Holiday Giveaway Week — Day Four Winners

Before I announce the winners of Day Four, here's a quick reminder that there are still FIVE Giveaways that are accepting entries. So if you haven't entered yet, or are just discovering Holiday Giveaway Week, you still have five chances to get in on the action. You can find links to all five active Giveaways by scrolling down or you can find them here.

And now. The Day Four Giveaway Winners are:

13) Pettiskirts & Tops from Oopsy Daisy Baby — Two Winners
a) Molly who said, "My twirly girly would be in princess heaven with one of these!"
b) Amber Marie who said, "I have been wanting one of these for my little angel for so long. please, please, please!!!"

14) Ultra Prize Package from Martha Stewart Crafts — Karen in Maine who said "Going to keep trying here!! I would LOVE this!"

15) $150 Gift Certificate to Just Be — Shannon who said, "How could you ever pick? Everything is beautiful!"

16) Wall Art & Two Games from Avalisa — Wiley S. who said, "My house could really use this stuff!"

Congratulations you fabulous women! Please email from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send it to the sponsors right away. Peace on Earth from Design Mom.

BONUS: Holiday Giveaway #21 — Classic Radio Flyer All-Terrain Wagon from Back to Basics Toys

Drum roll please. It's the finale Giveaway. A bonus Giveaway. Like the cherry on top of the 20-scoop-sundae worth of Giveaways this week. A present for the kids. Something to make a statement under the tree. Something you'll love for as long as you're a parent. Here's your chance to win a Classic Radio Flyer All-Terrain Wagon from Back to Basics Toys.



What can I even say about this wagon that you don't already know? It's like the icon of childhood. Good for babies. Good for toddlers. Good for school age kids. And when they seem to have outgrown it, you'll use it for gardening.

The classic all-steel seamless body and sturdy hardwood stakes have stayed the same for over 65 years. This particular version has steel wheels with inflatable, fully pneumatic 10" rubber tires for smooth travel over rugged terrain. Maximum capacity of 250 lbs. The wagon sells for $179.

It will be a constant source of adventure. One day it's a train, the next day it's a space ship, and the next a perfect cart for hauling teddy bears and little brothers to the backyard. It will be the storage spot for leaf collections and rock collections as you take your walks through the park. It will help you deliver your holiday gifts to the neighbors. I'm not totally sure it's possible to grow up without one.





And that's what Back to Basics Toys is all about. Well made classic toys. Like this Pull Along Cart with Blocks ($49), these retro Alphabet Cards ($14) and this Fire Engine Roadster ($69) — so awesome! If you're not familiar with their terrific and extensive toy collection, you must, must go check it out.

Thank you Back to Basics!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-Deadline extended through the weekend. You have until midnight pst on Sunday, December 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #20 — Jewelry from Twisted Silver

The holidays typically require a little dressing up. Dressing up = jewelry. So lets bring on another jewelry Giveaway! From a company we know and love. Enter your comment on this post to win a Hardware Necklace and a Texture Ring from Twisted Silver!



The Hardware Necklace is all about the ultra-hip metal trend. A strand of antiqued silver chills between six strands of polished sterling silver. It's fabulous as a necklace. And legendary when you multi-wrap it for a bracelet. Dressed up or down, this is the piece to bring some edgy cool and shiny bling to your wardrobe. 12" to 18" adjustable. The Hardware necklace sells for $100.

The Texture Ring is made from three smooth twists and turns of sterling-finished hearty brass. It's look is heavy, but it's surprisingly light on the finger. A classic design with a new attitude. The perfect compliment to the Hardware Necklace. The Texture Ring sells for $40.00.



I'm a fan of Twisted Silver. It's hard to pick my favorites. But as you browse their jewelry, definitely take a peek at the Sweet Necklace and the Beatnik Bracelet.

Wouldn't you just love to add some new pieces to your jewelry box? Well. If you don't win, take a look at the Marketplace and you can get your very own Twisted Silver deal. Thank you Twisted Silver!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-Deadline extended through the weekend. You have until midnight pst on Sunday, December 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #19 — Baby Star Crib Bedding

Here's a little something for baby's room. Our 19th Sponsor is Baby Star. And they're putting a crib set up for grabs. A really cute, $380 crib set. And since pretty much every Design Mom reader is either pregnant or knows someone who is pregnant, it seems like a good idea to jump at this chance to win.



Now your baby's nursery can be even more super stylish than it already is. Baby Star's bedding sets are new on the scene. and they're made from Baby Star's hot fabrics — two of their exclusive prints merged together. The bedding set has three parts: bumper, fitted sheet and flat front skirt. Plus, the bumper has a zip out insert for easy washing and 9" ties to fit any traditional crib. 100% cotton. 203 thread count. Available in styles for girls or boys.

If Baby Star is new to you, take a peek at some of my other favorites from their long list of fabulous products:



Cariboo bassinets. Yummy blankets. Cute bibs. And a portable diaper/wipes carrier called Quick Change.

Super cute. Super generous. You know the perfect recipient for this high-end bedding set. Maybe it's your daughter. Thank you Baby Star!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-Deadline extended through the weekend. You have until midnight pst on Sunday, December 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #18 — Neat Receipts

Another great prize coming right up. Get ready to get organized. I'm not thinking about it, I hope you're not thinking about it. But tax season is right around the corner. Here's a little tool to help you get your stuff in order. Giveaway #18 is a Neat Receipts — which retails for $230!



This handy little tool is likely to revolutionize your paperwork and finances. Use it to scan receipts, business cards, documents, expense reports, etc. etc. directly into a database on your computer. Very, very cool. And it won't take up an obnoxious amount of space on your desk.

I love this review from David Pogue at the New York Times: "There are two deeply satisfying phases to this machine. One is watching it munch down your receipts and tally their totals on the screen. The other is throwing the receipts away afterward."



No more little bits of paper to get lost or clutter up your life? I love it! You can put it to especially good use this coming month. Because I'm guessing you'll be doing a little bit of shopping. Neat Receipts will have you in good working order as you search for documentation for things like product rebates and returns of faulty toys.

Neat Receipts has produced a practical tool that will help you as you design a more orderly life for your family. Thank you Neat Receipts!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-Deadline extended through the weekend. You have until midnight pst on Sunday, December 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #17 — Cake Stand & Minis from Nora Fleming

What? It's Friday already? The final day of this crazy-fun Giveaway Week? Time certainly does fly. Let's start today off with a Giveaway that I am certain will get a great reception. Something that will help you throw a great reception. Enter your comment now to win a gorgeous pedestal cake stand and 6 minis from Nora Fleming!



The concept of Nora Fleming is simple: Own less. Store less. Keep one serving piece that works for every season, every occasion — because it comes with interchangeable minis. Umm. Minis?



Yes. Minis. The extra-special thing about Nora Fleming serving ware is that is comes with "minis" — small, colorful ceramic pieces that turn your unadorned cake platter into a birthday/holiday/picnic/springtime/special day platter.

This is how it goes down. First, you pick one of their good-looking serving pieces. My favorites are the ramekin, the cake platter and the rectangle platter. (I love the dot pattern detailing.) Next, you pick from dozens of minis — all completely interchangeable. Like that sweet little bird in the picture above. And the friendly Mr. Snowman below.

There's a mini for every occasion. And more choices every year. Along with the cake platter, today's winner will receive six, yes six, minis of their own.



What a smart gift your mom/mother-in-law/sister. You can pick out the perfect serving piece for her, then use any good excuse to give her more minis. Birthday? Mother's Day? Add a mini to her collection. Bad hair day? Nothing that a mini can't fix. Here's to Nora — for being in the right place at the right time with ceramics and a drill.

Thank you Nora Fleming!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-Deadline extended through the weekend. You have until midnight pst on Sunday, December 2nd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway Week — Day Three Winners

Thursday night. 30 Rock night. So I'll keep this short and sweet. The Day Three Giveaway Winners are:

9) Kodak Easyshare 5300 All-in-one Printer — Faith & Sarah who said, "i am in love!"

10) Baby Linen Gift Set from Spongy Feet — liz who said, "yesssssssssssss"

11) $200 of Scrapbooking Goodies from Glitz — margalit who said, "Oh, pick me, pick me. I love scrapbooking with really rad papers."

12) Jewelry from Blue Poppy Design — Jordan who said, "Choose me!"

Congratulations you lucky gals! Please email from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send it to the sponsors right away. Seasons Greetings from Design Mom.

Holiday Giveaway #16 — Wall Art & Games from Avalisa

To end Giveaway Day number 4, how about a prize to beautify your home and give you something special to put under the tree this year. Today you can win a 28"x 28" piece of wall art and 2 memory games from Avalisa! That's a $189 value.



The Avalisa wall art collection is so, so lovely. Patterns. Animals. Things that go. Pretty much every offering could inspire a whole nursery, a whole playroom. And the winner gets to pick whichever one they want. Over 4 square feet of good-looking-ness just for you. But I warn you, the decision will not be easy. How does one pick from such a beautiful collection?



There's more. Luckily for us, Avalisa just introduced their hip new matching game. The perfect size to stuff in a stocking. Stylish. Modern. Up-to-date. The sort of toy that you don't need to apologize for if it's left out on the coffee table. Bonus: you get one game for you and one to give away — a nice little boost for your Christmas shopping list.



And while you're browsing Avalisa's site, don't miss their new collection of wool rugs. I just noticed them today and I'm wholey impressed. I can't wait to see their home product line grow. Thank you Avalisa!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 1:00 PM EST on Friday, November 30th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #15 — $150 Gift Certificate to Just Be

Some of you may already know about Just Be. Some of you may not. Either way, today's the day to deepen your relationship with this fine establishment. Check out their wares. Fall in love. Then enter this Giveaway. Because one of you will be the lucky winner of a $150 gift certificate from Just Be!



$150 to spend as you please. On any of their skirts. On any of their handbags.

Their Twirly Skirts offer lots of choice. You can pick something sweet from their website. Or. You can contact Just Be about available fabrics and get something whipped up just for you — in whatever size you'd like. Twirly Skirts for girls sell for $36. Twirly Skirts for ladies sell for $54. Both are available in all sizes and loads of fabric choices.




Just Be Handbags offer their own variety. So many styles, sizes and fabrics. You'll find something special and be confident you won't have matching bags with every other woman in town.




With this generous gift certificate, you could pick out something for you, something for your child and something for a gift. A wonderful gesture from the collaboration of mothers, daughters, sisters and friends that make up this small vendor. Thank you Just Be!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 10:00 AM EST on Friday, November 30th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #14 — Ultra Prize Package from Martha Stewart Crafts

How do I describe the awesomeness of the next Giveaway. The sheer mass of items is enough to wow. Then. You consider the items themselves — each one carefully selected from the ultimate craft product line — and suddenly you find yourself a little short of breath.

