Five years ago today, my Peep was born and turned me into a mom. I don’t really have the words to accurately describe the love, awe, frustration and fun I’ve had over the past 5 years – much better writers have tried and still can’t put into words what adding a sweet new life into this world does to a person. All I can say is I could not love her more and am so proud to be her mother.
The Svan Signet high chair is a beautifully designed wooden high chair designed by two fathers in Sweden. The company’s mission is create functional baby/children products that parents won’t mind keeping out when company comes over. They didn’t even need to tell me more.
As with all products I like to write about, the Svan high chair has a small footprint – 34.5 X 20 X 22.25″ (H xWxL) and is designed to be the size of a typical kitchen chair that (without its tray) can be pulled up to a table.
Similarly to the Stokke Tripp Trapp (our high chair) the Svan high chair is a multi-stage adjustable high chair that grows with your child. It comes with a removable tray (and plastic tray cover for easy cleaning) for when your child is younger, but once removed you can use it forever (The adult weight limit is 250lbs!)
Additional Features:
The complete Svan Signet high chair includes the tray, pastic tray guard, and the Svan safety guard with crotch bar. It is also available without those so if you decide to buy, make sure you really get what you need for your stage. The complete set retails for around $249.
On a personal note…my sister has this for her 1 year old and could NOT love it more. They have a 600 square foot railroad apartment so as you can imagine, space is at a premium. This chair made the cut. I’m just saying – big endorsement.
When I was pregnant with my 1st daughter, we found out the gender right around Easter time so we had friends lined up to bring pink Peeps or blue Peeps over to celebrate. She was then on known as Peep and is still often called that. Using her nickname on this blog was a no-brainer.
This new child growing inside me needs a nickname here too. We’ve had lots of name discussions about what her actual name will be and boy does Peep have some good ones. I want to keep her as part of the process, but the reality is, she’s got little to no say in what her sister’s real name will be.
But not so with the nickname. And so from here on out, this new baby will be called Teapot.
Growing up, my middle name started with a T. When I was born, my older sister, at age 2, thought that it was the kind of tea that you drank…so my nickname growing up (and still with my parents at times) was Teacup. Peep, in her knowledge of that, decided that this baby should be Teapot. I kind of love it.
Since I’ve now announced that I’m pregnant, I can be more obvious about my Pinterest pins. Peep and the new baby will be sharing a room, so I’ve started a new board called Shared Girls Room. Here are five pins that have got my mind beginning to put design/function/organization together.
Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Emily on Pinterest
Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest
Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest
Source: melissaesplin.com via Emily on Pinterest
Source: ohdeedoh.com via Emily on Pinterest
Does anyone have any great Pinterest boards I should be following to help me design this room?
The little red wagon is a quintessential childhood mode of transportation. However, they’re really huge to have in your house and store when not in use. But did you know that there are folding red wagons?
The one in the pictures is from Easy Go Wagons. When open, it’s main compartment dimensions are 33 X 17 X 10″ (LxWxD) but when it’s folded up, it shrinks down to 32 X 24 X 11″ (LxWxD). It is on the heavy side – 30 lbs so if you live where you will need to haul it up stairs, it may be difficult.
Additional Features of the Easy Go Wagon:
I just keep thinking about bringing home a toddler and weekly groceries. I think it could work!
Photo Source: Easy Go Wagon website
There are days you just can’t get outside – either there are things to do at home, or the weather is not cooperating. But kids still have energy – and they need to get it out. You probably don’t have a dedicated “play room” that your kids can use to bounce off the walls, but you may have a hallway, or a little space in a room to bring one of the greatest outdoor games, inside – Hopscotch! There are a couple of different options that range in price.
1. Use tape on a wood floor! This is a pretty cheap/free way to turn your hallway into a play space.
Source: blog.silhouetteamerica.com via Emily on Pinterest
2. Get a play mat that can be rolled up and stored when not in use. Etsy, as always is a great place to find one. They range in price and in design.
If you’ve got the DIY bug, you could probably make your own mat. I think the only thing I’d worry about with the mat is the kids slipping on it. They would probably think this was a bonus.
3. There are also hopscotch rugs that you can get. A simple google search will bring up a huge variety to choose from. These probably wouldn’t be my first choice since they’re more permanent additions to your house’s decor.
Good luck getting some of the wiggles out!
I’m an unabashed Pinterest lover. I pin for personal items but I also love to pin items dedicated to living in small spaces with children. Here are five of my favorite Pins this week.
Source: blogs.babycenter.com via Emily on Pinterest
Source: inspiredinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest
Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Emily on Pinterest
I announced earlier this week that we’re expecting another child, a girl, in early December. Since we already have Peep, we have more than enough of the stuff any little girl will need. But the one thing she will need is a room to live in! The new baby and Peep will be sharing a room that we currently use as a guest room or really just a place for furniture & stuff to live in when we don’t know what to do with it.
I used Floorplanner (a great online tool) to help get me started because this is one difficult room to layout. To begin with, it’s small – only 118 square feet. It also has 2 doors, a closet, 2 windows and a radiator…so there are no clear walls.
I am very confident that with a lot of creativity, some Pinterest searching for shared kids room ideas, a little elbow grease and one excited almost 5 year old it will get done. All of our progress will be updated here!
Anyone have any good ideas for us to start with?
The Kalon Caravan Crib has been showing up all over the Internet lately, and with good reason. On their site, Kalon says that it meets parent’s needs because it’s safe, green, practical and has great design. I agree with all of this although I suspect that the great design is the reason they’re winning so many accolades (like Babble’s Best Crib 2011 – Reader’s Choice).
Kalon Caravan Crib in Blue
The Caravan Crib is a rather small crib 54.5 ” x 30 ” x 34″ (WxDxH) while fitting a standard size crib mattress. One of the things I like best about it is that it turns into a lovely toddler bed and there are no extension kits needed. This, as you know, is what I love most – products that grow with you.
Kalon Caravan Toddler Bed
Here are a few more great features:
I’m also really impressed with how reasonably priced the Caravan Crib is. At $695, it’s much better priced than some other of the stylish trendy cribs out there – and this one will last you 4-5 years!
Win-win-win.
Photo Source: Kalon Studios
I’m 20 weeks PREGNANT! And it’s another GIRL! We’re all very excited – especially Peep who has been telling us from the start that she was having a baby sister. Now I need to come up with a nickname for this baby…
Photo Credit: Peep
There will be lots more to share as the 2nd half of my pregnancy continues – most of all – how we’re going to fit another human into our apartment!
