Polarn O. Pyret Giveaway

Another amazing Giveaway today. And it's perfectly timed for the season. It's a pretty good bet that sometime in the last couple of weeks, you've considered your children's (or your own) winter wear. Will you be skiing this year? Will there be snow? Do his snow boots still fit? Has she outgrown her coat? Are there mittens missing?

Well, today, the Swedish company Polarn O. Pyret (that's a mouthful, I know) will be setting you up. The winner will get to pick out any outerwear top and any outerwear bottom from their site. Or. Any outerwear “all-in-one” — like a snowsuit or bunting. The top and bottom can be any combo that the winner chooses. A fleece and ski pants for instance, or a winter jacket and snowboarder pants. You'll basically be getting about $200 in outerwear. Pretty rad, right?



People. The Swedes are serious about dressing their kids appropriately for the weather and this earnestness is represented by Polarn O. Pyret's outerwear. Where all kinds of attention has been paid to the little details, ensuring that kids stay warm and dry. Also, their winter outerwear is so function and performance driven that it is not only great for the playground but also for the ski slopes.

Take at look at the site and daydream about what you'll pick out if you win. If Polarn O. Pyret is new-to-you, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how design-driven the company is. Just leave a comment and you're entered to win. I'll post a winner on Monday, November 9th.

UPDATE BONUS: Polarn O. Pyret has offered a generous 30% off, plus free shipping on orders of $100 or more. Exclusively for Design Mom Readers. Sweet! Just use the promo code: DMPOP

Yay for winter prep!

Ask Design Mom Week — Journals

Question:
I'm looking for a journal that's appropriate for kids. Any good ideas? Thanks. — Kathryn



Answer:
Great question. The favorite kids journal at our house is called This Is Me. It's full of great prompter questions. Lots of space for drawings or pasting in ticket stubs. And it has a handy little pocket at the back for tucking away keepsakes.

Also, I haven't tried these myself, but I think the Between You & Me journals look good too. Inside each are fun, non-sappy, sometimes humorous questions. Give them to the people you love and they are returned with handwritten responses.

Want more ideas? One of my recent guest moms wrote a terrific round-up of all sorts of journals.

Dear Readers, do your kids have a favorite journal?

Ask Design Mom Week — Legwarmers

Question:
My daughter Rosie has just started kindergarten, and her school requires uniforms (white tops + navy or khaki bottoms or dresses). Of course she prefers skirts and dresses or jumpers, but all the ones we have are above the knee, and she complains her legs get chilly. In my school uniform days, cable-knit knee socks were the norm, but I've got my heart set on finding her some sweet scrunchy legwarmers, preferably in cream or navy — not sure wild colors would be uniform-approved. Have you seen any darling school-day legwarmers recently? Thanks!! — Amanda T.



Answer:
Legwarmers! Love the question, but I don't have a ready answer. For baby-size, there are several options (like the leggies pictured from Oeuf). And I remember my last 3 pairs of grown-up-size legwarmers were purchased at a dance supply store, H&M and Target. But I don't remember seeing kid-size legwarmers lately. So I'll turn this question over to my Dear Readers.

Dear Readers, have you seen any great sources for school-kid legwarmers?

Happy Halloween 2009!

Our 2009 Costume Report:

Medusa.
Found a thick knit ski cap at the thrift store. Found different-sized snakes at toy stores in the area and wove them through the cap. Love how the headpiece turned out, but didn't love the rest of the costume — I want a redo on this one. Oscar went back and forth on this costume for weeks. He was pretty sure he was actually going to be able to turn people to stone once he had the costume on — and that was stressing him out. Also. He had no issues that Medusa is a girl. In fact, for awhile he was trying to talk Ralph and Maude into being the Gorgon Sisters with him. (His current favorite book is Greece! Rome! Monsters!)



Raggedy Anne.
Found the dress at a thrift store and added the apron. Made the wig by attaching red yard to a red knit snow cap. This was my first attempt at making a wig. Not bad. Tights from the costume store. Ordered bloomers from Amazon, but when they arrived they were too silky and looked like lingerie. So we skipped them. I love classic costumes like this.



Oompa Loompa.
Found brown turtleneck at the thrift store. Gathered some white karate pants from our dressup box at the knee for the knickers. Ordered the wig, suspenders and socks from Amazon. The wig had to be trimmed and styled a bit, but it works. Ralph has performed the Thriller dance twice in this costume (at the school dance and at the church party) — I'm glad he can move easily in it.



Mary Poppins.
Made adjustments to a skirt and blazer found at a thrift shop. Attached bird to shoulder with a safety pin. The more I stared at the details in photos of Mary Poppins, the more I felt like we were missing the mark here. But. Olive loved this costume. And. She won best costume at the Trunk-or-Treat parade — so who knows?



Witch.
Bought a leotard at Target and recycled witch and tutu accessories from past years. It was very important to Betty that everyone was informed she was a nice witch. Also. Sometimes she'd call herself a princess witch. She loves this costume, but I bet she'd love it even more if it was pink.

Mom, you can find a million more photos of this year's (and last year's) costumes here. Oh! And don't miss my sister's spooky ghost photos here.

Parent Child Dance Shoes

Did you see these? Seems like the sweetest toddler gift ever.

spotted on kirtsy via Handmade Charlotte

Halloween Week!

Can you believe it is the last week of October? So exciting! I counted up, and between the 3 different schools my children attend, plus church parties and friend parties, we have 8 events plus trick-or-treating to keep track of. I am crossing my fingers our costumes are sturdy enough to withstand the week. : ) To help us celebrate, I have invited Kristy Glass to be a Guest Mom this week. She is awesome. And really into Halloween. I will tell you more about her in the next post.


Images from past Halloweens. See more Blair costumes here and here.

Creepy Food

October is humming along. I love every bit of it. Including this idea for tomato soup with eyeballs that I spotted on kirtsy. More spooky food ideas here.

Smitty Baby

Cute imagery, great colors and smart products at Smitty Baby. I love the aprons.

Halloween Books

I feel like we haven't added Halloween books to our stash in ages, so this year I ordered a few. (As I've described in years past, during the month of October, we like to light candles each night and ready Halloween books or spooky stories. This year we even have a fireplace (woot!). It totally heightens the drama.) The books we added this year:

Bone Soup.
A Halloween themed retelling of Stone Soup. Instead of carrots and potatoes, the townspeople eventually share their stewed eyeballs and jars of batwings. The illustrations are the best part. My kids love this.

By the Light of the Halloween Moon.
A rebus by Caroline Stutson. Simple and repetitive. My preschoolers especially like this.

Once Upon a Halloween Night.
This is a chapter book. I was looking for something the older kids would like. We're still not done with it yet, but so far so good.

You can find links to some of our other favorites here. What are your favorite Halloween books?

Preserving Children's Artwork — by Guest Mom Carrie Lundell

Who doesn't love their child's drawings? Many children express themselves through art far better than the written or even spoken word, so the attachment is understandable. Yet who among us hasn't thought about chucking every last piece of art when the pile coming home from school, added to what is created at home, threatens to take over every inch of the refrigerator door and fill every drawer in the house?

Here's the million-dollar question: what is worth keeping and what gets tossed (during the night and placed in the outside garbage under mounds of food scraps so there is no evidence of the cruel mommy who doesn't think every piece of her child's art is beautiful and worth saving)? Here's what I do:



1. Display the Art
Even for just a day. If your child is proud of their artwork, show it off. Right now, we use simple magnet clips on the side of the fridge. For a cleaner presentation, this company produces frames that open on hinges, allowing you to swap out your child's art easily and often. Just last week I came upon this ingenious DIY frame with the same purpose and I like it even more. A cute little clothesline like this works famously too.

2. You Save, I Save
Each of my children gets their own "treasure box." They are allowed to keep anything they want in their box, but it must fit in the box. New art often replaces old art in their boxes as they constantly work to make sure the lid stays on the box. I also have my own acid-free "treasure box" for each of them and hold myself to the same rule — I can't save more than what will fit in the box. I save only the most special drawings. They are usually the ones with good stories attached, or where it's obvious my child has spent more than her usual attention span, and I always save "firsts". Like the first time my child drew a circle with arms growing out of the sides and called it "mom" instead of the typical scribbles.



3. Preserve with a (re)Purpose
Preserving your child's art in an acid-free box is one thing, but using it as inspiration to create something else takes preservation to a whole new level. My children love seeing their art come to life as "softies", handkerchief embroidery, carved pumpkins, personalized neckties, t-shirt transfers, and Christmas ornaments. I will admit the time I spend creating with their art might partly be my way of making up for the fact that I throw the majority of their artwork in the trash. If sewing is not your thing, this company creates sterling silver pins out of your child's art and this shop will turn their art into a sweet little pendant, both perfect for gifting.