Well. Practice your labor breathing and when you've steadied your heart a bit, leave a comment on this post for your chance to win this ultra prize package from Martha Stewart Crafts!



Valued at over $150, this generous collection includes a little bit of everything you need for the holidays — wrapping paper, decorations, even materials and tools for scrapbooking. Take a look at what you can win:


Five Rolls of 30" Wrapping paper: Floral Burst Garnet, Multi Dots Gold, Gold, Yuletide Plaid and Multi Dots Tinsel.


Poinsettia Wreath Kit.


Glitter Snowflake kit.


Two different glues: Art and Craft 4 oz, Glittering Glue 2 oz.


Two different punches: Radiant Star Punch, Circle Craft Punch.


Two sets of Paper: 12 x 12 Crafting Paper Pack Library and 12 X 12 Craft Stock Alpine Garden.


An Heirloom 12 X 12 China Red Album.


And a 4-Color Archival Pen Set.

Not too shabby my friends. Not too shabby. I'm sure your mind is already spinning with ideas of how to use these wonderful and beautiful products. Visions of lovingly wrapped gifts stacked under the tree. Handmade decorations on the mantle. Maybe filling that gorgeous album for Grandma's Christmas gift. However you decide to use them, these high quality craft supplies are sure to inspire.

Thank you Martha Stewart Crafts!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 8:30 AM EST on Friday, November 30th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #13 — Pettiskirts & Tops from Oopsy Daisy Baby

The boys had their own special Giveaway on Tuesday. Today, it's time for the girls. The girliest girly girls. And two, that's right two, of those lucky little girls will win a pettiskirt and coordinating top from Oopsy Daisy Baby!




Two winners. Two outfits. Two gorgeous tops. Two luscious pettiskirts. The winners get to pick their favorites. Can you imagine your daughter's face as she opens a present and pulls out this amazing frou-frou skirt? You know she would put it on immediately and start spinning. And probably wouldn't stop till you begged it off her when it was time for pjs.



Oopsy Daisy Baby was founded six years ago when designer Daphne Henderson embarked on a quest to create unique, timeless, heirloom-quality clothing for children. She pairs vintage chenilles, lace, nylon chiffons and cottons to create a new twist on old favorites. How lucky for us that she does!



Finally, I can't write about Oopsy Daisy Baby without drawing attention to their Chenille Pantaloons. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have a full-on crush on these pants.

I've posted about Oopsy Daisy Baby before, and I know that these pettiskirts are about as crowd-pleasing as something can possibly be. So don't delay. Get your comments in pronto. Thank you Oopsy Daisy Baby!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 8:00 AM EST on Friday, November 30th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

The Marketplace

Good news: Lots of new discounts and deals are up in the Marketplace. And more are being added in the next few days.

Fair warning: Many of the offers that were introduced on November 1st will only be listed through the 30th — that's tomorrow — yikes! Grab those deals while you can.

Beehive Bazaar

Every Holiday season, some of my dearest friends put on the Beehive Bazaar in Utah. I've never been. I live too far away. And I'm always jealous of those who get to attend. It's happening this weekend. If you'll be in the area, I'm sure you won't be disappointed if you drop in.



Take a look at the Beehive Bazaar blog to get a peek at this year's vendors. These refurbished school chairs by Heidi Blackwelder and these darling felt pendants by Molly Call both caught my eye.

Holiday Giveaway Week — Day Two Winners

It's Wednesday night. I just got back from cub scout pack meeting and my kids are all snugly in bed. Time to announce the Day Two Giveaway Winners.

5) 10 Books by Tracey Clark from Chronicle Books

Waiting for Baby:
a) Jenni who said. "I love it!"
b) marenmadsen who said, "Such cute books! Now, to keep the one I win or give it to a pregnant girlfriend?"
c) Renae who said, "I'd love to have one for my next pregnancy/baby. Please count me in! Thanks for a wonderful giveaway."
d) Domestic engineer of Rose Family who said, "My children's birthmothers would love these!"
e) Laura B who said, "yeah!"

Baby of Mine:
a) Cruze who said, "I have SEVEN pregnant friends!"
b) Ronnie & KaLee who said, "I'm due in a week with my first--please pick me!"
c) Erin who said, "Those are darling! I'm due in June with my first and have been looking for baby books that are neutral toned so it can work with either a boy or a girl. Thanks!"
d) Kristen who said, "My best friend just had her baby girl two weeks ago..this would be great for her! The books are beautiful!"
e) Kyra who said, "Awesome giveaway!"


6) Two Inscribed Necklaces from Julian & Co. — jess who said,"who wouldn't want to have their angels with them everywhere? How wonderful!"

7) Luxe Jacket & Trousers from Skimbaco — La Yen who said, "I know the PERFECT boy for this"

8) Year's Supply of Laundry Detergent from Dropps — Lizzy who said, "i really love this giveaway!!!"

Congratulations! Please email from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send it to the sponsors right away. Happy Holidays from Design Mom.

Holiday Giveaway #12 — Jewelry from Blue Poppy Designs

More jewelry! Can you believe all the super cool jewelry sponsors this week? And each one with their own distinctive style. Today's jewelry comes from the talented ladies at Blue Poppy Design. If you enter a comment, you could win a gorgeous Spice Ring and a pair of gorgeous Dangle Spice Earrings!



The Spice Ring is a brand new addition to their line. In fact it's not even available on their site because it's so brand new. It's the coolest ring! You get to pick any color combination. You can use their suggested combos in the photo, or make up your own from a terrific palette — some of the available colors are featured in the pic below. The Spice Ring sells for $95.



Of course. You also need something special to coordinate with your new super cool Spice Ring. So Blue Poppy is also including a pair of beautiful Dangle Spice Earrings to the prize package. Again, the winner chooses the color on these. Aren't they just lovely? They Dangle Spice Earrings sell for $78. ($95 + $78 = a very generous Giveaway.)


the palette

I happen to own a pair of these Circle Earrings from Blue Poppy. And I can tell you I love them every single time I put them on. Which is often. They are tiny and perfectly crafted. They add just the right amount of sparkle to an everyday outfit. I don't think they have anything in their collection that I wouldn't like.



Jewelry from Blue Poppy seems to be universally appealing. Women everywhere, from all walks of life and with very different styles, are drawn to their simple, beautiful designs. It's a treat to own something from Blue Poppy. Maybe this time, you'll be the winner. Or maybe you'll treat your mom. Or your sister. Or your friend.

Thank you Blue Poppy!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, November 29th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #11 — Scrapbooking Goodies From Glitz

Paper products are like candy these days. So sweet and I can't get enough. So how about $200 worth of paper products for our next Giveaway. Specifically, scrapbooking paper products from Glitz Design!



$200 worth of yummy paper goods? Delicious. This fantastic prize will include lots of cute stuff from Glitz's super popular Hot Mama line:

- A 20 piece paper pack including journaling cards.

- 9 pink, clear and black rhinestone strips, plus red & green for Christmas — Glitz Fans know them as Frosting. These are one of the most popular Glitz items. Each one comes in a 12-inch strip. One large and one small size in each package. Frosting is unlike anything in the market right now. It was specially designed to be self-adhesive and moldable — making it flexible and able to be shaped into many different ways. Frosting sticks to fabric, metal, plastic and paper. And best of all, it's very sturdy — the rhinestones won't pop off.

- 5 digital printable cd's including Create A Card. Each cd retails for $29.99 and is jam packed with over 200 elements for digital scrapbooking and printable files.





You've seen Glitz everywhere and you may not even know it. They are a young company, but they're growing like crazy and are producing line after line of hip designs. Hot Mama is only one of their many great ideas.

You can check out their website and blog to find retailers (like this one), sneak peeks, and project ideas to inspire your own paper addiction. Thank you Glitz!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 3:30 PM EST on Thursday, November 29th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #10 — Baby Linens from Spongy Feet

It's been all about practical for a few posts. Time to remember baby and beautiful and cozy. Enter your comment to win a gift package for baby girl or baby boy — winner's choice — that includes a crib blanket, a burp cloth set,
a mini lovey blanket and a bib — all from the small vendor we love: Spongy Feet!



What a generous package. Everything you need to keep your baby warm and cozy. Want to see how cozy? Check out the sweet photos in the gallery section of babies wrapped up in their Spongy Feet finest. Cute retro prints on one side. Super-soft chenille on the other. The part I like the best? Picking from the vast collection of fabrics choices.



This gift package will make a perfect addition to your own nursery or a smart gift for someone else. Extra bonus: Although Spongy Feet doesn't carry holiday fabrics, I have been assured by Sara, the designer behind this great company, that this package will be wrapped in all the holiday finery possible. Ready for giving. Ready for getting.

Thank you Spongy Feet!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 9:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 29th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #9 — Kodak Easyshare 5300 All-in-One Printer

It's Wednesday. I've got four excellent Giveaways to make it the most interesting Wednesday yet. Let's start with something awesome. How about a chance to win your very own Easyshare 5300 All-in-one Printer — worth $199! — from the lovely people at Kodak.



Print. Copy. Scan. That's the loveliness of an all-in-one printer. Kodak has developed a revolutionary inkjet system that gives you crisp, sharp black documents and brilliant photos. It has lots of up-to-the-minute features, like

• Large, high-resolution 3.0 in. (7.6 cm) color display for easy photo cropping
• Easy, one-click photo printing from most memory cards
• Uses a convenient 2-cartridge, 6-ink system.

But the thing that really differentiates this printer, is that the ink prices are significantly lower than other printers (just $10 for black and $15 for color). Nice. You'll feel more at ease printing in color and printing more often — especially useful for the holiday cards, recipes, photos, crafts and decorations you're bound to be making in the next few weeks.



The winner will receive the Easyshare 5300. Plus. Everything you need to get started. The ink, a USB cord and even some paper. You'll be printing right out of the box.

Aren't you ready for a new printer? Get your comments in right away. Thank you Kodak!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 8:30 AM EST on Thursday, November 29th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

One Laptop Per Child

[ I know. I know. It's supposed to be all Giveaways, all the time this week. But I can't resist sharing some good old regular blog posts along the way. ]

Have you heard of the One Laptop Per Child program? It's super cool. From the vision of MIT professor Nicolas Negroponte, these super-sturdy, real world, really simple laptops were designed and built especially for children in developing countries. Apparently they're created with an open-source non-desktop format and are supposed to be incredibly intuitive. If there is more than one of these laptops in the same area, they are automatically networked wirelessly. And they have a bunch of other cool features that I'm too non-techy to understand.

Anyway. The program is incredibly appealing and you can read all about the laptops here.

These laptops aren't really available for personal purchase. You can donate $200 to give one to a child in need, but from what I understand, you can't pick one up for your own child at a retail outlet. So, to help spread the word and get these laptops into the hands of children around the world, One Laptop Per Child implemented a Give One Get One promotion. Donate $399 ($200 is tax deductible) and you'll get a laptop into a child's hands in a developing nation, plus get a laptop for a child in your own life.

