have decided to add a new feature to our blog called “Weekend Round-up” where I can post all the items/design I have been drooling over during the week. This week’s focus is design for children.

Little Animals:
I am a sucker for sustainable handmade dolls — the more character they have, the more I love them. This week I am crunching on these little handmade animals from Stitchface.

Stripes and Polk Dots Nursery Design:
I just love the feel of this nursery! The crib is my favorite part — it has such lovely curves and a small storage space underneath. I searched online to find this exact crib and ended up finding a similar one by PBKids. The lines aren’t quite as elegant, but still very pretty.

Posters and Totes:
Ollie and Lime Poster art & Thomas Paul totes, available at Designpublic.com

Modern Twist Place mats:
Yeah, yeah, I know. These have done the rounds a bit, but I still want some (grown-up) ones of my own, so I am posting for those who have not yet seen them. I can’t tell you how many cloth place mats I have thrown away because I just can’t seem to eat without food flying everywhere. I love these adorable ones for kids that encourage kids to color within the lines (and hopefully not on your table).

Happy weekend!

Nicci

efore our younger daughter Christina was born, several people told us that we should have a gift for our older daughter Elizabeth from the baby. Supposedly, this would help the siblings “start out on the right foot” and make the older sister happy that the little baby had a present for her. So, when Elizabeth came to see Christina and me in the hospital, I pulled out a wrapped present with a card that said, “Dear E, Thanks for being a great big sister. Love, C” It was a personalized book — Elizabeth’s Adventures on Sesame Street — featuring a story and photos of Elizabeth partaking in various activities with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Grover, etc. The book was a huge hit and it became her favorite bedtime book for at least six months thereafter.

That all happened when Elizabeth was 2-1/2 years old. 16 months later, on the way to school today, she asks me out of the blue, “When was I on Sesame Street?” I answer truthfully, “It is actually just a story. It’s not real. The book just has your picture in it.” She proceeds with her questioning: “How did C come out of your tummy with books?” Hmmm…. she got me there! Of course, in her mind, it made perfect sense that Christina must have had the book in the womb if she brought it for Elizabeth.

Caroline

Piggy Banks

The modern piggy bank owes its origins to the 15th century when people saved money in clay jars called pygg jars. Over time, pygg jars evolved to piggy banks and took on the shap of pigs. Today, there are a plethora of shapes from which to choose. What better way to teach children to save than with a stylish piggy bank? g6kzx95i7d

{a} Dwellstudio hippo animal bank: I admit I have a little bit of a hippo fetish. I love their shape and they manage to be cute despite their surly demeanor. I especially love this unique take on the piggy bank from Dwellstudio.

{b} Not Neutral Count Piggy Bank: being a designer, I can’t resist anything with beautiful type. I love the shape and bold contrast of the Not Neutral piggy bank.

{c} Aqua Giraffe Animal Bank from Elegant Baby: I love the shape of this giraffe piggy bank.

Nursery Furniture

Thomas Wold Mushroom Forest Side Table: These mushroom side tables were not originally designed for nurseries, but I think they bring a splash of color and playfulness. Available at Design Public in orange and light blue.

Offi Chalkboard Table: Help your little one channel her inner artist with the Offi chalk board table. The Offi table is beautifully designed, but a bit pricey. There are less expensive versions of it here and here or you can do what I did and grab some chalkboard paint and paint your own surface.

Howdy the Rody Cow: Howdy is the newest addition to the Rody family. Howdy is inflatable and big enough for your tot to ride or sit on.

Eames Rocker: No nursery is complete without the Eames rocker. This classic design never gets old.

Nursery Wall Art

Bold&Noble Wall Art: I love these modern prints by Bold & Noble.

Avalisa Stretched Canvas Wall Art: comes in a variety of colors.

Binth Letter Art: A few years ago I threw a baby shower for one of my closest friends and while searching for decor ideas I came across an article in Blueprint Magazine about a modern baby shower and I fell in love with the Binth alphabet posters. There is individual letter art (pictured here) as well as an alphabet poster featuring all the letters.

Pillows

Binth Crow Cuddle Pillow: This bold design would look nice on a nursery rocker

My grandmother was an avid gardener and growing up I spent my summers among her many fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. Some of my happiest childhood memories are there, following her around while she dispensed gardening tips. Unfortunately for me, the green thumb which seems to have been bestowed on all members of my family stopped at me. Unfortunately for the plants, I still have an insatiable desire to plant every spring. This year I decided to do something a bit different.

I was inspired by the beauty of succulents after reading an article in Sunset Magazine featuring these spectacular outdoor installations.

Succulents are really the perfect plant — they are attractive, require little water and best of all, seemingly not tasty fodder for hungry felines (which truth be told, is the most common demise for my house plants).

