Nursery Mayhem!

One of the beautiful things about having a baby is the preparation. Being in anticipation of your baby's arrival is such an amazing time and one of things I always enjoyed thoroughly was doing up the nursery.

This week at The Baby Closet - excitement has been at fever pitch awaiting the arrival of the Olli Ella shipment. I too felt the excitement - especially when I was privy to the amazing nursery photos. These shots have inspired me to start planning my nursery and have given me some great ideas.

I decided to start with a list of things for me to consider when planning my nursery (might help you out too!)

1. I have spent much time decorating the rest of my house and I want the nursery to flow on from that - so walls will remain in keeping with the rest of the house - no painting required. (Phew!)

2. Last time I changed nappies in the middle of the night I ended up with a massive bruise on my left thigh which did not go away until my baby was toilet trained (due to the ridiculous placement of a low chest of draws next to the change table). This time I will ensure my furniture is placed carefully so I can navigate round the room with my eyes half closed in the middle of the night.

3. Put in dimmer switches so I don't have to choose between glaring light or pitch black dark at 03.17 am and end up with bruises (see above)

4. Remember that I will spend a lot of time in this room - especially at night when the baby wakes up for feeding so plan for my own needs as well - a comfy feeding chair, side table, bar fridge with ice cold water (no maybe that's taking it too far)

5. I will buy a proper change table and will not think to manufacture one from an existing set of drawers with a mat on top which is way too low and where I have to change nappies sideways. (So after 21,700 nappy changes I won't need a back re-construction)

6. (Refer point 5) Just splash out and get a matching cot - I'll be so happy every time I walk in the nursery and notice my matching cot and change table... I just know I will!!!

7. I will prepare for the worst and make sure I have plenty of cot sheets for any and all of the spills, leaks, puddles and purges that happen day and night. The best tip I had was from a friend who made her cot twice - mattress protector + fitted sheet followed by mattress protector + fitted sheet. The theory is if you need to change a bed in the middle of the night, you just pull off the top layer and underneath is a second newly made bed (very smart)

8. Install block out blinds.

9. Storage storage storage....

10. Invest in quality baby bedding (that I just love) - 100% organic cotton, bamboo etc... studies show that babies sleep better and I'm all for that!

Clare

Less is more

My beautiful mother used to often say to me – ‘less is more’ and as a young girl I couldn’t really quite make sense of how ‘less’ could be ‘more’. But as an adult I have reflected on this old saying and I think I’ve inadvertently applied it to my (thing of the past) shopaholic tendencies. In this world where we are mostly all full steam into accumulating ‘stuff’ – we watch shows about clearing clutter on tv and read mags about storage solutions to store all our clutter - we can see maybe now is the time for all of us to embrace the ‘less is more’ mindset.

Now this is rich (I hear you say) – how can a shopaholic be preaching less is more? Well let me explain how these wise old words have manifested themselves in my life. I have a new philosophy when it comes to shopping. Rather than shopping myself silly buying massive quantities of bargain pieces and rummaging through racks of reduced remnants, and then guiltily cramming them into my already overcrowded wardrobe - I now afford myself the luxury to shop in beautiful shops, and carefully select a few key pieces that I absolutely love and can mix and match to get me through the whole season. Most of us do washing at least every second day – so explain to me (and my old self) why we need to have 27 tops, 12 pairs of jeans, 17 singlets, 21 pairs of socks, 14 cardigans, 18 t-shirts, 12 skirts and 19 shorts? If you’re anything like me – you end up recycling the same 3 favourite outfits anyway and the rest stay in the cupboard never to be worn again!

I’m sure with my ‘less is more’ strategy I end up spending less overall (even though each individual piece is more expensive), I enjoy every time I wear each beautifully crafted piece and my whole house isn’t bulging under the pressure of exploding drawers and cupboards. It makes for a much calmer life in general! And this very theory I am now applying to baby number 3.

