Graduation season is upon us! If you’re planning a party for your graduate—whether they’re in preschool or college—you need to check out this list of four graduation party must-haves. These simple tips will ensure that you throw the best. party. ever.

This post was sponsored by Basic Invite. All opinions are my own.

You’re standing in the party supply store, bleary-eyed and drawing a complete blank. You know you have a graduation party to plan, but you can’t for the life of you figure out what you need. Your mind just keeps circling back to the same question: How did my baby get so big?!

It doesn’t matter if they’re five or twenty-five. Graduations will always be a big deal and they’ll always send mommas into a tailspin of wondering how the hell we got here so fast.

But you still have to plan the party! So. To help keep you on track, I put together a list of four graduation party must-haves (minus all the food) that just so happen to work for just about any party you’re going to throw.

I rounded up 10 books that make great gifts for new moms (or even dads), whether you’re looking to make them laugh, feel all warm and fuzzy, or calm their nerves with some bestselling advice. 

When I gave birth to my first daughter, I was completely terrified. I had no idea what to expect. I mean, I knew I would give birth and that it would be somewhat painful and that there would be a tiny person that I had to take care of and teach how to be a good human at the end of it all. That stuff was scary enough on its own, but what about all of the unknowns?!

I grabbed all of the books I could get my hands on and, with a highlighter and notebook at my side (in true nerd fashion), dove right in.

In a lot of ways, it helped me. It let me get a better understanding of the things I could learn about (baby gear, changes to expect in my body, etc), which made things slightly less overwhelming. I just wish that instead of only reading practical books full of tips and facts, I also read from parents in the thick of it. Parents laughing at the absurdity of it all would have helped to take the edge off. Parents writing about their uncertainty would have made me feel less alone.

I try to keep all of this in mind when I talk to new or soon-to-be moms. There are so many things they might need reassurance about. Books come in handy for that and make great gifts for new moms.

That said, try to think a little bit about what they might need reassurance about. Has she been worrying about how she’ll get baby to sleep? Is she so nervous that she’s taking everything too seriously? Does she have that deer in the headlights look that seems to say what the hell did I get myself into?! These are all things to keep in mind before gifting a momma-to-be a book (which, by the way, you should totally pair with a gift to pamper her, like this homemade body butter).

To help you out, I found ten books that get rave reviews and broke them into categories.

From cleaning up messes to wrapping up leftovers and going grocery shopping, having kids can lead to a lot of garbage. If you’re looking for ways to help your family produce less waste, I’ve found some great eco-friendly solutions that don’t sacrifice style or quality.

Think of all of the stuff you throw away in a typical day.

There’s the plastic straw you stick into your smoothie on the way out the door. Or the disposable cup you grab at the local coffee shop. There are the flimsy plastic bags you shoved some fruit into at the grocery store to corral them in your cart and the giant wad of paper towels you used to mop up that juice spill. There are also all of those layers of packaging for individually wrapped items and the cotton balls you used to scrub the mascara from under your bleary eyes at the end of the day. And that’s just you!

A whole family can create a ton of garbage in a single day. It’s crazy if you start to really think about how many things we throw away. And while I’m not suggesting we all run out and plan to become zero waste familyies, I do think there are some simple changes we all could make to produce less waste.

I took to Etsy to find some creative—and really freaking pretty—products that can help us all be just a little bit more eco-friendly.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, I put together a few of my favorite feminist Etsy finds—from t-shirts and wall art to an enamel pin and a onesie. These pieces are perfect for celebrating womanhood all year round. 

Confession: I don’t understand women who say they’re not feminists.

I mean, how is that even possible?

Being a feminist means you want the sexes to be treated equally. That’s it.

Like any group, there are endless opinions on the right way to achieve this. You’ll agree with some and think others are batshit crazy. And that’s fine. But, at the end of the day, if you’re a woman and you don’t think women should have the same rights and opportunities as men, I just don’t get it.

My daughters should have just as many options and chances to succeed as your sons. Their ideas should be taken seriously and they should not be constantly told to smile or have their worth measured by their looks. We are not there yet.

I think part of the problem is that the word feminist has gotten so entwined in politics that to some, it has a negative connotation. To them, it means being liberal and angry and burning your bra and growing out your armpit hair and hating men. And, yes. Some feminists do and are all of those things. But it’s not an essential part of feminism.

If you disagree (and if you agree too!), feel free to sound off in the comments. I’m more than willing to discuss it further.

In the meantime, I couldn’t let March come to a close without a little dose of feminist love in celebration of Women’s History Month. I put together a roundup of some of my favorite feminist pieces I’ve stumbled across on Etsy.

Enjoy this sweet collection of fun finds for Valentine’s Day. These unique gift ideas (all from Etsy!) are perfect not just for significant others, but for anyone you love… including yourself.

People generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to Valentine’s Day: love it or loathe it.

I totally understand thinking it’s a cheesy made-up holiday brought to you by Hallmark and florists and candy makers. I understand being bitter about having sappy commercials thrown in your face if you’re unattached. But, at the same time, I love an excuse to celebrate love in all forms—for your kids, for your friends, for your significant other… for your freaking self!

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about romantic relationships. It’s a good excuse to remind anyone that you love them.

These fun finds for Valentine’s Day are a great way to do just that—and you might even want to treat yourself to a few of these gems.