One Cute Nursery

The Joy of Designing for Baby and Beyond

A Real Nursery designed by a Real Mama { a little chat }

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After all the excitement and happiness that your heart holds the day you find out you’re expecting a baby, after all those mixed feelings – happy, scared, anxious, worried – sink in, you get a second wind and sigh in relief and say:      ‘ I can definitely do this! ‘ . Later on, comes the fun part…Designing for Baby! 

Nothing says I LOVE YOU and I WANT YOU IN MY LIFE more than preparing a nest for your little baby and I truly believe that those nests {a.k.a nurseries} are even more especial when they are designed, built, laid-out and decorated by mommy { and sometimes by daddy too! }. And today I am showing you just that. 
Colleen is a young mama from Minnesota who decided to keep the gender of her baby a surprise. She designed a beautiful neutral nursery with lots of vintage details that I am sure you will all love. 
Here is what she has to say about how she created such a especial room for her ‘surprise gender’ baby. 
One Cute Nursery: Tell us about your baby…                  
Colleen A: My baby boy is named Brennan Bradley and he’s almost 15 months old.
OCN: and your main occupation?
CA: I am a stay at home Mom.
OCN:  Which piece, color or story -if any- inspired the nursery theme?
CA: We have this little wall decoration, with a mirror in the center and colored dots surrounding it. It was originally in our bedroom, until it dawned on me that it would be the perfect inspiration for our nursery.


OCN:  Which is your favorite piece of the room? That one you could not live without!

CA: I think the changing table/dresser.  It just looks so vintage- I love it!  If we are including little pieces or decorations, then definitely our sentimental shadow box!

A little TLC turned this second hand vintage dresser into
a beautiful and very useful changing table

OCN: Which piece was a bargain? Which one was a splurge?

CA: All of the pieces were bargains!  I guess if I have to classify one as a splurge, it would be our used crib at $100!  The rocking chair is borrowed, the changing table was $25 and the bookshelf and side table were purchased together for $25!  Yay for Craigslist!

At a $100, this beautiful second hand crib was the ‘splurge’.
Mama Colleen sew  the bedskirt herself.
OCN: Where did you get ideas from? Internet, magazines, real rooms…your imagination!?
CA: I got some ideas from the Internet and talking to friends or family and some from my own imagination.
OCN: We always like to feature a product handmade in the USA. Is there any piece in the nursery likewise? 
This beautiful bedding made by Seams Sew Perfect,
little Brennan’s grandma.

CA:  My mother-in-law is a master seamstress. We came up with a bumper design and she custom matched the thread in the embroidery to the paint colors. I took on the challenge of making the crib skirt myself.  I do a lot of needle crafts, but not too much sewing, so sewing projects definitely tend to challenge me more.  I managed to produce a nice looking pleated crib skirt in some awesome, room matching fabric. 

OCN: Could you tell us where did you get the dresser and the corner cabinet? {they are so beautiful!}
CA: The dresser was purchased off of Craigslist.  It was in rough shape, but my wonderful parents fixed it up for us!  The corner cabinet is actually a built-in that came with our house.  I’ll be so sad to leave it behind when we decide to move to another place!

This corner cabinet is actually a built-in.
It is the perfect place to hold beautiful mementos.
OCN: Any heirlooms in the room? 
CA:  I don’t believe I have any old/handed down heirlooms in the room, but plenty of sentimental items.  We have several handmade blankets from friends and family, Brennan’s baptismal gown, blanket, and booties, our shadowbox, Brennan’s birthday candle, and some of our wedding items like our unity candle and my garter.
OCN: Tell us a little about the keepsake frame {with those cute feet in there!}. How did you achieve that? What else do you keep in that frame?

We are in ‘awe’ with this keepsake box.
The casted baby feet makes it perfect!



CA: This is the most cherished item in the whole room, mostly because of the precious feet.  To make the feet, we used supplies purchased from Casting Keepsakes. We used our materials to make the casts of Brennan’s hand and feet while we were in the hospital, the same day he was born!  Those feet are exact replicas of about 16 hour old feet!  I painted them with a pearlized white paint and mounted them in the frame.  Our frame also houses Brennan’s and my hospital bracelets, his umbilical cord clip, the bottle cap from the bottle of celebratory sparkling cider we shared in the hospital, his birth announcement, and one of his first burp rags.

OCN:  What is the item(s) that baby enjoys the most in the room?
CA: When Brennan was really little, he just loved the paint job!  He would be mesmerized by the circles while he nursed, sometimes so much so that he wouldn’t go to sleep!!  Now, I’m not sure which piece is his favorite.  I’d say he likes the bookshelf, table, and dresser evenly- they all have things in them that can be taken out and throw on the floor!

OCN: Finally, What is your best tip for expectant mommies that are decorating gender neutral nurseries?


