a first birthday gift guide

every girl needs a birthday dress | every girl should wear red birthday shoes |
a good a bedtime story to read | something she wants to annoy mama

thankfully, we discovered very early on that babies don't need a lot of toys; marlo is just as happy with a cardboard box as she is with whatever may be inside of it. truth be told, she tends to prefer the box. and i'm a true believer that less is always more. unless we're talking about my collection of black skinny jeans which is just getting unnecessary and ridiculous. i pick my battles. oops.

during the holidays, i saw this very simple gift-giving mantra all over the internet and i thought it was so simple and sweet: when giving gifts to your kids, give them something they want, need, can wear, and read. genius, right?

i know that we will always battle the urge to give marlo her every whim and desire throughout the years, but we're also aware that we'd be creating an unbearable monster and setting her up for major disappointment down the road. and in a world where consumerism and excess is the norm, joe and i want to instill in her that being happiest with the littlest stuff will bring her the most true contentment in life.