A Whale of a Good Time

April 7, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

Would you roll your eyes if I said this playhouse is a whale of a good time? Seriously, I looked up the definition and it reads: “This idiom alludes to the largest mammal to describe something very large and impressive.” If this whale playhome isn’t large and impressive, I don’t know what is. I’ll site some evidence to support my statement, and let you decide if my use of this phrase is nonsense, or if this playhouse is in fact the epitome of a whale of a good time.

Wild Wings Dress Up Set

First things first, let’s check out the detail on the outside of Mr. Whale. While the whale in Pinocchio may send your littles scrambling to hide behind the couch, this gentle giant has the sweetest eyes and softest fins. His large tail fin also doubles as a bean bag. Not only that, it zips off cleanly to provide an extra cushion your child can use apart from the playhouse. Plus, our sweet whale is covered in tiny barnacle details, and even has a blowhole!

If that wasn’t enough, let’s head inside. To keep the inside cozy, we created a “tongue” pillow so your little can curl up with their favorite book. While they’re lazing inside they can look up at the dreamy baleen-inspired fringe that hangs from the roof of his mouth. In a real whale, baleen is used to filter food. But in the playhouse, it creates a cozy, dreamy spot for your kiddo to enjoy some quite time or set off on a crazy adventure only they can dream up.

And honestly, that’s the best part. Aside from all the fun details, it’s really the imaginative storylines that kids will create with this guy that has me swooning over this playhouse. So, there you have it. A whale of a good time.

Danielle is the Creative Director at Nod and an over-protective mother of two. She’s also completely obsessed with Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and her Kindle, but not necessarily in that order. Danielle loves to craft, sew and crochet. Her current craft of choice is weaving tiny wall tapestries.

Choosing Stock Plus Fabrics

April 6, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

When it comes to furniture design, who doesn’t love a little customization? The Stock Plus upholstery collection makes it easy to customize furniture to fit into any room type or design style. Best of all, the fabrics are perfect for life with kiddos. They’re durable, easy-to-clean, and fade-resistant. Although there are a limited number of furniture items with Stock Plus availability, there is enough variety within the selection to coordinate with all design styles (ie: Mid-Century, Traditional, Transitional, Modern, etc.).

Personalized Framed Pitch a Tent Wall Art / Patina Rug / On the Wall Book Bin / Toby Glider / Scallop Throw Pillow / Hampshire Nightstand / Light Years Table Base /

When it comes to picking out the right upholstery for your space, consider the other décor you’ll be using in the design. For example, if you’re trying to incorporate an area rug with a commanding pattern or color pallete, you may want to stick with a more subdued upholstery option to compliment the rug. You don’t want to have a lot of loud colors and patterns competing with each other for attention, especially if you’re working with a smaller space.

Paris Carousel Wall Art / Totally Triangular Rug / Hemisphere Floor Lamp / Sofa, So Good Sleeper / Cool Monster Throw Pillow / Jenny Pennywood Shag Pillow / Faux-Leather Seats Come Standard Pouf / Toby Ottoman /

That being said, don’t be afraid to explore different pattern pairings. A textured dot pattern like the Journey Classic black dots is perfect for adding a punch of style to an ottoman or an accent chair and pairs well with the wider striped pattern in the Folk Denim rug. Adding a fun throw pillow or two can provide the perfect finishing touch to pull the room together.

Best and the Mostest Wall Art / Folk Denim Rug / Periscope Floor Lamp / Cosgrove Glider / Sheepish Throw Pillow / Cosgrove Ottoman / Half Tone Floor Bin /

Whatever your style preference, you’re bound to find an upholstery option in the Stock Plus selection that perfectly fits your room design. The harder choice will be deciding which one you love the most!

Happy Styling!

Post by Stephanie Geurkink, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

Shenandoah Upholstered Furniture

April 5, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

Marquee Bed / Unicorn Charming Creatures Decor / Celestial Mobile / Between a Rock & a Table Lamp Base / Mint Larkin Nightstand / Carousel Bedding / Pink Chevron Twist Rug /

At Nod nothing is more important to us than creating safe, high quality product for our customers and their families. We believe that when built correctly, furniture can be an investment that will serve your family for many, many years. (Did you know that we have an 18 year quality guarantee? Our products are built to last until your kids are grown and out of the house, and even beyond that.) That’s why we seek out the most skilled craftsman to build our furniture, like Shenandoah.

