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    Printable milestone cards for baby

    Brittany
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    Printable milestone cards for baby

    Printable milestone cards for baby

    I really wish I had had this when my babies were brand new–I love it so much! I asked our designer, Garet to share some thoughts about the blanket design and the milestone cards.

    Design of the Blanket

    The design of the Lars x Clementine Kids collection is inspired by garden flowers and nursery rhymes. Designing the florals for this project came so naturally and feature some of my favorite flowers: the delicate, yet wild poppy; the beautiful garden rose; and the whimsical blue bell.

    I was specifically drawn to the daffodil that was presented in the design brief for the collection. I love how daffodils cheerfully emerge at the end of a long winter, reminding me that Spring and sunshine is coming. For me, daffodils symbolize how I feel in the early stages of motherhood: the gloomy weeks struggling with baby blues and sleepless nights, brightened by the first smiles of my newborn, signaling to me that there are happy days (and eventually some more sleep) ahead. 

    You’ll spot daffodils in every piece of the collection, from the quilts to the art prints.

    Used for Milestones

    I remember showing an early iteration of the quilt design to Brittany and the Clementine Kids team. In their notes they both mentioned that the composition of flowers make a great backdrop for baby milestone photos. That was unintentional on my part, but serendipitous nonetheless. I can’t wait to take pictures of my daughter on the quilt! The head fits perfectly on the blossom placed right in the middle! 

    I am a longtime fan of Clementine Kids. I added their Huckleberry Quilt to my baby registry a couple of years ago for my daughter Zoe. Zoe is my first daughter and as a new mom, I didn’t expect to receive enough baby blankets to tell my own rendition of the princess and the pea. Who needs a closet full of tiny swaddles and quilts? There were so many!! I was a bit picky selective with what I chose to keep. They had to fit my criteria of beautifully designed and well-made. There were only a few that made that cut, including some handmade, heirloom quilts from my family and the huckleberry quilt from Clementine Kids. 

    My daughter Zoe has slept with her huckleberry quilt everyday since she was born – she’s now 3 years old! That quilt has been with her for all of her big milestones and is still in great condition. These are some of our favorite quilts ever, and I feel so lucky that I got to work on this special collection for Lars x Clementine Kids.

    Used with Maeve

    The Lars x Clementine Kids collection is sentimental to me because of the timing of the project. I first heard about the project around the time I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter, Maeve. I was over-the-moon excited, especially because I was already such a fan of the Clementine Kids brand.

    It also happened that finishing the artwork for this collection was one of the final things I turned in before going on maternity leave. It was really sweet to imagine wrapping my baby in the quilts that I was helping to design. Such a dream come true to snuggle M in the quilts now! I’m so excited to see Maeve grow with her Lars x Clementine Kids quilt.

    You can find the printable milestone cards in our shop here!

    How to play with patterns

    Brittany
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    How to play with patterns

    How to do play with patterns

    I knew I needed to start fresh with Jasper’s room in order to transform it into something that felt new. So, I began looking into peel and stick wallpapers that I could put over the existing wallpaper. Maybe you know by now, but I’m a huge fan of Spoonflower. If you’ve used their products in the past, they’ve really focused on the quality of their products and their their peel and stick and it’s better than ever. I found a number of great options that would make it feel a bit more feminine and aligned with the look I was going for. Here are all the ones I was considering.

    Peel and stick pattern wallpaper

    I had done a thin blue and white stripe in our old bedroom from our old house and LOVED the feel, but wanted to try a different scale so I went with a bigger stripe from Danika Herrick.

    The peel and stick could have stuck to the previous wallpaper so Pat adhered it to the carpet to take off some of the stick, before applying it to the walls. It worked beautifully! It stuck well enough and was a breeze to take off too (video forthcoming!).

    Pattern Play florals

    I wanted to play a bit with patterns so I scoured the Lucas du Tetre shop. They have amazing bright florals and they block print in India so it’s a really great look. Of course I went bananas trying to figure out how to get it to work with our Clementine print and ultimately, I decided to use their blue flowers print as curtains for the bed. Because they didn’t have curtains ready made so I used two table cloths, one for each side and they worked beautifully! All to show that a little creativity can go a long way! I added in their orange and green striped pillow too and somehow it works well with a lot of prints.

    I knew I didn’t want to go too crazy with all the patterns–I still wanted our Clementine print to shine, so I toned down some other things like adding in more neutral pillows.

    These green floral sheets were a great find in a smaller scale from the curtains and I love how they played together.