My brother Josh originally told Ben and me about these — we get most of our tech news from Josh — and we were very interested. We immediately made the decision to participate in the Give One Get One dealio. And then promptly forgot. And then remembered right at the last minute and placed our order. The promotion was supposed to end on November 26th, and we only remembered just in time to buy one.

But happily, they've extended the promotion until December 31st. So if this is something that appeals to you, it's not too late to get in on it. I'm hoping that by ordering this early, the laptop will be here for Christmas morning.

Holiday Giveaway Week — Day One Winners

I hope you are having as much fun with this Giveaway week as I am. The comments are all so happy and enthusiastic. It's such a treat to sit down at my computer and read through your kind words.

To anyone who has had difficulty logging-on or commenting, my apologies. I'm not exactly sure what's up, but Blogger or my server or something is having a hard time keeping up with the pace this week. Thanks for sticking with me anyway.

Okay. Let's get to the winners.

1) $150 Gift Certificate to Zutano — Abby who said, "I love the smooth operator jacket."

2) Custom Stamper & Accessories from The Paper Café — ashlynn who said, "OH I have been longing for one of these!"

3) Necklace from Superhero Designs — a happier girl who said, "Too pretty. Pick me. Pretty please with sugar on top."

4) Handbag from Bella & Lina — kathryn n. who said, "Adorable. Great find, Design Mom!"

Congratulations. Please email from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send it right to the sponsors. Merry Christmas from Design Mom.

Holiday Giveaway #8 — Year's Supply of Laundry Detergent from Dropps

So. I love today's last Giveaway. It's a different sort of prize than I typically seek out, but one that will be immensely useful to any household. And absolutely an item that fits nicely at the intersection of Motherhood and Design. Here's your chance to win big and win useful. Enter your name today and you could win a year's supply of laundry detergent from Dropps!



I'm not even joking. A year's supply. At my house that equals at least $300. You know what it would be worth at your house. And because I wanted to be knowledgable when I wrote up this post, I went ahead and did my laundry with this incredibly handy detergent. My report: it was a very pleasing experience.

Dropps comes in pre-measured liquid packets. You just drop one in. One. No matter what size load you're washing. And the whole thing dissolves. No drips. No granules. No mess. I used Fresh Scent and I was happy. A nice light scent. Nothing perfumey. As fresh as the name claims. And the clothes were clean. They looked great.

The hardest part was resisting the temptation to drop in more than one packet. Because pretty much every load of laundry at my house is an extra-large load. And it was easy to doubt that tiny little packet. But the packet worked.



If you're curious about Dropps, I found their FAQs very informative. Dropps is good for the earth. Good for your skin. Good for your clothes. And my 20 load packet of Dropps takes up a fraction of the space and creates a fraction of the waste of my usual laundry detergent.

All this is just to say, that I think a year's supply of Dropps is a very, very good thing. I hope you do too. Thank you Dropps!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 12:00 Noon EST on Wednesday, November 28th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Wednesday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #7 — Luxe Coat & Trousers from Skimbaco

Here's a total splurge that you can win for your little boy. A handsome coat and trousers by the high-end label, Fable & Lore, sponsored by the hot children's boutique Skimbaco.



First, there's the Peter Preppy Navy Coat, which sells for $94. An elegant velvet blazer, hip and fashionable, a coat that will charm everyone. It's the perfect special occasion coat for the Holidays, or your son can wear it at school, just to feel extra-important. Cuffs on the sleeves. Two pockets hidden in the front. Padded for warmth. Lined with green cotton. Coolest part: the magical embroidery and patches change color to green in the sunlight.

Then, there's the David Corduroy Pants in Caramel, which sell for $70. Made of the softest cotton corduroy. Straight leg cut. One hidden pocket on the back, two in the front. What makes these pants so special? A little attached coin pouch inside the left pocket, filled with golden coins. The story behind the golden coins? You'll find out in the little story book that comes with the trousers. Or. Your son will think up his own story to tell.

This just in: all Fable & Lore clothing at Skimbaco is on sale today and today only, at a hefty 50% off — with the price going back up on Wednesday. It's part of Skimbaco's 12 days of Christmas Shopping Event, and by happy accident it happens to coincide nicely with our Giveaway today. Sweet.



And though today's prize is just for the little guys, be aware that Skimbaco carries all kinds of pretty designs for girls as well. Like this Wendy Silk Dress in Poppy and this Peggy Ruby Red Velvet Coat. Both by Fable & Lore and both part of the 50% off sale.

Thank you Skimbaco!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 11:00 AM EST on Wednesday, November 28th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Wednesday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #6 — Two Necklaces from Julian & Co.

Oh Goody! More Jewelry to give away. And this time, it's something for Mom and something for Dad. Today is your chance to win two gorgeous necklaces from Julian & Co.


The Grande Baby Coin and the Piccolo Baby Coin.

These necklaces are both beautiful and well crafted. I'm drawn to their simplicity. The Piccolo Baby Coin is solid silver (.999) and is 5/8" in diameter. You get to send in a photo of your darling bébé, and an artist will make a simple line drawing from the photo, and inscribe the image on the front of the coin. You also get to include two lines of text on the back. The Piccolo Baby Coin hangs on a sterling silver cable chain. It retails for $79.

The Grande Baby Coin is also solid silver (.999) and is a larger 3/4" in diameter. It can also be inscribed with an image of your baby on the front and two lines of text on the back. The Grande Baby Coin hangs on a sterling silver ball chain. It retails for $89.

Is Daddy the photographer in your family? Pick one of his favorite shots and have it inscribed on the coin. What a happy surprise for him on Christmas morning. Is he not a jewelry kind of guy? Then more bling for you, you lucky girl.

Thank you Julian & Co.!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 10:30 AM EST on Wednesday, November 28th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Wednesday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #5 — 10 Tracey Clark Books from Chronicle

I've got a really good giveaway to greet you this morning. And this one is especially good because there are 10 winners — making the odds of you winning increase like crazy. Enter your comment to win one of 10 gorgeous books by Tracey Clark from the generous Chronicle Books!


Five winners will receive Waiting for Baby. A beautiful pregnancy journal. And a smart gift for any expecting someone. It will help you record all the joys, fears, and memorable moments of your pregnancy and includes guided prompts throughout to help you write about your emotions and experiences. There is even space for photographs so you can document your ever-growing bump.


Five winners will receive Baby of Mine. A memory journal to help you make a record of baby's first year. Another smart gift for anyone with a new baby. It goes above and beyond the traditional baby book, recognizing the journey that mother and child embark on together. With room, of course, to add pictures and other mementos.

If you're not newly expecting or newly delivered yourself, I'm sure you can think of the perfect recipient for one of these lovely books. So comment away on behalf of new mothers (and newly expectant mothers) everywhere.

Tracey Clark is a talented woman and I am delighted to know her. Thank you Tracey and Chronicle Books!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 10:00 AM EST on Wednesday, November 28th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Wednesday Evening.
-What is Holiday Giveaway Week? Read about it here.

Holiday Giveaway #4 — Handbag from Bella & Lina

Okay. Last Giveaway of Day Number One and I am having such a good time. How about a hot handbag to finish things up today? Leave your comment and win this fabulous Kimono Tote from Bella & Lina.



Bella & Lina is pretty new on the scene. In fact, I just posted about them the other day. I am tres delighted with their collection and love how they divide things up by types of bag. Handbags. Totes. Shoulder bags. Clutches. Browsing their site is like taking a mini-course in handbag fashion.

And for sure one of my fave favorites is this particular Kimono Tote in green, which sells for $150. It is adorable. I would carry it everywhere. I should totally buy one — it makes me happy every time I see it. And lucky you. You could win it! Other favorites of mine:


Geometric Print cosmetic bag.


Nouveau Something Blue handbag.


Bolsa Tan Dots clutch.

Don't miss this chance to get a great new bag. Gift it to yourself on Christmas and it will brighten your day as we enter the dull grays of January. Happy commenting.

Thank you Bella & Lina!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 12:00 Noon EST on Tuesday, November 27th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday Evening.
-What are Holiday Giveaways? Read about them here.

Holiday Giveaway #3 — Necklace from Superhero Designs

It's time for Giveaway number 3. And if you read the title you are probably already giddy with excitement. Because today I offer you your very own chance to win a legendary necklace from Superhero Designs.


Seaglass.

And I'm not even exaggerating a little bit when I say legendary. These gorgeous baubles were all over the place at BlogHer. They are found on dozens of the most stylish people. They are said to bring peace, good fortune and good feelings into your life. They are lovingly packaged and personally shipped by the artist and creator Andrea Scher. There are lots of beautiful designs and the winner gets to pick her favorite.


Earth.


Pyrex.


Chlorine.


Champagne.

You know you want a Superhero necklace. Get those comments in right away. Win one for you. Buy one for your sister.

Thank you Superhero Designs!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 11:30 AM EST on Tuesday, November 27th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday Evening.
-What are Holiday Giveaways? Read about them here.

Holiday Giveaway #2 — Loads of Goodies from The Paper Café

Get your thinking caps on. Giveaway number 2 is lovely and gives you tons of choices and customization options. Win this giveaway and you'll be the proud owner of loads of goodies from The Paper Café!



You'll win a package valued at $150 that includes super cool products made by Three Designing Women:

- Two personalized designer stampers of your choice. Choose from 30+ designs!
- One additional colored ink set.
- One desky caddy with note paper.
- One set of notecards. Choose from 20+ designs!
- One notepad. Choose from 20+ designs!
- One set of wine tags.

FYI: All of these products coordinate with each other, and can be used with the personalized stampers.




Man oh man, I surely do love paper goods. Especially when I have lots of choices to pick from. And the idea of 2 custom stampers is just so darn appealing. How great would it be to use these on your Christmas Cards and Holiday Gift Packaging? Thank you to The Paper Café!



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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 10:45 AM EST on Tuesday, November 27th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday Evening.
-What are Holiday Giveaways? Read about them here.

Holiday Giveaway #1 — $150 Certificate to Zutano

First up is a great one. Well. They're all great. But this is especially good to start with. Enter your comment on this post and you could win a $150 certificate from Zutano!




Zutano is one of my favorite children's clothing lines. Colorful prints. Great designs. Soft fabrics. And an expanded toddler line that I am in love with. How will you spend your $150? I could while away an afternoon just browsing their website and making a wish list, which would definitely include:


The Good News hat.


The Cable Knit sweater.

The Smooth Operator jacket.

And the Ruffle Edge sweater.

Wouldn't you love to have something special from Zutano under the tree this year? Thank you Zutano!

