12 Makeovers for the IKEA Dresser Everyone Owns Here's proof that you can have champagne on a beer budget. BEFORE: BORGSJO cabinetBEFORE: BORGSJO cabinetThis line of shelves allows you to mix and match cabinets to create different looks. After: Refined Office StorageAfter: Refined Office StorageLining a wall, a row of these cabinets seriously impresses. This blogger used glass doors on top and solid doors on the bottom, so there's space above for pretty things and plenty of hiding spots below.See more at Avery Street Design » 23 Crafty Ways to Repurpose Empty Wine BottlesI now trust my 3-year-old to use our regular (but not bowls). I still give my one-year-old food on since she loves to toss things. My sister, who has many small ones, recently traded her extensive plastic dish collection for , which is affordable, quite shatter-resistant (particularly on linoleum), dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, and very space efficient. You can read more about Corelle . You might also consider if you have a linoleum or carpeted kitchen floor (I've broken plenty of tempered glass on my stone tile floor).
Utensils: Stainless Steel for Kids and Grown-ups For babies, I've used any tiny stainless steel spoons I can find, from play spoons that are food-safe to hors d'oevre spoons in Target. For my older kids, I have used the Gerber Graduates spoons. They have BPA-free plastic handles but the part you put in your mouth is stainless steel. I do not like their forks (too dull) and let my kids use regular salad forks. For my beginning eaters, I just use a whole lot of cotton bibs. The best ones were large and thick and were hand-sewn gifts. For older babies and toddlers who mostly eat independently, my new favorite bib is the from Etsy shop . It is everything a bib should be: waterproof without plastic (center is backed in terry cloth), long-sleeved, tie closure at the neck, pocket to catch crumbs. I have also used and liked the , which are 100% polyester with a proprietary waterproof coating. I should know what the coating is, but I don't, because when I bought it in the store, I just noted the 100% polyester on the tag (Bumkins says their bibs are vinyl free, PVC free, lead free, phthalate free).
I mostly like the Bumkins bib for the pocket. Because of the Velcro closure, I only use this bib with my preschooler (both of my kids have torn this bib off in 0.5 seconds while toddlers). A similar bib that does disclose all materials (cotton with Thermo polyurethane coating) is made by . We've also used , which are . For food, we mostly use stainless steel food containers such as and . They are a bit bulkier and heavier than other options but they clean up beautifully in the dishwasher and keep foods from getting crushed. We also often use for dry non-messy foods. For more to-go containers, check out . For my second child, we purchased a (that you strap on top of a chair). Fisher-Price wouldn't tell me what the tray was made of, but they did tell me it was BPA-free, phthalate-free and lead-free. In retrospect, I wish I had not bought this chair. We only used it for a few months before switching to a regular booster seat. I wish I'd just held my baby on my lap to eat all the time (she spent most of her time during meals there anyway) until she could use a booster seat independently.
My friend Kelly has a cool by Graco. I wish someone would make an affordable stainless steel high chair tray. I bought with tray because it was advertised as BPA-free. Although it has a lot of nooks and crannies, you can put the whole thing in the dishwasher. I do not put the tray through the dishwasher though -- only hand wash for that, since my baby eats off of it. For my 3-year-old, we've liked using the (pictured above) made of "" (plastic is derived partly from renewable resources such as plant byproducts not used for food). We found it at Target. Would you like more ideas and tips about Going Green Gradually? Sign up for my free email subscription to get each of my posts delivered to your inbox (I usually post one or two times a week). You can also follow me on Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Twitter, or with your favorite RSS Reader. I hope to see you again soon! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog.
Thank you for your support. Read my full disclosure policy here.I was flipping through the new IKEA catalog this weekend and spotted this kitchen and was inspired. The wood tone cabinets were really interesting (and are certainly making a comeback in a more modern way than the builder-grade cherry of yesteryear). You can’t see in this pic, but the glass doors are wired too, which gives a very country-mod feel to the space. I really dislike the square subway tiles (reminds me of a public restroom) so I ventured out to create a cool kitchen design using wood IKEA cabinets! And here’s what I came up with! Fresh and clean but with hints of traditional design. I love the way the mint color plays off the warmer cabinet color, especially when paired with lots of crisp white. This design is mostly really affordable stuff, with a couple splurges (counters and floors) which is a great way to make an IKEA kitchen look decidedly not IKEA. Some more awesome IKEA finds- because who doesn’t love the land of meatballs, crowds and furniture that comes in 1,000 parts??
1. Hello, herringbone wood countertops! (GORGEOUS highchair for under $60!) (fab storage side table for kids toys!) Our weeSpring picks are data-driven, based on the feedback of tens of thousands of parents like you — and then subjected to an added level of testing by our editors. OXO Tot Sprout Chair The OXO Tot Sprout chair is beautifully designed and blends in with your furniture and decor. It’s sturdy but still comfortable and easy to clean. There are 4 adjustable height levels to grow with baby all the way up to a youth chair. The tray comes on and off easily with one hand so you can do it with a squirmy baby in the other, and you can even buy extra cushions to use for the next baby. The Catch: The cushions aren’t machine washable. Inglesina Fast Table Chair One of the most versatile high chairs on the market, the Inglesina Fast Table chair is a must for parents on the go. It’s the most highly-rated on weeSpring for clip-on chairs as it attaches very securely to any table, even one with a lip underneath, and travels compactly in its built-in travel bag.