The "Family Business Wall" was born out of a had-it-up-to-here moment with clutter on the kitchen counter, family calendars being unavailable at a glance, and sounds of "I'm bored!" from the kiddos while I'm fixing dinner. We had a smallish wall in our kitchen near the pantry with very little on it. (Just a dry erase calendar that hadn't been updated in half a year. For shame.) I thought it might be cool to add some texture and interest to the otherwise black and white kitchen by installing a sort of "message board" on that wall, with things that could... Continue reading

Once out of toddlerhood, kids start to understand the world better and ask more critical questions. Sometimes the questions are so deep and layered that I’m shocked that they are coming out of such a young child. The wheels in my daughter’s brain never stop turning, and coming up with answers to her detailed questions certainly keeps me on my toes. When she is not trying to unravel all the mysteries of the world, she is just like every other 6 year old, spending hours upon hours playing with her toys. These are some of her favorites. 1. Bowling Lanes:... Continue reading

Our windows needed something pretty to brighten up these winter afternoons, so I cut tissue paper into squares and then had the girls attach them to contact paper. We used a second sheet of contact paper to keep everything in place and hung our creations in the window. Easy. Post by Darcy : bedtimemonsters.blogspot.com Continue reading

Oddly, I didn’t like pink growing up but I’m embracing it as an adult. This month I have bright fuchsia hair that is rapidly fading to a soft pink. I’ve realized pink doesn’t have to be just girly and feminine; it can be strong, nurturing and passionate. This classic combo is so easy to achieve through our bedding collections and accessories. 1. Antique Chic Bedding $99–$129 Royal Canopy Bed $1,399–$1,599 2. New School Crib Bedding Hop To It $29–$79 3. Extended Stay Bedding Pink $99–$129 4. Giant Sequin Bow $19.95 Seems like an unlikely combination, but it’s a great way... Continue reading

This was another story book-based art experience that Avery had when she was a toddler. We read Eric Carle's Little Cloud together, which is a charming and of course beautifully illustrated and collaged story about Little Cloud and his shape-changing adventures. Avery glued cotton balls onto paper to resemble clouds. Other creative ideas for pairing art with Little Cloud can be found here. Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine You can see her work and read about her two young children's first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine. Continue reading

Once your baby transforms into a toddler, the game really changes! I know my kids were absolutely fascinated by the world around them, and I had to work overtime to keep up with all of their questions. I always found it helpful to have talking points to help explain why things were the way they were, and we often had long conversations that stemmed from our wide variety of toys. These are some of the toys that helped my kids develop their ever-growing vocabularies and helped to broaden their horizons. Toddler Gifts: 1. Big Box of Colorful Blocks: Absolutely Gorgeous.... Continue reading

I'm mortified to admit this. I don't even know when it happened. But my children are spoiled. Not in the Veruca Salt I-Want-It-Now type of way. But in the I-Can't-Do-Anything-For-Myself kind of way. I first realized we had a problem when tripping over abandoned shoes and backpacks became a daily occurrence for me. The problem escalated further when even the simplest of tasks were handed over to me: "Hey Mom, can you get me a drink of water?" "I can't get dressed. Can you do it for me?" "But I like it when you brush my teeth." Every time I... Continue reading

When we first laid our eyes on this photo from writer/photographer Kelle Hampton, we knew we had to use it for our catalog cover. And, after hearing the story behind the photo in Kelle’s own words, we knew we had to share it with you. “It was a moment that took me by surprise—not that I hadn’t anticipated tearing up when my eldest daughter met her new brother, but I guess I hadn’t prepared for exactly what that scene would look like—a completely breathtaking display of love. For all the preparation I had given her those last months of my... Continue reading

