Hello March!

This is it: February 29th. Leap Day.

And tomorrow is March — lovely March — and time to think about Easter. I'm so delighted about it. These images from the current Smith & Hawken catalog have me aching for Spring and aching for this Easter Nest. Oh so pretty.



It's been a great week. Thank you for making my sister's feel right at home. I hope you enjoyed their posts as much as I did. (How could you not? They're all so brilliant.)

Have a great weekend. If you haven't had the chance yet, you can enter the Bun in the Oven Giveaway through Sunday at midnight — over $500 worth of prizes — you don't want to miss it. Another "don't miss": lots of hot new deals in the Marketplace!

Using a Gocco Screen Printer — by Sister Liz

The gocco is a small Japanese screen printer. It uses flash bulbs to burn an image onto a small disposable screen with which you can print on paper, wood, cloth — pretty much any flat surface. I use the gocco all the time to make cards, stationery, invitations and t-shirts. Each one is hand printed which gives it a really unique, organic look — like these labels I made. Goccos were discontinued for a while and hard to find but there are a couple places that now carry them: here and here.

Here's what the process is like:



Design your image on the computer to fit a 4x6 postcard size (in this case, I was making two images to print on one screen). Print it out in black and white and then make a carbon copy of that print. Cut it out.



Place the cut image in the center of the gocco pad, install the two light bulbs.



After putting the screen into place, press down on the top of the gocco. The light bulbs will flash and crack, burning the image onto the screen.



Peel the paper off the screen and apply ink on top of the image. It is possible to use multiple colors if you leave room in between for a sticky foam to separate the different color areas. Another option is to make separate screens for each color and wait for the first printings to dry before printing additional colors.



Place your inked screen back onto the gocco machine and place paper on the pad. Press down again on the gocco to apply the inked screen onto the paper



Voila! Some people are really talented at this gocco thing — check out this and this.

I made these cards for my awesome friend.

Sibling Relationships — by Sister Sara

Five years ago, as summer was approaching, I was concerned with some of the one-on-one relationships my children had with each other. My biggest concern was that my oldest (8 going on 9 at the time) and my five-year-old had NO friendship. They often bickered and fought.

So I came up with a plan based on the well-known thought "you love those you serve" and created a schedule for my children to serve each other. It worked so well we have done it every summer since.

This is how it works: every child is paired with every sibling every morning. The combos over the years have included activities like:
-11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old-daughter write and produce a play (including script, costumes and sets).
-10-year-old daughter and 5-year-old-daughter make up dances together.
-5-year-old-son reads an easy reader to 7-year-old daughter.
-7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old-son play jump rope, hopscotch, basketball or soccer.
-5-year-old son and 4-year-old-daughter color a picture together.

As my kids have grown we have continued the tradition and the activities mature as my children do. This is what we did last summer:

-13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old-daughter prepared dinner each morning (including a weekly menu and shopping list). They did all the prep work they could in the morning, together, then one of them did the actual cooking each evening.
-13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old-son played board games each day.
-13-year-old daughter read Alice and Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia to my 9-year-old-daughter.
-12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old-son practiced timetable flash cards.
-12-year-old daughter taught 9-year-old-daughter piano basics.
-9-year-old-daughter practiced her reading with my 10-year-old son.

The kids love this part of the day — and thankfully, they love each other. I will continue to do this as long as I can. I feel like this is one of the best things I’ve done for my children.

Random Giveaway — Bun in the Oven

There are many, many pregnant women out there. Having babies is clearly all the rage. And why shouldn't it be? Learning to be a good mom is very likely the best thing that will ever happen to you. But. Except for a very, very, very few (and lucky) women, pregnancy is difficult. And fat. And nauseating. And bladder squeezing. And far too emotional.

So. To help us keep focused on how amazingly wonderful pregnancy actually is, how about a Giveaway Prize Package full of stuff that's just for Moms — expectant Moms. No baby booties. No rattles. Just cool pregnant stuff for Moms-to-be. So if you're pregnant. Or you know someone who is pregnant. Get your comments in now for the delicious Bun in the Oven Giveaway! Here's what one lucky winner will receive:


Nine Time Three Kit. retail value: $360.00
Back in December I discovered Nine Times Three (or Neunmaldrei in German) and fell in love with the concept: a maternity wardrobe consisting of only 3 pieces. Three pieces that are so well designed and so well made that you'll wear them all nine months. A skirt. A pant. A top. The photography on the site is gorgeous and the story behind the line is brilliant — the designer has been pregnant 5 times and knows exactly what works. In fact, during her last pregnancy, she wore only the Neunmaldrei Kit just to make sure it was perfect. And it was.


Happy Baby, Healthy Mom Pregnancy Journal. retail value $18.95
Such a cute book! Spiral bound inside a hard cover with an elastic closure. You are growing a whole human being inside that belly of yours. Of course you want to use the best building materials possible. This journal will help you create a week-to-week plan for staying healthy during pregnancy and the postpartum months. It includes tips about healthy eating for two, keeping fit, and relieving discomfort. Best of all, it also provides prompts and writing space for capturing your thoughts as your belly grows. Journaling has been proved to be a huge stress reliever — just what you need during this life-changing time.



25 Shower Invitations or 50 Personalized
Note cards from the Hicks Paper Collection. retail value $79.00
I recently posted about the lovely work in the Hicks line. Designed by Sarah Hicks Malone (of Martha Stewart fame). Gorgeous illustrations. Casual, yet refined designs. The winner will get to pick either 25 invitations or 50 personalized notecards. That means, when your dear, dear friend wants to throw you a shower you can graciously say: yes. thank you. and here's where to order the complimentary invitations. Not having a baby shower? You'll still likely to be showered with gifts and luckily, you'll have darling personalized notecards on which to write your thank you notes.


Three Blush Undershirts. retail value: $45.00
I say "undershirts" but technically, they're topless undershirts. I don't know if you've ever tried these, but they will stretch your maternity wardrobe like nothing else. In great colors. Cute patterns. The winner gets to picks her favorite three. Here are tips on how to wear the tops from their site: During pregnancy, you can keep the wardrobe you already have and use the topless undershirt to help cover your belly as your shirts start to ride up. If you are at the stage where you are unbuttoning the top of your pants, use the undershirt single layered or doubled over to help hold them up and hide your exposure! This way you can wear the jeans you already have before having to wear maternity ones. If you are planning to nurse, continue to wear the undershirt so you can lift your shirt without exposing your tummy and back.

Don't all the goodies (over $500 worth!) get you more excited to be pregnant? As if pregnancy wasn't exciting enough as it is. And one more thing, if you hate the term "bun in the oven" my apologies. It's lunchtime as I write this and I'm craving a cinnamon roll.

Thank you to the amazing pregnancy supporting sponsors!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Sunday, March 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 are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Age Appropriate Sports — by Sister Megan

I have been interested in sports for most of my life. I found out in middle school that I was good at running — I enjoyed running and competing and continued to do it through high school and college. I had been involved in running for so long and loved it so much that I didn't want it to be over once college was done. And I was lucky, I got a job as a track and cross country coach for the local high school where I attended college. I loved it. When we finished college and moved to California I got a job at the YMCA teaching the youth sport classes. I am now trying to get back into shape so that I can compete again. My goal is to compete in a Triathlon in May.


Here I am competing in the Steeple Chase when I was in College.

I have taught and coached sports to children of all ages ranging from 18 months to High School. When I'm teaching sport classes the biggest question parents asked was, "When is my child ready for...?" Sometimes the question came from parents wanting to put their kids in a higher age class in an attempt to advance their skills more quickly. In my opinion that didn't always work out best for the child. Here are a few age appropriate suggestions involving sports:

18 months to 3 years
I taught a mommy and me class for kids this age. It was a mini-gym class so it involved "circle time" where we would sing a variety of songs. The songs ranged from the ones we all know like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, to more involved jumping around songs. Then the kids along with their moms would do an activity that worked on different skills, like hand eye coordination or colors, etc. This type of class is perfect for 2 year olds. The 18 month kids mostly still played on their own. By the time they hit 3 they were ready to move on to a different kind of class.

3 to 5 year olds
This was the next age group I taught. There were 3 different classes — soccer, t-ball, and basketball. It was an indoor class which is good for this age. 3 to 5 year olds are distracted much more easily outside, and it is harder to get their attention. 3 year olds are still not into a lot of structure, and are not good at lining up yet. So for 3 years olds, look for classes that focus on the fun side of the sport and not learning rules and technique. Make sure that the teacher is flexible with different ages, ask if you can sit in and watch a class.

Or. Go ahead and wait a year and take your 3 year old to a park and kick the ball there with them. This is just as effective and at this age, your child will respond better to you than a stranger.

4 and 5 year olds do a lot better with following directions, and are just plain older so it is easier for them to do more things. 4 years old is a great time to start your child in a sport class. Make sure you like the teacher, and your child does too.

6 to 8 year olds
When I taught this age group I learned that within those 2 years is a big ability gap. I had to change teaching styles depending on the age that I had most of. Kids in this age range are also a lot more rambunctious than the younger classes. This is a time when you can really teach the kids the game. They understand things better and are able to play the game as opposed to just learning skills. I always had the beginning of class dedicated to working on skills, then the last half we were able to play the game. The game was their favorite part. When I had older kids I could let them play, and just be a referee. If the kids were a little younger I had to teach while they played.

6 to 8 years old is a good time to sign up for leagues. Find a league that will allow each child a chance to play and do your best to be a part of it. Often, leagues will want volunteers for the team coaches. Step up and try it out — your kids will have more fun if you are involved. If you are looking for a class that will help their technique, find one that is full of kids the same age.

If you want your girls to be involved in sports make sure there are other girls in the classes. Girls this age don't want to have a boy as a partner. Also girls tend to respond much more emotionally when the game isn't going their way. Make sure that the teacher handles those situations well. Those emotional scenes are times that could scare your girls away from sports. You don't want someone to smash their self esteem — at this age it's great if they think they are awesome at everything.

9-14 year olds
This age group I have less experience with than the rest. What I do know is that this is when a kid should really start exploring a variety of different sports. This is when they will find what they are good at, and what they like. Middle School is a fragile time for all kids. They want to please people, and are very impressionable, and are very much influenced by their peers. I feel that this is not the appropriate time to do year round sports, of the same sport. They can very easily get burned out. This is the time that I got involved in sports when I was a kid. I remember wanting to do my best because it made my coaches and my parents happy.

Once they get into middle school they can usually join teams at school. Like I said before, this is the time for them to try lots of sports — and learn about good sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship can be a difficult concept for kids and it can't be taught in a day, but it is as important as any athletic skill they'll learn. One thing that worked for me as a coach was goal setting with the kids. You could help your kids make athletic goals that are realistic, and help them understand what it takes to accomplish them. At this age the biggest thing that you can do for your kids is support their choices in sports, and encourage them not to give up.

This is the team I coached. That is my baby in the middle. They were great kids!

High School
This is a great age to coach. It was my favorite. The kids are still very impressionable and thrive on doing well and getting acknowledged for their accomplishments. For their first two years in high school it is still good to try all different sports. When I coached track we encouraged the kids to try as many events as they wanted. Once your child is a junior in high school they should know what they are good at. At this age it is good to specialize in one or two sports.

As a parent of a high school athlete, the best thing you can do is support them and attend their games or meets whenever possible. My parents were not able to make it to a lot of meets. But when they did I performed a lot better, mostly because I could hear my dad cheering over everyone else.

Oh Yeah. — By Sister Erin

Oh Yeah. This is what turns me on right now:

Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
I have a hard time finding great vanilla beans. You know the withered, crispy things that come in the Schilling can? Not for me. I love this paste. It infuses my cooking with a rich vanilla flavor. I use it in place of vanilla extract and vanilla beans.



In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
I love the way Pollan thinks and writes about food. I don’t think it’s dramatic to say this is a revolutionary take on food and nutritionism today.

