Boneless Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

October 29, 2013

I found a different way to use all the apples we picked the other week – apple chutney! I love the sweet/tart flavours of apples with pork and this chutney has a bit of added heat to it that makes this simple meal stand out. If you make the chutney ahead of time this could easily turn into a fast weekday dinner. The chutney warms up very well and would work nicely with a variety of pork cuts. I used this Martha Stewart recipe as guidance and added/subtracted ingredients based on what I had in my pantry. I also used a thinner cut of pork chops, so my cooking time was significantly reduced.

The kids ate the pork, but didn’t touch the chutney – however, I’m sure some of the flavours transferred to the meat while it sat on the platter. If you’re looking for a fast and tasty fall meal, this will serve you well.

Boneless Pork Chops with Apple Chutney – adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
6 small boneless center-cut pork chops
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops; add to skillet. Saute until golden brown, about 3 minutes; flip. Cook 3 minutes more.Cook until meat is cooked through and registers 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a platter. If you are using thick chops, you might want to cook them a little extra time in a hot oven.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add onion. Saute over medium heat until translucent and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add apples; saute 4 minutes more. Add vinegar, cranberries, ginger, mustard, and cayenne. Stir well to combine; cover. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender but hold their shape, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve over pork chops.

Post by Giulia Doyle : Audrey's

DIY Paper Spiderwebs

October 28, 2013

Post by Darcy of No Monsters in My Bed

Lots of Halloween decorating going on over here. The kids keep painting and I keep cutting out spiderwebs, the front of our house sort of looks like a goblin’s art studio exploded. As it should (I guess).

Anyways, how to make paper spiderwebs:

Step 1: Fold a piece of paper over to make a large triangle. Cut off the excess strip.

Step 2: Fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle. Step 3: This is the tricky part. Fold the sides of the triangle over almost like a blanket, so they look like the picture on the above left.

Step 4: Cut off the bottom of the above shape, so you have a triangle. Step 5: Draw the above design on one side of the triangle.

Step 6: Cut out the blank space. Step 7: Unfold.

Post by Darcy of No Monsters in My Bed

Seattle’s Best Waffles

October 26, 2013

When I’m in Seattle, I always make a point to stop in Sweet Iron Waffles. These are the best waffles I have ever had. They use a special type of sugar that creates little sweet bursts of flavor. Yum! The menu changes seasonally and I’m sorry to say I never get over to the savory side, because the sweet is just too darn good. Oh, and they make very pretty lattes!

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.

An Autumn Apple Cider Stand

October 25, 2013

I’ve always wanted to have a lemonade stand with my children. Now that we live at the end of a cul-de-sac, our chances of having customers for such a venture seemed pretty slim. Just recently, however, we participated in a neighborhood-wide garage sale, so we took the opportunity to set up a drink stand for passersby. Lemonade didn’t seem appropriate for the brisk autumn morning, so we opted for apple cider instead.

To make the cider, we mixed organic, unfiltered apply cider with apple slices and a few cinnamon sticks. Since the temperatures started in the mid-40s and ended near 70 degrees, we decided to offer both hot and cold cider.

Our stand was very simple to set up. We used a small table from my daughter's room and our much-loved Land of Nod chair that we painted in gold and polka dots last year. We added a construction-paper garland and a small apple display and we were in business.

My daughter enjoyed her apple cider stand quite a bit, but I think her favorite part was sampling the cider.

Post by Julee : Warm Hot Chocolate

Galaxy Star Mobile

October 24, 2013

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

I am so excited to finally share Baby Rockwell’s nursery makeover with you. We’ve had a few delays, but I just put the finishing touches on things, and I’m happy to report that Mr. R loves his room (Thank you Land of Nod!) Today I get to share his favorite detail of the moment — the Galaxy Star Mobile we created to hang above the crib.

Rockwell seems to have no choice but to stare into the Star Mobile with wonder and awe, while I scurry around after Modette who is shamelessly tearing the room apart faster than I can put it together.