At Nod, we believe your home should be a celebration of family. We'll be featuring our Managing Director, Michelle, at home celebrating her own family with recipes, crafts and décor created by our friend Sweet Paul. I love babies, especially brand new babies. They are so soft and small and always smell so sweet. And there is nothing I love more than a newborn cry – it’s so sweet, especially when not heard at 3 am. So how exciting that Emily and I were lucky enough to be invited, recently, to meet a dear friend’s new baby. Having been a... Continue reading

(all "after" photos courtesy of Land of Nod and the wonderful Melanie Acevedo) As many of you may (or may not) know, I also post at Land of Nod's blog, Honest to Nod (tons of amazing stuff over there, check it out if you have a chance). They have always been a wonderful company to work with (lots of giveaways around Christmas time) and I feel so lucky to be part of their internet team. And then everything became even better. A few months ago, LON contacted me asking if I had any interest in improving a room in our... Continue reading

At Nod, we believe your home should be a celebration of family. We'll be featuring our Managing Director, Michelle, at home celebrating her own family with recipes, crafts and décor created by our friend Sweet Paul. I just love making my own wrapping paper. I think it adds a little extra special something to any gift! You can use old family photos to make the ultimate customized paper that will surely bring a smile to the faces of new parents at the same time that it pays homage to family and tradition! You need: old photos printer or a visit... Continue reading

This is possibly the easiest craft project I've ever posted (and I've posted LOTS of easy projects). Basically, look around the neighborhood for "good sticks" (not too frail, not too large), which is a fun way to occupy the kids during the "witching hours." Then use a glue stick to attach the yarn to the stick. I bought different colors of yarn, so that each stick would contain multiple hues. Originally, I placed the sticks in a vase. But when Land of Nod came to makeover the basement, they decided to attach them to the ceiling. Pretty, huh? For an... Continue reading

At Nod, we believe your home should be a celebration of family. We'll be featuring our Managing Director, Michelle, at home celebrating her own family with recipes, crafts and décor created by our friend Sweet Paul. Let's make a pact, okay? We shall not gift "old food" to NEW parents! Stodgy and heavy old-fashioned casseroles are the last thing tired and hungry new parents want. Why not treat new moms and dads to this easy yet sophisticated leek, spinach and ricotta pie? It's a make-ahead gem that after 45 minutes in the oven will nourish and comfort even the most... Continue reading

Is there any happier sight than that of a new baby? The ooohs, aaahs and gurgles make the transition to parenthood all worth it! I’ve brought home two babies in my tenure as a parent, and while much of those first weeks is a warm, fuzzy blur, I cherish those memories. My family and friends showered me with gifts during these times. Many were fabulously helpful as I navigated the waters of motherhood. Seriously, I could STILL sing the praises of these swaddle blankets from the mountaintops, and my “baby” is 3 now! Here are some of my favorite baby... Continue reading

After racking my brain for ideas and coming up completely blank, it hit me that a fruit roll-up is easily transformed into a sweet, little diploma when removed from its package and tied up with black, satin ribbon. Truly what could be more fitting for a preschooler’s diploma than one of their favorite chewy treats? To polish it off we’ve got a freebie printable sign and coordinating striped tray liner for you to download — plus we created a sign for both Preschool and Kindergarten graduation parties. Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com Continue reading

...as written by Land of Nod customer for life Jennifer. Several months ago, a new (the Ellipse) bed appeared on a home decor blog. While the majority of comments debated the longevity of mid-century-modern decor, I chimed in to briefly mention I had some problems with some of the furniture I had purchase from Nod. Shortly thereafter, I spied a response to my post from Nod's Michelle Kohanzo, she included her email and asked that I contact her with more information about my Nod products. I wrote to her and sent pictures of the pieces in my son's room that... Continue reading

A while back, a friend of ours gave Avery a copy of Leo Lionni's Little Blue and Little Yellow. One day, I pulled out some Arches paper that I had stashed away from a bookbinding class I took in college and Avery got to do some watercolor based on Little Blue and Little Yellow. We read the book and then Avery painted with the colors blue and yellow, mixing them and overlapping them on paper. We used Glob paints (our first time using them). Glob's natural paints are made from fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers and spices, such as blueberry and... Continue reading

