Travel Nursery - Part 1

Since we found out we were expecting in January, I have been thinking about how to decorate the baby's room. I didn't want anything that was too pink or blue, or anything that was too pastel "baby." Ideally, we'd like to be able to modify things slightly and still have a room that will be fun and interesting for a toddler or older kid. One of the ideas that I'm starting to take pretty seriously is a travel themed nursery.

There are lots of awesome examples online, including this couple who actually painted a world map in their baby's nursery:



That's amazing, but I am not that talented, nor do I have that much time. Also, I'm not supposed to be around paint, right??

Fortunately, there are a lot of fantastic, easy vinyl decals, including this one from Etsy:




It comes in over 30 bright colors, so you can find something that would be perfect for any nursery. It also comes with little star and circle decals, so you can mark places that you've been, or homes of family and friends.

There is also some really fun travel-themed wall art out there. These are some of my favorites that I've found so far:

From Society6:



From Etsy (comes in lots of other cities and colors):



From L'affiche Moderne

 

I think this will be the first post of possibly many about this travel theme, so stay tuned!

Smart Shower Gifts, Part II

It's time for our second installment of Smart Shower Gifts! Since our last shower gifts post, I found out that I was expecting a baby, so this time through, I'll be looking at things with more of an eye toward what I would actually want to receive for the new baby. This will be fun--and hopefully will help me start planning a gift registry!

Recently, I've been talking to a lot of my friends who are moms about different products that they found especially helpful when their baby was born. One of my friends mentioned something that I hadn't thought about--when her son came home from the hospital, he wasn't able to wear onesies at all, since his belly button became very irritated when rubbed with a onesie. I had thought that awesome onesies were the very core of all newborn clothing, so this came as quite a shock! My friend recommended these very reasonably priced side snap t-shirts from Carter's:



One of my other friends loved the easy close feature on these magnetic-fastening clothes and bibs from FAO.com:


And now for our less practical offerings....

Just look at these hilarious onesies from The Wishing Elephant on Etsy!!

They have something that will put a smile on the face of every new parent.

The nerd:


The party animal:


The musician:



The gamer:



The gamer parent of twins:


And, of course, the Star Wars fan:

The Perfect Chair

Generally, when choosing things for baby and baby's room, I try to pick items that are very reasonably priced. I don't want to buy six pieces of equipment when one would do, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on a wildly expensive piece of furniture that the baby will outgrow quickly. One area, however, where I have prepared myself to splurge a little bit is the rocking chair (or glider--I'm not picky).

While you can certainly get a perfectly fine rocking chair at a very reasonable price at a discount retailer or on craigslist, I am assuming that this is a piece of furniture that we will be keeping in our home for the long term, so I'm ready to shop around a bit....

This beauty is available at Room and Board, and comes in a number of fabrics and colors, including an easy-to-clean polyester microfiber. It looks like it is generally about $800-900, depending on fabric options.



Less comfortable (but so beautiful) is the classic Eames rocker, which comes in a million colors. The Eames rocker is available at a number of retailers at a fairly wide range of prices. I just love the pop of color, as seen in my Robot Nursery post!



Another thing that I am considering is purchasing a rocking chair from Chairloom, and having them reupholster it in something wonderful.  I love their work--for example, look at this before-and-after of an adorable child's rocking chair:



A couple of years ago, I had them redo this chair for me in Cayenne Stripe by Hable Construction. Isn't it fun?? I think this time through I would choose something a little kid-friendlier than linen, though. Maybe something indoor/outdoor for easy cleanup!

Awesome Robot Onesie

My new nephew is here! You may remember from an earlier post that his parents have put together a wonderful robot nursery.  It seemed only fitting that he should also be the recipient of this excellent robot vs. dinosaur onesie from Gnome Enterprises.




Can't wait to see pictures of the little guy in it!!

Creating Memories in Young Children

Hello and apologies for the huge amount of time since the last post! But now to jump back into things:

The New York Times just published a fascinating article by a pediatrician about how kids' memories work, and from what ages. A lot of this was just general overview, and you're probably already familiar with the basics. There were a few things that I thought were pretty suprising:

First, in studies comparing Chinese children with Canadian children, the Canadian children were able to remember a year further back and to remember more. The article suggests that this might reflect some type of difference in how parents talk to children and in "what kinds of stories and experiences are emphasized in the two cultures."

