Kate's Book Corner - The Christmas Edit

December 05, 2017 by Katie Wilson

It may come as no surprise that Christmas is easily one of my favorite holidays. It goes without saying that the more I love the holiday the larger our collection of holiday books! The Christmas season was full of traditions in my house growing up and one of those was selecting a new holiday book to read every night. I loved when the Christmas books came out every year and spent hours poring over them. We do the same in our house although this year I've gone a step further and created a holiday advent calendar inspired by a blog post on Babyccino . I wanted to do this for years and you can follow along in my InstaStories as we unveil our book each night. So far it's been a huge hit!

All of our Christmas books have received a lot of love over the years but the eleven books in my Christmas Edit are at the top of my list for the age ranges in our household. I'd recommend Little Blue Truck's Christmas to anyone and everyone with little kids because no one can resist the lights on the tree at the end! The Jolly Christmas Postman, The Sweet Smell of Christmas and The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher were all some of my absolute favorites growing up. I still love to pull out the letters in The Jolly Christmas Postman, smell the scents from The Sweet Smell of Christmas and dream about baking Christmas cookies in the The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher.

My eldest can't get enough of the Olive, the Other Reindeer and Olivia helps with Christmas. I love the play on words in Olive, the Other Reindeer (genius + my grandmother's name is Olive) and any book involving Olivia the pig is a win in my book. She has so much spunk I hope it jumps off the page and passes to my own daughters. The Snowman and The Mitten are so beautifully illustrated and almost all of these books have lovely messages tied to them which makes them all the more important to read to our children.

Happy Reading!

The Christmas Edit

DIY Holiday Planters

November 26, 2017 by Katie Wilson

One of my favorite things about staying home for Thanksgiving is that we have an extra couple of days to prepare for Christmas. My eldest has a December birthday so I need all of the extra time I can get to prepare for the month of December. One of the first things I like to tackle each year is our planters!

We have one of the most wonderful Garden Centers close to our home called Gesthemane Garden Center. It is a glorious place and they have beautiful pre planted planters for purchase but a few years ago I wanted to see if I could accomplish a similar look on my own. I use a combination of real and fake elements and I think I've come up with a great option. In order to keep the cost down I reuse some components year after year i.e. birch logs, pinecones and faux berries and then buy a selection of fresh greens from Trader Joe's and Gesthemane Garden Center. Read on for my TAKE on a holiday planter!

Planter Components from Left to Right: 1 Decorative Holiday Bough (Trader Joe's), 2 Bunches Holiday Swag (Trader Joe's), 1 Bunch Boxwood (Gesthemane Garden Center), 3 Birch Logs (Gesthemane Garden Center), 3 Bunches Red Berries on Sticks (Gesthemane Garden Center), 5 Sprayed Pinecones on Sticks and in various sizes (Gesthemane Garden Center)

Planter Size

First things first, it's important to note that the planters I use are about 12 inches wide in diameter (at their widest point) and nine inches deep. They also had about 2-3 inches of soil in them that helps when placing the elements in the planters.

Step One

The first pieces to go into the planters are the 2 bunches of holiday swag from Trader Joe's. These are pre-wired as you would typically hang something like this and it really helps to give the planters a sturdy base and shape. Don't forget to remove the red bow and pinecones before placing the swag into the planter!

Step Two

Once the holiday swag is firmly placed in the soil I add the three birch logs to the arrangement. You can always play around with their placement once you have added everything to the planters.

Step Three

Next I separate the decorative bough from Trader Joe's and place each item separately. The boughs typically include some holly, evergreen and berries and I like to add them piece by piece to provide some color variation and texture.

Step Four

The last fresh greens to be added are the Variegated English Boxwood that I buy from our local Garden Center. This comes in a bough or bunch and I separate and place the stems individually. This also helps to to add more color to the planters and more stability.

Step Five

Next come the berries. I tend to prefer having a mostly fresh planter but this year opted for faux berries from Gesthemane as our neighborhood squirrel population tends to like to eat the fresh ones. I bought 3 sets of berries and placed them randomly in the planter breaking up the monotony of the green with the bright red.

Step Six

The final addition to the planters is the pine cones. I also place these randomly throughout the greens to break up the colors and texture as well as to fill in any gaps.

et Voilà!

In about six steps the planter is complete and you are on your way to a festive home for the holidays! Truly, these planters will last throughout the holiday season with little to no up-keep. No watering is needed but if you receive a heavy snowfall I will reposition some of the planter elements as they tend to shift due to the weight of the snow. Happy Decorating!