Using leftover American Crafts Cardstock and Glitter Paper from our Glitter Academy project, and my Cricut Expression 2, I cut out 140+ of stars in about an hour (WAAAAY better than by hand!). To make a mobile you will also need a few No. 12 Screw Eyes, fishing line, and two 3/8-inch, square, wood dowels cut down to 22-inches. (If you ask, the hardware store will usually cut them down for free.)

1. Using the smallest drill bit you have drill a hole into the precise center of each of the dowels. (It is important to get as close to center as possible so your mobile will hang level.)
2. Mark where the star strands should hang. Measure from the left edge of the dowel and make a mark on the top side of the dowel at half, four and eight inches. Repeat on the other side measuring from the right edge.
3. Cut a yard of fishing line and tie a strand at each mark using a fishing knot that won’t come out. Tie a strand at each mark on the dowel, for a total of 12 strands. Tie a final strand through the center hole on only the bottom dowel.
4. Lay out the dowels and tape down the fishing line. Line up the paper stars in the desired pattern (see suggestions below).
5. We used Double-Sided Super Sticky Tape since it is mess free and quick.
6. Place the tape over the top of the fishing line and attach firmly to one of the stars and remove the red backing.
7. Line up the second matching star and press firmly to adhere.
8. Once you have completed adding stars to all 13 strands, twist in a Screw Eye to attach the dowels together.

Our mobile consists of 13 total star strands. We cross the dowels in the center and create four sides, each holding three strands. The final strand hangs in the center. The photo above shows a close-up of the strands for one side: a 5-star with one large glittered star, a 6-star strand with a small and large glittered star, and a 5-star strand with one small glittered star. For the center strand I used the 6-star one shown.

Despite our best efforts to make everything balanced, our finished mobile still didn’t hang level. We used a couple extra screw eyes as weights, hidden inside the stars, as needed to balance.

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

Things to Make – Pumpkin Spice Play Dough

October 23, 2013

The other day, while shopping at Trader Joe's, I couldn't help but notice the Pumpkin Pie Spice and thinking about how good it must smell. I also had very little interest in actually making a pie. Then I remembered, Not-So-SAHM's post from last year about making pumpkin pie play dough. Brilliant.

When the girls were little, we made play dough almost once a week (using this recipe). But I barely ever think to make it for T (mom guilt). So T and I cooked some up together, using this new recipe (via Not-So-SAHM) and he loved it. He loved it so much that he decided to add extra flour (just for fun), so our dough became a little more crumbly and less malleable than anticipated. But still we had fun. And the smell was even better than I imagined.

Post by Darcy : bedtimemonsters.blogspot.com

Baby Boy Star Gazer Nursery Reveal

October 22, 2013

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

I am so over the moon about Rockwell’s Star-Gazer Nursery — it was so fun to plan and create. We love to throw parties, and designing a room is so similar to designing a party, only you get to enjoy your creation for a lot longer. Since we already had a complete nursery setup from baby Modette, the objective here was to transform the space into something fitting of a boy with as little hassle and expense as possible. I fell in love with a bunch of awesome things from The Land of Nod and everything came together just as I envisioned. I have been dying to show the room to you; so let’s get this tour started…

When you walk into Rockwell’s room, the first thing that catches your eye is this incredible Star Sign night light.

The super-amazing Meredith over at Saddle Shoe Signs created this gorgeous vintage marquee sign for us. She sells them in her Etsy Shop where you can also find her alphabet lights. I wanted it as soon as I found it, but after seeing it in person and all lit up, I’m blown away — the quality is fabulous. I was worried it might be too bright, but it is the perfect amount of light for when I’m trying to help Rockwell wind down at night. I don’t leave it on all night, but when I take him in there at bedtime I forego the overhead light and just turn the star sign on. It feels nice and cozy. (It doesn’t actually flash like this, which would certainly not be soothing — that is just a cool effect I did for you!)