Secondly, the article suggests that two qualities predicted whether a child was more likely to hold on to a particular memory:

1. If the child mentioned emotion when describing a memory.
2. If the memory was described with sequence and cause understood.

These points suggest that parents could actually have an influence on their child's ability to form memories from an early age, by asking their children questions and creating stories that put memories in logical, sequential and emotional contexts. How cool is that? As a parent, you put so much effort into creating wonderful experiences for your children. Now it appears that you can also help your child to translate those experiences into lasting memories.

If you're interested in reading (a lot) more about memory and cognitive development in young children, we suggest the following 3 volume encyclopedia which provides a great discussion of the link between language development and memory in infants and children.

 

I've been looking for a shorter, more user-friendly resource on this topic, but find that books in this area tend toward the more academic side of things. If you know of a good book or website that covers early memory development, please let me know!

Magnetic Wallpaper

I came across this on Pinterest and just had to share--designer Sian Zeng has released a line of magnetic wallpapers. 

They are all based on her Woodlands wallpapers which also come in a non-magnetic variety.  You also receive 5 complimentary magnets with each purchase of magnetic wallpaper (which you should, because it's PRICEY).

The only "magnetic wallpapers" that I've ever seen before were little sheets that were made for lockers. I don't remember this stuff being around when I was in school, but I wish it had been--I just love magnets.

Unlike the locker paper, however, the Sian Zeng wallpapers are not themselves magnetic.  It sounds like they just use some kind of magnet-receptive underlayer and then apply the wallpaper over it. I don't see how this couldn't work with any wallpaper, or why you couldn't just install the underlayer and then paint over it--the possibilities would be endless! I've heard mixed reviews about the magnetic paint--apparently it works if you put enough coats on, but the finish isn't very smooth, and it is only magnetic enough to work with very strong magnets. Maybe this would be a better option if you're looking for the same effect?

What's Going on in There? A Book for Curious Parents

Sorry I've been delinquent in posting! We just moved into our first real house over the weekend, which is very exciting, but which also means that life is completely chaotic right now. Blogging has had to take a backseat to unpacking boxes, hanging shelves and curtains, and generally trying to pull things back together. Unfortunately, I still don't really have time to put together a full post, but I wanted to let you know about a book that I've been reading and that I think is incredibly interesting.

It's called What's Going on in There? and it's by Dr. Lise Eliot, a neuroscientist and mother of three.



The book offers a pretty comprehensive (but easy to follow) overview of current scientific knowledge about infant and early childhood brain development, and talks about how that knowledge can influence parenting decisions. I think it would be a great read for any parent curious about what's going on in their baby's brain, and who wants to know more about how their actions as a parent can influence their child's development. I'm pasting the book description from the publisher below.

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As a research neuroscientist, Lise Eliot has made the study of the human brain her life's work. But it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first child that she became intrigued with the study of brain development. She wanted to know precisely how the baby's brain is formed, and when and how each sense, skill, and cognitive ability is developed. And just as important, she was interested in finding out how her role as a nurturer can affect this complex process. How much of her baby's development is genetically ordained--and how much is determined by environment? Is there anything parents can do to make their babies' brains work better--to help them become smarter, happier people? Drawing upon the exploding research in this field as well as the stories of real children, What's Going On in There? is a lively and thought-provoking book that charts the brain's development from conception through the critical first five years. In examining the many factors that play crucial roles in that process, What's Going On in There? explores the evolution of the senses, motor skills, social and emotional behaviors, and mental functions such as attention, language, memory, reasoning, and intelligence. This remarkable book also discusses: 

• how a baby's brain is "assembled" from scratch
• the critical prenatal factors that shape brain development
• how the birthing process itself affects the brain
• which forms of stimulation are most effective at promoting cognitive development
• how boys' and girls' brains develop differently
• how nutrition, stress, and other physical and social factors can permanently affect a child's brain

 Brilliantly blending cutting-edge science with a mother's wisdom and insight, What's Going On in There? is an invaluable contribution to the nature versus nurture debate. Children's development is determined both by the genes they are born with and the richness of their early environment. This timely and important book shows parents the innumerable ways in which they can actually help their children grow better brains.