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture
I first heard about CSA from Pollan’s book. The concept fascinates me. Apparently you buy a “subscription” into a farm and you receive a weekly box (in season) of fresh picked goodies straight from the farm. Anyone do this? I want details from a subscriber.

The Splendid Table
I love this podcast. Lynne Rossetto Kasper is knowledgeable, passionate and excited about food. The topics are always varied and interesting to the cook and eater alike. I’m inspired every time I listen.


Sho-U Chicken on Dardanelles Dinnerware.

Anthropologie
After picking up a new set of dishes at an after Christmas sale, Anthropologie has become my new favorite place to shop for kitchen things. Pretty, modern and a little funky.

Bon Appetit
Thanks to a dear friend, I’ve been getting Bon Appetit for years, but they recently just changed the format and look of the magazine. I’m in love with it all over again. Check out the March issue for a great article on eating vegetables, a traditional Southern Easter dinner featuring quirky photos, a great family menu.

We’re moving where?!? — by Sister Rachel

As a former military wife I have had lots of addresses, made lots of friends and tried my best to learn from women who had been there before me. Here are a few things I learned about moving that made my life easier, inside and outside of a military life; I hope they will be of use to you too.

Have all your important papers in one place.
I keep mine in a binder and always know where it is. This has saved me more than once when trying to get a new driver’s license or sign kids up in a new school. Click here for a copy of the list I work from and get yours together today. You'll be surprised at how much peace of mind it brings to you to have this in order.

Don’t own anything that you will cry over when it’s broken by the movers.
It's not that I don't appreciate really lovely (and sometimes expensive) items, but during a move, I didn’t want to worry about something getting stolen or at ending up at the bottom of the ocean — and I didn’t want the grief of having to work with the claims office when something did break. Instead I purchased things knowing that I would replace them in a few years. Other than our journals and family photographs (which are slowly being digitized and saved) I have tried not to put much emotional value on “things”.

Finish moving in quickly. 3 days was our goal to be moved in; everything put away, boxes at the curb and pictures on the wall. (You can always change things later.) We did this for two reasons, 1- We wanted to get things back to normal quickly so we could relax and explore our new town. 2- There are few things more depressing than those last 6 boxes in the corner of the garage. Yuck!! (Quick moving tip: if you open a box and you aren’t happy to see the contents, take the whole box to the curb immediately.)

Embrace your new home. No one said this has to be your favorite place in the world but you can appreciate where you are. No matter where we’ve lived, there were great people, interesting histories and cool things to do nearby. Whether it is a state park, castle ruins or Friday Night Lights; we try to take advantage of the experiences available locally (we especially love free experiences).

Stay positive. If you are happy your kids will be too. Early on in our military life someone told me that she loved growing up in an army family because her mom made it so much fun. She described with excitement in her voice, how her mom would get out maps and travel brochures and they would read and learn together about their soon-to-be new home. This was a life changing conversation for me and I saw this “make it great” idea confirmed again and again in every family I met. If the kids were happy and excited and adventurous, I would find the mom to be the same. If the mom loved living in Europe, it didn’t surprise me that the kids did as well. If the mom seemed to handle deployments, the kids usually did too.


Me and my husband Paul after he returned from a year in Iraq. My kids and I filled our tree with yellow ribbons to welcome him home.

Most importantly, enjoy the time your family is together. Those times can be taken away so easily and so quickly; love every second!

Cotton Idea Studio

I just received an email from Cotton Idea Studio and can barely tear myself away from their website to tell you about them. Gorgeous, gorgeous paper goods. I keep caressing my screen in an attempt to touch them because they are so delicious. Journals, personalized stationery, note cards, coasters, happiness.

Apparently, in addition to their online shop, they have an actual store front in Laguna Beach. And that's one more reason I should move to Southern California.

Raising Good Americans — by Sister Sara

Politics is the Steve and Sara Urquhart family sport. We talk politics, we debate politics, we question politics, we campaign, and we serve. My husband is a Republican and is currently the Rules Chair of the Utah House of Representatives.

Regardless of our party affiliation, my husband and I work hard to give our children all sides of an issue. Issues are complicated. The ones that are easy have already been dealt with easily. I want my children to be able to decide for themselves where they are politically and why.

I would love to see every family dive hard into at least one political campaign — preferably for someone they know well. As a Mayor’s wife once told me in the local grocery store, “Every family should have somebody run for office at some time. It gives each person respect for the process and the positions and keeps them from taking so much for granted."

At the end of the day, it's teaching your children about the process — not about the party — that's important. Once we were at a Republican breakfast rally and a kind, blue-haired lady in a stars-and-stripes sweater looked at my brood of children and cooed, “You are raising good Republicans.” I quickly answered back, “No, I’m raising good Americans.”

Note from Design Mom:
I think I've mentioned before, that in my family growing up, Dad was a Democrat and Mom was a Republican. Political discussions were lively and as children, we weren't pressured into being conservative or liberal, we could decide for ourselves. Among the now adult 8 siblings, we fall across the political spectrum and into both political parties — and we tend to cross the aisle as needed.

If you've wished you were more involved or knowledgeable politically, you may want to visit the newly launched (and party neutral) blog Politics for Moms, which aims to educate Mothers about the political process.

Tag Sales

A couple of sales you won't want to miss:


1) Oeuf, the fine purveyors of mitten sweaters, leggies and a million adorable items, is having their first ever sale. Up to 70% off. And everything is on sale. Seriously. Stop reading and get over there.



2) Sophie & Lili is clearing out their entire inventory. Not familiar with Sophie & Lili? Then maybe you're not spending enough time at Saks Fifth Avenue (wink). Their line has been exclusive to the most stylish boutiques since they launched. But. The husband and wife team behind the gorgeous clothes have recently closed their doors to get ready for the arrival of their second daughter. The inventory is going fast and the prices are rock bottom.

Yay for Tag Sales!

Tumi Ishi Wooden Blocks — by Sister Jordan

These wooden blocks are GORGEOUS. Unfortunately for me (and most of you), they are made by a Japanese company and they won't be sold in the US anytime soon. I'm enlisting my father in law to help me recreate them. We think we need good quality woods, an industrial sander, and wood stain. via Happy Mundane

A high school counselor's 'notes to self' — by Sister Liz

I just had my first child almost 3 months ago and love being a mother and staying home — at least for now. Who wouldn't love staying home with this cute kid?


Before the baby, I worked as a high school counselor and coached the girls lacrosse team in a really good NJ school for three years. I miss it a lot. One thing I loved about my job as a guidance counselor is the ability in my position to see and understand the school district as a whole. I've been able to appreciate this more and more as I've realized how this information can serve me when my own kids are in high school. I know most of you don't have teens yet (obviously, neither do I) but here are my "notes to self" — just in you want to file them away.

1. Get involved in the school in some capacity. Duh, right? But really, make it a priority, and it doesn't have to be a huge commitment. It can be as simple and joining an advisory board or attending PTA meetings on a regular basis. Your voice is important. It's your child's education for goodness sake.

2. Having a good relationship with the counselor is a big advantage. I recognize that if I was a gym teacher I would probably say "Having a good trusting relationship with the gym teacher is key" and I don't mean to be obnoxious, but growing up, my high school counselor happened to be a close family friend. So of course, all of my siblings and both my parents had no hesitation asking him for advice and direction. And it was really helpful. As I entered the same career, I was surprised to find that many high schoolers barely know their counselor and that many parents are hesitant to 'bother' their kids' counselor.

I say do it. Bother away. But bother nicely of course — your aim is to make the counselor a friend and ally. They are truly trained to help and support your student. If you are tight with the counselor you'll likely get an invaluable perspective into the school and studentbody and your child's place in all of it — a perspective that teachers (and the students themselves) aren't able to offer.

3. Empower your teen. As tempting as it may be to call the teacher or school administrator for every question, it's much more important for a high school student to be an advocate for themselves and learn from their mistakes. It's important for them to communicate effectively face to face (not just through i/m or facebook), how to work with authority figures, and how to pick themselves up when they fall. If you find yourself hovering, try chanting this sentence daily (wink): Helicopter parenting for a high school student is detrimental to that needed growth. So relax. Back off a bit.

4. Don't be scared to get your kid psychological help. There are many outstanding therapists that work well with teenagers and understand their needs and issues — possibly better than you do. It's okay to admit you want help offering your teen the emotional support they need and can't always ask for. Don't let pride get in the way. This is another time your school counselor can be invaluable — ask her to help you find a fantastic therapist. Counselors hear all the feedback and will have the low-down on which therapists will work well with your teen's specific needs.

5. When it's time for the college admission trek, get as much help and guidance from the counselor as you can. In many schools, 75% of the job description for a counselor is all about helping kids get into college. And I'm sure you've heard: the process is getting so complicated it can be more than overwhelming — just the admission terminology alone will make your head spin. Your counselor can help your child choose the right schools to apply to — schools that are appropriate and realistic. Plus, they can walk you through the application process itself (think: testing, essays, interviews, paperwork, etc). Use their expert knowledge. In my opinion, there's no need to hire anyone private. (I'm not even joking. A big east coast thing is to hire someone to help you through the college application process. I say, use the free counselor and save your money for tuition.)

6. Special Education. I have so much to say on this that it should probably be a separate post — but the bottom line is do your research and communicate with your child. There are so many legal issues involved that the school special ed department can't always be as straight forward as you might expect. Understanding different levels of accommodations and what it will mean for your child's future is so important. The difference between a regular education class with an additional special education teacher in the room vs. a small class of just special education students is huge. Do your best to show your child to how to be a self advocate, to be well versed in their disability/disorder and the services they need. From what I've seen, over-accommodation throughout their k-12 doesn't prepare them for the real world where you don't get 'extra time' or 'teacher notes' to complete a business report at their future job.

There are a million other things in my head, but these are the big ones I hope to remember. In fact, mom, if you're reading this, will you please email me these notes when Hank starts 9th grade. . .

Ask Design Mom: Preserving your Blog

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Hi Design Mom, I love your site. I see that sometimes people ask questions and you post GREAT ideas back to them. Here's one for you: I don't have kids yet, but someday would love to. I’d like to keep some sort of paper trail of my blog to share with my children when they are old. Do you have any good ideas other than just printing the posts out? Thanks! Ashley

Design Mom Answer:
Hi Ashley! Your question is a great one and I think I have the perfect answer: Blurb. Blurb is a fantastic company that enables you to publish bookstore quality books in personal quantities — as in, you can publish just one copy if you please.

There are a few excellent book making sites, but Blurb is the go to one for bloggers because of their "Slurp Your Blog" service. "Have a blog hosted by Blogger, Live Journal, TypePad or WordPress.com? Slurp it into a book in seconds." Question answered. Problem solved. Books start from $12.95.




But Blurb isn't just about blogs. You can make a Blurb book about anything: That great ceramic collection you have. The elegant life of your Grandma Rudi. Your sister's favorite recipes. In fact, you could even write a book of poetry — and then print just one copy and hide it under your bed and wait for it to be discovered and published and make the New York Times Bestseller list. At which point you'll finally be recognized as the true genius that you are.

Blurb sidenote: I was contacted by Blurb last September to try out their service and see if I liked it and if you can believe, almost 6 months later, I still haven't made the time to publish my Blurb Blog Book yet. (I know. I know. It's only supposed to take seconds, so what's my hold-up?) And then, in the last 2 weeks, no less than 5 people have emailed — letting me know how much they like Blurb. So apparently it's destiny that you sent in this great question, Ashley. And apparently we're all supposed to make Blurb Books. At least. I am determined to do so. I'll let you know how it goes.

Finding Time and Energy — by Sister Megan

I recently had baby number two — just last November, and I am having to relearn how to manage life. The thing I am having the hardest time figuring out is how to fit in exercise. I have been a runner for most of my life and enjoy being out and about so I'm determined to find a good solution.

With my first baby I figured out that I could workout at home while he napped. That was wonderful! I got some good workout videos and dropped the weight pretty quickly. Now that I am ready to workout again I am trying to figure out what works best with two little ones. Here are some things that I have come up with.