Whatever you decide to save, make sure to write the child’s name and date on it.Also, remember to record and attach “the story” if it has one. It's all going to be vital information down the road. You always think you’ll remember, but you won’t.

Thanks to Gabrielle for having me here this week. I’ve had a great time sharing with all of you! I hope you’ll take the time to create, preserve and share your family heirlooms.

Yellow Birthday Party

How cute is this 3-year-old yellow birthday party? I love how the little logo was used throughout. You just can't go wrong with a color theme. See more details at BirdDog Press.

photos by Julie Afflerbaugh

Anorak

Look how happy these Anorak magazine covers are. So fantastic. I've never seen a copy in person, but I just requested an issue — here's hoping the contents are as exciting as the covers. Do any of you subscribe?

Periwinkle Bloom

The photo styling in this line of children's clothes by Periwinkle Bloom is perfect. Makes me want to buy one of each.

Mama K's Play Clay

Ooooh. Look how pretty Mama K's Play Clay colors are. And the scents sound absolutely delicious — chamomile, lemongrass, geranium — mmmm.

Thanks for the link, Genevieve.

Les Petites Chefs Birthday Party Report

Seriously. It was a fantastic party! Really amazing. And it would have been equally great for girls or boys. If you live anywhere in the metro Denver area, bookmark Sticky Fingers — if not for a birthday party, then for their kids cooking classes — they are a class-act all the way around. Here's the report:



About an hour before the guests arrived, Sticky Fingers showed up to prepare the space. They brought balloons. And the most colorful assortment of kid-friendly kitchen ware. I couldn't stop taking pictures. (You can click the photos to see them bigger.)

Once the guests arrived, it was time to decorate chef hats. With stamps, stickers, markers, ribbons and every other sparkle-rific material.




When the chef hats were sufficiently glamorous, it was time to get down to cooking (after thorough hand-washing of course). The recipe was posted on an easel and the kids made the gnocchi from scratch. At each step, the Sticky Fingers girls gave kid-friendly, patient, cheerful instruction ("When you're using a knife, make a bridge with your hand and then cut under the bridge..."). The guests measured ingredients. Cracked eggs. Grated cheese. Mixed. Kneaded. Rolled and formed. (For those of you who are worriers, please note that there were at least 3 additional hand-washing sessions throughout the cooking process.)




While the gnocchi boiled, they worked in teams using morters and pestles to crush lavender, then mix it with honey, oil and vinegar for the pasta topping.



The gnocchi finished cooking just as the dressing was complete. Then it was time to feast. It was a pretty exotic meal as far as kid food goes — Parmesan and Ricotta Gnocchi over Peaches with Prosciutto and Parmesan plus Honey Lavender Dressing. But the guests loved it!




As everyone finished their meal, we brought out the pretty cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday.




For party favors, Sticky Fingers brought laminated recipe cards featuring Olive's special recipe. And we included ruffle-y aprons as well (Bonus: I went to Jo-Ann's to pick up fabric to make aprons, but found these cute red and white ones for $2.50 each. Yay! Because, really, I was out of time and not looking forward to a late night sewing aprons...)

While we opened presents, the Sticky Fingers girls cleaned up every last crumb and loaded up their car. (Best part of hiring out your party!) Olive was super pleased with the whole thing. So were the guests. So was I.

Loads more photos here.

Pop-up Placemats

How cute would these pop-up placements (with stickers!) be for a party or the kid table at Thanksgiving Dinner? See Hello Hanna for more (non-robot) options.

Funky Lunch

Are you kidding me — how great are these sandwiches? Raise your hand if you love Charlie and Lola. Cute for birthdays or special days or for turning regular days into special days. Click through to see loads more ideas.

Thanks for the link, Laurie.

Les Petites Chefs Birthday Party Invitations

It's going to be such a fun week! Saturday, we're having a birthday party for Olive. The theme is "Les Petites Chefs" (how chic! how French! how very Julie and Julia of us!) We're bringing in the ladies from Sticky Fingers Cooking to teach the party guests some kitchen how-to. But more on the party details later. Today, I want to share the invitations.




Last week, I was sent a Cricut die cut machine to test out, so I decided Olive's party invitations were the perfect reason to pull it out and see what it could do.

After playing around with the Cricut for a while to get comfortable (I had never even seen one of these machines before, so I really had no idea what to expect) Maude and Olive and I designed some invitations that would use a million diecuts and really show off our mad Cricut skillz.





Basically, we cut out oversize hangtags (I'll note here, that cutting out all sorts of shaped tags in all sorts of sizes and colors will probably be my most used Cricut feature), and used the new From My Kitchen cartridge to cut out assorted cooking-related shapes we could display on the tags.

Then we attached the kitchen-themed tags to wooden spoons. So adorable! We actually tried 3 different ways of attaching our little tags, and couldn't ultimately decide on a favorite. So we gave out invitations using all 3 versions (and used up a bunch of my ribbon scraps in the process — love it.)

What do you think? Next up to work on: party plans and party favors.




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Hey. If you want to get in on the Cricut action, there are a couple of big Cricut-related contests going on. Visit Today's Mama to see their Great Escape Contest — you could win a Cricut or 4 New Cartridges. And Cricut itself, is running a Great Gypsy Escape Contest — win one of 200 Gypsies or one of 20+ travel packages. Nice!

Autism Posters

It's 2009. Autism touches everyone's lives in small and big ways. I like these autism awareness posters by the Rugh Family Workshop.

"The Rugh Family Workshop was started by Jaime & Jeffrey Rugh for their children. Collaborating as artists with family, old friends and new friends, the workshop started making posters to promote awareness, support and compassion for individuals, families, and communities living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The posters vary widely in range, focus and design as does the spectrum itself."

Swatches

Remember Swatches? Sometimes I forget they're still around. I like these kid versions by illustrator Matthew Langille.

Wild Thing Mural

The internet just delivered something wonderful to my inbox. A time-lapse video by Grassroots Modern of a Where The Wild Things Are mural being painted on a bedroom wall. (For the record, I didn't intend to focus on Where The Wild Things Are this week, but sometimes themes just happen.) The mural artist is Tony. You can see still images of the mural here.

Time lapse films are pretty freaking awesome, don't you think? I never seem to tire of them.

Thanks for the link, Azucar!

Th Big Boy Room from Creede on Vimeo

Clementine Art Products

The eating of crayons/playdough/art supplies at our house isn't too frequent. But it has been known to happen. I wonder if I'd mind the tasting if my kids were using Clementine art products. Non-toxic, environmentally friendly ingredients, in fully recycled packaging. It's not meant to be eaten, but the Citrus Dough sounds delish.

Olive's Turn

Dip-dye dress by Kandy Kiss. Leggings by Old Navy. Shoes by Salt Water Sandals. Floral headband by Gymboree.

Of course (of course!) Olive wanted (and rightly deserved) a chance to model her back to school clothes. Olive is 7. She is starting to phase out of her pink addiction and on to more sophisticated shades — even some occasional brown.

I'm sure you are tiring of wardrobe posts, so I promise this will be the last for awhile. As with Ralph and Maude, many of these items were already in Olive's closet. I'll list sources where available. More pics of Olive's photoshoot here.


Plaid shirt and roll-up cargo pants by Target. Turquoise tee by Old Navy. Sneakers by Adidas. Western cut floral top by Ralph Lauren. Corduroy mini by Old Navy. Cable-knit tights by H&M. Brown Maryjane's by Payless.


Stripe top by Old Navy. Floral top by Osh Kosh. Capris by Gymboree. Blue layering tee by Mini Boden. Sweater vest by GapKids. Brown velour-ish trousers by H&M. Slip-on sneakers by Airwalk for Payless.


Tie-back dress by Mossimo for Target. Skinny jeans by H&M. Embroidered top by Lulu and Scooter. Embroidered skirt by Children's Place.


Plaid top by Gymboree. Red cardigan by Target. Jeans by GapKids.


Floral top by Peek Aren't You Curious. Screened tee by Old Navy. Purple cropped cargo pants by Peek.


Possibly the greatest pair of kid sneakers ever made! We found ours at Zappos.

What to Wear to 5th Grade

Gray henley and leggings by Poof. Denim mini by Hydraulic. Plaid scarf by Passport Accessories.

It's been so much fun putting together a back-to-school wardrobe for 10-year-old Maude this year. She's had more opinions and ideas about what she wants to wear than ever before. Today she had the idea to put together some of her outfits and model them for the camera. Doesn't she look amazing? I love how flexible everything is — there are 9 outfits here and she could come up with another dozen combos from this stuff.