Silhouette Daybed / Make a Splash Bedding / Not a Peep Bedding / Lo-Res Rug /

Shenandoah is a North Carolina based furniture company that’s been family owned and operated for over 35 years. Not only do they have a great eye for design, but their attention to detail is second to none. From the beautiful top stitching on our Paramount Glider to the pleated arms of the Finley, each detail is intentional and impeccable.

Unlike many factories, each piece that comes out of the Shenandoah workshop is built entirely by just two people. One craftsman creates the entire frame, and passes it to another to upholster the piece. They aren’t just stamping out parts, but rather handcrafting heirloom quality furniture that can withstand the wear and tear of a young family.

Beyond their attention to creating quality product, Shenandoah is also committed to doing their part to protect the environment. All the woods used are sustainably forested. They use soy-based foams, springs made from recycled metals and fibers created from recycled materials. In addition, the factory recycles and repurposes all the scrap fabrics, leather, wood and even saw dust it creates.

The furniture created at Shenandoah is truly beautiful both inside and out.

Summer Vacation Necessities

April 4, 2016

Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

Even though spring break just wrapped up for us (and we just posted our Spring Bucket List), my crew already have their minds on summer. And summer vacation plans, in particular. They’ve heard from a number of friends about “grandparents camp” — where you get to go spend some time at your grandparents’ house sans parents. Kane is ALL in. Cam wants to go, but is a little anxious about spending overnight time away from us. So we’ve been talking about what they could pack to make the time go smoothly.

Both of our kids are stuffed animal addicts and the first thing they think of to pack when we go anywhere are as many “lovies” as I’ll allow. So a brand new fluffy pig (Cam’s favorite animal) and a hysterical sloth (seriously, the sloth slays me) were the perfect place to start. Obviously they needed a new bag to tote the little fellas in and The Land of Nod’s colorful new collaboration with hip Mokuyobi Threads offers the perfect backpacks! In went the animals along with more lovies, books, and a flashlight for each.

Now they won’t be camping, but to help them each feel well-snuggled and tucked in tight, we decided to send them off with new sleeping bags. The Candy Bow Sleeping Bag (and pillowcase) is 100% Cam — it even matches her room! Kane is a building and engineering fiend, so the Robotic Sleeping Bag (and pillowcase) was a good fit for him.

They’ll need a few other items, but I’d say they’ve got the necessities all worked out!

Now we wait for summer….

Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.

Charley Harper Printable Animal Paper Crowns

April 1, 2016

Printable Animal Crowns designed by Michelle Romo

In honor of our new Charley Harper for Nod collection, we’re getting in the animal spirit with these awesome Charley Harper printable animal paper crowns. All you need to do is print the printable and follow the instructions below. Enjoy!

How to Make:

Print the first page of the printable along with the page with your favorite animal face.
Color your headband and animal face.
Cut out the headbands and the face on the dotted line.
Tape the face onto the headband.
Wear as a crown!

Michelle Romo is our newest Nod illustrator, she’s a self-taught illustrator and designer fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese and Scandinavian design, along with pretty much anything cute. When she isn’t working she spends her time eating good food, hugging her friends, playing video games and crafting.

Product Spotlight: The Harmony Collection

March 31, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

A crib is one of the biggest nursery purchases new parents will make when planning for their new baby. A lot of research and deliberation will go into picking out just the right style with just the right features, but just when you’ve got baby nestled into their new bedroom, it seems like they’ve already grown out of that crib and into a toddler bed. At a seemingly quicker rate, their legs are hanging over their toddler bed and you realize maybe you need to upgrade to something even bigger. Before you know it, that initial crib purchase is a distant memory and you’ve already bought two different beds for your growing kiddo.