    In fact, I found a ton of really great ditsy patterns that would work with the look. I’ll share them here:

    Clementine Kids Floral Artwork

    The artwork from the collection stood out beautifully on the blue and white stripes. I especially love the goose on that dark green. It is great mixed with all the other colors. Here I got it in the 18×24″ frame in the alder wood. 

    And the daffodil is such a great pop of color and simplicity. I got it in the 24×36″ size in the white frame.

    I adore the mixed bouquet piece. Here it’s in the 18×24″ in the alder frame.

    Sol used to live down the street from us and play with Jasper and Felix at the park every day. We miss her, but thankfully she still lives down the street. She’s the best!

    How to achieve pattern play in your own space

    1. Bring in patterns in different scales–big, medium, small
    2. Look for patterns with different colored backgrounds and business.
    3. Make one pattern a hero and let the other ones support. Here the hero is blanket (yay!) and curtains support it as well as the stripes.

    Share your pattern play with us!

    I’d love to see how you’re styling your Clementine pieces. Tag us with #LarsXClementine so we can all see your spaces!

    Would love to hear your thoughts about the room. Would you ever try and do some pattern play? It can be a little much for some folks, but pure happiness for others.

    You can find out Clementine Kids collection here.

    Our new baby nursery collection!

    Brittany
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    Our new baby nursery collection!

    Baby nursery collection

    When we set out to design our new baby nursery collection with Clementine, they referenced some of my really old work as inspiration. Remember this oven mitt from like 2011?!?! Ha! I guess it made a lasting impression!

    Our designer, Garet, got to it! We wanted something playful, floral (of course), vibrant, and reminiscent of being wrapped up in an English garden. We went oversized for a playful, whimsical feel.

    Garet was pregnant with her second child, Maeve, at the time,

    Floral baby quilts

    My favorite of the bunch is the muslin quilts. I’ve been using their quilts since Jasper was born (remember their classic clementine pattern?!) and we still love using it!

    We did a baby sized quilt in the oversized florals.

    Adult-sized muslin quilts

    As well as a grown-up sized blanket. I’ve been using mine ever since we got our samples and it’s perfect. Great weight, soft, cozy. Because of the extension of length, there are more flowers at the bottom

    The opposite side is a lovely periwinkle blue. It’s even better in person! 

    Nursery artwork

    In addition to bedding, we have three prints to add to your nursery. This adorable goose on green (it looks more black in this photo).

    And the bouquet of mixed flowers, and the single daffodil on pink. They have several different sizes as well as framed options. 

    Baby Milestones blanket

    My FAVORITE part about the baby quilt is what can be used for. It was designed so that the baby can go right on the middle flower with the head on the pink bloom.

    Is this not the cutest way to keep track of baby milestones in the photos? I’m thinking of making some printable cards to go with it to indicate the months.

    Baby crib sheet

    We made a coordinating pattern to go with the big florals. This little goose sheet set is so sweet.

    I don’t know about you, but you can never have enough crib sheets.

    Muslin swaddles

    Of course, every new mom needs a stash of swaddles–ever the perfect baby shower gift! It comes in the oversized flowers and the goose pattern. They come in a bundle here.

    I’m very excited about this collection and I hope you are too! I think it would be the perfect stock up for baby showers if not for yourself!

    What’s your favorite piece?!

    You can shop the Lars and Clementine Kids collection here.

    Retro Florals Backdrop

    Brittany
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    Retro Florals Backdrop

    Floral Backdrops from the Archives

    We love our floral backdrops! This isn’t the first time we’ve dabbled in a floral backdrop. Remember our peonies, hibiscus/tropical leaves, daisies, tulips and poppies? Well, we though it was high time to revisit backdrops, this time in the form of my favorite phone case of all time: Retro Florals!

    retro floral case

    Retro Florals Backdrop

    The best thing about this backdrop, besides being absolutely adorable, is that it’s incredibly quick and easy. It’s the perfect backdrop for a spring birthday, baby or bridal shower, or just because you’re in need of some extra color. Just grab your cricut maker (or a pair of scissors), some paper and something to stick it to the wall and you’re all set!

    How to Make a Retro Florals Backdrop

    1. First, download the Retro Florals Backdrop template found here.
    2. Next, upload your template into the cricut design space. If you don’t have a cricut maker, you can just print the template out and use scissors to cut them out.
    3. Now all you have to do is get cutting! Cut out as many as you need to fill your wall, in a variety of colors. If you’re stumped on colors, you can use our photos (and phone case!) as a guide.
    4. To stick them to the wall, use either tape that won’t remove the paint or poster putty. Tip: We would recommend putting the design on the wall as you go. That way you can keep track of what colors you need to cut out next.
    5. When you’re happy with the amount of retro florals you’ve added to your wall, you can stand back and admire. You’re done!

