A teaser for you…

The roof is finally going on.  Which means…skylights are going in too!  No new gutters up just yet but she’s getting there.  So far, Handy Hubby and I are ecstatic with the results.  The metal roof is looking better than we had imagined.  We know it’s not everyone’s taste but we’re glad we went with our intuition on this one.

Even neighbors who were originally put off by our idea to have a metal roof installed are now intrigued.  The roofing company that’s doing the install has already had a request to give an estimate for a metal roof on another house in our neighborhood.  The Underdog may not be the only metal-roofed house in the ‘hood for long!

More Underdog updates on the way.  Stay tuned…

image:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

In celebration of last week’s baby news, here’s a family-friendly giveaway!

Children Inspire Design is an eco-conscious product line founded by mom, artist and entrepreneur, Rebecca Peragine. {Whew! I’m tired just thinking about all of that.} The company offers recycled note cards, journals, wall hangings, and art.  The pieces are simple, colorful, modern and whimsical – perfect for a child’s bedroom or play area.  With an emphasis on global responsibility and world cultures, Rebecca seeks to inspire children and change the world.

Just feast your eyes on these cutesy items.  Of note:  All products are created using New Leaf recycled paper and soy ink and are lovingly packaged using eco-friendly materials by a family-run print company in Verona, WI.

Wouldn’t these colorful butterfly cards look oh-so-sweet hanging in a lil’ girl’s nursery or bedroom? They could start out over the crib and then be easily relocated elsewhere in the room as the baby becomes more mobile.  I love the way they’re shown here strung along the wall with just cotton string and wooden clothespins.  For a more polished look, you could frame them up in simple white frames.

For the lil’ man in your life, how about this woodsy vintage alphabet poster?  All you’d need to complement this one is a little guy in a cowboy hat and leather boots.

Check out this inspiring and colorful ‘I am an artist’ print.  Frame it and hang it in a playroom or above a kids’ craft table.  It’s sure to get their creative juices flowing!

CID has also teamed up with mother cooperatives in Mexico and Haiti to support new opportunity and hope for moms globally. Handmade One Mother to Another products are sold on CID’s site as well.

Imagine that vibrant paper bird mobile floating above the changing table or crib in a nursery. Darling.

Check out the rest of the items available for purchase here.  I’m seriously considering this family owl print.

Since baby-on-the-way will make us a family of five, I think this print would be very fitting in our newest addition’s nursery.  Don’t you?

Lucky for you, Children Inspire Design is offering $50 worth of product to one lucky House*Tweaking reader this week.  Here’s how to get some inspiring art of your own:

• PRIZE:  $50 worth of goods from Children Inspire Design
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a street mailing address {no P.O. boxes} within the U.S.  One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “I’M INSPIRED!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, October 20th at 9:00 p.m. EST.  The winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced Friday, October 21st.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Share the best piece of parenting advice anyone has ever given you. I’ll go first… Our first son, Layne, was an extremely colicky baby.  My parents and Handy Hubby’s parents lived hours away and HH was working full-time, so I was going it alone.  After 3 months of up-all-nights and constant crying, I was completely exhausted and overwhelmed. In desperation, I turned to the internet for help.  I’m a reader, so I naturally started searching for a parenting self-help book.  Thank goodness for all the wonderful reviews and recommendations for The Happiest Baby on the Block.  I ordered it, read it cover-to-cover in one day {heck, I wasn’t sleeping anyway!} and started implementing the 5 S’s.  It worked like a charm!  Within just a few days, Layne was sleeping for 6-8 hour stretches at night and taking a few 2-3 hour naps during the day.  That meant I was sleeping again too!  I practiced the 5 S’s with our second baby right off the bat and he had 8 hour nighttime sleeping stretches from day one.  To this day, the book is my favorite baby shower gift to give.

FYI – I was not compensated in any way to mention Children Inspire Design or The Happiest Baby on the Block.  I just love sharing great stuff!

images:  Children Inspire Design