This Magnificent Metal Letter from The Land of Nod is on another wall in the room, and I love how well it relates to the star marquee sign. The coolest part of these wall letters is that they are deep enough to act as a shelf for a little trinket. Since we call the baby “Rocket” for short, I am on the hunt for a mini, metal, rocket toy to set in there. I was hoping for something vintage, but I have been scouring eBay, Etsy and all my usual spots with no luck. Please let me know if you come across one!

This bookcase is a carryover piece from baby Modette’s nursery. I swapped out some of the more feminine accessories with colorful toys including adorable rocket ship stacking blocks and a fun, red telescope. At present Modette is enjoying all the new toys, I guess Rockwell is getting an early start learning about sharing.

The Constellation Wall Art designed by Caravan Shoppe is a really easy and inexpensive focal point for the room. All you do is purchase and download the file (just $5!), and email or take it on a flash drive to a local copy center like Staples. Ask for a black-and-white, engineering print; mine is 36×48 inches and cost just $7.

To give the poster a more finished look, I mounted two wooden dowels on top and bottom. This treatment is reminiscent of a hanging wall map, and was really easy to accomplish. I found dowels at the hardware store and used school glue to roll the edges of the print out around the dowel. Superdad hung the map for me using screw eyes and fishing line, and we had fabulous art for under $20!

Storage is critical to a functional nursery, and I love how this bookcase provides me ample space to contain books and toys. It is nice to have open shelving to display favorite pieces, but having hidden storage is the key to keeping things feeling uncluttered.

The Land of Nod has some really unique storage containers that can add a lot of character. This adorable wire basket is the perfect size for containing the copious amounts of infant laundry. I love, LOVE these vintage-inspired milk crates. I couldn’t believe how sturdy they were in person — just like the real thing! Right now they’re corralling our diapering supplies, but I can tell this baby will have a nice, long life in my house, office, etc.

Now for the crib! We realized that with the new safety standards it was time to upgrade our crib. I’m really happy with our new Low-Rise Crib from Land of Nod. It has a nice, solid construction, and I adore the clean, modern styling. It currently is no longer in stock, but there are plenty of other amazing cribs at The Land of Nod that will meet your nursery style or budget.

I think this bold, striped crib sheet is one of my favorite details in this room, but then I’m a sucker for stripes. Also totally loving that the crib skirt is a continuation of the exact same stripe but in yellow. This skirt is reversible and has a chunkier, vertical stripe pattern on the other side in case I ever want to shake things up a bit.

Of course in this Star-Gazer nursery we need a galaxy mobile for baby Rockwell to enjoy while he drifts off to dreamland. Superdad and I decided to take this project on as a DIY, and you can read our tutorial for how to make a Star Mobile if you’re interested.

Right now Rockwell’s nursery is my favorite space in our whole house — I feel like I could just sit in there and rock him forever.

Without reconfiguring furniture or lifting a paint brush, I am really amazed at how truly transformed the room feels. See below how swapping out key decorative accessories created a whole new nursery fitting of our new baby BOY:

So do you love it? What is your favorite detail?? Oh and I want to give a big thank you to our friends over at The Land of Nod for sponsoring Rockwell’s Star-Gazer Nursery makeover.

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

Raegan’s Animal Parade 1st Birthday Party

October 21, 2013

Doesn’t it sometimes feel impossible to even start planning a party when there are so many great ideas out there? Too much inspiration equals party paralysis. Raegan’s sweet mama Deja was feeling just this way, until she decided to use one of Land of Nod’s new party decor kits for her daughter’s first birthday. You guys, it was such a good idea!

What she learned was that these cute kits don’t have be the only decor for your kiddo’s party. They’re just a really super starting point that gives you a color palette, general theme, and just the right amount of decor to get your ideas flowing.

