Giveaway Reminder: Twinkle Kids Felt Cake, Tee & Belt

If you haven't already thrown your comment into the ring, here's a quick reminder that you have until tonight (Monday) at midnight EST to enter the Twinkle Kids Fun Felt Products Giveaway. You could win a felt cake, a felt graphic tee and a felt dot belt. Just leave a comment over on that post.

Betty's Bunny Doll

My friend Sherry, the toy guru, gave Betty an early birthday present and I have to share. Have you seen the Grannimals toy selection from Latitude Enfant? Well Betty is now the proud owner of Lucien the Bunny. And Betty is in love. It's French. It's machine washable. It's perfect.

Thank you, Sherry! And thank you Kathryn for the great shot of Betty & Bunny.

Snap-A-Place

Clever Laurie sent me a link to these all-inclusive place settings. So fresh. My kids find this kind of thing so appealing.

Internet Baby Shower

Thank goodness I read Blog con Queso. Girl con Queso is in the know. And her's is the first blog where I read about the Virtual Baby Shower being held for 3 Parenting Blog Celebrities: Liz at Mom 101, Christina of A Mommy Story, and Tammie of Soul Gardening. Go here to play games, win prizes, learn all about it and leave some baby advice.

The best baby advice I've received:
Nap when your baby is napping. This is a great idea if you can make it work.

The worst baby advice I've received:
Nap when your baby is napping. This idea just doesn't work, especially if this is baby number 2 — or more.

A virtual shower. What a great idea. Congratulations to the 3 lovely ladies!

Little About Me — by Guest Mom Amy M

First of all I want to say how grateful I am for this opportunity. I have enjoyed thinking about what I would cover and what I would share with you. A daunting task, but a fun one never the less. Since this is my first post I just thought you'd like to know a little about the mom writing the posts for the week, and since I'm 31 I thought I would share 31 things that make me me.

1. I love to be creative
2. I love quiet
3. I rarely eat breakfast
4. I am thinking of running a 1/2 marathon...just thinking
5. Monday is my favorite day of the week
6. I rarely use coupons
7. I love photography
8. I enjoy giving myself manicures and pedicures even though they're not that good
9. I hoard idea books
10. I care what people think
11. I love handmade cards
12. Though I like apples I find them to be the most boring of all the fruits...perhaps because there so easy to find
13. I usually never watch a movie more than once
14. I could watch Pride and Prejudice everyday
15. Still working on adopting Parenting with love and logic in my home
16. I want a Mac
17. I love to snack
18. I need to get my passport
19. I love to learn new things and to teach myself how to do it
20. Karen Krasne extraordinary desserts is now my favorite place for chocolate cake...too bad it's in San Diego
21. I do not like pie
22. I'm a massage therapist
23. My word for the year is "DO"
24. I drive a Land Rover
25. I hate when people are late
26. I love the changing color of light depending on the time of day
27. I dream of having a gallery filled with my photographs
28. I'm a mother of 3 little girls
29. My husband is my best friend
30. I love to be home
31. I'm an introvert

I could go on I guess, but I'll leave it at that. Go here if you want to learn even more about me.



Here are a few of my favorite things

Shade tees
American Eagle Jeans
Paper Source A7 boxes (perfect for 5x7 photos)
Russel+Hazel Smart Grid paper pad
American Craft modern albums
CatsLife Press stamps
Amy Butler designs
Living Out Loud by Kari Smith
She by Kobi Yamada
Fresh Sugar Lip balm

Look forward to spending the week with you,
amy

Note from Design Mom:
I'm so looking forward to Amy's posts this week. I don't know Amy at all. Not even a little bit. I came upon her blog and was impressed, so I sent her an email inviting her to be a Guest Mom. And she accepted. And those 2 emails are the total extent of our relationship. And I guess that's why I'm so looking forward to her posts — I love how blogging connects people and I'm excited to learn more about this week's Guest Mom. Welcome Amy! I'm glad you're here. Please make yourself at home.

