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Kids’ Bedroom Makeover Progress
It has been forever since I’ve shared an update on our kids’ shared bedroom! (I think the last update was in May 2015.) However, I’m excited to finally share the finished wall and trim paint, along with the furniture pieces in the room. We just need to get a few more decorative items and the kid’s bedroom makeover will be complete!
You may remember that we decided to put both of our kids (one girl, now 11, and one boy, 4) in the same bedroom per their request. Click here to find out more about our original plan. They love to be together and the extra space it created allowed for a playroom.
We painted the bedroom Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore. It is the perfect gray paint color and looks awesome in any light.
Even though she lost some storage space, our daughter loves sitting and doing homework here.
In the room, there is the vanity turned desk that we used to have in our bedroom. When the room change-a-roo happened, we did not have space for a big desk, so we swapped and our daughter has been using this one.
I whipped up this fabric garland in just a few minutes and I think it adds the perfect touch of femininity to her little corner of the room.
Next, is this old dresser which we painted and added drop pulls. For awhile, it served as our entertainment stand, but we moved it into the kids’ bedroom since it was big enough to hold both of their clothes.
There is still some accessorizing to be done in here! We already have an old oar that we would like to hang on the wall above the beds. Also, there is some artwork that we may purchase/DIY to make a gallery wall above the dresser. However, we still really like the wire mesh pin board and if we keep it, there probably won’t be room for more. Oh, and curtains! I definitely want to get some new ones up in here.
Last, but not least, if you were worried about the lack of kid stuff in the room, it’s there. Most of the toys are in our playroom, but we keep a crate of stuffed animals under the window and they usually have a few on their beds too. (I pulled all of them off for pictures). The rest of their stuff stored under the bed or tucked away tightly in the closet.
This space is looking good and it feels great to be making some progress. Plus, the kids love their room and that’s what matters most!
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The Home Depot Challenge – Chain
Sometimes good things must come to an end and that includes The Home Depot Challenge that I’ve been participating in for the past year. The ladies in this group have been so awesome to work with and I will definitely miss doing this with them. The last item chosen was a chain and I actually had finished the chain project in December, but the challenge was postponed, so I’m re-sharing my Holiday Card Display. I know it is a little out of place, since it is clearly for the Christmas season, but I’m sure this project could be modified to suit other holidays or as even a fun way to display photos or school work!
Click on over to the Holiday Card Display post to find out all how it is made.There have been a lot of other amazing projects shared including a Wine Bottle Bird Feeder, Rope Curtain Ties, 2×4 Artwork, Pegboard Luminary, Wood Box Caddy, Industrial Book Rack, and a Furniture Leg Snowman.
If you haven’t already, head on over to view the other amazing chain projects shared this month by clicking on the images below. We had a few guests join us and their projects totally rocked, along with all of the other creative ideas!
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Our Favorite Children’s Picture Books
There is just something so magical about books. The way they can take you on a journey you never imagined or help you learn or make you feel the feels is so amazingly awesome. And children’s books are where it all starts. I’m sure you can remember a beloved book from your childhood. Maybe you had your parents read it over and over. Today, I’m sharing some of our family’s favorite children’s picture books. You may have heard of a few of these before and others may be new to you. So, let’s get started!
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1. Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton
This sweet and short little board book, with it’s sing-songy wording, is the perfect quick bedtime story. You can see our copy is pretty banged up due to excessive use!
2. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Is there anything sweeter than a story about a parent’s unconditional love for their child? I remember my Mom reading this to me as a child with tears streaming down her face and now I read to my kids too (with tears streaming down my face).
3. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
This book is a bunch of fun with a cuddly wombat and her simple adventures. The illustrations are adorable and the story will surely leave you smiling.
4. Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger
We love this book so much! It tells the magical story of how Grandfather Twilight faithfully places the moon in the sky every evening. The images are soft/calming and this one is great for bedtime.
5. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
My personal favorite children’s book with lessons on love and what being “real” really is! This is a timeless story with a beautiful meaning and definitely one that stays with you through the years.
6. The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate
This is an amazing story about a magician and his rabbit. A mishap separates the two best friends, but of course there is the perfect happy ending.
7. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Giving Tree is such a wonderful book. The story is about unconditional love and learning to give. I really like that this book can open up a discussion with kids about taking and giving.
8. There’s a Nightmare In My Closet by Mercer Mayer
My kids love scary things and I think that this book is partially responsible for that. Reading this to them at a young age helped them to overcome fears of monsters in their bedrooms at night and taught them that just because something seems scary, doesn’t always mean it is.
9. The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost His/Her Name
We purchased this book for my son for Christmas and it is awesome! It is a totally personalized book for your child. The character in the story goes on an adventure to find his/her name, meeting fun friends along the way. So cute! (Get 15% off of your first book by clicking here.)
So, those are some of our favorite children’s picture books. Some of them are classics and others just have that little something that makes them extra special to us!
Are any of these your favorites too? Or do you have another favorite not listed that you would like to share? We are always on the hunt for new good books and would love any recommendations you may have!
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Playroom Storage Makeover
I don’t think I’ve ever shared photos of our playroom before. It is a finished space in our basement that serves as a multi-purpose room (playroom/family room/office/guest room.) The major work horse in the playroom is a huge shelving unit (Expedit from Ikea) which holds all of our games and our son’s small toys in the black bins (Drona). For quite awhile, I’ve wanted to change things up. So, I decided to do a playroom storage makeover, focusing on what we currently have.
There are so many amazing storage solutions for toys available these days. I love these charcoal and ivory rugby bins from the Container store, but at almost $100 for 8 of them, it seemed that I could come up with something similar for our current black bins and save myself some dough.
I thought of several different ideas, from covering the bins in fabric to painting stripes, but I just couldn’t commit to any one idea. Then, while perusing Ikea’s website I found black and white stripe place mats (Ljuda) for 1.49 each and decided they would be perfect for the job.
After taking the measurements of the bins, I cut one of the place mats to size and used it as a template for the rest of the pieces.
Then, I inserted the cut place mats under the fabric fold at the top of the bins and used hot glue to secure them to the fronts. Super easy.
I love how the stripes add some playfulness to the plain boxes and if for some reason we tire of the contrast, we can just flip the boxes around and they will look just like they used to.
So, what do you think of this simple playroom storage makeover? Do you like all of the stripes or the simplicity of the plain black bins? I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know!
________________________________________________________________________ You may also like:
Ikea Apa Storage Makeover 
Open Shelving in the Kitchen 
Boxes Into Baskets 
Paint Dipped Box Baskets