ayme's Profile

Perhaps I'm a bit late weighing in here, but:

How fortunate are we to have such an excess of "stuff" offered to us that we have to turn it down/ figure out how to manage it all? It happened to me too (our baby is now 8 months) and I was so grateful to have that problem. A friend threw me a traditional shower, but because of all the hand-me-down clothes I received, I returned all of my clothing gifts for things that we still needed. Things I think were/are a giant waste: baby towels, changing table, Pack n' Play (unless you are somewhere your baby can't be put on the floor, ew), peepee teepees, wipes warmer, swing, rocker, even the crib. We opted for a montessori-style floor bed at 6 months, so even the crib we bought ended up being obsolete.

A thought about avoiding gifts: Even if you don't need "stuff," you might still need "stuff done." Those gift givers want to feel like they've contributed to the new baby's life in some way... why not have a "do-something" shower where guests help paint the nursery, or put together nursery furniture, or assemble a swingset, or stock the freezer, etc?

i just helped take a batch of middle schoolers camping (12 for a week, then another 12 for a second week!). we enjoyed a bunch of gluten-free meals/ snacks, on accident: cheesy rice and bean burritos on corn tortillas, pork fried rice, apple cinnamon/ peaches and cream oatmeal, hobo dinners, chilli over baked potatoes, breakfast burritos on corn tortillas, apples with peanut butter, trail mix, string cheese. the hobo dinner idea has a million permutations, don't be afraid to mix it up!

we didn't try these but i think they would work great: polenta with marinara (or just butter and maple syrup for breakfast), rice and raisin pudding, or frito pie.

good luck!

That changing table is beautiful. And thanks, AT, for showing a kid's room that looks like a kid lives there! It's cheerful, real, and therefore perfect.

1. vacation fund
2. college fund
3. new couch fund
4. emergency roof repair fund
5. change-I-found-in-the-wash fund

I feel funny about the "dating" t-shirt.

You don't have to start from scratch! Canopenergirl is right, don't be so hard on yourself! I'm no genius designer either, but here are some of my ideas (for what they're worth):

1. The lamps and the sconces are redundant. If the sconces aren't doing the trick and you don't use them, pull 'em out and patch the wall. Trade out one of the floor lamps for a table lamp so you don't have so much of a "sandwich" effect around the sofa. Try a drum shade with an interesting texture for the remaining floor lamp.

2. I hear you about not wanting to paint, but your wall and sofa read a little "white-on-white" in the pictures. Have you thought about dyeing the slipcover? A light grey-brown dye would help break up the color and bring out the texture in the slipcover.

3. From the angle of the picture, your (lovely!) art looks a little high and tight. Bring it down a few inches and mix in some different shaped objects to relax it a little.

4. Your baskets are lonely! Pair them up and mix in some other shapes so they have friends.

Good luck!

Around here it's never safe to take the ice scraper out of the car. It's been known to blizzard in July. We can't swap out seasonal clothing, either (you WILL need your down coat for camping in July). Does this mean I have a leg up on spring cleaning, and it's time for a celebratory drink?

I think part of what keeps this room from being relaxing is all the visual clutter. Keeping things in one color palette/general mojo will help! If you have to keep all the binders (I have a TON that I still need, I sympathize), it helps to have them all the same height/color. Pick a color, white for example, and use that color for the rest of your small storage options, too. They will visually fall away when they are grouped together, even tightly. I disagree with TallSarah; that shelf needs to work hard in here! Use it to group similar things, like you have started to do with your paperbacks. Once you put your bed on risers to maximize the underbed storage, the shelf will act like a headboard, grounding and outlining the bed. I'd ditch the headboard and footboard for a simpler look. While you're at it, take the closet door off it's hinges and opt for a light curtain on a tension rod. I'd lose the curtain that's on the window and use some window frosting film for privacy. No space taken up that way! Us the bench in front of the window for storage boxes or binders (or both, if they are all one color!). For the armoire: got tools? I'd disassemble it and use the large side pieces for deep shelves that take up the full width of that space. You could use cheap L-brackets to do this, and a simple closet rod underneath would make a whole new closet. Hang a light curtain over it all to keep things visually simple. Can't drill in the wall? I'd check Craigslist and local thrift shops for a dresser or armoire that uses that space more effectively. Good luck!

PS: I saw an IKEA hack on ikeahackers.net where a Billy bookcase was used as the footboard to a crib. Might this work for your bed?

Fried rice with leftover brown rice!

When we converted our guest room to a nursery in anticipation of our first baby, we left a twin bed in the room out of necessity (so much underbed storage), daybed style against the wall. The bed became an essential part of our early life with baby: I slept there when we were doing round-the-clock feedings, and now we lean pillows against the wall on one end for a comfy nursing spot. The other end is layered with washable thick blanket, waterproof travel changing pad, and a cheap handtowel on top for easy washing when things get messy (daily! We keep a stack handy). We keep a cloth basket full of diapers and a bin of homemade wipes right on the bed.

Other essentials: white noise machine, lamp with red light bulb for late night feeding, Angelcare monitor, sturdy crib. Our 3 month old sleeps in his own room so we all rest better with these things. A waterproof laundry basket would be helpful, too.