The Shopping Mama » 2011

Tips for Organizing Children’s Space

by Kate on February 27th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Childrens Decor

If you looked in my house, you would know I have NO BUSINESS sharing tips for organizing children’s space. I try, really try, but it seems that toys and puzzles and books are everywhere. I’ve turned to the experts at HGTV.com and have some of their top tips for keeping kid’s clutter under control. I’d also LOVE to hear your best advice – chime in below in the comments!

Kid-Friendly Display: Invest in a quality bookshelf to store and show off your child’s treasures. Pick a piece that’s timeless, made of materials that will last and in a basic and versatile color.

Label, Label, Label: Use a collection of coordinated boxes (example at right) and label them. Of course, you have to use the label and put things in their place.

Portable Storage for Toys: Even if you have a playroom, keep some toys in portable storage containers so you can bring the entire collection around the house or keep them temporarily in another space.

Older Kids Need Storage, Too: Create a bedside storage area for books or handheld storage game devices to be within reach.

What are your organization tips? How do you tame toys?

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This post is one in a a series sponsored by Sugar and Spice Decor – a great source for kids storage and shelving.

Sugar and Spice Decor has a great selection of storage options from wooden toy boxes to stylish shelving to the affordable, portable and adorable DwellStudio Storage Bins.

Top Red Carpet Smiles

by Kate on February 27th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Life

What do cosmetic dentists do for fun? Apparently they get together and rate celebrities smiles. Just for fun we have the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s top picks for most kissable celebs and not-so-hot smiles. What do you think, are they right on?

Top Oscar Nominee (Best Actor/Actress) Smile

#1 Natalie Portman


#2 James Franco

#3 Nicole Kidman

#4 Annette Bening

#5 Colin Firth

#6 Christian Bale


Most Kissable Hollywood Mouth

AACD member dentists say Angelina Jolie wins hands-down for having the perfect pout for smooching. Natalie Portman comes in second followed by a close third-place tie for Halle Berry and Julia Roberts.

As for the most kissable men, Golden Globe nominee Jake Gyllenhaal beat out perennial favorites such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Denzel Washington.

From Cruise to Clinton: Famous Smiles that Need Work


Tom Cruise tops the list with the most cosmetic dentists writing in that they would  love to see a total cosmetic re-do using the latest orthodontic and veneer technologies.

Also on the list was NFL commentator Michael Strahan for a noticeable front tooth gap. (I have no idea who this is, but hey, it worked for Lauren Hutton, right?)

President George W. Bush makes the list needing a whole slew of re-working including whitening, splint therapy (bite correction, usually for jaw joint/TMJ problems) bonding and veneers.

Two famous females tied for first place for smile makeovers. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric could both use specific cosmetic work to enhance their looks for TV and personal appearances.

Honorable mentions included performer Miley Cyrus and author and lawyer Caroline Kennedy (crown lengthening), former U.S Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and actress Jennifer Garner (veneers) and singer-songwriter Jewel (orthodontics and whitening).

Thanks for the fun Cosmetic Dentists. For a complete listing of AACD cosmetic dentists, go to www.aacd.com.

Kind of makes me wonder what cosmetic surgeons are talking about…

All Photos Courtesy of People.com.

My Daughter’s Room Before + After

by Shannon on February 27th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Nurseries, Bedrooms & Playrooms

I Fear Design…
Psychologists often maintain that fear feeds dreams.  I agree.  I fear design, therefore my dream is for a professional to design my home and all its rooms for me.  So, when The Shopping Mama herself asked all contributors to submit pictures of their children’s rooms for the children’s decor features, I was quaking in my boots.

The story goes deeper.  We rent our house, so I’m not able to paint walls.  In addition, I disassembled my daughter’s room this past fall in anticipation of purchasing a bed and bookshelves from a local furniture store.  After 15 weeks of waiting, I canceled the order and planned to make a purchase elsewhere.  Then, military orders came for us to move to Georgia.  It hardly seemed prudent to order furniture only to move it and risk damage in less than nine months.

Which begs my question:  How do you design a room when you fear the project, can’t paint the walls or purchase furniture, and plan to move in six months?

Before

Here’s the scene before reorganization:


Preschool girl’s room before I reorganized.  Her bed is a simple mattress and box springs on rails and the wall hangings are positioned for a prior furniture arrangement.

The Update

I started by pulling together all the things that had been in her room, hoping to arrange them in a cohesive design.  We had purchased new bedding for the bed that never arrived.  I love the pink madras from Pottery Barn Kids and, of course, other elements of the room followed the color scheme.  I also put my crafting had on and FINALLY made two things I’d been putting off forever – a mobile to hang above her bed and a French memo board to hang her artwork from preschool.


Two handmade items for preschool girl’s room:  1) a mobile featuring family and friends to hang over her bed among fluttering butterflies and tissue paper flowers, and 2) a memo board for her artwork.  Rather than buttons or tufting, I simply stretched ribbons across a fabric-covered canvas.  Artwork will be attached with butterfly and flower-adorned clothes pins from World Market.

After

After making the mobile and memo board, I hung artwork and rearranged accessories.  Preschool girl likes having her IKEA table and chairs next to her bed for books and milk, so I made them tidy and her room looks much better.


Preschool girl’s finished room.  The hanging letters are from Land of Nod and the wall also features items from The Picture People and Piggies and Paws.  On the opposite wall, I streamlined the accessories on top of her armoire and hung a metal garden angel on the wall with a few other wall decorations.

We like it!