For those wondering if we broke the bank, we spent about $100 on new clothes (I had the best luck at TJMaxx) and $50 on new shoes. Everything else was already in her closet. You can find more images from our living room photoshoot here.


Plaid top by Chaps. Skirt by Peek. (Francie Pants underneath the skirt.) Cardigan by If It Were Me. Stripe tee and cargo pants by Old Navy.


Hoodie sweater by Pink Republic. Yellow tee and polka-dot leggings by Old Navy. Plaid dress by She's The One. Skinny jeans - Sqin by H&M.


Yellow jacket by Ismodern. Jean shorts by Old Navy.


Feather printed top by Kiddo. Cropped pants by Jean Bourget at Juvie. Houndstooth capris by Gymboree.


Mock turtleneck by Target. Shrug by Seven Smooches.

FYI: I've listed sources (and links where I can), but as I mentioned above, at least 50% of the clothes pictured were already in her closet — so they probably won't be available in stores any longer.

Maude is shown barefoot because we're still waiting for her shoes to arrive. This year she'll have 3 pairs to choose from. These Converse from Zappos and these black sporty shoes from Payless. Plus, she has a pair of cute brown and turquoise Asics that are still in good shape — we just need to replace the laces. The only thing left to buy: a backpack.

Alphabet Drawing

Cute alphabet print by Denver artist, Chris Gregori.

Ooooh. Just thinking. There are so many cute alphabet prints floating around out there — I should do an Alphabet Artwork Roundup.

Dan Steinhilber

We're back from our trip Provo. Safe and sound. Lots of cousins and eating and playing — plus a beautiful wedding on Saturday (pics coming soon). On Friday, we spent the afternoon at BYU. The kids loved the art exhibit by Dan Steinhilber. And so did I. Everything was composed of disposable objects (the mobile above is made from drycleaning hangers) and it was all very beautiful. The exhibit leaves on August 22nd. For those of you in Utah Valley, catch it while you can.

More pics from our trip here.

Stubby Pencil Studio Giveaway

I'm on the road right this minute. For realz. We loaded up the car in the wee hours of the morning for an 8-hour drive to Ben Blair's hometown: glorious Provo, Utah. We're attending a wedding on Saturday and then we'll drive back Sunday. At which point we'll finish making our back-to-school lists.

I know you're thinking back-to-school as well. So how about an awesome giveaway featuring the hottest (and eco-friendly coolest) school supplies on the planet? You could win a $150 shopping spree to Stubby Pencil Studio by leaving a comment below. Fantastic!



Some of my favorite picks for this fall: lined filler paper made from banana leaves, wildlife colored pencils made from recycled newspapers and Smencils. Smencils are like Elementary School Currency. Get your kid a handful to trade around and he'll make friends in a flash.

Also. Want to make your day a little happier? Check out the Stubby Pencil Studio collection of colored pencils. Or really, any of their school supplies. So pretty! There's just something wonderful about a jar full of freshly sharpened pencils.

Thanks to Stubby Pencil Studio for the timely and generous prize. Leave a comment to enter. I'll announce a winner when I'm back at my desk on Monday. Oh. And here's some extra fun: Use the bonus code DMFall09 at checkout, and you'll receive a free eco highlighter with any purchase. Offer expires 9/30/09.

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Congratulations to Amy!! You are the lucky winner of the $150 shopping spree to Stubby Pencil Studio. Yay you!

Extra surprise: Stubby Pencil Studio asked me to pick a runner-up (randomly chosen of course) to win a $75 shopping spree. So, congratulations to sallyavena!! You're a winner too.

Hooray for back-to-school shopping!

Ladybug Art

Still putting together more details in the toddlers' room. Check out these darling handpainted hangers from Ladybug Art. They have lots of options, but I had to have the dinos. So cute!

Mabel's Labels

It's hard to believe, but here in Colorado, school starts on August 18th. That's just 2 weeks away. So we are in full Back-to-School mode at the Blair house. First step: stock up on labels for all the "stuff" that goes in the backpacks: pencils, markers, notebooks, crayons, sharpeners, scissors, glue (and labels for the backpacks as well).

Mabel's Labels makes the sturdiest labels with the best adhesive out there. In one bazillion colors and options. (My kids love the little keychains.)

Mae's Fabric Wall Stickers

Here's something new and cool. Instead of vinyl wall stickers, these beauties from Mae's etsy shop are made from fabric. And they're completely reusable. Renter's rejoice! You can bring these with you when you move.

Sent in by Eliza, (who asked me not to link to her blog, but swears the wall stickers are the bomb).

Treasure

4 year old Oscar has been approaching Ben Blair and me repeatedly this morning with a roll of duct tape. Asking us to get him a piece. Every time we ask what it's for he says he doesn't know. A few minutes ago he proudly brought me this and said, "It's a Crayon Packer 3000." Asked me to take a picture and then stuffed it into his pocket.

This makes me 1000 times happier then if he'd said something along the lines of Mom, you're the best.

Shabby Apple Tweens

Shabby Apple just announced their new line for tweens. Shabby Sister it's called. My favorites are the boyish GI Jane and the classic-ly sweet Seventeen. (Anyone else starting to think Back-to-School?)

Francie Pants

My girls are loving the Francie Pants I brought home from Chicago. Think of them as a modern bloomer to cover your undies so you can do handstands and cartwheels while wearing a skirt — you can see examples of how they're worn here. My girls have been wearing their francies under skirts and over leggings and trying out new outfit configurations pretty much nonstop since the plane landed.

Maude said she is going to plan her back-to-school wardrobe around them. Olive likes the paperdolls included in each box. I can see we're going to need more than the 2 pairs I came home with. See all the Francie Pants designs here.

Hoot Baby

I was just introduced to Hoot Baby. And I thought I should introduce you as well.

You're welcome.

Print*Pattern*Paper

Print*Pattern*Paper is offering 3 new posters that are worthy of note. A drenched-in-color world map. Plus friendly Number and Alphabet posters — both are successfully gender neutral. They are big, well-priced, and as always, made with 100% recycled heavyweight paper and soy ink — they'd look great in nurseries and playrooms everywhere.

18x24 for $42 or a bit smaller at 11x14 for $32.

Pick out your own poster at a discount. Use coupon code P3THANKS to get 20% off. (Code expires 7/15/09.)

Mish Mish Market Tees

Pick an image from the Inner Toddler collection at Mish Mish Market and it will be sent to you as an iron on transfer — one large image or three small ones. So cute! You could let your kids pick out the images they think look most like them.

I think this is such a great idea. It's like a super-bargain custom tee.

Tees for the Not-Urban Crowd

Charmed by the t-shirts (and onesies) at Southern Brand's Company Store. Lots more if you click through.

Some sentiments seem explicitly Southern. Others make me think of my Western upbringing. Kind of surprised there's so much overlap — I had no idea.

Tooby Doo

So great that the renaissance of children's clothing design is still going strong. Look how terrific this line called Tooby Doo is. Makes me grateful that at least two of my kids are small enough to wear this lovely stuff.

Papier Mache Magazine

I'm so impressed with this new online children's magazine from Australia called Papier Mache. Gorgeous with a capital G.

Thanks for the link, Brianna. Nice find!

My Daughters' Bedrooms — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I love to design kid’s spaces because there is a lot more room for whimsy and daring. When I was designing my daughters’ rooms, it was an exercise in balance. I wanted them to feel empowered to make design decisions (they are after all two very creative little souls), but I also wanted to make sure that their rooms flowed with the rest of the house.

We started with by defining color palette: one that the girls loved, and one that also fit with the rest of house. From there we chose complimentary but distinct wallpaper patterns as the base of the design.



The next major step was choosing the right bed. Both girls wanted “cananopies,” as they called them, so we had to figure out how to give them two similar but, again, distinct canopy beds. For the elder, we chose a vintage bed. For the younger, I custom designed a high canopy bed for the tight space; the large pot drawers below provide extra storage.

Next we considered durability. We chose furniture and finishes that are non-toxic, but also multi-functional. We also kept in mind the fact that kids use their spaces heavily — there was no reason to spend a fortune on something like bedding. We took a standard coverlet from Bed Bath and Beyond and added a bit of appliqué. Suddenly, we had what looked like custom bedding at a very budget-friendly price.

And since it’s important to me to instill a sense of heritage, I mixed in family heirlooms with the new features. We put a vintage French vanity that has been in my family for years in my younger daughter’s room as her desk. And my elder daughter has my grandmother’s rocking chair in her room.

The result is two similar but distinct rooms that are fun and youthful, yet quite timeless. We hope the girls will enjoy them for years to come.