Giveaway: Twinkle Kids Fun Felt Products

Happy Friday! Let's get ready for the weekend with a darling giveaway. Think graphic. Think felt. Think soft. There's a new company with a good idea. The company is called Twinkle Kids and no doubt about it, you'll have a twinkle in your eye if you're the winner of the TWINKLE GARDEN CAKE, GRAPHIC TEE and an ULTRA SUEDE DOT BELT from Twinkle Kids!!



So let's talk about these Twinkle Cakes:


The winner will receive the Garden Cake (pictured at top), and Twinkle Kids also make 2 other versions called the Suzani and the Jack & the Beanstalk. That's a 3-tiered felt base with a collection of felt pieces that can be mixed and matched and placed anywhere on the cake. This toy is one of the cutest innovations in play that I've seen in awhile. Felt toys have been around, but nothing quite like this. It's quiet. It's creative. It will enable endless variations and pattern studies. It's 3-D, requiring different thinking than typical felt boards. It's pretty. And it won't leave a bruise if a toddler fight erupts during a playdate. I think it's really, really great.


Then, pick a tee, any tee. Lots and lots of icons to pick from. And the tees come in pink, olive or black. I think my personal favorite is the band-aid icon on the elbow. Winner picks graphic, tee-color and size.


And to complete the ensemble, pick out your favorite Ultrasuede Dot Belt. The perfect spot of color to help you spot your little one at the park. Again, the winner picks the color and size.

I would definitely recommend checking out their site. In addition to the fine goods I've already told you about, Twinkle Kids offers special tee-sets for twins and triplets. And you can pick up extra felt decorations as well.


I'm really impressed with the thinking behind Twinkle Kids — especially the Twinkle Cakes. It's delightful to see something new and so well-designed on the market. Just imagine the little chef that will be kept happily busy decorating a cake. I'm sure you can think of the perfect recipient. Remember, you have until Monday at midnight EST to enter to get in on the Twinkle action.

Thank you Twinkle KIds for the generous giveaway!

-------------

Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight EST on Monday, April 30th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-Winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ask Design Mom: How to Wear Shortish Dresses

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
I have a submission for Ask Design Mom. I love dresses, and I have a few that I'm crazy about except that they only come to about mid-thigh, which is too short for my comfort. One of them looks cute with jeans underneath, but the others don't work so well that way. Any ideas on how to get a little more coverage (knee length or longer) underneath, but still enjoy my darling dresses? (Both are from H&M; one a casual red-and-white knit with a polo-type collar, the other is more dressy, an adorable brown-and-white polka dot with a cowl neck.) All best, Rosalynde

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Rosalynde. I think your instinct to layers jeans underneath a short-er dress is just right — it's a look I love, and a look that some of my most stylish friends wear frequently. But I totally understand that jeans won't always work with every dress.



So another solution that's right on the money and will solve the short-er dress problem is leggings. Look for something thicker than footless tights, but not so loose that you lose the shape of the leg. And now that the weather is warming up, you can take the legging length from ankle to just below the knee. I like this pair from Delia's, this pair at American Apparel, or Gap offers some more basic options.

If leggings aren't quite right, I suggest experimenting with other pants. If your standard jeans don't work, try a cigarette leg jean. Or maybe a pair of white sailor-cut cotton pants would look just right under your red-and-white knit.

Design Mom Readers, do you have any tricks for pulling off short dresses?

EDIT:
The question has come up in the comments about whether or not you can still pull off the leggings look if you're 35 or older. It's a great question and I think warranted an edit to the post. When I think about the women I know in the 35-45 age range and imagine them in leggings, I think Yes and No. If the idea makes you cringe, it's probably not a good look for you. On the other hand, I can think of many friends that could totally pull it off. I say, if you're over 35 and you like the leggings look, go for it.


