toddler room

FEATURED: GEORGE + HENRY’S SHARED TODDLER ROOM

Can we say “perfection”? Tamie, mommy to George and Henry, created a black and gold oasis for her boys that we can’t stop staring at…. or wishing that we could have a sleepover in. Is that weird?
 We truly feel like simplicity wins in this particular space. A basic color palette, minimal (but meaningful) artwork, soft white walls, and no clutter is definitely the way to go in our book. We are going to quit blabbing so that you can tour this space already. Scroll down for sources.
TAMIE: I’m from the Black Hills in South Dakota. This room is a nod to where I grew up. Gold mining was huge, and my great uncle actually built, owned, and ran his own gold mine for years. The Stand By Mine was an iconic piece of architecture until it had to be torn down. Everyone in my family was either directly or indirectly involved in supporting the industry.
TAMIE: I’m not someone who can go to a thrift shop and refinish a dresser. I don’t have that skill set. I knew I wanted something more substantial than what a big box store could offer (two little boys CLIMB!) and that meant something mid century and sturdy. The dresser is stout and was half the cost, including white glove delivery, than major retailers. It’s perfect. And those pulls? Forget it, I’m in love.
Photographs are printed from Prinstagram and affixed with gold washi tape.
SOURCES:
(links in bold)

G & H Wall Letters: Land of Nod
Bedside Table: Pottery Barn
Clock: Kit Cat Clock (the first time I saw Henry he was swaddled and his eyes were darting around the room checking everything out, I immediately thought of the clock!!)
Dresser lamp: Target
Gold lamp: Target
Mirror: Target
Rug: IKEA
Silhouettes: Disney world souvenir
Dresser: Etsy
“I love my family” Print: Etsy
”Be you bravely” Print: Etsy
Quilts: Etsy
Box spring cover: West Elm
Photographs are printed from Prinstagram and affixed with gold washi tape
Paint: Benjamin Moore Tundra (walls), Day’s End (in chalkboard paint on the ceiling), Modern Masters Gold Rush (ceiling border)
Stunning job, Tamie! All of your hard work certainly paid off. We know George and Henry will have many adventures in this room!
xo

DIY DOOR MONOGRAM – FOR THE LITTLES

Is it just my child that hoards “treasures”? Maybe hoarding is genetic, because he definitely gets it from me! Ari has a drawerful of little trinkets and toys that he doesn’t play with all the time. Marbles, matchbox cars, “magic rocks”…they’re all of course choking hazards for Max, so I decided to hot glue them into infinity. It’s an easy way to personalize Ari’s space in our rental and only $2 to make. Oh how I miss Ari’s room in our old house. Dreaming about our new space we’re building!
Click here for my holiday version of the monogram door hanger. Totally reusing it this winter!
STUFF YOU NEED: Glue gun, x-acto knife, pencil, ruler, string, paper mache letter (I got mine at my craft store for $3, but obviously I had a coupon for it!), and junk treasures.
 STEP 1: Measure 1 cm around the inside of the letter.

 STEP 2: Using your ruler to stabilize your knife, cut along the pencil line. Tip: score first, then cut without moving your ruler. It took me about 3 cuts to get all the way through the cardboard.
 STEP 3: Remove top and inside stuff, smooth down the edges of what you cut.
STEP 4: Using your x-acto knife, make holes at the top of the letter and use your pencil to make the holes a little bigger. Thread string through.
 STEP 5: Lay your treasures out to make them fit, then glue glue glue!
STEP 6: Hang up and be proud of your $2 craft!
STEP 7: Roll your eyes as your kid claims he wants to play with the toys you just glued even though he hasn’t played with them for months. 
-L

COZY CORNER FOR NOA

My friend, Amy, is having her second child soon (yippee!) and wanted to create a special space for her older daughter, Noa, since the baby will now have Noa’s rocking chair. 
Here are some ideas for a cozy corner perfect for reading and dreaming. 
TENT 1 / 2 / 3
COMFIES 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
FRIENDS 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
PILLOWS 1 / 2 / 3
MAKE IT PRETTY 1 / 2 / 3
READ AND EXPLORE 1 / 2 / 3
GOOD READS 1 / 2 / 3
We love doing inspiration boards- let us know if you have an idea for us!
-L