Reincarnated Kids Furniture — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I think being a mom, and understanding moms’ needs, actually makes me a much better designer. When choosing furniture for kids (my own or a client's), I try to keep a few things in mind. The pieces must be durable, safe, and preferably timeless. I’m a huge proponent of pieces of furniture that ‘grow’ with your children and can serve multiple purposes. This prevents parents from constantly replacing and throwing away pieces — clearly not the most sustainable or affordable option.

For example, I love the Oeuf crib that converts to a toddler bed or the Stokke convertible changing table that can become a desk, play table, or even a CD rack when your baby outgrows its first function.



Another example, the Tottoman, was created for one of my clients who needed additional storage. But we raised it on casters and added safety hinges so that toddlers could use the over-sized soft ottoman as an impromptu walker. It also makes a great hiding place. : ) As the child grows, the ottoman can be re-upholstered in different fabrics and live a long and useful life.

A third I idea I love to see implemented: converting old heirloom dressers into hip changing tables. Once your child outgrows them, you can re-convert the table back to a chest of drawers. A new set of hardware and a new coat of paint can update any tired old piece of furniture into a new and timeless piece. Brilliant.

Have you reincarnated any of your furniture? I'd love to hear your stories!

Mini Moderns — Now in Clothing

Mini Moderns, one of my favorite wallpaper/textile design shops has partnered with Clothkits to create a collection of easy-to-make dresses featuring Mini Moderns print designs. How cute is that? I've never tried Clothkits before but now I'm all curious.

Kind of a wallpaper theme happening today. Unexpected, but I like it.

Summer Dresses for Little Girls

I've located my nearest Target. It is big, well-lit, well stocked and fully staffed. I love it. While I was there, this collection of dresses for toddler girls by Osh Kosh caught my attention. Have any of you seen these? Really great patterns and colors and so fun to find this much variation in one collection. Even better in person — these pictures don't do justice them at all.

Lesson learned: never go to Target without your camera.

Kid Size Guitar

For a look-how-great-your-new-house-is surprise for the kids, we gave them a child-size guitar. They LOVE it. It sits next to Ben Blair's guitar and in the evenings we can get a little bit of a jam session going on.

The kid guitar is from First Act. It comes with these handy little cards you can slide beneath the strings to help you learn and memorize the chords. Such a great kid gift! And the price (under $30) seems so reasonable to me for a pretty little instrument.

Jordan sent me the link to this roll of Facestape she saw on Hi & Low. Wouldn't your kids have hours of fun with this stuff? Wouldn't you?

Beleaf Tees

These t-shirts from Beleaf are good-looking little reminders of things kids (and grownups) can do everyday. Like "I recycled a cardboard box and built a fort today" and "I walked to school to save gas today."

Sure to be the favorite: "I didn't take a bath to save water today."

Paper Toys

I keep thinking about the Paper Toys I wrote about for Cookie last week. I really want this book/kit.

April Fool's Day

Things that went down at out house before 8:00 this morning:

-When I opened my bedroom door, a cup of water splashed down on me.
-The cold cereal had been switched (when my son poured a box of Crispix, Cheerios came out instead).
-There was cream cheese in the toothpaste tubes.
-When I tried to put on my sneakers, I found them stuffed with paper.
-Sugar came out of the salt shaker.
-The milk was dyed blue.

Apparently, my kids woke up an hour early and did all this while Ben Blair and I slept. Because they are awesome. I have a feeling I'm not finished discovering their surprises. I hope you're enjoying April Fool's Day as much as my family is.

Play Tents

The etsy shop Mignon sells adorable play tents. And they'll even make a custom one for you from the fabric of your choice.

Spring Purse

Isn't this the perfect little Easter gift? A soft handmade purse in upcycled wool. Which one do you like better, the wool-ly sheep or the bunny?

The Truth About Kids and Vegetables — by Guest Mom Jora

It seems that every mother I know is trying to find ways to get her kids to eat more vegetables, whether she has a “picky eater” or not. I certainly make no claims about conquering the vegetable battle in our home, but there is something that my husband and I have noticed really helps. We grow many of our own vegetables and get our kids involved to the extent they can. They are too young to truly help, but they love being out in the garden area when we (really, just my husband) are working and picking vegetables. Our three year old watches as the plants grow, asks what everything is, and (can you believe it?) samples vegetables straight from the garden that he wouldn’t dream of touching if I presented him his dinner plate and said, “Here, try some wild arugula and lacinato kale.”


You don’t need a huge yard to grow your own vegetables. I have a friend who grows lettuces in pots on her back patio with her kids. During the summer, you can definitely grow tomatoes in a pot in a sunny corner of your yard or patio. And if you are lucky enough to have a backyard, putting in an 8 foot by 4 foot garden box will produce a surprising amount of vegetables and herbs.

The other thing I want to mention is that you don’t have to be intimidated if you don’t feel you have experience growing things. My husband and I were urbanites through and through until a little over a year ago. Neither of us had green thumbs at all. (To the contrary.) My husband is pretty much responsible for the garden work at our house, and he’s learned most everything he knows just from this past year. (He even learned how to take care of chickens! The kids love to play with the chickens and our son actually does help with them by collecting the eggs each morning.)


Do you have any tips on getting your kids to eat vegetables or new foods?

Green photo scavenger hunt

Katie Schultz had a great idea. She took her kids on a photo scavenger hunt. They walked around their neighborhood and took pictures of anything green they could find. So smart!

The same concept would work with any color. You could do it with letters as well. Or pick another sort of theme — smiles, toys, cars, things that make noise, animals, etc. Toddlers and preschoolers would be all over this.

Ismodern

I've got some good news. Ismodern's Spring Summer 09 line is live on their site.

I"ve got some better news. Everything else is on bargain basement clearance. Fall stuff is on sale. And last year's (still super hip) Spring Summer stuff is way marked down. Get it while it's hot.

Giveaway — Chick Chair from Mahar Drygoods

Is it true? Am I really hosting back to back Giveaways? One ends yesterday, another starts today?

Yes. It's completely true. I've got another great Giveaway today. And I've even got another one to tell you about this Thursday. So keep coming back. Keep entering. Because you know I only host the best sorts of Giveaways. Period.

Today's Giveaway sponsor is one of my favorite little shops in the world. Mahar Drygoods. You've seen them featured here before, but just in case you've forgotten, let's recap what they're all about. Mahar offers vintage and artisan crafted items for children. Often handmade, always beautiful. And the prize they're sponsoring today is quite incredible. Take a peek:




It's the Chick Chair. By Roebuck Studio. It's both adorable and functional. It's completely covetable and comes in six different colors (the prize chair is the black one pictured). It was even featured in Cookie Magazine this month. And it retails for $220.00. Isn't it charming pictured in that delightful bedroom? Isn't the scale just right?

Roebuck Studio is the brilliant collaboration of husband and wife team Kate and Barret Roebuck. Their furniture is beautiful, functional, durable, and created in an environmentally responsible way. Based in historic Chelsea, Michigan, the Roebucks manufacture locally, buy materials from local sources and have complete control over the fabrication process, to ensure that only the best and safest products will reach your doorstep.

Roebuck Studio is exactly the kind of quality artisan that Mahar Drygoods makes a point to feature and stock. Which is one of the reasons I'm such a Mahar fan. Take a minute and check out all the Spring goodies that Mahar is stocking right now — from a tie-dye egg kit to this bunny scooter — your heart is sure to melt from all the sweetness.

Let's all give a big thank you to Mahar Drygoods!

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Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Wednesday, March 25th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The winners will be randomly picked and announced Thursday, March 26th.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ami Suma

I believe this is the first time I've ever seen Japanese-style illustration done as a mural for a child's room. I can't believe how much I like it. All of these spaces were done by Ami Suma. She is clearly a rock star. And if you visit her about page, you can see her standing below a rainbow. Which is awesome.

Dagmar Daley

This is a glimpse of the current Spring/Summer line from Dagmar Daley. As you can see, it's delightful in every way. Every piece seems timeless and comfortable and very wearable.

I was lucky enough to see the coming Fall/Winter line at the Bubble show. And if it's possible, I might like it even more. The holiday dresses were sort of delicate and ballet-like. Really beautiful.

Bubble Wrap Up 2

In addition to the new-to-me companies I featured yesterday, while attending Bubble, I also saw fun new products and even line expansions of some of my favorite shops — shops that I've featured here on Design Mom more than once.



-Toby+Rei is offering their iconic robot graphic on all sorts of items, even an hip lunchbox. Watch for new colors and a ballet robot graphic this fall.

-Baby Bear Shop, maker of the yummiest lip balm around, has added beautiful candles to their line up. All eco-responsible of course.

