Friday, August 23, 2013

Toddler Bedroom Inspiration

Since we have moved to Calgary, I now have a blank slate for both Bugga's room, and the nursery for Baby #2. I plan to document both, but I won't post the nursery details until the baby is here since my friends and family don't know the gender yet!

For Bugga's room, I want to incorporate some trendy patterns, and add in little themes here and there of things that she likes. Also, we are putting a lot of emphasis on learning the alphabet lately, so I wanted to add letter details throughout the design. 

The catches to the room:

  1. We are renting. We have permission to paint the rooms, but everything has to be within "reason". Ha.
  2. Bugga will be in this room from age 1.5 - 5.5, so the plus here is I don't have to think too far ahead and not make it too "young" since we'll move after that and have a whole new clean slate to work with.
As I'm putting things together, I will post any DIYs or progress. Until then, here are some design inspiration ideas!

Color Pallette:

A lilac/lavender color, with silver/gray and white as the neutral base. I might throw in another miscellaneous pop of something like baby pink or lime green depending on what the decor calls for.

  



Wall design:
 
I am currently obsessed with stripes. And the idea of the gray and white is a nice neutral that will be great with a pop of color on top of it. I also like the concept of a solid wall painted in the color of the darker stripe. Not sure if I have the patience to paint the stripes though, so I might go the decal route.

Wall decor/curtains:

   
 
 
  
 
Some obvious points to note: There will be chevron. This is definite. I need to put an alphabet somewhere around the top of the room, and/or in a frame. I love the chevron canvas idea with color pops on top that tie to the theme. I also love the silhouettes and need to find a way to fit those in - perhaps sticking to something Minnie Mouse or flower related (Bugga's faves). Oh and glitter. If I can incorporate glitter into this effort, this is something I must do.

Furniture/Accessories:

  
  

I will need to transition Bugga to a "big kid bed" before the baby arrives in December to prevent the need for two cribs. This is currently freaking me out because a) she sleeps pretty darn well in her crib so why mess with something that isn't broken, and b) a big kid bed means she is growing up and I'm just not ready for this! I would love to get her a beautiful white canopy bed but I'm not sure her teeny 11'x11' room will allow for this. But I'll try to keep inspired by the concept at least. A trundle bed would be great too, then if we have problems with the twin bed transition, and a toddler rail doesn't work (crossing fingers once we get there), then a lower trundle mattress might prevent too many major crashes. And it would be good for sleepovers down the road.

I found the link above for a DIY rag rug that I think would look beautiful in Bugga's room. In fact, I've already started it with lavender, silver, and white satin fabric. The thing is, I'm pretty sure this project is going to take the rest. of. my. life. No joke.

I would love a reading nook/area in her room if there is space, but not sure it will happen. Oh, and the Minnie Mouse sheet options out in the world are for the most part pretty tacky, but a set of these sheets or something similar (subtle-style) would be a nice surprise under a purple comforter. We'll see if I can track any down as these appear to be previous year's style.

And the design process is ON! Please check back as I post progress!



Toddler Oatmeal Variation with Warning

A short while ago I posted a recipe for Toddler Crockpot Oatmeal. (You can find the recipe here.) Since we are now living in a colder climate, our mornings are chillier than the steamy Houston mornings. So obviously, oatmeal is a nice fixture to my morning. And being pregnant, this kind of breakfast is also an easy way to get a healthy protein with plenty of fruit into my body before the day barely gets started.

Being a crockpot recipe, I take literally 5 minutes to toss everything into my slow cooker right before I go to bed, and the house smells amazing by the time we wake up.

If you try this recipe around your mini-mes, I feel like I have to warn you. If I straight up ask my toddler what she wants for breakfast, everyday, without fail, she shouts, "WAFFLES!!!" (I have been feeding her the natural organic brand - the one with Cookie Monster on the box - from Whole Foods and she devours one each day. Unfortunately, the best I can do is the boring natural wholegrain style, as the organic version with blueberries are nowhere to be found up here (get with it Canada!)...anyway.) On mornings I know we have oatmeal, I offer some to her, and always get an immediate, "No." Fine by me. Now I don't have to share. Or so I think.

Without a doubt, the second I get an oatmeal-laden spoon into my mouth, Bugga is all over me with her "Bite, bite, bite!" chant. And then proceeds to eat at least half my bowl, waffle long forgotten.

It's good for her so I really am not complaining - but sometimes a pregnant mommy wants to eat all her breakfast too!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

My latest version of this recipe, adding a LOT of blueberries and sliced bananas. Yum!