    Casetify-Inspired Fabrics

    The fun doesn’t stop with this backdrop. You may have noticed the dress we made out of custom retro florals fabric! Well, we have a whole host of other fabrics for you to choose from that are largely inspired by our Casetify collections. Click here to peruse the options!

    More Inspiration

    Need more colorful crafts to fill your home this spring? You’ll probably love our new papier-mâché vase! Interested in more paper flower projects? Head to this post, where we’ve compiled all of our paper flower tutorials. Wanting to start a garden of real flowers this year? Head over to Lars’ Gardening Essentials for some tips!

    Floral Favor Boxes

    Brittany
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    Floral Favor Boxes

    Floral Favor Boxes

    We love these floral favor boxes. They’re the perfect thing for so many occasions! Does someone you know have a spring birthday? Instant party favors. Of course, they’d also make adorable additions to a floral tea party, bridal shower, or wedding. There aren’t a lot of situations where these sweet little boxes could go wrong!

    Instructions

    Prepping the Box

    1. To create a closed bottom on one end of the tube, make four evenly spaced slits at the bottom of one end, about 1″ deep. This will give you four flaps. Fold the flaps under the tube and glue them together.
    2. Fill the tube with candy or a small gift.

    Finishing Touches

    1. Lay the tube on one end of the strip (the long side of the tube should be parallel with the short side of the strip). Position the tube so about one inch of crepe paper will hang below the closed bottom. Roll the strip around the tube. Tuck the overhanging crepe paper at the bottom and glue it under the tube.
    2. Tie a piece of twine around the crepe at the top of the tube and cinch it. Slip in a paper leaf before tying it off. Flatten the crepe paper at the top and fold it in half vertically. Cut a leaf shape through all the layers down to just above the twine to make petals.
    3. Unfold the crepe paper. Separate the petals and gently stretch the center of each to make a cupped shape.

    We hope you enjoyed this tutorial, courtesy of Jodi Levine. We would highly recommend checking out her new ebook, Toilet Tube Treasury, where you can find other clever ways to repurpose toilet tubes!

    More Inspiration

    What did you think of Jodi’s toilet tube tutorial on floral favor boxes? We loved it! If you did, too, we’re guessing you’ll also be interested in some of our paper flower tutorials. Have you seen our new paper orchid tutorial? Also try our DIY Paper Hollyhocks, or these Poppies, Peonies, and Posies. Have a spring or summer wedding coming up? Here, here and here are some beautiful bouquets to choose from. You can also check out this holiday flower roundup if you’re interested!

    Bird gift topper

    Brittany
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    9
    Bird gift topper

    Gift topper idea

    One of my favorite ways to jazz up a gift is to keep some bright wrapping papers in my arsenal and then add on a cute gift topper. That could be a pretty ribbon or gift tag. Here, I took a more artistic approach and cut out a bird out of black paper and added in some cute details with paint. It’s simple yet striking, no?! It’s a fun little project for feeling like you’re reaching your creative quota for one day.

    Solid colored wrapping papers

    It all starts with some awesome solid colored wrapping papers in great colors. Here are some great options that you can find in a bundle if you’re looking to add to your gift wrap station. Here’s another brand in really great color options.

    GIFT-TOPPERBird gift topper

    Hopefully you already have everything you’ll need for this one since it’s so simple, but if not, here’s what you’ll need!

    Materials:

    Instructions

    1. Start by cutting out the shape of the bird with scissors or on your craft machine*
    2. Paint decorations on the bird with white paint or marker (marker is easier to control if you don’t have much experience with painting)
    3. Affix a paper adhesive mount to the back of the wing for the frontal wing and to the front of the bottom of the wing for the back wing.
    4. Cut out the flag for the bird and if you’ve cut it out on black paper (like we did) paint it peach.
    5. Write in your gift tags on the flag part.
    6. Gift it away!

    PAPER-BIRD-GIFT-TOPPER

    Of course, you can get into the spirit of decoration and go wild painting and I say have fun with it! This project is one that is meant for getting out your creativity.

    Here are some more gift topper ideas:

    Prize ribbon Gift topper
    3D paper flower gift topper
    Tissue paper flower gift topper

    Show us your projects on Instagram by using the hashtag #LarsMakes

    Photography and crafting by Ashley Isenhour

    Kid’s Toys: Lars Shop Highlight

    Brittany
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    Kid’s Toys: Lars Shop Highlight

    What is Eeboo?