This is the beauty of the new Harmony crib. It’s basically the Swiss Army knife of cribs and can adapt to fit your child at every stage of life. It’s a crib, toddler bed, and full-sized bed all in one. Basically, it’s a bed to last until your kiddo heads off to college. What parent doesn’t love that?

Even more awesome than its physical adaptability is the way the Harmony crib is easily styled and restyled as your kiddo transitions from crib to toddler bed to big-kid bed. Its neutral upholstery and carved wood detail make it both gender and age neutral, so you could even pass it on from big sister to little brother.

Hangin’ Around Ceiling Lamp / Buffalo Wall Art / Freehand Crib Bedding / Feather Iconic Fitted Crib Sheet / Harmony 3-in-1 Crib / Finley Glider / Cinema Floor Lamp / Half and Half Floor Bins / Shaggy Pouf / Harmony 3-Drawer Dresser / Folk Denim Rug /

When your son or daughter is ready for their big kid bed, updating their bedroom style is as easy as adding a few new bedding and décor items based on their current interests and favorite colors (animals, robots, neons, pastels, etc.).

Fine Alloy Pendant / Electric Avenue Mirror / Fun Zone Team Spirit Pennant / Robo Duvet Cover / Deep Blue Quilted Sham / Little Prints Orange Pillowcase / Big League Printed Pillow / Harmony 3-in-1 Crib / Harmony Bed Conversion Kit / Bronty Wall Art / Bean Bag Lounger / Sketchbook Table Lamp / Harmony 3-Drawer Dresser / Blue Bars Rug /

Contrasting the neutral furniture with geometric shapes and bright pops of color is a great way to update your nursery into a big-kid bedroom.

Wiry Pendant / Ice Cream Cones Wall Art / Sunshine Team Spirit Pennant / Mod Botanical Bedding / Harmony 3-in-1 Crib / Harmony Bed Conversion Kit / Super Duper Wall Art / Best and the Mostest Wall Art / Executive Nod Chair / Sprinkled Table Lamp Base / Harmony 3-Drawer Dresser / Sprinkled Stripes Rug

So whether you’re planning for a new baby boy or girl, deliberate no more! The versatility of the Harmony collection will make that initial crib purchase one of the best long-term investments for your growing family!

Happy Styling!

Introducing Charley Harper for Nod!

March 30, 2016

Post by Dan, Senior Writer at The Land of Nod

Words can’t express how excited we are over our new Charley Harper for Nod Collection. And, given the fact that my job revolves solely around the use of words, there’s a touch of irony there. Luckily, for you, words aren’t needed to convey the amazingness and awesomeness (yes, they’re both real words) of this new collection. Just take a look at all the pictures and see for yourself.

Working hand-in-hand with designer Todd Oldham, a man who is absolutely dedicated to preserving Charley Harper’s legacy, we created an assortment that truly embodies the spirit of the world’s most beloved wildlife artist. After all, Charley Harper provided a new take on the natural world, so it only seemed fitting that we provide a new take on his iconic art.

And, as if Charley Harper’s artwork isn’t enough, the collection features amazing craftsmanship that’s basically a work of art in itself. Intricate embroidery, delicate applique, and an abundance of handcrafted details come together to make this collection a true masterpiece.

Okay, that’s enough words from me. Go peruse the whole collection for yourself, and see why we’re so wild about it. Chances are it just might leave you speechless as well.

Dan is Nod’s Senior Writer. When he’s not writing (which isn’t often), he’s also a dad, husband and obsessive toy collector.

#CelebrateTuesday and Everyday

March 29, 2016

Post by Michelle Kohanzo

At Nod we believe in “celebrating Tuesday”. What that means is enjoying the everyday: reveling in the chaos of a weeknight – dinner needs to be had, baths need to be taken, the house is in shambles and you have an impromptu dance party or your 4 year old tells the most hilarious joke. This is what family is all about. Everyone tells new parents to enjoy their babies because it goes so fast, this may sound so cliche, but it is the wholehearted truth. In a blink your children are grown and those little moments along with a fleeting childhood.

