We are lucky enough to have a converted attic in our lumbering beast of an old house. It’s a lot of odd corners and sloped ceilings, but it’s a great spot for a playroom. Only problem is that the stairs are stupidly steep and not exactly forgiving. When we moved in, we were able to get exactly zero large pieces of furniture up the stairs. I really wanted the room to be a nice place to hang out, not just sit on the semi-shag carpet. I remembered seeing some lounge-y small scale stuff at PB teen that I hoped would work. Bingo! We’ve had a four piece cushy lounge collection sectional for almost three years and it still looks above average. Not bad for something that takes a daily beating from Sy and her marauding gang of junior thugs.
Reader Kate asked me if I had an opinion about the Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair. Of course I have an opinion! I always have an opinion!
I purchased our chair about two years ago and since then, PBK has renamed it the “Hybrid Anywhere” chair. Ummm…What? You plug it in and fill ‘er up? In further reading, I learned that the Hybrid has “extra durable with eco-friendly inserts made with recyclable foam that contains 25% soy based materials.” Oh Pottery Barn, you eco-warriors, you! I’ve had ours for a few years, so clearly I just have the regular ol’ garden variety poisonous foam.
One of Kate’s questions was whether or not the chair would grow with her child.
Today’s review will be short and sweet because
A) How much do you really need to discuss about a night light?
B) The Bachelor was on as I wrote this review. I’m not proud. Jenny M has always referred to Survivor as the gateway drug of reality shows.* I disagree with her. It’s all about the Bachelor. It’s like watching the most spectacular train wreck week after week. It is the ultimate gateway reality show drug, Jenny! One totally self-important dude, 25 women falling over themselves to act like Queen Vapid in order to win the love of King Ego. Although I’m not at all sure about this Jason “the sun rises and sets for my three year old son whom I will totally drag with me to film the Bachelor” Mesnick character. The Bachelor backyard is not supposed to host a swing set, it’s supposed to corral silly drunk people making total and complete fools of themselves on national television. What was up with the dental hygienist with the fake teeth? Or the gal who sells toe implants. Toe implants? Wow, that’s a niche. Don’t you bet that’s a real conversation starter at parties? Hi, my name is Missy and I sell toe implants. Brilliant, spectacular train wreck television. Jenny and I had a phone date to watch the show, text messaging each other furiously. And so I watched, phone in hand, because as I mentioned previously, I’m not at all proud and Chuck is on hiatus.
OK I am done now. Did I have a point? Oh yes, the night light.
For only the second time ever, Serena and Lily are having a SALE. 30% off all bedding. Go scoop it up.
Some of the loveliest kid bedding around over there!
I know I’ve blathered on before about kukunest bedding, but I just wanted to give you and update.
We’ve had the lantern set for Sy since last Christmas and it still looks brand new. She’s allergic to dust mites so I have to wash all of her bedding every week in hot, hot, hot water. Hot water ain’t so great for your brightly colored bedding, so I expected her cute sheets and comforter cover to fade. Nope! Not one bit. Every week when I remake her bed I’m shocked that they are still as vibrant as before, especially since the care instructions tell me to wash in cold water and tumble dry low. The site says that kukunest bedding is made with special dyes that do not sit on the fabric, so colors will not fade or wear over time. One year in, I still believe them.
This one’s written by my pal, AJ, mom of two, soon to be three!
Why I love the Mammut Table and Chairs:
Yesterday we bought the round Mammut table and four chairs for the back yard. Today, eight two-year olds came over for a play date.
Herein lies my love for this furniture set: It’s weather-proof, light rain this morning merely brushed aside. Sand piled on top made for nary a scratch. My 38 pound two year old took the chair, flipped it over and climbed like it was Mt. Everest and it was steady as a rock. Two smaller kids were fighting over a chair until they realized their narrow backsides fit on there together. I’m 8.5 months pregnant and I sat in a chair without watching it bow. It comes in fun, festive colors; has feet attached to the chairs angled for maximum stability; no sharp edges and a hearty table that did not wobble when one toddler’s tantrum threatened to take down the entire plate of snacks.
