DIY Paper Bag Printing

May 13, 2014

Post by Suzanne of a Fetful Life

Friday nights are my absolute favorite night of the week. A few months ago we started the tradition of having a family movie night and it is something that all of us look forward to every week. Last Friday I decided to change things up a bit and bring the movie theater into our home – popcorn, candy & soda. And, in order to keep the peace between my kids, I created these cute color coded popcorn bags.

I’ve been wanting to try printing on paper bags for a while and I was shocked to find out how simple it is once you figure out a few little tricks. First – Feed the paper bag into your printer face down with the bottom entering the printer first. This will help prevent any paper jams since it is the smoothest part of the bag; Second – once you create your design, make sure you mirror the image both horizontally and vertically. This needs to be done since you’re feeding the bag in from the bottom. Here are the templates for the popcorn bags (including a 5th color) with the design already mirrored for you. I used 5″x7.5″ craft treat bags like these.

Rebecca and Suzanne are bloggers, graphic designers, and event stylists living in Washington, DC. 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. Suzanne is a big fan of good design, good wine, and her two rambunctious little boys. They share DIY lifestyle and event styling projects at A Feteful Life. Rebecca also blogs kid-friendly projects at Not-So-SAHM.

Hazel Turns 4!

May 12, 2014

Post by Raechel Myers of Finding My Feet
We just love parties!

And when our baby girl (I swear she was just born!) turns four years old, it definitely merits a very special kids’ birthday party! And when I say party, I mean mommy-made crowns, cupcakes with waaay too much frosting, lots of friends and games and hopscotch mats leading out the back door. Parties mean polka dots on the walls, and birthday banners hanging from the windows. And sprinkles. Lots and lots of sprinkles. It means the big people get to pick iced mochas or grapefruit Perrier out of pretty-colored ice buckets and drink them from blue striped straws! And it means the little people get plenty of cold milk to wash down all that strawberry frosting. Fourth birthday parties mean she makes “that face” with every present she opens, and that she really does feel that way. She feels birthday-magical. And at the end of the day, it means we don’t mind a bit leaving those birds she loves on the plate rack for a few extra weeks, because this sweet face has us feeling pretty grateful for four spectacular years with one remarkable little person. Happy fourth birthday, Hazel Wren! You make every day a cupcake day!

cupcake toppers / bird garland / hopscotch rug / pinwheels

“happy birthday” banner / favor bags / pink and blue doily buckets / birdies canvas

white chairs / stuffed cat and dog / blue striped straws

metal “happy birthday” topper

Raechel Myers blogs at Finding My Feet. When she’s not elbow deep in her next DIY project, you’ll likely find her helping her 6-year-old with his Kindergarten homework or playing babies with her 4-year-old daughter. She lives with her husband in Franklin, TN where they can only hope to train their kiddos to love the Lord and take their dishes to the kitchen sink.

Milk + Bookies Story Time Celebration

May 9, 2014

As part of our commitment to social responsibility, The Land of Nod partners with numerous organizations, charitable partners & philanthropic events. You may be familiar with our “Van for a Van” program, where 100% of the purchase price of this toy van will be donated to help buy a real van for an afterschool youth program we partner with located in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.

A few months ago, we also joined forces as a proud sponsor of a non-profit organization, Milk + Bookies. Milk + Bookies is a nationwide charitable organization that promotes literacy and is dedicated to providing books to children who don’t have access to books of their own. We’ve hosted in-store events that encouraged children to stop by with a new or gently-used book to donate to kids in Chicago. A few weekends ago we were lucky enough to attend Milk + Bookies annual Story Time Celebration fundraiser in Los Angeles. The Story Time Celebration was filled with arts & crafts, delicious snacks and a celebrity story time.

We donated product to the story time stage and break room as well as handed out goodies from our traveling Nod Tour Bus. We had an absolute blast listening to storytime from the likes of Max Greenfield, Jenna Elfman, Julie Bowen, Jerry Ferrara and more.

We encourage you to learn more & get involved in the Milk + Bookies mission. Details here —> Host your own Book-Raiser.