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Holiday Week Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 24 hours or until 10:00 AM EST on Tuesday, November 27th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday Evening.
-What are Holiday Giveaways? Read about them here.

Holiday Giveaway Week

Holiday Giveaway Week starts today, that's Monday, November 26th, and will last through Friday, November 30th.

Each day there will be 4 Giveaways. You will have 24 hours to enter each one by leaving a comment on the Giveaway post. Winners will be announced the next day. The red banner above will be at the top of each Giveaway post.

It's going to be fantastic. The sponsors are amazing. The prizes are amazing. Like jewelry from Julian & Co., Superhero Designs, Blue Poppy and Twisted Silver. Children's clothing from Skimbaco, Zutano and Oopsy Daisy Baby. Paper Goods from The Paper Café, Glitz, Martha Stewart Crafts and Chronicle/Tracey Clark. A hand bag from Bella & Lina. Hostess goods from Nora Fleming. Baby linens from Spongy Feet and Baby Star. Artwork from Avalisa. Surprises from Dropps, Kodak, Neat Receipts and Just Be.

Plus a bonus Giveaway on the final day from Back to Basics Toys.

Check in everyday. And please do spread the word. This is going to be fun.

One more thing, if you're a winner and I don't hear from you within 24 hours of the announcement, then shucks, I'll need to choose another recipient.


Holiday Giveaway Week Direct Links:

1) $150 Gift Certificate to Zutano — closed
2) Custom Stamper & Accessories from The Paper Café — closed
3) Necklace from Superhero Designs — closed
4) Handbag from Bella & Lina — closed
Monday's Giveaway winners announced here.

5) 10 Books by Tracey Clark from Chronicle Books — closed
6) Two Inscribed Necklaces from Julian & Co. — closed
7) Luxe Jacket & Trousers from Skimbaco — closed
8) Year's Supply of Laundry Detergent from Dropps — closed
Tuesday's Giveaway winners announced here.

9) Kodak Easyshare 5300 All-in-one Printer — closed
10) Baby Linen Gift Set from Spongy Feet — closed
11) $200 of Scrapbooking Goodies from Glitz — closed
12) Jewelry from Blue Poppy Design — closed
Wednesday's Giveaway winners announced here.

13) Pettiskirts & Tops from Oopsy Daisy Baby — closed
14) Ultra Prize Package from Martha Stewart Crafts — closed
15) $150 Gift Certificate to Just Be — closed
16) Wall Art & Two Games from Avalisa — closed
Thursday's Giveaway winners announced here.

17) Cake Pedestal and Minis from Nora Fleming — closed
18) Neat Receipts worth $230 — closed
19) Baby Star Crib Bedding Set valued at $380 — closed
20) Necklace and Ring from Twisted Silver Jewelry — closed
Bonus 21) Radio Flyer All-Terrain Wagon from Back to Basics Toys — closed
Friday's Giveaway winners announced here.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's the day before Thanksgiving. I haven't been out yet, but no doubt the grocery stores are buzzing with busy shoppers and full carts. Homes everywhere are anticipating guests and being scrubbed and polished and decorated. Kids across the country have a half day of school and many will arrive home to the smells of pre-Thanksgiving baking. Cinnamon. Cloves. Pumpkin pie. Apple pie. Ready or not, the Holidays are here. And I say Hooray!

We head out to Plymouth around noon. I'm crossing my fingers the road trip will be swift and that I will find my children especially charming during the entire ride. I have no idea what my internet access will be like, so I'm saying goodbye until Monday. But I've tried to pack in the posts this week so that I won't miss you too terribly.

I do have 2 more things to mention before I sign off. First, as you know, Rochelle has been doing a fantastic job this week as Guest Mom. And I'm bummed to have to cut her week short. Luckily she has tons of great ideas and has promised to come back again in the late winter/early spring, when it's time to make garden plans. Thank you, Rochelle!



And my big finale news:
Be here Monday. To take part in the Design Mom Holiday Giveaway Week. I'm so excited. There will be 4 Giveaways each day. That's 20 Giveaways. You will have 24 hours to enter each one. The winners will be announced the following day.

And these aren't so-so prizes being sponsored. They are awesome. They are generous. You will love the vendors. Some are big name. Some are boutique. But every single one was picked with an eye toward design.

And I'd love it if you would help to spread the word. With 20 Giveaways in one week, it feels like there's something for everybody. My little Christmas gift to you.

Have a great weekend. See you on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!

1930's Country Gentleman cover via Curtis Publishing

Ask Design Mom: Christmas Stockings

Question:
Hi Gabrielle. I was hoping that you could help me because you never fail to find the most beautiful things. I am looking for Christmas stockings that are beautiful and interesting, but I am having a hard time finding anything that works. Most of my searches come up with the handmade stockings with the kitschy snowman and elves on them. Do you have any suggestions where I can look? I would really appreciate it! — Alissa

Design Mom Answer:
Thanks for your question, Alissa. Goodness gracious, I do love stockings. And I was so happy to see two designs that are gorgeous — and that are priced at the very reasonable $20 each — at Crate & Barrel.


The Noel Stocking. I think the shape of these is great.


And the Clarendon Stocking. With the piping and ribbon and the stripes. I'm practically swooning.


And predictable as I am with the liking of the stripes, I'm also coveting the stripey design in the picture above by Hable Construction. (But man oh man I do not like the typeface used in the monogramming.)

More Playhouses — By Guest Mom Rochelle Greayer

I haven’t worked with Kid's Crooked House yet, but I am sure it is only a matter of time since they are so nearby (in Maine). They have a similar look to Daniels Woodland but may be more practical if you are on the east coast. They also offer themes which is a bit different too.

My favorite is the restaurant theme — which I am sure would fill endless hours with pretend cooking, using all sorts of found implements. Should visit their website, make sure you click on imagination and read why they think every family should have a crooked house. I’m sold, they are preaching to the choir.



Another playhouse supplier I love is out of the country. I didn’t always live near Boston, in fact I started my company in England, and there are many sources and products available there, that I still can't find here. The Children’s Cottage Company is one of them.


They are the epitome of English charm and European craftsmanship. An individually numbered brass plaque is fitted to every playhouse before it leaves the workshop. Take a look at this portfolio! The choices for customization are wonderful.


In fact, these are just the choices for the roofing! Similar attention is paid to every detail (the siding, the interior,… you can even get a writing desk and upholstered wingback Victorian armchair for inside).

Sigh. Sometimes I really miss England.

Fish's Eddy

I have been in the market for new drinking glasses for a few months. Our last set of broke, one-by-one, and I have been slow to choose something new. We have been muddling through with very small juice glasses from Ikea for a few months now. I like them, but they are really quite small — almost shot glasses. And to quench your thirst you have to refill like 6 times.



After a solid search, I've finally settled on these classic French work glasses. We bought a dozen, and half as many of the happy red lids. I had these in my home growing up and I know I like them. They are sturdy. They don't break or tip easily. They are a good size for water and wide enough to easily accommodate a spoon (read: they're a good size for rootbeer floats. We happen to consume a lot of rootbeer floats.) They're not too big, so I won't be tempted to pour myself more than I actually want. And with the lids, they function as storage pieces as well.



We knew these were available at Fish's Eddy. So we stopped there after our table shopping at ABC. We also picked up a great butter dish and an additional carafe. Because let's face it, one carafe doesn't really cut it for 7 people. Also, in case you're curious, the top photo is a Fish's Eddy display window, taken outside the entrance. The ceramic hands are for sale. I've never bought one, but I'm tempted every time I stop by the store. I think they would be great to use as jewelry storage/display.

Catalog Favorites — Garnet Hill

One habit of mine, when I sort the mail, is to look through a catalog and pull out the pages of the few things that stand out to me. I seem to like to edit down already well-edited collections, to just my very few favorites. This doesn't mean I don't like anything else in the catalog. It's just that certain items seem to catch my eye at the moment for assorted reasons. Sometimes there are lots of items. Sometimes just one or two.

Here are my favorites from the Garnet Hill Holiday 2007 catalog:


Orla Kiely Pocket Tote. At close to $500, this would be a major splurge for me. But that doesn't mean I can't admire it.


Belted Asymmetrical Cardigan. Look how cute those 3 buttons are. And I think that shade of blue is divine.


Ole Million Faces Game. A 1920's reproduction. This would be a good looking toy for someone's desk.


I didn't check if Garnet Hill sells any of these items, but I thought the outfit on the girl in this picture was terrific. I love when my kids clothes look this interesting.


Beaded Wrap Blouse. This looks so clean and sharp. I love crisp white shirts.


Hand-knit Advent Calender. How great is this? And I know for sure it's cute, because my sister noticed it too.

Daniels Woodland — by Guest Mom Rochelle Greayer

This treehouse was built by a company called Daniels Woodland in California. They are, I think, one of the only companies that use recycled wood. They source tree trunks from areas throughout the central coast of California and then they hollow them out for use as the base. If you live on the opposite side of the country the thing is built in pieces and shipped to you arriving on a semi truck.

This one is in CT and was designed for one of our clients. We were able to pick from many options to personalize and it even matches the colors of the main house. Installing one of these is no small feat (NOT a DIY job), and you may even have to have planning permission (as we did) to put it together. Some designers may be able to pass along a discount on these so it is worth it to get help with the whole project.



If you are thinking about doing this…I would highly recommend Rubber Crumbles (seen here in black) as a base. They provide so much better cushioning should someone fall and are immensely cleaner than sand or bark mulch. Plus, because it is recycled and it doesn’t track you save in the long run because you don’t have to keep refreshing it.

Treehouses and Playhouses — by Guest Mom Rochelle Greayer

We are building a tree house where we live — we have the base platform in place and my husband and I are in heated discussions about what will be on top. I have visions of a smaller cabin (just enough that 4 people can sleep inside) and a balcony. Even though the whole things is technically ‘for the kids’ I want to use it to sit on, read, and admire the particularly nice view toward Mt. Wachusett from our property. My husband conversely wants a large cabin to take up most of the square footage — no balcony — allowing us more space inside for other things.

We deliberate other details too, real windows or just shutters (we happen to have some spare windows that we found in a crawl space)? what kind of roof line? Can we hide a catwalk in the pitch of the roof? If not, then how will we access the most necessary crow’s nest? And exactly what kind of bridge will we have to allow access to the zip line that will shoot our small children and probably way more adults 100+ ft down the hillside. And how will we afford the homeowners insurance increases?. . . maybe we will sell tickets to our 8th wonder of the world. Clearly we are out of control.

It is great fun to imagine what you can create in a tree; our daughter has plenty of her own opinions about what will finally happen on top of the platform. She envisions a stage and the color purple.

Our Tree platform, stage 1, is pictured above. It should be noted that all construction on this was completed by Grandpa whom we appreciate very much.

