We loved celebrating our newly minted teenager yesterday! My mind is still spinning a bit that we now have TWO teens at home. How in the world did this happen? K is pretty easy to please and has simple interests, … Read More
We loved celebrating our new 8 year old yesterday! I started my account and blog a year or so after he was born since we were using the paternity leave Dan received (a first for us!) to visit Europe and … Read More
There’s almost nothing I loathe more than realizing a kid has a birthday party to attend that afternoon and being stressed to run around to a shop while trying to manage a busy day. Years ago, I decided to purchase … Read More
Another year, another reminder to please try to be thoughtful in your purchases and not just buy because things are on sale! Like many of you, we try to focus on experiences over things, but there are certain items that … Read More
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Paris with kids, without, and in every season. Every visit to Paris is magic AND there was something extra special about having a spring girls’ trip to Paris. If you’re looking for a more … Read More
I remember the first few trips traveling with kids and wondering how anyone possibly manages all the kids and all the needs and all the STUFF. There’s a lot, lol. But everyone’s right that it really does get easier with … Read More
We have a family tradition of birthday trips at certain ages. You can read more about this tradition here. Recently I took K to Athens for her 12th birthday. And this year, I got to take T to Japan! Japan … Read More
These are our favorite, tried-and-true travel gear and home life items that have stood the test of time. With 8 people in our home or when we travel, we try to only purchase items that are really worth their cost … Read More
Olive pants are one of my favorite staples for all seasons! (Here’s some fall travel outfit inspiration with them.) I love that the color feels earthy but more interesting than jeans, and they’re WAY more travel friendly because they’re not … Read More
The Isle of Skye is absolutely stunning and has a great mix of outdoor adventures and peaceful escapes that make for the perfect family vacation for all ages. Kids can explore tide pools, run through open landscapes, and look for … Read More
Dan and I have had a trip to the Azores high on our bucket list for ages, so I was surprised and delighted when Dan gifted me a trip for the two of us (thanks to some lovely friends babysitting, … Read More
We absolutely love Paris! We’ve traveled with and without kids, for short trips and longer, and every time it’s magical. We have had a wonderful experience every time we’ve gone, despite it not typically being known as a family travel … Read More
We loved celebrating our newly minted teenager yesterday! My mind is still spinning a bit that we now have TWO teens at home. How in the world did this happen?
K is pretty easy to please and has simple interests, so it’s always really fun picking out a few special things for her. We spent her birthday day having a special breakfast before school (yorkshire puddings with whipped cream, the perfect British/American combo that I’m sure would horrify most people who live here haha), having a special family dinner at home (she chose Vietnamese food from our favorite little restaurant), opening cards and gifts, having chocolate chip cookies, and watching some Great British Bake Off. It was a lovely, low-key day and we’re excited to continue celebrating with a couple of different friend hangouts.
In addition to the darling cards and sweets that her siblings gave her, here are some of the presents we got K that she loved opening over dinner.
For nearly a year now, K has been mentioning how much she’d like to learn the harp. And for the last 6 or so months, she’s been soooo keen to do this, even going so far as to tell us she would be happy to not have any other gifts at all until she turned 18 if she could just do this.
I was pretty resistant at first because a) she already plays two instruments (violin and piano) and the sheer practice time would be overwhelming (though she did say she’d be happy to give up the piano in favor of harp) and b) because it felt expensive, difficult to arrange, and really hard to find an instrument.
But then in the week before her birthday, not one but TWO different things happened that made me think maybe we could make it happen. First, we heard about an Irish Center that offers virtual harp lessons, and then I found out one of K’s good friends’ grandpa plays the harp – which saw through the window of their house when picking her up (K didn’t even know this!). He’s well connected to the harp community and knows some teachers, so it felt like we could get that bit sorted. So now we’re working on figuring out an instrument, but we have a few months – K is committed to piano lessons through the end of the calendar year, so we told her she could start harp lessons in January.
I’m so glad we recorded her expression when she opened the card that told her this would be happening – the shock and delight were so sweet. I’m glad she’s so excited!
K has been quite into rock climbing the last year or two (and climbing in general for years – she is ALWAYS high up a tree anytime we’re at the park and all the school mums just know to expect her there now) and requested these cute climbing carabiner earrings. She saw them at our local rock climbing gym but they were out of stock, so we ordered them from the maker here. These are similar.
I always gift my kids a book for their birthdays, Christmas, and Easter – I hope that by the time they’re adults, they’ll have their own little special little collection of books chosen just for them that they can take with them when they leave home.
K is a voracious reader and starting to move into slightly older books with some romance elements. She recently asked to read Pride & Prejudice, which I was of course thrilled about, so I got her a beautiful copy (I love the Puffin in Bloom x Rifle Paper Company covers!). Also available from Target, Walmart, Bookshop.
I’ve had this puzzle book in the back of my mind for ages, and I think K will have a great time with it. It’s wildly popular with fantastic reviews! Also available at Target, Walmart, Bookshop.
K has been growing like crazy (she’s a touch taller than me now!) and has been asking for a new church outfit or two, plus some basic shirts. In the last year, we’ve gotten 95% of the kids’ clothes via the Vinted app for secondhand items, which I love – it makes me happy to give new life to things and not add to landfills, plus it’s way cheaper. Still, it’s a bit harder to find a few basics in good condition, especially for K’s long and lean body type. So I grabbed her a floral maxi skirt, a dress, and a few t-shirts and casual tops. She was honestly so sweet and excited to have a few new clothes – absolutely nothing fancy but she was really happy. 🙂
I also grabbed her a cute flower hair claw that’s gold with pearl petals – super pretty and she was really excited about this one, too. (Here’s a similar one, as is this one.)
My sister and her family sent K a gift card to Daunt Books, a super lovely bookshop near us. She’s very excited to be able to choose her own book soon!
We loved celebrating sweet 13 year old! And hope these help if you have a kiddo this age, too. Do you have any favorite 13 year old birthday gifts for girls or boys? I’d love to hear all your teen gift ideas!