By Katie Harrington – In addition to being the mom to heart-throb toddler, Gavin, Katie’s in charge of all things social media and PR at Nod. She’s exceedingly energetic, which is good since, like the rest of us, she’s just trying to figure out how to be an incredible mom, while working and still having a blast being young herself! (BTW, we think she’s nailing it, but she’d probably disagree…darn mommy guilt.)

Caramelized Lemonade Recipe

May 8, 2014

Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

So, my intent was to actually make grilled lemonade. We’ve started to have some really beautiful weather in DC and I couldn’t wait to get the grilling going (neither could Suz — did you SEE that grilled flank steak yesterday? YUM). I’ve also really been loving Meyer lemons lately and decided to try those for the drink. I prepped everything and went up to turn on the grill … only to find that we had no propane — ack! No worries, I pulled out my trusty grill pan and decided to try it stovetop. And it worked. Except that instead of grilling them, the shallow pan filled up with the sugary lemon juice and caramelized them. I’m actually not a huge fan of sweet drinks and this was SWEET. I tried cutting it a variety of ways and liked best when I used half caramelized lemons and half regular lemons to make the drink. And even though I intended to make a mocktail, adding an ounce of vodka to my glass on one occasion also helped (in more ways than one). I think one time I’ll try regular lemons and see how it works out. Grilled or Caramelized. Sweet or Balanced. It was pretty delicious all ways.

Caramelized Lemonade Recipe (based off of Food Network’s Grilled Lemonade)

Ingredients

16 Meyer (or regular) lemons, halved

1 1/2 cups sugar (1/4 cup for dipping lemons)

1 3/4 cups water

pinch of salt

Directions

To make a pitcher, dip the cut sides of 8 halved lemons in sugar and grill on pan until marked, about 5 minutes; let cool. Simmer 1 1/4 cups sugar with 1 3/4 cups water and a pinch of salt until dissolved; let cool. Squeeze the grilled and regular lemons through a strainer into a pitcher; stir in the sugar syrup, some ice and a few of the grilled lemons.

For another twist, try using rosemary simple syrup.

Maps – A Children’s Book

May 7, 2014

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine.

Every once in a while a book is published that amazes you and leaves you in awe from cover to cover. Currently, that special book is Maps by authors and illustrators Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński. Maps is anything but ordinary and is not your typical geography lesson. It is so much more than that. It features 52 different maps of the world and includes so many thoughtful details: interesting geographic elements, monuments, native animals, natural resources, national gastronomy, aspects of culture and much more. I like how there are children featured with typical names in each country and Avery likes seeing the different foods and dishes that are eaten in each country. This book is a great introduction to world geography and a wonderful way to engage children with the world around them.

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

Shop Children’s Books at The Land of Nod

Ladybug Matching Kids Math Worksheet

May 6, 2014

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

With spring in full bloom here, we are still on a ladybug kick. (Remember this craft and this worksheet?) So, to keep my little Harrison happy, it’s another ladybug kids math worksheet.

You’ll find our Ladybug Matching Math Worksheet is perfect for preschool and kindergarten age kids as they practice counting, cutting and gluing. For more cutting exercises, be sure to revisit our Shooting Star Math Worksheet, which is the perfect introduction to cutting.

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

The Sprout Collection + Land of Nod

May 5, 2014

Post by Lynn Morgan, YOLO Colorhouse Color Nerd and Customer Experience Guru

Creating a room that will grow with your little one without sacrificing good design can be a challenge. Together, the 7 playful hues in YOLO Colorhouse’s Sprout Collection and the whimsy of Land of Nod’s bedding make it easy to put together a kid’s space that is beautiful, colorful, and FUN!

Plus, YOLO Colorhouse paints don’t contain any “stinky stuff”, like VOCs (volatile organic compounds), chemical solvents, or hazardous air pollutants. When you combine this with Land of Nod’s commitment to quality and safety, you have a happy AND healthy space for your child.

Like a baby robin’s egg, Sprout .01 is a gender-neutral blue-green that brings a smile to faces on people big and small! Pair this happy hue with Ever After bedding to create a space packed with lots of personality- just like your little one!

Like a slice of summer cantaloupe, Sprout .02 adds a simple sweetness to any room. Pair with Sundae Best bedding and a Pinwheel Rug for a yummy combination!