When Baby G wakes up in the middle of the night, he is UP. Once we turn on the light to change his diaper, he gets more excited to kick his little legs. We don’t have a dimmer switch in his room, but we did have an extra bedside table lamp. I put the small lamp at the edge of his dresser and only turn that on when we change him at night. He still wants to party, but at least he doesn’t confuse 3AM with 3PM.
Following the death of two infants, Delta Enterprise has recalled a million drop side cribs yesterday. See full article here.
I also got an email from their public relations team with more information. Read it after the jump.
I’m still doing research on what sort of mattress to get Offspring, Version 2.0. I want an organic one, but do I want wool with no coating or do I want cotton with polyethylene (food grade plastic) on it in case I get another massive puker like I did last time? I emailed a query to Jennifer and Jeremiah over at ZRecs to see what their thoughts were. Jennifer said she’s still looking into it as well. It seems to be such a mixed bag.
If you know what sort of mattress you want, but don’t know where to buy, you can start at the Great Green List; they have a fairly large list of retailers and etailers. Debra’s List also has an exhaustive array of green conversation topics and links.
I saw these great posters highlighted over on Decor8 the other day. Available through Etsy, John W. Golden’s digital art is too groovy to pass up.
The “By Order of the Management” series is amusing to me; I’d like to hang the “Mind your Ps and Qs one in the dining room. I was also charmed by the old school vibe of the Lunastrella series that was recently featured in Parents Magazine. My girl is so into rocket ships, she’d love the flying saucer.
Isn’t Etsy rad?
Since I’m just crabby at home with an overdue child, I asked the fine mommas over at Rookie Moms to write a guest review for me. Thanks, ladies!
Like many new toilet trainees, my son is mastering the art of #2 a few months after he mastered #1. Even though my rational mind tells me that more patience is required, my eager-to-stop-cleaning-poopy-pull-ups mind has determined that MORE BRIBING is the answer. I believe, however, that I’ve hit the jackpot in terms of bribery.
I purchased blik wall decals for both of my kids rooms, and they are totally adorable. Julian’s bedroom is not quite done, though. And that is because the set of stickers I bought for him is made up of 99 red balloons and we apply one balloon every time he successfully, er, makes a deposit in the toilet. He is thrilled with his balloon wall and shows it to everyone who comes to our house. All eight apple red balloons, each one representing a victory in the life of a preschooler.
The balloon set comes in seven different candy colors and comes with grey strings. They look totally adorable on his sky blue walls, and I am convinced that the rate at which he “earns” them is bound to accelerate.
Ooh! Serena and Lily are having a SALE.
Furniture and bedding. Neat!
Happy Thursday!
The fine folks over at Serena and Lily are offering $250.00 off any of their cribs or dressers to GHM readers. S&L has just rolled out a new partnership with super fancy pants crib designers David Netto and Morigeau Lepine. Serena & Lily custom furniture is not sold in retail stores, so check out the new stuff online.
I’m also charmed by their market sling. Has anyone tried one? It’s so damn cute. I wonder if it works well.
To redeem the coupon code, just enter CRIB250 at checkout. Valid until 9/1/08, while supplies last.
Thanks, Serena & Lily!
Sy loves looking through “mazagines” and catalogs with me, especially after she’s collected them herself from the mail. PB Teen is one of her favorites. Makes sense since she already acts like a teenager half the time.
Yesterday she was leafing through it on the sofa and zeroed in on these animal and leaf motif pillows. She pointed excitedly at the squirrel pillow and said “I wish we had one of these in OUR house!” (Remind me to never have a Toys R Us catalog near her.)
They are pretty cute, aren’t they? Cotton canvas, pick stitch, 16” square pillow covers for $25.00. No pillow included, but at least they throw us a small bone and have free shipping.
This just in from the office of Gearhead I don’t feel like talking about sippy cups today Mom:
I’m always trolling magazines and websites for interesting things to do with kids’ rooms. Sy’s is a mishmash of purple and green, hand-me-down furniture and a splash of Ikea. It is a bedroom that will most assuredly never be featured in a magazine, but she sure likes it.
Anyway, I like the mini guide Domino published in their June/July issue on twin beds. Their focus was not kids, of course, but how to maximize space in a guest room. If only we had a guest room, I assure you the top priority would be chic space-maximization. Regardless, they had some pretty nifty beds that would be just peachy in your perfectly decorated child’s room from some great sources.