So slowdown everyone, don’t worry about the chores and the expectations and just embrace the chaos – trust me, you’ll be so glad you did. So celebrate Tuesday and for that matter Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, too.

Michelle is the mother to four kids (yes, FOUR!), a gourmet cook and a retail junky. She’s painted her dining room countless times and changes rugs like most people change their bedsheets. When she’s not living and breathing retail, she’s weaving amazing works of art with her sister for Bourbon+Gin Weaving.

Design Spotlight: Just Peachy Girls Nursery Design

March 28, 2016

Post by Kim Doren of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

Peach is such a happy, warm color, and when used in a girl’s nursery, replaces your standard pink as a fresh, updated version of that color. Mixing and matching peach tones is easy to do, as the same orange undertone is found across different hues. Here, the Campaign dresser is our star, supported by coordinating decor pieces in this feminine peach girls nursery design.

Design by Kim Doren of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you.

Printable Coloring Page: Easter

March 25, 2016

Coloring Pages designed by Michelle Romo

Avoid the egg dye this year and stick with the crayons. This mess-free Easter coloring page is sure to entertain your mini-me and might just allot you a couple minutes of peace and quiet between the opening of baskets, family gatherings and hunting for that elusive golden egg.

Download this free Easter printable coloring page HERE and share a pic of your little one with the finished product on Instagram (use hashtag #CrateKids) or our Facebook page. We may feature it!

Looking for more keep-the-kiddos-busy activities?

Create this DIY Easter Bunny Mask from our friend Alice & Ames
Whip up some simple decorations for the home with Rae Ann Kelly’s DIY Easter Egg Balloons with Bunny Weights
This DIY Pom Pom Bunny Rabbit Towel from Lemon Thistle is sure to impress at least one of your guests, but also makes for the perfect host gift.
Put the kids to work with these DIY Easter Egg Bath Bombs from Christina Williams. After all, you’ll definitely deserve a nice soaking come Sunday night.

Michelle Romo is a self-taught illustrator and designer fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese and Scandinavian design, along with pretty much anything cute. When she isn’t working she spends her time eating good food, hugging her friends, playing video games and crafting.

WINGS Domestic Violence Center’s New Playroom

March 24, 2016

Post by Tim, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

Our Design Service team was lucky enough to partner with the WINGS Program as they open Chicago’s first domestic violence shelter in more than a decade. The team set out to design a play space that was a fun energetic get away for the kids staying with the shelter. We are in love with the turnout!

Here’s a few tips for your play space:

Zones: Create different zones throughout the playroom for different activities. Here we included a reading space, craft space and an open play area. The space can also be easily rearranged to create the perfect location for a movie night.

Storage: Storage is always a key element in a play space. Keeping all the toys and art supplies can be quite the challenge. Bring in a combination of floor storage, wall storage, bins, and baskets. This will give you the storage you need for every occasion. In the WINGS space we brought in a combination of our Cubby System, lots of bins, and some floor storage.

Pattern/Textures: Don’t be afraid to mix textures and patterns. Bringing in a large pattern on the floor, in neutral colors helps to add dimension to the space. We were able to play around with different gray tones to create an awesome buffalo check pattern. In addition to pattern, bringing in different textures also help to add depth and dimension to the space. Here we brought in the Walnut Wood-tone throughout the space. This helps to break up the bold colors and acts as a neutral.

Accent Wall: Adding an accent wall to the space is a great way to create a focal point in the space. We worked with one of our favorite artists, Michelle Romo, to create this amazing interactive accent wall.

Interested in a piece featured in the playroom? Shop the links below for all the product details.

Gallery Art Rail Pieces / Cubby Wall Shelf Collection / Future Foodie Play Kitchen Set / What’s That Stand For? / Fade Up Rattan Floor Basket / Hop, Skip and a Jump Playmat / Homeroom Play Chairs / Here, There, Anywhere Play Table / Good Read Book Caddy / Open Arms Swivel Lounge Chair / Sun Throw Pillow / Hello Throw Pillow / Wow, That’s a Big Lamp / Bean Bag Chairs / I Could’ve Bin an Art Caddy / Adjustable Hi-Fi Play Table / FLOR Carpet Tiles /

WINGS is one of the largest domestic violence service and housing providers in the state of Illinois. Single women and women with children are able to receive temporary safe shelter through WINGS housing. Staff provides one-on-one, individualized assistance that allows women to set personal goals that will enable them to work, continue their education, and care for themselves and their children. Learn more at http://wingsprogram.com/.

