• The Furnished Walnut Archive

    My daughters share a hand-me-down craft table that’s seen its fair share of crafting sessions and tea parties. If the faded marker smudges and discolored tabletop is any indication of its storied past, we know this particular piece of furniture has taken quite a licking over the years. Maybe that’s why we’re intrigued by the Brunswick Play Table. Part of the Pottery Barn Kids Spring 2012 Collection, this good-looking, yet highly functional table is the ideal focal point piece for any spaciousĀ  play room. Made from a solid wood construction, it’s designed to withstand years and years of play, from one sibling to the next. The table’s dark finish, poised to hold up to potential craft supply stains, is balanced out by six card catalog-style, [&hellip

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    What’s your New Year’s resolution? Like most moms, I’m debating between less snacking and more sleep. Guess which one inevitably wins outs? I never realized how crucial good sleep was until I had kids. I can’t blame my lack of shut-eye on 3 a.m. feedings anymore, and I haven’t quite gotten to the one-eye open until a car pulls into the driveway (the teen years are still a decade away). No, I’m more inclined to lay awake and listen to a lone cough echoing from one bedroom and the rumblings of a bad dream from another. Maybe my craving for more zzzz’s is why I invest so much in comfy PJs for both myself and my kids. If you’re thinking of an innovative gift for [&hellip

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    Happy (almost) 2012! If you’ll be welcoming a new arrival into your family this year, chances are you may be registering for baby bedding. And if this isn’t your first child, you may already be familiar with the potential health risks associated with crib bumpers. They may look pretty, but are deemed unsafe by the American Academy of Pediatrics with regards to SIDS prevention . That being said, any bedding set that can pull off the look of a complete bedding ensemble–minus the actual bumpers–gets a nod in our book. Skip Hop’s Complete Sheet Collection is just that product, offering a bold printed sheet whose design extends to the mattress sides and features a contrasting pattern on top. Finished with linen piping, the 100-percent cotton, [&hellip

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    Ah, the wonderful scents of the season are upon us! The gingerbread cookies baking in the oven, the freshly cut Christmas tree’s boughs of pine…and that god-awful smell coming from the guest bathroom (just kidding). If your home is about to be descended upon by a barrage of family and friends this holiday season, you’ll want to freshen up the facilities with a festive scent. Poo~Pourri Santa bathroom freshener is an amusing and surprisingly effective way to keep your powder room smelling more like powder than anything else. A pleasing combination of citrus and evergreen, this spray puts the kibosh any unpleasant odors with a simple spritz. If you’ll be Christmasing at someone else’s home this year, consider the Santa Poo~Pourri Toilet Paper Giftset as [&hellip

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    You’ll never catch me carving up a pumpkin. The closest I get to making faces out of food is limited to a fruit plate of banana eyes, a grape nose and a orange slice mouth. (My nickname wasn’t “Fruit” for nothin’!). But because I still love to decorate for Halloween, we invest in equally festive (and not as messy) alternatives: inflatable ghosts, flickering electronic candles and tons of wall decorations. We think WallCandy Art’sĀ  Design Your Own Pumpkin Kit is a great addition to this year’s pumpkin patch. Little goblins who love to help decorate, but aren’t keen on getting their fingers in pumpkin goop will be able to let their creative juices flow, mess-free. This set of easy-on, adhesive decals includes 3 pumpkins, 35 [&hellip

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    When you’re looking to buy something for a girlfriend and her little one, you inevitably wind up making more than one trip to the mall. Now that school has begun and we moms are more time-pressed than usual, we can appreciate a shopping destination that has it all. Enter Layla Grace, an online boutique that recognizes your discriminating taste for gifts that make lasting impressions. Stocked with everything from baby bedding to bubble bath, you’ll find no shortage of ideas for new arrivals, new moms in need of pampering and new homes that beg to be outfitted in style. In our quest for quality merchandise, we were particularly pleased by the Matteo line of linens for the nursery and the dining room (those linen napkins [&hellip

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    Last month, we told you about the Nursery Designer tool from Carousel Designs that lets you create a customized room design for your little one that you can visualize before committing to a specific style. Well, now the good folks at Carousel Designs have partnered with Natural Mat to offer a contest that helps you get started on those nursery furnishing purchases. From now until February 4, you can enter to win a Carousel Designs Organic Lime Scroll 4-piece bedding set and a Natural Mat Coco Mat organic crib mattress. Simply visit Carousel Designs’ Facebook page and “like” both Carousel Designs and Natural Mat. Deadline is 12 midnight EST on February 4. Good luck! Tags: Awesome Organics giveaway, baby products giveaway, Carousel Designs, Natural Mat

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    When my husband decided to paint my older daughter’s nursery, it was a nightmare. Her room, which was a makeshift office for the previous home owner, had peeling, faded floral wallpaper and carpeting that had seen better days. Forget trying to imagine how cheery it would look once he redesigned it in a celestial motif of yellows and blues; you really had to be creative to picture that new layout amidst this dated space. For parents-to-be who can’t quite figure on how a bedding/paint ensemble will appear in their little one’s new home, consider the Nursery Designer tool from Carousel Designs. This interactive site lets you choose from over 300 fabrics and customize color options in bedding and wall space before committing to a specific [&hellip

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    Maybe I have royal wedding on the brain with all the William/Kate stories circulating as of late, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they had kids right away, how might they outfit their nursery? The newest high-end model from Bratt Decor, the Chelsea Lifetime Crib in Iron, is one that surely commands our attention. The creme de la creme of cribs, this solid, yet stylish sleeping space is constructed from hand-bent wrought iron. How different is that? And when it’s time to move into a big-kid bed, this model converts into a full-size bed. With such a solid design, the Chelsea Lifetime Crib is sure to be the crown jewel of any nursery, royalty or not. In a Nutshell: Looking for a crib that’s [&hellip

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    It’s that time of year yet again. Time to trade in the crocs for crayons, the bathing suit for the backpack…you get the picture. If your kid is less than thrilled about the thought of returning to school (all that homework and getting up early…what’s not to like?), it helps to add a little fun to her daily routine. Here’s just a sampling of new gear that is almost too cool for school: Juicy Couture heads to the classroom with a bunch of new accessories. We’ve got our eye on the Juicy Couture wireless keyboard in signature pink. Typing a term paper is less ho hum when the keys are in script!…Need a place to keep track of who’s going to ballet lessons when and [&hellip

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