The kits come with pretty much all the necessities for a cute party, but Deja stepped it up with some additions of her own… like pretty flowers, a fringe garland, string art, and homemade cupcakes and a cake. But don’t worry, she did call in help from her friend (and our own) Kristina. No mom should feel like she can or needs to pull all of this off on her own!

Raegan’s cute denim jumper is from H&M, and Deja’s beautiful dress is from Thread Social, which she also wore for her wedding rehearsal dinner two years ago.

They used the same cake recipe Charley used for Keats’ 1st birthday party, plus the addition of confetti. And it turns out it’s actually pretty easy to frost cupcakes yourself with a piping bag. To get the perfect yummy pink color, use just two drops of neon pink food coloring in a double recipe of this cream cheese frosting.

Pretty peachy flowers make every party better.

Love the animal cupcake toppers that come with the party kit.

Deja made Raegan’s confetti cake following inspiration she found on Pinterest.

Minty wrapping paper picked up from Urbanic. And how cute are those little tissue tassels on top? Those and the gold glitter number 1 tag were really quick projects you could easily do after dinner one night.

Um hello, cutest handmade wooden elephant pull toy!

How cute are those felt triangle garlands??!! Those and the hot air balloon pouf are all from The Land of Nod‘s party decor line too. The best part? You can totally use them again for another party or as decor for your little one’s room. Deja found that sweet vintage school chair at a local thrift store for $20. Such a good prop!

Super fun and totally achievable when you have the basics taken care of with a themed party decor kit. The Toot Sweet and Pirate kits are really great too.

Happy Birthday, Raegan! Great party, Deja.

Animal parade party kit: The Land of Nod / Fringe garland: The Flair Exchange / Flowers, cake, cupcakes, string art number: DIY / Photo booth decor: The Land of Nod

Post by: Kristina & Jillian 100 Layer Cakelet

Halloween Yarn Pumpkin Garland

October 18, 2013

Post by Haeley of Design Improvised

Looking for a Halloween craft? These little yarn pumpkin garlands will look sweet adorning your mantel throughout the fall!

The pumpkins were the result of a crafting accident of sorts. I had thought of making pumpkins out of yarn pom-poms (I know, enough with the pom-pom crafts!!), but they didn’t turn out great. The round shape of the pom-pom didn’t feel very pumpkin-like.

But in the midst of making the pom-pons, I noticed that they look quite a bit like squat little pumpkins right before you cut them into pom-poms!

So pretty much these are unfinished pom-poms. You can make one in 5 minutes – here’s how!

Supplies for Yarn Pumpkins

Orange yarn
Green pipe cleaners
Twine
Scissors

How to Make Yarn Pumpkins

If you’ve never made a pom-pom before, refer to my pom-pom tutorial for more detailed step-by-step instructions. Here’s the condensed version:

1. Wrap yarn around four fingers about 120 times or so.

2. Cut a ~10 inch piece of yarn and stick it between your fingers to wrap it around the big yarn loop

3. Line up the piece of yarn in the middle of the yarn loop, and tie – pulling taut and wrapping around the backside as well.

4. You now have your basic pumpkin shape. Cut a 2 inch piece of pipe cleaner and tie to the pumpkin using the two loose strands of yarn from Step 3. Don’t trim the strands yet!

5. Wrap the pipe cleaner around itself to form the stem.

6. Pretty up your pumpkin by tucking in any loose loops

7. Once again using the loose strings on the pumpkin to tie them around the twine. Continue making pumpkins until you have enough for your garland!

These would also look cute as stand-alone yarn pumpkins scattered down the middle of your dining table or mixed in with some real mini pumpkins on the mantel as well! Find more Halloween decorations at The Land of Nod.

Post by Haeley of Design Improvised

Charlotte’s Bedroom Inspiration

October 17, 2013

My plan of attack with our new house is to take it one room at a time.
So far, my plan is working and I'm feeling a little more confident. I finished the teeniest bathroom in the house over the weekend, and I think I'm ready to tackle a larger project. Here's what I have in mind:

I've been scheming up a plan for Charlotte's room for quite some time now. I want something girly, yet something that will easily grow with her. Since her taste is fickle, the basic palette for her room is creams and golds, which are easy to work with. Then I'll throw in some purple, pink and turquoise to keep it interesting.

