Welcome to Good Design With Kids in Mind

picture via 79 Ideas

Several years ago when I did this series for the first time Jett was still really young and I already thought my home was out of control. He was in the stage where he would crawl around and make messes EVERYWHERE. I would turn a corner and every single item would be pulled out of every single cupboard. I knew I needed help and I wanted to pull advice from woman who I felt knew a thing or two about having nice homes with kids. Fast forward three years later. My furniture, pillows, floors etc appear like they have been through a war. There are dents, scrapes, scratches and nicks on everything. I feel like every surface of my home has been peed on at some point, the toys are everywhere, the  laundry is out of control, lamps have been broken, rugs have been puked on and pillows have a permanent place on the floor instead of the sofa. Sound familiar? 

What I have ultimately come to realize is that our homes are not a place we try to beautify in spite of our children it's a place we beautify because of our children. I want my house to be a place where my kids can feel safe and loved. I want it clean not because I want other mothers to be envious of my spotless home but because I want a home that feels peaceful and serene. I want to teach my children to respect nice things and to value beauty but I also want my home to be a place where they feel free to be kids and even be wild and crazy sometimes.

photo by Jylare Smith Photography 

I spent time and money on my home because I spent 95% of my time here. I want it to be a place that feels happy and a place that feels like me. 

I know that all of us are searching for the balance of making our homes beautiful while still enabling our kids to just be kids! I know none of us are experts and we are all just doing the best we can. So I am hoping this series feels like a big group of moms getting together and sharing advice. I know that each of us have ideas and insight we can contribute so please don't be afraid to share. And let's also recognize that what works for one mom might not work for another. We are all living in different circumstances with very different children. But hopefully you'll learn a few things along the way and if nothing else maybe you'll get inspired to try new things! 

For the next two weeks we will be sharing our tips and ideas on how to keep your home beautiful while still making it work with kids. I've brought on an entire new crop of experts and I can't wait to share their wisdom with you!

Land of  Nod is sponsoring this entire series and each day I'll be spotlighting one of my favorite products from their site. Get excited because at the end of the two weeks I'll be revealing our new playroom that I've been designing!  Stay tuned for that reveal, beautiful home tours, giveaways, great advice and much more!

I have also been curating a Pinterest board with all of your kids rooms! So email me your children's spaces. I want kid's rooms, playrooms, nurseries etc. 

Email me your pictures and links to blog posts about the spaces at kirstenkrason@gmail.com! 

And stay tuned for tomorrow's post: The best solutions for toy storage! 

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Feature Friday: Teal & Lime

Today I am featuring the home of blogger and Interior Designer Jackie from the blog, Teal & Lime. Here is what she says she loves most about here home: 

"What I love most about my home is that we have taken the time to make it ours.  In a neighborhood of cookie-cutter builder homes all painted the same color inside, it was important to us to make our home unique.  With a lot of paint, some DIY projects, and our current basement finishing project we are well on our way.

In the long, cold Minnesota winters we spend all our time inside.  I love that our house is light-filled with lots of windows, spacious and open plan in the living areas, and yet it is cozy and inviting.  We just love being in our home.  With that said, we have gorgeous summers, so we have added a large deck that we dine on all summer and a play set for the boys to soak up the sun while they can get it." 

Enjoy! 

L I V I N G   R O O M

You can read more about this room here. 

K I T C H E N

Reads more about this room here. 

L A U N D R Y   R O O M 

Read more about this room here. 

D I N I N G   R O O M

You can read more about this space here. 

N U R S E R Y 

You can read more about this room here. 

S T U D I O

You can read more about this room here. 

 Thanks so much to Jackie for sharing her home with us. Make sure you check out her blog and portfolio.

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Modern Wall Decals

Today we have a great roundup of modern wall decals from my contributor, Marissa! She is constantly coming up with great projects on her blog, Marissa Waddell Interiors. I thought, perhaps, that we were all over the trend of wall decals but I love the new modern take people are taking on them! 

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I'm kinda crazy for wallpaper (the modern kind, not the grandma kind). But I'm not crazy about the cost, the permanency, or prospect of putting it up. There are lots of good temporary wallpapers and painting stencils around these days, but I love the idea of using little vinyl pieces to mimic a trendy look without the hassle.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Learn about all of my great contributors on my Meet The Team Page. 



Hello! I'm Marissa, an interior decorator in Raleigh, NC. I specialize in eDesign, which allows me to design for clients all over the world! I love simple and elegant design, vintage pieces, and anything gold. On my blog, I share my projects, ideas, and best finds.

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How to Decorate Above Kitchen Cabinets

For some reason one of the questions I get asked most by my clients and my readers is, "What should I put above my Kitchen cabinets". My answer is typically, "nothing". I don't think this is the answer my clients are always looking for. Most of them can't imagine having so much blank space above their cabinets. In fact I think it's a little unnerving for people. But I actually like the negative space you create by leaving all that empty space above your cabinets. 

via Alice Lane Home Collection   photo by Nicole Hill Gerulat

Plus I feel like you are able to focus more of your attention on all of the other details in a Kitchen instead of focusing on all the clutter! 

via Alice Lane Home Collection  Photo by Ashlee Raubach

I feel like design is trending cleaner and cleaner these days. More people are craving clean and clutter free living spaces. 

image from this post

I honestly just don't see anything wrong with having nothing at all above your cabinets! 

However there are instances when a client can't bear the idea of not having once single knick-knack or decoration above their Kitchen cabinets and for those people here are some ideas... 

via Alice Lane Home Collection 

Stick to larger objects or the item will get totally lost and if you do want to use smaller objects group them together so they feel like one large statement piece instead of a bunch of smaller pieces. 

photo from this post. 