1) Join a gym.
I have a pass to the YMCA. They have a wonderful day care and it is now included in our membership. It is a great way to get back into shape. I love the classes.

But for me, there are a few drawbacks: -I have to get 3 people ready and out the door at a certain time if I want to make one of the group classes. Which is hard to do if you had a restless night. -If the kids are sick, no go. Our membership ate a hole in our pocket for the month of February because we were all sick. I felt like it was money wasted. -I have to stay on site because I have kids in the day care. Which means running on a treadmill. Which is the worst for me — I'll run for 5 minutes and want to be done.

2. Get a double jogging stroller.
I have used a single jogger with my first and enjoyed being outside in the fresh air. Plus in Southern California you can pretty much go out year round (except February, when it rains all the time). This option is a lot easier to fit into your schedule, no place to drive, you just get out and go. I always try to end at a park so that the kids can have some time to play while I stretch out. Plus the kids enjoy being outside. If you like company when you run, you can find mom clubs that workout together.

Drawbacks:
-It is more work jogging with a jogger — but also more of a workout because it's like pushing weights the whole time. -They can also be quite expensive.

3. Go with a friend
It is always easier to get out and do exercise if you have someone to go with. Plus it's not as lonely. You could work out something where you go out while your friend watches the kids then she can go out when you come back. Or just go together early in the morning while your husband is home and the kids are sleeping.

Drawbacks:
You have to work with two peoples schedules and figure out what works best.

4. Workout videos at home
Like I said this is what I did with my first. I'm not sure how to make it work with two — but it's easy to do, easy to follow, you can do it in your own home, and cost is minimal.

Drawbacks:
-You have to do it while the kids are sleeping, otherwise they might get in the way. (My 3 year old likes to lift my weights and play with them.)
-Also, if you do it everyday for 3 months you could get burnt out of the same video and need to get more to stay motivated.

Wish me luck as I figure out my routine — and I'd love to hear what works for you!

I Heart Real Simple

Have you picked up a copy of the March issue of Real Simple? I swear I have devoured it. I think my very favorite part was the "product of the month" article featuring 4 problem-solvers for $15 or less. (It's on page 70, if you happen to have your issue in hand). I could definitely use all four products in my exact life and was so glad to discover them.




The story isn't listed online yet, but the products are: a recycled plastic cutting board, a paint brush that attaches to your faucet to rinse itself out, a clothing hanger that doesn't leave bumps in the shoulders of your tops and some cute little paper clips with a space for a note attached. All smart, easy to use, good-looking items.

Even more fun than discovering these products? Hearing from a Design Mom Reader that Real Simple had named Design Mom one of their favorite blogs! I'm blushing — and delighted to be listed among the company of some of my own favorites, like Decor8, Design*Sponge, Shelterrific and BabyGadget. Thank you Real Simple!

Starting Piano Lessons — by Sister Erin

As a piano teacher, the question I am most asked is: “When should my child start piano lessons?” Keep in mind that my goal for my students is that music will be an enriching part of their lives, a creative outlet, a useful skill and playing the piano may serve as a bridge to other kinds of musical education and instruction. I do not approach this from a competitive viewpoint.



1) Has your child recently learned to read? After a child starts to read is an excellent time for them to start playing the piano, around age 6-8. The mechanics of reading come in handy when learning to read music and it’s helpful if they can read practice instructions. By this point they are also learning how to be responsible for their own homework and gaining greater independence in completing tasks. But there isn’t necessarily a “magic” age. I have students that started to play the piano at age 10 and 12 and they progress more quickly than the younger student and have the strength and dexterity to play more complex music from the beginning. I also have students that started much younger who do beautifully partly because of the time their parents spent helping them practice:

2) Do you have time to help your child practice? The younger the child, the more time you will need to spend helping them practice. If they can’t read you will need to sit down with them everyday. If they can read you may just need to help them for a few minutes at the beginning of practice the first few days after lessons. Of course, this is also dependent on personality. My daughter started at age 5. I had more time to spend with her and once I got her started, she was able to do some practicing on her own. My son is turning 7 soon and I tried to start lessons with him. He wants me with him every time he practices, but I don’t have the time right now, so we’ll wait until he’s a little older and begin again. He also wasn’t very excited about playing the piano, which brings us to question three:

3) Does your child talk about playing the piano or try to play the piano? If they are excited about it, they are more likely to be self-motivated to practice and the better they practice, the more successful they will be and the more they will enjoy playing the piano.

If you can answer “yes” to two of the above questions, consider starting piano lessons with your child.

Hicks Paper

I'm so admiring the graphic, simplified illustrations on this stationery line. It's called Hicks Paper and it's designed by Sarah Hicks Malone — a former Martha Stewart art director. Baby announcements, event invitations. Lovely.

Urquhart Bank — by Sister Sara

Twice a month Urquhart Bank opens for business. Each child is given a generous amount of money and a sucker from the Bank (me) and then learns to budget his money. Each child takes any money he has earned on his own since the last Urquhart Bank day and the new money received and splits it into five categories:

10% Tithing
10% Long Term Savings (LTS)
10 % Charitable Contributions
50 % Short Term Savings (STS)
20% Spending

-Tithing goes directly to our Church.
-LTS is set aside for some future purchase, like college or a house.
-Charitable Contributions goes to something like a fund for rebuilding someone’s house or a tsunami or the teacher at school with cancer.
-STS is something more immediate: a video game, a new bike or a baseball glove. Something they want, they have to save for but can be earned in weeks or months not years.
-Spending is stuff that disappears: a movie, a candy bar or a balloon.

We started this plan years ago, and we have stopped paying the older kids who have started babysitting and earning money outside of the home. However, the budgeting seems to have stayed in place.

This has been a good platform for other money discussions like “Good Debt vs. Bad Debt” or “How and where to use credit cards” or even “Getting a higher yield on your long term savings.” Our ten-year-old boy just asked his dad to explain Certificates of Deposit to him and asked if that is where he should keep his LTS.

From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem to matter much what your plan is for teaching your kids about money, as long as there is a plan. What about you — what are your favorite methods for teaching your kids to be money-wise?

Does anyone know when the crystal balls will be issued? — By Sister Rachel

Our oldest child is a junior in high school. She is super smart and driven and has very high goals and expectations for herself. Because of her hard work she seems to have lots of choices and right now we are being inundated with brochures from colleges and universities from around the country. Although this is very exciting it is also overwhelming. So far no one as given me a crystal ball and I worry about helping her make the best choices possible. There are so many things to consider . . .



A big school where she’s on her own?
A small school where she will get lots of attention?
A prestigious school so I can brag?
A school near home or extended family where I know she won’t be alone?
Private or public?
Big city or a small town?
Will she need a car?
Will she need a part time job?
Dorms or apartment?

(Rising panic, heavy sigh!)

Liz, sister in law extraordinaire and high school counselor, posted this really great article (for me I think) on her blog a year or so ago. I have reread it several times because it helps me remember what I really want for our girl and for all our children for that matter. I want her to be happy, to continue her love of learning and be confident in her decisions. In college I want her to work hard and date a lot and laugh and stay up too late and make lifelong friendships and do things I won’t hear about until the statute of limitations has run out. I want her to take lots of classes that won’t have much of an impact on her life and I want her to take that one class that will lead her to that one thing that she will love doing or learning about and never is able to get enough of. Wow! Is that asking too much?

Wish us luck!

This Little Piggy

I still have some odds and ends to tell you about from the Gift Show. Like this gorgeous leather piggy bank. Made by Looksur from scraps of leather that would otherwise be discarded as waste. So well designed. Such a nice size. Plus, if it falls off your child's bookshelf, it won't leave a hurricane-like mess of ceramic shards, shiny coins and weeping child — not that I've ever experienced anything like that before.

Available for purchase from the Moma store.

Sisters Week!!

Hello Dear Friends. [ Okay. Three words and I'm already writing a tangent — but I do want to say that I adore the dear readers that visit this blog. Creating each post is a bright spot in my day and your kind emails and comments make me smile. I'm so glad to be back after a weekend break and truly feel like I'm surrounded by Dear Friends as I blog. So, thank you. Really, truly thank you. ] Tangent finished.

Something new this week! I've got my sisters here with me. Only virtually of course — but still, I'm pretty happy about it.

On the Blair side I'm lucky to be spoiled with sisters. Ben has 4 smart and talented sisters plus 3 smart and talented sister-in-laws. And because we're married they belong to me as well. On the Stanley side (my maiden name is Stanley), I am also spoiled with sisters — 3 sisters I grew up with and 3 sister-in-laws that have joined the clan since I've been married. That's 13 sisters in all. Could I be luckier? Some are a little younger, some are a little older, but all are friendly, easy to talk to and full of good advice and sound wisdom.

Thirteen Guest Bloggers is a lot for one week, so I'm splitting it up. I've just got the Stanley-side sisters here. All of them are active in the blog world and I knew they wouldn't mind experimenting with a Sisters Week. So here we go. I'll start with an introduction and then you'll see a couple of posts from each sister throughout the week. Too much fun!


Clockwise from top left, Erin, Rachel, Jordan, Liz, Sara & Megan. Click the image to see it larger.

Erin Kelly Stanley
Erin only lives a few blocks away from me, so I'll start with her and then work my way across the country. Erin is possibly too good to be true. She's smart and beautiful. She comes from one of my favorite families. And she cooks. Like really cooks, really well. And that's one of the reasons she's the sister that I live close to — she keeps me well stocked in gourmet treats. Also. Her educational and professional background is in music education which means playdates at her house are like watching Jack's Big Music Show live. Erin is married to my brother Josh and is the mother of 4 wonderful kids. Erin blogs at Lee Lou Ann.

Rachel Rodgers
Rachel is surprised to find herself living in East Texas. It's a fairly new move for her — up until a short while ago she was a military wife and lived with her family all over the world. (Just to be clear, she's still a wife to her champ of a husband Paul, just not a military wife.) After all those relocations, she is currently adjusting to settled life as a homeowner — and sometime chicken farmer. Hey. If Martha can do it, then so can Rachel. Rachel is a really good mom, raising a clan of hardworking, super-smart kids — both young children and teenagers — so she's especially good to go to for advice. And EVERYBODY loves talking to Rachel. Seriously. If you start a conversation with Rachel, you will not want to stop. Rachel blogs at R-eight.

Liz Ricks Stanley
Liz has recently moved to Salt Lake City after a few newlywed years in Hoboken, New Jersey. This was a big move for Liz because she grew up in Scarsdale, a suburb of New York City, and New York is really home for her. But my brother convinced her the mountains in Utah are really all that and since Liz is totally up for an adventure she said, sure why not, then quit her job, moved across the country, bought a house in the Avenues, completely remodeled it and had a baby (Hi Hank!) — all in like a week. Liz is a high school counselor by profession and a very thoughtful person and I'm sure she gets quite a kick out of analyzing the Stanley Family craziness. Liz is married to my brother Jared and she blogs at Say Yes to Hoboken.

Sara Stanley Urquhart
Sara is the only sibling still living in St. George — the town where I grew up. And the whole family is so happy she's there, because we love our ties to Utah's Dixie. I have not yet convinced her to start a blog, but her husband Steve's blog makes headlines all the time as one of the first transparent-blogs-by-a-politician. Speaking of her politician husband, Sara's life is more political than your average housewife and mother — she actively campaigns for the candidates she supports and is knowledgable — and has strong opinions — on every issue. She's smart and passionate about whatever she's working on. And she really, really wants a pool — St. George is hot.

Megan Czarneki Stanley
Megan lives in sunny southern California. Which is the perfect place for someone really athletic to live. Megan spends her free time coaching, playing or learning sports. And since she lives by the beach, her latest sport is surfing — because she's that cool. Plus, she's the sort of really nice person that remembers everybody's birthday and makes them a card. Or a blanket. Plus, plus she LOVES being a mom and it is so fun to watch her interact with her two delightful boys. Megan is married to my brother Salem — their kids are going to be twice as tall as mine and way better at football. Megan blogs at The Stanley Family Blog.