A Tale of Two Thanksgiving Tables - Part 2

November 22, 2017 by Katie Wilson

A Traditional Table

After sharing our fun Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tablescape earlier this week I wanted to share another more formal option. More often than not if we're setting our dining room table for a holiday meal it takes on a traditional form. It typically always involves the standard: cloth napkins, a tablecloth or table runner, candles, flowers or foliage, good china, crystal glasses and sterling silver. Basically, every single holiday meal I've had since a child has followed suit. I certainly don't mean to knock tradition; I love tradition but I like to mix it up a bit too! Read on for my TAKE on a traditional Thanksgiving tablescape.

My traditional tablescape definitely includes classic items such as a table runner, candles, wedding china, crystal and my grandmother's sterling but I do like to mix it up a bit! For some fun and variety I combine two sets of china, two sets of crystal goblets and various crystal candle holders! Our children will be joining us at the table this year so I've added turkey cookies from our favorite Chicago bakery Sweet Mandy B's and festive party poppers from Meri Meri. They get excited to eat at the dining room table and take pride in the fact that they helped set the table by collecting the fall leaves but It's going to be a struggle for them (and myself) to wait until after the meal to eat those cookies! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Tale of Two Thanksgiving Tables - Part 1

November 19, 2017 by Katie Wilson

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year and I've been thinking about all aspects of planning for the holiday. Most nights we eat dinner at our kitchen island but on Thanksgiving we always sit down at the dining room table. Naturally, the table decor has been on my mind...enter the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tablescape. I can't take credit for this genius idea. I wish I could but I saw it on the Instagram feed of T he House That Lars Built and was blown away. Of course, I had to try it. Immediately. Read below for my TAKE on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tablescape.

Buildings

Before creating the tablescape I collected a handful of boxes from around the house and my husband wrapped all of the boxes in this wrapping paper. Trust me if I had wrapped these boxes they wouldn't look half as nice. He is an EXPERT when it comes to wrapping. I then tested out a couple of Sharpie colors on the back of the boxes but ended up using the Silver Metallic version. I then drew doors and windows in varying shapes and sizes on each box to create the buildings. I then lined them up along the edge of the table runner. The most challenging part of setting this table may just have been poking holes in the top of the boxes for the balloons. I used a sharp scissors and the firmer the box the easier it was.

Balloons

You can find a lot of small helium balloons with sticks online but I went to a Party City store and was able to select balloons from their inventory. I knew that I wanted a Turkey and a Santa (the parade always ends with Santa Claus) and I selected the others based on what I thought our kids would like. Unfortunately, they didn't have a Turkey in stock but I had them blow up an orange balloon (brown wasn't available) and I taped on a turkey art project my son had completed earlier in the week. To ensure the balloons looked like they were floating I positioned them at various heights in the buildings.

Street + Cars

For the street I used a table runner that I bought a few years ago at Crate & Barrel (a similar once can be found here) and added road markings by cutting down yellow construction paper and placing them in the center of the runner. Cars aren't necessary for this tablescape but I thought they would be a fun addition especially when you have littles at the table. I used this Melissa & Doug set that we had on hand but also found these amazing Hot Wheels taxi cab cars online.

All in all this was extremely easy to put together and the kids LOVE it! It just took a little planning in terms of the balloons and boxes but a short amount of time to execute once all the supplies were collected. I paired this tablescape with our everyday china and some miniature pumpkins as it would be perfect for a kids table! Stay tuned for another more traditional tablescape option coming later this week.

My Favorite Room

November 18, 2017 by Katie Wilson

Do you have a favorite room in your home? It may be a room that makes you feel nostalgic, a room that brightens your spirits or perhaps a room in which you're pleased with almost every design decision you've made.

I have a favorite room. It's our son's room. I love this small and cozy room for many reasons but mostly because it was one of the first rooms to be completed when we moved into our home a mere two weeks before our son was born. The rest of the house was chaos but this little room was a haven for myself and our newborn. I love to mix prints and textures and this room is no exception and to this day I still love the combination of the cloud wallpaper, hot air balloons and animal prints.

Our son is three now and this room is in desperate need of a refresh but before we make any changes (ahem, get rid of the crib) I wanted to share and perhaps commit it to my memory one last time. Take my advice and spend a little time making selective design choices in your child's nursery because if your going to spend hours rocking an infant to sleep it might as well be in a room that is easy on the eye!