Name: Pei Pinney Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan Current Town of Residence: Pasadena, CA Would you rather travel by plane, train, car or ship? I like to travel by car because I can stop and explore if I see something interesting while taking a road trip. How many times do you usually hit the snooze button after your alarm goes off? Normally, if I set the alarm, it means I have something important the next day morning, so I either get up right away or snooze no more than twice. How long can food be on the ground and still be fair... Continue reading

American Girl dolls need to eat, so we decided to whip them up some fake fruit (oranges, strawberries, and cherries). We used the following recipe to make the dough (which I found here), a big plus is that it's MICROWAVABLE, so we didn't have to wait a day to start painting. Then we used tubes of watercolor paints (similar to these ) to color the shapes. For the strawberries we added green felt leaves and for the cherries we made holes in the dough and then added cut green pipe cleaners with glue on the bottom. Salt Dough Recipe: 1/2... Continue reading

Months ago we were lucky enough to meet Emily Henderson, host of HGTV's Secrets From a Sylist. We chatted, laughed and cried; well cried from laughing so much over dinner. The connection was inevtiable and we knew a fun collaboration needed to happen. It just so happened she was designing a 9 year old girls room & that's when her creativity went wild. Take a look at her blog today for a look into mixing vintage with new Land of Nod pieces to keep the room young yet sophicated. Full post HERE. Continue reading

Mother's Day is right around the corner. My idea of the perfect mom gift is a little spa pampering, and if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you probably saw that I treated myself to a quick pedicure. Busy moms rarely have time (or cash) for a full-fledged trip to the spa, so I thought today would be a great day to share an at-home spa recipe. CORN SAND BODY POLISH The cornmeal gives this concoction its yellow hue and provides healthy exfoliation delivered in a rich cream of fresh yogurt to nourish and brighten, while honey is a... Continue reading

A few weeks ago, Under the Pecan Tree posted about using household items and art supplies to make portraits and I loved what they came up with. I planned on trying something similar, but then the temps actually rose above 45 degrees. So we scavenged outside for portrait-making materials. And then we arted. What have you been making lately? We'd love to hear! Post by Darcy : bedtimemonsters.blogspot.com Continue reading

Different sources served as inspiration for the colors of Nate's party: a post from Scouts Honor Co., Dwell Studio's beautiful color stories and some napkins we found at IKEA. (Sometimes inspiration comes in little packages.) The pennants were crafted using blue and white twine and Paper Source paper. The paper used to wrap the gifts was also from Paper Source. I wanted the party to reflect Nate's world as a two-year-old: his toys, playthings and favorite treats. Nate's name was spelled out using Land of Nod's whimsical Nod Blocks. The party nosh included animal cookies, chocolate-covered Cheerios and chocolate-dipped Speculoos... Continue reading

I grew up in a time where watching Reading Rainbow with my sister was our ritual for after school. Lisa Frank was all the rage, and I had a rainbow bedspread. Left | Right Nowadays, kids still love rainbows. Maybe it’s because it reminds them of candy, so colorful and fun and well, full of sugar. And rainbows are great inspiration to create a space for kids and really the whole family. It’s wonderful to spread color around like spreading bits of positive energy around the space. pencilshavingsstudio.com It’s easy too. You can organize things into color order or sporadically... Continue reading

Whattya need? Fabric Needle and thread Scissors Filling (polyfill, batting, cottonballs, etc…) Tinsel Glue String or rope How do I make an Indoor Raincloud? Step 1: Double over some fabric and draw a cloud shape onto one side. Step 2: Cut out the cloud shape on both sides of fabric so you end up with an identically shaped front and back. Step 3: Sew the two cloud shapes together 3/4 of the way around the edge. Step 4: Use the remaining open section to stuff with batting or polyfil (or whatever you like), and sew the last 1/4 of the... Continue reading