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.

You never know when something good is going to come along. Take, for example the Navy Chair by Emeco. I’ve always loved the simple, clean lines, but I had no idea it was eco-friendly — each chair is made with 80% recyclable alumimum. Emeco has been manufacturing the Navy Chair since 1944, and they still use the same 77-step process to produce the enduring classic. Getting married? Register for these (and other sustainable desings) at DesignPublic.com ($385 each), and get your home ship-shape for married-life. — Emily A.

Welcome our new Shelterrific contributor, Emily Anderson. She is the creator of Eco-Chic Weddings, book and a blog, about having sustainabnle style before, during and after your wedding.

As you know, I’ve been on the quest for an affordable sleeper sofa bed. Yesterday, reader Diane emailed us about this clever sofa bed, that converts into twin bunk beds! It’s from a British site called BonBon Trading. I’m not sure the price, or if they ship to the U.S., but I thought you’d get a kick out of it. Would be great for families with kids… think how easy all those sleep-overs would be! Thanks, Diane! — Angela M.

It seems like there is a deluge of chic baby furniture sprouting up these days — and it is the focus of today’s New York Times House & Garden slide show. On one hand it’s exciting for those of us who are parents, or thinking about becoming parents, that there is so much sophisticated stuff out there. Unfortunately, the prices — usually more than $1000 for a crib — puts it out of the realm of reality. That’s why we were so surprised and tickled to see this collection in the Times from Wal-Mart. It’s their Baby-Mod line, and it’s only available online. The crib shown here, the Roxanne 3-In-1, is just under $300, and converts to a day bed. Made of solid wood and veneer — no press boards. Not too shabby, huh?

So, we’ve finally jumped into the potty training madness. Josh and I kept waiting for signs of readiness from our toddler and then finally said, “Today is the day.” Now we’re two weeks in. We’re using a sticker reward system — she gets one for just going on the potty, two for successes. (The shiny and fuzzy stickers are the most coveted. She then uses them to decorate the potty.) Iris is clearly proud and liking the praise from us when she uses the bathroom. What I’m wondering is: How long until she’s completely trained? Oh, and we haven’t dealt with night-time yet. Should we soon, or make sure she’s mastered the days first? — Beth J.