apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Each year during "Escapes" month on Ohdeedoh, we ask you, our wonderful readers, to share your (hard-earned, but oh-so-worthwhile) wisdom on traveling with children. One of the highlights of family life is heading out to new locales, whether to visit grandparents, see a new city or hit the beach. But, we also know that it brings its own set of challenges, so to share the joys (fun holiday pics) and to spread the wealth of knowledge (tips and tricks), we kick off Adventures and Outings, 2009.

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So you've made your kids a play kitchen, but don't have the time or inclination to sew some felt food - stock a shop for them! Amida made this one by stuffing food packaging with pages torn from a phone book. Your kids can put it on their kitchen shelves to "cook" with or they can play shop (at these prices, we're shopping at your house, Amida!).

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What's the craziest thing you had to do, or not do to keep from waking your light sleeper? Not Your Goddess has a funny post about not flushing the toilet and her husband leaving the house by way of the living room window rather than the door...

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Usually when we talk about traveling, we feature helpful tips for road trips, vacations and more family fun and adventures. But what about those times when you head out without your little ones in tow? It could be for work, or even for a personal vacation where your kids stay with Grandma while you're away. How do you help calm the nerves of those being left behind?

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It always pays to shop non-baby stores for baby items, especially when you aren't happy with the existing baby offerings. We've blogged about converting that changing table into a bar. We've even blogged before about using a kitchen cart or tool cart as a changing table. And here is a great looking example of tool cart turned changing table.

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If you're anything like most parents, "blankie" or "favorite stuffed toy" top your packing list when you're planning a family trip. But what if your child's blankie is a full-size quilt or their most beloved stuffie is a six-foot Ugly doll? Do you squish them into your bag, or leave them behind and risk bedtime wrath? Perhaps introducing a special travel-sized quilt is a better option.

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We always feel so inspired after visiting The Selby. The photographs and the untold stories presented there are so great! Recently, more inspiration came via Emma Balfour's home...

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Mandy writes: I'm in search of the perfect night light. Something that my two-year old son can not pull out of the socket and is not so over-stimulating that he won't fall asleep. We've tried a light sensitive wall socket one that only turns on when it is dark enough in the room. He ate it. We tried the plush turtle and he insisted on sleeping with it in his bed and then stayed up three nights in a row talking about it (he shares a room with his twin sister and they loooved it.)...

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In our neighborhood at least, there are Maclaren moms and then there are the rest of us. Maclarens signify that you put function above fashion. That you're not falling prey to (possibly) over-inflated prices for trendy strollers from (Continental) Europe. In other words, you're not worried about keeping up with the Bugaboos. Well, folks, Maclaren is shaking things up and introducing the Grand Tour LX - their priciest and arguably most stylish and tricked out stroller to date. And, we must say, it kind of reminds us of something...

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Our friends over at Design Sponge shared this fabulous hanger idea from Morgane Rouault, in Berlin. She used old boards, some cute drawer pulls and a bit of left over gift wrap to add some extra personality to her walls. Not only is it practical, but it can be customized to fit any space, even the bedrooms of our little ones. Click through the jump for details...

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What a simple way to add that personal touch to a child's room. Instead of having a fussy sham, you can dress up a plain white pillowcase like crafter Jana did for her friend's daughter, Avery.

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Naming one's baby is a very personal thing, so we're wondering if you think a shower game in which guests all throw names in a bowl to be read by mommy-to-be for consideration sounds like a fun or helpful thing. What do you think? Should games stick to bingo and guess-mommy's-belly-size instead?

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Finally. Greg of Daddytypes has been teasing everyone with updates about the modern crib he designed and crafted. He's done and is showing pictures. It's called the Juddy Crib, inspired by the minimalist artist Donald Judd.

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Yesterday, we rounded up nurseries that weren't afraid to use black in their decor. The effect is dramatic, modern -- and dare we say it, even classic. Taking black a step further we considered the zebra print in the nursery. Why not? Like black, it's a dramatic addition to your child's room -- and 'tweens will think it's fun while teens will think it's so chic.

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