-Kate Quinn Organics is a name you probably know well. They are the go-to shop for organic baby and toddler basics — and at Kate Quinn, "basics" go way beyond onesies and leggings. What's new? Kate will be adding prints to the fall lineup. And they are adorable.

-Oeuf, one of my very favorite baby/toddler lines is offering all sorts of pretty little gift items that I hadn't seen before. Take a look at their "goodies" category.

-Sarah Waldo is a company I discovered quite recently and it was wonderful to see these clothes in person. All sorts of great new prints in their fall line. I'm especially in love with their pajamas and nightgowns.

-Kice Kice — a clothing line designed and run by twin sisters, has a gorgeous spring line currently posted on their site, and a fall line that is going to knock your socks off this September. I wanted one of everything.

-Frazier and Wing makes beautiful cut-paper mobiles that I've posted about a few different times, but this was my first time actually seeing one in real life. They are amazing. And would do just as well in the living room as they would do over a crib. Watch for a new offering from this company — gorgeous garlands coming soon.

Jess Brown Design

I'm admiring these elegant dolls from Jess Brown Design. Even more chic examples on her blog.

Bubble Wrap Up

Yesterday, I spent some time at Bubble. It's the children's clothing trade show that happens twice a year here in New York. If you are trying to stock the newest, coolest, independent clothing lines for kids, this is a don't miss show. And it's lots of fun to attend.

I was able to meet many of the creators behind companies I've featured here on Design Mom. It's like hanging out with a bunch of your most creative friends. Cherie from Poloppo. The girls from Seven Smooches. The people behind Small Magazine. I even had a wonderful conversation with the remarkable Ida Pearle.

For those of you wondering how trade shows are fairing in this changing economy, here's what I heard from the vendors. Big companies were shopping less, but indie shops — mom and pops — were out like crazy. Is it a new trend? Small businesses stronger than big businesses? It reminds me of the brilliant talk I heard Robert Kalin of Etsy give about micro economies...

Anyway. I'm going to write 2 wrap ups of the Bubble Show for you. This one will feature 8 new or new-to-me companies. And I'll write a second post about expansions at some of my already-favorite lines. Then. Throughout the next few weeks, I'll be showcasing in more detail some of my favorite finds from the show.


-Patouche. Their site shop is on its way. In the meantime, you can buy bits and pieces from their etsy shop. Their peasant apron skirt, riding hood cape, and pirate hat are all fully functional and well-made, but feel like dressups. Amazing stuff.
-Ismodern. A well established, but new-to-me line. Fantastic colors.
-Clover. This is a newly launched line with an online shop in development. You can also find their clothes in several stores. Gorgeous Indian block-printed fabrics. And a jumpsuit for little boys that I'm dying to get my hands on.
-Dagmar Daley. Really lovely clothes. Can't say enough good about this line.



-Short Hat Company. If you (like me) think it's hard to find kids hats, turns out we were wrong. They were right here all along.
-Faubourg Saint Denis. Everything you want in a line of French children's clothing.
-Essentiel. From Belgium. Currently mostly in stores in Belgium. But expect this line to show up in the best boutiques here in the states as well.
-Hartford. You can't buy directly from them, but you can see their spring kids line. Very cool stuff. And in older kid sizes too. Which is nice.

Buisjes En Beugels

Check out this amazing line of children's clothing from Dutch company Buisjes En Beugels. Completely cool and funky but still totally kid-like and wearable. If the Brooklyn hipster parents haven't already discovered this line, it's only a matter of minutes. The little boy in the cardigan at the top? He's my favorite.

Clever Cakes

Since I posted about the brain cupcakes, my inbox has suddenly become the hotspot for party ideas. For example, an email with a link to this slideshow of 31 cake ideas — with full, step-by-step instructions no less. The dumptruck and fries are my favorites.

Speaking of truck cakes, did you see the truck party Maggie threw for 2-year-old Hank? Lots of wonderful photos.

Young Einstein Party Food & Decorations

Maude's Young Einstein party was on Saturday. It was a hit! Maybe the favorite birthday party we've ever hosted. Decorations were simple — green balloons hung upside down and circles featuring portraits of Einstein that coordinated with the invitations we'd designed. (They matched the party favors as well.)

The first part of the party was filled with experiments showcased by Kiasa from Science Explorers of NY (they were wonderful — you can see my post about them by scrolling down or clicking here). And afterwards, it was time for lunch: pizza (delivered mid-party by our favorite local pizza shop) plus strawberries and bananas. But to keep it science-y, we started the meal with a blind-folded taste test between two different chocolate milks.




By the time the taste tests were done, Kiasa and her talented assistant Emily had already cleaned up all their equipment and were packed and ready to go. So efficient!

When lunch was finished, it was time for cupcakes and candles. Brain-y cupcakes of course. (I know. I know. The cupcakes are a little too gross/creepy/cheesy, but you can not believe how awesome they were with the 4th grade crowd.) Edit: for everyone that's loving the brain cupcakes, take a look at this full on brain cake I found at Cookie.




Hooray for Maude turning 10 years old! Hooray for successful parties!

Lots more Young Einstein party photos here.

Young Einstein Party Activities

Kiasa, from Science Explorers of New York came to our home with her trusty assistant Emily. We had the decorations and food ready to go and they did all the rest. They came 30 minutes before the party started and had things set up in a snap.

As soon as the guests arrived, everyone circled the table, put on their safety goggles and the experiments began.




First, all the kids made their own cup full of fake snow. Spongy and fascinating. I was too busy taking pictures to listen to Kiasa explain what it was made of and how it was formed, but the kids were all paying rapt attention.



Second, everyone made their own batch of green slime. Stretchy. Gooey. Everything green slime should be.



Third, it was time to make gooey worms in 3 different colors.



Fourth, on to the liquid nitrogen demonstrations. Kiasa showed what happened to a balloon placed in liquid nitrogen. Then, froze a bag of marshmellows — and let us sample their crunchiness. And that was followed by mixing and freezing a batch of ice cream almost instantly.


And the whole time, Kiasa was engaging the kids with interesting questions and just enough info that it didn't feel like a lecture. It was really fun, and really fast moving. Time just flew by. And I could concentrate on taking photos. Which is exactly as it should be.

The guests seemed to love it and my own kids did for sure. They've been talking about it nonstop since Saturday morning. An ideal party for any child in grade school. I would have this party again in a heartbeat.

More photos of the Young Einstein party here.

Giveaway — Poloppo T-Me Kits

Remember the fab draw-your-own-tee kits I posted about a few weeks ago? Well the feedback on the tees was basically: Yes, please! So I said: Your wish is my command. And I set up a Giveaway immediately: Five T-me Kits from Poloppo for five lucky winners!



The kit comes with everything you need: paper, markers, clear instructions, and a pre-paid envelope. You put your little artist to work. Mail in their drawing. And a couple of weeks later you get back a t-shirt featuring their very own masterpiece.




Poloppo offers several t-shirt styles and colors in sizes for babies, kids and adults. So you could also use this kit to make a Father's Day gift or a surprise for Grandma — even multiple items with the same drawing. But I'd recommend getting at least one tee in child size, because you know your child is going to love-with-a-capital-L wearing a shirt featuring her own creation. The trick will be getting her to wear anything else.

Many thanks to Poloppo!

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Guidelines:
-You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, March 1st to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment. One entry per person, please.
-The 5 winners will be randomly picked and announced Monday, March 2nd.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Tooth Cushions

Find of the week: Letter M Design makes the most wonderful tooth (or treasure) cushions and sells them in her etsy shop. I love how she incorporates all sorts of patterns and textures and little details.

Wooden Mobiles — by Guest Mom Stephanie Brubaker

About six months ago my little family walked towards Paris' Luxembourg Gardens in search of some old-fashioned fun. En route we passed a toy store called Pentagram with a window full of gorgeously crafted wooden toys. The display was breathtaking and I ached to take a look. Thoughts of Christmas gifts danced in my head and I convinced my husband to move along without me (and take the kids!) while I perused the beautiful books and the German and French toys for a few minutes. It was heaven to be in a store full of toadstools, stacking blocks, and mobiles...and no plastic :) It took a great deal of self-control to only buy two little toys per child, especially since everything was very reasonably-priced.

Perhaps my favorite purchase was this wooden mobile I gifted my son. It depicts a mischievous little boy from Sweden named Nils, who spends his days riding on the back of a goose and discovering the world around him. I thought it perfect for my own little mischievous boy! As we discover more about Nils from the book I included with the mobile, I'd like to think my little guy will go to sleep dreaming of his own adventures. Upon further research I found other beautiful mobiles made by the same German company...Kinderkram, and was thrilled to find it possible to procure them in the US too. I think mobiles are a clever way to add visual interest to a child's room and also create a more finished look.




