Adorable kid stuff from Wee Society

I have had these goodies in my possession for way too long, but I was determined to share them with you because they are sooooo cute!  I love this stuff as an adult and definitely would have loved it as a little girl.  For those of you who haven’t heard of them, Wee Society is …

“an award-winning creative studio that believes you’re never too young to develop an eye for design.  They aim to spark kids’ imaginations, leading to big bright explosions of creativity.  And they’re pretty sure uncontrollable giggles make the world better.  With this in mind, Wee Society has created kids’ apps, books, art prints, toys and still-secret stuff.  Their work has been honored by the Parents’ Choice Foundation, Webby Awards and other nice folks.”

Wee Society

The above features (starting top left and going around clockwise) A Box of Awesome Things matching game,  Me: A Compendium A Fill-in Journal for Kids, Go! My Adventure Journal, Wee Alphas 26 A to Z Postcards, from Angelfish to Zebra, and An Incomplete Book of Awesome Things.

Wee-Society

An Incomplete Book of Awesome Things is an adorable and refreshing collection of awesome things, from masking tape, tunnels, lava, elbows, and more.  The book features vibrant and minimal illustrations.  The book was designed to boost kids’ vocab and spark conversations.

Wee-Society

More fireflies, lava, and tacos.  A Box of Awesome Things is a matching game comprised of some of the awesome things we learned about in the book.  As soon as I opened the box, my 2 year-old knew it was something fun for him, and months later he still plays with them weekly.  I also recently discovered that they hold up really well to a teething 5 month-old!

Wee-Society

As an illustrator, the Wee Alphas is probably my favorite of the group.  The creative way the animals were illustrated with a hidden letter are really fun.  They are bound in a fold-out accordion to display or share.

Wee-Society

Wee-Society

I can’t wait until Leo is old enough to really start using this journal to start documenting things about himself and other creative and cool things about himself. Above is the opening page.

Wee-Society

Just a sample page from Me: A Compendium.  A space for them to draw themselves dancing, and another to dream up what they’d program their own personal robot to do.

 

Wee-Society

The back of Go! My Adventure Journal  features a “super official” passport, and the activities inside the jacket cover show the sort of thoughtful detail goes into the designs of Wee Society.

 

Wee-Society

A sample page of the Go! My Adventure Journal,  features spaces for the little traveler to record weather, meals, something new he tried, and a special memory. Wee Society products can be found wherever books are sold.

Do you know any little people who have tried out the above goodies?

I received the products above as samples from Clarkson Potter

How to Decorate Your Short-Term Rental for Cheap

As renters, we know it’s hard to spend a lot of time decorating a place just to move out a short time later. Imagine going through an entire redecoration process only to move into another place where none of the new stuff you bought matches. You might think, “Forget it, why bother, we’re only living here short-term.” It’s easy to feel defeated with Crate & Barrel taste on a short-term rental budget.

Sure, you’re only staying short-term, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself while you’re there. There are ways to make a lovely living situation without going all out.

There are two key components in having a cozy home without the commitment: cheap and easy.

There’s no need to go above and beyond and paint the entire house or rip out flooring. Instead, opt for ideas that’ll make the time you spend at the rental easygoing, but still comfortable. Here’s how to decorate your short-term rental for cheap.

Buy an inexpensive, yet expensive-looking couch

There’s no good budget-friendly interior design advice article that doesn’t mention IKEA. IKEA is the budgeters closest ally.

When someone walks into your home, the first thing they notice is the couch. That is, if the living room is the first place they see, which it usually is.

The couch will make or break a room, so make sure you get something classy. However, don’t bother spending a lot if it’s a short-term rental. IKEA (offering promo codes here and here) has great options for short-term leases. For under 600 bucks, you can pick up the VIMLE couch and add a splash of sophistication to any apartment.

couch

Doesn’t this couch look like it costs a lot?

Sure, you may be stuck in a white-walled apartment and boring rug, but at least you can make the most important part of your living room look nice.

Use plants and flowers

Add elegance to your short-term rental by using nature! The Heart & Hand collection at Target (codes here and here) encourages bringing “outside in” and decorating with simple pieces.

plants and flowers

Place plain glass vases on the dining table and stick a few branches or flowers in them. This touch will make it much more homey. It’s amazing what a little greenery or floral elements can do to an otherwise drab interior.

You can also add pebbles to the bottom like in the image below.

vase

Simplicity will be the best word to remember when trying to figure out how to decorate your short-term rental for cheap.

