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.

The pressure to bake one big fabulous cake gives me the jitters — as if perfectly-formed rosettes and a swirling message written in pink icing are written into every recipe. But I think I created more work for myself by making mini cupcakes for Birdie’s first birthday because multiples require many, many, many minutes more for the spooning of batter and the frosting of cake. And a tip I tried about making a pastry bag out of a Ziploc bag was a disaster.

My main concern about these cupcakes, though, was the chocolate frosting — my favorite part of any cake. In a fit of late-night lunacy, I tested three recipes to find the one that had the best creamy, chocolatey childhood-nostalgic taste. I tried a sour cream + chocolate delight (but it was too sophisticated), one version that called for corn syrup (was that what made it so syrupy?), and the final pick — a chocolate butter frosting from an old Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. It was the right match for Betty Crocker’s yellow cake (in my defense, the clerk at the local kitchen shop made a strong case for going with a classic mix) and lots of colored sprinkles. Turn the page, for the recipe. — Megan K. (more…)

Yesterday on Decor8 I spotted this lovely hanging baby basket in a post about a Swedish store called Funktion Alley. I remember seeing similar designs when I visited Malmo & Copenhagen a few years and thinking they were ingenious. This Knoppa Bady Cradle is suspended by a pully system, so they’re easy to lower and rise up, and can be put within an arms length of parents’ bed for easy rocking and reach. It also folds down flat and can work as a travel cradle. Am I just being seduced by good design and lure of a small space solution? Would anybody really put their little one in those things? Can someone from Sweden speak up and let us know how they work in real life? — Angela M.

Leave it to Kendra Lewis, the owner of Minneapolis’ chic-est children’s boutique Bebe Babble, to craft an equally chic destination for her son Gabriel, who’s now pushing three. A former design manager for Target, Kendra’s contemporary style is the perfect blend of playful sophistication — you always know you’ll leave her store (and sometimes you have to force yourself to leave) with something both you and your kid will love. — Megan K.

Get The Goods in Gabriel’s Room!
Bed from Room and Board, bedding from Garnet Hill; lilypad artwork from Oopsy Daisy; numbers and cars fabric from purl purlsoho.com (framed by Kendra); orange night table from West Elm (not available anymore); orange shelving from Design Within Reach; canvas storage boxes from Hable Construction ; toys from Bebe Babble.

The other day, I mentioned how excited I was by Design*Sponge’s Eames rocker giveaway. What I didn’t tell you is why our home is more in need of a rocker than ever before: We’re expecting a baby! I feel a little guilty having kept it from you all these months (I’m at number six now!) but with so much happening in our lives, I didn’t want to bombard the blog with Angela-and-Chad news. But yes, it’s true — a wonderful, joyous surprise! We know it’s a girl and she’s due in February. In the next couple of months, you’ll probaby be asked for more opinions and advice, as we try to figure out how to squeeze her into our small one-bedroom apartment. Everytime I get stressed about space, I think of Maxwell and Sara Kate’s 265 square foot pad over at Apartment Therapy and calm down instantly. So there you have it! Why we feel an Eames rocker would really rock in this little bit of blank space we have in our living room. Click here to check out all the entries to Design*Sponge’s contest — they’re all so amazing and cute and well designed I can hardly stand it! And, if you feel so inclined to vote for my room, I say thank you thank thank you! — Angela M.

I planned a blowout for Birdie’s first birthday even though I knew full well it was probably more for Casey and my benefit than for hers. But why am I apologizing? Arriving at this day marked as much of a milestone in parenthood as it did our baby’s growth.

We crossed our fingers that Birdie wouldn’t be too scarred by the celebratory chaos, picked up booze along with the juice boxes, and invited a crowd of family and friends. All in all we had a blast! Maybe it was that first taste of chocolate cake that helped put the birthday girl in rare party form (she loved every minute). — Megan K.

Some highlights:

*Put on your Party Hat: That became the default theme because the birthday girl was wearing a big sunhat on the birthday invitations I made. I ordered a couple of packs of Dr. Seuss-inspired accordion hats at OrientalTrading.com for guests, plus a hot pink Trumpette first birthday cake hat for Birdie.

*Polaroid Booth: I’ve admired this activity a million times in magazines, and a kid birthday seemed the perfect occasion to instate the tradition. I bought a bunch of film and a camera from Target, and set out a thin black permanent marker so guests could write a bday note on their snapshots. The “booth” consisted of a wooden bench, behind which I taped a rainbow-streamer “frame” to the wall. After the party, I displayed the snapshots in rows above Birdie’s high chair. She loves looking at them.

Click through to the next page for more party tips! (more…)

Though nothing will replace that Benji lunchbox in our hearts, these BYO Munchlers from BuiltNY have us wanting to go back to school. Your kids would love them and we bet even your office co-workers would be jealous if you toted your mid-day snack in one of these. BTW, they’re made with collaboration from children’s book illustrator, Stephen Savage. We’ve got dibs on the tiger one. Grrrrrr. $9 each, via Daily Candy.

Homemade baby food is a good idea in theory, but not every mom has time to put peeling, cooking, and pureeing into regular practice. Happy Baby Food is the next best thing, providing 100% organic baby food that’s frozen to preserve vitamins and minerals, and full of delicious flavor (I’ve tried it myself). Just pull out one of the 12-cube recyclable trays, nuke a preportioned cube of their “yes peas” or “grrreat greens” (two options that have gone over well in our kitchen), and you’ve got one happy mom. —Megan K.

Casey and I joke that our number one extracurricular activity is dining out. As new parents we’re not about to adjourn this epicurean hobby; besides, why shouldn’t our budding foodie pull up a seat? We have Phil & Ted to thank for bringing their portable Me Too Chair ($70) to the table. Lightweight, collapsible, wipeable (what’s a mother not to love?), it securely attaches to a table’s edge with steel clamps. We especially like that it positions Mia close to us so she’s truly part of the meal—even when dining out means “in our backyard.” — Megan K.