Here are a few other wooden mobiles I thought you might love:
Airplane Mobile
Goose Girl Mobile
Falling Stars Mobile
Flower Fairies Mobile

Find more of Stephanie at Stephmodo

Young Einstein Party

Back from Houston and thinking about what's coming up.

We're having a birthday party for Maude next Saturday. Kiasa from Science Explorers NY is coming to teach the party guests some fun experiments — they'll be making fake snow, green slime, gooey worms and liquid nitrogen ice cream. Maude is super excited.

We were coming up with a name for the theme and Maude was hesitant to use anything that mentioned science. So I suggested the name Young Einstein Party and she thought that was awesome. Didn't the invitations turn out cute?

Treehouse

As I've mentioned, my kids are out of school this week. It's still very cold outside, so we've been coming up with fun indoor projects to fill the time. This one is fantastic:


Calafant makes blank, sturdy, cardboard toys. They are easily constructed, and can be decorated with any art supplies you have on hand. Or even left plain. They are beautiful either way. The toys comes in small size, medium size, large size, and really-big-play-inside-size. We put together the Calafant Treehouse — a large size project that was ideal for several kids to work on at once.



First: they put the tree together. Second, they realized that their Playmobile people fit perfectly into the space.



Third, they pulled out the markers and went to work. (Feel free to click on any of these photos to enlarge them for more detail.)

A great collaborative toy to work on! They keep coming back to it to fill in another area with marker. And a great toy to interact and play with as well — Oscar has made the tree house a permanent home for at least 2 dozen of his favorite figures. Extra bonus: these toys are made to endure several months of active play and when it's time to retire them, they are completely recyclable.

You can find all sorts of Calafant cardboard toys at this Creative Toy Shop.

Girard Objects

House Industries carries a line of rad objects designed/influenced by Alexander Girard. Any of these would make fantastic, unique gifts. And they're the kind of thing that both adults and children love owning and and don't mind seeing strewn across the floor.

Thanks for the link, Hailey!

Happy President's Day!

It's almost 7:00pm and I'm just now sitting at the computer. It was a fun day off for the whole family. We spent the morning on a silk-screening project (pics coming). And the afternoon was spent running errands — including a trip to the Apple store to replace Ben Blair's phone. His old one was stolen this weekend. Total bummer. But his new one is shiny and scratch free and we love it already.

Valentine's Day was just right. After our family breakfast (eggs and bacon on bagels plus raspberry milk), the kids each received one of these adorable pillows. They were a surprise gift from Kim and Kris at You Can Make This. The pattern for these personalized name pillows is their all-time best-selling item. And I can see why — who knew pillows would be like the greatest present ever? My kids were absolutely delighted. And I was especially touched by the thought and effort that went into each one — the craftsmanship is excellent and the fabrics were especially picked out with each child in mind. Thank you Kim and Kris!



Saturday night, Ben Blair and I had a last-minute opportunity to go out, so we stopped into a nearby bistro for steak frites and lots of gazing into each other's eyes, etc. Awwww. Tuesday is coming too fast!

Wombagully Wonders

Take a look at the colorful felt hair clips at Wombagully Wonders. The little China Girls are womba-licious.

Keep Em Busy Activities — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

As essential as planning the food is organizing a few activities to keep the kids engaged. Once again, we keep it pretty simple and try to involve our kids in the planning and preparations. In fact, it has become so routine, our oldest sets up 'activity stations' on any given weekend evening, regardless of whether guests are scheduled. A few insights:

Kid's-height table = Kid magnet.
I have found that by centrally locating a few small tables and covering them with 'curiosities' I ensure two things: the kids keep busy AND they congregate where we want them to. I strategically place a few engaging items on the tables — pipe cleaners, crayons, puzzles, etc. Inevitably its almost always the first place the kids explore when they arrive at our house. It also makes things a little easier for child that is shy or uncertain of who to interact with when they arrive. Before dinner we just clear the tables and use them for kid-height-dining. An affordable & easy- to-clean option is the IKEA Lack table. We have a few of them on hand and pull them out depending on the crowd.



Yin/Yang Activities.
Weather permitting, we always hope to be outside for some portion of the evening. In the winter, we may try to squeeze a pre-dinner sled in and our summer parties almost always end around the bonfire. Regardless of whether we are in or out, we always try to start with something something active and end with something quiet.

Favorite Active Activities.
-paper airplanes: launch and chase, launch & chase.
-bear hunt: into the 'woods' (or basement) .... sooo scary.
-dance party: great inside or out. remember the balloons. we also love "flashlight dancing" in the dark.
-obstacle course/relays/sack races: great energy expenders.
-'recess games': kickball, t-ball, four-square ... adults have a blast playing along!

Favorite Quiet Activities.
-coloring: we set out a few Ed Emberley books, crayons & a stack of paper and its magic.
-crafts: sculpting/collaging/anything semi-containable (no glitter & glue unless outside!)
-movies: we love anything by Miyazaki or we might Tivo 'Oswald' for the little ones
-story-time: librarian-style (up front, kids at feet) or mommy-style (in BIG bed, mash of kids)
-bonfire: after the initial s'mores & excitement, this is fall-asleep-mesmerizing (we even sometimes set up a tent for 'snoozers')



Interactive Desserts.
The meal may be the main course for the adults but for the kids its all about sweets. My kids anyway. When we entertain with kids we often indulge their sweet tooth just a little bit. Ok. Sometimes a lot. Our favorite trick is to make the dessert 'interactive' .... we figure that they are burning through some of the sugar-energy while they are creating. And I swear they eat less after they have 'played' with the goodies.

Our Favorites:
-Cupcake Bar: We pre-frost the cupcakes and let the kids decorate with colored sugars & little candies. Sunday bar works too (but we reserve this for summer).
-Cookie Sandwiches: We bake chocolate chip cookies and then put out 2 or 3 icecreams and let the kids make their own 'icecream sandwich.' To simplify, you could purchase Nabisco chocolate wafers. Roll sandwiches in sprinkles for added excitement.
-Marshmallow "Snow People": bamboo sticks (structure), marshmallows (body), a touch of frosting (glue), licorice (scarf) and some colorful candies (eyes, buttons, etc) make the cutest snow people! you can also make aliens or clowns .... just vary the candies.
-S'mores: the quintessential interactive dessert. Use chocolate graham crackers and white chocolate for a twist on tradition.

On that sweet note, its time to say "adieu.' I have really enjoyed posting this week ... its been such fun to share ..... and while I realize not all tips will be useful to all of you (ie. bonfires in the city???), I hope everyone gleaned some little tidbit of inspiration!

The Foods. — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Rather than menus I thought I would talk about the specific foods we heavily rely on when guests are coming. The premise with all of our menus is that the kids dinner can be a variation of the adult dinner. Of course, the kids are always welcome to eat what the adults are eating but I can work the ingredients into a meal that appeals to even the pickiest eater.

Chicken: I generally purchase chicken breasts and cut them into 'tenderloin size pieces.' In the summer they get marinated with a little olive oil, S&P, garlic and lemon and go on the grill. In the winter we bread the chicken (dipped in egg & homemade bread crumbs) and bake it. The kids love these chicken 'fingers' and we serve them with veggies and dip. For the adults I may toss the chicken in a salad and serve it with crusty bread or I may make an easy chicken parmigiana like this one.



Pasta: Of course, the possibilities are endless. I love to make a tomato & cream sauce that is really simple and appeals to vegetarian friends and kids alike. Its basically a 'vodka sauce' minus the vodka. I just use a heavier hand when garnishing the adult portions with basil & good parmesan. This is also excellent served as a side to the chicken. Or with turkey meatballs.

Pizza: Most popular at our house. Our easiest 'time-crunch' menu is to order thin crust 'take & bake' pizza which we may then embellish with goat cheese, roasted tomatoes & fresh herbs. Even better is to pick up pizza dough (or make it yourself) and have guests make their own individual pizzas.

Salmon: (wild, preferably!). My kids love salmon. I just brush a filet with some olive oil and then cover it completely with thinly sliced lemon & dill. It is so quick and simple and crowd-pleasing. Couscous and a salad (or crudite for the kids) complete the meal.

I will end the week with a few of our favorite activities that keep the kids entertained ... stay tuned ....

Maude's Valentine Friendship Bracelets

Have you reached Valentine's Day overload yet? I hope not. Because I've got more good stuff coming your way. Yesterday we finished up Maude's school Valentines. Maude is a maker. Last year, she gave origami hearts filled with treats. This year, she is way into friendship bracelets — and she wanted to make one for everyone in her class — so she did.