Post by Tim Whitworth of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

DIY Pretzel Memory Game

March 23, 2016

Post by Rebecca of Not So SAHM

As a child of the 80s, I have been going totally gaga over The Land of Nod’s 80’s Decor Inspiration this spring. Junk food + bright colors + patterns is the perfect recipe to bring back the 80s, and when I spotted Nod’s Pretzel Sheet Set, I thought they’d put the perfect new twist on Cam’s bold graphic room. She LOVED the idea, although wanted to know if we could get a scratch n’ sniff version made. Who doesn’t want to sleep with the delicious smell of pretzels wafting through their dreams!?

But first, pretzel crafts of course! Cami loves to play Memory and, come to think of it, she has one of the best memories in the family, so maybe she’s on to something. I found some really fabulous 80’s-inspired printable patterns on Etsy and set about making her her very own DIY Pretzel Memory Game (pssssttt… you can have it too — free download at the bottom!). With spring break coming up, I thought it would make the perfect portable game. But maybe don’t play hungry!

CLICK HERE to download your free DIY Pretzel Memory Game! Just print on heavy cardstock or photo paper and use a hole punch to cut out the pieces. I used a 2.5″ hole puncher, but the design can accommodate up to a 3″ punch.

#CelebrateTuesday with Family Game Night

March 22, 2016

Post by Jeran of Oleander + Palm

I love this idea of celebrating the everyday! Memories aren’t always made when there are big, special events or vacations, memories can happen on a regular Tuesday evening. Sometimes you just have to put aside the hustle and bustle of life and enjoy a simple Tuesday evening. Yes, there will aways be piles of laundry, dishes, messy bedrooms, and homework to be done. We have one in high school, one in middle school, and one in preschool, so finding common ground can be tough. But, they all love to play games. So we #celebratetuesday with game night. While my youngest can’t always keep up with the competition, she loves to partner up with her brother or sister. And it’s good for the older kids to patiently help her along.

Our days as so full, that in order to make time for a game night, something has to be skipped. So, we skip cooking dinner. All the time that goes into making a meal and then cleaning it up, just doesn’t seem that important once a week. Yes, I’m a believer is homemade meals and sitting down as a family, but I’ve got a great option for random Tuesday’s and I promise your kids won’t be damaged if they miss a well rounded meal once in a while. They may even thank you for it. We like popcorn and smoothies. Honestly, you can pack a lot of goodness into a smoothie. We add lots of fruit and greek yogurt. And we have a new favorite popcorn that even has a little protein. We pop our popcorn in coconut oil and then toss it with powdered peanut butter and a little powdered sugar. It’s a sweet and crunchy treat.

#CelebrateTuesday with Family Game Night

With a small house, you have to be smart with storage. We keep our games ready to go in the dining room in this stylish bookshelf with doors. I love this cabinet, it hides the stuff I want hidden and gives me a place to display the stuff I want to show off.

The Land of Nod has some fun games. We love the Alphabet Blocks, Jacks, Bucket O’Blocks, and the Mini Card Games.

Thank you to The Land of Nod for supplying the games and Modern Modular storage system to help us #celebratetuesday.

A former elementary school teacher, Jeran has added her unique voice to the modern maker culture through her blog Oleander + Palm. She loves helping people find attainable beauty in the lives they live. Her creativity and industriousness were honed through years of living in third world countries, that challenged her to find novel solutions for creating livable spaces. Now a mother of three, settled in sunny California, her skills and styles are evolving in exciting new ways. Her focus is Simple California Living, designing and making livable spaces that incorporate vintage finds, handmade/DIY pieces and global inspiration.

