Shelterrific friend Sarah, mom to two young girls, writes to us about “this bit of genius,” also known as They Might Be Giants’ latest release for kids (and adults), Here Come the 123s. “Death to The Wiggles!” Sarah cries, then quickly amends, “I do like them, but it is hard not to listen to something with a bit more sense of humor to it. Between They Might Be Giants and Spoon (Not kid music but the kids love it!), we haven’t had to have The Wiggles on in over a month!” This reminds me of when my 17-year-old niece was a baby — nothing could soothe her quite like listening to Londonbeat! Let us know if you have any good or surprising kid-friendly music to share. — Mary T.

Bright ideas we gathered from your comments.

1. Your love for food and literature started young. We asked which non-cookbook made you hungry, and boy did you respond! Books you read in your youth (such as the book that inspired the question) outweighed other submissions by far, including Heidi, Farmer Boy, Bread and Jam for Frances, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (a natural, if it didn’t give you nightmares). “For me it is Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder,” says Lyz. “All that delicious food they make…the cider, the donuts…oh, man. It’s too much.” Want more anyway? Read the post and add your thoughts here.

2. There are great organic shampoo alternatives for baby. “An everyday eco-baby must is anything from Nature’s Baby Organic,” says Sarah. “The shampoos and body washes work and smell great. Plus with everything in the news about phthalates, it’s nice not to have to worry.” See the Blogwatch that got Sarah commenting here.

3. You seem to be leaning toward “getting old” as far as “new-old” furniture is concerned. Says Ellie, “Every time I get a new Brocade catalogue I worry for its sustainability.” While Jana says, “I think all the new stuff is funny, lovely, and so referential that once you get the ref, it’s kind of over, like a design one-liner.” So what’s your take? Weigh in here.

4. Those who live in DWR Warehouse Sale territory remain very lucky. Mary T. longs for a FL/Y Suspension Lamp, and Cherlyn responds, “I did see a few at the DWR sale last fall. The sale is the first weekend in March. Just in case you’re in the neighborhood.” Those of you in the Cincinnati/Northern KY, Florida, San Francisco and New Jersey areas, take note. (Sale or no sale, we love DWR. Just check out our archives.)

5. Brooklyn’s a great place for vintage furniture finds. “I’ve had great luck finding dressers for myself and for my design clients in Brooklyn!!” says Mackenzie. “I love that antiques strip on Atlantic avenue — The Horseman is the BEST — and don’t miss Time Galleries in Park Slope (on 5th). Both have amazing vintage (all eras) at reasonable prices and offer delivery, too.” Erica P. is still on the lookout for storage ideas for her apartment, so help a girl out!

We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of Isadora Marie, welcomed February 5 at 10:55 p.m. by Shelterrific editor Angela and her husband Chad (who took the above photo). As we’ve mentioned, Angela will be taking some much-deserved time off with her family, but Shelterrific will continue to publish in her absence. Congratulations, Angela and Chad!

…In more ways than one! Send all good wishes to Shelterrific founder and editor-in-chief Angela M. as she prepares to welcome her new arrival this week! As a result, Shelterrific might be just slightly erratic as we fill Angela’s capable (and quite stylish) shoes. We thought it was fitting to take a quick visit to Baby Goes Vintage, a delightful collection of vintage-inspired baby gifts, decor, clothing, and more. (Personally I love the Little Kitten Onesie.) More soon! -Mary T.

This weekend a few of my wonderful, longtime friends threw a baby shower for Chad and I in our apartment. The piece de resistance? This amazing baby-bump doll cake made by Laurent. Isn’t she just divine? To make one of your own (with our without the bump) you start with a Wilton Wonder Mold Kit, which comes with a “skirt” shaped pan and half a doll that fits nicely in the center. Laurent gave ours a little hair styling to match my cropped do, and used raisin bread to plump up the belly. The cake itself was devil’s food — yum. And the final touches, little plastic babies and sugar flowers which dotted her dress. As much fun as she was to admire, it was even more delightful to slice and serve. — Angela M.

This week’s House & Home section in the New York Times was dedicated to the concept of home offices. This article — Home Office Life and Its Discontents — covers the pitfalls such as loneliness (colleagues can help the day go by quicker), lack of motivation (your tv/dirty bathroom/fridge is so close!) and distractions (kids, spouses). But we know that many of you work from home and love it. How do you do it? What are the key ingredients to make it work? Do you miss “the office?” or do you think working from home is the only way to go?

Flipping through the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog yesterday, we were struck by a small photo of these nursery piggy banks. They’re super cute, glazed ceramic banks in the form of an elephant or a giraffe.

Immediately they reminded us of similar ones from Jonathan Adler’s menagerie.

While Adler’s are handcrafted stoneware with a much more distinctive design, Pot Barn’s versions are charming with their rounded corners. And for only $19 instead of nearly $70, more of a whim than an investment. Which would you buy?

When I saw this hat on one of my favorite blogs around this time last year, I fell in love. And I don’t knit NOR have a baby! Well, now Sara has posted the “Jive Turkey Baby Hat” pattern at her second blog Going Crafty. Get over there and make that hat ASAP! — Mary T.

The transformation of our bedroom into a nursery/bedroom has begun. After some purging and reorganizing, Chad moved the bed around last night, and I have to say it looks great — bigger than I thought it would. Though we’ve yet to purchase one piece of baby furniture (and one piece is probably all we’ll buy), I do have one purchase to brag about. A few weeks ago, I snuck out of my midtown office and trucked down to SoHo to hit a Dwell bedding sample sale. I’ve gushed about how much I love their textiles for kids before, but man, are they pricey! At the sample sale, I managed to score a Forest crib set. On the site, it’s a whopping $456, but at the sale it was only (only?!) $150. Hooray! What I really love about it is that it’s only slightly girly, a dusty rose mixed with neutral browns. It will go well with our cool, fern green walls. Next step: Finding the perfect crib for less than $300. I have faith! — Angela M.

Green Goods for Kids!

Our good friends at Q Collection have just opened the online doors of their latest venture, Q Collection Junior, a line of kids’ furniture made with the healthiest, most sustainable products possible. All the furniture — which includes cribs, dressers and these adorable storage cubes and stools shown above — is made by hand in the USA, with water-based, non-toxic materials and Forest Steward certified wood. But what we really love about it all is the design — clean lines with a splash of color. Think that stool could hold a 135 pound mom? Either way, it’s a great piece for $90.