CA: Just because you are doing a gender neutral nursery, it doesn’t have to be boring!  So many are the typical pastel yellow or green with bears or ducks.  You can still spice it up and make it fun!  By using bright colors, you can make the room more visually stimulating for your baby, as well as making it a space you’ll love to be in.  Bright themes tend to grow well with the child and may fit your toddler, grade-schooler or even teenager!  I could definitely see Brennan’s nursery being a teen’s room!


Thanks to Colleen for the beautiful pictures and inspiration. To learn more about this nursery design and to see even more pics, please visit her blog.


Five Cute Pink Picks!

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One of the sites I enjoy viewing the most is Etsy. I can spend hours just looking at so many beautiful products handmade by so many talented people. And best of all, 9 out of 10 of my picks are Made in the USA! That makes my heart sing. I love to see so many american SAHM’s  making cute, unique and affordable things. 

While browsing last night, I fell in love with these cute items for baby girls. 



Here they are:



* No compensation was received for this post * 
* Images sources: Etsy sellers *


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Ten Things My Baby { and I } Could Not Live Without.

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So, another night comes and I am headed to the bathroom to get the tub ready for my baby. I was so scared when I had to give him his first bath and now, I am bathing him religiously twice a day! Oh how things change!
As I am giving him his well deserved bath ( after a long day of drooling, playing on the floor, drooling, eating solids – which means more dirty diapers- and more drooling ) I think: hmm… I don’t know what would I do without this wonderful tub. I am telling you it’s a nice tub for baby! and then I saw a couple of more items I thought it would be nice to blog about. After all, I started this blog to spread the word of all the things I learn (and that includes the things I buy and try) while raising my baby. I am sure many mommies-to-be would find this blog post interesting
{so I hope ;)}.
My ten favorite things {as of today} are:
I have to admit, I put this tub on my baby shower registry just for the look of it. Anything “sea related” ? call me. But this tub turned out to be a good one. I like the ergonomic design, the padding for the baby’s back and it’s very roomy. My boy is 29.5″ and still fits perfect. here you’ll see that it comes with a toy bar! (mine is an older version and it doesn’t have it but it is still the same great design. I love that the drain is a little bit elevated in the air that way it drains easily. I like to start draining the water as I’m bathing baby to make room for more fresh water I add as I rinse him. *Beware*: some reviewer mentions mildew accumulation under the baby stopper. Well, I have NEVER had it. I stand the tub upside and inside down after each use, that way all the water drips and I let it air dry. If you leave the tub laying flat inside the big tub, obviously there’s gonna be some water that is not gonna drain so take my advice if you buy it or any other tub for that matter.
I am in LOVE with this baby wash. If you ever wanted to “bite your baby ’cause she’s so cute” you will definitely bite her (gently please) after giving her a bath with this nourishing and delicious wash. It is so creamy and makes a fair amount of foam, just enough to feel like you’re actually cleaning your baby’s skin. As all Johnson’s baby products it is made with the NO MORE TEARS formula. AWESOME! Baby loves it too. You’ll see. Oh, don’t forget to buy the lotion too. You need to keep the same scent after the bath!
What is it about Elmo that makes the littlest of babies smile? I don’t know, I never really “studied” Elmo and his behavior until I watched my first Sesame Street EVER when my baby was born ( I know, weird right? I just never watched it) and now I think he’s so sweet. This Elmo keeps my baby entertained and it is very useful. You definitely don’t want the bare sharp and hard faucet near your baby’s skin (or head) so this is a very nice addition to your baby needs list.
I can’t believe I didn’t have this rocker on my baby registry! Well, as a first time mommy I had to miss something right? It was so funny, I went to my girlfriend’s baby shower (two days before my due date!) and she got a “bouncer seat” and I asked: What is that? WHAT???? you don’t have one? You gotta have it, it’s the best thing ever! YOU NEED IT! So I got home that night and googled and found a couple of options but I opted for thisone. It’s a rocker, not a bouncer. It is awesome! Think about it, you can’t have your newborn baby laying flat all day inside the crib or the playpen! poor thing! It sounds so logic now but when you’re pregnant for the first time, there is so much to do, to learn and to think about, that some things can easily slip your mind. In my case, I didn’t find a blog that said that I HAD to HAVE this item. My baby is 6 months and still rocking away (now he rocks himself how cool is that?) and I take this thing up and down the stairs all day, everyday. My baby comes with me all the time (bathroom, bedroom, nursery, home office, family room, you name it). Ah! and for that price, I got a second one we keep at grandma’s. Cool!
Razbaby RaZberry Teether
Whoever came up with this idea, God Bless Him/Her! I first read about it on Parents Magazine when I was still pregnant. And finally the day came, my baby started teething and he would chew on anything in order to soothe his gums. None of the ordinary teething rings was good for him, his grip wasn’t that good when he started teething and he would just drop them. But this, YES! He doesn’t really suck on it (like a pacifier) ’cause -God bless him -he doesn’t like pacifiers, but he grabs it by the ring and chews on it for 20 minutes at a time. That’s enough time for me to fold all his laundry and put it away (while he’s sitting here).