Pick out wall decals

Painting a short-term rental is not happening. The task of painting is so exhausting, it’s hard to imagine even painting a long-term rental. This is where some good wall decals could work. Just look at what these palm leaves do for this plain white wall!

Palm Leaf Decals

 

Etsy (codes here & here) is the best place for wall decals. They have the most options and probably the cutest choices. Plus, they’re relatively cheap.

Buy a giant, wall covering piece of art

Instead of painting, you could go for a wall decal. If you don’t even want to go through the hassle of that, just hang something up.

statement art

Get a cheap, yet cute piece of art you can hang up and have it cover most of a wall in your living room or bedroom. Bringing it back to IKEA, they have a good amount of inexpensive pieces of art that you can easily hang on your wall.

A nice statement art piece can add a relaxed mood to your home for your guests or for yourself during a night in. The focus is creating a place of serenity for yourself in your short-term rental.

statement art

You won’t need to add much to your home once you let a calming, pleasant looking piece of art do the talking.

Find a vintage lamp

Visit a local estate sale, pop into Goodwill, or check out your nearest flea market and see if you can find the perfect vintage lamp. A good, single vintage lamp in the living room can add some unique personality to a home.

You can also usually sell vintage items for the same price you purchased them for if you decide you don’t want to take it with you when you move out of your short-term rental. Let it bring you joy in the meantime.

Auction sites are a good place to snag antique lamps at a good range of prices. Just check out this one that’s going for $124 on eBay (codes here and here).

antique lamp

An antique lamp will polish the look of your short-term rental by keeping it unique to you. Decorating cheaply requires buying a lot of stuff that may be commonly seen in other homes, so grabbing a vintage piece will keep your interior design one-of-a-kind.

Create a coastal oasis

Using seashells to decorate cheaply has been a tactic for short-term renters for decades. It’s a timeless way to brighten up a home without spending nearly anything. Honestly, if you live near the water, you could do it for free!

At Bed Bath & Beyond (coupon codes here and here) you can buy a bag for under 10 bucks and go to town placing them everywhere.

shells

 

Buy larger sized shells from Pottery Barn to complete the look (coupon codes here and here).

shells

 

Add a beachy Yankee candle (promo codes here, here) and you’ll be absolutely set! It doesn’t take much to create a tranquil atmosphere in your short-term rental.

candle

Hang up photos of loved ones

What better way to decorate than to use your favorite photos of loved ones? Grab some cheap frames from Michaels (coupons here and here) and place memories in them to look at whenever you’re home.

gallery wall

Create a collage of photos with mismatched frames for a rustic and eclectic feel.

Conclusion

Even if it’s short-term, your time wherever you are should be enjoyed. Hopefully this how-to guide helped in fixing up your rental and gave you some tips on cheap yet pleasant interior decorating.

 

Thanks to Summer Siguenza for partnering with us on this post.

Last day to enter Lato scratching post giveaway by Tuft + Paw!

Chic scratching post giveaway

Our giveaway ends at 12 AM EST on March 22- so you have a less than 24 hours to enter! Click here to enter!

chic scratching post

4 DIY Projects to Transform Your Living Room

Your living room is an essential gathering space for your family. This room is where you get together for movie nights, board games, and evening conversations. You want a space that’s warm, welcoming, and uniquely suited to those who dwell in your home. Try these tricks to update a stale space and make it intriguing and distinctive.

DIY curtains

via Alicelandhome.com

Craft a Tailored Window Treatment

Your windows frame your view of the world, so make sure you’re delivering a charming one. Bare windows feel stark and cold, but even the simplest window dressing can transform the space. Curtains are a simple DIY project. If you’re new to sewing, simply hem a length of fabric at the bottom and create a pocket at the top to make a basic curtain. If you want something fancier, you can choose from a seemingly endless array of patterns.

You can also update an existing window treatment by adding buttons or other embellishments. Trim the bottom foot from floor-length curtains and sew on a contrasting panel. Update your tiebacks with new ribbons. Even small changes have a big impact.

 

DIY ideas

via adzif.ca

Create an Accent Wall

Select one wall of your living room to serve as a focal point. Paint it in a dark color or cover it with striking wallpaper. Consider adding bold, eye-catching accents to this area, such as wall decals or wall art. Create a collage of your favorite prints or place large wall stickers that can turn the entire area into a mural. Take a minimalist approach to the other walls in your living room so this single area can attract all the attention with its striking design.

DIY ideas

via studiomcgee.com

Update Your Throw Pillows

Swap out your throw pillow covers according to the season or your mood. This update is one of the quickest and easiest you can make. Sew your own envelope pillow coverswith just three pieces of fabric. The opening on the back allows you to pull the covers off in an instant when you want a new look or if you need to launder your pillowcases. The hardest part of this project is simply selecting the fabric.

