We agreed to swap homes with a family that also had three children roughly the same age as mine. It was a gorgeous house with a huge backyard for the kids to run wild, located on a beautiful tree-lined street that was super quiet—very different from the loud honking of the bustling streets of downtown New York City. My kids loved the toys and all the televisions that this house provided. Since our Toronto swap was such a success, we decided a few months later to try it abroad to Paris, France. Again we chose a family that had three children within the same age bracket. After a ton of e-mails with questions and more questions, phone calls and many apartment pictures later, we felt comfortable, and a contract was in full motion.

image by IrenaS

Since summer vacation will be here before you know it, I encourage you to pick a country and give swapping a try.

image by Frizztext

These are a few pointers I would recommend if you do go down this path:

Communicate. Ask lots of questions about the home and neighborhood—make sure you see photos. We were flirting with a Madrid exchange in August and found out that the apartment we were interested in had one air conditioner in the living room and fans in the bedrooms. The temperature in Spain during the summer can easily reach over a 100 degrees. You can never ask enough questions.

Ask for referrals about prior exchanges; many listed apartments do so on their profiles.

Agree on the ground rules for your exchange.

Lock up valuables and personal items that are important to you and your family. My boys had us store very “valuable” Star Wars Legos.

Create a guidebook with house rules to follow, restaurants in the area, parks and emergency contact numbers. I really enjoyed putting this together and loved receiving it on the other end.

Trust. It may be odd to have a stranger in your home, but by communicating via email, phone and Skype, you really do get a sense of the family—social media at its best! Remember it’s a two-way street, you’ll be in their home, so respecting one another’s space is a big part to a successful swap.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Would you do it?

Sugar overload on any holiday is easy, but Valentine’s Day is one that is particularly heavy on sweets and giant heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. On top of being the month of love, February is also American Heart Month—so what better way to show your tiny tots you love them than by showing them desserts can be tasty and healthy?

Some great options to get your desserts healthy:

Fruit on a stick: Cookie cutters can be used to make all sizes and shapes, and when it comes to kid food, everything is more fun when you put it on a stick.

Artistic apples: Carve a little picture into the skin of an apple and douse with lemon juice to keep from browning.

Dark chocolate-drizzled rice cakes: You can buy these at the store; they’re much better for you than a cookie, and you still get the crunch and chocolate cravings satisfied.

Yogurt parfaits: Mix up some yummy berries, and layer with granola and plain yogurt for a yummy treat.

High-fiber cereal: Make this a treat by serving it in a creative way, like out of a cone or small box. Mix with dried cranberries or raisins for a little more interest. Quaker just came out with a cereal, Whole Hearts, shaped like hearts that is packed with fiber and protein; it makes for a great little snack food addition to the dessert table.

Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries: Decadent yet good for you, dark chocolate has less sugar and is known for its health benefits in small quantities, like in a thin coating on a sweet, ripe strawberry.

Fruit smoothies: Throw whole fruit, yogurt, OJ and some ice in the blender and puree. Serve out of decorated bottles to make it fancy.

So be creative, and look for some healthier alternatives to the typical Valentine’s sweets this year to grow healthy little hearts!

Every year, my friend and her three small children (all under 7) huddle around the TV, noisemakers in hand, party hats on heads and watch the ball drop. Is she crazy? Yes, but in a fun way. The kids love the excitement of watching the ball drop as much as the big kids do, so every year their family tunes into CNN and celebrates the new year by watching the festivities—in London.

The time difference means the kids can have a party at the very reasonable hour of 7 p.m. EST instead of midnight and still get into the holiday spirit. This is also great for moms and dads who may not be able to make it to midnight, either!

A few fun things to make with the kids while you’re waiting for the stroke of 7pm:

Party hats. Grab some scrapbook paper, scissors, glitter and glue, and create your own fabulous way to get festive.

Noisemakers. Fold paper plates in half, fill with dried beans and staple shut—don’t forget to add shiny accents, ribbons and streamers to the outside. Cans with a few coins wrapped in pretty paper work well too.

Time capsule. Write a few holiday memories on a piece of paper and place them in a special box to be put away and brought out with the Christmas decorations next year. This is a great way to stroll down memory lane every year.

image from Giant Stuffed Animals

When Christmas morning arrived, there she was—the biggest, softest, brightest pink bear I had ever seen. “Sasha” became my steadfast favorite friend. And, although Santa and his trusty elves must have spent hours hand-crafting my bear, I do love these modern day alternatives—no reindeer required.

Giant Giraffe by Melissa & Doug

Look for this giant stuffed lion, by Melissa & Doug, in an upcoming kid’s room by Little Crown Interiors!

Jumbo Panda Bear by Melissa & Doug

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that Christmas morning, and I had a thought I wanted to share. Only now, as I spend hours reading Consumer Reports to figure out which telescope my sons will like best and discovering that one can, in fact, purchase a toy angle grinder*, do I realize the amount of work my mom and dad put into making each Christmas perfect. So, if you ever got the perfect holiday gift, consider taking a moment to call the giver and thank them again. Not only for the gift, but for the amazing memory that you’ll always cherish.

*An angle grinder is some kind of crazy tool my husband uses in the garage. I have no idea what it does, but the kids are obsessed with it. Seriously, how did people find this stuff before the internet?!