Jordan Anne Ferney
Jordan Anne-with-an-E lives with her artist husband Paul in San Francisco, where their life is really, truly as glamorous as it seems on her blog. Really. Truly. Jordan has enough talent in her little finger to have like 15 successful careers, but she would also be content to stare at her new baby all day long (Hi Moses!) and then plan a super-cool-event-for-500-people while he takes his afternoon nap. Alternatively, she would also be happy if she could stalk Kate Spade for a living. Jordan is a great supporter of all things creative and a great friend to her friends. Jordan blogs at Oh Happy Day.

Just in case you're curious:
The image at the top is by John Singer Sargent — he's my favorite portrait artist. It's entitled "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit" and I've always liked it because I feel like my sisters match up perfectly with the ages of the daughters pictured. Basically, I like to pretend John Singer Sargent painted a portrait of me and my sisters. I'm the one at the left.

The Little Seed

I just discovered The Little Seed and I think the collection they've put together is thoughtful and lovely. I'm especially drawn to these animal tees by Salvor Fauna (available as onesies too!).




And I'm tempted to have another baby just so I could see them wear something as simple and lovely as this ensemble.



One of The Little Seed's claims to fame: Punky Brewster is one of the founders. If you were wondering wear Soleil Moon Frye ended up, you'll be comforted to know that she grew up and became a mom just like the rest of us. And now she sells t-shirts.

Trader Joe's Wash Rags

I'm so please with the latest addition to my kitchen. I saw these wash rags at Erin's house and couldn't help but notice the great colors. Erin told me she'd seen them at Jill's house — and Jill is the sort of person that makes really good decisions about things she brings into the house. So I got the whole scoop and then picked some up for myself.

Why they're great: they're strong, they do the job and they don't get smelly.

If you live anywhere with even the tiniest bit of humidity then you are already fully aware of stinky wash rag episodes — the ones where you wipe down the table then wonder to yourself where that horrible smell is coming from and then realize it's coming from your hands (eewww!) and that they stink because they were touching the stinky wash rag.

And if you live in a place with lots of humidity (like I do) then you've probably given up on wash rags altogether and decided that paper towels are the only solution even though they are the polar opposite of eco-chic.

Which is why these wash rags are so great. They absorb like crazy and then dry out super fast. Machine washable if you care to, but if you rinse them out each night, they're typically good to go the next day. No more stinky rags. No more wasted paper towels. And they come in lots of pretty colors besides. Best part: they sell in two packs for something like $1.75. Bargain.

Book of the Week — Five Chinese Brothers

Design Mom Reader, Burgin, emailed me about her new blog: Vintage Children's Books My Kid Loves. And before I even checked it out I knew I would love it. Did I mention it was about vintage books for kids? How could I not love it.

One of the books she featured is The Five Chinese Brothers — do you remember this one? I loved it as a child!

The First Chinese Brother could swallow the sea.
The Second Chinese Brother had an iron neck.
The Third Chinese Brother could stretch and stretch his legs.
The Fourth Chinese Brother could not be burned.
And the Fifth Chinese Brother could hold his breath indefinitely.

It's fairly impossible not to be hooked after reading that. Plus, that drawing of the brother with his cheeks full of the sea — awesome. You could just feel he was ready to burst. I swear I remember every page of the book.

I can't believe I haven't added this to our library yet — and was so glad to be reminded of it. You can find a hardcover edition of The Five Chinese Brothers here.

Marimekko Matching Game

Thoughtful Stephanie sent me the link to this Marimekko matching game. Every child's home needs a matching game — it might as well be one featuring world famous textile prints. I know I've mentioned it before, but I have a soft spot for Marimekko prints.

Hästens Beds

So I noticed these striking blue check mattresses by Hästens on my last trip to ABC Home, and then I started seeing ads for them everywhere. Ev. ry. where. And now I'm all curious. Does anyone know the story? Are they really as comfortable as the rumors say? And speaking of rumors, how expensive are they — because I've heard they're in the same price range as a luxury sports car. What? That's crazy.

Nix All Star Socks

I have a new crush: old school socks for babies. By Nix Baby. Girl colors. Boy colors. Man, I'd love to see Oscar tooling around in a pair of these. Too cool for school.

Mother of the Year!

It's February 20th, so obviously you've got Mother's Day on the brain. What? You're thinking about how horribly cold and gray the last half of February is and when in the world will Spring ever get here already? Weird. Because I'm totally thinking about Mother's Day.

In fact. I've been asked to participate as a judge in this year's Mother of the Year event, sponsored by Mother's Day Central. And you should for sure nominate someone. It's super easy and the prize is great:

$5000 to the winner.
Plus flowers.

I love flowers. And I love $5000. Alas. As a judge, I can not win, can not even be nominated. But you can! Go check it out. Nominations are accepted through March 5th — that's only a couple of weeks away. Who will you nominate? Your mother? Your sister? Your friend? Better question: who will your husband and children nominate? You, of course!

Beautiful Detergent

Is everything really better in Italy? Of course it is. Just look at this laundry detergent packaging from Alberto Aspesi. I'd be tempted to display these cleaning products next to the family photos. They are that gorgeous.

via Wallpaper

Birdies

Lovely Laurie sent me a link to these adorable little birds made by Lauren Alane. They have me thinking of spring.

Check out her flickr page to see photos of all her little birdy creations — complete with charming captions like "Mr. Brooks is a gentleman" and "Miss Genevieve teaches her students about mushrooms."

sk*rt's Brightside Contest

Fun things I found on sk*rt this past week: First Kiss Stories. 10 Reasons to Drink More Water. Songza: type in a song and it will play it for you. Asian iCandy Store — I especially love this one. It's an online shop full of products by Asian artisans and designers. Lots of great stuff. Guide to Blind Hemming Jeans. And. Best of all, there's a new sk*rt contest with over $500 worth of great prizes.

A grand-prize winner will receive:



1) A personalized hardback copy of The Bright Side of Disaster signed by author Katherine Center directly to you. (Remember Katherine — the fantastic Guest Mom that visited us awhile back?) The two book covers shown here are the hardcover that came out last year, and the paperback that comes out in April.



2) One Stuck on You Essentials Pack.
The Essential Pack from Stuck on You includes 50 Large Iron/Sew On labels (Navy, Red or Pink), 20 Vinyl Shoe Dots (Pink, Green, Redm Blur, Silver, Purple or Orange) 50 Small Vinyl Labels (Retro, Funky, Clear or Pink) and 2 Bag Tags (of winners choice). Labels for everything your child owns.


3) The Peanut Shell Family Pack with three fabulous products:
For maternal types, The Mojito: A Must-Have Limited edition Peanut Shell sling! Super smooth cotton with a chocolate background and fresh lime paisley print. We LOVE it and you will too! For the paternal types that help carry the load, The Temptation: A wonderful dark chocolate brown cotton stretch sling. Super perfect, with 3% lycra, allowing the sling to give a bit to make it easier getting baby in and out and mold to your shoulder! Also, this one’s definitely for mom: The Mojito Nursing Cover — too coordinate perfectly with your sling.



4) A $150 gift certificate from Zutano
From newborns to toddlers, cozies to collectibles, and toys! Zutano has the cutest, softest, coolest, snazziest things. And you can win $150 to spend however you’d like! Zutano is one of my all-time favorite lines.



5) An Ann Taylor LOFT Maternity gift certificate for $100
As we’re sure you know, Ann Taylor LOFT features updated classics that are feminine, stylish, and polished. Now the company has taken another step forward in outfitting women in every stage (and size!) of their lives by taking the look and feel of favorite LOFT styles and re-designing them to make maternity wear that is super cute, comfortable, and stylish. Thank goodness for the brilliant minds behind stylish maternity clothes.

Extra bonus: any sk*rty sk*rts who live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico can get, 20% off plus Free Shipping at Ann Taylor LOFT through February 29th with this coupon code: EXPECTING (The code is case sensitive so the code needs to be entered in all caps when it asks for the promotion code in checkout.)

6) Plus. And this is a big plus. Fifty people will receive a free copy of The Brightside of Disaster by Katherine Center and be invited to participate in a Virtual Book Club coming up in April. A podcast hosted by sk*rt and featuring the Katherine Center herself.

Pretty fantastic contest don't you think? Find out how easy it is to enter (really, really easy) here or here.

Nora's House

Remember those clever serving dishes from Nora Fleming with the interchangeable minis? Well I just heard from Nora — the artistic mind behind the lovely dishes — and hooray for her, Budget Decorating is featuring images of her beautiful home.

I've seen the article and I think it's great, so I asked her to send some photos that I could share with you on Design Mom. Happily she obliged. Take a look. I love studying how she uses color. The house looks so bright and happy and alive — and uncluttered! What a fun place to live.

On a side note, Nora's line of serving ware is expanding. She just introduced a pewter and pearls line at the Gift Show and I think they'll make a perfect Giveaway — watch for it soon.

Winner — World Minded Kids Giveaway

What a treat. I loved reading the comments on the World-Minded-Kids-Giveaway — all 1040(!) of them. Everyone has such nice, positive things to say. Thank you so much for participating. Random.org has done its work and now it's time to announce the lucky winner.

Congratulations to:
Huckaby Family who said, "I have never won a blog giveaway before, and this would be a WONDERFUL one to win!"

Hooray Huckaby Family! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address, your letter-press pick and your Oeuf sizes, and I'll get your info to the sponsors right away. Thank you to the amazing sponsors: Oeuf, Barefoot Books, Kenana Knitted Critters, Eco-Me, and Hazel Wood Children, for the amazing giveaway.

Hooray for Giveaways!!

Happy President's Day!

My husband has work off today. My kids have school off today — in fact, they have the whole week off. Yay! So we're taking the whole family on a field trip to the Crayola Factory in Pennsylvania. This will be our third visit. We love it.

Enjoy the World-Minded Giveaway. You can enter until midnight tonight. And I'll be back tomorrow with lots of great posts.

Random Giveaway — World Minded Children

It's on my mind. How to raise world-minded children. Compassionate, responsible kids who consider the world around them in a thoughtful way. I don't think I have all the answers, but maybe it would help to surround them with products from world-minded companies — companies that have progress and sustainability in mind. So how about a Giveaway featuring excellent products for families from world-minded companies? We'll call it the World Minded Children Giveaway. And I think you'll love it. Here's what one lucky winner will win:



A Brown Hug-Me Sweater and Pair of Leggies from Oeuf. retail value: $121.00
I only recently posted about Oeuf and am so delighted to have them take part in this World-Minded Giveaway. I am so impressed both by the work they are doing in Bolivia and with the fantastic knitted designs they produce. Seriously fantastic designs — won't you just love to cuddle up your little one in a snugly sweater and cozy leg warmers? Plus, brown continues to be the color of the moment — perfect for girls, perfect for boys. Oeuf is the kind of company it's hard not to love.



Five World-Minded Favorites from Barefoot Books. retail value $78.95
"Whole World" — Printed on forest-friendly paper, proceeds of this book & sing-along CD go to global conservation and includes eco tips for kids. And get this: it was featured on Oprah's O list(!) — so you know it's going to be good. "My Granny went to Market" — An around the world counting book. Map of the World puzzle — Includes 50 vinyl stickers to help you learn about the world. "We're Sailing Down the Nile" — It features seven exciting destinations, a god or goddess on each page, and informative notes at the end. "Off We Go To Mexico" — You can explore the richness of Mexican culture, visiting el mercado, and dancing to la musica of the mariachis. It even teaches over 40 simple Spanish words and phrases. What a collection! And what a wonderful way to get your child thinking about other places and people.



Set of Seven Animal Puppets from Kenana Knitter Critters. retail value $154.00
I've posted about the lovely work of the Kenana Knitters before. And I've posted about these adorable puppets as well. My kids love them. And surely, so will yours. The knitted creatures are super-cool, but the story behind the company is even cooler. All of these creations are hand-knit by a group of hard-working women in Kenya, and the knitting enables them to earn an income, receive medical treatment for their families and give their children better access to an education. What a great concept. What a great company!