It took her about 3 hours total. An evening, a morning and an afternoon work session. She used an especially simple pattern so she could work quickly. Also, she kept a specific classmate in mind as she picked the colors for each bracelet — so, for a boy who's a big Yankee fan, Maude would choose white and blue. They turned out wonderfully and Maude felt great about them.



I was wishing I had a copywriter at my side while we came up with Valentine messages. Mostly we used the words "friend" and "knot." We printed the messages on cardstock, trimmed them out, punched two holes and threaded the bracelets through, ready to be tied on to wrists and ankles.

Here's a pdf of the 6 friendship bracelet messages.

Ralph's MadLib Valentines

Last year, Ralph gave MadLibs for Valentine's Day. And this year he wanted to do the same. So we decided to spice things up with a new presentation. We did this project last night, which means the photos are a little dim, but I think they're still very use-able.



To make these, we trimmed out a stack of MadLib sheets with an exacto knife. (We buy our MadLibs at the local drug store. They come in 2-packs of 6x9 sheets.) Then we trimmed spare pieces of origami paper and craft paper to make 3" x 6" strips. Any text weight paper would work for this.



We rolled up a MadLib sheet, then rolled that roll in a strip of decorative paper.



We used craft floss to wrap the roll (10 times around is about right) and tied a shoe lace knot.



We printed out a sheet of messages that said "I'm mad about you," "I can't lib without you" and "You have mad skillz." (Here's the pdf of the 3 MabLib messages in case you'd like to use them as well.) Then we trimmed them out, hole punched them, and attached them to an open end of the shoe lace knot.



Ralph was very pleased. And I loved how all the patterns and colors looked piled on the table.

Baby Bean Vintage Daywear

The ladies at Baby Bean sent me an email about their Spring/Summer line. It is adorable and very much geared to warm weather. But I'm still craving the offerings in their Fall/Winter line. Most of the items look light-weight and very wearable through mid-June or so. (I guess that completely depends on where in the world you live.)



The thing of note about Baby Bean: Each item is made by hand from assorted vintage fabrics. No two are alike. But if you want to choose your fabric, you can contact them to view swatches before ordering. The other thing to note about Baby Bean: I want one of each.

Setting the Stage — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Today I thought I would talk a little bit about pre-party considerations. I've dubbed it "setting the stage"...

Everybody Helps:
We have learned that having the kids help with the preparations benefits us twofold — it keeps them busy before guests arrive and it heightens their anticipation. It also gives them a sense of 'party-ownership' which they really love. Of course, the preferred pre-party task is 'dessert making' and we indulge them on occasion. But we may also ask them to organize a fun 'kid' activity (staging an obstacle course) or to help with the decorations (making placemats for each guest). And tidying up rooms & play areas is a necessary pre-party task.

If the season permits we take the kids to the farmer's market in the morning and let them pick out one thing that we will incorporate into the evening — it can be a 'strange' veggie or a bouquet of wildflowers. Their choice.




Pick a Theme (any Theme):
I have found that if I chose a 'theme' everything falls into place a little more seamlessly. Note: I am using the word theme somewhat loosely (no elaborate disney-inspired affairs required). But any element — whether its color, season, holiday, cuisine — that pulls things together helps focus the evening. For me, it serves as a point of reference so that all aspects of the party — the food, the music, the decor, the activities — fall into place.

There is almost always a holiday to cull inspiration from. For instance, February parties most likely involve hearts and xoxo's. Or we might focus on the food — do a 'taco bar' which would inspire Mariachi music, lime-aid (or Pacifico for the adults) & a pinata. We also may invite the younger kids to 'dress up' — which for our family means princess and pirate rather than "sunday best."



Make it (a little bit) Special:
It may just be a Saturday evening in March but with fresh flowers, lit candles, linen napkins (admittedly, I like to iron) and bagged ice even the average evening is exalted. And my kids love anything that smacks of 'fanciness.' My husband and I think it may even improve their manners. Nothing needs to be fussy or overdone. Flowers or branches clipped from your yard and put in a jelly jar can be just the right touch. I really believe the old adage 'eating take-out on good china makes it taste better' rings true. If we are eating inside and the kids are a bit older I prefer to serve their food off of 'real' china and their drinks out of 'real' glass. Again, nothing too precious. Thrift stores have adorable/inexpensive options.

Another special touch is to send out a hand written invitation beforehand which, in turn, is a great way to have the children practice their penmanship or artistry. What kid doesn't love to receive an invitation in the mail? Or I may send the kids home with a favor bag. Again, nothing overwrought — it can be filled with their artwork or craft and a simple treat. And goodie bags also offer just the right amount of encouragement to get in the car when its time to say goodbye.

Mini Valentine Boxes

Brooke at Inchmark has a pretty little Valentine project posted today. Check it. I've said this before, but if you're not regularly reading Inchmark, you should definitely add it to your blogroll. I especially love her library book feature.

Thanks for the tip, Katie

Kid Friendly Dinner Parties — by Guest Mom Amy Stigler

Hello Everyone! It's so nice to have been invited to be a guest mom on one of my favorite blogs — thanks Gabrielle!

This week I thought I would do a series of posts about "entertaining with kids." The impetus is that my husband and I love to host parties, but because we have three young children we needed to figure out a way to entertain that was kid friendly. Formal late-night cocktail parties were no longer very practical.

Luckily, we have found that while we still enjoy the occasional larger scale soiree, one of our favorite things to do is to invite a handful of friends and their children over for dinner. Sometimes we keep it really simple (take out and a movie) and sometimes we go a little fancy (kid-appropriate gourmet & games). Either way, we've found it to be the perfect way to catch up with our friends and the kids always seem to delight in these evening 'playdates.'

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share some of our tips for hosting a family style gathering that is fun and entertaining for the children which in turn makes it enjoyable and relaxing for the adults. Well, as relaxing as a house filled with up to a dozen kids can be!



Just a few immediate thoughts to start off the week:

-We have found that having 2 families (or anywhere from 10-14 people total) is a really good number. It's not too overwhelming but it still feels festive.
-Saturday evenings are perfect — more preparation time for us and the kids are a bit more rested. 5:30-9ish is the norm.
-Setting up a port-a-crib in a quiet place is always nice for friends with the under 2 set. I also encourage the kids to bring their PJs so everyone can just tuck in when they get home.
-Even on the 'fancier' evenings I usually take at least one shortcut — whether its buying a simple dessert (like ice cream sandwiches) or scheduling a post-dinner movie for the kids — it just makes things a wee bit more manageable.
-On the other hand, even on the simplest of evenings I incorporate a few special touches. I will elaborate on this a bit tomorrow.
-Music is key for us and we LOVE pandora. You just plug in a favorite artist and voila! it creates an instant playlist. Some of our favorite 'kid/dance friendly' channels are: Dan Zanes, Kool & the Gang, Ray Charles & Bob Marley. And then we switch gears during & after dinner — Edith Piaf, Astrud Gilberto, Billy Holiday, Tom Waits ...
-Scattering balloons around is easy and instant entertainment for the kids. Music + balloons = happy dancing kids.

Ok. That is it for now ... more to come in the days to follow. Also, I look forward to hearing your thoughts & ideas too.

Vintage Children's Books

Great new source! Former Guest Mom and collector of vintage children's books, Burgin, has opened an etsy shop to share her book addiction. Lots of great books at great prices.

Want even more vintage book inspiration? Check out my most recent contribution to Cookie's Nesting blog.

gorgeous image here

Amoretti Spring Line

To help me shake my shivers (dang! it's cold), I'm focusing and warm images of Spring. Like these from Amoretti's new warm weather collection. There's also a lovely video full of cheerful footage on their site. If I can embed it here, I will.

Update: Just got the embed code:

Playdate

Maude had a friend over after school the other day. I loved watching them keep busy making beaded jewelry. Both girls had Klutz beading kits — but different versions. Maude's was this one. Her friend, a wonderful girl from Argentina, used a Spanish one that featured necklaces.

Japanese Lollipop Tags for Valentine's Day

Do you love all thing Japanese? Me too. And so does Danielle Thompson. She's designed a digital, printable package all kawaii-ed out with fruit. (Kawaii is Japanese for cute.) I want those lollipop tags! They would make the hippest valentines ever. Seriously. I am so in love with these.

Also. In case you're curious, the Japanese lettering says "cute" "japanese" and "colorful" in a repeated pattern. You can find lots more photos here.

Umi Shoes

Betty has had a total growth spurt — particularly in the feet department. It's so cold right now that we rarely go on outings — on most days she wears fancy dressup shoes alternated with snow boots — and I've been able to put off buying new shoes for quite awhile. But eventually, she's going to need sneakers again.