    We couldn’t tell you about our Eeboo kid’s toys without introducing the company’s incredible background. First of all, women and mothers run this company. I mean, who knows kid’s toys better than mothers? I love how thoughtful these toys are. They make board games, watercolor sets, puzzles, and so much more. (You can find them here!) It just goes to show how the experience of being a mother influences their ability to understand children’s brains and what they need. And need I mention that they have the awards (Oppenheim best toy awards and honors) to prove it?

    kid's toys

    kid's toys

    Encouraging development in children

    One amazing aspect of Eeboo as a company is their focus on developmental learning in kid’s toys. They help kids develop skills like literacy, storytelling, drawing, imaginative play, and basic math. I mean, could I be more impressed? Kid’s toys that help their development while also helping them have fun? I can say from experience that it can definitely be a challenge to get kids to want to settle down when they’re feeling wild. And you can forget concentrating on learning things like math. So to have kid’s toys that are fun, interactive, and help make learning fun is a dream come true.

    kid's toys

    Screen-free

    At Eeboo, the goal with their kid’s toys is to integrate learning and play in a screen-free way. This is so important (and need I say refreshing?) when we all have screens coming out our ears! It’s hard to get away, and these kid’s toys are a really beautiful way to succeed at it.

    Commissioned illustrators

    They also commission all their artwork from well-known and well-loved illustrators. It shows, too! The illustrations make their kid’s toys feel so fresh and original–artwork straight from the source. And friends, these illustrations are beautiful. They are delicate, detailed, and full of personality. Need I add that they are colorful and bright? They’re just what every child needs to stay interested and engaged.

    Look at the illustrations on these watercolors and paper! Incredible, right? They’d make the perfect gift for a rainy afternoon to get those creative juices flowing.

    kid's toyskid's toys

    Care and dedication

    I’d have to say one of my favorite things about these Eeboo kid’s toys is the care and dedication they give to their customers. They even have a booklet that talks about their values and priorities. I mean, come on! They go to great efforts to be sustainable, respect diversity, value design, and so much more.

    I just keep dreaming about the things I would have done if I’d had these toys as a kid. I love how these building blocks promote creativity and imaginative play, for instance.

    kid's toys

    If you haven’t caught on by now, I am in love with these kid’s toys and can’t wait for Jasper (and eventually Felix) to start playing with them! Click here to get to our whole Eeboo shop collection. If you also fell in love while reading this, you’ll probably also love these other favorites: Kid’s art kit, Op art paper mobile, Thanksgiving coloring placemats, and quilted dog book plate.

    Friendship Bracelet Inspired Balloon Garland

    Brittany
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    Friendship Bracelet Inspired Balloon Garland

    how to make a flower balloon garland

    Friendship Bracelet Inspired Balloon Garland

    This year, we turned to our friend Wendy who has the most charming old white house (we’ve talked about her before here), which is a dreamy setting for her preschool.  We had aspirations of flowers and we wanted it to be BIG.  That’s when our friends at Anagram stepped in and gave us a hand with some of their balloons. My favorites are the purple/pink ombre ones, how about you? We knew with Wendy’s house and Anagram’s balloons we could pull off something really fun.how to make a flower balloon garland

    Midsummer decor idea

    Now, Wendy used to live in Sweden, so she was very eager to hop on the idea of Midsummer balloons. Did I also mention that Wendy is a BIG time lover of balloons!  Match made!  With the idea of greenery (read more about Sweden’s Midsummer traditions HERE) and flowers abounding, we got to work making some flowers out of balloons.

    Beaded Flower bracelets

    We were reminded of these popular bracelets that our friends at HonestlyWTF made and knew what we had to do. With some extra white balloons, we were able to make a chain and string the flowers together making the perfect balloon friendship bracelet.how to make a flower balloon garland

    Here’s how to make them!

    Materials: 

    Make a flower balloon: 

    1. Start by using a gold/yellow balloon for the center.
    2. Blow up 6 “petals” to go around the center. Use packing tape to secure together and to the center.
    3. Blow up 5 white balloons for the garlands. Use balloon tape to hold them together. Use packing tape to secure if necessary.
    4. To adhere the garlands to your structure, use gaffer tape.

