Category Archives: Likes

Dry Goods

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

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I got to spend a sunny Saturday wandering around Atlantic Avenue with friends this weekend.  (Thank you to the Dads for kid-watching!)  We stumbled into a sweet shop named Dry Goods and ended up spending an hour in the tiny, well-stocked space.  I have a weakness for useful and beautiful housewares in pretty packages and Dry Goods is stocked full of just these.  The owner Carla travels, stockpiles and curates the collection and offered a wealth of information about some unfamiliar products: Charcoal Toothbrushes!  Swedish Sea Salt Soap! Hair Powder!  Here are some of my favorite finds:

*Kishu Binchotan Charcoal Water Filters – These simple charcoal sticks purify tap water, are reusable and look much nicer than the plastic Brita on our counter.

*Couto Toothpaste – Created by a Portugese pharmacist in 1932, super-minty, and all-natural.

*Sea Salt Soap – This Swedish soap has the best packaging ever and people swear by its sea salt formula.  A customer came in and bought a case while we were in the store.

*Binchotan Charcoal Toothbrush – The bristles of this brush contain actual charcoal to help clean and prevent the growth of bacteria.

*Lu Lu Organics Hair Powder – Magically cleans hair without a shower.  Great for travel and smells lovely.

*Herbacin Kamille Glycerine Hand Cream – This German cream has a smell that is light and reminds me of my childhood somehow.  It leaves hands soft.

*Paine’s Balsam Fir Incense – These all-natural incense logs smell like an entire balsam fir forest.

Favorite Toddler Toys: Dried Bean Tea Party

25 Monday Mar 2013

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One of our kids’ favorite games involves a bunch of dried beans and some empty bowls.  There is something that fascinates little kids about moving volumes from one container to another.  The beans we use are large pinto and white lima beans and we have saved and reused them for over 3 years now.  We spread out a tablecloth, put out some empty containers and spoons and let the kids go to town.  The beans rarely all stay on the tablecloth, but those that do are easy to scoop up at the end of play.  Josie has been using her new favorite recycled plastic tea set by Green Toys with her beans lately.  (Thanks Aunt Heather and Uncle Tim!)

*Our kids have always been pretty good about not putting things in their mouths, but keep an eye on the little ones.

DIY Stuffed Bunny

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Maggie

I saw this Miss Maggie Rabbit doll on Apartment Therapy last week and thought she would be perfect for the girls’ Easter baskets.  Alicia Paulson sells the PDF pattern for Miss Maggie on her sweet site Posie: Rosie Little Things.  The site also has kits for sale if you don’t have your own stash of fabrics to make Miss Maggie, but they are currently sold out.  (She has more coming soon, so keep checking).  I managed to find all of the needed  materials in our fabric and yarn scrap boxes.  The pattern includes instructions for the hand-stitched felt rabbit and her boots, machine-sewn floral dress, and hand-knit capelet- thus winning points in all three of my favorite crafting areas.  Our rabbits are now in mid-production, but I wanted to post now so you still have time to make your own before Easter.  Happy stitching!

A Beautiful Surprise Ball

18 Monday Mar 2013

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We have been thinking about Easter around here and I was reminded of the beautiful surprise ball our friends gave us last year.  The swan-shaped ball was made by the insanely talented paper artist Anandamayi Arnold.  Arnold sells her pieces at Tail of the Yak in Berkeley, CA.  Anthology Magazine had a lovely article about Arnold last year.  Our swan sat on our mantel for a couple of days before Ada could no longer stand the temptation.  She had almost as much fun unwrapping as I did watching her.  I was inspired to make our own Easter Egg Surprise Ball for Ada’s basket last year and I am busy gathering contents for this year’s versions…
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Winter Zoo

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

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We had a fun long weekend with cousins in town.  The weather was relatively warm and we drove out to the Bronx Zoo for one of the days.  The zoo in the winter has fewer animals on display, but also far fewer visitors.  We had a lot of the paths to ourselves and the kids got to get up close to most of the indoor exhibits.  The giraffe house was everyone’s favorite, despite the strong smell of giraffes…Josie sat in her stroller mesmerized by the giant slow-motion creatures.  I don’t think she realized that giraffes were actually alive or in any way as large and amazing as they are.  The little kids loved the Bug Carousel.  We are regular visitors at Jane’s Carousel in Dumbo, but the one at the zoo features giant insects that the kids can ride.  The flowers along the walking paths at the zoo are about to burst into bloom.  We saw the first of the Snowdrops opening, but if you are planning a visit there will be thousands of Daffodils open in about two weeks.