Toys via ABC

After we looked at the tables, we browsed the Children's Department. Some of the items I loved best (with Christmas gifts in mind):


This charming (and useful) little suitcase of sewing and knitting materials from french company Moulin Roty. You can get it from Tree House Blue.


The My Sweet Dog pull toy. By Nara Yoshimoto for Vilac. Bigger than you're thinking and much more delightful in person than the picture shows.


Composition Books by Eeboo. These are heavier and more permanently constructed than your average school composition book. More like a journal. Check out the elephant one up close. It's my favorite.

Blu Dot

One of our events this weekend was furniture shopping. A most enjoyable outing when one is without one's children. After breakfast at City Bakery (mmmmm, homemade marshmellows), we stopped at ABC to window shop for a new dining table. We have outgrown our current table for 6 — Baby Betty is starting to reject the high chair, which is chair number 7 at our house — so we're searching for a table for 8 or more.

We want something that looks good with the Emeco Navy Chair (luckily, this is pretty much everything) and would be really good with kids. Easy to clean. Easy to care for. Something that would still look good as it ages and gets wear marks. And it's definitely going to get wear marks. Because our dining table is also our art table and our homework table and our wrapping table. . .


Our two favorite tables both came from the same gallery. It's called Blu Dot and it's new to ABC. One is called Strut and it comes in 4 colors and two sizes (I'm drawn to the red and blue).


The other is called Nick and it comes in 2 finishes (right now I'm favoring cherry).

The good staff at Blu Dot spent a good half hour with us discussing children and tables and reality and I am convinced either table would work. At one point it was mentioned that one of the Blu Dot Founders was a father of 4 and owned the Strut table — I'm putting a lot of weight on that. (I don't know which owner it was, but all three graduated from Williams. And one of my favorite people/political blogger/brother-in-law also graduated from Williams. So now I like Blu Dot even more.)

Which table do you like best?

Beth's Farm Kitchen

On Friday, as we stepped off the subway we happened upon the Greenmarket at Union Square. I couldn't help but notice the tables and tables piled high with these festive boxes, at the booth featuring Beth's Farm Kitchen. Each box holds a little jar or yumminess.

Dozens and dozen of jams and chutneys. Every conceivable flavor. All bottled locally at Stuyvesant Falls, New York. The folks at Beth's Farm Kitchen are big on sustainability and have been supporting local and small family farms for years. These would make excellent hostess gifts this holiday.

While I was snapping photos, Ben was sampling and swears the products are delicious.

Fun Stuff at Sk*rt

Exciting things happening at sk*rt this week and I have to share.

First of all, the smart and witty and always glamorous Laura Mayes represented sk*rt at the Rice Alliance Information Technology Venture Forum in Houston. Each company there was invited to show one power-point slide and give a 90-second elevator pitch. Apparently, Laura’s presentation was flawless (no surprise), because sk*rt won! And we have a very cool trophy to prove it.

Sk*rt is the most promising!




And then, because Laura is such a fantastic presenter — and at this point, a social media guru — she was invited to speak about sk*rt at the Got Social Media event. Go Laura! Go sk*rt!



And now that I've done a bit of sk*rt bragging, I've got something nice, just for you, so that you won't think sk*rt has grown too big for its britches. Sk*rt is so very thankful for it's users, that we're hosting a Thanksgetting Celebration to show our gratitude, with Giveaways all week long. For you. Loyal sk*rt users.

It's easy to enter, just leave a comment on any sk*rt ThanksGetting post, like this one. You can find out more information on the sk*rt Giveaways page and the sk*rt blog. But please note, comments on this blog post don't count as entries.

Hammocks — by Guest Mom Rochelle Greayer

We have a hammock strung between two old oaks in our back yard and it entertains for hours. It is a swing, a place to read, a tunnel-like play house (when the sides are pulled up and over your head) and it can hold all four of us.


Melanie, Lucy and Meredith in our hammock in our yard.

I love hammocks and in my work often look for opportunities to create a perfect place to hang one. It always seems better to me to have one strung between trees or some other natural structure than to be forced to make do with one that requires it’s own frame, but I suppose those have their advantages too.

I recently saw this clever design that I can only hope will someday be my perfect answer for a client with a modernist aesthetic, and a love of outdoor bathing.


The hammock bath conceived by Little Wonder Design.

Welcome to Rochelle Greayer

I'm so very excited about this week's Guest Mom, Rochelle Greayer. Rochelle is a landscape designer that specializes in outdoor spaces for children and families. Very cool. She's based in Boston but works with clients all over the country. This is what Rochelle has to say by way of introduction:

I spend a lot of time outside and in other people’s yards and nothing makes me crazier than to see unimaginative children’s toys cluttering up the natural beauty of the landscape. The toys are often ugly and sometimes they seem like a cop out — making it too easy for children to play outdoors in the same way that they would play indoors. I love when I get to see kids explore and enjoy the toys that nature provides — at least the ones that don’t mess things up.

I love the Design Mom blog and am really honored to be a guest mom and write about my career of eliminating faded plastic, and even design-insensitive wood play structures, in yards everywhere. While working to replace them with inspiring, and safe outdoor spaces where children can really get into nature and the whole family can enjoy outdoor time in a well designed space.

For my clients, I have created tree houses, beach inspired sandboxes, ground level trampolines, custom playhouses, child's planting gardens and many other design forward alternatives to rickety swing sets and sun bleached plastic contraptions. I thought I would blog this week about great products and good ideas in my ‘Landscaping Design Mom’ realm.

Well, Rochelle. We're glad you're here. While many of us are in the middle of putting our yards to bed for the winter we'll be glad to have these ideas filed away so we can pull them out post-Holiday-season as we look to spring yard planning.

You can read more about Rochelle and her work on her website.

Happy News.

My mind is spinning with so many things to report. Actually spinning. Well. Really more like pacing. I found myself pacing this morning making a mental list of things I wanted to blog about. Anyway. I'll start with 3 things.

Item number one:
Ben Blair is now Dr. Ben Blair! Thank you so much for all the comments of support on the last post. Ben was delighted and surprised when he happened to check my blog last Thursday and read all your kind words. He was really happy about it. So thank you. It's always so encouraging to imagine people out there rooting for you.

Item number two:
The weekend was fantastic. We are home and rested. We saw too many beautiful things. Ate too much wonderful food. I would repeat the exact weekend again — it was that good — with the exception of our viewing of Beowolf. Which I disliked very much.

I'll tell you more about the weekend as I post through the next few days, but I'll mention the hotel now (so that I have an excuse to add some pics to this post). We stayed at the Millenium Hilton downtown. It's directly across the street from Ground Zero. And it has amazing views across the river. Our room was beautiful. Our bed was comfortable. We were more than content.

Item number three:
We have a new Guest Mom today! More on that coming up. . .

Big Day for Ben Blair

It's true. It's a very big day for Ben Blair.

Tonight, from 5:00 to 7:00, he'll defend his doctoral dissertation. (It deals with the tensions between teachers and schools — in case you're curious.) I've read it. All 230 pages. And it's super smart and very well written. Full of interesting words and terms like: Dialectic. Institution. Discourse. Trajectory. Cultural Form. Mythos. Logos. Bracing. Phronesis. Bureaucracy. Objectifying Consciousness. Rationale. Deliberate. Conception. But mostly "dialectic." I think it says dialectic 1 million times.

He also refers to loads of interesting thinkers and philosophers. People like MacIntyre, Dewey, Rousseau, Van Manen, Plato and on and on. The whole thing is very impressive and academic, as it should be. He's worked incredibly hard on this for an incredibly long time. In fact, we originally moved to New York, over 6 years ago, so he could accomplish this very thing.

And unlike his fellow students — or even professors, in most cases — he's done this worthy thing while also adding three kids to the family of four we had when he started. While taking turns as primary bread winner and stay-at-home dad as needed. While teaching 3 of his kids to ride a bike and snow ski. While being an exceptional father. An exceptional husband.

He even sends me cool links to share with Design Mom readers. Just today he sent a link to these too-great-for-words photos by Jan Von Holleben.

Ben Blair is a good man. No doubt he will do an amazing job tonight (but feel free to wish him luck anyway). And then he'll have a PhD from Columbia University. And then I'll call him Dr. Ben Blair.

Tonight, after his defense, he is meeting me at Grand Central Station and we are heading to a hotel for the weekend. A well-deserved weekend without any kiddies. So I won't be here tomorrow. But I'll be back Monday (well rested!) with big news about my week of Holiday Giveaways.

Hooray for Ben Blair!

Book of the Week: Phooey!

I just received a copy of Phooey! by Marc Rosenthal and before my kids have even seen it, I can guarantee it's going to be a favorite.

Not much text. Because it doesn't need it. The illustrations tell the whole story. And the story is this: A boy is bored. "Phooey!" he says, and concentrates so hard on being bored that he misses the very un-boring craziness happening all around him. A classic sort of story that is endlessly appealing.

The style of the drawings feels authentically retro. They are beautiful and simple. Kind of deceptively simple. As you study the picture you realize just how much is happening. Like a woman pulling an enormous canoe out of her tiny car trunk. (She doesn't even play a part in the story. She's just there being charming.) Or a pie hitting a poster of a viking heroine singing opera, landing right on the opera singer's face.

I would call this a first comic-book. As I said, the pictures tell the story. The text is made of simple dialogue and great sound effects: WHIZZ! ZOOP! SKREE! SPLOOSH! OY! And the pictures are full of so many subtle and charming details that there is something new to discover with each reading.

A great addition to your library. Find Phooey! here.

Baby Quilts

I'm drooling for these gorgeous baby quilts from Bronwen Handcrafted.

Giveaway Winner — Lego Prize Package

So many entries in such a short time! Thank you to everyone who participated in the exciting Lego Giveaway.

Congratulations to: MarenMadsen who said, "I would be a shoe-in (is that how you spell it?) for Mother Of The Year if I won these for my little boys!"

Hooray for MarenMadsen! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address, and I'll forward your information to Lego right away.

Thank you Lego!

Giveaway Reminder — Lego Prize Package

Just a quick reminder. You have until tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 9:00 AM est to enter the Lego Giveaway. Please leave a comment on that post to enter. Good luck!

Holiday Cards

If I was exceptionally organized, I would plan to address my Christmas cards over Thanksgiving weekend. But I'm still dreaming of which ones to pick. The stationery and paper world has exploded with amazing designs over the past few years and there are so many excellent choices out there.

Here are a few cards I like from a few new-to-me (several have just recently launched!) companies:


by Your Every Whim


by LLH Designs


by Alston Wise


by Blonde Designs (get a discount in the Marketplace)


by Jill Smith

Travel Games

I've been saving a link to this list of 27 Car Game Ideas until we were a little closer to Holiday traveling.

Thanksgiving is just a week away, so I better share it before I forget. May your holiday travel be without any "This is my side! Don't cross the line." arguments.