I trust this cream “since day two”. Why not day one? because day one I used the other brand and it did not cure the first and only rash my newborn had. My husband picked up Balmex at the supermarket and came home saying: “Honey, I got this one. It says: Reduces redness in 1 diaper change”. I am like: all right, let’s see… MIRACLE! and that’s why I trust Balmex since day two. And I have not changed since then. No diaper rash AT ALL! No kidding. My baby’s bottom is as soft and clear as when he was just born, even now that he’s eating solids. If you haven’t tried it, you should!

My baby’s nursery is nautical themed, so this crib attachment seemed very appropriate! You’ll think that after 6 months listening to the same sounds and watching the same fishies he would be bored. Not at all, everyday he seems to discover something new. These soother is softly lit and it plays up to 18 minutes of classical music, lullabies or ocean sounds. It has big buttons that makes it easy for the baby to activate the sound. The crab plays peek-a-boo {adorable}, the whale hide and seek and the fish swims. The beautiful blue back light  fades away a little before the cycle of music ends. I was watching my baby on the monitor  (next item on this list) this morning and I saw him turn the soother on for the first time with his toes!! So cute! He seems very peaceful while watching it and now that he can sit for long periods, I can see how much he likes it. My favorite button is the Classical, even I enjoy the music myself. 
 
I didn’t buy it and I didn’t have it on my baby registry either. It was a gift from a very good friend on my baby shower. The reason I did not put a monitor on the registry was because when it comes to electronics I like my husband to make the decision. So I thought eventually I would go to the store with him and let him pick whatever he thought was good. Well, we didn’t have to. My girlfriend couldn’t believe I did not have a monitor on my list and she picked this one {she even included a one year service plan, how thoughtful! }.
I am very happy with it. The night vision is awesome, I still can’t understand how this little camera can show such a clear image in a dark room like if there was a bright light on. The reception is very good, but I can only talk about my case where the nursery is about 50 ft away from my room. There are so many of these monitors in the market and although it is a very personal decision I definitely recommend
  
Of all the “chewable toys” that my baby has, “Cookie” is his favorite. I guess you can have a favorite toy when you are 4 months (that’s when his aunt gave it to him) and wherever we go, if possible I carry it with us. I love that I can clip it on the straps of the stroller/car seat and it is still big enough for the baby to reach for it and suck on it. I throw it in the washing machine EVERY time I do laundry (that’s like 7 times a week? ) and it has not faded neither developed any lint. That is huge! you definitely don’t want your baby to put lint on his mouth. I love all the items I have listed so far but this one is my favorite. Maybe because  I love the picture perfect image of my son falling asleep holding really tight his Cookie Monster.

Yes, I know. I AM the one that can’t live without the Ipad. However, I will give you three reasons why I put it on my list:
  • Uno: I can pull out “Elmo’s Song” video in less than 5 seconds {no exaggeration here!}and if you haven’t seen it yet, click here. This video has (as of today) 26,974,576 views. It is very sweet and keeps my baby busy enough for me to run and make a bottle or throw some clothes in the wash.
  • Dos: I downloaded this App called My First Words and believe it or not my baby smiles and has a good time touching the screen passing flashcards. Best of all you can make your own flashcards  adding your own pictures and record your own voice. A limited number of flashcards is free but you can get over 200 for just $0.99.
  • Tres: I can blog, read emails, update twitter and surf the web with one hand while rocking baby to sleep or sitting on the floor playing with him. No cables, no bulky battery, no mouse needed.

And those are my baby’s ten favorite things that happen to be my favorite too incidentally. I would love to hear from you. What is that item or two or ten that make your life easier and your days happier?

Ten Must Have Items By The Changing Table

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If you are a first time mother like me, you probably would like to know what to keep on the changing table. This top ten list works for me. I am sure it will work for you too. 

Changing tables are a must have nursery item


Diapers: check!

Wipes: check!
Diaper cream: check!
Body lotion: check!
Hair brush: check!

You think you are all set and ready to go by having these items by your baby’s changing table. Well, think twice. Next thing you know, you’re stuck standing there changing a dirty diaper and of course you run out of wipes in the middle of the session. This list of changing table must haves will really help you.


Let’s get to it! 

Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wipes, 64-Count Popup Tub (Pack of 8)1. Wipes Refill. Always keep an extra case of wipes or a refill inside the changing table’s cabinet. It happens all the time, I am changing a messy diaper and I pull the last one out of the case. So in that case I only have to open the cabinet door and pull the extra case really quick always holding baby with my other hand. NEVER leave your baby unattended on the changing table.