ARI’S TODDLER ROOM

We’re putting our house on the market this week which forced me to go through all of our junk and clean it to perfection. I’ve been wanting to post Ari’s big boy room transformation from his nursery for some time now and thought… it’s now or never! So, disclaimer… it’s never this tidy! 
I wanted to do a room that would grow with Ari from baby to little boy, so I chose a more mature paint color but paired it with bright colorful accents that can be easily changed. We had a double mattress already in a guest room, so we just put it in Ari’s room when we gave his crib to Max. Having the larger size has been extremely helpful lately, as Ari has been going through a ‘sleep in my bed’ phase which I only indulge in extreme cases out of desperation. I know, I know, terrible parenting! It’s one of those things that I always judged other parents on, and now I’m that parent. Gah!
I’m in love with this paint color – Martha Stewart Brook Trout – which in person looks a bit more gray than brown. It’s the perfect background for artwork. Really makes colors pop! 
The “a” wall letter was a vintage find from my sister- love it!
Bed and sheets from Pottery Barn Kids, striped comforter and lamp from Target, garland by Oeuf.
 Ari’s little spot to read zoom cars all over the chair. Usually just in his skivvies. 
 I found this old printers box in my Nana’s garage and turns out it’s the perfect size for matchbox cars.
LOVE this felt garland from The Bannerie, graciously given by Gilit of Shoes Off Please– love her!
The print was given to Ari from his Aunt Lauren of Rock Paper Scissors
If you peek to the right, that’s Ari’s closet! We took the door off and created a little playroom in there in addition to his clothes. 
My favorite spot. Books upon books, fav toys hidden in the baskets, and plenty of natural light.
Love these alphabet flashcards from Tweed
Toddler-height dress up spot.
Coolest growth chart ever, also from Tweed. Looking forward to adding Max’s stats on there too! 
What’s on a three-year-old’s nightstand you ask….
…pics of his BFFs, magic rock and crystal to keep away bad dreams, and a huge stack of fav bedtime books. Especially loving “Hank Finds an Egg”, and “What Does the Fox Say” lately. 
Jelly bean jar used for potty training only! Or if I need a secret treat.
Loving Ari’s new wiener dog pillow by Kate Durkin. Max got a teeny raccoon pillow and is OBSESSED with it! Ugly doll and crazy chicken given to Ari from our non-ugly and very crazy friend, Carlye, of Awkward City. She always gets the boys the coolest toys! Kitty and Watson by BlaBla Kids
DIY- I made Ari’s pennant from his 1st birthday party out of felt and the polka dot picture from leftover garland from my baby shower. 
That’s it! Now time to pack all of it up and re-do in our new pad… oy.
-L

BUNNY TAILS AND CARROT STICKS

Easter is a very special holiday to my little family, not to mention all of the kids’ stuff that Target puts out every year is always so much fun to hang in Amara’s room. Amara has fun decorating her little tree (which we bought more decorations for this year) and hanging a wreath on her door. We just make a big deal out of it and she tells me how pretty it all is…. it is a win win really! I wasn’t super crazy about any of the garlands I came across, so I just decided to make my own. I wanted a more playful one since it was for a little girl’s room, ya know? I settled on bunny tails and carrot sticks. I simply used the items I already had on hand, which made it free… which makes it awesome!
Items you will need: I freehanded these little guys, so feel free to do the same or you can trace my kindergarten drawing HERE, one sheet of orange felt, 2 sheets of cream felt, two cotton balls, green yarn, and twine of some sort! Here is a great tutorial for making poms carrot tops if you don’t already know how to do it. Simply trace and cut, make your poms, break apart your little pieces of cotton and roll them into balls and go to town with your hot glue gun!
I bought this wreath and tree from Target! I probably could have saved some money and made this wreath by myself! Twine, yarn and a wreath form??? I went a little “crazy shopper lady” and snagged it off the shelf since it was the last one. I wasn’t thinking clearly people. 

I will certainly make my attempt to explain what Easter is really all about to Amara, and I anxiously await the day when she “gets it”. In the meantime, it is a lot of fun to just put up pretty things!!
What are some of your favorite Easter traditions / things to do with you kiddos? Any suggestions on how to teach a toddler?
-J