As I wrote in a previous post, getting your kids to go to bed at night can be a difficult task. (Starry, Starry Night)

We recently converted my son’s bedroom from a nursery to a big boy’s room.  This was somewhat overdue as I was busy putting off the fact that he was no longer a baby.

This project turned out to be somewhat poignant, but with each passing year I learn to embrace his independence. Together we picked out a bed, comforter and accessories.

One of his favorite things to pretend to be is a pirate, so that’s what we chose for the theme of his new room.

I was quite pleased with the results until I discovered this Disney Pirate Ships Bed.  This is the one I wish I’d bought. Arrrrr! If any of you have a young lad or lassie that is interested in sailing the high seas, this is just the thing to complete the décor of the room.

The beautiful cherry wood color of this bed is accented with a real pirate ship map on the footboard and the headboard is made to mimic a ships wheel including compass points.

With dual height adjustments and classic styling, this bed will last for years.

Optional bedding is available, as well as a Trundle for when the first mate sleeps over.

We’ll probably purchase this bed the next time we re-do his room (when he’s 18!)

When I was pregnant with my son, my parents re-gifted me a very expensive rocking chair to nurse my baby in.  This was the same one that my father bought my mother when I was born, so it was very sentimental to me.

Although it was in good shape, it was not very comfy. My son and I spent many a night in that chair, bonding, and it wasn’t long before we’d moved on to the sofa.

I wish I’d had the Durtailer 909 Sleigh Back Maple Glider.  This chair has everything you need to keep you comfortable during feeding time or anytime you and your baby need a little break.

This model comes with 3-inch thick cushions and a matching ottoman. With its optimal lumbar support and smooth gliding motion, you may even drift off yourself.  The Durtailier swivels an even 360 degrees so you can turn all the way around in it without disturbing a sleeping child, and makes it easier to get in and out of. That is unless you are reclining in it (which it also does!)

This chair will last long after the nursery becomes a guest room, but the memories you’ll have will last forever.

Why is it that when you decide to venture off to the pool, beach etc… with your arms full of coolers, blankets, and totes, no thinks to bring a chair for the kids?  It’s like we envision them playing happily in the sand, water or whatever but all they really want to do is jump in your chair the second you get up to give them money for a Popsicle.

This is a great product my friends - The Redmon Baby Beach Chair and Umbrella.

First of all let me just tell you that this is a lightweight chair (under 3 lbs.) that folds flat so it’s light enough for the owner ( i.e. kids) to carry themselves (not that they want to carry anything, ever!) But hey, if they want go with you it’s not negotiable.

When the kids get hot and tired, this beach chair provides some nice cool shade for them to take a break in, and its Hot Pink color assures you won’t forget where you put them.

Not limited to the beach or pool, either.  Feel free to grab it and go on your next outing to the park or wherever this summer takes you.

I must admit, as much as I yearned to be totally crunchy and carry my child everywhere, pick him up when he cried and never put him down…we were swing people. The swing was wonderful. My husband grabbed it from the UPS man and put it together immediately…as opposed to the rest of the baby gear which was assembled the day I came home from the hospital.

We were bouncy seat people too and sling people and “pick him up when he cries” people. You might call it a cross between attachment parenting and traditional. It worked for us!

The Graco Swing we had was perfect for those times when my colic-y child just wouldn’t stop crying and I couldn’t keep my eyes open much longer. This Swing ‘n Bounce 2-in-1 Infant Swing by Graco covers both of those primal needs – the one where you need a soother to put an infant to sleep and the one where you just need somewhere to place him or her – a bouncer was always my first choice.

You already know I’m a sucker for anything that serves double duty, saves money and is reusable so anything two-in-one is really my cup of tea!

After awhile, they get out of hand – the stuffed animals that is. You start with a small collection gathered at baby showers and given to your child a few days after birth. And it continues from there. Birthdays- how about a stuffed animal? A trip to the zoo? Bring home a plush beast. Valentine’s Day brings heart embellished friends and Christmas brings green and red cuties with darling Santa caps. And lets not even talk about eatser when stuffed bunnies bloom like flowers.

A bit overwhelming don’t you think? Yes, they are cute but what do you do with them. One child can only sleep with so many furry friends and if you have a few of the live kind as well…then there is little room for your child.

A basket or bin works for awhile but at some point the stuffed animals threaten to take over the room. That’s when a toy storage net like this Teddy Bed Hammock comes in handy. Big enough to hold a mountain of toys and easily mounted in the corner of a room, it frees up both floor and storage space and keeps stuffed friends handy for the middle of the night lonelies.

Since changing tables are one of those items that you only need for what seems a nanosecond in a child’s life, I’m always on the lookout for ones that are sturdy enough to last a long time and stylish enough to be used for some other purpose.

