fivegiggles's Profile

This works great. I just use a clock radio on a really low volume, set to a classical station. When the radio turns on each morning, the kids are allowed to "get up" and make as much noise as they like (unless one of their sibs are still asleep), if they are asleep they sleep through the radio. Works quite well. I usually wake before them, but use that time to get ready, answer e-mails etc, so I use it as my cue to finish work for the morning.

Google is your friend mlw1975.

Pretty sure it's http://www.funkykids.com.au/detprod-259/furniture/beds/gertie-me-moses-basket.html and also pretty sure it's not sold anymore nor available in US.

When I saw "gender reveal party" I admit I did a little eye roll, but reading the story behind it and the fact that even Mom and Dad didn't know the gender til it was revealed at the party melted my heart a little.

It's a shame that Julia didn't share little snippets of the story, as I think it's really sweet and provides a bit of context to take this party away from "niche trend".

My middle girl has slept on a floor bed since she outgrew her cot (at her own stubborn insistence, she pulls the mattress off if you put her in a proper bed!!). It's been so successful that her little sister slept on a floor bed from 14 months. Their door has a gate on it, and the room is totally safe while the girls are unsupervised.
We've never encountered any of the problems Nudik has cited, mainly because I think they're her assumptions not her experiences. In fact I've found cleaning easier than having to get the vac under the bed frames of my boys.
Nudik I suggest you do a bit of research. There's no link between sleeping on the floor, and allergies. I actually like the mattresses on the floor as a cuddle spot, and very convenient during the night... especially as it's much easier to extract yourself from a floor bed. I admit floor bed whilst heavily pregnant is a challenge, but what's two months out of a possible ten years?

In terms of those worried about cold, we have a sheepskin mattress cover on each mattress, and a non-slip mat (STOPP FLIT designed for rugs from IKEA) under each mattress. The beds are always the right temperature and never too cold/hot. I actually think they're warmer than their sibs mattresses which are on frames/slats.

@hackerofarabia... why buy 5 cartons to begin with?? The whole point is you only buy what you need for the short-term. The bulk buying that goes on in the US floors me.

I'd leave the mural, if someone really loves and wants a house, things like paint never, ever matter.

Don't offer to paint it! You're not renting, it's not necessary. Moving is so stressful, especially with kids, don't make it harder on yourself.

We bought a house in which the teenage daughter had been given free reign with her bedroom walls... there were paintings, writing, drawing, sticky-tape marks and glue. But we loved the house anyway, and a quick lick of paint when we moved in sorted it out.

Our bed is two King singles side by side. When needs be, it's really easy to pull them apart, although I really only needed my own sleeping space whilst pregnant.

Don't worry YakkoDot, I've never seen Eeka's comments fall into the "glass half full" category. Sometimes it seems he/she just likes pressing buttons for the possible response!

We have safety gates on our kitchen... I don't want any of the children wandering in there when I'm baking and the oven is on... and I'm not going to sit in the kitchen for 50 odd minutes waiting for whatever's baking.
When the babies were little, they'd sit in the bouncer on the bench (yeah, I did it, they survived). I would NEVER cook with one of my babies in the Ergo, I just don't think it's safe.
We have toys set up just outside the gate, and I would also give them pots, pans, plasticware etc to play with. But most of the time I never cook dinner at dinner time.... I always pre-prepare meals, usually after the kids go to bed or during their daytime nap, or when my husband is home to entertain them.

Two PP's have a very valid point (allisonnf and ProfKD). It is a little bit sad that you are going to permanently ruin a piece that so many people want to preserve and cherish in it's original state. If secondhand furniture is soooooo cheap where you are, just buy a sideboard and allow someone who really appreciates the piece to take/buy it.