Isn't this play room stunning? It was featured in the spring edition of Lonny Magazine (and spotted by me at Chic & Cheap Nursery). My favorite part is the large scale quote on the wall. You may not be ready to make such a grand statement in your home, but there are lots of other ways to incorporate the written word into kid spaces. And I just happen to have a whole file of quotes saved up. For example, I found this free printable over at Making It Lovely a while … [Read more...]
Two Super Cool Ideas to Get Little Ones Reading
Due to Blogger being down, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to post today so I went the lazy route and planned on a 3-day weekend. Then, of course, Blogger came back to life and I'm feeling like I have to give you something for today. So how about a little reading-to-kids inspiration? First is this amazing closet turned reading nook I spied over at Ohdeedoh this week by Thrifty Decor Chick. Seriously - I'm about to build a closet somewhere in my house just so I can convert it to a … [Read more...]
Mini-Tutorial: Super Simple Baby Blanket
I've been meaning to share a mini-tutorial on these easy-peasy baby blankets for a while now. But then things got a little crazy and I thought I missed my window - cotton flannel blankets don't exactly scream spring time. But now it seems that someone forgot to tell Mother Nature about Spring (it's down-right nippy in Seattle today). Maybe I didn't miss my window after all? Plus, even spring and summer babies love to be swaddled and these can easily be made with a lighter … [Read more...]
Why You Really Do Need to “Squish” Your Toddler Into a Rear-Facing Car Seat
This is a picture of C (age 21 months) and S (age 1 month) after a particularly exhausting trip to the zoo. If you're the parent of a toddler you might think there's something funny about this picture. C is still facing backwards despite being a full 9 months past the 1 year mark when most parents turn their children to face forward. That's because I'm fortunate enough to have as one of my closest friends a woman whom I've dubbed the car seat guru. We met in a mommy group when C was … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 5 – Transform It
For the conclusion of this series, I've got one last way to keep kids' art over the long term - by turning it into something else. There are a ton of options out there for doing this, ranging from homemade crafty to high tech and professional. Above is a beautiful example of a blog header made from a finger painting. photos via lilla aAnd here is lilla a's transformation of a child's drawing into a cuddly doll. If you'd like to try this but aren't sure where to start, check … [Read more...]
Family Dinner Conversation Starters
I recently posted about some clever placemats that help get kids talking about their day. If you'd like to foster even more communication at the dinner table, be sure to check out these Family Dinner Questions over at HowDoesShe? They've compiled an impressive list of topics to cover while you're chowing down. Themes are varied and are sure to generate answers ranging from surprising and silly to sweet and insightful. … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 4 – Put It Behind Glass
This is C's very first piece of art, created at his toddler group at age 1. It sits proudly on the mantle in our playroom. Part 4 of this series is all about showing that your little ones' creations are worthy of being protected. Putting the pieces behind glass does just that and floating frames like these are ideal because they work well with art that's not square or rectangular. The above photo is from my living room and is one of the first things that visitors see … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 3 – Hang It Up
photo via Childhood 101 Next up in this series is one of the most popular methods of displaying lots of artwork - simply sticking it up along a wall. It's cheap, easy to do, and allows for lots of flexibility. This art space was created by Christie over at Childhood 101 for her daughter's playroom. How could anyone not be inspired to create here? Seriously, just looking at this has me itching to break out the crayons.Best of all, Christie provided lots of stylish ways to … [Read more...]
Install an Indoor Swing, Instill Self-Confidence
photo via Real Simple The idea of hanging a rope ladder or swing from the ceiling might strike fear into the hearts of many parents, for the safety of both their little ones and their walls. Yet, experts at Stanford’s Shyness Clinic recommend doing just that. The Shy Child : Overcoming and Preventing Shyness from Infancy to Adulthood advocates indoor swinging, climbing, and other mildly risky activities to foster self-confidence in more naturally reserved kids. Click through … [Read more...]