Undoubtedly the biggest furniture score of my lifetime is my mom's old beds. She had the most darling set of wooden bed frames growing up; and they're now one of my most treasured belongings. I'm going to have one of them stripped and painted to match the Azure Jenny Lind nightstand. I can't wait to see it all come together. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Here's a little guide to the items I've pictured here in case you're curious:

Twinkle Toes wallpaper, Harlequin

Gold and White Hand Picked Knob, The Land of Nod

Azure Jenny Lind Nightstand, The Land of Nod

Glow Lightly Table Lamp, The Land of Nod

Bazaar Bedding, The Land of Nod

Sunburst Mirror, The Land of Nod

Head in the Clouds Pillow, The Land of Nod

Metallic Pennant Garland, The Land of Nod

Triangle Garland, The Land of Nod

Heart of Gold Wall Shelf, The Land of Nod

Gold Sequin Bow Wreath, The Land of Nod

Mini Cloud Corkboards, The Land of Nod

Bamboo Doily Clock, uncommon

Letter C Monogram Print, Jen Skelley

The Pretty Owl illustration, Ashley Percival

Oscar Wilde Quote, the big lake

A Little Sparkle print, Amanda Catherine Designs

Sacre Couer print, Marisa Seguin Print Shop

Signature

Post by Christina Williams

Canned Strawberry Jam

October 16, 2013

Making your own canned jam is definitely a Supermom Moment and with the holidays quickly approaching it would be a great neighbor or hostess gift to have handy. Using this easy self-sealing method, there is no special canning equipment required!

You’ll need about 4 pints of ripe strawberries. Begin by washing and hulling the berries. Then mash them up. Do not use a blender; for jam you want and uneven and chunky texture.

Before cooking the jam, make sure jars and sealing lids are totally clean — do a boiling water bath or wash them alone using the “sanitize” cycle on your dishwasher.

INGREDIENTS:
:: 4 cups mashed strawberries (about 4 pints fresh strawberries)
:: 7 cups sugar, in separate bowl
:: 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine (optional)
:: 1 pouch liquid pectin (we used CERTO brand)
:: 4 pint-size glass jars
:: Matching metal sealing lids & rings
* It’s OK to double this recipe.

TO MAKE JAM: Measure exactly 4 cups of the mashed berries into a large pot. Stir in sugar and butter (to help reduce foaming). Bring mixture to a full boil that doesn’t go away when stirring. Stir in liquid pectin and return to a boil. Boil for exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam. Carefully and quickly ladle into prepared jars. Wipe jars and threads clean then put on the metal sealing lids and tighten the screw rings.

TO SEAL: Invert the jars on the countertop and leave set for a few hours. As the jam cools, listen for the popping sounds of the lids sealing. Once jars are cool turn them right-side up and check the seal of each jar by pressing the lid — there should be no give. If the lids pops up and down then that jar did not seal. The jam in an unsealed jar is still good but must be refrigerated.

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

Hexagons + Hippopotami

October 15, 2013

Hello, again! I can't wait to share the full reveal of Oliver's room redo soon, but today I wanted to share one more simple project that made a fun, creative difference as the final details came together! We had one wall in Oliver's room what was just sort of empty. We didn't need any more furniture, and we already had plenty of artwork on the walls. It didn't need to be anything, but as I thought about it, I saw that open wall space as an opportunity to give my guy a special space to play and display his toys at his eye level. I used two honeycomb shelves from The Land of Nod, and a couple of chalkboard wall decals I had leftover from our Family Business Wall project in the kitchen. It was a simple trace, cut and tape job, but adding the chalkboard detail to the back of two of the shelves added a little bit of interest and a whole lot of fun!