    Tip: We found that packing tape is AMAZING for balloon to balloon adhesion and gaffer tape is great for balloon to other surfaces.

    how to make a flower balloon garland

    Recycling foil balloons

    Did we mention recycling?  Yes!  Anagram foil balloons can be used year after year. Or you can gift them to friends like we did to give them a second life. It turned out so cute and we can’t wait for her kids to see!  how to make a flower balloon garland

    This post is sponsored by Anagram but all opinions are my own! 

    What you need for your new baby

    Brittany
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    5
    What you need for your new baby

    What you need for new baby

    As a disclaimer, I’m a big believer in that you don’t need too much. I’m actually quite frugal when it comes to making purchases so I tend to either buy cheap or do without unless I find it totally beautiful and worth being in my life and if not the most beautiful, then just super helpful. That said, I’ve noticed that that there are some specific times when you should invest as it will totally make life easier and for the better and if not, more beautiful at least, because that is also important. As a note, I’m not including clothing or furniture for now (though you can find his nursery reveal here!), just product. I’ll be following up with some clothing recommendations.
    Rattan bassinet

    Ok! Don’t let all these disclaimers deter you, let’s get going! I’ll be updating this list as Baby continues to grow into different stages that require new products so do check back for more recommendations. Also, I’d love to hear your own recommendations. I’m always open to hearing about beautifully designed items.

    Lars Baby essentials round up

    Lars’ Favorite things for new baby

    This time around, I’m grouping the products into time frames so you don’t have to buy everything at once. This way you can spread out the purchases and expenses.

    Italics are my updated experience with my second child, Felix.

    Before Baby gets here (you’ll need it right away)

    1. I legit didn’t know there was such thing as a “coming out outfit” when I had Jasper. And while it’s obviously not crucial to have a photogenic outfit, it feels like a beautiful rite of passage when there’s some sort of stunning outfit to come home in. This time around I bought a few outfits that felt special and just rotated them a bunch. I picked out this baby bundle set from Storq, which came with a sweet white outfit and hat. For some reason I love when babies don’t have as much color and patterns like I normally prefer. That said, I also got a little set with my favorite pattern from Lewis Home. And something similar to this set.
    2. Uppababy car seat and Uppababy Vista Stroller. I LOVE the look of this car seat and the fabric actually wicks away sweat. Plus, I love that it’s interchangeable with the stroller and base in the car. I got the MESA and love it.
    3. Pampers Pure diapers. We did a sponsored post with them a few months ago but now I’m no longer required to say anything and I’m still using them. I love that they are better for baby and earth. I just wish it was easier to find them at all stores. You have to order them online. We also use Kirkland brand (Costco) because Paul’s favorite place on earth is Costco and everything they do is high quality.
    4. Diaper bag. I don’t know why, but this is the one I obsessed with most prior to baby’s arrival. I spent A LOT of time searching for a great diaper bag. There are a lot of good ones out there now that are both great for mom and functional and though I haven’t tried them all out, I decided to start cheap and see how it goes. I bought this one in red as I just so happened to stumble on it on Amazon and turns out! I spot dozens of moms wherever I go using it. It’s a smart design, spacious, and helpful. And they come in tons of other colors. I’m going to be doing a post all on diaper bags because I found some pretty great options. Ok, I never found a diaper bag that I loved that I actually bought because I’ve come to the point where I realized “why do I need a special bag for diapers?” Well, you don’t! But Jasper has put his through the ringer and so now I’m glad that it was cheap.
    5. Changing basket. Design Dua has the most beautiful collection of baskets including this plain changing basket. I love it so much. It keeps him contained so he doesn’t roll around, which he is doing otherwise. The only downside is that I found that it scratched my brand new changing table. I had to take a rug pad and cut it to the shape of the basket and put underneath it.
    6. Onesies. Because you can never have enough! I like dressing baby in a plain white onesie and that’s it!
    7. Clothes. Check out this post for some of my favorite clothes for baby boys 
    8. Travel Changing Pad. This was sent to me by Joy of Oh Joy for her product collaboration with Target long before Baby was even an embryo but I held onto it because 1) it’s adorable and turns out 2) it’s so handy. It looks like a clutch so it doesn’t scream baby and it works well with a slot for wipes. It’s thin enough to squeeze snuggly in my bag. Now that I’m with my second baby, I use this every single day to change diapers around the house. 
    9. Brest friend. I was using another pillow for nursing but it was killing my back. This one happened to pop up on my Facebook ads and I bought it on the spot. I LOVE MY BREST FRIEND. It’s a game changer for my bad back, especially after baby when it was at an all time hurt.
    10. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. By the way, this book was SUPER helpful for learning to breastfeed.
    11. Swaddles. I didn’t include swaddles in my first round of essentials because I figured most people get a ton as gifts, BUT I got a couple of extras the second time around–ones that I LOVE the prints on so they cheer me right on up. These ones from Lewis are too cute. I also have one from Clementine that I love as well as Little Unicorn.