In fact, I just received a Garnet Hill catalog today with clothing geared toward the 30+ set, and they show two totally hip and age-appropriate excellent examples of how to pull it off.

Monogramming

Although I like the idea of monogramming — of adding initials to handkerchiefs or pillows or towels — I usually cringe at the typefaces available at monogramming houses. So I was pleased to see this option offered at West Elm. San-serif, small caps, extended. Just right for a monogram.

Stone Barns

Last weekend, we took the kids and met some friends at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills — about 30 minutes outside the city. Housed on the stunning grounds of what was once a Rockefeller farm, Stone Barns is a working farm attempting to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm not exaggerating when I talk about the grounds. They're spectacular. And there is a generous courtyard where the kids could run free.

After some initial exploring we ate lunch at the Blue Hill Café. Everything they serve is grown on the grounds or purchased from nearby farms. It's the best lunch I've had in ages. We just devoured everything. I haven't had a backyard garden for years, and I was surprised how good fresh-from-the-farm salad greens taste.

When lunch was finished, we hiked and hiked and hiked and hiked. The kids loved it. We hiked to a lake to search for turtles. We dared Ralph to dunk his head in the very cold water — and he took the dare. We searched out the pigs and gave them water. We saw picturesque views of rolling farmland with cattle grazing. It was one of those outings that was great for the kids and great for the parents. No lines, no hurrying, no shushing.

In addition to roaming free around the farm, you can take gardening classes, cooking classes or guided tours. On my next trip, I'd really like to hit the Weekly Farm Market. And if I can remember to make reservations two months in advance, I'd love to go to dinner with Ben at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Book of the Week: Eloise in Paris

It's not like the Eloise empire needs any love from me to keep afloat. But it occurred to me not every Design Mom Reader may be familiar with this series of books. Personally, I didn't grow up with Eloise. I discovered Eloise in Paris as I was browsing a book store when my oldest two where just babies. It was too old for them, but I bought it anyway because I was so charmed by the writing and the line drawings. And Eloise in Paris is still my favorite of the Eloise books — because Paris just comes off as fabulous, even through the eyes of a little girl. Plus, I love all the bits of french thrown in.

Eloise lives at the Plaza hotel in New York. Her parents are jet-setters, so she spends her life with an exhausted, but kind Nanny. Eloise talks really fast and gets distracted really easily. And I think the book is best when you can get in the Eloise mindset and feel a rush about life as you read it. If I'm honest, I probably like it more than my kids.

Eloise enjoyed her 50th anniversary in 2005. Find Eloise in Paris here.

The Sartorialist

I can't remember where I made mention of this wonderful blog before, but stylish Michelle suggested that many Design Mom Readers may need a reminder to check out the Sartorialist and get totally fashion inspired.

On most days, the Sartorialist author posts pictures of actual people he sees on the streets who look cool. Not models, and not professionally styled for a photo shoot. Just absolutely cool.

He also gives great coverage of fashion week and is developing the SartoriaList — a wonderful resource for the best tailors, barbers, drycleaners and shoe repair shops in the fashion capitals of New York, Milan and Paris.

I'm featuring some of my favorite photos from his recent trip to Milan. A really, really good daily read.

Olive Blair

Five years old is pretty charming — if you find dorkiness charming. Read about the adventures of five-year-old Olive on my most recent post at NY Metro Parents blog.

Ask Design Mom: Window Coverings

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
I need some ideas for stylish window treatments in my living room that are not super expensive (no Smith+Noble for me!) but are baby-proof! I have an "almost-walker" who is 10 months and my existing curtains are just another means to pull up these days! I am looking for nighttime privacy but don't need light control — I prefer bright rooms! thanks, Jen

Design Mom Answer:
Great question, Jen. I totally get you on the almost walker stage. I have very strong opinions on the whole window treatment subject. So, if our design styles don't mesh in this area, my apologies in advance for giving advice you won't use.

