Wipes warmer. Really?

Well, we found a lot of it to be absolute rubbish. We went with the philosophy that we would buy only the absolute essentials to start with, and then if we found we were missing something, we would buy it only if and when we needed it. And when I say “buy”, I mean buy the cheapest (but safest) option available, or better still, borrow one from a trusted source.

The Widg's car seat

So I thought I would put together a post about the baby stuff that we found useful, and what we could live without, in the hopes that it might serve as a guide of sorts to other parents-to-be, especially if you are working on a modest budget (as we were and are). Please bear in mind that these suggestions are just that – suggestions – and by no means are we saying that anyone would be a better/worse parent for having/not having any of this stuff. It is purely our opinion, based on our own personal experience.

The Widg's Gulliver cot from Ikea

Firstly, what did we make sure to have before the Widg arrived? The absolute essentials only. This means cot (and mattress and cot sheets), nappies and wipes, change mat (no, not a whole change table), baby bath, clothes, blankets, car seat, pram, sling, bibs, cloths for catching/wiping spit-up, and something for white noise (we use a small battery-powered radio tuned to static).

The Widg's Quinny Buzz pram.

We did get a bassinet with the pram, which we did actually use. The Widg slept in it in our room for the first couple of months or so, and it was quite useful to take with us as his bed when we went away (until he grew out of it). I wouldn’t have bought the bassinet separately, but I’m glad we had it.

Quinny similar bassinet.

With the nappies, we did have the Peapods prepared before he was born, but his little butt didn’t fit them for the first months, so we did use disposables until then. Oh, and here is a link to our previous post about setting up the Widg’s room, which includes more details about the cot, change table, etc. I mentioned a sling (baby carrier), and this is the one we used:

Our sling

We loved our sling. Noah loved our sling. For a little while there, he hated the pram, so the sling was awesome. It was easy to carry him around, he was guaranteed to fall asleep in it. We even ended up with 2 of them, which was great, as we could have one in the wash, or one in the car and one in the house. I have only recently stopped using it, because he is starting to get too heavy (at 12 months and 9kg).

Our highchair

Things we ended up getting later, as we needed them: dummy, high chair, rocker (although the Widg only used it a handful of times, but I got it second hand for about $15), nappy bag (although we only used this for about the first month, and then only for long trips, and then not at all. And we bought the cheapest one we could, $30 from Target), toys, portacot (we were graciously given one by friends who’s little ones had outgrown it).

I wasn’t too convinced on the necessity of a playmat (like the one below) and wasn’t planning on getting one. But then I saw how much the Widg enjoyed using his friends’ ones, and I buckled. It ended up being the best toy for him from about 1 month old until he could sit up. I distinctly remember watching him one day figure out that he cold control the use of his own arm when he reached for the monkey and batted at it. That monkey served as the perfect motivation to teach him how to reach and grab and pull and learn those all important motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Of course, he would have learned those skills without a playmat, but it was also a great place to put him down and keep him entertained while I put on a load of washing or something like that (until he learned to roll that is).

The Widg's playmat.

We bought a Kinderkot as a portable bed to take on trips. It was recommended to us from a friend, and it was great at first. Light weight, folds up to the size of a large satchel bag. But lately the Widg has stopped reliably sleeping in it, so we haven’t used it in a while. I’m not ruling out using it again as he gets older.

The Widg's Kinderkot

The only thing we bought that I wouldn’t buy again (if we could go back in our time machine and do it again. What? You don’t have a time machine?) would be the nappy bag. Really, any bag would have been fine, a large satchel would have been perfect. I think it really depends how much “stuff” you carry around with you, and that really depends on the parent. I’ve survived pretty well so far with just my huge nanna handbag.

Things we were told to buy, but never needed: bottles, formula, sterilising equipment (breastfeeding worked out really well for us. I know it doesn’t work out for everyone, and I am very grateful that it did for us), various bedding/linen for the cot (pillows, quilts, top sheets, bumpers, etc. Most of this stuff isn’t recommended as it can increase the risk of SIDS), dedicated changing table, bath stand, nappy stacker, and a bunch of other stuff that I can’t even think of. Put it this way: when we were pregnant, we went to a (insert name of well known baby-gear chain here) store, and we were handed a list by the salesperson. An A4 page, double sided, full of “new baby essentials”. We politely smiled, cut a lap of the store, and left empty handed.

Granted, I’m a complete nerd when it comes to researching, planning and preparing before an event, so I had a fairly decent idea of what we did and didn’t need before we went shopping. Some people might find it incredibly helpful to have the salesperson give them advice and lists and things.

So that’s our rundown. Hope you found it useful/interesting/not-completely-chew-your-arm-off-boring.

I have been doing a little bit of sewing (just more pants for Noah really), but I have heaps of ideas for new projects and never enough time to try them all out. Now that the Widg is crawling I can really only sew when he’s sleeping. But I usually find a bazillion other things that need doing when he’s sleeping (like cooking, cleaning, showering), so sewing gets put to the bottom of a long list. Bummer.

