My "gift guide for her" is essentially my winter wish list, because let's be honest, who doesn't put gift guides together with themselves in mind? Here are a few of the things I'd really like, from big to small. Not pictured but also highly desired: a nice long massage. I'm seriously debating using up the rest of my HSA to "gift" myself one.

1. Full frame camera: This would be my big-ticket item, no question. Our current camera has served us well, but a full frame would make such a big difference for interior photos...and this one is WiFi-enabled so you can send camera photos straight to your phone! #instagramgamechanger

2. Classic puffy coat: A quality coat to keep me warm this winter, in black so I can wear it with every outfit.

3. Agate bookends: During our road trip, I found a set of pink agate bookends at a random store in New Mexico for $15, and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't get them...

4. Cute leggings: To inspire me to work out, or (let's be honest) just for lounging. I keep hearing good things about this brand, have you tried it?

5. Straightening hair brush: It takes me close to an hour to straighten my hair (so I pretty much never do). But I'm intrigued by these multi-tasking straightening brushes. Could they make the process quicker and more efficient? This one has lots of good reviews and is under $40, so it might be worth a try.

6. Mercury glass tealights: For a smaller stocking stuffer item, I love these mercury glass tealight holders. I already have a few, but you can never have too many!

What are you hoping to get this year?

One of these years, I'm going to be really on top of it and have a bunch of gift guides ready to publish the first week of December...you know, for the crafter, the baker, the candlestick-maker, and everyone else on your list. However, this is not that year. I was starting to feel like I was too late to post gift guides at all (is it just me or did it seem like "the holiday season" started extra early this year??) but since I already have lists going for Ben, myself, and Ian, I decided to do three posts--him, her, and baby. Hopefully these will give you some gift ideas that you haven't already seen...and if not, they can at least serve as wish lists for us to refer to. Today's gift guide is for "him"...in other words, a bunch of stuff that Ben would really like, or that he's recently received and given his stamp of approval.

1. Zoom lens: This would be Ben's big-ticket item. He's really been wanting a zoom lens for outdoor photography.

2. Drone with video: Actually, maybe this would be his big-ticket item. A high flying drone (with great reviews) that can also shoot quality video.

3. Leather messenger bag: Because right now he's using a backpack for work.

4. Inspiring travel photography book: I already got him this book by his favorite photographer (he loves it), as well as the kid's book to for Ian so they can be all father-son matchy-matchy.

5. Handmade ceramic mug: Ben really likes mugs that are inverted at the top ("the coffee stays hot longer!") and this one also happens to be super cute.

6. Beard oil: Lastly, a smaller item (that would make a great stocking stuffer!) so he can kiss Ian's cheeks without scratching them and so he can smell like sandalwood all day.

What are some other gifts that have been hits with the men in your life? I'm always gathering ideas!

Happy December! I'm excited to show you guys Desenio, one of the best sources for inexpensive and stylish art that I've found. They're a Swedish company that sells beautiful Scandinavian prints, and they just started shipping to the US, Canada, Australia and all throughout Europe. Woohoo! I picked up a darling illustrated map for Ian...and if there was more wall space in his room, I would have definitely gotten more of their super-sweet kid's posters. We're actually running out of wall space throughout the entire house, so another idea I had was to switch out artwork seasonally. After all, it stores flat so it would be easy to do. My living room gallery wall has more of a spring/summer feel, and though I still love it (two years later and I haven't changed it at all!), around this time of year it doesn't really "match" the rest of the decor. I was thinking I could switch out the beach scenes for forests, add a family photo of us in the snow, and switch out the sunshine quote for one that feels more wintery. With Desenio's prices, changing up the gallery wall for each season is actually an affordable idea.

I went through their inspiration gallery to get some ideas. I'm loving the simple, Scandinavian vibe in all these photos...feels just right for the holidays, doesn't it?