    Within the first couple of weeks

    1. Scissor clippers. Moms might know the terror that comes with clipping your baby’s nails. These ones are great because you can go slowly so that you have more peace of mind. I Love them! These are actually the reason why I wanted to create this post for you. I want everyone to know about them! Yup! Still love them! 
    2. Willow pump. GAME CHANGER. I was dreading having to pump so for a number of months I just didn’t unless I really had to. I was using the pump that my insurance company had given me until I tried this and all of a sudden I was free! It sits in your bra and you can walk around and do whatever you want WHILE IT PUMPS! Ladies! Admittedly, I don’t love pumping, but I do use this still my second time every so often when I need to fill up.
    3. Nose Freda. I received two of these as baby gifts so I thought there must be something to it. This one is genius. Do yourself a favor and get one in your cart pronto. Seems odd, but really not odd at all to suck up your baby’s snot. 😉 Really though, it’s efficient and clever and I highly recommend it. Yup, do it! 
    4. Aquaphor. I don’t even need to say much else than you need it. If there’s ever any redness or rash, use it and poof! Gone! We also tried using my sister’s Butt Paste and it works super well, though it stays on the baby as a white substance.
    5. Collapsible bath tub. I tried out a few bath tubs that didn’t work so well for me either because of the size of our sink or sturdiness. I like this one because it worked for a newborn and then it can be transformed for a larger baby when they can sit up by themselves by popping down the side and turning it into a more typical bath tub. We recently got a new one compartment sink and it wasted a lot more water by filling it up than our previous one so this was a better option.
    6. Dock a Tot (not pictured). Jasper slept in this for the first few months and it was great because you can transport it around and set him anywhere you are. LOVED IT! Not in love with the huge logo on it. WHY IS IT SO BIG???? For Felix I got the William Morris cover–it’s so pretty! 
    7. Baby Bum diaper rash brush. This was given to me as a baby gift and I’ll be honest, I thought, “this looks like one of those products that you don’t actually need but someone thought they’d try and make a buck by appealing to vulnerable mothers” BUT I WAS WRONG! Thankfully, I don’t have to use it too often, but when Baby boy gets some redness, I use a dollop of Aquafor and apply it with this and it’s so helpful! You don’t have to get your fingers in baby’s crevices. Everyone wins! Still love it! 
    8. 4 Moms Mamaroo. Baby is loving more and more the more we set him in it. He especially loves it now that he play with the items and actually reach them. Jasper didn’t love being in it and Felix loved it a bit more! I wish that the top play part moved–I think babies might stay more interested.
    9. Tubby Todd body wash. Tubby Todd sent me a baby gift to try some of their wash and I’ve been hooked from day one. It smells lovely and it’s gentle for baby, hypoallergenic, and extra-gentle for sensitive skin.
    10. Grass Bottle drying rack. Just makes life easier in a clever design! I rarely used bottles with Jasper and once again with Felix so I didn’t have a HUGE need for it, but if you bottle feed a lot it’s great.
    11. Boppy carrier. This one was sent to me by the company and I’m not required to talk about it, but I have to let you know that it changed the way baby slept. Prior to this, baby could only fall asleep if we coaxed him while he was in our arms. As you might imagine, we couldn’t get much else done. As soon as I slipped him in there for the first time, he passed out. For the first 3 months of his life, he slept in there for every nap. Then all of a sudden we could set him in his bassinet and he could nap on his own. I’m really grateful for this one. I still use it. In fact, I’m using it right now as I travel to NYC and Atlanta. It’s so snug. I wouldn’t say it’s the most beautiful one on the market, but for us, it was a game changer so I don’t care how it looks. Once again with Felix, this was a LIFESAVER! He slept in it exclusively until about a month ago. 