Image via Getty

Leila & Ben

I just received an email from the owners of the etsy shop Leila & Ben. I am in love. They had me at their tag line: Handmade for Modern Kids.

Random Giveaway: Lego Creation Nation Prize Package

Here's a Giveaway for all you early Christmas shoppers out there. (I'm afraid I can't count myself among you, but I aspire to.) Enter your comment on this post to win three different Lego products totaling $150! Will you keep them for your kids? Will you give them as gifts to your nieces and nephews? I have no idea. But wherever they end up they are sure to be used and loved. This is what you could win:


A set of Duplos.
Designed for children’s small hands, Lego intends Duplo bricks to encourage creative play and aid in hand-eye coordination, problem solving, patterns, motor skills and more. Recommended for children ages 2-5, but my older kids still use these when they want to build big, fast. This retails for $29.99.



Plus this enormous King's Castle Siege set.
A working catapult flings plastic boulders over the castle walls and moveable walls allow hours of role play fun. Comes with a constructible dragon, five knight minifigures, four skeleton minifigures and one king minifigure. Recommended for children ages 7-12. I love a set like this for the Holidays. My son works on it an hour or two each day until he's done. He feels like he's accomplished something big when it's complete. It retails for $99.99.



Plus two of these Bionicle Action Figures!
I'm not sure which two you'll get, but they are certainly bound to be both fierce and hi-tech all at once. I didn't get how appealing these were to kids until I saw my own children put them together and play with them for hours on end. Popular with ages 6 to 11. These retail for $9.99 each.

And while the Lego sets are terrific, and while I'm a big fan, and while I hope you're the winner, what I really want to tell you about is the amazing Lego Creativity Awards and Lego's ongoing campaign called Creation Nation. The campaign was designed to encourage lifelong creativity — a very worthy goal. Based on essays, each year Lego awards 10 children $5000. Your kids can apply too. It's not a college scholarship. It's money for your child to use right now to further his or her creative endeavors.

I love this idea oh-so-much. For me, creativity and problem solving go hand-in-hand. And I love that Lego gets it. That they are out there actively encouraging children to be creative — giving them money for projects they're working on right now. If your curious, you can find out more about the contest, and Creation Nation here.



Still need some convincing? Well. I was converted the moment I found out Dave Eggers was a judge for the contest. Here's his advice to the children who participated this year: "Give yourself a lot — a lot — of time to goof around and daydream and sketch and make a mess." Sounds good to me.

One last thing: think Legos are just for boys? Think again. Anyone who grew up with Legos in the house (even if they were originally purchased for their brother) can tell you the exquisite pleasure of sitting in front of a pile of bricks and carefully building a house/town/airport/castle. Clicking and unclicking until she got it just right. It would be hard to call any playroom well-stocked without a container of Legos.

Thank you Lego!!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until 9:00 AM (EST) on Thursday, November 15th to enter this giveaway. Note the unusual end time.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Thursday.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Baby Coins by Julian & Company

Tania from Julian and Company just announced a new product and I am totally intrigued. Check it out. You send her a photo and she makes a tiny outline etching of it and engraves it onto a pure silver or gold pendant. Stats are included on the reverse. She calls them Baby Coins. I call them charming.



Available as necklaces, bracelets, cuff-links — or my favorite — a guitar pick. Bonus: use the Marketplace and get $10 off your order.

Stalking Santa Report

The screening last Thursday of Stalking Santa, was even more fun than I guessed it would be. The movie was great. And the question and answer session afterwards was wonderful. It was fun to hear Chris talk about working with his wife Lisa — who plays his wife in the movie. It was interesting to hear the writer and cast member, Daryn Tufts, talk about making a feature film on a teeny tiny budget. And so cool to hear how he got William Shatner involved. There is a bunch of vintage footage in the movie and it was fascinating to hear how they created it. I love when I can get some insight into how something like this was made.

William Shatner is the narrator and executive producer. He does an excellent job and lends such gravity to the whole film. But for sure, the stars are Chris and Lisa and Daryn. And they shine! I've never watched a movie before that starred my friends and I wondered if I would feel strange watching them act out a certain role on the big screen — but they were fantastic. They were perfectly cast.

We came home with the DVD — signed by Mr. Clark of course — and it pretty much played nonstop at our house all weekend. Everyone has their favorite lines — including the one where the assistant says, "How do I explain Lloyd? You might as well ask me to explain Einstein, or Alex Trebek."

The movie is just right for tweens to adults. If you're dying for more info on the film or the actors, or want to see the Santa Papyrus and Santa Cave Paintings up close, you can get your fill by downloading the press kit from the Stalking Santa site.




Stalking Santa is terrific. You've got to see it. It's hilarious. Find the DVD it here.


Olive, who thought she was very fancy to get to stay up late, pictured here with screen star Christopher Clark, at the Stalking Santa New York Premiere.

Alice in Wonderland Over the Top

Do you remember the fantastic Alice in Wonderland party I posted about awhile back? It was gloriously colorful and shot by the talented Jessica Claire. Well. Jessica was called in to shoot another Alice in Wonderland party and she posted some of the pictures on her blog. You have to check it out. "Over the top" doesn't really do it justice. I had to keep reminding myself this was a party for a 4 year old. Beautiful. But part of a different world than the one I live in.

Thanks for the heads up Nicole.

Gifted — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

For the past few weeks there’s been a common refrain across the blogosphere alongside any holiday gift-related post…”I know it’s early, but…” Well the gift guides have come out in full force, and I wanted to share the one I’ve pulled together to tie-up my week posting over here at Design Mom (thanks Gabrielle; it’s been a really fun experience!)

Before I started assembling the list, I spent some time thinking about what makes a gift meaningful. Contrary to the bounty below, I firmly believe that something handmade or passed on is infinitely more exciting to give and receive than something store bought. My favorite gifts of all time include a beautiful sweater knitted by my friend Jane when my daughter Amelia was born and (after coveting it for years) a ring passed on to me by my friend Achlee.

In lieu of a traditional gift, I also love the idea of chipping in with your siblings or a group of girlfriends and sponsoring a “sister” via Women for Women International. This is an amazing organization that helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives through financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights awareness and leadership education and access to business skills. I’ve sponsored three “sisters” through the program, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. But, despite all my best intentions, I still end up buying a slew of gifts each year online. I’ve assembled my favorites below, trying to include something lovely and unique for everyone on your list, from a teacher, co-worker or neighbor to your best friend, sister, hubby and kids. I’ve also tried to include items at every price point starting at 5 dollars and with nothing over 75 dollars. Here we go!

Stocking Stuffers and Sweet Small Gifts
Any of these would be great as stand-alone gifts for a neighborhood buddy or classmate, as a topper for a larger gift or to fill up the kiddo’s stockings. I especially love the thyme plant in the little ceramic egg, the pretty note book from Nantaka Joy and the set of personalized pencils in a little monogrammed pouch.


Gifts from left to right, top to bottom:
Nantaka Joy “I Love…” notebooks, thyme egg plant, sweet baby shoes from Pearl River Mart, fun press up robot from environmental retailer MUJI, Viv & Ingrid mother of pearl hair tie, Bicheno pocket mirror from Craftsbury Kids (don’t forget the free shipping via the Design Mom Marketplace – Thanks Gabrielle!), Lillian Vernon personalized pencils, MUJI’s flip book and farm in a bag

Kiddos
There are so many great mid-range things for kids this year. Some standouts include a groovy falcon shirt for your nephew (or with a skirt and some funky tights, my daughter would completely dig it), a beautiful and poetic pop-up book, an oversized tub of colored pencils, gorgeous alphabet cards by Ida Pearle that would be perfect broken up and framed for multiple gifts and a sparkly apple tote that would be equally appropriate for a hip girlfriend to stash her lip gloss.


Gifts clockwise from top to bottom: Binth matching game, Falcon t-shirt from MIMMO, Pamela Barsky black piggy bank, Animus by Seonna Hang


Gifts clockwise from top to bottom: alphabet cards by Ida Pearle, Craftsbury Kids’ Morning Glory blanket set, peace baby blocks from Olie Bollen, tub of colored pencils from MUJI


Gifts clockwise from top to bottom: Wheely Bug, Buddha Board, yard snake from Branch Home, Little Red Riding Hood blocks from MUJI


Gifts clockwise from top to bottom: felt and cotton dolls from Esthex, hand-crafted elephant pull toy from Germany, Stacrobats, apple tote from Viv & Ingrid

Something for Everyone
I would be happy to get any of these things (husband if you’re reading this, hint, hint). I think the best gifts fall into the genre of things the recipient wouldn’t necessarily purchase for themselves, like a pair of bright yellow gloves, an oil diffuser that’s looks as good as it smells or decadent chocolates (See’s are my absolute favorite – reading Gabrielle’s posts about her love for See’s candy confirmed that she was a kindred spirit).


Gifts from left to right, top to bottom: cozy gloves from J Crew, Iomoi personalized paperweight, Jayson Home and Garden’s porcelain orchid vase and urchin box, Hayden Harnett coin purse, J Crew starburst ring, Pamela Barsky ceramic birds, Juliska vase, silhouette plate from Rust designs


Gifts clockwise from top to bottom: Jacques Torres chocolate gingerettes tin, Jayson Home and Garden’s log box and bird box images, handmade wooden spoons, Volupsa oil diffuser, See’s Toffeettes

Giveaway Winner — Turquoise Jewelry by Allison Dayton

It's always fantastic to start the week announcing a Giveaway winner. And I'll assume it's fantastic for the Giveaway winner as well. Today's Giveaway winner gets two amazing necklaces from Allison Dayton Jewelry. So let's get to it.

Congratulations to: Brock & Julie who said, "I love love love the jewelry."

Hooray for Brock & Julie! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address, and I'll forward your information to Allison Dayton right away.

Thank you kindly to everyone who participated — all 563 of you! Thank you to Allison Dayton Jewelry Designs. I heart Giveaways.

See you Monday!

Hey friends. I'm going to take tomorrow off. My kids will be home for the day and I've promised to work with them on the playroom. I'll be back Monday with the final Guest Mom post from the glamorous Joslyn Taylor.

In the meantime, feel free to enter the Allison Dayton Jewelry Giveaway to win two amazing turquoise necklaces. Note: I've extended the deadline through Sunday night. I'll announce the winner Monday morning.



Also, check out these fantastic Ida Pearle Alphabet cards from Mahar Dry Goods. I've gone to Mahar to stare at them maybe 5 times. They are so lovely.

Book of the Week: Custom Book

So I ordered a book a couple weeks ago especially for my daughter Olive. It was a customized book. I've never tried something like this before and I was little skeptical about the whole thing. Were they going to throw Olive's name on every page where it would stand out as an obvious and awkward addition to whatever the original story was?

But my skepticism was wasted. The book arrived last week. And it is adorable. And I have to share.