I picked out the Ithaca shoes from Umi. Because they're adorable and I want them for myself. Plus, they came with glowing recommendations like: great quality, long-lasting, flexible and carefully constructed. I like that they look like childrens' shoes — and not tiny versions of grown-up shoes.

(Betty's too big now for the version with the upturned toes, but I think they are the cutest things ever.)

P.S. — This is fun. I just heard from an Umi Rep. She said that for the entire month of February, anyone who signs up to receive the Umi newsletter will be automatically entered in a daily giveaway to win a free pair of UmiPram pre-walker shoes worth $40. That's 28 chances to win. Nice.

Poloppo Tee Kits

Have you seen these Make Your Own Tee kits by Poloppo? They are fantastic. The kit comes with everything you need: paper, markers, clear instructions, and a pre-paid envelope. You put your little artist to work. Mail in their drawing. And a couple of weeks later you get back an American Apparel t-shirt featuring their masterpiece.




Another cool thing, Poloppo offers grown-up t-shirt sizes as well. So you could have your child design a tee for Dad or Grandpa — a brilliant Father's Day idea.

I put Oscar to the task the other day. Can't wait to see his custom tee!

Green (the color) Birthday Party

Blog author and fabulously creative mom, Secret Agent Josephine, threw a green-themed party for her daughter. Green as in the actual color, not the eco-movement. Fabric banners. Mini Puppet Theaters. Green food bar. Lots of great ideas and darling photos! See posts here and here.

Thanks for the link, Katie!

For Betty

Joanna of My Mom Shops, just sent me a link to these hoodies and tees. Perfect for anyone who thinks their daughter is a total Betty. Or. Perfect if your 2-year-old happens to be named Betty. In several colors from Peek...Aren't You Curious. And. They are marked way, way, down.

Sarah Waldo

Do have a hard time finding pjs/nightgowns for your girls? Me too. Sarah Waldo offers two styles that I love — one's a pj set in seersucker check, one's a nightie with cap sleeves. In addition to the sleepwear, I'm digging the Abigail sweatsuit and the Sylvie pant.

Also. How am I just now finding Sarah Waldo? What a great line — and everything they make is organic.

Winborg Sisters

Colorful, friendly artwork for children's rooms by Winborg Sisters Design.

Paper Toy Bi-Plane

I know I've mentioned The Toymaker a couple of times in past posts, but whenever someone sends me an email re-introducing me to it, I'm always glad. So I assume you'll be glad too. The 411: FREE patterns for paper toys. From designs that are beautifully hand-painted by artist, Marilyn Scott-Waters.



The talented Chelsea of Frolic wrote to me the other day and said, "My sis (mother of 4) printed these bi-planes for stocking stuffers for her little kiddies at Christmas and I couldn't believe how gorgeous they were. Plus, it was free and the kids went mad over it."

January is probably the perfect time to try these out. It's too cold to be outside so good indoor activities are necessary. And the toy designs are colorful and cheery in contrast with the gray winter weather.

Milk Carton Wallet

I think this milk carton wallet project is clever. It would be just right for my 9-yr-old, Maude. In fact, I'm thinking this will be the perfect thing for her to make as Valentines for her classmates. You can see a how-to video here.

Now the question is: which milk/juice company is making the best looking cartons? Maybe something covered in an Amy Butler print...

Thanks for the link, Ann!

Print Your Own Valentines

Thinking ahead? Up Up Creative is offering "school style" print-your-own Valentines. $5 for the template. And then you can print as many as you'd like. Don't miss the one that says: You Are the Tweetest. Good for your favorite school children, and your favorite Twitter addicts.

Rocking Horse

There was a small mountain of email waiting for me when I arrived home — including some great finds. Like this Billy Rocker made from recycled cardboard, available at Mr. Kaliski. It arrives flat. Assembles easily. And can then be painted or papered or customized any way you please. So smart!

Persimmon & Pink

Oh! Before I forget, I also love the stuffed toys at Persimmon and Pink. The blastoid cats are my favorite — I've posted about them before. But the gorillas are new to me. And they are adorable as well.

More Homemade Christmas 2008

Olive has been working on gifts for her siblings over the weekend. She's especially happy with the headbands she made for Maude and Betty. We think the creamy-colored one will coordinate perfectly with the tutu Ralph made. I'm super happy with them too. And already have plans to borrow them.




Materials: we bought a 3-pack of black headbands at Target for about $3. We bought fake flowers, for $3 to $4 per stem, and coordinating ribbon for $1 per roll from Michaels. Each headband will use between 1 and 2 yards of ribbon. Total materials for 3 headbands was less than $20. Just for comparison, a similar headband, like this darling one at CrewCuts is $16.50.



To make: wrap the head band in ribbon using a hot glue gun to attach. We had the best luck keeping the ribbon smooth by starting it at each end of the headband and meeting where the flower would be placed. Once the headband is completely covered in ribbon, it's time to add the flower.



Pull the flower off of it's stem, and trim the remaining plastic so that the bottom of the flower is flat. In front of a mirror, put on the headband and move the flower around until you're happy with placement. Mark where your want to place the flower with a pencil (the pencil mark will be covered by the flower). Attach the flower with hot glue. Done.



This is an incredibly fast project. And the headbands turned out beautifully. The fake flowers we bought each came with a large bloom and a small bloom. We didn't want the small blooms to go to waste, so as an afterthought, we glued them to small barrettes. Cute.



For Ralph, Olive made chocolate-chip-cookies-in-a-jar. For Oscar, Olive is going to do something cool with pencils — I'll try to post pics soon. To see more gifts my kids made, you can go here.

Clothing Deals for Last-Minute Shoppers

At our house, each child receives something to read, something to play with and something to wear for Christmas. Santa is still working on the "something to wear" part. I think I'll send him to Peek...Aren't You Curious and Oeuf. Both are having terrific sales.



At Peek, I found things like great-looking sweatshirts, hoodies and jackets in the $20 range — marked down from $78. And lots of beautiful skirts on sale too! Find their selection for Baby, Girls and Boys on sale here.



Oeuf offers some of my very favorite items for babies and toddlers. Including all sorts of gorgeous knits — clothes and accessories with detail and personality. And everything is currently 30% off (through January 2nd) with coupon code: DCOEUF.



Shouldn't every child own a Hug Me Sweater with built-in mittens? In colors for girls and boys.

Modern Dollhouse

Some of the modern dollhouses out there are astronomically expensive. Here's an alternative. This pretty one at Petit Flaneur is adorable. And its price is much more reasonable.



Thanks for the link, Linda from Maine.

Locks of Love

Last week, 9 year old Maude had her hair cut off and donated to Locks of Love — a program that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. When the stylist was finished and Maude stood up, she said, "I'm a whole new girl."

How great that we can reinvent ourselves with something as simple as a haircut. Or even some new lipgloss. And. How great to have kids at an age where they can consider the needs of others.

Christmas Clothes

So Friday morning was spent antique-ing. Then Friday night was spent getting the kids Christmas Outfits put together.

Most years this doesn't happen till mid-December. Or even Christmas Eve. But this year, we had tickets to the Nutcracker for Saturday the 6th, and I wanted the kids' clothes ready to go by then. Because other than church, the Nutcracker is pretty much the only other event this month that requires something festive and a bit formal. I'm very happy with the results — the whole family looked great this weekend in greys and silvers, blacks and reds.





Ralph just needed a tie. Maude needed the whole shebang — dress, tights, shoes. Olive also needed everything. Betty had a great dress, but it was too summery, so we added a red turtleneck beneath. Oscar's red shirt from last year still fit fine. He just needed some new pants.

Sources. Oscar's grey, pin-striped pants and red socks from Place. Betty's black and white damask print dress from Shabby Apple. Betty's red, ruffled turtleneck from Place. Betty's tights, plus tweed-and-patent maryjanes from Target. Maude's silver silk dress from CrewCuts (amazing markdowns!). Maude's plaid tights and velvet flats from Target. Olive's plaid silk dress from Gymboree. Olive's tights and shoes from Target. Ralph's red tie from CrewCuts — was $30, now under $10.

Playful Learning

Another site it was a treat to discover at Monday night's Hands On Kirtsy was Playful Learning. The site itself is full of beautiful imagery, so it's a delight to visit. And the content is fantastic. Real and usable learning activities you can do with your kids.

Mariah Breuel, a mother and educator, has crafted the site with pointed purpose to showcase: learning experiences that promote positive family interactions.



This idea detailing "A Popcorn Kind of Day" seemed especially appropriate for the upcoming months of being holed up in the house. And I'm also enchanted by the concept of a "name chest" from the "Learning Family Names" link. I look forward to more exploration!