The giddy excitement in my nine-month-old baby’s face when he crawled out to the Christmas tree was pure and total magic for me. His perma-grin made the absurd hour we were up to see Santa’s gifts worth losing a few hours sleep.

The minute Brennan spotted his shiny red Flintstone-style Radio Flyer Sport Coupe, he was in love. I swear for days after that he and the car were inseparable; his sister sped him around the house while he pushed all the buttons on the dash. The car was his favorite mode of transportation for cruising for babes (babies) in the neighborhood and for pushing around the house while he learned to walk. It’s the toy the kids always fight over at playgroup.

Two years later, Brennan is still in love with his first set of wheels, even though he no longer needs mom to help him move it around. And I love how thrilled he remains with his gift.

1. Radio Flyer Sports Coupe 2. The Konstantin Beta sit-on toy by Nika Zupanc  3.  Ferrari F430 6v Car 4. Dalmatian’s Choice Ride-On Fire Engine 5. Retro Racing Car

I have so many favorite Christmas gifts, it’s really hard to pick just one from my childhood. I would have to say the Barbie Dream House, my Cabbage Patch Dolls and a pastel boom-box were definitely highlights for me. My parents even saved the Barbie house and the cabbage patch dolls, which my nieces play with when they come over. It’s great to see that old toys never truly get “old.”

For someone like me who is extremely girly, the whole boy toy thing is brand new to me. With a three-year-old son who is car and truck obsessed, I feel like I have become an expert. In fact, I now know names of probably twenty monster trucks. Who knew that “Monster Mutt” and “Grave Digger” were terms I would use often in my vocabulary? So, if your little guy (or girl!) loves cars and trucks, here are some our favorites.

The first set of cars we purchased were by Wow!. These German-designed toys are great because you just push them and they go. They are extremely durable and perfect for a boy around a year and beyond. We love the Turbo Twins set that comes with two drivers.

This Lightning McQueen Activity Ride-On Toy has given our son years of entertainment. We got it for him at about a year, and he still rides on it to this day, even though his legs are now way too long for it. It has a storage compartment under the seat, it lights up, and it has numbers and songs to entertain and educate your child.

The Magna-Tiles Working Trucks by Valtech are very popular in our house. These are designed for a child around three and would appeal to older children as well. The set comes with 27 different magnetic parts that can be made into all sorts of car and truck combinations. This is great for kids’ hand-eye coordination and encourages their creativity.

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry is a book that has been around forever, and I am so excited to be able to read it to my son now. I had this as a child, and my brother and I spent hours looking at this book. The illustrations are fantastic, and your kids will love searching out “Goldbug”on each page.

And you may be wondering what our toddler will be getting this year. Well, we decided on the Step 2 Up and Down Roller Coaster. Who cares about cold winter weather when you have this? We will be setting this up in our basement for hours of entertainment!

I cherish the memories I have of my dad and me bonding as we assembled the dollhouse together. The dollhouse was something I was proud of and cherished. I loved being able to pick the colors for the walls and selecting the furniture for each room. Maybe that’s where my love for design began!

Now, many years later, my two-year-old daughter is asking for a dollhouse. While she may still be a little young to build her own, there are plenty of options on the market for the young dollhouse dreamers! Here are a couple of my personal favorites.

The Savannah Dollhouse from KidKraft

Multi-Level Solid Wood Dollhouse from Melissa & Doug

Decorating the Christmas tree is a wonderful tradition, but in our house, the decor is anything but traditional! We actually have two Christmas trees—one for mommy (my colors this year will be turquoise and gold), and one for the kids. And I’ve got to admit, the kid’s tree is pretty stinkin’ cute! Between the homemade ornaments and the SpongeBobs and princesses, my children’s tree is the perfect mix of personality and memories! And best of all, they can mess it up as much as they want, and I don’t have to worry about it.

So get creative! Choose a theme this year to brighten up your Christmas decor and show off your style. Here’s some of my favorite themes, for kiddos and grown-ups.

1. Tobi Fairley Whimsical Pink Christmas Tree  2. Baby’s First Christmas Tree 3. Frosty Land Tree 4. Candyland Tree

Check out my Pinterest board for more Christmas tree theme ideas! Happy decorating!

Mini-e Kid’s Replica Eames Chair by Little Nest

Years later, I still think back on that gift. Nowadays, there are so many fantastic options out there for child-sized furniture. They range from exact replicas of famous chairs to new and modern designs in fun fabrics—the options are endless. So if you’re willing to admit that your child is, in fact, growing up, consider a mini version of your favorite chair!

Baroque Kids Armchair by Casa Padrino, Child’s Womb Chair by Knoll Kids,  Junior Templeton Chair by Jonathan Adler, Mini Chesterfield Chair by Chic Shabby Interiors

While the bike of my 1980 childhood dreams isn’t exactly what I had in mind for my nearly 2-year-old and 4-year-old, I do have big bike plans in mind for their Santa surprise this holiday season. The iconic Schwinn is still the perfect family bicycle—boasting hip and slightly retro designs for the entire family. I have my sights set on their Gremlin appropriately named for my big one.

Now for the two and under crowd, topping Santa’s list is the ultimate balance bike for kids ages 1 to 5, otherwise known as Wishbone. Find it carefully curated and on sale in our Opensky store.

Lastly, kudos to the folks at Schwinn for their intuitive website that genuinely helps you choose the right bike for each member of your family. I’ll be found watching their featured video, “Teach Your Kids How to Ride” in the new year.