Keep the items minimal in shape and design. I love love love white ceramic pieces above cabinets because it gives you the chance to display objects but visually it doesn't appear to cluttered. 

via house beautiful 

If you are going to display something I think dishes make the most sense, it's a Kitchen after all! If you are going to display dishes make sure they are really beautiful. You can't go wrong with antique silver or pewter. 

domino

I like items to be similar in color so the eye isn't getting tired and going crazy with too much going on. Baskets in similar tones are a great idea! They are big enough that they can take up large amounts of space without creating too much clutter. 

photo via Me Oh My Photo by Ashlee Raubach

One of my favorite ideas is to take your backsplash all the way to the ceiling. I love the look of subway tile on an entire wall. This way you get a little texture and sheen but you don't have to actually put anything above your cabinets. 

If the idea of going totally "bare" above your cabinets is a little daunting start slowly... remove all the items and then just put a few things up that you really love. Or if you are brave enough try living with it empty for a few weeks and see if you can get used to it. 

No matter what don't add faux ivy... please. 

What are your tips for decorating above your cabinets! I'd love to get more ideas. 

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DIY Pom Pom Curtains

Today we have a great pillow tutorial from my contributor, Brittany! She is constantly coming up with great projects on her blog, brittanyMakes. I LOVE her latest DIY project and I think you will to! 

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Hello friends! It's so great to be back guest posting today.  I'm delighted to share with you one of the easiest project you'll ever do in 15 minutes.

First of all, I think its safe to say everyone has his or her own personal idea on how best to improve upon their existing living space.  Some people think it takes a lot of time, money and resources to make home decor changes.  Many DIYers, myself included, believe there are countless little things and small projects you can do yourself without burning a hole in your wallet; little things that make a huge impact, like painting your walls or switching up your couch pillows.   For me, I'm always crunched for time, so I enjoy thinking of projects I can do in that short amount of time after dinner and before bed.

Today's project is exactly that, something that can be done in 30 minutes and only requires two ingredients: a few yards of pom pom trim and a hot glue gun. 

(I bought this pompom trim off Amazon)

Pom pom trim is popularly used in baby and toddler decor, however it really has limitless uses.  You can use it to add flare to pillows, bedskirts, table cloths, and curtains! Here is a before photo of our curtains:

Rather than sewing on the trim, I decided to glue the trim straight onto the curtains that were already hung.  There was no sense in creating a bigger project for myself when I could just get a step stool and glue the trim on the already happily hung curtains.  

First I pined the trim at the top of the curtain panel, then I began gluing until I reached the bottom of the panel.  I repeated this process for our second curtain panel.

This project is seriously beyond simple, and the result looks amazing! Even my fiancee said "I really like the pop of color they add". Say what?! Did my fiancee just say "pop of color"? Then it must be good.

Enjoy! 

You can read about my quick sew curtains here, and my copper plumbers pipe curtain rod here.

Learn about all of my great contributors on my Meet The Team Page. 

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Hi! I'm Brittany from the blog brittanyMakes, where I journal my adventures in DIY projects ranging from everyday home decor to handmade jewelry, from tips in photography to stories of bulldogs, and everything else in-between.   I am a fierce accountant by day and a zealous DIYer by night.  I spend my time balancing my love for home decor and design with the everyday responsibilities of my corporate day job.  My main mission is to inspire my readers to do what they love, take risks, and above all, to exercise their creative muscles!

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Last Week's Links

I hope each of you had a lovely Mother's day. My role as a Mother is immensely important to me and I love having a day to celebrate woman who are mothers to all!

Here are the links I was loving last week. 

1 || I can't get enough of this nursery by Honey & Fitz. 

2 || Lady in Red..... love this dress. 

3 || Black & White shoes... yes please. 

4 || This swimsuit is like a piece of art. 

5 || This video might make you cry. 

6 || I loved this tiny home tour and this peak at my new favorite rug. 

7 || I bought this cute shirt for Jett on Saturday. 

8 || Love this comfy looking skirt.

9 || These popsicle box printables are a great summer party idea! 

10 || This is now my desktop wallpaper. 

top photo-Honey & Fitz taken by Ruth Eileen / bottom photo- Piece of Cake Piece of Mind 

DISCLOSURE: COMPENSATED AFFILIATE LINKS USED

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My Freezer Meal Group and Freezy Peasy

A few years ago I got together with some ladies in my neighborhood and we started a freezer meal group. I say it all the time but this group has saved my life! Seriously. To be honest I don't really enjoy cooking and I don't really have the time to slave away all day in the kitchen. Our group works like this:

There are 8 girls in the group so we prepare 8 of the same meal. One night a month we get together and exchange the meals so we all go home with 8 different meals. All of the meals are freezer meals so they can be frozen and pulled out anytime to eat. 

I love this idea because not only does it save time cooking but it also saves time having to plan a menu and the meals. Instead of thinking up 8 different meals I just have to come up with 1! I have to admit it is hard thinking up new meals each month which is why I'm super excited about my friend Stephanie's new e-cookbook, Freezy Peasy: Freezer Cooking Made Easy. 

Sound like something you’d like to get in on?  Inside you’ll find…

50 kitchen-tested freezer recipes
10 menu plans complete with shopping lists
Printable cooking labels for each meal.

Plus:

• An easy to follow primer on what the art of freezer cooking is all about.

• A 10-step plan for getting your freezer ready as well as tips on which containers to use for setting up the ultimate freezer kitchen.

• Advice on how to shop, store, and defrost smart in order to eliminate waste and save you money.

• Detailed explanations of which foods freeze well, which don’t, and instructions on how to easily and efficiently throw together a whole slew of freezer meals in one sitting.

If you are interested in this book go here to find out more and to buy the book! 

And use the code 6thstreet to get 25% off! 

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