Sprout .03 is a relaxing hue that inspires peaceful and pleasant dreaming. Pair with When Dinosaurs Roamed bedding to create a harmonious blue/green color combo in a little boy’s room.

Sprout .04 fills a room like morning kisses from the sun. It’s cheery, not too bright, and inspires creativity! Your little ones will be busy making and doing in their room just like the robots on their Robo-Bedding.

Inspired by fresh spring buds, Sprout .05 is the perfect backdrop hue for gender-neutral nurseries. It comes to life when paired with crisp, white furniture and colorful accents, like 1001 Good Nights Crib Quilt.

Pretty in pink, Sprout .06 is sweet as strawberry ice cream and soft as a teddy bear. Against more vibrant colors and patterns, it’s the perfect quiet companion to Hop to It Bedding.

Sprout .07 is a soft shade of lilac. It’s purple without being PURPLE! Create “sophisticated whimsy” in your tween’s space when you add the pink ruffles of Fade to Pink bedding. See more YOLO Colorhouse and Land of Nod kid’s room inspiration on Pinterest.

Today thru May 11, enter to WIN 4 gallons of low odor, zero VOC paint and a color consultation from YOLO Colorhouse AND a crib bedding set from Land of Nod!

Details here —> http://bit.ly/refreshyournest.

Post by Lynn Morgan, YOLO Colorhouse Color Nerd and Customer Experience Guru

DIY Painted Thumbtacks

May 2, 2014

Post by Christina Williams of JustCallMeChris.com

Cheap and easy. That’s how I like my DIY projects.

And this one’s the cheapest and easiest of them all. Honestly.

Both of my older kids have bulletin boards in their rooms; and I wanted some cute push pins for them to use. Besides being able to customize the colors, these push pins come with an added bonus: Little Brother’s chubby two-year-old fingers aren’t dexterous enough to pull them out of the cork boards (yet). So pretty much, they’re toddler proof. Until I step on one in the middle of the night…then I’ll be singing a different tune.

I’ll stop blabbing–let’s get to work. It’s actually so simple I didn’t even take photos showing you the process. Because there’s only two ingredients and two steps.

Rummage through your recycle bin until you find an old box (a padded envelope would be appropriate too). I used an old cereal box. Rice Krispies…because I’m sure you were dying to know. Stick a bunch of thumbtacks into the box (or envelope) in a nice, tidy row. Now start painting. Just paint the thumbtacks, let them dry. Put on another coat or two if you need to. Don’t be stingy. Wait till they’re dry and pull them out of the box. Done.

I really love how the gold glitter ones turned out. And if nail art is one of your things you could do some fun designs on your thumbtacks, too. Dots, stripes, flowers, you name it. And I could be wrong, but I think Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up. Paint up a batch of these cuties and package them in a beaker or test tube and you’ve got a quick easy gift.

Christina Williams is a blogger and graphic designer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s a night owl and a bookworm, as well as a mother to three children ranging in age from two to eight. She shares her latest DIY and design projects along with her adventures in parenting on her blog, Just Call Me Chris.

Chickpea, Carrot and Feta Fritters

May 1, 2014

Post by Giulia Doyle of Audrey’s 74

I first found this recipe in the Donna Hay cookbook. Simple to make and pretty healthy, except for the frying part. Over the years I adapted them slightly and this version works well with my son, who refuses to eat vegetables or legumes. A perfect way to sneak in something nutritious. If you mash the chickpeas by hand and add grated carrots, this will come together much faster and will have a chunkier texture (but the visible carrots would be a no-go in our house). I think you might be hard pressed to stop at one – they are a great combination of sweet and nutty with a little tanginess from the feta and yoghurt.

Chickpea, Carrot and Feta Fritters

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of chopped parsley (or cilantro if you prefer)
1 cup of firm feta, crumbled or chopped
4 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
coarse salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying
lemon wedges and plain yoghurt to serve

Instructions

Place the chickpeas in a food processor and mix until roughly mashed, with a few lumps. Add grated carrots, parsley and feta and mix to combine until you achieve the smoothness you want. If you want to see more of the veggies, don’t mix too much.
Remove from food processor, add eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix until well combined. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat half an inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Drop large spoonfuls of mixture into the pan and cook, in batches, for 2 minutes each side, or until golden brown.
Drain on paper towel. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon slices and yoghurt alongside a cucumber salad.