There are a few boutique shops that specialize in succulents where you are likely to find some of the more colorful and rare varieties. After researching a few different options, I decided to pick mine up at the garden department of Home Depot where they have a large selection and they are considerably less expensive.

To Make a Succulent Planter

1. Choose your plants
I spent a little time considering the color palette and composition of my planters. I was careful to choose plants that are relatively the same height, with a few that are slightly taller for variation. There are many varieties of green to choose from, but I opted for a few shades of green with some darker varieties. My local Home Depot had colorful cacti, but I wanted my palette to be comprised of greens and hues of purple.

It is helpful to choose you planter at the same time so you have an idea of how tall your plants should be. Since I would be displaying mine inside on my dining table, I opted for glass vases.

2. Ready your plants
When you get your plants home, carefully remove them from their pots and separate them if you wish. Depending on how much soil you want in your planter, it may be helpful to try and save the dirt around the roots.

3. Plan your composition
It is important to decide how you would like your planter to look before starting. I wanted mine to have very little soil in the bottom, so I placed a small amount of soil at the bottom, secured the shorter plants by tamping soil around the roots while clearing a place for taller varieties.

You can add garden accents such as cement mushrooms or attractive stones, as well as a layer of gravel and/or sand below the dirt in your terrarium.

The trickiest part, is nudging the plants into position and adding the cactus soil without covering them in dirt. For attractive arrangements, try and keep the glass clean. I used a damp towel to remove dirt from the sides and Q-tips to tamp down dirt and nudge plants into tight spots.

Succulent Care

1. Make sure to keep your succulents in full sunlight

2. Water every two weeks (don’t over water as this will cause the roots to rot)

3. Take care to pot your plants in cactus soil which helps with drainage

A note about cats: Many succulents are cat-friendly, however, if you have a cat it is always good practice to do a little research before selecting house plants.

A few months ago Duck Duck Moose put out a call for entries for our Kid Talent Contest. The rules were simple, make a video of your little one singing Wheels on the Bus. We received entries from all over and have really enjoyed watching them. Today, we are proud to announce a winner to our contest!

Congratulations to Misty Griffis and her son Ethan for Ethan’s rendition of Wheels on the Bus. Check out Ethan’s video below or visit the Duck Duck Moose website to see some of the Runner-ups for the contest. A big ‘thank you’ to all who participated!

Duck, Duck & Moose

Here are a few of our favorite Easter-themed goodies from around the web.

Around The World Children’s Tin Pail
We couldn’t resist blogging about these adorable vintage pails from Three Potato Four. The colorful illustrations depict children and animals from around the world and the pail is perfect to hold your little one’s odds and ends.

Easter Play Food from Quiet Hour Toys

There is nothing more nostalgic that chocolate Easter bunnies and creme eggs. These small felt holiday confections are adorable additions to any Easter basket.

Orange Bunny Baby Slippers

Etsy is a great resource for crafty items. We can’t seem to browse it without finding multiple things to covet. Check out these adorable Bunny Slippers from the Piddies shop. These little guys are handmade out of felt and fully lined. If bunnies are not your thing, there are plenty more designs from which to choose.

Responsible Easter Chicks

I took a brief respite from the California sun this weekend, to spend some time with my girlfriends in Santa Fe. While driving around I saw a sign for ‘Easter chicks’ and wondered about what happens to the little Easter chicks when they become not-so-Easter chickens. If you can’t resist the allure of the soft and fluffy, check out these tiny, felted replicas — they come in a variety of Easter colors.

Animal Stamper Set from Stubby Pencil Studio

Stubby Pencil Studio sells a myriad of creative, eco-friendly items for kids. This little Stamper set caught our eye. The fun toppers and playful stamps are perfect for making Easter cards.

Helen, a handknit bunny from Woolies

Adorable. Need we say more? See Helen on Woolies Etsy Shop

Squiggles’ Twin Bunny Toy with Carrot from Palomino Morgan

We really love the adorable face on this Bunny plush toy from Palomino Morgan. This bunny is made from a previously laundered wool sweater, but note that she can be pre-ordered only at this time.

Easter Bib from Hazel May

This is a sweet Easter bib from Hazel May’s Etsy shop. The colorful fabric is adorable and the back is lined with a soft material.

Small Felt Sheep from Lagreen

There is something a little reminiscent of the Ugly Doll/Emily the Strange style in this small felt sheep from Lagreen.

Easter Hats & Dresses

Some adorable Easter dresses and baby hats from around the web.

Spring Flower Hat

Floppy Ear Easter Bunny/ Lamb Hat

Rio Dress from Tea Collection

Catedral Dress

Designer Easter Chocolates

These chocolate Easter eggs from Recchiuti in San Francisco are *almost* too pretty to eat! Recchiuti has a whole line of exquisite and tasty treats. Some of their chocolates can also be beautifully customized for weddings and parties with a design or monogram.