We put a hook by the door for him to hang his jacket, and a small play chair next to the bottom bunk to serve as a nightstand. I filled all the little shelves with different toys Oliver loves, and then hung one of our favorite chalkboard decal/posters on the wall to repeat the chalkboard theme. [Okay, testimony time: those vinyl posters are amazing. I had a very frustrating experience last week where I found the one I'd hung above Oliver's top bunk literally cumpled up in his garbage can, all stuck together and wrinkled (long story, and it involves Hazel and a miscommunication among siblings…), but I was super impressed when I was able to peel and un-crumple it all back open and reapply it to the wall good. as. new. Cray.]

honeycomb shelves / chalkboard decals / knuffle bunny / Science Alphabet Decal

bocce balls / hippo / giraffes / Q&A for Kids

monster pillow / silver chair / globe ball / ice bat

Under the Stars poster / log pillow

Have a happy Tuesday, friends!

Raechel Myers blogs at Finding My Feet. She has two kids, an adorable husband and an addiction to Twizzlers.

Q&A with Erin Jang

October 14, 2013

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! My name is Erin Jang and I am a designer and illustrator living in New York City with my husband and son. I like to design (I used to work as an art director at Esquire Magazine and Martha Stewart Living!), illustrate (especially for companies like Land of Nod!), create stationery (see some of my cards here!) and make things (I'm working on a craft book with a friend of mine, be on the lookout next fall!). I love making posters and designs that are colorful, minimal, smart and happy.

How has living in different cities inspired your work?

Seattle and New York City both inspire my work so much.

Seattle inspiration: the color palette in a rainy day (forest green, brown, cobalt blue, grey, bright yellow), being surrounded by water and mountains, the flowers and alleys and old trinket shops in Pike Place Market, the alternative music scene, screen printers and poster artists, and the relaxed vibe of the city.

New York inspiration: art galleries and museums (my favorite is the MoMA), the people I see everyday on the street and on the subway (everyone has their own style and story), the eclectic colorful storefronts in every neighborhood (each one has its own personality — East Village! NoHo! Chelsea! Jackson Heights! Cobble Hill! Tribeca!), and all the creative and talented artists and makers I've worked with and have become friends with.

What were your thoughts behind the Hues You Can Use color series?

When I made these posters, my son was learning his first words and colors. I wanted to find a great color chart or poster for his room, but couldn't find anything that was simple and modern, that fit my aesthetic. So I thought it'd be fun to make this series and share them with everyone else! I was inspired by vintage educational charts and flash cards, and I like that my posters can be hung either individually or all together as a gallery.

I love Land of Nod, they are my favorite kids store (I even shopped for things for my apartment there before having Miles!). So I was so thrilled to collaborate with them on this exclusive print series!

What is your favorite color(s)?

I like green. If you come to our home you'll see a lot of green in various hues — forest green, army green, olive green, teal green, kelly green. I think maybe it comes from living in New York City and my husband and I missing that fresh green of the Pacific Northwest and wanting to bring that color into our apartment, even if it's through a pillow or a small potted plant, or a piece of artwork or wall paint.

But if I had a choose a favorite color palette it would be an olive green mixed with brown, grey, a super bright yellow, and a neon orangey-red!

Do you have kids, and if so has that influenced your work?

Yes, and yes! I have one sweet boy, Miles, who is two. There is inspiration everywhere when we are playing together — in the stories we read together, in the color of his Legos, in his drawings, in the lines and shapes at the playground. I also have three nephews and one niece (Jacob, Nathan, Dylan, and Naomi) and one of my biggest joys is making things for them, whether it's designing birthday invitations and favors, or illustrating special posters and books for them. They inspire me, and I adore them!

Any other hobbies or interests?

I love riding my bike all around the city. We have a child seat in the front of my bike for Miles and he loves coming along, waving to people on the sidewalk and shouting "Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!" to the taxicabs as they pass us by.

