one of the most versatile toys that a boy could have.  In our house, it is used as a nightlight, for pretend camp outs and for evening walks.  Most of all, it makes a great camping accessory.  It has its own built in generator that is powered by the energy of winding up the crank, which lights up 5 LED lights.  It also has a compass on the top and a metal clip for hanging.  Pairing this lantern with the camp out cooking tools shown below would make a great summertime gift for any boy.

Click here to get the lantern and here to get the camping tools for your happy camper!

 To light the flame of inspiration and connect the boy in your life to the wonder of nature, the books shown below are recommended.
Click on this link to the right to read the descriptions of these books:  Camping Books

Barefoot Books

We love Barefoot Books at our house because they:

• Encourage creativity and spark the imagination.
• Are all printed on ancient-forest-friendly paper which is super important to our family!
• Have won esteemed awards.
• Are rooted in traditional stories which is a refreshing alternative to commercialized, character-driven books
• Introduce children to new cultures and global understanding with our multicultural tales
• Honor the spirit of child and the sacredness of the Earth.

Some of our favorite books from Barefoot are Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, The Barefoot Book of Blessings from Many Faiths and Cultures, The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales and The Sun in Me. Our family has enjoyed Barefoot Books so much that I became a Barefoot Ambassador.  If you'd like to check out some of the titles that I mentioned you can go to the Barefoot Books site or check them out on Amazon. 

Books of Love

My boys have always loved for me to read them stories at night.  They especially enjoy stories about LOVE.  I have selected some books that would be great for Valentine's Day or any day of the year!  Check out these books by clicking on the image.  We have Fill a Bucket: A Guide to Daily Happiness for the Young Child and it is just a wonderful story about how people "fill  invisible buckets" with love by doing kind things for one another.  It is a great way to encourage the boy in your life to be kind and compassionate to others and is a great resource as a reminder throughout the day, for example "Are you filling your brother's bucket by treating him this way?"  It allows boys of all ages to put a visual reminder to an abstract idea and it works for us :)

Lost in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy

Boys are inherently naturalistic. They love the outdoors, nature and animals. Animals have an amazing ability to teach children how to truly be compassionate, gentle and kind. Boys are wired to connect with essence of animals, so reading this book with him will be the perfect way to nurture his soul. Your boy will surely fall in love with this book as well as the real life photographs of animals in the woods!

Description of Book:
The forest is abuzz over a newborn fawn. Various creatures have spotted him and all are worried that he might be lost. Despite his assurance that he's just waiting for his mother, the animals chime in with comments and offers of help. She returns, time passes, and the fawn grows stronger. He sees other young animals maturing, and at the end of the story, he is big enough to go exploring with his mother. The slight, meandering plot serves mainly as a vehicle to introduce photos of the forest animals. The images are clear and detailed, and will be sure to draw admiration–especially the adorable close-up of the fawn that even shows his eyelashes. The photo of a tree frog camouflaged against the bark of a tree is another standout. At the end, readers are asked to find specific animals that appear in the pictures. This is not a good choice for a group read-aloud, because the visual details require a close look, but it would be nice for sharing one-on-one.

Click here to buy it: Lost In The Woods: A Photographic Fantasy

Family Centered Photo Album

This is the cutest baby/kid friendly photo album that I have ever seen. It is meant for younger children and babies...best suited for ages 3 and under. My youngest son received this for his 3rd birthday. It is perfect for children who are still in the stage of tearing up paper and pictures(this stage varies for every child). The most precious aspect of this little photo album is that shows your little boy how much of an important part of the family he is while also illustrating the importance of family.

Best of all, when he misses his grandma all he has to do is open this book. :)

Click this link to buy one for your little boy:
Gund My Family Photo Album

Nature Notebook

My oldest son enjoyed this notebook because it guided him to connect with nature in imaginative ways. This notebook spoke to his natural curiosity and wonderment of the world around him. I highly recommend this book for boys of all ages! The nature notebook includes:

A beautiful 16-page, spiralbound, full-color notebook that's chock-full of stunning nature photographs, info, and activities.

Paints, brushes, tissue paper, plain paper

5' tape measure

Glue stick, pipe cleaners, pencil

Journal pages to record observations and to create a field guide.


It is on sale right now for only $4.99. Click on the picture to buy one for a special boy in your life!