The Home Kit and the Baby Kit by Eco-Me. retail value: $62.00
Eco-Me is another Gift Show find for me. I think their story is compelling and that their site has great information. Eco-Me’s Home Kit includes all the tools you need to start making your own chemical-free cleaning products for a safe and natural home — enough for 6 different cleaning products! Bonus: their stuff smells great and gives your cleaning an extra boost. The Eco-Me Baby Kit is also a make-your-own set so you can be sure you're only using healthy and safe products with your children. What a smart idea and a smart company.


An Old School Stationers Letterpress Print stocked at Hazel Wood Children. retail value: $42.00
These gorgeous Letterpress Wall Prints will add art and color to your child's room and they'd look fantastic in a series — 8" x 8" and ready to hang. Check out the great selection here and then ponder your decision — the winner gets to pick either Red Poppies or Barn Dude. So great! Hazel Wood Children is pretty new on the scene. They caught my eye because their collection is very well put together and because everything stocked "meets the highest standard of quality available, while maintaining a commitment to health, and to an environmental and social consciousness." You can read about their store concept here — the couple behind Hazel Wood are just like you and me: trying to make smart choices while they raise their children.

What do you think — isn't this an amazing World-Minded Giveaway? Over $450 worth of beautiful products from companies doing their best to be good world-citizens. Love it.

Thank you to the excellent, forward-thinking sponsors!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, February 18th 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 morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Wee Gallery Newborn Wall Decals

Wee Gallery, the makers of those cards we love, has come out with wall decals with newborns in mind. Full of high contrast colors, and blacks and whites, and geometric figures. Available through Blik.



Question: are you so over wall decals? Because I'm totally not. I think we've barely seen the tip of the iceberg of amazing cool things designers are going to do with all sorts of wall decals.

Happy Valentine's Day 2008

Last evening we made Valentines for the school parties today. Maude figured out how to make origami heart pockets and folded one for each of her classmates (those are her busy-marker-covered-fingers). She included two wint-o-green life savers in the heart (oh my goodness I love wint-o-green life savers) and stapled the heart closed.

It took us awhile to come up with something cool enough for a 4th grade boy to take to school on Valentine's Day, but we were very satisfied with our solution:



We picked up a pad of Mad Libs. I exacto-knifed them out of their stack and Ralph folded and slipped one sheet into each envelope. Then we printed out sheets of red that said: "I'm MAD about you Valentine!" "LIB it up this Valentine's Day!" and "Have a RAD MAD Valentine's Day".



Ralph cut out the text with fancy scissors and we used double sided tape to attach them to the envelopes. He was very excited to hand these out — he thought his teacher would appreciate the nouns and verbs and adjectives aspect.

Olive just wanted to hand out a box of My Little Pony Valentines. And that's just what she did.

Happy Valentine's Day to You! I hope you get the chance to do something nice today for someone you're fond of.

A Picture A Day — by Guest Mom Leah

Happy Valentine’s Day!



One of my favorite people I’ve met in my short travels here at Tiny McSmall is Kim O’Neil from Good Stock Press & Bindery.

Not only is she one of the sweetest people, she is also a wealth of talent. Kim designs custom heirloom memory books that capture the essence and personality of a family and the story they are sharing. She inspires me to no end with the creative work she does but this latest project she’s working on stopped me my in my tracks…I only wish I had thought of it!

When their daughter was born, this Mom and Dad took a picture a day for her 1st year and then had Kim design a book around the collection. One of the many things I love about this book is that the parents wrote down some of their hopes and dreams and wishes for their daughter, Seneca, and Kim interspersed them throughout the book next to photos. Something to inspire us all!








…and if you’ve never seen one of her pre-designed books, Good Stock: A Family Tale, you need to check them out as well. I did one for my daughter’s first birthday and LOVE it.

Nest Gift Baskets

I was at my friend Linda's house the other day and saw the most adorable gift basket she'd been given as a thank you. It was full of darling and useful items and packaged so well that I started seeking the source. And I found it: Nest. I looked up their site and am super-impressed with every item they offer.



Their tag line is "Inspired Gift Baskets" and they're not kidding. Great collections in great containers for every conceivable gift giving need — milestones, thinking of you, holidays, new baby, new house, and on, and on. They offer a wide price range and many of the pricier baskets are available with less expensive variations. Plus, they offer custom baskets if you can't find the just-perfect one.



Who wouldn't love to receive of big basket of gorgeous?

Child's Rocking Chair

Lovely child-size rocker. Designed by Alexander Taylor for the Thorsten Van Elten line. Not inexpensive. But so beautiful. It feels seemless to me — like it could have been carved out of one piece of wood. The seat is available in four colors. Available at Greener Grass Design.

Valentine Mixed Tape — by Guest Mom Leah

Valentine’s Day has snuck up on me this year…I can’t believe it’s already the middle of February! In honor of tomorrow, I put together a little “ode to parents and children” mix last night. It has some old favorites and some new ones too…most importantly, it will hopefully appeal to both parents and kids alike. In any case, I thought I’d share it in case you, too, feel a little sentimental this Valentine’s Eve.

dVider

I'm craving a studio apartment — no, even better, a loft aparment — just so I can have an excuse to pick out a screen from dVider. I love the look of these. Check out their gallery to see some well-designed spaces.

To Fight off the Ennui

I'm quite sure that like me, you sit around most of the day wondering how to fill your time. For example, today, the housekeeper has already ironed the sheets with sprays of linen water. The chef has just finished reviewing the dinner menu with me. The nanny has the kiddies on a snow-shoeing adventure. And my pedicure isn't scheduled until tomorrow. Well, here are a few items I'm going to check out to help me fend off boredom (wink).


1) Skip to My Lou has put together some Last-Minute Valentine Ideas. For boys. For girls. Just print and assemble. Can't get much easier than that. (I think my oldest son, Ralph, will be all over those whirly-gigs!)


2) I love this great new parenting blog, Letters to a Parent. Letters written by parents to parents concerning their philosophies and approaches to raising kids. Real words from real people. Brilliant. I've already sent in the names of five of my favorite blog writers in the hopes they'll be asked to write essays. And if you're interested in submitting an essay too, go for it! You can see the guidelines here.


3) Speaking of Brilliant Ideas, look at the smart and simple Valentines that Design Mom Reader Ann Williams came up with. Colorized photos of her darlings. She printed them for friends at school and emailed them to far-away-family. Love it. (And what handsome boys!)


4) CWDKids is hosting a Kids Care Contest and is looking for nominations of children across the USA who are making a difference in the lives of others and their communities. They'll help one child continue their good work by making a $5,000 donation (nice!), in the child's name, to the charity of his/her choice as well as a $500 CWDKids gift certificate (sweet!) and recognition in a future catalog. What child will you nominate? Find the details here.


5) Good ol' Mod*Mom has some amazing Valentine Giveaways going on. Like really amazing. Don't miss out. You can enter through February 14th — that's tomorrow!


6) And last but not least — Design Mom Reader Josie Brown sent in this super-smart lego table idea. Low-cost — the whole project was about $75. Very functional. And good-looking too. Lots more pictures on her site so you can see what it's all about. Josie, submit this to Ikea Hacker already!

There. Something to do between the soap-watching and eating of bon-bons.

Animal Noses Plus etc.

e-Mom at Chrysalis sent me a link to these great animal nose paper cups by Pick Your Nose. Fantastic! Just think of the birthday party you could plan around these.





And then, the animal cups reminded me of these amazing Animal Hand Paintings that I found on sk*rt (I'm not kidding when I say I find the coolest things on sk*rt) from a link that Alpha Mom submitted. (There are a ton of pics and they are all super-cool, go check it out.) My kids were so delighted when we looked at these.


Plus also. Speaking of cool things on sk*rt, there's a fantastic new giveaway that just started today: The We Heart sk*rt Users Contest!

Roses are Red.
Violets are Blue.
Sk*rt Rocks the Casbah.
All because of You.

Go to the sk*rt contest page or the sk*rt blog to find out how you can win one of five Valentine-sy prizes from Shutterfly.


Like a 12-inch Valentine Day Photo Book, valued at $54.99. The content is guided, so all that's needed is to add photos and titles. The headlines and thoughtful designs are all set in place.


Or, for those of you that prefer to design your own book, you might win a 12-inch Love Book, valued at $54.99. And especially perfect gift for guys who really want to impress their long-term special someones.


Or maybe you'll even win a Valentine's Day Sterling Bracelet, valued at $49.99. The kind of treasure that's just right for Mom or Grandma — sure to become an heirloom gift.

Great prizes, no? And we make it so easy to enter because it's absolutely true: We heart sk*rt users.

One last note, if you're curious about who won the Fat/Super Tuesday Contest, watch the sk*rt blog — the winner was announced here.

Bulletin Board Part One — by Guest Mom Leah

For three months now, I’ve sat in my office and stared at a big empty white wall in front of me…what to do? I had a dream of getting these great oversize linen bulletin boards from Pottery Barn but they are $129 a piece…and this is a big wall so I’d need a few.



Needless to say, we put the kibosh on that. I went through some old tears and came across a beautiful d-i-y bulletin board from Martha Stewart and I now know exactly what this wall is to become.

Bulletin boards are just wonderful things…places for inspiration, artwork, photos, invitations…the possibilities are endless. They can evolve as your needs and mood change.




So…I’m going to work on my bulletin board today and I’ll let you know the outcome. The fabric I’m using is a cotton canvas from Hable Construction. The 4ft x 9ft homosote board cost $15…not too shabby.

What could be more perfect…an inexpensive custom piece that is both a gorgeous focal point and a practical solution. And of course, I’m now looking at the large blank wall in Wyatt’s room and in the kitchen and daydreaming of their potential…if I could only narrow down the fabric choices!

Here’s the detailed how-to that I’m going to follow…the only extra piece of advice I’d give is to call ahead to make sure your hardware store carries homosote or a product like it before you head down there.

If you’re not up for another project on your to-do list, I also love these pocket pin boards from shim + sons:



Wish me luck!

Kuo Ting rings

I just fell in love with these rings by Debbie Kuo of Kuo Ting. I would want to wear one of these paired with a little dress on a fun night out. It's like the impact of a whole necklace made for your finger.

Winner — Serena and Lily Giveaway

Ummm. I'm a little speechless. (Except that my nickname is Gabby and I'm never really speechless.) 986 of you entered to win the Serena & Lily Giveaway. Seriously. And I think it's wonderful that almost a thousand of you like gorgeous linens as much as I do. You know what else is wonderful? That someone gets to win some new sheets! And that someone is:

tiffany who said, "oooh! how beautiful!"

Congratulations tiffany! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and the sheet size/style you'd like and I'll get your info to Serena & Lily right away. Thank you Serena & Lily for the great giveaway! 986 entries is a Design Mom Giveaway record.

Didn't win? Well here's a happier distraction: Order Serena & Lily's free catalog here and you can get your fill of gorgeous kid-room-eye-candy. Then. If you spot something you simply must have, remember that Serena & Lily is offering 15% off any order through the end of February. Just enter promotion code: DESIGNMOM15 to take advantage of the discount.

Paper Source

Another Gift Show discovery. Waste Not Paper is always one of my favorite stops at the show. The booth is oh so pretty and colorful and their products have a way of getting my imagination going. Sort of like: "Ooohhh! Just think what I could make with that. . ." On this particular visit, the printable stickers in great colors and shapes and sizes really caught my eye.

But. Walking out the booth has historically been a bit of a bummer, because Waste Not only sells to retailers. And I'm not a retailer. And though I find bits of their gorgeous wares at many of my favorite shops, I've yet to find a retailer that carries their entire line.