DIY ideas

via Traditionalhome.com

Curate a Cute Collection

Pull together an engaging collection of items that are meaningful to you. If you have a love of giraffes, start scouring thrift stores, art galleries, and craft fairs for pieces featuring these long-necked beauties. Perhaps you’re a bibliophile with a passion for antique Jane Austen novels. Gather several complementary items that suit your collection and create a striking display in your living room. This will give the space a pop of personality that’s unique to your home.

Select a key area, such a mantle place or a centrally located shelf, to display your items. This is a wonderful conversation starter and a guaranteed way to avoid the ripped-from-a-magazine look by making your living room your own.

Update your living room with these easy tasks, and you can quickly create a home that resonates with your family’s own one-of-a-kind personality. Try these quick projects for a new look in no time.

Thanks to adzif.ca for partnering with us on this post

Gorgeous renovations with a reverence for history

I love a historical home, but owner turnover throughout the years can mean a lot of poorly-planned and poorly-funded DIY projects that don’t do justice to a homes historic elements that make it special and beautiful.  That’s why when I stumbled on Classic Homeworks out of Denver I was happy to see the care and attention they take to preserve the historical details of a home but also update it for a modern family and modern lifestyle.

historic remodel

 

historic remodel

historic remodel

As you can tell, I was really impressed with the work they do with kitchens!

historic remodel

historic remodel

historic remodel

historic remodel

What do you think makes a good renovation?

Cat furniture with home design in mind and a great giveaway!

Chic scratching post giveaway

Yay! It’s giveaway time and I’m so happy to offer our first giveaway of 2018.  This one is brought to you by Tuft + Paw. I think that you cat-lovers out there will be blown away by their gorgeous (and eco-conscious!) products.  There mission reads as:

Our mission is to provide beautiful, well made furniture for housecats that also serves the homeless and foster cat community.

Check out their story page to read more about how the company came to be, their commitment to sustainability, compassion, and Donate-a-Bed program.

Now, on to the awesome prize! Fill out the form below for a chance to win Tuft + Paw’s best-selling Lato Horizontal scratching post. The post has been featured in multiple cat publications. It features support legs made of solid birch (certified-sustainable,) and a sisal-wrapped core of organic catnip! You can read more about Lato here.

chic scratching post

To enter

Leave a comment below letting us know what other Tuft + Paw product you think your kitty would like. Explore the website to check out all of the cool stuff. To leave a comment scroll down aaaaallll the way to the bottom of the page, past the weird ads.  (I know, I know, but my bills don’t pay themselves…) If you don’t see your comment right away, don’t worry.  I will approve comments as I get notifications and then they will show up. After leaving a comment click scroll back up and click the dropdown that says “Leave a comment, ” and then click “I commented”.


The contest ends on March 22 at 12 AM EST.  Sorry, the contest is only open to U.S. residents! The winner will be notified via a post on March 22 and email.  Contact us if you have any questions!

Here are some of my other favorite Tuft + Paw products.

Gatto Basket

Gatto Basket

Deauville Cat House

Deauville Cat House

Piuma Cat Toy

Piuma Cat Toy

A Modern Clutter-Free Home

Modern and Clutter-Free

Do I have your attention?  Who doesn’t want a modern clutter-free home that reflects your family’s passions, memories, and lifestyle. The house below is work of designer Shirley Meisels of MHouse. The family purchased the 1940s 2,200-square-foot home after it had been gutted and had a two story extension added.

modern clutter-free home

Don’t let looks fool you, the furniture was selected to be durable and withstand kids.

modern clutter-free home

The home is also adorned with large-scale photos of the couples travels.

modern clutter-free home

The homeowners were adamant about having cozy furnishings that still had modern lines and easy-to-clean fabrics.

modern clutter-free home

The designer also included lots of storage via baskets and double-duty furnishings.

modern clutter-free home

The aesthetics are kept light and airy with an ethereal palette.

modern clutter-free home

Like what you saw?  Check out another modern house tour.

Images above via Style at Home.