It's called the First Adventures of Incredible You. It's written by Sarah Riley Headrick and Sarah Foreman Rivera. Illustrated by Jill Dryer Bartolucci. Clearly, Sarah and Sarah and Jill make a great team, because the book is really well done. It involved much more customization than I imagined when I started — things like your street name, your favorite park, the child's favorite dish, and on, and on. We even managed to use all four of her siblings names.

But the customizations are worked in so seamlessly, that it's pretty much like internet magic. In fact, our 10-year-old Ralph read it and was increasingly amazed, as he turned page after page, that there were authors in the world that knew his little sister so well.

In addition to the cool factor of the customization, the writing really is very sweet. And the illustrations are bright and appealing and oh so likeable.

Olive hasn't seen it yet. We're saving it for Christmas. But I know she's going to feel like a superstar when she realizes who the main character is.

If you're wanting to get one for your own special little one, type in discount code dm10 (keep it lowercase) when you place your order and you'll get 10% off through November 30, 2007.

Get Into the Groove: Adult-Safe Kids Music — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

You’d have to be confined to a small, windowless room not to catch on to the fact that music aimed at very young kids has relatively recently become a very big industry. I’m not talking about music aimed at “tweens”, like the Duff sisters’ stuff (our parents called it “teeny bopper” music — not much seems to have changed there). Rather, tune into Noggin during daylight hours for 10 minutes, and chances are you’ll see/hear an example of what I’m referring to. What started a few years ago with Dan Zanes now has practitioners aplenty, some up to the high standards set by Sir Dan, many — sadly for parents — a few rungs lower.

Music was an ever-present aspect of my upbringing, and I can assure you that “kid music” never made it into my parent’s repertoire. To them, all music was kid music. Unfortunately the musical gene didn’t get passed down to me, but despite my shortcomings I did manage to marry someone who can play multiple instruments. “Family band” is a staple of our Saturday mornings, granted my husband pretty much carries the ensemble, but Audrey and I can rock the tambourine and maracas like nobody’s business.


Audrey showing off her moves

Before my husband and I had kids and became aware of the children’s music boom, we used to talk about music we thought our kids would enjoy. The conversation would always come down to a list of the “top” songs we wanted to try out on them. The list was always made up of pop and folk music, much of which we had enjoyed as kids but wasn’t expressly written for children. There’s a million of these lists out there now, but here’s a rundown of favorites, tested and proven on our daughters and guaranteed not to annoy mommy and daddy.



1. “Yellow Submarine” (Beatles) — It would be easy to make an entire list like this composed of nothing but Beatles songs. Catchy choruses, simple lyrics. Just steer clear of “Helter Skelter” or “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road”, and you’re golden.

2. “(Take Me) Riding in My Car” (Woodie Guthrie) — We always liked the original from the 1930s, but Elizabeth Mitchell (who has several good children’s CDs out) does a great version that our oldest loves to sing with

3. “ABC” (Jackson 5) — Michael was so cool at age 8.

4. “1, 2, 3, 4” (Feist) — You probably know this one from the iPod nano commercial, the dancers in colorful shirts swirling around a warehouse in the background. If you haven’t heard her other stuff, it’s terrific music for grown-ups. But this one…I’ve never seen my daughter so rapt by a tune. She begs me to “turn it higher” every time it comes on. Kind of sad lyrics, but cloaked in a tune like this, even a funeral dirge would make you want to dance and sing.

5. “Doctor Worm” (They Might Be Giants) — “My name is Doctor Worm; I’m not a real doctor, but I am a real worm”. Not much else to say.

6. “The 3 R’s” (Jack Johnson) — “Reduce, reuse, recycle”. I think this one from the “Curious George” soundtrack doesn’t qualify for “not written expressly for kids” status, but it’s cute and gets them singing along. Plus, it’s a good message.

7. “Rock Island Line” (Johnny Cash version) — Johnny does indeed have a high gear. Just check out the chorus. Cows, pigs, sheep, mules – they’re all here.

New Mini Moderns Wallpapers by Absolute Zero Degrees

Awhile back I mentioned loving a collection of wallpapers by UK-based design house Absolute Zero Degrees. Happily, they just sent me an email announcing that their wallpaper line has expanded. Check out these new prints in the Mini Moderns line:


Tick Tock - available in 2 colors: powder blue or black outlined — so you can color it in if you choose. Love the coloring in idea!


Sitting Comfortably? - available in two colors: buttercup/bitter chocolate and black outlined (again, so you can color it in). This features some of my favorite designer chairs. Fantastic.


Moo! - available in 2 colors: pear green and buttercup. Charming instead of cliché.


Different Strokes - available in 4 colors: smoothie pink, powder paint blue, buttercup and pear green. Yummy.

Such an excellent line. Appealing to kids. Appealing to grown-ups. Find retailers here.

In Praise of Boredom — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

Boredom can be good…with my brood, it has a tendency to get the creative juices flowing, and it gives kids the downtime they need to move onto the next thing in their likely overscheduled little worlds. While my husband’s and my childhoods were filled with backyard adventures and plenty of imaginary play, I fear with the onslaught of the 24 hour kid’s channels (don’t get me wrong, I think Charlie and Lola is terrific), our children will fall into the trap of too much screen time and not enough time for dreaming.

Nonetheless, it’s essential to have a few go-to items that jump start your kiddos when they’re having a hard time figuring out something to do on their own. Simple, back-to-basics activities tend to keep our daughter entranced for hours. Some that we like:

• Campout — This works indoors or out. Just pull out the sleeping bags, tents, flashlights and scary stories. It’s especially fun if you also work in some fire-pit or fireplace s’mores…

• Neighborhood Polaroid Scavenger Hunt – We grab a few neighborhood buddies, make a list of 10 or so random items, split up into a couple of teams and arm everyone with a loaded Polaroid camera. The best part is meeting back at the house for cookies, hot chocolate and lemonade (depending on the season) to see which team found the most items.

• Holiday Mix Up — I think this is most fun on a really hot summer day (of which there are plenty in Texas). We crank up the AC and pile on sweaters, blast carols, decorate a little artificial tree, watch A Christmas Story, ice sugar cookies and unwrap a few token gifts. You could also celebrate the 4th of July in December, complete with sparklers, hot dogs and hamburgers and apple pie and ice cream.

• Bingo Tournament — There’s nothing better than a rousing bingo night at home, complete with prizes but sans all the pesky chain smoking you’d get down at the parlor. And when all other options have been exhausted, we pull out a few “hidden” toys from the game closet. I’m partial to the classics like Colorforms and Tinkertoys, as they encourage creativity, and you really can’t beat the packaging.

Random Giveaway: Allison Dayton Jewelry Designs

It's a great week. Joslyn Taylor is proving to be an amazing Guest Mom. The Stalking Santa premiere is tomorrow night (hope to see you there!). And my kids have Friday and Monday off from school so we're looking forward to a fun weekend. Let's celebrate the mid-week point by giving away some fantastic jewelry. Leave your comment on this post to win Two Gorgeous Turquoise pieces by Allison Dayton Jewelry Designs! A very grown-up necklace for you. And a necklace from Allison's Kid Stuff collection for a smaller someone in your life.




That's correct. The winner gets both necklaces featured above. One for mom. One for daughter. No daughter? Then two for you! And I just have to tell you about these amazing pieces. The first necklace is called 64 Inches of Turquoise. A name that tells me plainly I would really like this necklace. And who wouldn't? It's over 5 feet of gorgeous turquoise stones. And I don't need to mention that turquoise is hot! The 64 inch necklace wraps 4 times to become a choker, or you can wear it doubled or tripled for a longer look. It's all about options. And it sells for $216.00 — but you can win it for free.

Then. There's the child size necklace, called Turquoise Heart. Just about the sweetest thing ever. Retails for $32.00. How fun it will be to have a package arrive with something special for you and something special for your child. Happiness times two all the way around.

While you're daydreaming of turquoise accessories, you should also totally check out Allison's other gorgeous pieces. My favorites:


Oval Chain Necklaces. So wearable with pretty much everything. The large links are very distinctive.


Silver Branches Necklace. The website describes this necklace as a show-stopper. And I'm in full agreement. A big fat gorgeous splurge.


Three Bronze Strands Bracelet. The colors feel cozy and just right for autumn. Isn't that clasp to die for?


Chinese Porcelain Bracelets. Predictably, I like me some color.


A Slice of Turquoise Necklace. I know. Enough with the turquoise already. But she does it so well, it's hard to not love every piece. This one is stunning.

Design Mom reader, Andrea Wright, turned me on to Allison's jewelry and I will be forever grateful. And speaking of grateful, this photo featuring Allison's bracelets — with hands in a prayerful position — seems like a fitting note on which to end this post. If I was wearing all those lovely bracelets, I'd be feeling the gratitude as well.



Thank you Allison Dayton!!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Thursday, November 8th to enter this giveaway. Extended to Sunday, November 11th!
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Friday morning. Actually, Monday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Bella and Lina

I love the collection of bags, that mom-of-two Cherry, has put together over at Bella and Lina. Handbags, shoulder bags, clutches, totes, wallets. All from independent and hard-to-find designers.

Pictured: kimono tote green, elephant green shoulder bag, x's and o's handbag, and saltwater blue make-up bag.

A Room of One's Own — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

I have a tiny nook in our hallway where I work from home when I'm not in the office. It's not much, but having a little space of my own amidst the rest of the family’s “stuff” is a real luxury. I’m an advocate of carving out someplace personal in your home and making it as reflective of you as possible. It doesn’t have to require an extra room — a converted closet or a multi-use armoire works just as well (and sometimes better). But, ideally it’s a spot that’s off-limits to everyone else, where you can tackle the mundane (i.e. bill paying) as well as more creative pursuits…not to mention a little daydreaming.

When it comes to my office space, I tend to be a little childlike in that the smaller, cozier and more unique, the better. Some spots that inspire me:

Images clockwise from left: Rural Theory, La Paracaidista's Photostream, Room and Board and Domino Magazine

Once you have the space carved out, you’ve gotta have the goods. Rather than relying solely on traditional office supplies, I like to use unconventional objects to make my desk more inspiring and less sterile.

Boxes
The lacquer ones from West Elm impart instant chic on your desk and are perfect for holding paper clips, rubber bands, stamps, etc…. I also love these Kiri wood boxes from Jayson Home and Garden for an earthier feel.

Fresh Flowers
A nice little bouquet is the easiest way to make a space feel special. I always go the uncomplicated route and put a bunch of the same type of flower in a simple glass vase, but I get endless inspiration from the more sophisticated arrangements like this one on Housemartin’s site.

Diptyque Basil Candle
I like to keep a scented candle at my desk, but finding one that smells great and is completely inoffensive to my husband is a monumental task. This candle from Diptyque is one of the few that‘s acceptable to both of us, as the un-predictable scent isn’t too sweet or cloying. The fact that it lasts forever also helps justify the slightly steep price tag.


