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Welcome to the Small Steps Series. This series is where you can find a simple system for building your home, one small step at a time. It is where you can have access to a new resource each month to help make a small step towards a more cohesive interior to your home, a small step in homemaking so your interior decorating can actually shine, and a small step towards making a home that is intentional, beautiful, and yours.
Each month, you can find a PDF download on my website for $5. That is about 16 cents a day for a home that is more manageable, more beautiful, and more cozy, all reasonable systems that I use in my home, with three kids ages three and under.
If you sign up for a Paid Subscription on my Substack - each month I will reveal a discount code to get that month’s download FREE. So sign up below!
I don’t know about y’all, but I am very excited for Christmas. Having little kiddos and seeing the joy and excitement of Christmas has really re-awakened my own childlike joy around the season, and I love finding little ways to make Advent and Christmas special.
As far as gifts go, my kiddos are not really aware of the popular culture characters or the latest and greatest toys just yet. I know that season won’t last forever, but for now, I am enjoying their excitement over the more simple things, and less obsession about the popular characters.
So that is how this gift guide will be different - I don’t know or care what the world says are the “hottest gifts for 2026 Christmas” because that isn’t my focus.
Finding gift ideas for everyone can be a challenge, but here are a few flexible gift ideas that we really love around here!
Magnet Board: We got this magnet board for the kiddos last year for Christmas and it has been a hit all year. We have lots of magnet options, like animals, dinosaurs, construction magnet puzzles, and dino puzzles. We also have color sorting, and I am hoping to get some alphabet magnets too. I love this because it keeps the magnets off the refrigerator (which is nice when I want them occupied and I am making several trips to the refrigerator during dinner prep) and it also gives them dedicated space to play that is on a vertical surface, not another toy that takes up square footage. We also have these bins on the wall underneath it to store the magnets, with a basket in the closet for overflow or swapping out sets. For older kids, there is this marble magnetic set too that I would love to try someday! The flexibility, potential for it to be a dry-erase board later on, and possibilities with Magna-tiles, magnet people, and more, just make this as favorite for me.
Large Coloring Pages/Kraft Roll: There is something magical about having an oversized space to color. I really enjoy these coloring books from Melissa and Doug that have larger than normal coloring pages. Another great coloring gift is simply a big roll of kraft paper. We have rolled out a big piece that fills the hallway or living room and colored dinosaurs, traced a toddler outline and colored it in for a life-sized person drawing, taped markers to the backs of trucks and driven them around leaving a marker trail behind. We have also covered the pages in stickers and had all sorts of fun. It’s simple, it’s exciting for the kids, and it’s easy to clean up and recycle or re-use.
Board Games: Some of my favorite memories from childhood are our family board game nights. I remember playing Monopoly, Catan, and Clue with my family when my brothers and I were pre-teens and teens. We got competitive, we laughed, and giggled, and it was just such a joy. I honestly cannot wait for those days with my kiddos, and we have started collecting a few games that even my 4 and 2 year old can play (with a lot of guidance and patience, of course!). Candyland, Let’s Go Fishing, Go Fish, and The Floor is Lava have been a few favorites here. Someday, we will dive into the more intricate games, but it’s always a great alternative to screen time!
While these ideas might not be universally appealing, I hope it gives some ideas for gifts that are a little different, and a little more long-lasting.
This month is the Simple Steps Series for November - and to make your gift discernment a little easier, for paid subscribers I have created a “Gift Guide” that you can print off for each of your kiddos. This isn’t a gift suggestion guide per say, but it is a template you can use for each of your kiddos to prepare gift ideas, and/or share with family members that want to give thoughtful gifts as well!
Small steps towards a cleaner home. Small steps towards a healthier home. Just as my sweet children are taking small steps, learning to run, I am taking small steps in my motherhood. Small steps towards making a home that is intentional, beautiful, and ours.
If the monthly subscription isn’t something that is accessible to your budget right now, no worries, I get it! Every monthly PDF will be uploaded to the Shop on my Space Stylists & Co. website, so you can pop on over and just get whichever downloads you need without the monthly commitment.
I hope this resource is helpful - don’t use it as a comparison metric, or another layer of pressure to your life. It’s a Small Step - and when you put a bunch of those together - progress follows.
If you are a paid Substack subscriber, you will see your free download code available below:
Free Download Code for The Toy Edit: 93JTD6B
