A Little Helper

Violet is at the age now when she:

• likes to make a mess (she dumps things out just for the sake of, well, dumping!)
• is understanding a lot of what we say
• loves to show off her new skills.
• likes to stack, put things together, and put things into containers

All of these things combined, I've decided that she is at the perfect age to LEARN TO CLEAN UP AFTER HERSELF.

When she throws all of the pieces to her puzzle on the floor, we pick them up and *try* to put them back where they belong. If she dumps out her Legos, we put them back in the bin when she's finished playing with them. And just the other day:

She wanted to use the vacuum. And actually used it quite well. Let me tell you, this girl is earning her keep. (Okay, well, sort of).

I think this is an important skill to teach her now before she decides that she is too cool for cleaning up like, oh, say, in six more months. Does it take a lot of patience? Yes. Can it be very frustrating? Yes. It is going to be totally worth it in the long run? Oh I hope so!

When did you start teaching your kids to pitch in around the house? I'd love to hear your thoughts and advice.

New Addition

I thought I'd show you our latest addition to the H-Haus dining room - a mini version of our table for Violet:

We originally purchased it for her playroom, but the Hubster placed it next to the window in the dining room, and it matched our table so well that we decided to leave it for now. Violet is absolutely in love with it and has already spent a lot of time at it playing with her puzzles, flashcards, tea set, and creating little masterpieces for the H-Haus:

I'd say it's the best $45 we've ever spent (the chairs were on sale for $9.99 each!) and the table may stay in our main living space indefinitely.

It's really important to us to make our main living space reflect the fact that a toddler lives here now too (without sacrificing aesthetics of course). Do you have nods to your children in the main living areas of your home? Or do you prefer to keep all of their things in their room or play space?

I'd love to know what works for your family!

P.S. Violet's top and skirt are C/O Tea Collection

Ellen's Living Room Part Deux

A couple of weeks ago I showed you my idea board for Ellen's living room. While she liked it from an aesthetic point of view, it wasn't quite what she was looking for for her space. So I went back to the drawing board and whipped up ideas for a warmer look:

Mirror - Macy's
Diamond Pillows - West Elm
Persimmon Linen Pillow - Etsy seller Woody Liana
Rug - Pottery Barn
Tall Vase - West Elm
Abstract Oil Painting - Etsy seller SIISO Visual Art
(Fabric, curtains, and paint color were chosen by Ellen)

P.S. I'm taking a little vacation from idea boards in order to work on a few other things (namely painting and opening my Etsy shop) but if you're willing to wait, email me and I can add you to a waiting list.