Father’s Day is right around the corner! Here are some ideas I gathered together. Don’t forget to check out last year’s gift guide as well. Filled with even more ideas!
(clicking on most of the images above will take you directly to shop!)
Another idea that isn’t included in this guide is an Anthros chair! I got Will one for Christmas and it has truly changed his life with his posture. I am actually sitting in it as I type this and it truly is incredible. Click on this link for $100 off!
Tecovas Hat – love this hat… especially for summer!
Rangefinder for Golf – Will just ordered this for his latest golf trip and said he loved it
Yeti Cooler – if you use a cooler all the time, might as well have a nice one! I love anything Yeti
Yeti Beach Chair – we have these… I know they’re pricey, but every time my dad sits on these he compliments them and says he’s obsesed with them, so we’re getting them for him this year!
Coconu – like I said on the Valentine’s gift guide… trust me on this one! Our favorite thing for the bedroom. OLIVIA15 should still work for a discount code too!
Ego Wet/Dry Vac – we both use this ALL THE TIME! All of our yardwork tools are Ego so we have the recharchable batteries and this is soo nice to vacuum up leaves, dirt etc. rather than just blow it (because most of the time it just blows right back)
&Collar Shirts – Will wears these ALL THE TIME! They don’t wrinkle which is an absolute gamechanger and he loves them so much. Use code OLIVIABETH15!
Ninja Creami/Swirl – Will is the biggest, best salesman for this! He is ice cream obsessed and uses it all the time. Would make an incredible gift!
And one last idea for your husband! I love Mentionables so so much for any intimates and have a code for them too! Use code OLIVIABETH for a discount!
Oh, and Clean Mobile Car Detailing if you are local! They clean our car once a month and I cannot recommend them enough. Will always loves when they clean his car and this is what I did for dad last year for Father’s Day. Use code UTAHGRUBS for a discount code when booking!
I have really wanted to travel to Charleston for a while now, and I am so glad I made it happen. I was really toying with the idea and then kept saying no because of having to figure out someone to watch the kids, having Will adjust his work schedule, checking Penelope out of school, the current state of the economy… it all just felt like too much!
However, one day I was scrolling Instagram and saw Elise’s husband post this on her Instagram account(Elise passed away after a tragic car accident in Mexico in March), and they encouraged people to just #takethetrip if they’re ever able to. Timing will never feel perfect… so if you’re able to, just do it! I immediately felt inspired to take the time to book it and plan it and decided I was going to take my daughter Penelope with me!
I am actually going to lay out this blog post with what we did day by day because I personally think it was the perfect itinerary! People are saying on my TikTok videos that there’s no way I packed in this much in a day with traffic, etc., but I did! We didn’t encounter much traffic, however, that could depend on the time of year you’re going, weekend vs. weekday, etc. We traveled Tuesday-Friday (cheaper flights that way) and didn’t encounter terrible traffic! We also went May 6-9, and I felt as though the weather was absolutely incredible. I am not saying you need to follow this itinerary but it will be helpful to see how we did it!
To start, here is a Charleston Recommendation Spreadsheetfilled with people’s recommendations when I asked on my Instagram account. I also added all of them to this Google Maps saved list, which you can view (and possibly duplicate and add your own?)
The spreadsheet has the top hotel recommendations, but we stayed at The Dewberry, and oh my goodness, it was such a beautiful hotel. Truly, every corner was immaculate, and I loved the entire vibe. If you don’t want to rent a car, the Dewberry has complimentary Volvos you can use (first come, first serve) for three hours at a time. However, I found renting a car to be worth it to minimize the risk of not having a car/not getting back in time, etc.
Day 1
We landed in Charleston around 2 pm and drove to check into our hotel, and then headed out to King Street to start exploring. King Street is absolutely incredible! There are so many shops everywhere you look and I could’ve easily spent an entire day there.
After walking around for an hour to two, we drove up to Leon’s Oyster Shop for dinner. We ordered the fried chicken and shrimp roll as well as Root Beer and milkshake. A perfect welcome to Lowcountry!
After dinner, we drove down to The Battery at sunset, which was so beautiful. The homes around that area are absolutely incredible as well!
Day 2
On day two, we woke up, grabbed some Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits, and drove out to Cypress Gardens. It opens at 9 AM, so we were the first ones there and were first to get a rowboat. The grounds are beautiful, so even if you have to wait a little bit, you will be just fine.
Rowing around the trees was a bucket list item for me! It’s the same place where they filmed The Notebook, and it was truly magical. There are alligators in the water, however, the workers told me to be fearful of crocodiles, not alligators, which calmed me… a little bit.
We didn’t do much else at Cypress Gardens (the butterfly museum was a tad underwhelming), so we hopped back into the car and headed towards Isle of Palm Beach. After we swam for a bit, we headed back to the hotel to shower and change, and headed back out to Mount Pleasant to see Post House and the shops next to it. We didn’t eat at Post House, but I’ve heard it is really good! The shops next to it were fun as well and I loved their jewelry. Penelope grabbed a scoop of ice cream at the pharmacy.