Butterfly Mirrors

by Kate on February 27th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  28 Days of Design

Design: Butterfly Mirrors

Why We Want it in Our House: Really, the only word to describe these Butterfly Mirrors is pretty. They are just pretty. And they would look lovely in a little girl’s nursery as well as an older girl’s room. The mirrors are sold individually in slightly different shapes and feature sweet etched detail.

Shop! The Butterfly Mirrors from Pottery Barn Kids are $59 each.

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Check out all our Children’s Décor picks and purchase many in The Shopping Mama’s Amazon store.

Sheep Mobile

by Kate on February 26th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  28 Days of Design

Design: Sheep Mobile

Why We Want it in Our House: Sheep make babies sleep, right? No, you say? Even if this isn’t a magic sleep mobile it is a perfectly modern and simple mobile that will delight babies. This Flenstead Sheep Mobile was originally designed for the Museum of Modern Art and is made in Denmark. It has four white sheep and one lone black sheep made of lightweight plastic.

Shop! The simple and sweet Sheep Mobile is available at giggle for $32. giggle also offers Flensted mobiles featuring bunnies and penguins.

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Check out all our Children’s Décor picks and purchase many in The Shopping Mama’s Amazon store.

Ralph Lauren Create Your Own Collection Review + Giveaway

by Kate on February 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, Giveaways, Reviews

The iconic Ralph Lauren pony is now optional. That’s right, the brand is switching it up and giving you the design power with the Create Your Own Collection. Polos, Oxford button downs, cardigans and dresses are now available for customization.

Create Your Own Collection

Available exclusively at RalphLauren.com, every piece is made to order to your liking. The process is very simple with surprising amount of customization available. I personalized a polo for my son – here’s the quick process.

  1. Decide if you want to customize with a Monogram or Pony Color
  2. Pick Shirt Size, Shirt Color and Embroidery Color
  3. Select Your Monogram and Font – there are 12 monogram options!

Before ordering, you can preview your design to make sure it suits your liking. The photo to the right is the preview of my son’s shirt.

Personalized Polo

Creating a Boy’s Polo for my son was very a quick and easy process. I picked a Navy short sleeved polo with white letters for the chest. I was very surprised by how many monogram options were available, but I opted for the Classic 3 Letter monogram.

The monogram replaces the traditional pony on the chest which has moved to the bottom left side of the polo. When the shirt arrived, it did look exactly like the preview, but I was surprised by how small the monogram actually is. I’m not sure if the monograms are different sizes for different shirt sizes, but I wish it was larger on my son’s size 4T shirt.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Nothing beats the iconic Ralph Lauren pony. Except my son’s monogram. I love personalized and customized things for my kids and it’s awesome that Ralph Lauren is making it easy. You get the Ralph Lauren quality made just for your tot.

Or Not to Buy… I wish the monogram was larger and I have to say that when looking up close the monogramming isn’t particularly neat and is almost sloppy looking. But, as you can see in the photo it looks fine.

Shop! The Boys Polo we created is $34.50 (including personalization). Check out the entire Create Your Own Children’s Collection at RalphLauren.com.

Win! A Ralph Lauren Create Your Own Polo Shirt!

How to Enter: Leave a comment and tell us who you want to create a polo for.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends March 11. Open to US residents only.

I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Ralph Lauren and received a Ralph Lauren CYO shirt to facilitate my review.

Lottie Da: Beautiful Children’s Boutique

by Kate on February 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Childrens Decor, Shopping

As much as I miss the warmth of Florida, I have to say that I LOVE living in a city. Even if it isn’t the biggest, most metropolitan city in the States, Columbus is an awesome place to live. Now that I’m here with kids (as opposed to in high school or surviving law school) I am having fun finding events to attend, activities to enjoy and, yes, stores to shop. One recent discovery is Lottie Da boutique, owned, operated and loved by Amy Routh.

About Lottie Da

A little shop with big ideas. We believe a child’s world should be more than pink and blue. Instead we should surround them with vibrant color, pattern, and designs that match their own unique personalities. We believe it is never too early to teach a child the importance of individuality and creativity.

Custom Bedding

The first product that garnered my attention at Lottie Da is the beautiful custom baby bedding. It’s beautiful. And designed for you. Prices start at $300 for a three-piece set. Amy enjoys collaborating and creating bedding to be the centerpiece in your perfect nursery.

After talking with her, it’s clear it’s not a cut and dry business deal. Amy truly loves the creative process and collaborating with moms-to-be. Indeed, she often finds coordinating design pieces on Etsy and suggests her finds to moms she’s working with. And, after seeing her beautiful boutique in person I can tell you I’d LOVE to receive decorating advice or a shopping tip or two from Amy!

Children’s Boutique in Columbus, Ohio

I had the pleasure of spending a morning chatting with Amy and checking out all the loveliness that is the Lottie Da boutique in Columbus, Ohio. Feast your eyes on the store…

Clothes, clothes and more amazing children’s boutique clothes…

In all the goodness, I spotted the Kemby Sidekick Diaper Bag / Carrier.

Shop! Columbus locals can enjoy all that Lottie Da has to offer by visiting the boutique located on North High in the Clintonville area. If you’re not local, you can shop Lottie Da online and on Etsy. You can also connect with Lottie Da on Facebook and Twitter.

Chalk Table and Benches

by Kate on February 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  28 Days of Design

Design: P’kolino Chalk Table and Benches

Why We Want it in Our House: We just adore P’kolino modern children’s furniture – the clean lines, kid-friendly design and budget-safe prices can’t be beat. This Chalk Table and Bench set is no exception. The cut out top is a chalkboard on one side or flips to match and hide the built in storage compartment.

Shop! The P’kolino Chalk Table and Bench Set is currently on sale on Amazon for $75.

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Check out all our Children’s Décor picks.

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