Until. This particular booth visit, I happened to chat with Ann, and asked her this: If I write about Waste Not Paper on my site, and want to tell my readers how to find your stickers, where I should I send them? And Ann mentioned that Paper Source is Waste Not's sister company and that consumers can buy singles of every single Waste Not product through the wonderful Paper Source site.

And then I almost starting crying a little bit because a) I was so happy and b) I couldn't believe I had lived so long without knowing this.

Farmer's Market — by Guest Mom Leah

One of my favorite activities with my kids is going to the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays. We are lucky enough to live in the Bay Area and have access to a large variety of fresh organic foods grown locally — fruits, vegetables and herbs, all ripe and ready to eat. It’s a great place for kids to learn where their food comes from and they love getting a chance to meet the people who actually grow it.



We have a little routine that we always look forward to. First the bouncy house and puppet show…then we walk through the aisles, eat samples, buy our food, eat samples, listen to the music, eat more samples…you get the idea. Admittedly, much of my time is spent explaining why one doesn’t take a bite and then put it back, or why people might not appreciate a balloon in their face or my yelling, “where is your sister?” All in all, even if we leave with only a bag of apples, it’s one of my most treasured times I spend with my kids.



In an ideal world, we take the food we bought that day and make something together. This isn’t always realistic…but every once and a while, time permitting, it happens. I think of the Farmer’s Market and the meals we create as a social time to nourish not only the body but also the relationships of family, friends and community — but of course if you ask my kids, their favorite part is the bouncy house. Here are two seasonal favorites for the family that we made this month:

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Pear, Apple & Cranberry Crisp

To find a market near you, visit localharvest.org or www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.

Welcome Leah!!

Note from Design Mom:
I'm so excited to say Hello to Leah today. Leah is the newest in a long line of super-amazing Guest Moms and I'm just so happy she's here. I have yet to meet Leah in person, but I'm quite sure we'll be fast friends if we ever do meet. And I was sure Leah was a kindred spirit as soon as I spent two seconds at her fantastic store, Tiny McSmall. Such an impressive collection — and such a testament to the taste and style of the store owner. I asked Leah to write up a bit about herself so we could get to know her, so let's get right to it:

Thank you Gabrielle and Design Mom readers for welcoming me. This is certainly an honor to be a part of one of my favorite blogs and I think this week is going to be so much fun…I’ve never done anything like it before! I hope you enjoy some of my ideas and thoughts and I look forward to your comments.

So, let’s see… To give you a brief history of where I’ve been, I was born and raised in San Francisco. I went to college in Boston and lived there for a few years until I moved back to California again. I started as a buyer at Restoration Hardware when there were only 3 stores (hard to imagine now!) Then when Pottery Barn Kids first launched, I moved over there where I remained until I had my first child in 2003.

Our family now lives in a small town just outside San Francisco which I adore…it’s very much a small community and lifestyle but we live only 30 minutes from the hustle of the city. My dream has always been to be a Mom and it has far exceeded any expectations I had. My two favorite little people on this planet are Wyatt (4 years) and Gracie (2 years) and I love spending every day with them.

My husband and children are my world but I have to admit, about a year ago I had an itch for a different kind of challenge. When I had Gracie, I started searching for clothes and toys that were made in the United States and I found some really wonderful designers that had little presence on the web. The buyer in me started thinking about the opportunity it presented and once I got that into my head, everything came together pretty quickly…voila, Tiny McSmall was born.

I love my job. I’ve met the best people and the community of small designers and artists that we work with is very special. The hardest part is the balance of work and mothering and being a wife and I struggle everyday in finding out what the secret is to perfecting that. I think the best way to sum up this little bio is to tell you some of the things that make me smile.
* my family
* cupcakes
* textile design
* flowers
* photography
* weekend fieldtrips
* organized spaces
* a beautifully wrapped gift
* my morning cup of coffee

Thank you again…

Nesting: Cool Pendant Lamp

Did you see the awesome article over on Cookie's Nesting blog about cool ways to customize the Ikea PS Pendant Lamp? So brilliant! What would you add to yours?

Mommy Makeup

Another Gift Show find. Mommy Makeup is new on the scene and promises to cut your making-up-your-face time in half. You can buy each item individually, or in two kits: Pretty-n-Polished or Clean-n-Casual.



Debra Rubin-Roberts is an award-winning makeup artist and founder of the new line. After she had her baby she was craving a simpler makeup routine and developed a series of cosmetics that cut her usual 13 different products down to six — all in containers that are quick and easy to use. Everything is multi-purpose and there are no little caps to screw on and off. Smart.

I want to try their Any Where Creme.

Thanks again Kyran!

Round two of Kyran-as-Guest-Mom proved as delightful as I knew it would be. Don't you just love the way she thinks? I especially loved learning of her owl addiction and getting a mini-lesson on Franciscan pottery. Very cool.

When you find yourself with a Kyran craving, remember you can keep track of her at her excellent blog Notes to Self.

Thank you Kyran!! We hope to see you again soon.

Random Giveaway — Serena & Lily

Remember back in October, when I posted about Serena & Lily and we all ooohed and aaahed over their pretty offerings? Well. Let phase two of the fantasizing-about-beautiful-linens commence. Because I've got a fantastic Giveaway for you today. Anyone who leaves a comment on this post will be entered to win a gorgeous sheet set from Serena & Lily, plus a copy of their new book, Nursery Style!


Jack


Sadie

That's right. We're talking about a coveted, high-end sheet set from Serena & Lily. Any sheet set. Any size. Any color. Any pattern. For your son. For your daughter. For the guest room. The winner gets to choose. And what a happy choice it will be, because bedding options from Serena & Lily are beautiful — the sort of items that inspire an entire room. In fact, winning these sheets, or even just browsing the lovely bedding, may be just the kick-start you need to get a long-desired redecorating project going.

Sheets sets at Serena & Lily retail for $129 to $169 depending on size — they are designer linens through and through. I can't begin to guess what you would pick, but I would be especially tempted by these:


Madras — how laid-back cool are these? The madras has me feeling all California and sand and Beach Boys. Perfect for your little surfer boy.


Mosaic — what a great combination of color and texture. My girls would adore this set.


Chambray/Red — so classic and clean and all American. Lovely.

George — it's not a sheet set, but the George duvet is what I've picked out for my son's bed. The yellow trim on the edges will be perfect in his bedroom-that's-being-redone.

And remember, it's not just about the sheet set. The winner will also receive a copy of Serena & Lily's just launched book Nursery Style, (listed at $29.95). Partners Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter co-wrote Nursery Style as a guide for expectant parents who want to create a beautiful and truly personal space for their child — whether their tastes run modern, traditional or eclectic. The photography looks stunning. I'm dying to check out a copy.



Plus, just to make sure this Giveaway is completely over the top and extra-generous, Serena & Lily is also offering 15% off any order through the end of February. Any order means bedding, furniture, lighting, everything — even their coordinating paint. Just enter promotion code: DESIGNMOM15 to take advantage of the discount. Question: upon reading this, are you smiling as wide as I am? Another question: is Serena and Lily new to you? Get their free catalog here.

I heart this Giveaway! I hope you are the winner and can pick out something special for your little Valentine. Thank you Serena & Lily!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, February 18th to enter this giveaway. YIKES! The 18th is a typo!! The contest ends tonight (Feb 11th) at midnight. So sorry for the mistake.
-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 morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Oeuf Knits

Neckies

I'd seen bits and pieces from the Oeuf collection and loved them, but until I saw the whole line at the Gift Show, I didn't realize I was in-love-with-them.

Elegant furniture. And altruistic clothing. It's time to think Spring, but Oeuf's inventive knits are the kind of coziness I'm still craving. Any one of these items would make an excellent stand-alone gift.

Plus, the knits have a worthy story: "Oeuf partners with indigenous women in Bolivia to create a unique collection and sustainable flow of income that allows their children to go to school. Each piece is Fair Trade for the benefit of all people."


Squeeze-me Mittens


Leggies


Cover All Hat


Hug-me Sweater

You didn't hear it from me, but I understand an Oeuf bedding line may make an appearance this year. . .

Oeuf, will you be my Valentine?

Franciscan China & Pottery — by Guest Mom Kyran

If a vintage tea cup or dinner plate especially appeals to me, nine times out of ten when i turn it over, the stamp reads "Franciscan."

Many people are familiar with the company's ubiquitously collected "Desert Rose" pattern. I don't care for it, myself. Nor for the "Ivy" pattern, nor many of the other heavy, hand-painted earthenware patterns that the company became famous for, beginning in the thirties. Probably most of you have seen either the green or gold "Hacienda"
pattern from the seventies. I have an oval platter in the "Madiera" pattern from the same era, and like it enough to want to acquire more for casual dining. It has a definite California hippy vibe that makes me want to light mushroom shaped candles and address my husband as "my lovah."



But what many people don't know is that Franciscan also made fine china from the early 1940s to the 1960s. I fell madly in love with the 1942 "Westwood" pattern about five years ago after stumbling across it on ebay one day. This Christmas, I treated myself to eight immaculate dinner plates. I plan to fill out a full service for twelve. The china is light and almost translucent, the colors and floral motif are fresh and versatile, and its lines are simple but gracious, swinging easily between modern and traditional. It's the perfect "occasion" china for me: special but not fancy.



I picked up these coffee cups in a flea market. "Cloud Nine" pattern, Franciscan Whitestone, made in Japan, probably during the occupation. They have a clean, modern line. I must get my hands on a coffee pot; they're gorgeous.




Okay, this last one is not Franciscan, but I'm going to slide it in anyway. Just to defy absolutism. It's my very favorite serving bowl in a fabulous atomic-era pattern called "Simplicity" by Knowles. I have several other pieces in assorted starburst patterns, but this is the grooviest. I hum the Jetson's theme everytime I pull it off the shelf.



Well, that's it from me. It's always good to be here.
Thanks, Gabrielle, for having me back!

Book of the Week — Gallop!

Design Mom Reader Shannon J, sent me an email recommending the book Gallop! I finally made some time to check it out and now I simply must add it to the family library. It sounds/looks amazing.

Since I still haven't seen it in person, I'm going to grab the well-written (anonymous?) review right off of Amazon:

"There's never before been a book like Gallop! Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again.

A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo!

Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent."

Are you with me? Does Gallop! sound awesome or what?

And speaking of awesome and books, the 2008 Caldecott and Newbery winners were recently announced. I'm a collector of Caldecott books and look forward to finding out the winners every year. (This year's Caldecott winner is The Invention of Hugo Cabret — a great choice, and one I reviewed here.)

Pillow Pillow Pillow

Another favorite from the Gift Show: Animal Friends by Pillow Pillow Pillow. Zach from the PPP booth could not have been more enthusiastic about the product, and I don't blame him — it was generally impossible to walk by without coming in for a closer look. The pillows are fantastic.

Walking into the booth, I immediately thought of 3 specific friends that would love them: 1) my animal lover friend with allergies. 2) Another friend with children begging for a dog, but she's not quite ready — maybe these pillows will quiet the pleading for awhile longer. 3) A dear friend who recently lost her canine companion of a decade+. She's not ready for a new dog yet, but maybe a pillow could make a good commemoration for her last one.



And really, who wouldn't love one? They're adorable. I think my favorite is Scooter. They don't sell directly to consumers, but they do have a list of retailers that carry their wares.

Nomad System

I dropped into the Gift Show on Tuesday. I had 2 hours, which meant I only got to see a fraction of the show. But it's a great show and I still found one bazillion treasures. One of my favorites was the Nomad building system by Mio. The pieces are made from recycled double-walled cardboard and are made to create free-standing walls or screens in minutes. No tools required.

I found these so inspiring. You could use them to divide a bedroom when your kids are craving their own space. Or your kids could use them to create a hideout. I can imagine an event planner using these to screen an unsightly wall, or direct movement, in a rented party space.

Maybe you could use them in a garage, to create a 4th wall of an office nook :).



They're like great big, sophisticated Legos in really good colors. At just over $2 per piece (they're sold in packs of 24 for $56) they don't seem too out of reach for lots of different applications.