Ikea Easter Gift

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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My family goes a little crazy with the Easter gifts.  So Chris and I don’t usually get much for the girls’ Easter baskets.  I had a rather unsuccessful trip to Ikea the other day when my search for a lampshade and trash can turned up nothing.  But I did find a little Easter gift for the girls for under $20.  This Duktig Coffee and Tea Set is my favorite for the kids’ play kitchen.  Ada has broken a lot of the pieces over the years, so a replacement set will come in handy.  The tray is the perfect small size and paper coasters are always useful for a place setting of wooden food.

*Duktig Coffee/Tea $9.99

*Barbar Tray $5.99

*Skitsel Coasters $.99/10

It hardly seems like spring is on its way today, with snow showers in the air.  But these bright colors are making me dream of green grass and Easter egg hunts.

A Few Small Repairs

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Wovenplay

Wovenplay, my very favorite children’s clothing company had a sample sale on Valentine’s day last week.  (Such a nice Valentine!)  Chris does not understand purposefully paying money for something with a hole cut out of it.  But Wovenplay’s pieces are so beautiful – like little pieces of art-  that the small price tag of a sample is well worth a few small repairs.  I added some vintage green paillettes to the cape to cover a screen-printed ink smudge.  The triangle of polka dot fabric was once a Marni dress pocket.   The bibbed jumper was not flawed, but will likely end up dyed after a few wears.  (Light colors don’t usually last too long around my messy beasts).  Josie will wear the cape for her upcoming birthday party, and I am counting the days until warm weather for the other pieces to get their turn.  Thank you Wovenplay!

Vote For Your Favorites : Apartment Therapy Homies

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Apartment Therapy is holding their annual Homies awards for the best blogs and it is time to vote! You can nominate and vote for your favorite blogs in several categories. Domestic Space is in the running for Best Family & Kids Blog and Best Home Projects & DIY Blog. The Homies are a great place to discover new blogs, or check up on old favorites. Vote for your favorites now!

Kid Gifts: Target Art Supplies

31 Thursday Jan 2013

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GiftsArt supplies are one of my favorite gifts for kids.  I try to keep a supply on hand for birthday gifts and moments of desperation.  These Kid Made Modern art supplies by Todd Oldham for Target occupy a large section in our emergency party box.  The quality is great and I love the Kid Made Modern packaging and smart, thoughtful art kits.  This Construction Zone block of paper has lots of great colors and patterns and different weights of paper.  The Mini Colored Pencils are perfect for little hands and the colors are beautiful.  I recently added these paper tapes from the Target office section to our arsenal.  The tapes come in packs of four and are $4 per pack.  My kids can spend hours tearing and sticking paper tape (exhibit A here).  It is good to be prepared.

Early Winter Spring Cleaning: Vinegar, Baking Soda and Baby Oil

14 Monday Jan 2013

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MirrorWe spent the better part of our weekend on spring cleaning. (Yes, I know it is only mid-January), but I’ve felt in a bit of a funk since the holidays ended and a major house cleaning always makes me feel better. The luxury of child-free time to myself to do a major overhaul feels like meditation to me. It clears my head. While Chris took the girls to the park I dug through junk drawers, washed windows, did some secret toy editing. I put away outgrown clothes and took down the bigger sizes. Aaahhh – so much better to wake up to a clean floor and a clear view out the window! Here are some of our essential and non-toxic cleaning supplies:

*White Vinegar – Nothing gets windows, mirrors, or picture glass more sparkling. Fill up a spray bottle with straight white vinegar (the cheaper the better). Spray, wipe with a soft cloth and voila! The smell disappears as soon as the vinegar evaporates, so you don’t need to worry about your space smelling like a pickle factory. Old clean cloth diapers are my favorite cloths for window washing.

*Baking Soda – Make a paste with water, or mix with your favorite liquid cleaner, rub on bathtubs, tiles and chrome faucets and rinse with water. The grit removes soap scum and bathtub rings and leaves tile shiny. My favorite liquid multi-purpose cleaner is Charlie’s Soap. It “Cleans Everything From False Teeth to Diesel Engines” and they aren’t kidding.

*Baby Oil – Unscented mineral oil works magic on our vintage wood furniture. Squirt a bit on a rag, wipe over the wood and let it sit for ten minutes. Wipe off excess oil and polish with a soft cloth. The oil helps hide the scratches left by little hands and toys and evens out any discoloration in the wood. Be sure to test in an inconspicuous spot if you are worried about darkening.

*Miele Vaccuum – I am in love with our vacuum. Chris and I both had our own Miele when we moved in together and neither of us would give up our model so now we technically have two. Mieles are quiet, super-powerful, easy to use and not ugly (an important count in my book). I have never used a better vacuum in my life and it is worth the price. I promise.

*These are our everyday favorite cleaning for everyday messes.

Happy Day!