Why do so many toy companies insist on making toys so ugly? I mean really. Yes, kids love color, but you can make something colorful/bright/fun without using every single color in the rainbow all at once! Can I get an amen?

Oh goodness I wasn’t sure what toy you were talking about but I certainly spotted that thing in the corner. My first thought was “what a great way to tire my little one out” and the. I thought “it’s a bit ugly though…” How funny!

I’m sure if she would let you, you could easily spray paint that baby white. However, if Mabrey is anything like my dauther the garish colors are part of the charm. Also, have you guys ever thought of twirling your rug around so that sticking up corner is by the fireplace/window wall. That would drive me crazy!

What I do to prevent the rugs from getting the curled up corners is to put the 3m picture hanging strips on the back of the rug and the floor. I have removed it from my laminate floor with no noticeable marks. In my kitchen I have to replace them about once per year but in my main hallway I have never replaced them. In my basement, they dont stay but for a few weeks. I have given up.

I remember someone once commented about taping a paint stirring stick to the back to make the rug lay flat. It was a decorator technique or something.

We have had our trampoline for 6 years now and have stated over and over that it was probably the best toy purchase we’ve ever made. the kids use it now for their complicated dance moves and as a launch pad to flip onto the bed (don’t let your kids see that!)

That’s an awesome idea!! It drives Steve bonkers.

Amen.

We have a full size trampoline…in the basement. I can’t believe I actually AGREED to that purchase at first, but honestly it has been the best investment for this long winter with Greta.

ps. love the vibe of the last photo. New ps action? filter?

I love Thomas O’Brien, and visiting his Aero shop in NYC was one of the highlights of my trip several years ago. MOMA? Empire State? Central Park? All fantastic, but dang Aero was the best. Wish his Target line was as robust as it used to be.

I love, love, LOVE your little high chair, but my little guy is such a mess at meal time that I can’t imagine NOT being able to remove the tray to wash it in the sink. Is it a pain to clean? And if you hadn’t of installed the tray, would it had slide right up to your table? I really HATE my son’s current high chair, but the non-removable tray is scaring me off this beauty!

I LOVE The Princess Bride! Best movie ever. It is my all time fave.

Where are the blocks from? I’ve been looking for an inexpensive set for my toddler who’s a few months younger than Mabrey. Ikea has a set but it doesn’t seem to have many pieces. Also, I LOVE real life pictures! Makes me feel better about the toys strewn around our place. :)

The tray is removable but it needs a good tug to remove it. Tugging a tray of crumbs usually results in a bigger mess on the floor so I wipe it down in place. For me it’s really not that big of a deal since I have to clean up the floor under the highchair after every meal anyway. When Mabrey’s a little less messy but not quite ready for a regular chair, I’ll most likely remove the tray and pull her up to the table with us.

I would LOVE to visit his shop in person. I’ve never been to NYC!

Where is the white rug from? How do you clean it?

It cracks me up when I’m trying to photograph one small area of the house and if I turned just a hair to my right or left I would be looking at a jumble of toys, sippy cups, and abandoned snacks. I love that you’ve embraced it here! After all, I adore a perfectly styled vignette but it can’t compare to my toddler’s happiness and comfort. Your ‘Made me Smile’ posts always make me smile too!

I love the last picture! Even if everything is not perfectly in order, it still looks great (I love those little mirrors on the wall!) and it just shows that your home is full of life!

i know this has nothing to do with it but here goes anyway.if you get your rug corner wet, as in soaked, and then put something heavy on t while it dries you might have less risk of tripping. sometimes even curling under the other way for more stubborn kinks. our rug took a couple of times but it got there :-)