    1-2 months out

    1. White noise maker. I was hoping I wouldn’t need a white noise maker and perhaps I don’t because I haven’t noticed a difference in J’s sleep quality, but I find it more useful in thinking that we can carry on at a normal decibel level than if it’s not on. Love this one because you can turn it on and off remotely. Ok, since last time, we’ve been using a white noise machine with Jasper ever since and with Felix too. As soon as the white noise machine is off, Felix is up. I find that it allows us to feel like we don’t have to tip toe around to not make noise. Love it. We didn’t buy the same brand for Felix, which was a mistake. The one we bought is poorly designed. I’ll be buying this brand again!
    2. Uppababy stroller. The stroller can hold the car seat, a bassinet, and a normal sitting seat for an older child. I’m using the VISTA while I travel right now because baby can only sleep laying down completely so I stick him in the bassinet. It’s so beautiful, quick to assemble and disassemble. I’ve become a big advocate of it! Plus, I love the touch of the leather handle–classy! I didn’t need a stroller for the first couple of months because Jasper would just cry. Felix did the same thing, but starting at 4 months he LOVED sitting upright.
    3. Rattan bassinet from Bundle and Bloom As you know from this post, I was on a big search for rattan bassinets for baby’s nursery. I searched high and low to find a vintage one, but I couldn’t find one in the US and shipping from France was going to cost 2x the cost of the crib itself, SO, I was thrilled to find this version from Bundle and Bloom. It’s beautiful and the cost is NUTS! They’re handmade in Guatemala and we’ve been using it since we got it. I love it!
    4. Moses Basket. Early on in the prepping process, I spent a good deal of time looking for a Moses basket because I’ve always loved the look of them. Turns out? They’re also handy. This one I got from Briar and it’s so beautiful it makes me want to cry.
    5. Sleep Sack. I just got this for warm weather for Felix. It’s organic cotton and I love the simple design!
    6. Bottle Warmer. I love this one here!

    When their old enough to hold their heads up (4 or 5 months)

    A lot of these are basically contraptions to place baby so you can have a sec to do something. I like to spread them around the house so that there’s always something.

    1. Chair swing. Ok, this is an exception to the “beautiful” rule. I don’t love the look of it, but I love the price and I wanted to see if he would even use before buying something more expensive. I started him in it at about 4 months and he would last for about 5 minutes. Ha! We’re working on it! I think he’ll love it…one day! This is the chair swing I’d try if I thought we’d have gotten more use out of it. Well, Jasper never learned to love it and we’ll find out about Felix. I have a feeling he will though because he loves his…
    2. Exersaucer. I borrowed this contraption from my friend, Michele, and Jasper didn’t love it. I borrowed it again for Felix and he LOVES it! He’s at 5 months now and having a ball. Sometimes he lasts for 2 seconds and other times he can stay in for 15 minutes. 
    3. Briar bonnets. I feel such a need to protect Baby’s skin from the harsh sun especially since he’s so pale. These bonnets are both adorable and great for protection. We did a collection with them and they turned out so cute! 
    4. Bumbo. I love the Bumbo for setting him in when I need to get some stuff done, like putting on make up. Bonus is that is comes in this gorgeous color. I searched high and low for a pretty color and found it in this one.
    5. Joovy baby walker (not pictured in graphic). I loved this walker because it was the best looking one that didn’t have the built in toys and it comes with a removeable and washable tray!
    6. Charlie Crane. This is another one that was given to me and I felt like I had won the jackpot because it’s truly so beautiful. I love that it can sit seamlessly in your home, though I have it at work for baby to sit and play in. Helpful and beautiful!

    Rattan bassinetRattan bassinet

    Again, I’ll be updating this list the more I become familiar with other products and stages of baby’s life. In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your tried and true products! Dish!

    photos by Jane Merrit and Rebecca Hansen

    Little Lars: New baby items in the shop!

    Brittany
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    Little Lars: New baby items in the shop!

    cute gifts for baby

    Gift ideas for baby and kids

    There’s nothing better than stuff for kids, amiright?! Just enlarge them and make them for adults already! We have a little bit of this and that for baby and kids like pacifier clips, rattles, sunnies, toys. They’re too sweet!

    Like these floral inspired pacifier clips. Come on!

    flower beads pacifier clips

    And, of course, we had to get some rainbows in some how. Rainbow teething toys!

    Sweet accessories for kids

    cute gifts for kids

    Wooden cameras (for all inspiring photographers ;), knitted animal rattles, bunny burp clothes and more. I can’t wait to hear your favorites. Jump on over to the shop to see for yourself!

    And if not accessories, we have our full range of art for kids like these art prints based on classic stories by Ayang Cempaka (my favorite is Pippi…no Little Red Riding Hood…I can’t decide!). art for kids based on books

    You can find the new items in our Lars Shop here!

    DIY Doily Honeycomb Decorations

    Brittany
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    DIY Doily Honeycomb Decorations

    DIY Paper Doily Honeycomb Decorations

    You might recall that we made these custom Honeycomb Christmas decorations from templates that we designed, but we wanted it to be a bit easier. Turns out, doilies are great because the shape is created for you and all you have to do is cut them down the middle and assemble. Plus, the doilies create that beautiful lace effect.