Notes

Because I blended my chickpeas and carrots until smooth in a food processor, they are a little delicate to flip in the pan. If you keep the mixture coarser and forgo the food processor, they’ll be easier to handle and have some extra crunch.

Post by Giulia Doyle of Audrey’s 74

Spanish Flashcards For Toddlers

April 30, 2014

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Teach your little ones to count in Español with our 1-12 (or should we say uno through doce?) Spanish Counting Flashcards. Print on cardstock and use as traditional flashcards or print two sets so you can play a memory-style game. When the kids are through playing with the cards glue or use mini clothespins to hang them from twine where they can double as festive decor!

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Learning the Alphabet with the Letter of the Week

April 29, 2014

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine

One very important early literacy skill is knowing letter-sound correspondence, or what sound each letter of the alphabet makes. One creative way to do this is to take a suitcase, label it with a letter of the alphabet (a different letter each week), and fill it with objects that begin with that letter. As you put the objects in the suitcase, you can talk about each one with your child, saying the name of the object and asking them if it begins with the letter of the week (in this case, the letter “T.”) Emphasizing the first sound of the word, “t,” is helpful if your child needs that cue. To make it more challenging, you can set out other objects that don’t start with the letter of the week and have your child identify which objects start with the letter of the week (belonging in the suitcase) and which don’t. Throughout the week, you can ask your child to find other objects to put in the suitcase that begin with the letter of the week. It’s helpful to review the names of the objects and the letter of the week a few times throughout the week.

The terrific book Alphablock is a perfect companion to this activity. It’s good for young children to experience letters in different ways, using different senses, and Alphablock provides just that. The die-cut letters in the book are fun and children can get a sense of the shape of a letter and can run their fingers along the edge of each letter.

Additional activities you can do are drawing pictures of the objects, writing the names of the objects together or creating and telling a story about the objects. All those activities support literacy. The possibilities are endless. Have fun with it!

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

Baby’s First Mother’s Day Gift Idea

April 28, 2014

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

I recently had this idea to stamp baby’s footprint onto tea towels as a mother’s day gift, and now I am really wishing I’d made one of these with all of my newborns. Wouldn’t that be such a fun little collection to have?

Since my baby boy isn’t here yet, my good friend Sarah was kind enough to lend me her darling daughter’s foot. We used my favorite thirsty, flour-sack towels. Brush the sole of baby’s foot with acrylic craft paint in the color of your choice. Carefully stamp onto a corner of the towel. We ended up stamping the two opposite corners on each towel just for extra fun.

By the way, I have done quite a few painted-fabric crafts (including these similar monogram tea towels) with just the regular, inexpensive, acrylic craft paint. I never pay extra for the stuff intended for fabric, and my projects have held up just fine.

I’m thinking these are perfect Mother’s Day gifts for the grandmas. Download our free printable Baby’s First Mother’s Day Gift Band to package the towels up nicely for gifting. The template is setup to print in black and white on colored cardstock.

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

All-Natural Gradient Cake

April 25, 2014

Post by Julee of Warm Hot Chocolate

Jenna has requested a “Cinderella Camping” themed birthday party this year. That one loves to challenge her mama with theme mash-ups. Last year’s Hello Kitty Rainbow Flower party seems easy in comparison to this year’s combo. Luckily, I enjoy a good challenge.

In preparation for the upcoming festivities, I decided to experiment with natural food dyes to see if I could achieve a good ‘Cinderella blue.’ And while I clearly need more practice working with fondant, I was pretty happy with the colors resulting from my gradient cake experiment this weekend.

I used this recipe for marshmallow fondant. Dye-free marshmallows are surprisingly hard to come by, but I’ve discovered that Walmart brand marshmallows don’t contain the artificial blue dye found in most other brands. For the coloring, I used this all-natural blue food dye. The results are more muted than artificial dyes, but work well for the Cinderella palette I was going for.