What do you think? Would you switch out a gallery wall for each new season, or is that a crazy idea?

Thanks to Desenio for partnering with me on this post!

Yesterday was Ben's first day at work after three glorious months off. Although I was sad, I think we did a great job of utilizing his paternity leave to the max! We visited our grandparents on both sides, saw all of our siblings (including the ones that live out of state), spent good time with our parents and friends, played lots of games, went on a really long cross-country road trip, and even squeezed in another little local trip to Orcas Island! Most importantly, we used this time to love and cherish Ian. It has been such a joy to watch him grow over the last few months, and I'm really glad that Ben has been able to bond with him so much. No regrets at all!

Today, I wanted to share some pictures from our last little trip to Orcas Island, as well as some ideas for other Washington state road trips. Now that Ben is back at work and has exactly zero hours of vacation left, the only trips we'll be doing in the near future are local ones. Luckily, we live in a really beautiful state and there are plenty of inspiring destinations within driving distance!

We looove the San Juan Islands here in Washington, and have stayed at Friday Harbor multiple times. This time, we decided to switch it up a little and book a place on Orcas Island. The only way to get there is by ferry, and the journey is half the fun. You drive your car right up onto the ferry, then you can get out, walk around, and take in the view.

Here's the Orcas Island ferry terminal as we pulled up to it.

The first day there, we walked around the town of Eastsound, went to a few cute shops, got some yummy coffee and pastries, and checked into our Airbnb, a lovely little cabin in the woods. We purposely got a place with a hot tub right by the house so we could turn on the baby monitor while Ian napped...and it was perfect. Sooo awesome and relaxing, especially since it had an amazing view!

You can see some of the other San Juan Islands in this view--there are 172 in total, although the ferries only service the four biggest.

The next day, we drove around and explored the island a bit more.

So many charming details, like these adorable street names!

Then on our last day, we drove up to Mt. Constitution in Moran State Park. It's the highest point in the San Juan Islands and the views from there are supposed to be incredible. We didn't get the clearest day, but it was still really fun and beautiful.

Lastly, we had a delicious brunch at the New Leaf Cafe (which was in a beautiful old building), walked around town a bit more, and caught our ferry home.

We were only gone for two nights, and we spent most of our time relaxing at the cabin...but we still managed to do quite a lot! So I was encouraged that even if it's awhile til our next big vacation, we can still do some fun, short, Washington state weekend trips. These five are at the top of my list...

1. Leavenworth - Picture-perfect Bavarian village that's full of magical holiday cheer in the winter. I hope we can make it for one of the lighting ceremonies this year!

2. Winthrop - Charming frontier-themed town in the Methow Valley, and the drive there (along Highway 20) is beautiful itself. We've gone in the summer, but I think a winter trip would be super fun as well.

3. Chuckanut Drive - My sister is living in Bellingham now, about an hour and a half from Seattle. One of these days I want to take the scenic way to see her, along Chuckanut Drive. I've heard it's best in the fall, so maybe we'll save it for next year!

4. Palouse Falls - This is a stunning 200-ft waterfall in Eastern Washington that I still haven't seen yet, despite the fact that I grew up less than 2 hours away. Driving through the rolling hills of the Palouse is gorgeous as well.

5. The Olympic Peninsula - Last but not least, a list of Washington state road trips wouldn't be complete without the Olympic Peninsula. Beaches, waterfalls, hot springs, hiking...it has it all. One of our favorite destinations is Hurricane Ridge, only 3 hours from Seattle! Access can be limited in the winter, so this is more of a summer trip.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some pics from our Orcas Island getaway! It really is such a beautiful spot. Do you have any other suggestions for places to go in the Pacific Northwest area? In case you can't tell, we love road trips that incorporate nature, cute shops, good coffee and (of course) yummy food. And now that Ian's getting older, maybe we can even take him on a family camping trip next time!

Thanks to Seattle-based Khan Law for sponsoring this post!