Basically, I prefer and am most drawn to simple, simple window coverings. If you have a substantial budget, I always recommend plantation shutters. They're made of beautiful materials. They add an architechural element to any room. And because they're mounted inside the window, they show off both the window itself and the moulding that surrounds it. Plantation shutters look good in pretty much any decor. Plus, there are no strings or weird hardware to present potential choking hazards — very baby friendly. I love the photo above from the West Elm summer catalog. I so crave a window like that.


If plantation shutters are a no go, my second recommendation is roman shades. Like plantation shutters, they can be mounted inside the window if you have a pretty window to show off. Alternately, they can be bought/ordered a bit oversize if you need to hide unattractive mouldings around the window. You can have them made — or make them yourself — from virtually any fabric, which is a great way to bring some color into a room. They look neat and clean and proper either opened or closed. Depending on fabric and construction, they can look either modern, formal or casual. Their installation is the simplest of any window covering I've discovered: just 2 brass hooks, no tools required.

I use roman shades throughout my house. A satisfying part of my morning routine is going from window to window, raising the shade to let the sun in, then winding the cord in a figure eight on a latch out of reach of the children. Ikea has a wide selection of inexpensive roman shades. I've even had excellent results dyeing their white ones (in my bathtub) to achieve a custom color.

I hope that helps, Jen! Design Mom Readers, what do you do for window coverings?

roman shade pic from pottery barn

Ask Design Mom: 1-year-old Birthday Gift

Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Dear Design Mom, we are looking for a meaningful gift for our soon-to-be one year old boy's birthday. Since he is the fourth child, we have many toys that he is content to play with. Same with clothes. We want to give him something that will be fun to open and play with on his birthday — something that is unique and age-appropriate as well. Any suggestions? — Kathryn

Design Mom Answer:
What a great question, Kathryn. Thanks for sending it in. There are so many neato toy stores around these days, that my first instinct was to send you somewhwere like Zebra Hall or Mahar Dry Goods or Craftsbury Kids (all excellent establishments by the way). But then I gave it some more thought and reminded myself that the wants of a one-year-old are pretty darn simple. I have tried many different first-birthday gifts over the years — for my own kids and for children of friends — but I think the best one was received on Ralph's first birthday.

My sister-in-law Traci who was already a experienced mother at this point, brought him a shiny, mylar helium balloon on a ribbon, with a small weight attached to keep the balloon from floating away.

I could see within minutes of the balloon's arrival that Traci was a super-genius-gift-giver. Ralph sat on the grass and used the string to pull the balloon down and then release it for a half an hour — a long-time for a newly one-year-old. The balloon lasted for days and it's charms never faded for Ralph. When it finally lost its float, I could discard it with no guilt and without having to find a new home for it. Lovely. This kind of gift seems especially appropriate for a house like yours with plenty of toys.

Design Mom Readers, what are your favorite first-birthday gifts to give/receive?

balloon pic from getty images

Pretty Wood Hangers for Baby

Wouldn't one of these be cute to hang a sweet little outfit from a hook in the Nursery?

(Note: the pricing on the site is odd.)

thanks Hailey!

Real Savvy Moms — Part II

My blogging friend/actress/model/mother-of-two, Kristy Glass, is one of the final 5 contestants to be the next host of Real Savvy Moms TV. Hooray! This is the final round. If you'd like to help her out with a vote, you can do it here.

I'm crossing my fingers, Kristy.

Muji Department Store

My friend Denise, who does a great job of keeping watch for cool things I can post on Design Mom, sent me a link about a new Japanese department store opening in the United States in a few months.

It's called Muji. And from what I can see on their website, I'm thinking it's like a Japanese Ikea. What? Japanese plus Ikea? Be still my heart. Everything on the site, for home, for kitchen, for office, is sleek and orderly with pops of color here and there.

Check these City-in-a-Bag toys from their children's collection. Oh man. I can't wait till I can go through an actual Muji store.