Need more tasty recipes and delicious bites? Check out our Let’s Eat Pinterest Board.

Post by Julee of Warm Hot Chocolate

Sausage and Cannellini Bean Soup Recipe

April 24, 2014

Post by Jeran of Oleander and Palm

Do you need a quick dinner idea that can be made in about 20 minutes? This hearty and healthy soup is perfect for busy, cold weather days.

I love chicken sausage, I have a favorite one that I get at my local grocery store. It has spinach, feta and fennel in it. But, this recipe would work well with regular Italian sausage as well.

I also love cooked leafy greens. Spinach, kale, beat greens, or Swiss chard, I can’t get get enough of them. I’ve shared that I grew up in Papua New Guinea. They cook all kinds of greens there, even the leaves of pumpkins, which are kind of furry. So when I get a chance, I throw spinach into everything. Plus it’s sooo good for you. I really think that my body craves green veggies. I really feel better when I eat them.

Sausage and White Bean Soup Recipe

5-6 links of Chicken Sausage (or Italian Sausage of any kind)

1 onion finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 cans of white cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

3 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of water or milk (for a creamier soup)

1 bag of washed baby spinach

1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (or as spicy as you’d like)

salt and pepper to taste

Remove the sausages from their casings. In a large saucepan, cook the sausage completely, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, stock and water. Bring to a boil, season to taste. Just before serving add the spinach and cook until it just wilts.

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Sausage and Cannellini Bean Soup Recipe 3

Post by Jeran of Oleander and Palm

Harper’s Toddler Room Design

April 23, 2014

Post by Jessica Garvin of Little Baby Garvin

I am so excited to finally share photos of Harper’s toddler room design! It’s hard to believe this little lady no longer sleeps in a crib, but she loves her room & it suits her little personality just right! 🙂 I wanted to keep a neutral palate with the wall color & furniture so that it can easily grow with her, then added some pops of color with all of the books & accessories.

It’s safe to say her pig rocker is her favorite! Every night before bed she has to give it two kisses, one on each side of the nose! 😉

We purchased the Jenny Lind Bed because we not only love the style, but know that it is a great bed that can grow with her. I had a twin bed until high school, so hopefully this will last her just as long! 😉 The bookshelves are inexpensive photo ledges from Ikea, they are one of my favorite parts of the room because we can switch out her books for the holidays or as she grows. We moved her teepee upstairs so she could have her own little spot to play with her books & puzzles, so surprised she hasn’t climbed out of bed to sleep in it yet. The dresser was a Craigslist find, for under $100 and in great condition, all we did was replace the knobs to give it a little makeover. A little basket next to the dresser is filled with all of her “dress-up” essentials, ruffled tutus & headbands, always her favorite thing to do in her room.

I know we will have fun updating this room as she grows, I am hoping to add some artwork on the wall across from her bed, but as you know, we like to take our time! 😉

And a huge thank you to my sweetest friend Ashley Scobey for taking these pictures during our maternity session, I love how they capture her personality in her own little space!

Sources:
Twin Bed  Tassel Garland  Bookshelves  White Faux Fur Rug (5×8)  Zinc Wall Letters
Bla Bla Fox Doll  White Fur Pillow  Star Pillow  Dipped Leg Stools  Nightlight
Pig Rocker  Teepee  Alphabet Puzzle Dresser (antique) knobs here & hereGrey Owl  Feather Headband Pink Giraffe (discontinued, similar in blue here)
Baskets (Home Goods) Black & White Heart Blanket c/o SpearmintLove
Chalkboard Laptop (clearance at Anthropologie, similar here)

Bedding is custom made with Alexander Henry Market Stalls Fabric (now discontinued)

Wall color is Toasted White by Glidden (tinted just a little bit darker after the first coat)

Post by Jessica Garvin of Little Baby Garvin

Nate’s Milk & Cookies Birthday Party

April 22, 2014

Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery and Augustine

When planning Nate’s birthday party, I knew I wanted it to have a couple of handmade details and bright pops of color. I opted for a palette of turquoise, green, yellow and gray (the names of these colors on the Paper Source site are peacock, clover, sunshine and gravel). I crafted a couple of party elements—paper chains and flags with Nate’s first initial in washi tape. Since Nate adores cookies, it was easy to decide on the theme: milk and cookies. On the menu were a selection of delicious cookies and gorgeous “milk and cookie” fondant cupcakes made by the wonderful Candy Clay Cupcakes. Happy birthday, Nate! We are thankful for the blessing you are and your boundless energy and enthusiasm!

