beebalmj's Profile

I like stripes as a contrast to the curtain pattern. How about these green rugby stripes from Pottery Barn Kids:
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/rugby-duvet-cover-green/?pkey=dboys-duvet-covers

If you like the color combination, then use it. It's your home, and if you get tired of a color, then change it. Who cares what's considered trendy or classic?

I think I would choose a light blue-gray to complement the red-orange brick. Or some kind of taupe or greige tone that is neutral, but still lets the white trim and fixtures pop. You've made such great use of a small space! (And FWIW, lighter grout is so much harder to keep looking clean.)

I love the Bummis trainers, too. Another trick I use is to put a thin nylon diaper cover (the pull-on pants) on top of padded training underpants. Top with fleece pants for yet another water-resistant layer, and you're pretty protected for a couple errands.

Like most other commenters, we avoid many battery-operated toys just because of the annoyance factor. As our kids grow, the toys with the most longevity have been building toys--Tinker Toys and Legos, especially. They build things that they incorporate into their pretend play. But I've also noticed that a few electronic toys get frequent use, not so much for their special effects, but as props in various play scenarios: the toy laptop, the electric guitar (meant for the toddler, but big sibs and cousins are always stealing it), the Spy Gear.

Since I dusted and vacuumed the living and family rooms just yesterday, I went for the kitchen today. Spent closer to 40 minutes, but that included cleaning the sink, and wiping down appliances. It's great to have fresh, clean surfaces and floors again!

I bought a similar mirror for my powder room, and painted the pickled oak vanity black. We have brushed nickel hardware and lighting, and a cream countertop and walls. I used green accents in the towels, rug and art. The floor is oak. Personally, I love it! The black looks so much...classier. I've been thinking about wallpaper, but one step at a time.

The toddler years are when you definitely don't want doors! A toddler will figure out how to open them and pull stuff out anyway, and then get his fingers pinched, or worse--knock a sliding door off its track. I find that removing the closet doors also makes the room seem larger.

Like many families, we have children of various ages, and this looks like a great idea for us. It would limit our older children's viewing options, but when it inevitably gets left on the family room floor, the 2-year-old couldn't do much harm to it (or land on HBO when randomly pushing buttons). This is going on my wish list!

I second Cricket Magazine--and they publish several other magazines with different subjects for different age groups. My 7-yr-old who loves science adores Ask magazine. We also enjoyed some of the other Highlights for Children mailings; they come with workbooks, stickers, and puzzles.