After those shops, we headed over to Sullivan’s Island and walked to look at the beach, and then had reservations at The Obstinate Daughter. This was my favorite meal of the entire trip, and one you need to make a reservation for! I made our reservations two weeks in advance on Resy.
After dinner, we drove back to Charleston and parked by Rainbow Row(iconic) and walked around those streets (Broad, Tradd, Meeting etc.), which was fun to get a lay of the land. We also went to see the famous Pineapple Fountain over by the water, which was fun to walk over there as well!
Day 3
A recommendation I received a lot from people was to go see Kiawah Island. I was a little confused because most people said it was for members/residents only, but I drove over in the morning and told the gate person I was there to see The Sanctuar,y and they let me through. I know that you can also eat at Jasmine’s Porch, etc., and get through by dining there, and I wish we did that for breakfast! We just grabbed some acai bowls on our way out first thing in the morning.
The grounds were incredible and really neat to see and then we drove over to the public access beach which should be accessible here. It cost us $15 to park, but it was a fun beach to lay out at swim. These waves would be so perfect for babies and kids!
After we were done at the beach, we headed back into Charleston and ate at Lewis BBQ. This restaurant came very highly recommended, and we both LOVED it! Order the banana pudding to finish off your meal and thank me later. Close by is Hart Jewelry(if you want to make your own necklace!) and then go into the antique store next-door. So many treasures!
After our late lunch, we went back to the hotel and showered, and relaxed for a bit before heading back to walk the upper half of King Street and make our way over to dinner. We ate a Brasserie La Banque and thought it was such an enjoyable meal to end our trip with. We, of course, had to end our night with some Jeni’s Ice Cream as well! The Brambleberry is life.
Day 4
On our last day we woke up at headed over to Welton’s Tiny Bakeshop to grab some pastries and I wish I could’ve ordered one of everything! We tried the chocolate croissant and a breakfast biscuit sandwich and both were really delicious.
After breakfast, we drove down into the area South of Bread to walk and see all of the cute houses before heading back to the hotel to shower, change, and pack for our travel day back home.
On our way to the airport, we took a detour to Coastal Crust pizza and wow… if you are looking for delicious pizza while down there, go to Coastal Crust in Mount Pleasant!
I know we did not get around to doing everything but I thought it was such a wonderful trip and highly recommend Charleston for a vacation of any kind!
Things we didn’t get around to doing that people recommended are all in the spreadsheet but I do wish we went to Magnolia Plantations and Garden, Boone Plantation, and if I didn’t have my daughter with me the candle making classes at Candlefish looked really fun!
As far as tours go, a lot of people recommended the carriage rides (I for some reason can’t do these because I feel bad for the horses) and the Walking Sisters Tour.
Since Easter was so late this year, I feel like Mother’s Day really creeped up on me! I had so much fun putting together this guide of things I think most moms would love (I would be THRILLED with any of these presents!) and I hope you love it!
Clicking on most images below will take you directly to shop!
Tkees Flip Flops – I love these! Size up an entire size from their regular shoe size. I actually size up 2!
Pearl + gold earrings – aren’t these so beautiful? I don’t have my ears pierced… but if I did, these would be tip top of my life!
Sharing some of my favorite picks for a little girls Easter basket this year! I would pick pretty much any of these for both my (almost) 7-year-old and 2-year-old!
All images below are clickable besides the Petite Moss & L’Amour Shoes*
It’s almost VALENTINE’S DAY! Here are some ideas for yourself, your husband, or the kids in your life! Feel free to forward this to your loved one too 🙂
In February of 2024, I welcomed two twin baby girls into our family as number four and five! I already had a good idea of favorite baby items that we used with our first three however, there are some new baby items we used specifically for twins that I believe made a big difference in helping us survive!
If you are pregnant with twins, welcome! I am so, so excited for you. I know you might be overwhelmed but I promise twins will be the biggest blessing in your life and it truly is magical to watch them interact and play with each other already. It is a bond like I’ve never experienced before!
My favorite glider is hands down this Oilo Glider (I have the Flynn!)
CLICKING ON ANY ITEM BELOW WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO SHOP!
Play:
Twin Z Pillow – this is a must-have and a game-changer with twins. Almost every single twin mom I talked to told me to get this pillow! It was so incredible to prop them on it especially while I changed another one’s diaper etc. Perfect to use until they can sit on their own.
Zoe Twin Double Stroller – we LOVE our Zoe Strollers so much! We’ve used them since we had only two kids and it’s really so incredible. Use this link for an automatic discount code on your Zoe purchase!
Baby Bjorn bouncer – these also really saved me to set the twins in while I cooked dinner, helped my other kids, etc. They loved sitting in them and I preferred these over a swing, etc. They also pack up so slim and we even took them with us to the beach!