Sources

Wallpaper: Spoonflower Rug: Dash & Albert Animal Print Artwork: The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose Hot Air Balloons: Two's Company Bedding (Crib Sheet + Quilt): Serena & Lily Leather Pouf: Serena & Lily Woven Baskets: Serena & Lily Pillow in Crib: Blabla Kids Pillow on Chair: Coral & Tusk MCM Dresser: Megmade Bookcase: Land of Nod Mirror: Pottery Barn Kids Shelf: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child Lamp: Crate & Barrel Crib: Babyletto Seagrass Table: Crate & Barrel Window Treatment: Calico Corners

Kate's Book Corner - The Thanksgiving Edit

November 05, 2017 by Katie Wilson

The Halloween Hangover is upon us but we're slowly trying to get into the spirit of thankfulness. Our Halloween decorations have come down and the small collection of Thanksgiving decorations have gone up. My husband is already in a festive mood...he loves Thanksgiving and is already working on his menu. Naturally, I am thankful for his cooking prowess but need something extra to get me in the mood. A collection of newly unearthed (from a bin in the closet) Thanksgiving themed children's books should do the trick!

We don't have quite as many Thanksgiving books as we do other holidays but these are our most treasured ones. We've read The First Thanksgiving flap book to all of the kids when they were younger. Thanksgiving Day is great for a bit of history of the holiday and Balloons over Broadway tells the true story of the puppeteer from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And for those of you, with kids in primary school The Great Thanksgiving Escape is the perfect maturity level for their sense of humor. Happy Reading!

The Thanksgiving Edit

Kate's Book Corner - The Halloween Edit

October 28, 2017 by Katie Wilson

I am OBSESSED. You can ask anyone that knows me really well. There isn't one thing that I splurge more on for my kids than children's books. You should see me at a book fair; I LOVE children's books! They are magical. And who doesn't want an escape from reality these days? I can often be found reading; a passion that started when I was young and I hope to foster that same love of reading in my own children. So it's safe to say this obsession of mine won't be going anywhere.

I thought I would use the blog to introduce a series called "Kate's Book Corner." Here I will share my take on my families favorite children's books throughout the year as well as links to purchase if your in the market for something new.

We have a reading corner in our home with a set of acrylic display shelves that I use for some of our children's books (mostly hardcover). I switch these books out seasonally to keep the kids interested in reading AND to keep my husband and I from reading the same books night after night.

This month we're reading mostly fall and Halloween themed books. Check out the edit below of our nine favorite books starting with something we read our infant "Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody" ending with our Kindergartener's new favorite "Creepy Pair of Underwear!" There's still a few days left before Halloween. Happy Reading!

The Halloween Edit

Halloween Happenings

October 18, 2017 by Katie Wilson

There is something about having littles around the house that makes decorating for the holidays especially exciting. Halloween is no exception. I try not to go crazy with decorations as storing said decorations can prove challenging in our city home but I wanted to share some of my tips and favorite Halloween decor.

Kate's Tips

I wait until October 1st to start decorating
I select items for our front door/stoop area that can easily transition into November
I include the kids in the task of decorating (I mean it's an activity, right?)
I try to introduce one new decoration each year
I love to have coordinating Halloween costumes for the kids but my eldest is quite opinionated so this year I've opted for two costumes:
- One coordinating sibling costume (it's all about the photo-op)
- One costume that each child will wear Trick-or-Treating

Halloween Decor from Left to Right:

Potted Yellow Mums 2. Pumpkin Door Hanger 3. Black Crows perched on Pumpkins 4. Novelty Pumpkins a la Trader Joe's 5. Posable Black Bats 6. Black Spiders crawling down the fireplace 7. Trick or Treat Banner (similar styles found at Target) 8. My favorite Schleich Animals adorned with Meri Meri Witch Hats

30 Days of Eiseman

September 30, 2017 by Katie Wilson

Florence Eiseman is a classic line of children's clothing based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I grew up wearing Florence Eiseman often wearing coordinating sets with my siblings. The clothing is so well made and showcases darling little details. I love to dress my three littles in the clothes. The swimsuits are my absolute favorite!

This summer the Museum of Wisconsin Art, launched an exhibit; Florence Eiseman: Designing Childhood for the American Century. I visited the exhibit with my mom and 2 daughters and came up with an idea. For the month of September I would dress my children in Florence Eiseman and document via my Instagram account. Thus my #30daysofeiseman challenge was born.

While some of the photos were of my children when they were younger it was fun to go back and relive so many cherished memories. Now that the month has come to a close I'm a bit sad but looking forward to spending time launching my blog and daydreaming about the Florence Eiseman warehouse sale in mid October!