I wanted to share this little gem with you: the lovely and sweet hubster gave me these very cute tea towels as part of my Mothers Day present (yes, way back in May).

But before you get all “he bought you tea towels?“, his words as he handed them to me were “I thought you could sew something nice out of these”. He knows me well.

I really love the colours and the prints, but I have no idea what to turn them into. Thoughts? Ideas? C’mon people, I need your help!

You see, when we turned our kitchen/living/dining room into the master bedroom, there was this section of room leftover that became (by default really) a very wide hallway between the 3 bedrooms and bathroom. This hallway is so wide that I can have my clothes airers set up, and there is still enough width to walk past without touching them.

The hallway currently has 2 very old and dodgy white cupboards (old wardrobes that were left here when we moved in) that are being used for storage, and a couple of airers (I don’t have an outside clothes line). We don’t have any proper storage at the Box – no linen cupboards, no where to store sheets and towels, or any other random belongings that most houses have. Hence the suitcases, old computer and baby bath sitting on top of the wardrobes. (Side note: where do people store their suitcases anyway? Does everyone have some giant secret cupboard to hold all their luggage?)

So our next indoor project for the Box will probably be to find a more permanent solution to storage and use of the hallway upstairs. We will most likely keep a large section of the hallway free for the airers. It’s just too convenient to be able to hang out several loads of washing indoors, and that particular area of the house seems almost purpose built for it – the way we have positioned the louvered windows and the air flow through the bedrooms means that washing dries incredibly fast, even on the most rainy or humid day.

But we really need to ditch the old white cupboards – they really are falling apart, and they aren’t a very functional type of storage (they only have hanging space and one shelf). What we really want and need are either a built-in system, or a few nice sets of chests of drawers. We discussed the built-in option, but I really don’t like the look of something all crammed in from floor to ceiling, like a kitchen up there. So we have decided to go with some chests of drawers, but only as a test.

However this could cost a bit, especially if we decide we don’t like it or it doesn’t work. Ideally, I would love to use these Hemnes ones from Ikea:

But I’m not sure they sell them in white anymore, and they are a bit pricey. So instead we have decided to go with these Rast ones, which are only $50:

I actually think they’re quite ugly, but then I saw this over on Aubrey + Lindsay’s blog:

And this one too:

(from Armelle)

And it got me thinking: paint them a nice glossy white, change the handles, and they might scrub up ok. So I have permission from the husband to buy one to start with, paint it white and see how it looks. I’ll let you know.

Now, I realise that you might be thinking “Why would you store your linens and towels in drawers? Surely a cupboard with shelves would be better?” Well, maybe. But surely drawers are essentially the same as shelves, they just have a front on them. As long as I fold them very neatly (which I already do anyway) they should (in theory) fit in drawers just fine. I’m going to give it a go, and I’ll take photos and let you judge for yourselves. Oh, and I have no idea where the suitcases are going to go. At the moment, I’m hoping a genius solution will present itself out of thin air. I’m nothing if not hopeful.

Now, please bear in mind that this whole idea may only be short-to-medium term. We have thought about turning the upstairs hallway into some kind of “room” – like a study nook if we ever needed the 3rd bedroom to actually be a bedroom. We could fit a built-in desk under the window. And with a view like this, why wouldn’t you?

Although, might not get much work done that way. Maybe it’ll be more of a “daydreaming nook”. We’ll see.

Essentially, they are just mugs, like any other. Granted, they are pretty, and when stacked they make a geisha doll. Adorable, no?

But there is something so satisfying about drinking my morning and evening cups of tea from them. They are so cheerful, I actually think they make the tea taste better. Well, they must be good- the husband has even taken to using them!

On another note, I am going to Ikea tomorrow, where I will scope out the fabrics – they are ridiculously cheap and very cool. Exhibit A:

(from Ikea)

Exhibit B:

(from Ikea)

And these ones:

(from Ikea)

(from Ikea)

I am very excited (so is the Widg) – I will be dreaming about new sewing projects all night!

Anyone who knows me is probably laughing right now. For a few reasons. Firstly, I’m not crafty or even particularly creative. All of my creative ideas I pretty much steal from other sources and maybe tweak a little bit. Secondly, I tend to get obsessively enthusiastic about a new project or hobby, then get bored with it really quickly and drop it like a hot potato.

So when I set up the sewing machine several months ago, I was totally realistic with myself. I assumed I would have a bit of fun for a month or so, then never go back to it again. I made a few drawstring bags and some toys for the Widg, and I quite enjoyed it. Then we were having some visitors throughout December and January so I packed the sewing machine away to make the Box a bit more child-friendly. It was at this point that I thought to myself “I’ll probably never set it up again”.

But I actually found myself itching to get back into it. I’ve been trawling blogs looking for projects to sew and getting all excited about it.

I won’t give away my ideas just yet (I’d be terribly embarrassed if I shared the goss now, only to chicken out and not do it). But I will show you my first attempt for 2011: a mug rug!

