JD's Big Boy Room!

We've been working on JD's new big boy monster room ever since we found out baby #2 is a boy, but there hasn't been much action lately.  I was really hoping to post about his room when it was all done, but now I'm posting because I really need help with the finishing touches!
Here is where we are at now:

We started with the crib and dresser from Ikea.  The white Gulliver Crib was under $100, and the ODDA Storage Unit with Clothes Tree was under $200.  Because the new baby is getting JD's old crib, I didn't want to spend a fortune on this one.  I read/heard good things about the Ikea cribs, and this one met all my expectations.  It was easy to put together and is very sturdy.  The ODDA piece is my absolute favorite, and the fact that JD loves it only makes it better!  The hole in the top is a laundry drop, and JD LOVES dropping his dirty laundry in it.  He feels like a big boy helper!  The only problem so far is that he learned how to open the drawers on the right and empties them into the laundry.  We're working on learning the difference between clean and dirty, but for now I give everything a sniff test.  haha
Note- Ikea doesn't recommend this piece for young children because of the clothes tree and obvious climbing hazard.  JD hasn't realized the tree climbing potential here yet, but if he does, we can disconnect it until he's old enough to handle it.

We already had the big, black bookshelf- we got it from Kmart years ago- and we decided it worked.  I found the black storage boxes at Bed Bath & Beyond.  JD loves emptying them, and (thankfully) filling them back up.

  Then I found the awesome, gigantic bean bag at Overstock and had to have it.  It expands to a big, super cushiony rectangle, but it has clips at the corners to make it more like a traditional bean bag chair.  We keep it open, and James loves to snuggle up with us on it during story time, climb on it, throw himself down face first on it, etc.

 

Hubby loves to nap on it too!

Finally I went in search of color.  We knew we wanted a monster-themed room because we call JD our little monster man, and he loves making monster noises :)
I found this great fabric and then the paint to match.  Nicklepicklequilts made me a blanket out of the fabric, and I made some (not nearly as fancy) pillows to match.

For accessories, I got this lime lamp shade and the lime sheets from babybedding.com.

I found the awesome monsters for the big boy room at Scare Me Not.  We have Protector Patty and Fearless Fred to watch over JD's room.

The last idea I had was to cut out some of the monsters from the fabric and put them in frames that I painted lime green.  I made four and put them on the bookshelf and on these floating shelves over his crib.

(I know Mickey & the happy elephant bank don't exactly fit the big boy monster theme, but the colors worked out perfectly!)


Okay, so now I'm stuck.  Three out of four walls are bare, and I still have a lot of fabric. I'm hoping you guys have some great ideas to help us out!  What do you think?



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Sesame Street Biodegradable Table Toppers Are My Newest Must-Have

These disposable place mats are awesome!  The sides are sticky, so it adheres right to the table.  I put his food down directly on it, and he feeds himself while DH and I enjoy our dinner.  I don't have to worry about germs on the table, him smearing his food all over the place, or him throwing a plate to the floor.  He doesn't watch TV yet, so he has no idea who the Sesame characters are, but he still points to them and enjoys the pictures.  When we're done, I fold the mess up inside, and we're off.  It takes up no room in the diaper bag, so it's a total no brainer!  If only it kept him from throwing food on the floor...

You can get them here!

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Beautiful Music! Beautiful Creatures!

We've been listening to this CD in my house for the last couple of weeks, and we're hooked!  Not only is the music catchy and rhythmic for JD, but it's also entertaining and educational for mom and dad too. (Who knew a warthog was an omnivore?  Who knew what an omnivore was?)  I even caught DH singing "Imvubu the Happiest Hippo", one of our favorite tracks, in the shower yesterday!  JD's favorite is "Lucas the Lazy Lion" mostly because it encourages him to roar and growl repeatedly.  I would totally listen to "The Night Song" while relaxing at night- even if I didn't have a baby.  It's amazingly calming.


"Beautiful Creatures was formed in South Africa in November 2004 by Alan Glass, Ed Jordan and Paul Choritz who felt there was a need for "Parent Friendly" children's music. Using the best session musicians, actors and singers in the country, Beautiful Creatures prides itself on being uniquely South African with a positive global message." 


You can learn more about the company here.  


Here is where you can order the CD, and here is where you can check out tracks on iTunes.  You won't regret it!

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