Luscious Lemon Baby Shower Invitations

Umm. Did you see my sister Jordan's blog yesterday? Check out these fantastic lemony shower invitations she designed and printed. Don't you wish Jordan was throwing you a party?

Lots more pictures on her blog. . .

Your photo + Soda = Cool

The ever-cool Jones Soda, famous for ever-changing crazy pictures on their labels — pictures sent in by customers — is now offering a service called My Jones. Basically, you can order Jones Soda with photos you provide.

A custom 12-pack is $29.99. I know. That's almost $3 for a soda. But what a great party favor! I'm thinking totally worth it.

via the wonderful Cool Mom Picks

Remember National Badger?

You know, that company I posted about earlier with the awesome name that produces super-cool artwork very appropriate for a child's room? That's right. National Badger.

Well don't miss your chance to get your hands on some of their terrific artwork for free. Check out the giveaway at Tangled and True.

Triple Ask Design Mom: Recycling Containers, Swimsuits, Rocking Chairs

Recently, my wonderful Guest Moms have been answering Ask-Design-Mom Questions without knowing it.

For example, I received this question:
Hello Design Mom. Do you have any ideas for some non-ugly recycling containers for the kitchen? My waste management company now picks up food waste along with regular recycling and garbage. I don't want three garbage cans in my kitchen. Thanks, Catherine

And Guest Mom Nie Nie showcased an excellent solution here. Her solution is perfect for a garage — and I have big plans to implement it this spring. But if you're looking for something to use in the kitchen, Williams-Sonoma carries two very sleek (and pricey) options here and here.


Then, I received another good question:
Hey Design Mom, I remember last year you had a post about swimsuits with better than average coverage. Did you find out about anymore brands? Please let me know. — Ashlynn

And Guest Mom Sara wrote this perfect response. In the comments, readers mentioned additional sources like Modbe and one especially great suit at Urban Outfitters. Also worth a peek: Layers Clothing, DownEast Basics, and Hapari Swimsuits (try to ignore the odd Hapari photo shoot).


Then, just last week, I received this lovely question:
Dear Design Mom, I am pregnant with my first child, and am excitedly looking into baby furniture and other fun baby things. I am having a particular dilemma with rocking chairs however. Is it important to have a glider rocker? Because I'm not a fan of how they look. I'm looking for a classic rocking chair and I am also on a budget — Dad would be happier with the least amount spent as possible. Any help is greatly appreciated! — Heather

And voilá! Sara writes another perfect response — without even knowing the question had been sent in. DM Readers gave lots of additional great ideas in the comments and I only have one thing to add. Check out the enormous selection of antique rockers from ebay.

Find one example here. I heart the simple side profile of this one. This primitive one is also amazing. If you don't like them as is, an additional scuffing, or a quick white-wash is all these rockers need to fit in traditional or eclectic decor.

If antiques/beat-up furniture don't fit well in your home, you can make pretty much anything feel super-modern and up-to-date with a thick coat of super-high-gloss paint. Find your perfect ebay rocker and then take it to your local auto-body shop and have them soup it up with an almost reflective coat of white, lime green, turquoise or orange. It'll fit right into any modern decor and be one-of-a-kind at the same time.

Shabby Apple Dresses

Has everyone out there checked out Shabby Apple? A new company featuring dresses, dresses and more dresses. Reasonably priced with no ridiculous hemlines. These dresses seem very mom-friendly to me.

From their website: "A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything. . . no tank tops no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!)"

PB Kids Toys

I haven't looked closely at a PB Kids catalog for maybe 6 months, so it was fun to browse the latest version and see some new products. Look how pretty this color wheel puzzle is. And seems like it would be nice to have around when the kids are mixing paints.

Winner of the Organic Layette from small & medium

297 comments?!! That's wonderful! Thank you again for participating.

The winner of the Organic Layette from small and medium is Mona who said... "Too cute!"

Congratulations, Mona! Please email me from the link on my blog with your shipping address and I'll send your info along to small & medium.