This Graco Sarah Dressing Table seems to fit the bill, which is of course why it caught my eye. Sturdy and well made, it’s not wobbly like many of the cheaper changing tables and will hold up well when you’re juggling a toddler and a baby and perhaps the phone while trying to execute a diaper change. Yet, it has all of the necessary features- two safety rails on top and two shelves underneath.

The classic sleigh style means it can be easily converted to a shelf for toys or moved into a parent’s bed or bathroom to hold linens or sundries. It can even serve time as a knick knack shelf in living room or dining room!

The dark espresso color is a popular choice now for furnishings throughout the house, yet because of the open design, it’s not overwhelming in a baby’s room which may be decorated in lighter colors. I like that!

A great solution for smaller spaces and in cost saving households - and aren’t we all these days? The Angel Line Convertible Gliding Cradle  grows with your child. It starts as a great way to keep baby close at night. It is light and easy to move, as well as smaller than a traditional crib. This cradle can be placed next to a parents’ bed at night. It’s not quite a co-sleeper, but perhaps the next best thing. In the morning or for a shift change so at least one parent can get some sleep, it can be quickly transported back to baby’s room or anywhere in the house.

I really like this cradle as an option to a traditional crib because it is convertable. After your infant grows out of it, convert it to a loveseat and - voila- instant furniture for a child’s room or really anywhere in the house.

Though it isn’t pricey, it is well made.  This cradle is solid wood with a non-toxic finish. It has a glider mechanism with safety stop and comes with a 18″ x 36″ x 1″ pad. The child’s love seat version can accommodate two children up to 100 pounds and the conversion is fairly easy to make.

One of the real benefits of having a baby right now is the organic options available to provide a healthy start to your child’s life. Despite the lure of cheap and easy to clean synthetic mattresses, it’s not too difficult to find an organic mattress that will prevent your child from breathing in nasty chemicals.

I’ve been reading recently about this natural organic mattress for Stokke’s cribs from Naturepedic. Filled with organic cotton, both natural and renewable, the cover is also organic cotton and features a waterproof surface made from food grade Polyethylene, not PVC or vinyl, two materials that new parents may want to avoid due to possible chemical hazards, in other words, phthalates.  Polyethylene is an environmentally friendly plastic used throughout the food packaging industry for its purity and non-toxic properties. In addition, this mattress features a hypoallergenic dust mite barrier and contains no wool or latex…important for parents worried about allergies.

Though, not made by Stokkes, this organic cotton mattress fits most Stokke’s cribs and is hypoallergenic, making it an excellent starting point for a healthy baby, since babies tend to sleep 14 – 16 hours per day in the beginning, it’s best that they sleep on a safe surface

Maybe it’s because we live in a house with a lot of stairs, railings and other places from which children can fall, I’m a big fan of “baby gates”. I’ve written about fireplace gates and have a variety around the house. But often the gates you tend to see at your local store just don’t seem to fit in the types of doorways we tend to have in modern houses.

So, I was excited to see this Wide Spaces Swing Gate, available from Evenflo. It expands from 42” to a big 5 feet for those really wide doorways. You can even buy add on panels for…well, I don’t know…really, really wide spaces.

Anyone who has carried a baby while coaxing a toddler down the stairs knows that a one-handed gate is optimal. This one closes easily with just a quick shove and swings wide to allow easy passage of adults, kids, dogs and other sundry family members.

The mounting hardware is low key so it prevents huge holes on doorframes and can easily be removed when not in use. And, it’s moderately attractive so your home doesn’t end up looking like a prison for little ones. Though, of course the gate is childproof so prison may not be so bad a choice of words…NOT!

So how many of the much needed baby items you received at your baby shower did you end up giving away after 6-12 month? Quite a few I bet, I know I did. What seems like an absolutely indispensable product, may indeed be – for us it was a wipe warmer and a baby gym, but unfortunately too many of these great products seem to be in use for only a fleeting moment before they are consigned to the trash, to charity or to the next baby down the line.

Because I’m miserly eco conscious, I did try to buy as many multi-use baby items as I could. Our changing table my 6-year-old still uses today. Our food mill I use for dips. And the high chair, well, I was lucky. When I was young they actually made toddler chairs, beautiful wooden ones for kids up to age four. I still had mine and was using it as a plant stand. The plants were promptly consigned to the windowsill when my son outgrew his plastic high chair.

Several friends of mine, unlucky enough to not have a family heirloom, invested in the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair. This terrific alternative to both plastic high chairs and toddlers struggling to sit up on adult sized chairs, can be used by children as young as six months of age and up until, well adult hood.

The adjustable chair includes a removable 5-point harness and has different level foot rests for your growing child. Made from natural wood, it’s a piece of furniture you’ll enjoy having in your home.