Tag #CelebrateTuesday on Instagram, and follow along on the blog as some of our friends share how they’re celebrating the awesome ridiculousness of the everyday with their kiddos.

Monte Design – Upholstered Nursery Seating

March 21, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

We work with the incredible craftspeople at Monte Design to create some of the best upholstered products around. Located in Toronto, Monte specializes in crafting incredibly comfortable products with a focus on simple, clean design. From their low VOC cushions to their FSC certified wood frames, their dedication to sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices makes Monte one of our favorite artisans to team up with.

Regardless of your style, Monte’s warm, welcoming furniture provides the perfect comfort for everybody in your home. Not only that, they’re clean and sophisticated style transitions seamlessly from the nursery to your living room as your child grows.

Best Bedtime Books Roundup

Post by The Land of Nod and Brightly

Bedtime can often be the best time of day for young families. It’s a chance for everyone to slow down, spend some time talking about their day and share a story or two. In case your story time is stuck in a rut, our pals at Brightly have put together some great book recommendations for kids of all ages. Sweet dreams!

Babies & Toddlers

It’s never too early to start reading to your child, and slipping a book or two in before your little one nods off is a great way to establish a bedtime routine and a regular reading habit. There are lots of beautiful books for babies and toddlers. Start exploring some of the best with these eleven titles.

3 to 5 Year Olds

Whether your kids need to unwind, bond, or have a few laughs before they start making Z’s, these titles are a great addition to their bedtime routine.

6 to 8 Year Olds

Now that your child has started reading on their own, books that encourage them to read aloud to you are an extra bonus. It can be tough to find the best bedtime story, but we’ve found a few that will give every growing reader sweet dreams.

9 to 12 Year Olds

By reading kids a bedtime story (even your older children) you’re building important literacy skills. Many parents stop reading to their kids around 4th grade, but if you keep reading to your kids, research shows you’ll help keep them reading on their own. So tuck into one of these classic or contemporary bedtime stories with your big kid tonight.

We’ve teamed up with Brightly to give one luck winner the best bedtime. Enter for the chance to win a dream bedroom and a library of books perfect for bedtime. Sweet dreams guaranteed! Click here for details.

Brightly is a new resource to help moms and dads raise lifelong readers. Brightly features book recommendations for every age and stage, reading tips and insights, seasonal inspirations, author essays, contests, gift guides, and more.

DIY Easter Bunny Mask

March 19, 2016

Post by Lauren Baker, our fearless marketing events manager

Another fun Easter craft thanks to our friends Alice & Ames, a girls clothier specializing in playful and comfy styles. Just print off these cute Easter Bunny Mask templates by Happy Thought for a fun and easy craft that we recently did with our customers in our South Coast Plaza store. #nodevents.

Supplies Needed:

Card stock for your printouts
Click here to print your bunny face
Click here to print your bunny ears and whiskers
Scissors
Glue Stick
Tape
Ribbon

When Lauren isn’t planning ridiculously awesome #nodevents for The Land of Nod, she spends her time putting up with the crazy antics of her English Bulldog, Lola. She also loves searching for treasures in vintage stores and summer antique markets. Due to her previous adventure living in Canada, she has a strong obsession to Hudson Bay stripes, as well as the fine cuisine of poutine (Don’t make her choose between the two…that’s like choosing between Ryan Gosling and Jason Bateman for her!).

DIY Easter Egg Balloon with Bunny Weights

March 18, 2016

Post by Rae Ann Kelly

Easter is such a fun time of year for crafting with little ones and with all the rainy days it’s nice to have a festive craft or two on hand. These fun and easy Easter egg balloons and bunny weights filled with sweets are sure to keep them entertained. They’ll love getting crafty and really love carrying their creations around with them while snacking on treats. Keep reading for the simple tutorials and supply lists!

To make the Easter Egg Balloons you’ll need:

1″ round office label stickers
Markers or colored pencils
Balloons
Twine

Color in the round stickers. You’ll want about 24 stickers (or 2 sheets) per balloon. No need to stay in the lines!
Blow up the balloon, tie a knot and secure with twine. Stick round labels on the balloon to your liking.
Repeat with additional balloons!

