San Francisco can be a strange city. I’m not talking about the drum circles in Golden Gate Park. I’m referring to the weather. It was a gorgeous 88 degrees here this past weekend and our SF “summer” seemed to be chugging along. So, with this balmy weather in mind it just seemed odd that holiday music was playing in all the stores. Already? Is it that time of year? Really? I guess this means only one thing. The gift buying should begin!

To get us in the spirit, I present some classic gifts that will get your creative gift buying juices flowing. All can be found at world famous FAO Schwarz. Lincoln Logs created by John Lloyd Wright are the classic building set for the budding architect.  Have you got a young dancer or musician in your house. The Design Your Own Tutu Couture studio lets you create your own tutu for the little ballerina. The Baby Grand Piano by Schoenhut is so cute it doesn’t need to be hidden in the toy closet. And, if you have wall space to fill in your playroom, the giant USA Map is a terrific way to teach the kids about America. Added bonus, FAO is running a 20% off sale on orders over $120 through today.

Tags: Gifts, Play Rooms, Playroom, Toys

Congrats to blogging friends Tiny Decor for launching their entirely eco-friendly boutique this month! Tiny Decor promotes “naturally modern” nurseries and they do so with great style and fresh designs. What better way to kick off your eco-friendly nursery or playroom with inspiration boards from their Nursery Design Guide created by owner and designer, Jackie Hernandez.  The beauty of the boards goes beyond it’s modern design…All of the items featured maybe purchased directly from Tiny Decor for one stop shop convenience!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Eco-Friendly, Furniture, Playroom, Toddler Rooms

Environment is such an important part of a child’s development. Foster and soon-to-be adoptive parents, The “H’s”, have created an incredibly bright, cheery and engaging environment for their son’s new home. Project Nursery is delighted to share with you the inspirational details…

“Being foster/adoptive parents is something my husband and I had always wanted to do.  There is such a great need for quality foster homes (especially homes willing to accept sibling groups or minority races) that we felt that compelled to help and love some of these special children.  “H” came to us as a young baby due to severe physical abuse and has since blossomed into an amazingly happy, loving toddler. We are so excited that we will be able to adopt him and his sister within the next few months!!  Fostering him, although at times stressful and heartbreaking, has been an amazing experience that we feel so blessed to have been a part of.” - S.H.

What child wouldn’t thrive within such loving and playful surroundings? While most of us are on the never-ending search for wall art, little H’s mom came up with a brilliant interactive solution. Colorful wall decals spell out “PLAY TIME” in the room’s modern color theme: blue with red, orange and lime green accents. Below it, bins from IKEA were cut, separated and nailed to the wall to create fun stuffed animal toy storage and loads of entertainment for H. A superb idea for not only a nursery but a playroom!

H’s parents created a lively little boy’s room to sustain the active toddler years. Interlocking foam mats are used in place of an area rug to kindly cushion falls. A classic wooden bead maze is lifted off the floor and secured to the wall for play. An area at the bottom of the closet is cleared and filled with pillows , a mirror and wall mounted push lights for quiet time. Together, H and his new family enjoy endless hours of fun in his room!

H’s room is not just a nursery to sleep in but an example of a modern, vibrant and stimulating environment to learn and grow. We greatly appreciate the “H family” for sharing their story and son’s room with us. We wish you all the best and can’t wait to showcase H’s baby sister’s room in the coming weeks!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Bright, Inspiration, Playroom, Storage, Wall Decals