A what? (I hear you ask). A mug rug. Essentially a coaster, but a bit bigger. For holding a cup of hot something and a couple of biscuits.

These things are all over the net – just google “mug rug” and you’ll see them everywhere.

(from a cuppa and a catch up)

(from pin. sew. press.)

They’re really just a mini quilt, which is why I love them. I get to make lots of little quilts, which satisfy my urge to make something, but they’re not a huge project (like a real, full-size quilt) that I would quickly get bored with and lose interest.

I’m pretty happy with my first attempts (I made 3 actually), although I recognise that there is a lot of room for improvement. I hope to make many more, and get better with each one.

(from Desire to Inspire)

I do have plans to change this, but it’s one of those things that never really makes it to the top of the to-do list. And although I haven’t actually gotten around to choosing, framing and hanging any photo’s, you know I have already come up with a bazillion ideas on how it will look when I finally do.

(from Apartment Therapy)

I love the idea of mismatched frames – different sizes but all the same colour, or same size but different materials. I like the not-too-neat-ness of it all, that the pictures or frames aren’t all samey, but there is a common element to the collection.

(from Apartment Therapy)

I also love the idea of hanging them in a non-symmetrical manner, so that they don’t line up. Having said that, there’s something quite calming about symmetry in your home.

(from Apartment Therapy)

The way these frames (below) are hung all the way to the ceiling is pretty awesome (especially since this house has no architraves, like ours).

(from Desire to Inspire)

I also like the idea of playing with colour in the actual frames. Of course this will depend on what room I hang the frames in. Some rooms of the house lend themselves to colour more than others.

(from Desire to Inspire)

And then I have also toyed with the idea of not actually hanging the frames directly on the walls at all, but of having really narrow shelves on the walls and then sitting the frames on the shelves.

(from Desire to Inspire)

Whichever way I decide to go, we have many many photo’s to choose from: pics of friends and family, of the Widg, of places and events. At the moment they are all living happily on our computers or online. Eventually I will have to get them blown up and printed. Where’s that to-do list?

So why the sudden desire to sew? Well, now that I am a stay-at-home-mama, I find myself with small nuggets of time on my hands where I can’t leave the house. I also have lots of time to spend on the laptop browsing blogs looking at pretty things that I can’t really afford to buy. Many of these things I often think “surely you could make that yourself?” Well, yes, surely someone could. But not necessarily me.

However, I figure if I can sew a straight line, maybe I can successfully whip up something relatively simple. So I borrowed my mums old sewing machine, and I have set myself up with a little sewing area. Believe me, if I had to pack it all away every time, this new little hobby would last about 5 minutes.

Noah and I then trotted down to Spotlight, where we picked up a few essentials (thread, scissors, fabric). Then I spent about an hour reading through the instruction manual of the sewing machine, reacquainting myself with the mechanics of threading bobbins and such. Then I browsed a few of my favourite blogs (along with some suggestions from Jen) for some easy projects to begin with.

Firstly, I was drawn to this one:

(from Lovely Design)

Mainly because I totally agree with the blogger about not needing a whole nappy/baby bag. I have managed pretty well so far with the Widg without needing to carry around some huge luggage full of baby stuff. I have been able to get by quite happily with just my normal handbag (it’s like a satchel and quite large anyway, but it’s still just a handbag). So I made this one for myself:

So far, it has worked a treat. I keep it stocked with a small pack of wipes, a couple of nappies (depending how long we will be out for) and this adorable change mat that I bought here (and completely ripped off from the above-mentioned blog).

I have since made several bags using the same pattern, and used them as gift bags for a few friends. Then I attempted to make some toys for the Widg. I found a seemingly simple pattern for some soft blocks on Make It and Love It. Mine turned out ok. Not as squared as intended, rather quite rounder.

But Noah doesn’t seem to mind.

Oh, and in case I’m in need of some additional motivation to sew, this is my view from my sewing table:

We get so excited when one of our subscriptions lands in the mailbox – we get all giddy and dance into the house with the crisp new mag, rip off the plastic wrap and sniff the fresh, glossy pages. It’s like getting a present from a secret admirer every month.

We get a lot of inspiration from these publications. We pour over the beautiful houses and gardens, obsess over the lovely furnishings and dream about what we could do with unlimited resources at hand. Of course, we would probably never implement most of what we come up with. But it’s just nice to dream and look at pretty things.

Our collection has turned into a bit of a novelty at home: every time we have an asian dish for dinner, there’s a little moment where we carefully select which set of chopsticks we will eat with for that meal. It’s goofy but it’s just a thing we do.

So the chopsticks are currently sitting in a container on the kitchen counter, which looks fine. But I have always hoped that I would magically come up with some other genius idea for displaying them. Well, it seems that someone has done the thinking for me.

(from The Kitchn)

I saw this brilliant idea over at The Kitchn (Apartment Therapy) and I am sure we could implement something similar at the Box. Even if we don’t screw the little eyelet things directly into the wall, maybe into a plank of wood which then gets mounted on the wall. Or onto a flat surface that you could then frame? We’ll see.