 2. Hand Sanitizer. When it comes to my newborn I am a “clean freak”. So before and after I am done with changing his diapers I sanitize my hands. Besides, it is always good to have it handy in the nursery.


3. Wash Cloths. Always dry your baby after wiping. Most wipes are very moist and leave your baby’s bottom a little wet. Humidity is a “no no” for your baby’s behind, it is the number one factor that causes diaper rash. Keep a couple of washcloths handy and use them after every wiping before putting on the diaper cream.

Diaper Genie II Elite Pail System

4. Diaper Pail. Chances are you already have one. Isn’t this the best invention ever? I swear by it!. I have never had a bad smell in the nursery. I list it as a must have because if you still don’t have one you should invest on it. Remember you’ll be changing diapers for the next 2 years at the least. Their designs are sleek and they fit any nursery decor. I keep it on a place where is not the first thing you see when you walk into the room, yet very easy to access while changing the baby.
*UPDATE: as my baby got older and started ‘exploring’ his room, I moved the diaper pail to the closest bathroom.



5. Spray Bottle filled with Water. Here comes the “clean freak” again…but if you’re like me, you’ll probably want to spray clean your baby’s behind after wiping. To me, spraying fresh water is like giving my baby a “mini bath” specially when he “goes” right after I have given him a real bath!




Sassy Flutterby Teether Developmental Toy

6. Teething Ring. Or any toy that is safe to put in baby’s mouth. Once they discover they have feet and toes, believe me you’re are going to have a hard time changing diapers! They just want to chew on them all the time. It is a beautiful and cute sight but not at 5 o’clock in the morning. Give your baby a toy she can put in her mouth to entertain her for those 2 minutes it takes you to change her diaper.


7. Receiving blanket. Use it to cover your baby’s upper body when changing her right after a bath. They shiver, specially when they are less than 4 weeks old. You can also use the blanket to put under your baby’s behind while using the spray bottle, that way you don’t wet the changing pad cover.

8. Surface Sanitizer: If you have a baby boy, chances are you have been “fire hosed” more than once! and the best thing to do right after you’re done with changing the baby -and wiping his belly and arms and sometimes his face – is to wipe all the surfaces. I love Clorox Anywhere and I keep a bottle handy. It is very mild and it’s safe to use around kids. Make sure to keep the sanitizer – or any cleaning product for that matter – out of your baby’s reach.


SAFETY 1ST 49936 NASAL ASPIRATOR

9. Nasal Aspirator. When your baby is laying down on the changing table you can actually see inside his nostrils. Keep a nasal aspirator handy and use it when needed.  It is very easy to use while baby is laying down. Make sure you clean it after each use. I have also used it to retrieve some saliva accumulation. When they start teething the dribble all the time but also sometimes they don’t swallow it and the aspirator comes in very handy.



10.  Cotton Swabs. Make sure to buy the “safety” kind. Another way to take advantage of having the baby laying on her back. You can easily turn her head to one side and clean her ears with no trouble. ALWAYS use caution when using cotton swabs on your baby’s ear. I highly recommend the safety swabs, even for yourself!

Well, I think I have covered most of those important things and little details that make your trip to the changing table a lot easier. What do you keep by the changing table? Drop me a comment. I would love to hear from you! 

Newborn’s Top Ten Tips For Parents

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Here is a beautiful text that Boca Raton Community Hospital included in my discharge papers folder and it is really worth sharing!

Dear Mommy and Daddy:

I come to you a small, immature being with my own style and personality. I am yours for only a short time; enjoy me.

1. Please take time to find out who I am, how I differ from you, and how much I can bring to you.

2. Please feed me when I am hungry. I never knew hunger in your uterus, and clocks and time mean little to me.

3. Please hold, cuddle, kiss, touch, stroke, and croon to me. I was always held closely in your uterus and was never alone before.

4. Please don’t be disappointed when I am not the perfect baby that you expected, nor disappointed with yourselves that you are not the perfect parents.

5. Please don’t expect too much from me as your newborn baby, or too much from yourselves as parents. Give us both six weeks for me to grow, develop, mature, and become more stable and predictable; and six weeks for you to rest and relax and allow your body to get back to normal.

6. Please forgive me if I cry a lot. Bear with me and in a short time, as I mature, I will spend less and less time crying and more time socializing.

7. Please watch me carefully and I can tell you those things which soothe, console, and please me. I am not a tyrant who was sent to make your life miserable, but the only way I can tell you that I am not happy is with my cry.

8. Please remember that I am resilient and can withstand the many natural mistakes you will make with me. As long as you make them with love, you cannot ruin me.

9. Please take care of yourselves and eat a balance diet, rest and exercise so that when we are together you have the health and strength to take care of me.

10. Please take care of your relationship with each other, for what good is family bonding if there is no family to bond to?

Thank you,

Your Loving Child