Sources: cupcakes by Candy Clay Cupcakes, paper from Paper Source, set of suitcases from The Land of Nod, straws from Sweet Estelle and Target.
Sources of inspiration included: Sara’s Party Perfect, Hello Hanna and You Are My Fave.

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

Michelle’s Mom-isms: Attention

April 21, 2014

Post by Michelle Kohanzo

There is nothing more meaningful than to truly listen to your children.

XO,

Michelle

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.

Oh Joy! for Nod Launch Event

April 19, 2014

We’re beyond excited about our partnership with Joy Cho of Oh Joy! So to celebrate, we decided to throw a party in sunny California. We held the party at the Fig House, a gorgeous new event space in LA. The Fig House was designed by our friend, interior designer, Emily Henderson, and was the perfect backdrop for Joy’s cheerful collection.

The best part of the event was that it was an all-ages affair. After all, is there anyone other than your kiddos that you’d rather craft with on a Saturday afternoon? Crafting Community was on hand creating some beautiful, family friendly crafts.

The Nod Tour Bus even stopped by for a visit. If you aren’t familiar with the bus checkout #nodtourbus on Instagram to follow its adventures.

Be sure to visit www.landofnod.com/OhJoyForNod to learn all about our collaboration with Joy. Guarantee her collection will put a smile on your face.

Photos by Casey Brodley for Oh Joy.

Get to Know Paloma’s Nest

April 17, 2014

Caroline and Jose from Paloma’s Nest

Hometown: Caroline- Mystic, Connecticut. Jose- Buenos Aires Argentina

Current city: East Lyme, Connecticut

Would you rather travel by plane, train, car or ship?

Jose- Bicycle! Nothing compares to being immersed in an environment- whether it’s feeling the energy of the city, or spotting animals in the woods.

Caroline- Train! I love passing through towns and stretches of countryside, and being able to focus on the scenery, not on driving! Some of my fondest memories of living as an exchange student in Europe are of riding on the trains.

You can find us eating __for breakfast.

Scrambled eggs with diced ham and American cheese mixed in. Or, maybe we should say: American cheese with a little bit of ham and egg mixed in.

On the weekends, you can find us__.

Insert some fantasy life kind of answer here- you know, like where we take the kids to a great New England museum in the morning, then take a family hike in the afternoon, then the two of us go for a romantic dinner later on. That kind of fantasy. Let’s face it, those things happen only once in a while if we’re lucky! We run our own business, and our kids are 2 and 7 years old. Most parents know what that means- sleep, house cleaning, cartoons, and leisurely coffee drinking when possible. But we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

How many times do you usually hit the snooze button after your alarm goes off?

Jose sets his alarm to go off reallllllly early so that he can hit the snooze as many times as possible. Sometimes he pretends he doesn’t hear the alarm at all. Caroline is an early riser and is up when Jose’s first alarm goes off. By the third or forth snooze, she usually rolls over and bops Jose in the head with a pillow.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Jose- black, because it works for everything.

Caroline- white, on colored paper. The best.

How long can food be on the ground and still be fair game for eating?

Depends on how good of a bite it is…

Tell us about your House Sitter Play Chair, how you made it or your inspiration behind it.

The idea for our House Sitter Play Chair originated when we started really noticing how our daughter was using toys and objects in multiple ways in her imaginative play.

We wanted to create furniture that is modern but timeless, pieces that could grow with her and inspire her for many years. Our love of architecture (and the need for our children’s furniture to function well in small spaces) blossomed into the idea of a child’s chair that doubles as a doll house. (But its not just for girls, and certainly not just for dolls! Our little guy is equally in love with his for cars, animal figures, and other make believe!) We are thrilled to bring this concept to Land of Nod and can’t wait for little ones all over to enjoy their own House Sitter Chair!