Amazingly chic home offices

Since I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve started going back to work gradually, but it’s really hard to be productive since I’ve “been away” so long.  It also doesn’t help that my office has become purgatory for all of our baby paperwork and stuff we’ve had to move to make way for the gear that’s come with baby #2.  I’m hoping some super chic home offices will help inspire me to get in there and clean it up and get working!

chic home office

I NEED an office chair like this.  Looks like a good mix of comfortable and beautiful.

via DecorPad

chic home office

I love this warm and vintage home office. It still manages to look sophisticated though!

via Inspiration DE

chic home offices

I don’t think you can have a desk that’s too big, and even though this might be a dining table – if the shoe fits…! All of the shelving is great too.

via townlifestyleanddesign.com

chic home office

How pretty is this dining room made home office?  The white furniture with touches of blue is really cheerful.

via the 36 Avenue

What do you do to your home office if you’re in a productivity slump?

Real interiors that are contemporary and fresh

Contemporary interiors

Maybe I’m way behind the times, but I just recently stumbled across the blog for Scout & Nimble, which for some reason is offline today – but luckily I saved some photos to share with you.  Their main website – https://www.scoutandnimble.com/, also has tons of great interior eye candy including portfolios, designers, and products.  Below are what I consider some of the coolest spaces.

 

I don’t know if I could live with the black and white striped floors, but it’s definitely a good trick to elongate the space! I love the ceiling lights too!

 

I’ve actually seen this chest of drawers around before and I really love it.

 

This living room is a bit dark for me but I still think the space is really warm and inviting.  Maybe for a little reading room?

 

Can you say dream kitchen?  White kitchens were the most recent trend, but for me they are timeless and one day I will have one!

 

Shop these rooms!

http://shrsl.com/t30w crystal chandelier
http://shrsl.com/t32r http://shrsl.com/t332

 

Why It’s Important to Make Repairs Before You Start Decorating

Whether you are planning to decorate your new house, redecorate your old home, or trying to tidy up the property before selling it away, it is of the utmost importance in all situations to make the necessary repairs first. In case you are wondering why it is so, there are actually multiple reasons and we will discuss the most important ones next.

redecorating ideas

It Could Save You a Lot of Money

Home décor is not cheap and especially not so if you decide to hire professional help. However, you could actually be saving money if you did your repairs before starting with the redecorations. For example, you might still be using the old, buggy dishwasher or the faulty fridge, but if you just decide to get it repaired instead of replacing the entire thing and buying a new one, you could save money. Sub-zero Refrigerator Repair Austin is an example of a service that can save time and money versus finding a new refrigerator.

One of the main issues people run into whilst getting repair however, is the brand of the appliance, as some companies only cover certain brands. Make sure to research and settle on a company that covers a range of brands, for example due to the popularity of the brand, Zanussi repairs by Service Force are really popular, but as a repairs company Service Force also cover a range of other popular brands.

redecorating ideas

The money saved in the process could then be used to further augment other parts of your home aesthetics, instead of putting it into something that did not need to be replaced in the first place. In other words, getting your appliances repaired will actually help to cut unnecessary costs from your decorating budget.

A Well-Maintained Property Will Fetch a Better Price than a Well-Decorated One

In case you are trying to tidy up the old property before a potential buyer comes in to see the house, you can rest assured that they will be more impressed by the actual condition of the house than how well it’s been decorated. Even if some novice buyer likes what they see and fails to notice the missing repair works, they will inevitably be revealed during a professional house-inspection. So, you would be better off by taking care of the following repairs, or you might regret wasting money in decorating the place up when you should have been using those funds to repair it.

redecorating ideas

  • Basic plumbing should be in decent shape
  • Get the electrical work done if required
  • Any appliances included with the house should be in perfect working condition
  • Kitchen cabinets should not be falling apart and they should be clean
  • The bathroom needs to be as clean as possible, so get it cleaned professionally if required
  • Doors and windows should be clean; broken panes and rotting wood won’t do
  • Mow the lawn
  • The pavement and the driveway should not show cracks
  • Paint the fences and the mailbox
  • Paint the house and seal up the cracks, if any
  • Change the rotten floorboards and fix the chipped baseboards, if any

You Will Eventually Have to Take Care of the Repairs Anyway

If you paint over a cracked wall without repairing it, or put a new carpet over rotting floorboards, you will have to repair it eventually at some point anyway, but it will actually cost you more in the future because now you will have to redo the décor again. Redecorating without taking care of the necessary repairs first is an exercise in futility; sure, it may push back the extra cost for a few months or even a couple of years, but when it cannot be avoided anymore, you will be paying twice for the same decorations, when you didn’t have to.

redecorating ideas

As you can see, prioritizing repairs over decorating is not only the right thing to do, it’s the more economical option as well. In case there are far too many repairs to be done and you cannot afford both at once, just choose to repair first and hold off on the decorations for now and you won’t ever regret your decision.

Thanks to Zanussi for partnering with us on this post!