We also live near the big farmers' market in Union Square, and I love shopping there, and cooking for friends and having people over our apartment. It's so much fun eating out in the city too, finding a new coffee shop or a fun hole-in-the-wall restaurant to try. I love food and have a side project called Food Sketches where I draw some of my favorite colorful dishes, check it out!

Favorite Land of Nod product?

Hard to choose! But I love the Multiplayer Wall Hook for its minimal design and colorful knobs — they're so cheery! We have this in the entryway of our apartment, and Miles loves to hang up his own jacket.

One item I'd love to own is the larger set of Greater Pyramid Blocks. They're so beautifully made, and the vibrant colors mixed with the wood make them feel like a piece of art!

Tricks & Treats With the Fam

October 11, 2013

Post by By Michelle Kohanzo, Managing Director of The Land of Nod

We have an awesome Halloween tradition in our neighborhood – each year a family hosts a post-trick or treat party. I love this party, the kids are always in such fantastic moods – mostly due to a sugar high, and the grown-ups are really celebrating fall. This year we are hosting at my house and I am decking the place out in Nod’s Halloween decor. My kids love to decorate for a party, so they prepared some homemade decorations as well. I cut-out a bunch of pumpkins and then set them loose with glitter and glue – such fun and such a beautiful mess. I confess we’re already decorated for the party, even though there’s still a few weeks to go – you could say we’re pre-partying. Happy Halloween!!!

XO,

Michelle

Aside from being the Managing Director of The Land of Nod, mother to four kids (yes, FOUR!) and a gourmet cook, Michelle is 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.

Halloween Carnival Cupcake Walk Kit

October 10, 2013

By Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com
All week we are sharing a Halloween Carnival over at One Charming Party. Today we posted free printable invitations and envelope wraps for you to host the spooky affair. With lots of little ghosts and goblins running around wanting treats, we designed coordinating printables for a fun Halloween kids game, the Halloween Carnival Cupcake Walk.

TO MAKE: This is such a simple game to put together. Download our Halloween Carnival Cupcake Walk Kit. It includes full-page numbers 1-12 for players to stand on as well as mini numbers 1-12 for drawing the winner. Tape full-page numbers to the ground in a circle. Cut the small numbers apart and stash in a tin.

TO PLAY: Have your guests walk around the numbered circle while you play music. When the music stops, each guest should select a number to stand on. Draw a number from a tin. The player standing on the number you call wins a cupcake!

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

Kid-Safe Spooky Trick-Or-Treat Lantern

October 9, 2013

Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

This eerie Halloween lantern is way more fun than a flashlight to take trick or treating! We recently saw mason jars turned into adorable lanterns, but cringed at the thought of our costumed kiddos tromping through the neighborhood carrying glass. So our spookier version is made from a plastic mayonnaise jar.

SUPPLIES: To make this lantern you’ll need an empty plastic jar (we preferred the Kraft Mayonnaise jar shape) along with tie wire, wire cutters, acrylic craft paint, decoupage paste, paint brush and a battery-operated tealight.

PAINT THE JAR: Pour out about a 1/3 cup of decoupage paste (don’t measure, just estimate), add a small dollop of paint and mix well. Use your paint brush to apply the paint mixture to the inside of the plastic jar. Let dry completely.

ADD THE HANDLE: Cut a four-foot piece of wire and make one end into a hook shape. Wrap wire around the rim of the jar and through your hook. Then, to make the handle, bring the wire piece up over the top and through the wire on the opposite rim. Twist to secure. Continue wrapping the wire around the jar rim once more and secure by twisting around the starting hook. Cut off any excess wire.

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

Leaf Journals

October 8, 2013

The kids and I really enjoy doing our little Backyard Birdwatching activity during the spring and summer, so I thought I'd make a similar activity we could enjoy during the fall. We came up with a little leaf journal.

Simply download and print the journal. Then go for a walk, collect some leaves and document your findings. Here's a handy tip: print pages 3-4 back to front so when you open the book, all the info on one leaf is in the same place.

