A Room to Impress

Do you have an infant/toddler room that is in need of some sprucing up? Send us your photos to ashley (at) firstimpressionsbaby (dot) com and we'll randomly pick winners, who will receive expert advice on how to decorate and improve the functionality in the room.

To enter your photographs, please send (via email):

* 3-5 photos of the infant/toddler's room
* 1 or 2 photographs of the little ones to whom the room belongs
* their name
* their age
*their 5 most favorite things

Also, please include your name, relation to the child, and city/state (city/state won't be published without permission).



OR, do you have a beautiful nursery or toddler's room that you are incredibly proud of? Send it to us (at email above) for a chance to be showcased on our blog!

Mabel's Labels

Whether you have decided to begin organizing your life, or you simply need help keeping track of what's what to make life easier, Mabel's Labels will have something you need. Pictured above, is a label from the Canister And Spice collection - all of which are dishwasher, microwave, and UV safe!



Next, are the Classic Stickies, which are awesome for sippy cups, diaper bags, toys, lunchboxes, and anything else you can think of! These little guys are also dishwasher, microwave, UV, and kid - proof. I love the idea that you can put these darlings on virtually anything your child owns, and it will STAY there - no more worrying about sticky or white residues where the sticker should've been...and no more worrying about which one is which!
Another favorite are Mabel's Tag-Mates. Simply peel and place the specially designed stickers (they miraculously withstand washing and drying) on the clothing tag and VOILA! Nobody will have to guess which pair of shorts belongs to Suzie or try to decipher marker bled-out initials.

Regardless of your children's ages, these are great for: Daycare. Play-Dates. Siblings. Stay-overs. School.

You name it, they've got it covered: Check out more labels and collections at www.Mabel.ca

My Mommy's Tote

Note: This isn't a repeat post, but I forgot to include the discount code before! Check it out below!!

Imagine a light-weight tote that could hold each of your children's medical documents, important papers, and those magazine pages you ripped out of a parenting magazine 3 months ago. Imagine a place where you knew you could put your children's things...and it wouldn't take up much room - or fuss. Imagine My Mommy's Tote - a lightweight, 9.75"x12.5"x3" tote that could hold it all. And more.

Each tote can hold 200 papers, and comes with pre-printed plastic dividers - which will hold up quite nicely...even to spills. My Mommy's Tote comes in pink/brown or blue/brown.

Wouldn't it be nice to have all of their papers ready at your fingertips whenever you need them? The answer is yes. YES it would.

Discount: 15% off all purchases PLUS 15% off shipping & handling when you enter First Impressions during checkout.

How to fold a Tshirt

Step 1
Lay down the shirt horizontally and faceup in front of you with the neck on the left-hand side.


Step 2
Pinch the shirt on the side opposite you at two points: with your left hand, at the collar; and with your right hand, halfway down the shirt, parallel with your left hand.


Step 3
While holding the two points, cross your left hand over your right, bringing the shoulder down to meet the shirt’s bottom hem, and grab the hem.


Step 4
Lift the shirt so that it hangs in front of you. Uncross your arms, without letting go of the shirt, and pull the fold taut as you do so.


Step 5
Place the shirt on the table. One sleeve should be sticking out. Fold over the sleeve, and fold over the side. Flip over the shirt.

*From RealSimple.com

Our Safety Pick of 2008

It's unfortunate that when it comes to childproofing your home, you are often forced to choose between safety and style. Until now, that is. Summer Infant has a BRAND NEW infant gate. Its iron, stylish, and absolutely lovely.

A few of my favorite things about this gate:
- It's a walk-through! I can easily open the gate with one hand, yet it's sturdy so Baby L can't open it.
- It's iron! To me, plastic just looks ...cheap. You work so hard on making your house look nice, and a plastic gate just cheapens all of the work you've done!
- The dark color. It's beautiful and I haven't yet found a wall color that doesn't go with it!
- It goes with any decor style. The small arch adds a touch of elegance, yet it remains simple in design.