Not specifically designed for children, but my kids would adore them.

Apron Strings — by Guest Mom Kyran

I don't ever remember my mom wearing an apron. It was the seventies, the era of Free to Be, You and Me. Apron wearing was probably as good for your feminist cred as girdle-wearing.

In Grade Eight, I had to sew an apron for Home Economics. All of us used the same boxy, unisex pattern. It was practical as protective coverings go, but it sure wasn't pretty.

A few years ago, I came across a box of vintage aprons at an estate sale. They were the extreme opposite of the one I'd made in junior high. Two of them were made of nylon net! I can't imagine actually cooking in them; you might catch fire.

But they are oh, SO pretty. I strung one across my kitchen window as a kind of swag. On occasion, I'll wear one to greet guests when we entertain, as an ironic wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the fact that I am only playing house, after all, when I am dressed up like Suzy Homemaker.

I am not the only woman of my generation to be rediscovering the apron.

Naturally, Etsy seems to be the motherlode:

This red gingham one incorporates a stitching technique called "chicken scratch," giving it a vintage farmgirl cachet:

I bought a smock-style apron like the "Flirty Everyday Housewife" by Momo's Retro Fashions for a girlfriend at an estate sale recently, and almost kept it for myself. This style is not only exceedingly pretty, it actually looks practical.


Wearing your heart on your sleeve is so yesterday. Don't you want to wear it on your handmade apron by CeceMarie for Valentine's?


The reason an apron was my (and most people's) first sewing project is because they are super easy to sew. Tie One On, by Amy Karol, author of "Bend the Rules Sewing", is a terrific online source of inspiration and how-to.

Finally, here's a sexy, see-through vintage number, from vintage emporium Ruby Lane. This one is sold, but a search on "aprons" any day of the week ought to yield a few treasures. Find one that suits you and release your inner Donna Reed! You can always appease your inner Betty Friedan by going braless, or even—what the heck, it's Valentine's Day — topless.


Of course, let's not get carried away. I recently posted a few gems from a vintage Hints From Heloise booklet that should help you regain perspective, should you find yourself nostalgic for a simpler, daintier time.

And since we're tallking about aprons, naturally, if you like it, you should Sk*rt it!

More Nesting Dolls

Can I tell you enough how happy sk*rt makes me? I find the coolest stuff there every. single. day. Like these fantastic nesting dolls for your tech-minded friend created by the Art Lebedev Studio. If you had these on your desk, you'd have the coolest cubicle in the building. Plus, they coordinate well with Kyran's nesting doll post from yesterday.

via sk*rt, via popgadget

Overall Aprons

I'm so delighted with these Overall Aprons by Beansoup. They look tough enough for even the manliest toddler.

World Wide Wooden Blocks

Guest Mom Kyran's matryoshka doll post reminded me of these great Russian alphabet blocks I happened upon the other day. Il Cocco di Mama carries wooden blocks in Russian, English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish (pictured above with the Russian blocks), Arabic and Hebrew. Very, very cool. The perfect baby gift to pick up for your friend who has a love affair with some-other-country.

I spotted the blocks on Petit Elefant.

Matryoshka Dolls — by Guest Mom Kyran

When I was a little girl, a friend had a set of Russian wooden nesting dolls on her mantel. I loved to get them down and pop each of them inside the next biggest one, all the way up to the Mama Matryoshka, and then open them all up again in reverse order, all the way down to the little solid baby Matryoshka.

I hadn't thought about them in years, until I saw a friend's photograph of a set in a storefront in New York city over Christmas. I immediately went searching for some. Nestingdolls.net has a wide variety of handpainted Matryoshkas, such as this traditional set, which is like the one I remember.


They would be adorable in a little girl's room or as a bohemian decorative accent elsewhere. Bits and Pieces has a wide assortment of dolls, from traditional to whimsical. Beyond the traditional rosy cheeked peasant design, there are some new interpretations of wooden nesting dolls, like these nesting animals, which my three year-old son would would go crazy over (I would inquire about the paint used on all these dolls before giving them to small children to handle):


Etsy has dozens of variations on the Matryoshka motif, from this gorgeous printed t-shirt


to this boho-chic necklace


to this exquisite skirt.


Matryoshka dolls are traditionally a symbol of motherhood and fertility, making them perfect for baby shower gifts, or close friends who are TTC (trying to concieve). And for the ultimate Matryoska fan-girl, I stumbled on a navel ring with Matryoska charm.

Warning: if you do get pregnant, take that ring out before your innie turns into an outie. Things that stretch during pregnancy do not necessarily snap back into place afterward. Trust me.

Tin Can Organizers

Design Mom reader Ninfa H, sent me a link to an HGTV story about recycling tin cans to help with your home organization. My favorites were the tuna cans as office supply cubbies (what a tidy drawer they make!) and the ridged tin art supply board. Clever.

Girly Day Post #4: The Girls Room

For a final Girly Day post, here's a tour of my daughters' room. This room has kind of its own vibe going on — different than the rest of the house. It's a very sentimental room. Lots of its furnishings and decor have a story; in fact, a lot of what is charming to me about this room is that we were able to draw from from some pretty random pieces to pull the space together. The room was also tricky because it needed to be the baby's room and still feel appropriate for Maude and Olive who are 8 and 6.

The fabric "girls" sign on the door was a gift from my Mom. She picked it up from Anthropologie. The paint on the door is peeling and the original shade of vintage turquoise is revealed in spots — the crumbly-ness and color work well with the rest of the room.

The five original birth announcements, done by illustrator Apryl Stott are on the far wall and continue around the baby corner. The crib is a hotel crib we picked up on the street — Oscar is still using our original crib. This one is such a great size, it has a very small footprint but fits a baby comfortably. I wish I'd had it for each of my kiddos. You can adjust it higher or lower — we moved it down as soon as Betty could reach up and touch the artwork.

The dresser is from an antique store — we brought it with us when we moved to NY. I love the narrow shape and tall legs. The blanket hanging over the side of the crib was made by my mother for baby Betty.

The porcelain little boy on the dresser was made by my Grandma Daisy. She poured the porcelain, painted the face and sewed/knitted the clothes. I think his faded turquoise sweater works nicely with the other aged turquoise colors in the room.

View gabbyblair's map

Taken in (See more photos here)

The dress is the same gown I was "blessed" in (blessing is the version of christening in my church). My oldest daughter was blessed in the same dress and I'll give the dress to her when she's older.

The desk is from a tag sale. We picked it up for $40, sanded it down and changed the knobs. It's not technically a child's desk, but it has good kid-size proportions. The bulletin board is fabric-covered homasote in an old frame we picked up on the street. The chair is a vintage café chair my friend Kathryn C gave me.

Kathryn C is a tag sale superstar — she also found the vintage turquoise toy chest and knew I would love it. It houses the stuffed animals and dolls. Most of the family toys are stored in the family room, but we keep the girliest stuff — the My Little Pony's and Barbies/Disney Princesses in the bins on these shelves.

The darling print of the girl reading is from Sarah Jane. My own mother kept images of children reading around the house. And I do love to read. I wonder how much the images influenced me.

Can't have enough good books. One third of our children's library is in the girls' room. One third is in the boys' room. One third is in a little reading nook on the landing.

The hanging ceramic vase was a gift from a friend and former client who opened a wonderful flower shop. Isn't it lovely?

The full-size bed is another Kathryn C find. She picked it up on the street, knowing she could find a good home for it. I gave it a quick paint job and it has made its way through many bedrooms. It was our guest bed first, then my son Ralph's bed. Now Maude and Olive share it. The floral bedding is from PB Teen. I've had the eyelet sheets forever — I have no memory of where I picked them up. The cute bunny is French.

The paperdoll watercolor/mixed media above the bed is an original by Brooke Morrison. This was in my home as a child. My father was a public school teacher and had a framing business on the side. He framed this artwork.

The bedside table is yet another Kathryn C gift. It was dark, dark wood and I painted it pearl pink by Benjamin Moore. The lampshade we picked up when we lived in Greece. It's perfect in a little girl's room. The clock Santa picked up from our local drugstore and gave to Olive from Christmas.

The chandelier is maybe the best thing about our rental. It had no shades when we moved in. I picked these up at Target.


These pics have been on flickr for a few weeks, but I haven't shared them here yet. How's that for the girliest day of posts ever?

Girly Day Post #3: Bébé Shooz

The lovely Danika sent me a link to Bébé Shooz. Oh my. The detailing is so beautiful. Shoes fit for Cinderella.

Girly Day Post #2: Refined Sugar

I love these oversize flowers from Refined Sugar. Look how pretty the little button center is. I know these are designed for girls, but I think I would be tempted to borrow these from my daughters. I always feel pretty if I put a flower in my hair.

Girly Day Post #1: Tu for Tee

I noticed as I was putting together today's posts, that they were all pretty girly. So I'm going with it and calling it Girly Day. (I know. Super Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and now Girly Day? Give poor February 5th a break already.) Here's the first post:



The gals at Tu for Tee just sent me an email showcasing their wares — cute tanks and tees with mini tutus attached. I love the idea — perfect for those daughters who insist on wearing their dress-ups to the grocery store.

Super Tuesday is Super

I'm back at my desk after a few errands: picked-up a birthday present, mailed a belated gift to my mom at the post office, and VOTED! I hope you get out there today too. It's good for you, good for the country and good for your kids to see.

Lots of super things today in addition to voting. I've got plans to stop by the NY Gift Show. There's a big parade for the Giants. And tonight there's a tech meet-up I'm hoping to attend. Every once in awhile, I crave a super busy day like this.

Winners — Coco-Luxe Chocolates

Okay friends. Here we go. Awesome Chocolate Giveaway. 790 Entries. Five winners.

Hooray for the winner of the Over the Moon Bundle:
1) Mindful Momma who said, "I'm drooling alright!"

Also. Hooray for the 4 winners of the Valentine Truffles:
2) Michelle Dawn who said, "I'm seven months pregnant and am only allowing myself treats on special occasions so I don't balloon. Free chocolate? Hello! Special!"
3) Miss Vida who said, "These looks amazing, I'd love to have some!"
4) Jennifer who said, "They are so pretty! You almost don't want to eat them... ALMOST!"
5) a happier girl who said, "Yummy yummy yummy! Pick me!"

Congratulations ladies! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll get your info to Coco-Luxe right away. Thank you Coco-Luxe!

Didn't win? Aww shucks. Well. You can at least treat yourself with a Coco-Luxe discount. Enter DMOM to get 15% off your order for the entrie month of February.

Whoooo loves You — by Guest Mom Kyran

I've been on an owl kick lately that started last summer at an estate sale, where I became smitten with this wiseguy:


As it turns out, he was the gateway owl. Now I am in full-blown addiction, and there is no shortage of enablers on the internet. Like Forever 21, from whom I bought this owl-appliqued summer tunic:


I love his button eyes. He's a hippy owl, but an owl motif can be mod too, like on this tote from fredflare.com


or even disco luxe, like this crystal-eyed fellow from ModCloth.com, who doubles as a magnifying glass (all owls to me are male; I have no idea why).


It seems that all owls eventually come home to roost on Etsy where a recent search lead to my buying this wonderful print for my wall:


Owls were big in the seventies. Perhaps it was then that they imprinted on my impressionable young mind. This was a thrift store find from a girlfriend, and his perch is in my bathroom:


You can find many of his genus on ebay. 5,594 at the moment, in fact. Go on, try one. You'll love it.

Me? I can quit anytime.


2/6 note from DM: Design Mom reader Amy Sharp saw this owl post and wrote in to share some darling owls her kids made out of Design Within Reach catalogs. Check it out.

Ask Design Mom - Organic Cotton Bedding

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Hi there — I have recently become addicted to your blog — thank you so much for the wonderful reading! Question: any recommendations for stylish organic sheets (crib and regular)? I can never find anything interesting that is made of organic cotton. Thanks in advance! Jora

Design Mom Answer:
Hi Jora! Great question. The organic textiles market is expanding by the minute and it seems like there are new options everyday. If you've been bored with what you've seen in the past, cheer up, there are quite a few new and beautiful choices out there, and you watch — within in the year, the offerings will double or triple.