We had a lot of fun collecting leaves, and my three-year-old was enchanted by the magic of leaf rubbings. But I think my favorite part is the self-portrait page. Priceless.

Happy Fall, Everybody!

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.

DIY Movable Mummies

October 7, 2013

Post by Camillia of Family Chic

I like to come up with funny & original Halloween crafts for my kids – this DIY movable mummy project is super easy and perfect if you’re looking for a party activity…

Mummies made from rubber coated flexible wire and strips of muslin are easy to make and a look cute hanging around the house for Halloween.

The bendable wire frame allows you to position your mummy any way you like.

Relaxing Dude Mummy.

Yoga Mummy.

To make these you will need: flexible wire (I used a flexible garden tie that I picked up in the dollar spot at Target – but I have seen these at dollar stores too. If you can’t find this – look for any flexible wire at craft stores), wire clippers and muslin.

Using the flexible wire, make the frame for your mummy body.

Tear muslin into 1/2-inch strips. I do the “snip and rip” method to speed this up; make a small cut and then rip the rest of the fabric.

Wrap your wire form with muslin strips. Add strips by tying ends together. End muslin with a knot and trim ends.

Finally, let your mummy hang out.

Post by Camillia of Family Chic

Fox Foto Booth

October 4, 2013

Hi, it's Jeran from Oleander and Palm (you may remember me from my Toddler Tween Shared Bedroom and my recent mini living room makeover). Well, I'm happy to be back and sharing a really simple party detail with you today. I recently threw my 2 year daughter a fox themed birthday party. I had so much fun collecting and making foxy treats for this party.

And I knew that Nod's Fox Wear the Wild Things Dress-Up Set had to make an appearance at the party.

Pictures are probably the most important part of a party for me. I want to capture the moments and details, so that when we look back at them years from now, we can remember how much fun we had celebrating Olivia's 2nd birthday.

So to help capture even more pictures, I put together a little Fox Foto Booth. Everyone loves a chance to pose at a party, and a photo booth is a great excuse to get your cheese on. Using Nod's fabulous This Garland is Shaping Up in orange and blue triangles, I simply attached them to a blank wall with a little tape to make a picture perfect backdrop. I made sure to put it at toddler height. Then I allowed the kids to dress up like a fox and snapped away. Kiddos love to dress up, and for some funny reason, wearing the fox mask made them all roar.

I think these will be fun pictures to add to the party album and one of them became the thank you card that we'll send out to our friends and family. I just added a some text to the image in Photoshop and then had them printed as regular 4X6 prints.

Curtain Rod Hunting!

October 3, 2013

As we set about the task of designing our 6-year-old's bedroom, I knew I really wanted to keep things kind of clean and natural, with lots of layered, juvenile elements to make it feel like his. Really, I just wanted it to ooze boy and childhood and adventure! We managed to accomplish the natural element with a raw pine floor and a wool, flokati rug – but I wanted the earthy vibe to extend up the walls. So? One day after lunch, I grabbed a handsaw and a measuring tape and took the kids hunting!

We have a good bit of woods behind our house, and though I'm sure they were far more excited about fishing with their bare hands in the stream (no success, but lots of splashing!) and swinging over the little river on a rope swing (Oliver's favorite!), I did manage to hone their attention when I pointed out a particularly long, straight branch and suggested we haul it home with us for a project.

I had already chosen a pair of silver rock finials for the window treatment, so really it was just a matter of cutting the stick down to size, drilling some holes into the ends, and screwing the finials into place. I ordered some pole brackets from Amazon and two bright green curtains from The Land of Nod.

It really took very little time, and I love how Oliver's boyish, nature-y room has the memory of a fun afternoon in the woods holding his curtains above his window.

rug // curtains // stools // desk // finials // brackets // map shade //

Raechel Myers blogs at Finding My Feet. She has two kids, an adorable husband and an addiction to Twizzlers.