Abby LL's Profile

Please, we're all guilty of waste. Incredible art, incredible dad. That's one lucky kid!

I requested my grandmother's sewing box after she passed away. I made a shadow box out of old wooden spools, random 50's era notions graphics with one lone hook and eye attached, her mother's silver thimble, worn scissors, some fancy buttons. While not usually a shadow box kind of gal, it is a perfect way to display these items. It makes me happy to think of her every time I look at it.

When kids start really using their rooms, there is much wear and tear that happens. Things on the walls don't suffer much, but furniture, objets, and carpets may not last through the maelstrom that is a spirited childhood. The idea of a 'sophisticated' room seems rather misplaced, however lovely these spaces may be. Eventually someone's going to write on something with a pen, or gouge a nice long line...sigh...so for now our rooms will remain quirky, eclectic, inviting and fun but not necessarily sophisticated.

This year I have decided to donate money to local charities in my co-workers' names.

SUPER! Best idea of the day.

The pennant is definitely a no-no on the crib, I actually said ACK! out loud when I saw it there. And while I like the aesthetic choices in the room, the idea of little fingers in the bird cage wire makes me cringe. Babies are clever, curious, and so smart, but they have no judgement.

One side against the wall and a temporary mesh rail or even a bolster pillow keeps kids from falling out of bed when they first move up (unless you have a flailer, then they manage to fall out of bed no matter what). Eventually they no longer need the barrier. .

We have twins. The bedroom became a Bed. Room. nothing else. No night tables to bonk a mouth or head, no lamps, no bookcases, only soft, low, user friendly items. We had a high dresser with one unreachable lamp. Other than that, throughout the house there was nothing below our waists, as it were, for the better part of a year, plus a couple of strategic gates. Then they chewed on shoes and books like puppies so everything went away. It seemed like a big deal at first, but it was way better than the stress of constant vigilance. Over time things went back on the shelves. It's a distant memory, and they're only 4, but NOW I have way more to worry about. They have creative minds, make some questionable choices, and have a partner in crime. Good luck!

A few new things that become well used and loved are great, but geez, there is SO much stuff out there, and you use it for your own kid for SUCH a short time. It's hard to tell a first time mom they won't use half of the new things for various reasons. Hopefully more people will carry the sustainability mindset through the baby stage. It doesn't mean you can't buy a cute new dress or just the right pair of shoes, but my kids now see 'new to them' the same as brand new, and are just as happy.

I have twin 4 year olds whose favorite pastime is to change costumes on an hourly basis. Needless to say we have LOTS of costumes. I like the catch-all bin underneath for shoes and hats, but hangers are impractical, I agree. I'm working on a system with lots of hooks, but still need to figure out how to store the purses, scarves and swords :-)