You may have seen some of these photos floating around the internet lately, but I couldn't resist posting them here as well. They are taken by Jason Lee, a wedding photographer who began taking styled photos of his two daughters as a way to keep in touch with grandma. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006 and had to be very careful with exposure to germs, so the girls didn't see her very much. Most of the ideas come from eight-year old Kristin and five-year old Kayla - what a creative little team!
Shanti is one of London's favorite friends and they are both 3.5 years old. Shanti has a vivacious little personality and a room to match! She lives with her mom, dad, two cats and one bird and is lucky enough to have her own room (sometimes rare for Manhattan kids!) I'm completely smitten with the beautiful mural painted above her bed – it's even better in person. I also love the eclectic array of art on the walls! Everything in the room has such a lively and fun feel to it and it's impossible to not feel happy in this space.
Photos by Ashley Jensen
Do you have a special child's room you would like to share? Please do! E-mail hi-res photo submissions and details about the room to habitatkid@gmail.com. I can't wait to see what you've been working on!
Wait...you don't know where Kebnekaise mountain is? How embarrassing. Well fine, I didn't either. :) Turns out it's the highest Swedish mountain! And now you and your kids can climb it! I know what you're thinking: "That snowy white top is going to get dirty the first day we play mountain goat." Not to worry friends, this beanbag cover is removable and machine washable. One more reason to love those fine Swedish folks over at Little Red Stuga design studio. Need more mountains to climb? Check out their Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro and Fuji. That should keep the kids busy for a while.
Monday again? Already? Time seems to be flying by and I can hardly believe that June is nearly half over. Scott and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Nashville to see some friends get married, and now we're exhausted. It was an 18 hour trip total, so literally all we saw was the wedding and ate some yummy BBQ. Oh, and I may have had five maple doughnuts in the DC airport. Can't say for sure. Anyway, luckily our amazing friends Jill & John watched London for us so we could travel quickly and that made all the difference. Traveling with kids is no picnic! Thanks, guys!! We owe you big.
I've been wanting to share this new shop I recently found called Top Hat. It's on the Lower East Side here in Manhattan, on the corner of Broome and Orchard Streets and is full of treasures from all over the world. I could have easily bought everything in that store, it was all so lovely and just my style. I somehow settled on only two things: a pair of walking stilts from Germany that have horseshoes on the bottom and sound just like a horse walking, and some colorful wooden star dominoes from Kiko Kids. They have both been used like crazy around our house since we got them! If you live in NYC or plan on coming soon, be sure to add this store to your list of places to visit – it's a perfect spot to find unique gifts for children or adults or just yourself!
I was trying to explain what a piggyback ride was to my Norwegian friend the other day, but he had no idea what I was talking about. Isn't it interesting how we come up with funny little terms in our own languages? I love this photo – they look so happy to just be together and like they have nothing more important to do that day than take a walk. I hope it inspires you to give a piggyback ride to someone small this weekend and help them feel big for a few moments!
Little Harry has his own room, but so far he prefers to sleep with his parents. The cradle was bought at Ikea in 1972 by his great-grandparents and has been used by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I love when rooms have pieces with special meaning like that. And aren't those hot air balloon curtains great? Soft and whimsical but not cheesy. They're made by Swedish brand Sandberg, and it also comes in a wallpaper! Click here to take a peek at all of their amazing designs.
Scott's parents were in town this past weekend and we decided to take a day trip out to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania to visit Kitchen Kettle Village, a cute little touristy spot with lots of shops and Amish goods. It was beautiful weather and I was pleasantly impressed by some of the kid-friendly activities: a furniture shop with lots of authentic Amish toys for sale (some available online here), a petting zoo, pony rides, wagon rides, and a playground. We ended up going home with an awesome wooden marble run, although I'm sure London would have probably preferred one of the farm trikes with a wagon to pull. Sorry honey, no room on our city streets for any farm equipment. :)
Today was London's very last day of preschool here in Manhattan. I can hardly believe a whole school year has gone by since we started and it has been the most beautiful experience for us. London has grown so much and her patient, loving teachers have been a huge blessing for all of us. It makes me sad to think that she won't be able to play with all of her sweet little friends here next year since we are moving. The children play so well together and have bonded very tightly. It's been amazing to watch each of them come to terms with mom or dad leaving them in class and learning to trust that their teachers will take good care of them. They have all grown immensely.
New Amsterdam Early Childhood Center is a Waldorf school, and for those who may not be familiar with that style of education, let me just say that it is the most beautiful education anyone could ask for. You can learn much more here. Preschool age children are given a home-like environment where free play is encouraged, as is gathering for group activities such as meals, clean up, rest time and circle time. I've never seen a group of children as happy as the ones London was able to play with each day. They loved the routine, the lovely classroom, the snacks, and the way they were loved in return while they were there. I can't say enough good things about it. I've posted a video below made by one of the school's parents which beautifully illustrates what the center is all about. Thank you New Amsterdam, for being our little oasis of peace in such a big big city. (Don't ask me why London is covering her mouth in this picture. She was being so bizarre about having her picture taken with her teachers!)
Growing up on five acres, my four siblings and I saw a good amount of yard work. It seemed as if every Saturday was a garden day. I complained so much as a kid, but now as an adult I want nothing more right now than to have a garden to work in. The house we are hoping to get has an amazing garden that I can't wait to get my hands into and I look forward to lots of family time spent working together. This new video from Olive Us made me smile and remember so many fun times goofing around with my brothers and sisters during chore time. The video is from blogger extraordinaire Gabrielle Blair of DesignMom and features her six charming children. The family has been living in France for more than a year now and decided to start making videos to document their everyday adventures and encourage good sibling relationships. Such a sweet idea and I love everything they have come up with so far. Enjoy!