As I have had quite a break between number 2 and 3 and have long since passed on all my bags and boxes of baby things down the hand me-down-trail, I have the pleasure of starting again, and this time with my new ‘less is more’ philosophy. I am making a carefully written list of essentials and then going straight to my favourite brands for a few key pieces. Starting with the amazing Puebaby Zip Growsuit….

I love my new shopping theory – just thinking about it makes me feel totally calm and not the slightest bit guilty for buying all the beautiful things I love!

Clare

      

Little Giraffe is LOVE

 

Brocade Confetti Muslin

 

I was in the office on Friday and felt quite lucky that my visit coincided with the arrival of the first shipment of Little Giraffe products from the US.
When these treasures arrived on the doorstep - there was certainly excitement...but when the boxes were opened the gasps and squeals these products evoked was quite something else! (And yes I admit contributing quite significantly to the squeals)

This stuff is divine... simply divine... and I don't know a baby in the world that wouldn't fall into an immediate blissful slumber the minute their skin came into contact with one of these chenille blankets. The design, feel and look of the Little Giraffe things is just something else - no wonder all the hottest celebrities on the planet choose these for their famous babies!



Confetti Chenille Blankets



Well - my (not so) famous baby is going to have one too - sorry everyone, there's now one less chenille blanket available. I was compelled to open my wallet on the spot and proudly walked out of there with a fabulous denim chenille blanket under my arm. Thing is - I love it so much... I've been tempted to snuggle into it myself at night on the couch. Hmmm wonder if they come in adult size...

Clare

Open for Business!

It was an honour for me when the gals at The Baby Closet asked if I would like to contribute to their Blog. As a devoted writer – any opportunity I get to put pen to paper (or these days finger tips to keyboard!) I do tend to jump at. I find ‘chatting’ through blogging is a great outlet for a WAHM and also saves my better half from having his ear chewed off at the end of a long day of child rearing when the only other adult I’ve talked to all day is the postman who was obviously in a hurry and honestly didn’t have time for a heart to heart on the footpath.

I’ve been asked to provide a commentary on pregnancy, newborns and all the experiences that go along with this amazing yet slightly overwhelming part of your life. And as a mum of 2 (and a third on the way!) and a self-confessed shop-a-holic of course my favourite part is getting prepared – which of course means shopping. Having a baby you’ll find yourself making that huge transition from ‘shopping for me’… to ‘shopping for a baby’. And believe me – you’ll soon discover a whole new world of shopping.

Enter The Baby Closet – this is any pregnant lady’s dream destination… Now Open.

Clare

Welcome!

Welcome to The Baby Closet's first official post.... coming to you from our busy office which is currently a hive of activity and a-buzz with excitement as the grand opening of our store comes closer. Over the past 9 months the team at The Baby Closet has been single-mindedly working at putting together the best collection of newborn essentials on offer and without compromise, we think the goal has been achieved. A one stop shop for all you stylish mothers and mothers-to-be which showcases the best designs and most gorgeous newborn baby products available... from New York to the UK and everything in between we've scoured the country and beyond to ensure that our shop will provide you with a hip parent's shopping heaven and cause more than a few gasps of delight. Not only pages of visual delights to please you, but also a collection of newborn essentials you will love. A carefully selected range which could essentially set you up with all your baby will need for sleep including cosy sleepwear and divine wraps and luxurious linen.... the most gorgeous clothing essentials, the most stylish of nappy bags, the most luscious blankets and the cutest ever soft toys. We're also offering heaps of organic and great new products using the best fabrics for your baby such as Bamboo.  Be sure to visit The Baby Closet  ....sleep, dress and decorate in style.

Stay tuned for our next post where we will introduce The Baby Closet's fab new 'Blogger' Clare, who as a mother of two, a talented writer and someone with behind the scenes access  is bound to keep you entertained and also well informed about the latest goings on at The Baby Closet.

Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for subscribers' specials, prizes and to keep up with what's on trend and also become a Facebook fan so you can take advantage of our amazing opening offers.

Till soon...

The Baby Closet Team