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"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."~ Andy Rooney

Check out the Smoochie Baby Holiday Gift Guide for the best gifts for all ages, interests, and budgets! 

With school back in session, we’ve got books on the mind, and since very few things in life give us more joy than reading to young children, we decided to round up our top 5 favorite books right now for toddlers and preschoolers. As parents, we love finding books that not only delight our babies and toddlers but ones we will enjoy reading to them over and over and over again! The best books for young children are entertaining, have engaging pictures, and encourage a life-long love of reading in your budding book lover.  Check out our top 5 favorite new books for young children and see if any of your family favorites made the list.

NY is for New York 

This delightful read is a great children’s book that can double as a tourist guide for New York.  It walks you through the big apple from A to Z. The artwork in the book is colorful and bright as it showcases iconic buildings like The Chrysler building and Rockefeller Center. It highlights landmarks in all 5 boroughs catching the essence and energy of the city! A must have for every New York City kid’s library.

The Story of Rap/ The Story of Rock 

The best time to influence your children’s musical taste is before age 10, according to a recent study by music streaming service Deezer. Get started early with one of these awesome board books. Their colorful illustrations give  a short playful intro to the most iconic artists of each genre sure to delight the youngest of music lovers. This board book will be a great addition to your library and a fun way to teach the history of Rap or Rock!

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My Art Book of Sleep

A bedtime story book about sleep? Yes please! This gorgeous, luxurious-feeling book for toddlers and preschoolers contains 35 full-page artworks from a variety of periods that feature sleep in all its forms – from naptime to bedtime, dreaming to waking, sunsets to night skies – accompanied by a brief, tender, read-aloud text. This book definitely makes reading at bedtime a work of art!

Cookies! Cook in a Book

Does your little one love to be in the kitchen with you when you're cooking? Then this is the book for you! Bake cookies from scratch inside this interactive recipe book - sift flour, whisk the sugar, crack the egg, pour the chocolate chips, and more! Simple yet factual recipe text takes young readers through the steps of baking cookies. One hundred percent adult-free, danger-free, and mess-free - baking cookies has never been so independent! 

I ♥ Science

Introducing curiosity to your young one can never start too early. I ♥ Science is a great way to celebrate just that. This book has everything your budding scientist could want ranging from flap-lifts, pull tabs and spinning wheels to feed their young and curious minds. It is an easy to read book with amazing illustrations to spark your child's imagination and get them understanding science early! 

August is drawing to an end and we all know what that means...SCHOOL!!  Back to school time always brings a mix of emotions. Sadness that summer is over mixed with the great anticipation of seeing friends after the long break. If you were like us, picking the right outfit for the first day back to school was a really big deal! Certainly, things look a bit different this year as state officials are still trying to figure out the safest way to get our kids back to learning. Will they go back in person or online? Whatever they decide, looking good will be just as important and we are here to help you prep with our top 5 essentials to rock this “new” school year! 

Topping the list of back to school essentials is a good bookbag! From holding your folders, crayons, pencils, and lunch to a necessary change of clothes bookbags are an absolute necessity. Our favorite brand for fun and stylish book bags is Parkland. A Vancouver, Canada-based company with a vision to create exceptional products that have a positive impact on the environment by using recycled plastic.  Their products are not only durable, but their prints are stellar, and we carry a variety of sizes for daycare to elementary school-aged children. 

Loungewear has quickly climbed the ranks for our go-to outfits because of the lockdown. Joggers and leggings are great not only because they are super comfy and easy but because they’re also trendy. They are effortless for both virtual and in-class learning. Then of course we can’t neglect the importance of having the perfect pair of jeans to complement your little one’s ensemble. DL1961 jeans are amazing for kids. Thanks to their 4-way stretch, they are flexible and soft and they keep their shape wear after wear. Shop both looks effortlessly here to have your smooch looking good in class and virtually!

The most recent addition to the back-to-school list, and our lives, are masks. Whether your child is going into school a few days a week or accompanying you to the grocery store, you’ll want to get them a cool mask to help keep them and everyone around them safe. The mask must be comfortable and properly fitting so your smooch has no problem keeping it on throughout the day. Bobo Choses masks have been amazingly constructed. We have 5 of their prints at Smoochie Baby and each one is sure to put a smile on little faces. The mask comes with 3 filters and has an amazing ‘buy one give one’ program associated with it to donate a mask to families in need. 

A cardigan, bomber, or jacket are very important as we transition into cooler fall weather. They also work perfectly for layering and adding that extra flair to your little one’s outfit. Jackets will always be a back-to-school staple because they are perfect for in-between autumn and spring weather and a cozy cardigan will be perfect for the remote learner at home. 

Topping our list for the most important back-to-school item is a solid pair of sneakers.  Shoes are the anchor of any outfit and you need to make sure your little one is armed with a pair that is both stylish and comfortable. We’ve got both bases covered with the best back to school shoes for 2020. Cienta’s are easy slip-on and timeless sneakers that come in a rainbow of colors that are just right for the season. Cienta's are also a great option if your child’s school requires an “indoor shoe”. Next on our list of the best back to school sneakers for 2020 are from Veja, the very on-trend French brand that’s easy to wear with any outfit and wins top marks for style. This sneaker brand is known for its eco-friendly range. Their sneakers are designed using raw materials from organic farms and developed in a way to prevent pollution or the use of chemicals in production. Shop our range of options online and if you need guidance on sizing feel free to call us or stop in.