HOME & KITCHEN

Instant Pot DUO60 6-quart 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker

At least one component of dinner in my house is made in the Instant Pot nearly every single night of the week. Seriously. Stews, soups, whole chicken, yogurt, cheesecake(!), hardboiled eggs, rice, pasta dishes—everything. Despite the name, it’s not always “instant,” but it’s easy and doesn’t heat up the house. Already have a 6-quart? Get an 8-quart (we have one of each!). And if you’re looking for some help—whether how to get started or what to make—check out my wife, Monica’s Facebook group Under Pressure: Instant Pot Recipe Sharing.

Get yours here.

Stackable Egg Rack for Instant Pot

Eggs are good for you again! Protein, omega-3s, and tons of vitamins make them a great way to start your kids’ day or an easy snack. With this accessory, you can make hardboiled eggs in your Instant Pot in minutes—without having to heat up the kitchen with a pot of boiling water. This is a winner in my house.

Get one here.

Fruit & Veggie Cutter Shapes

Sure, you can sneak fruits & veggies into smoothies & sauces—but a better way to get your kids to eat healthy foods is to make it fun! When my kids were toddlers, one of the easiest ways to get them to chow down on cucumbers & more was to let them cut veggie slices into shapes. Fine motor development + healthy plants = WIN! Heck, my kids are much older now and still enjoy doing this from time to time…

Start eating more veggies by getting one here.

Sonos One Smart Speaker with Alexa

Why is a speaker on my list of Favorite Things? Besides the fact that music is an amazing learning tool for kids, this speaker connects to your wifi network and has incredible sound for the price. BETTER STILL—this speaker makes bedtime easier & everyone in my house happy. How? With the included Sonos app, your kids can make their own personalized playlists to play in any room of the house. For bedtime, we’ve created a “Time for Bed” playlist—we put it on when it’s time for bed, the kids recognize it when the first song comes on & know that they have to be dressed, brushed, and ready for bed by the time the last song is done. Lifesaver!

Find one here.

The Joshua Tree, by U2

Forget Kidz Bop! Introduce your kids to one of the greatest albums of all time. PRO TIP—My son used to fall asleep every time I’d play ‘Where the Streets Have No Name.’ Was I bummed that he’d sleep during one of my favorite songs? A little. Did I cherish having a go-to sleep tool that I enjoyed, too? Absolutely.

Get The Joshua Tree here.

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TOYS & GAMES

Magna-Tiles Clear Colors 100 Piece Set

$100 for a toy? Are you crazy?? No—absolutely not. Magna-Tiles have been played with EVERY SINGLE DAY in my house for at least 6 years (my kids are 9 & 12 and they still pull them out!). That’s a pretty excellent investment, if you ask me. Not only do my kids build with them, they’ve made creative designs with them and have even integrated them into play with other toys over the years. We love them so much, we bought a second set after the first two years to add to the mix. No other toy in my home has helped foster creativity, hand-eye-coordination, visuospatial skills, and teamwork more than Magna-Tiles. These are worth every single penny.

Get started on the fun here.

Boogie Board Jot 8.5-inch Writing Tablet

Kids (and adults!) can write on the screen with the included pen—and make no mess in the car, on the couch, on a plane… Erase with the simple push of a button. Think of the Boogie Board as a modern-day Etch-A-Sketch that lets you actually draw what you want. These are light and perfect for car trips or the airport.

Get one here.

Kinetic Sand Moldable Sensory Play Sand

Not only do my kids love this at home, my wife uses this with her preschool students to help them creatively develop fine motor skills. Put it in a sealable plastic box or on a baking pan to prevent a mess, then watch your kids enjoy the cool sensation on their fingers & build away!

Find Kinetic Sand here.

Perplexus Original Puzzle Toy

This visual, tactile puzzler is awesome. My kids can sit and focus on it forever—and I’ve found myself doing the same now and then. Nearly 2,000 5-star reviews can’t be wrong. Awesome for home and car rides.