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway. Thanks to small and medium And thanks for reading. Expect one more Giveaway this week before the Mother's Day extravaganza. . .

What's a Design Mom Random Giveaway? Find out here.

Thank you SARA!!

Wasn't Sara an amazing Guest Mom? What a fount of cool sources and good ideas. And can you believe she's due to deliver baby #3 any minute now?

Thank you, Sara, for making time to share with Design Mom Readers. Great posts all the way around.

And don't miss Sara's latest post at Lewis Girls where she writes about one of New York's super-secret restaurants and cleaning up the bathroom for Lance Armstrong.

Mother's Day Announcement & Organic Layette Giveaway Reminder

Two things:

First, a quick reminder that you have until Sunday night at midnight EST to enter the Organic Layette Giveaway from small & medium. It's really a fantastic prize package, so if you or your friends haven't entered yet, I highly encourage it. Just leave a comment over on that post.

[ 5/7/07 NOTE: The Small & Medium Giveaway is closed, but see below for info about the current (and very fabulous) Mother's Day Giveaways! ]



Second, I'm so excited to announce a Mother's Day Celebration taking place here at Design Mom. From Monday, May 7th through Friday, May 11th, there will be a week-long(!) Giveaway-A-Day to Celebrate Mother's Day.
We're talking very generous prize packages. No toys. No baby items. Just beautiful items that are just for women and that women will love.

Not a mom? Oh come on. Women are mothers by nature. There must be something you're mothering and nurturing — a pet, a plant, a project, some sort of offspring of your mind, body or soul. Whether you have kids in tow or not, you'll love these giveaways.

5/7/07 EDIT:
The Mother's Day Giveaways have begun! Go here to see the current Giveaway or see the links below. To enter, you just need to leave a comment, any comment — but not on this post(!). Leave your comments on the posts listed below. And remember, you only have 1 day to enter each Giveaway. Good luck!

Monday 5/7 Giveaway #1
Monday 5/7 Giveaway #2
Tuesday 5/8 Giveaway #3
Tuesday 5/8 Giveaway #4
Wednesday 5/9 Giveaway #5
Thursday 5/10 Giveaway #6
Thursday 5/10 Giveaway #7
Friday 5/11 Giveaway #8 (finale!)

neighborhoodies — by Guest Mom Sara Stratford

I was on the neighborhoodies website this morning, since my sister Laura and I are planning on getting one for our nephew for his birthday. It occurred to me that while I've known about this site for years, Designmom readers might not. Basically, you can customize your own hoodie/t-shirt/underwear with whatever saying you can come up with. Tons of different style and color options, and I think everything they print on is from American Apparel, so it's quality.

My first neighborhoodie was a red one that said Red Hook, a shout out to my Brooklyn neighborhood. About a year later, Carrie (little sis) gave me a "Trophy Wife" baseball T. It usually gets a few laughs when I wear it.

Who will you customize a hoodie for?

Skirt Makeover

Last week I spotted this great project at Room Somewhere and I've got the perfect piece of clothing to try it out. So smart. Just sew a contrasting fabric beneath your piece of clothing. Trace a shape and then sew along the tracing line. Then cut the shape out of the top fabric to reveal the constrast beneath.



And here's my story: I picked up a skirt from Banana Republic a few weeks ago and during the second wearing I cleaned the kitchen with some kind of bleach product and got two bleach spots right on the front. Of course I was irritated at myself and was sad that I was going to have to let the skirt go — it's cute and fit very well. So I was so delighted to come across this project.

The skirt is perfect for something like this especially because of 3 facts: the 2 bleach spots appeared strategically to the left, which is great, because I would rather have the design off-centered. Second, the skirt hem was designed with a deconstructed look which this kind of project lends itself to (plus I'm not good at refined sewing). Third, the material is a solid color, a khaki green, neutral enough to offset pretty much any color or pattern.

Read the enlarged instructions here.

Wish me luck!