Simply, it's my favorite.

Childproofing 101

For some odd reason, I never got around to childproofing. And, once Baby L was born, I either didn't have the time or was just too exhausted. And, now that L is a whopping 10 months old , I spend even more time chasing after her. I love her inquisitive nature, but it has come time to make it safe for her to "explore."

So, I'm writing a guide. Perhaps you are right there with me or...perhaps you've been there done that and just want to laugh as I crawl around on my hands and knees (they told me to) to find new perils that can befall my precious child.

My checklist:

_ Use Safety Latches and Locks
_ Put Safety Gates Up to block entry to stairs, and to rooms baby doesn't need to go
_ Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and Shower heads
_ Smoke Detectors (if you have one, test it)
_ Window Guards and Safety Netting to prevent falls from window, balconies,
decks, and windows OR purchase windows with window locks on top and
window stops so windows can't be opened further
_ Corner and Edge Bumpers for furniture
_ Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates
_ Carbon Monoxide Detectors for homes with gas or oil heat or with attached
garages
_ Door Stops and Door Holders
_ Door locks that can't be reached by a toddler (deadbolt).
_ Secure any furniture that could topple over
_ Remove anything within baby's reach that can break or be swallowed or is
otherwise harmful
_ Install a toilet safety latch
_ Tie up window blind cords and other cords that may be laying around


Any additions?

Office Storage Solution

Not a lot of room in your space? Or, perhaps you want to "hide" some paperwork or something else that needs organization (i.e. bills?!). Check this out. Click the picture to go straight to Pottery Barn, but I imagine this wouldn't be too tough to make if you are the handy sort.

Unique Storage Ideas for Kids' Rooms - Or anywhere else

Here are a few unique storage ideas. If you have some you'd like to share, send me the link and I'll post those too! You can click on the pictures to be taken to their website. Enjoy!

Classy Storage

At only 10 months, Baby L has accumulated a LOT of toys. And, since I've decided that 2008 will be my "Year of Organization," finding great storage for her room has become yet another mission for me. Here are a few things that I thought would go:

Jewelry Storage

It's a new year, and I've resolved to organize my life and home. I found these ideas for jewelry storage and thought they were too cute!

Click here to see how...

And, a few more ideas...

Organizing 2008.

It's time. It's been 2.5 years, and I think we still have unpacked boxes in the attic. Granted, there are only a few, but STILL! And, even worse are the disappearing acts our possessions seem to take - and, while I could blame elves or ghosts forever, we would keep on misplacing things. We have this vicious cycle of cleaning, then living until we can't stand the mess, then cleaning again. And, when we clean - instead of MAKING a spot for new things, we just stash it...then forget where it went. But, this year? - You can bet it is going to be different! I want change! So, room to room, I will figure out new solutions for everyday organization problems and then share them with you!

I'm starting in the Living Room. Little Lorelei spends most of her time here, and since she will soon be walking, I think it's time. And, I better be quick. First, I'm starting with the DVDs, since they are the first things she tends to go for. She likes to pull each and every one of them out and toss them to the side.

My solution?
I plan to take EVERY DVD out of the box and put them all in a binder. Then, I'm going to throw out the DVD boxes. The hoarder in me wants to keep them...but what will I ever need them for? NOTHING. So, I'm going to put all of them in a binder and then if we ever need them for a trip...they'll be very portable...all at once!

Next, I've GOT to get a better TV stand. As of right now, the TV is barricaded off. We've been making use of a piece of furniture (read: cheap, small bookcase) as a tv stand for a tv that is in all probability too big for it. So, before Lorelei gets any more mobile, we need a new TV stand (so she can't pull it on top of herself).

Once the DVDs are no longer arranged on the lower level of our "TV stand," we will have TONS of cords exposed. So, my next organization strategy will be to untangle a mess of chords and try to get them as much out of the way as possible to keep little hands from finding them.

I think I want to try a product called WireMate. I'm not sure though...so if you have any suggestions of things you've used, please do let me know!