bantamsparrow's Profile

I've taken a handmade approach to this. If it's something I can possibly make/repurpose vs buy, then I put it on the list. Now, when you work your way down the list and you think about the hours you're going to spend making it, you really think about how much you actually need it. Do you really need more potholders, or will the two you own work out for now. Do you actually need another pair of pajama pants, or was it that that pair at Anthropologie were making you picture your ideal life in a magazine house making perfect organic buckwheat pancakes in the morning? If you really love it, it's worth it, and you'll do it. If it isn't.... You won't.

I've heard really good things about Madsen Bikes as well, but if you're willing to shell out the dough a Dutch Bafkiet can't be beat.

I keep Swiss chard, mushrooms, onion, carrots, and celery in my fridge at all times. From these and other ingredients I always have languishing about, I can make a miso soup with fried tofu and soba noodles, a real food tuna casserole, simple sautéed greens on quinoa topped with a poached egg and some Parmesan, a fantastic quiche or omelet, healthy fried rice, or a sautéed sandwich. With the way I cook, and since I buy dry goods in bulk, having those five veggies means I can always make a healthy meal with whatever we have lying about.

When I was eight, my mom taught me how to make roast chicken, and she washed it. I decided it was the most disgusting process in the whole world, so when she told me I'd have to do it myself next time I cooked a whole chicken, I promptly refused and said I'd never cook a whole chicken again. And I haven't. And now I find out that I spent money on rotisserie chicken (so that I didn't have to wash the chicken) for YEARS for nothing? This is life changing.

Little Sapling Toys on Etsy has some adorable woodland carved ornaments that they'll personalize.

My idea is to do a series of small shadowboxes, with a few patches, a picture or two, and then a souvenir as well. The patches could be taped, and then used in a more permanent way when he's older. I had a large collection of "vacation jars" as a child, and making them was my favorite part of each trip.

My best friend and her husband took their newly-adopted baby on a camping trip literally the weekend after they got back from China. What they said made the difference was their "go crib" which is an inflatable travel crib they picked up at rei, and she swears by it. She says it beats packnplays and pea pods by the mile.
When we've gone on backpacking trips with families they've also used disposable diapers, left the non-yucky used to dry out a bit (you don't want to be carrying that liquid weight around) before throwing them in a ziplock with the decidedly yucky ones. If I remember, I think she brought bananas, avocados, and baby cereal for food with some powdered formula. It's easy to heat up water on the camp stove. I think the main thing is to accept early on that your child is going to get dirty, but that's half the fun of camping!

I second the fabric playhouse. Super easy, and it will be absolutely loved.

I'd suggest the Henry Sofa from West Elm. Clean lines, lots of beautiful colors, and a very comfortable sleeper bed as well.

Depending on the level of redecoration in your parent's house, I would suggest mounting a picture rail, then painting the wall under the picture rail a darker neutral with a lighter neutral above and on the ceiling. This is something that's found often in classic San Francisco houses, and it lends an airy, but still warm and cozy feel to tall ceilings. As an added plus, I'm totally in love with the hook and string method of hanging pictures! It adds a vintage charm to all of your artwork.