    The More You Know

    I had to do a bit of digging to find out more about what a doily is and why we have them. Turns out, the term doily came from the last name “Doily”, a London firm of linen merchants who made fringed napkins in the 1700’s. Then, from 1711, a doily was a small  ornamental napkin used at dessert. THEN, they were placed on the backs of chairs to protect them from the oil that men used on their hair. Nowadays, some people use them to protect surfaces of tables from decorative objects.

    Ok, so now that we know the history of doilies, let’s get to learning how to make these honeycomb decorations. I’m thinking they would be lovely to give as a Valentine or adorn a branch tree (you know we love a decorative tree!) or taking the place of a wreath.

    Here’s how to make it!

    DIY Honeycomb Valentine ornament

    Materials:

    • See above for where to get the doilies
    • Glue gun
    • Scissors or paper cutter

    Instructions: 

    1. Measure a line down the middle of the doily to create an axis of symmetry
    2. Cut doilies in half. If your doilies are heart-shaped and have different colors on each side (ours are white on the back) keep the right-sided halves separated from the left-sided ones. You will alternate gluing left and right sides of the heart.
    3. Glue a line down the middle of one half-doily (starting at the axis and moving to the edge.
    4. Place another doily on top. For heart-shaped doilies or ones with different colors on each side, glue the same colors together. The contrasting color/blank side will now be facing up.
    5. Glue two lines down the sides of the doily on the top of the stack.
    6. Place another doily on top, again gluing the same colors together.
    7. Carefully separate the layers where glue may have escaped to lower layers through the holes in the doily.
    8. Repeat steps 4-8 until the stack is tall enough to open up and wrap back around so that the first and last layers meet. This will be about 50 layers or 25 whole doilies.
    9. While pressing down the layers of doilies, glue a line down the spine of the stack and even it out with the warm tip of the glue gun. Make sure that all the layers are adhered together with this glue.
    10. Glue a loop of ribbon to the top of the spine.
    11. Fan open the ornament, carefully separating any layers that may still be stuck together, and glue the first and last layers together. You’re finished!

    How to make a circle doily honeycomb decoration

    And the tutorial is a bit different if you’re doing a heart. Here’s how to make it:

    Would love to see how you put them to use. What will you do with them? Tag us when you make yours with #LarsLovesLove #LarsMakes.

    Like these? You’ll also love these:

    Honeycomb Ornaments
    Lunch sack honeycomb decorations
    Printable honeycomb cards

    DIY Bathtime Art Shapes with Tubby Todd

    Brittany
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    DIY Bathtime Art Shapes with Tubby Todd

    Tubby Todd Bubble Bath & Great Artists!

    Tubby Todd was the first set of bath products I ever received and I’ve been a devotee ever since (I use it myself–best lotion!). I knew they would be the perfect partner for our Great Artists! course (you might remember our previous collaborations with Pink Chicken and Briar Bonnet!). We designed artwork inspired by our course and it now decorates their classic Sweet Quince and Honeysuckle Bubblebath. Bada bing bada boom!

    DIY Bathtime Art Shapes

    And what could be more fun than bathtime than some custom art shapes inspired by Great Artists! for bathtime fun. Jasper is absolutely obsessed with all his foam ABCs and 123s from Target–he could line them up for days–but I wanted to do some of my own from foam sheets from the craft store. And guess, what? It’s SO easy and you can really go to town.

    We even played a game of “tell me something to draw” and we had a ball drawing some of his existing toys onto foam and cutting them out. He was able to recognize some of his favorite toys from around the house.

    Materials

    • Foam sheets
    • Scissors
    • Pen or marker

    Instructions

    1. Draw your shapes onto foam.
    2. Cut out the shapes
    3. Note: If you use a washable marker to cut out your shapes, make sure to wash them in a sink before putting them into the tub.

    SO simple and produces good results. See!

    Stay tuned for a giveaway over on Instagram later today to win some bubble bath from Tubby Todd and a Great Artists! course to three people.

    You can get our limited edition Sweet Quince and Honeysuckle bubbles over at Tubby Todd for 20% off when you sign up for our Great Artists! course now through 12/31/20 (a code will be emailed to you).

    If you liked this tutorial, you might also like the following:

    Matisse Felt Board
    DIY projects inspired by Frida Kahlo
    Home Decor inspired by Andy Warhol

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