To make the Easter Ear Goodie Bags (i.e. Balloon Weights) you’ll need:

This template
A pencil
Scissors
A hole punch
Treat bags that are about 5×7″
Treats or candy
Twine

Print and cutout template. Trace onto the front side of a goodie bag and cutout.
Laying the template on top of goodie bag, use small circle guides to hole punch (4 per bag)
Fill with treats.
Cut about an 8” piece of twine. Thread through the two inside holes. Cinch together and tie knot.
Thread through the outside holes. Secure with a knot and then tie into a bow.
Play with the ears until they look how you like. One ear bent down and to the side adds a cute touch!

Rae Ann blogs at Rae Ann Kelly and is a kid wrangler, graphic designer, food & craft nut. Her blog features little tidbits about her day to day life & design projects, tutorials for DIY’s, free downloads, yummy recipes, lots of kid friendly ideas and outfit inspiration.

Easter Basket Prep

March 17, 2016

Post by Michelle of Avery and Augustine

Spring is almost here, along with Easter! If you’re trying to think of some new ideas for this year’s Easter basket, here’s what we’re doing this year:

Inch by Inch, a classic by by Leo Lionni
The poignant and lovely Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Fuzzy Duckling, a spring favorite by Jane Werner Watson
The Swing, a stunning board book of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, illustrated by Julie Morstad
The softest white plush bunny ever
A fun and engaging construction puzzle
The reshapeable and ever-changing Cubebot
A set of surprise carrots
The Neatly Knit Rope Bin to contain it all!

We also made a couple of Alice Medrich’s Easter nest centerpieces, following the tutorial on Food52. You can use milk or dark chocolate—we ended up using Callebaut milk chocolate chips. The nests were pretty easy to assemble. I definitely agree with Alice’s recommendation to line your bowl with plastic wrap beforehand. It makes it easier to lift the nest out of the bowl once it has hardened. Before you pull the nest out of the bowl, I would recommend letting it sit out for about ten minutes in the bowl after it’s hardened in the refrigerator. Letting the nest warm up makes it a little easier to pull out of the bowl. You can fill your nest with your favorite chocolate eggs, but if you want a healthier alternative, you can also use Marcona almonds.

Here are some other edible ideas to welcome spring:

Adorable rabbit and chick yogurt treats by How About Cookie
Easter lunch inspiration from around the web, curated by Hello, Wonderful
Necco Gumdrop Flowers and Dot Flower Pops by Super Make It
Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs by Not Without Salt

Happy (almost) spring!

Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending the items for this post.

You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

DIY Gold Leafing with the Kids

March 16, 2016

Post by MJ from Pars Caeli

Hi friends! This is MJ from the blog, Pars Caeli, and I’m back to share with you a simple, high impact DIY method that might have you turning everything gold. Gold leafing has been around for centuries, and the delicate nature of the thinner-than-paper, insect-wing thin sheets of the precious metal can make you think, “I need to hide this from my children.” However, gold leafing can be incredibly forgiving, fun to create with slightly older children, and add the touch of glimmer and shine that every room needs, even kid spaces. It also teaches children how to focus and calm themselves, to persevere through challenges, and to treat delicate materials with careful hands.

The technique of gold leafing is typically shown in antiquing textured and carved surfaces, but for this more modern take, I decided to use the leafing in a color blocked way. To begin, my daughter and I picked up a block frame while at the craft store. The frame window is asymmetrical so we chose to add a color block of gold leaf to one side.

To do the same, you’ll need:

Gold leaf sheets (we used just one for this whole project)
Liquid adhesive (I’d recommend purchasing one like this that’s made for metal leafing)
White acrylic paint
A small paintbrush

I’m a big fan of natural wood with gold so I painted only the front surface of the frame with white acrylic paint.
Once two coats dried, we had the matte surface we wanted for the gold leaf. Using the adhesive on her brush, my daughter painted a starting line approximately two inches from the window. From there, she coated the front surface all the way to the opposite edge. *Make sure that you have an even layer all over the surface to which you want to adhere the leaf.
Here’s where it can be challenging or hilarious. Try to press the gold leaf as smoothly as you can in one full sheet. My daughter was amazed at how easily it rips! Don’t let that stop you; continue to press gently on the leafing until there’s one continuous block. Carefully pat the leaf down. If it tears or breaks off in place where you want it to be, simply layer on another piece of that size, or larger, to the area. In this way, gold leaf is super forgiving. Your kids can add layer after layer for texture and effect. And it all ends up looking pretty spectacular.