Bumbo – once they gain more head control, we loved setting them in the Bumbo while they ate their first solids, pouches etc. Perfect to have in the kitchen once they start outgrowing the bouncer and want to sit up to see more, etc.
Uppababy Vista Stroller – we had this stroller with all five kids and found it grew with our family really well. Purchase these adapters for the second seat and then the piggyback for when/if you ever have three kids!
Car seat cover – not a ‘must’, but I really liked these car seat covers for when we ventured out for doctor appointments, etc. to help them not be so exposed.
Sleeping:
Halo Twin Double Bassinest – another ‘must’ for me! This is what they slept in from the time they came home from the NICU until we moved them into their own bedroom.
Bassinest sheets – I purchased these sheets because they seemed softer/better than the ones the Halo came with
Sleepea swaddle – our favorite swaddle we used with even our first!
Sound machine – we currently own four of these exact same sound machines. I used to use the Hatch ones but every single one we’ve ever owned has broken! These are reliable and can give a soft sound to help soothe your babies/help them sleep longer
Feeding:
Spectra Pump – I pumped for 7 months with my twins and loved this pump. I had the pink one (non-portable) and really wish I had the one that was linked! I would’ve loved being able to pump while I did my hair, etc. but felt tied to an outlet. I highly suggest portable, especially if you have other kids prior to your twins!
Baby Brezza – people have strong opinions about the Baby Brezza but I am here to say I absolutely LOVED it. I would only use it for the ‘water only’ setting if I had to! The water came out a great temperature and I also only used purified water and believe this saved us sooo much time. I really do!
Organic Pumping Spray – I would spray this directly on my pump flanges and it helped a ton
Frida Nipple Balm – I used this at the beginning when I was really engorged and it helped with cracking
Kindred Bravely Pumping Bra – could NOT HAVE survived the pumping without this bra. Helped me be hands free so I could work/text people back, etc. WHILE pumping! I bought two so I always had a clean one
Breastmilk Pumping Bags – these were great to store breastmilk in. I love that there’s an icon that turns colors so you know when it’s a reasonable temperature
Elvie breast pump – if you’re on the go or a working mom, etc. These are fabulous to stick in your bra!
Medela Manual Hand Pump – I used this with all five kids and LOVE it!!! I would have it in my purse always just in case and felt like I could get soo much milk out
Nuk Simply Natural Bottles – the girls struggled taking bottles in the NICU so I ran to Target and bought these and they guzzled them down! Very similar to a nipple for the babies and we stuck with them until they were one!
Bobbie Formula – if you’re looking for a formula, we did a lot of research and all really loved Bobbie. I loved their company as a whole as well. Very transparent pricing, helped provide formula to displaced families from the LA fires, etc. All around an incredible company that I was glad to support.
Drying Rack – we had this in our bathroom when the twins were newborns because you will go through soooo many bottles!
Sunflower Lecithin – I felt like these really helped increase my milk supply
Multivitamin Drops – we added these drops to the girls milk the first three months or so
Muslin burp cloths – my favorite burp cloths I used with all five of my kids
Tub time:
Angelcare Tub – used this with all five of my kids. Be careful with twins! Make sure you face the tubs towards each other because one twins foot was caught behind the other one. So face them towards each other when you bathe them!
Muslin Bath Towels – we did swaddle baths when they were newborns. So I’d wrap them in these bath towels, set them in the tub and pour water on them so they stayed warm. Ugh, take me back!
Tubby Todd Set – Tubby Todd was a lifesaver with all five of my kids. Their products have great ingredients and their All Over Ointment is an actual miracle worker!!!! You can get 10% off your Tubby Todd order with this link!
The last thing you might be curious about is what baby carrier we used. I personally never used a double/twin baby carrier but I’ve heard there are great ones out there! If we were ever out and about, I had my husband put a twin in a carrier so we each had one, and it always worked great. I used the Artipoppe with my last three kids and loved it SO much. Another great carrier is Mabe. You’ll get a discount for a Mabe carrier through this link.
Good luck! Twin world is a beautiful one and I’m so excited you get to experience it with me.
If you need last-minute gift ideas, look no further! These are all products tried & true by me! I would be thrilled if received any of these gifts and I also have ideas on the bottom half for men and kids!
Clicking on any image below will take you directly to shop!
Baby Crinkle Book – our twins have these books and they love playing with them while we are driving in the car
Activity Walker – I bought this for the twins and yes, imagining them walking with it is bringing me to tears thank you very much
Bracelet Making Set – Penelope is very much so in her bracelet era! So fun to do with friends too
Disney UNO – we played this once at my in-laws and I’m so excited to give it to Penelope on Christmas! UNO is her favorite game and we loved this version
Personalized fanny pack – Penelope gave this to her friend for her birthday and she loved it! Would make a darling gift for a niece, etc.
