Wall Table

In our house there is no official "dining room" and we don't have an eat-in kitchen either.  So the table hovers somewhere at the edge of the living room.  It's fine for what we need, but can get a bit frustrating at times.  This is a great solution to that problem.  Although I don't think I'd spring for a $500 table ("on sale!"), I'm sure one could easily come up with something similar for a few less dollars.  Definitely cool.

rag curtain

I'm always hesitant to get rid of fabric because it seems that when the time comes, having just the perfect thing is such a lovely feeling and you don't want to risk regret.  This is a great way of making use of some of those little bits and pieces.  It takes almost no work and has a sweet effect, especially for a kids' room, I think.  And it would hold all the memories that are tied up in those fabrics too.  Cute.  Thanks, sis, for the link to this blog.

Four Girls, One Room

Okay folks.  Let's talk about plans.  Plan One: have lots of kids.  Plan Two: live in a small house.  It is probably safe to say that these two plans do not go well together.  I am, however, hopeful that we can accomplish both by having our kids share bedrooms.  While this is not an ideal when it comes to babies, in my mind, it is an ideal when it comes to kids.  As adults, we have chosen to share our house, forcing us to put others before ourselves.  We value this.  So why would I do anything different for my kids?  But the logistics of fitting multiple kids into one (not gigantic) room can be tricky.  This post is an amazing example of making it work in style.  WOW.

Moon Bed

I just LOVE this adorable little baby bed.  Oh to have time and space for such a whimsical luxury!

Communicating with Kids

As everyone knows, communication is the key to any good relationship.  I'd have to say I don't often think about, or hear about, practising good communication with your kids.  This idea is a thoughtful one which is so easy to execute and a good way to pass the time on a trip.  How sweet.

Lyric Garland

Although it would probably be a LOT of work (unless you have access to some sort of giant alphabet punch), I love this idea of writing out the words to a song on a garland.  It just puts a song in everyone's heads and brings a whole new meaning to "there's music in the air"...

Star Party

I LOVE throwing parties, and I LOVE the stars, so this kids' birthday party is right up my ally!  This mom goes all out, but even just a star theme would be great in my books!

Ice Eggs

Here is a great, creative, cheap activity to do with the kidlets in the heat of summer.  How cool!

Bee Hotel

Yesterday was so warm that my daughter ended up spending most of her day outside.  It was wonderful and she had so much fun discovering all kinds of "gugs" (bugs) and other living things.  Her fascination with even just a simple ant gives me the time to stay on top of the weeds in our little gardens.  Of course it's too early to really get anything put in to the garden, but I'm starting to think about it.  One idea I just discovered is building a little "bee hotel".  Interestingly, mason bees do not live in hives.  When they hatch, the males and females mate immediately, the males die and the females each set off to build their own nest and lay their eggs.  Also interesting is that these bees are excellent pollinators and they only sting if they are squished.  Sounds like a perfect garden pet, so why not build a home to attract it?  Perhaps we'll try to fit that into our list of spring projects.  It helps too that this little project is almost as much a piece of art as anything...

Built In Space Saving Strategies

As we face the prospect of living in our two-bedroom apartment with a toddler and an infant, my brain loves to spin and spin with ideas of how we could make our tiny space work.  You already know that I love apartmenttherapy and their Small Cool Contest is on again, where they celebrate the art of living small.  That's where I found this great little set-up, (the website is French, but just look at the picture).  I don't think it'll work in our kids' room, but we may be resorting to some sort of similar bunk/loft idea eventually...