Keep in mind that as you press down, you will likely get adhesive on your fingertips, and you’ll find that every piece of gold leaf will stick to your fingers. Wipe off as you can, but be sure to take a photo of those small fingers covered in the Midas Touch! Happy gold leafing. Let’s turn everything golden!

MJ is a graphic and product designer, wife, and proud momma to three. She founded Pars Caeli (meaning a piece of heaven), a delightful blog and shop, to add more creative to the everyday. MJ worked with our team to bring her lunchbox jokes to life in our product Lunchtime LOL Notes, now available at The Land of Nod to bring on a case of the giggles!

#CelebrateTuesday: Getting Ready for Bed

March 15, 2016

Post by PJ of A Girl Named PJ

Our Celebrate Tuesday Moment is Getting Ready for Bed

At any given moment, on any given day, I’m probably feeling frazzled — especially between the hours of 7am and 8pm when my boys are awake. That’s why I used to joke that bedtime was my favorite time of day. Because when my two year old and four year old are asleep, I’m not rushing them to their activities or begging them to eat their food (not just vegetables!) or dealing with meltdowns because I mistook a “treasure” for a piece of trash.

Earlier this month, The Land of Nod’s Creative Director, Danielle, wrote about how they like to #CelebrateTuesday, an idea that really resonates with me. With all of the stress that comes with parenting, it’s easy to forget the sweet, silly moments that happen in between the chaos. Those small occasions with your kids — sometimes heartwarming, sometimes hilarious — that make being a parent worth all the day-to-day aggravations.

Like when my two-year-old son, who only started speaking earlier this year, greets me with a boisterous, “Hi!” when I get him from his crib. Or when my older son wants to do our special goodbye hug-and-high-five routine when I drop him off at school (or when I try to sneak out of the house for a mom’s night out with friends).

However, my favorite Celebrate Tuesday moment is bedtime — or rather, getting ready for bed. It’s that 30 minutes or so when I’m hanging out with my kids in their bedroom and we’re just having fun. Between baths and books and playing with toys, it’s their last chance to get out their sillies and any remaining bursts of energy before bed. It’s when my boys are at their goofiest, and, because I’ve pretty much exhausted all of my worrying for the day, I can be my goofiest, too.

And we are a very goofy bunch.

There’s almost always dancing and jumping and playful wrestling. There are naked bums and fart jokes (I don’t encourage those, but I still laugh at them). There’s a mess of trains and cars, puzzle pieces, and elaborate Lego creations that absolutely can not be taken apart. Most toys (except for the Legos) even make it back to their appropriate bins and baskets by the end of the night.

And there are books. Lots and lots of books, many of them from the library, where we borrow about 10 at a time. We always read at least two books before bed, but I’ll be honest, I have a hard time saying no to a third or fourth or fifth book at bedtime.

Life gets a little bit stressful again when it’s time to say goodnight. The youngest wants to cuddle in his brother’s big boy bed and the oldest wants a sip of water and a back scratch and another bathroom break and then more water and then to be tucked back in at least two more times.

Exactly the reason why I need to remember just how awesome that hour before bedtime had been.

PJ Feinstein is the author of A Girl Named PJ, a lifestyle blog offering fashion and beauty tips, design inspiration, commentary on pop culture, thoughts on personal growth, and honest talk about motherhood. She lives just outside Washington, DC, with her husband, two young sons, and stubborn (but adorable!) small white dog.

Tag #CelebrateTuesday on Instagram, and follow along on the blog as some of our friends share how they’re celebrating the awesome ridiculousness of the everyday with their kiddos.