Get the Perplexus here.

Hoberman Sphere

Want to teach an 18-month-old to take deep breaths to calm down? Or a 5-year-old how to focus on the breath to meditate? This is your tool. The Hoberman Sphere can be used as a visual + tactile tool to help kids learn to focus on their breath.

Watch this video to see how, then pick up your Hoberman Sphere here.

Catan Junior

This is one of our favorite games in my house. It’s simple to understand, and teaches kids about strategy, trading, and transactions. But unlike Monopoly, kids don’t lose interest halfway through (the “Ghost Captain” keeps things interesting!). A great intro to the world of Catan.

Dive in here.

Santorini

This is an awesome game that can be played very simply or made more complex as your kids get into it. We’ve even created our own house rules to expand upon the original game. Fun plus a great way to get familiar with the Greek gods & goddesses.

Get Santorini here.

Exploding Kittens Card Game

Silly, simple, fun. Not much in the way of education with this one, but not everything needs to be a learning experience! This little card game in a box comes with us on nearly every family trip we take.

Pick it up here.

Not Parent Approved: A Card Game for Kids, Families, and Mischief Makers

Outrageous card game that will have everyone in the family laughing! Think: Cards Against Humanity, but for the whole family. When I asked my kids what they wanted on this list, this was the first thing they thought of.

Laugh with your kids by getting this here.

Ravensburger’s Labyrinth Family Board Game

This game is awesome. Simple to learn, it encourages kids young & old to think ahead and strategize. After a while, I had to stop taking it easy on my son because he started beating me! Ninety percent of this game’s 1,500 reviews are 5-stars, and it deserves every one of them.

Dive into the labyrinth of fun here.

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BOOKS FOR KIDS

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg

I LOVE this book! We all make mistakes. People who live happy and—dare I say—accomplished lives know how to bounce back from a mistake or even turn it into something beautiful. This book for toddlers through elementary school-aged children is a wonderful way to illustrate that message to children.

Pick it up here.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – The Illustrated Edition, by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the gang are dear friends in my household. The Harry Potter series is filled with lessons about friendship, love, acceptance, right vs. wrong, and more—in an expertly crafted world that you wish you could experience in real life. The illustrated editions with gorgeous pictures by Jim Kay shed a whole new light on the Potter series & are an essential addition to the collection of your favorite Harry Potter fan.

Get this treasure here.

Big Life Journal

Growth Mindset. Resilience. Grit. These are hot topics right now in the worlds of parenting and education. Everyone wants to help kids develop them—but how? Big Life Journal is one of the best tools I’ve found to do son. Stories of real people + creative activities help your child develop a mindset for success at home, school, and beyond.

Get a copy for your child here.

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BOOKS FOR PARENTS

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.

If you have a daughter between the ages of 9 and 19, this book is REQUIRED reading. Our copy at home is full of dog ears, underlined passages, and notes in the margins. You’ll read it and lightbulbs will go off!

Pick this up here.

13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training Their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success, by Amy Morin

I’m not usually one to like lists of things NOT to do—they make parenting sound a narrow path filled with landmines. But Amy Morin’s parenting twist on her famous book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do is packed with keen insights into common missteps we all make, simple ways to prevent making them, and how to raise kind & resilient kids in the process. Top notch.

Get a copy here.

How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

This book has been recommended by guests of The Child Repair Guide—and by me—more than any other. Faber & Mazlish present ideas and tools you’ll find yourself using from toddlerhood on up into adulthood. An excellent read for every parent.

Get yours here.

Gmorning, Gnight: Little Pep Talks for Me & You, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, illustrated by Jonny Sun

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the lyrical genius behind Hamilton, has put together over 200 pages of positive, funny, and inspiring thoughts to start and end your day. My wife and daughter love to read this together each night. I’ve put it under “for parents” because there is occasional language here and there, but it’s great for tweens and teens, too. You can’t go wrong with Lin-Manuel!

Find a copy here.

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