Here are a few places to start your search. For grown-ups, The Company Store and Gaiam both carry several options that are subtle and sophisticated.



For crib/toddler size sheets, check out Kate Quinn for solids in beautiful shades. And you can find a couple of bright patterns at Nest, or mod patterns at Pixel Organics.

What about you Design Mom readers? Do you have a favorite source for organic bedding?

Hand-Picked — by Guest Mom Kyran

Note from Design Mom: Last September Kyran of Notes to Self wrote a slew of memorable posts and shared them with us as a Guest Mom here at Design Mom. We're lucky to have here back for a 2nd week. Welcome Back Kyran!



Back in September, I opened up my jewelry box here on Design Mom and told you a few stories. It was my first experience writing about "things," and it was a revelation to me to learn how much life could be unpacked from so-called lifeless objects.

One of my favorite of your many kind emails and comments was from the author of Purple Petunia, who noted that the focus of those posts was "not 'things to buy', but to value."

She gets me. ;-)

I've since returned to the theme of show-and-tell a time or two, and although I don't always mean for it to, it usually comes back around to a meditation on value. Like this Notes to Self post about the kinds of things I consider luxuries. Or this Flawed But Authentic post I wrote about my friends' uniquely decorated home.

But I'd be an awfully dull girl if I never let something pretty catch my eye simply because. So this week, I just want to link an arm through yours and say, "oooh!" over some of my recent and ongoing infatuations.

Hope you'll come along!

Kyran Pittman

The Big Easy Way to Win

The Sk*rt Call for Editors Contest was Amazing! Over 400 women were nominated and we couldn't be happier about it. We are having the best time getting to know each and every nominee as we pull together our new team of editors. It's going to take us a bit of time, but while you're waiting you can find out who won the HP Photosmart Printer and Sensio Coffee Machine on the sk*rt blog. If you didn't win, it's all good. Because sk*rt is a non-stop ride of fun and there is another great contest that has just been announced today. A contest that's all about tomorrow:

Tuesday, February 5th is so many things. It’s a day to vote. It’s a day to celebrate. It’s Super Fat Tuesday! And we’re celebrating all week with The Sk*rt Super Fat Tuesday Contest. . . because Voting = The Big Easy Way to Win!

Here’s how it works. Just vote for 10 stories this week in the Up-and-coming or Popular sections at sk*rt, then leave a comment on this sk*rt post. That’s it. Then you’re registered to win. Super Easy. Fat Prizes. And one Super Phat Winner will receive:



Three new Monopoly games from Hasbro. A Disney-Pixar Monopoly edition, a Monopoly Jr.: Disney Channel edition, and a Monopoly Electronic Banking edition that includes debit cards instead of paper money.

What's all the Monopoly fuss? Well. Monopoly totally gets our obsession with voting — with making our voices heard. So they've put together a fantastic campaign. They're about to launch the first-ever WORLD Edition of Monopoly and have opened up a worldwide online vote to determine which great cities from around the globe should be on the game board. Once each day, people can vote for 10 of their favorite cities (from a ballot of 68). The voting continues through Feb. 28th and the top 20 cities with the most votes make it onto the board.



Wondering how your favorite cities are currently ranking? Visit Monopoly World Vote here, and you can see the leader board, which shows what cities would land on which colored spaces if the voting ended today. (At the moment, New York is the only US city that would make the board. . . while Canada and China are both seriously voting like crazy! Whooohoo! Maybe because they aren’t voting on Tuesday? Not sure, but there’s serious worldwide competition going on here!)



In addition to the vote-friendly Monopoly games, the winner will also receive a Mardi Gras friendly Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook! Phat is right.

So, to wrap up, here’s what you need to do this week. . .

1. Vote for 10 sk*rt stories and leave a comment on this sk*rt post before midnight EST on Friday, Feb. 8 to be registered to win the Sk*rt Super Fat Tuesday Contest.

2. GO VOTE for your favorite political candidate on Tuesday, Feb. 5, if you live in one of 24 US states or providences voting on Tuesday. So exciting!

3. Vote for your favorite city to be represented on the new Monopoly World board. Because that’s fun.

4. Eat lots of oyster gumbo, sausage jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and anything else you can get your hands on. It’s just what you do.

5. Have a great week!

Happy Super Fat Tuesday! (And Happy Voting!) From the Super Sk*rt Krewe!

Report on the Red Dress Show

View The Heart Truth's map

Taken in (See more photos here)

So I have to give you a quick report on the show. I loved it, loved it, loved it. So much fun. I managed to snag myself a front row, center section seat and had one of the best views in the tent.

This is who walked the red runway:

Allison Janney, you know, CJ from The West Wing, wearing Donna Karan
Ana Ortiz, Ugly Betty's sister Hilda, wearing Badgley Mischka — adorable
Ashanti wearing Tracy Reese
Camryn Manheim, from The Practice, wearing Ali Rahimi
Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm, wearing Catherine Malandrino

Heidi Klum wearing Marc Jacobs. I am officially in love with Heidi Klum. She is stunning.
Jenna Fischer, Pam from The Office, wearing Carmen Marc Valvo
Joss Stone wearing Max Azria Atelier


Lisa Rinna wearing Michael Kors. Hers was probably my favorite dress — the fringe was amazing.

Liza Minnelli wearing a Halston Original
Maria Menounos for Marchesa
Mary Lynn Rajskub, from 24, wearing Monique Lhuillier
Molly Sims, from Las Vegas, wearing Daniel Swarovski. I also really, really loved this dress.
Rita Moreno wearing Lily Samii. She danced the entire length of the runway and was charming.
Sara Ramierez (Callie from Grey's Anatomy) wearing Angel Sanchez — and she was absolutely gorgeous.

The First Lady, Laura Bush, opened the show (and then sat right across from me, I'm not kidding about my really good seat) and she was lovely and gracious as well. To end the show, Liza Minnelli sang New York, New York and was just generally awesome while confetti fell from the top of the tent.

The show was great. The energy was fantastic — red outfits everywhere and the audience just delighted to be a part of it. The dresses were amazing. And it was especially fun because the models/actresses were waving and dancing and blowing kisses and interacting with the audience.



I had a great time and felt so lucky to be invited. I picked up The Heart Truth red dress pins for my daughters after the show. Hooray for National Wear Red Day!

Thank you to Michelle from Scribbit!

Wasn't it just wonderful to have Michelle here as a Guest Mom last week? I've never met her in real life, but I have this beautiful image of her in my head — sitting snugly with her kids through a cold Alaskan winter — baking golden loaves of bread and collecting pretty bits of nature to display. Just think of her considerable talents — she has me all craving Alaska and it's February 4th.

Michelle is clearly a non-stop source of great ideas and good advice. I know you'll love keeping track of her at her popular and excellent blog Scribbit. Thank you Michelle!

It's A Great Time to Live in New York

Yeah Giants!!! So exciting. We're planning on taking the kids to the celebratory parade. How often does your city's team win the Super Bowl?

Random Giveaway — Coco-Luxe Confections

Well. Lot's to celebrate today. It's Friday, which is always happy. Also, it's February 1st, which means Valentine's Season is officially here — two weeks to watch all the sappy romantic films you'd like and be-deck the house in hearts. Most of all, it means two weeks to give and receive boxes of chocolates. So let's get to it and give away a whole bunch of sweetness from Coco-Luxe Confections!



Coco-Luxe as in luxurious chocolate. And it is. I had my first bite of Coco-Luxe yumminess a couple of weeks ago and it was so good and so gorgeous that of course I wanted to share it with you. So here's what you can win:



One person will be the lucky recipient of the Over the Moon Bundle, a big stack of 5 boxes tied up with a satin bow which includes a generous portion of truffle heaven:
- one 9-piece box of Valentine's Truffles
- one 9-piece box of Dark Chocolate Truffles
- one 9-piece box of Milk Chocolate Truffles
- one 9-piece box of Afternoon Truffles
- one 9-piece box of Assorted Dessert Flavor Truffles
Ummm. Over the moon is right. The bundle retails for $89.95.



But that's not all. Four lucky readers will each win a 9-piece box of Valentines Truffles as well! Featuring Coco-Luxe's delectable new flavors — three each of Champagne, Pure Devotion (pure dark chocolate) and Roses (white chocolate rose and honey truffles covered in Dark chocolate). Each box retails for $17.95.

That's 5 Winners in all!! And five is great! While you're browsing the Coco-Luxe site and wiping the drool from your keyboard, I definitely want you to notice two additional items — not part of the Giveaway, but still very delicious.


The Coco-Luxe Nuts for You Bundle. Truffles and Nuts. What could be better?


And the Baby-themed Truffles. Just right for your next baby event or as a gift for a new mom with a sweet tooth.

Oh my. I want everything they sell. You can even order custom designs for your truffles. Coco-Luxe swears that ANY design is possible — if you can dream it up, they can put it on a truffle. How about having them make a little Valentine's message for your sweetheart. . .

I know there are 5 winners for this Giveaway, but just in case you're not one of them, don't despair. Coco-Luxe has offered Design Mom Readers 15% off on all products for the entire month of February. Just enter code DMOM to get your discount.

What a Giveaway! The perfect thing to get us feeling all sweet and romantic. Thank you Coco-Luxe!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, February 4th 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 morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Giant Homemade Fortune Cookies — by Guest Mom Michelle/Scribbit

These giant fortune cookies are one of my favorite treats to make for Valentine's Day, they're a romantic and cute way to finish off a meal — or a fun way to celebrate a birthday, with sweet predictions for the coming year tucked inside.

Writing the fortune is half the fun, use your creativity to come up with a real gem but if you're still stuck then try a joke or a riddle. Put it on some pretty red paper and make the cookies.

Here's the recipe:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and sugar then beat for half a minute on medium speed. Add the flour and the salt then beat to combine. Add the butter, cream and extract then beat to combine for another half a minute.

For each cookie, pour three or four tablespoons of the batter onto a well greased cookie sheet and spread the batter with the back of the spoon into a thin three or four-inch circle, the cookies will spread significantly while baking so be sure to give them plenty of room--I bake four to a sheet usually. Bake until the edges are golden, about ten to twelve minutes, but try to get them as golden as possible because if you undercook them they won't harden properly later.



When the cookies come out you must work quickly to pull the cookie off of the hot sheet with a spatula. Lift it and put it on a towel. Fold the cookie in half, pinching it at the top of form a shape like a hard taco shell (see picture above). Then turn it upside down and bring both ends up towards each to form the shape of a fortune cookie (see picture below). It helps to push gently at the fold while folding it.



You have to complete this process in about half a minute or you'll never be able to refold it once it hardens. Repeat the folding process with each of the remaining cookies (it makes about ten) and thread your handmade fortunes through the finished cookies.

Some tips: if your cookie circle is irregularly shaped don't panic because the folding process helps it look better and you can gently trim the edges if necessary before you start folding it and the whole thing hardens. Also, I would recommend making a few more than you'll need because there are always a few in each batch that get destroyed and never make it to the table (too bad, right?)

Fun and delicious (they taste much better than the store bought varieties!)

For other treats for the upcoming holiday see the following:

Valentine Butterflies
Chocolate Truffles
Things That Win My Heart
Double Musky Cake
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Tee Round-up #2

So many cute tees for the cuties! (Whoa. Where'd the cheese ball come from?) These are my latest discoveries:




Little Uni
Classic shapes. Funky patterns. Hand-crafted. I especially love the hungry hippo and little scooter.




Birdlette Tees
Funky images and great colors from Birdlette Design Studios — they believe that "form and function should tango with each other."



Tiny Sprouts
Hand-embroidered everything — tees, onsies, hats, blankets, and on and on. That's right. Hand-embroidered. With whatever name/message you want.