LL Bean Boat and Tote Bags
A little bit of an unlikely pick for a desk accessory, but in addition to being a mainstay for picnics and overnight trips, extra-large LL Bean bags make great toy baskets, clothes hampers and are perfect next to a desk to stash stacks of old magazines and catalogs.

Personalized Stationary
I’m pretty obsessed with writing thank you notes (I’ve been known to write a thank you note in response to a thank you note…sad), so I’m of the school of thought that you can never have too much pretty stationary on hand. I love note cards that reflect the writer and having it personalized is even better. There are really lovely styles at Iomoi and Juniper Design & Ink.

Pretty Pinboards
Whether you opt to cover a corkboard or piece of MDF with pretty fabric or grab some pre-made linen covered tiles like these from Pottery Barn, an inspiration board is a must. Try to resist the urge to completely cover the surface with school reminders and handprint art though. Instead, regularly rotate in images that inspire you.

Peek-A-Boo Bag

Thoughtful Shannon just sent me a link to a new toy, called a Peek-A-Boo Bag. I think they look adorable and I'd love to see one in person. Actually, I'd love baby Betty to see one in person — I'm not sure she'd ever let go if one found its way into her hands.

Fun to see a totally new idea.

Flood Street Curiosity Shop

Have you seen all the cute items Jordan has added to her shop? I've got to order me some of that twine. I would basically use it non-stop. And the giant balloons? They're like the happiest thing ever invented.

Spa Day — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

Shortly after the birth of my first daughter, I commented to a girlfriend that taking a shower (complete with leg shaving and hair conditioning) was akin to a full day at the spa in my pre-baby life (not that I’ve ever spent the entire day at a spa, but you get the idea). Given that showering has morphed from a necessity to a luxury, I’m always seeking out products that play double-duty — like a body lotion that can substitute for perfume or a moisturizer that thinks it’s foundation. Lovely packaging doesn’t hurt either. Once I discover something, I tend to snap it up in multiples and use it forever.

Some of my current favorites:

• Stila Convertible Eye Color – This plays the role of both liner and shadow and requires little to no precision (or skill for that matter) when you use the nice little smudgy thing at the end.

• Bobbie Brown Shimmer Lip Tint - This isn’t your average goopy, overly glossy, “teenagery” lip gloss. It’s nice, shiny, pretty, grown-up lip gloss in the best possible colors.

• Bumble & Bumble Hair Powder – This product has saved me on the (unfortunately) frequent occasions when washing my hair simply isn’t a possibility. It’s makes two (or three) day hair into totally presentable hair again.

• Rescue Beauty Lounge Wild Rosemary Pamplemousse - On rushed nights, I use the prospect of a squirt of this body wash on a bath pouf to lure my daughter into taking a quick shower in lieu of a long bubble bath. The really pretty packaging looks great on a bathroom counter, but the smell is the clincher, as its herbal, woodsy vibe conjures up memories of my northern California childhood. The time saver here is that sudsing up with this virtually negates the need for perfume.

• Smith’s Rosebud Salve – This tiny tin of salve is a true multi-tasker…pretty package, smells lovely and works on lips, eyes, cuts, burns…the list goes on.

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – I originally read about this moisturizer in a magazine and decided to try it based on the glowing review. Surprisingly, it completely lived up to the hype and is now the item that I always buy in multiples for fear of having my daughter squeeze the entire tube out to use as finger paint in a renegade art project. Not only does it contain SPF 20, but it literally melts into your skin and eliminates the need for foundation (read: three steps all at once). The best part? It creates the allusion of a full night of sleep, even if you have bags under your eyes that would rival a sleep deprived POW.

Children's Clothing Report — Part Two

More of my favorites from the Children's Club Clothing Show last month:

Wonderboy Clothing
I fell in love with this line (featured in the two pics above). Kind of urban cowboy for little boys. The fabrics were so great. And the booth, packaging, styling, photography, catalog, etc. was all very well done. You can find a list of retailers on their site.


Pediped
You already love their infant shoes and now (hooray!) they are introducing a line of rubber-soled shoes for ages 2-5. Same great styling as their soft-soled shoes — just more substantial. Available next spring.


The Urban Worm
Based in Palm Beach and using fabrics traditionally saved for interiors, The Urban Worm is making beautiful clothing for boys and girls.


Lucky Wang
I want one of everything. Great patterns. Great textiles. You can shop their collection online here.



Childish
Finally, it was super-fun to meet in person Skye Hoppus at the Childish booth. You may remember Skye as a Guest Mom here from this past summer. And also because she wrote the fantastic book Rock Star Momma. And also because she's the creative genius behind the Childish line. The Childish booth was fabulous — very glam. And Skye was as lovely in person as you'd expect. Also enjoy this sneak peek at a new line of necklaces Childish introduced. In gold or white gold. Simple and shiny. So hot.

A Theory and Some Essentials — by Guest Mom Joslyn Taylor

I have this theory, and I’ll be the first to admit it’s not based on any sort of empirical scientific evidence, but it was first formed on a handful of my high school girlfriends and is further proved out every time I’m shopping and see a mother/daughter duo. Here goes…

Lacking a relatively stylish mother to emulate, I think our daughters risk resorting to the media as they seek out a style role model. And let’s face it, while things are getting a little better in that regard (in all my informal polls of teenage girls, Rachel Bilson seems to consistently outscore Paris Hilton in the style department); the stripper aesthetic is still an ever-present “look”.

I’m definitely not suggesting that we become style-obsessed. In fact, I think that backfires as well, encouraging a materialistic little army of trend bots who value looks above all else. But, looking modern, slapping on some lip gloss, a dress or a decent pair of jeans (pleats and plumber’s crack are equally offensive) and giving our daughters a touchstone for what looks good (and our sons a touchstone for the type of girls they want to hang out with) goes a long way.

Here are a few staples that have pulled me out of a rut every time.

		Adding to favorites

Jeans That Fit
Reasoning that the price per wear ends up pretty low, jeans are one of the items I’ll consider splurging on. That said, I have equal affection for my cheapo Flirt jeans from Old Navy (above) and my pair from Paige Premium Denim.

A Great Dress or Two
My love for a good dress really has no parallel. I think it’s one of the few clothing items that can create an aura of pulled-togetherness with almost no effort. I typically go for a simple, solid dress that’s as appropriate for work as for a parent teacher conference or date night. J. Crew and Anthropologie consistently turn out excellent dresses, but there’s truly no shortage of great affordable ones out there. Currently I’m smitten with this frock from Top Shop.

A Smart Jacket
Shrug one on and you instantly elevate even the most basic jeans and t shirt. This fall has produced lots of interesting jackets with unusual proportions and fun sleeves, so I would probably opt for a classic standby and a more fun version. I’ve been coveting this one from Forever 21, and the price will make it slightly less traumatic when it gets totally “gunked up”, as it inevitably will.

A Multi-use Carryall
While they’ve gotten infinitely cuter, I’m still not a big fan of traditional diaper bags. With both of my daughters, I managed to find a tote that easily morphed into a diaper bag with the addition of a few large Ziplocs. This approach doesn’t work for everyone, but somehow I feel a little more like myself, and a little less like I’m schlepping around the entire world (even if I am), when I’m carrying a streamlined bag. My current favorite is from Alexis Hudson. The sides have zippers that allow you to make it really flat for when you’re just toting the essentials or HUGE for when you’ve jammed in a few diapers, some wipes, a toy or two, goldfish, etc… It also converts into a messenger-style bag with a nice long strap. Strangers have literally stopped me on the street to gush over it.

Bracelets via J. Crew

Necklace via Banana Republic

A Go-To Piece of Jewelry
I love the idea of wearing a signature piece of jewelry every day, especially if it’s a hand me down or a vintage locket with pictures of your kiddos. An interesting piece is one of the best ways to add character to a simple outfit. Fortunately, if you don’t have a generous grandmother bestowing her cast-off jewels to you, there’s no shortage of lovely, affordable pieces available. But if you’re going to splurge a bit, I love the gorgeous, handcrafted pieces from Amy Nordstrom.

Hello from Joslyn

I'm so excited to have Joslyn Taylor as a Guest Mom this week. You may remember Joslyn from the delightful photos of her mid-century modern home that I featured a couple months back. I don't know Joslyn personally at all, but having seen her home, I'm quite sure we'd be bffs if we ever got to hang out. In fact, now that I've seen this way cute photo of her with her two little ones, I think I've officially got a crush on Joslyn.

I should also tell you, I've had a preview of what she'll be posting this week and you are going to love every single thing she writes. Every single thing. But you might already know that if you read her excellent blog: Simple Lovely.

Here's what Joslyn has to say by way of introduction:

First of all, I’m really honored and excited to be posting on Design Mom this week. I love Gabrielle’s site, and her concept of focusing on the intersection between design and motherhood really resonates with me, as I’ve long believed that having kids doesn’t doom one to a world filled with clunky, primary-colored plastic toys and mom jeans. I’m thrilled to have found a place where there are so many like-minded mamas!

I was a bit intimidated though when she asked me to write up a little bio. I don’t have a design background, so I was worried about exposing my lack of “cred”. But I am obsessed with creating a home for my family that combines my love of great design with equal doses of comfort and whimsy, a place where my daughters can draw inspiration to form their own aesthetic sensibility as they go forth into the world.

Here are a few tidbits that have most influenced my philosophy about design and motherhood:
• My father has been a professional musician since he was 13 years old. And while this technically isn’t about me, his focus on creativity, music, art, taking the road-less-traveled and appreciating and embracing things outside of the norm (and his encouragement of my sisters and me to do the same) has been the most influential aspect of how I attempt to raise my own girls.

• My family moved 17 times when I was growing up. I attended four elementary schools, two junior high schools and two high schools (another side-effect of my father’s nomadic career). Most of those moves were back and forth between California, Texas and Louisiana. As a result, I’ve formed a blended sensibility of laid back, hippie west coast and southern tradition, which often makes for some interesting results.

• I have two sisters and two daughters, so I tend to naturally skew a little “girly” in the things I post on my own blog, but I’ll pull from the resource pool of my eight nephews and a gaggle of neighborhood boys to ensure I remain gender-neutral this week!

Hooray for Joslyn! Thank you for being here. We can't wait to read what you have to share.

Chula Mama Maternity

I swear. The entire world is pregnant. And shopping for maternity clothes. So here's another source I can share: Chulamama. I especially love their collection of tops. That 9 tee is fantastic.

Everyone Loves Letterpress! From Papered Together: Sk*rt/Maker Faire Giveaway #14

‘Tis the Season to send out some letterpress. Actually, now that I think about it, anytime’s the right time to send it out. Because it’s just that awesome.