It’s August. The mantra “I’m bored!” can be heard from school-aged children across the country. Kids look forward to the summer holidays with a passion, but it never seems to take long for them to become listless and searching you out for something to do. As the summer wears on, there is a bright spot to look forward to though – Back to School! It’s coming up fast too. Before you know it, you will be packing lunches every day, running from “meet the teacher” meetings to ballet lessons, and trying to fit in cleaning the house between a few precious minutes snatched for a workout or two.

If you are ready to say goodbye to your kids underfoot, but a little nervous about jumping back into routine, Babybox.com has some great suggestions of how to make the transition a little easier. For one, instead of taking all the responsibility onto your own shoulders for all of the household tasks, why not think about getting your children to help out with the chores. Giving them some responsibilities not only helps you, but it also encourages them to be responsible for their own actions. While you might not have your 6-year-old cutting the grass, they certainly are able to help empty the dishwasher. Getting your kids to bring their laundry baskets to the laundry room saves you a few steps, plus lets them know that dirty clothes don’t magically clean themselves. And introducing a child-sized broom to your little one is a staple concept in the Montessori education, so why not bring that idea into your own home as well. Children love the praise they receive when they help out, so  get them helping whenever and wherever they can! You will be helping them to establish good organization skills and routines of their own for a lifetime.

So why not start your back to school routines with a fresh start all around. Sit down for a family meeting and craft up a family chore chart. Our custom children’s chore charts make this activity fun for the whole family. With custom options specific to your child’s age and chores, each column can be personalized. From “practice piano, water plants, make bed, to practice violin, walk dog or make bed, each can be original to your own household. Cuter than any that we have seen, your little one will be eager to earn gold stars with our adorable chore chart. Specify up to nine tasks and we include the classic gold star stickers to make marking accomplished chores a breeze. Set a goal each week and fill in the “prize” that will be won if the child earns enough stars. This is a great age-appropriate reward system that will encourage responsibility and independence. Your child will be scrambling to clean up those toys in order to “win” a scoop of ice cream, a new Matchbox car or a trip to the Zoo!

Another item that all Moms everywhere need to have on their wish list is the ubiquitous calendar. Back to school always means back to extra-curricular activities. The ability to keep track of them all can take a herculean effort, unless you have a little help. The momAgenda Weekly Planner Desk Pad was created for just that reason. It is a great gift for a new Mom and a great addition to the household as well. Same great format, now for the whole family! The momAgenda family schedule pad features the unique momAgenda weekly format, with separate spaces for each person in the family… whether you keep it on the kitchen counter or on the fridge, the whole family will be more organized!

If you need more room to write everything down though, we have you covered there as well. Introducing the momagenda desktop planner 2011-2012 (seen here in “giraffe” pattern). Stay super organized, with this super chic desktop planner by momAgneda. Brand new colors for the season, even in bold animal prints. Add personalization for a very sophisticated and personalized planner. Makes for a great gift for new moms!

If you still need someplace else to jot down your to-do list though, we have another simple solution – the juggling mom note pad – set of three. Any Mother needs a stylish magnetic note pad to keep track of her busy day! This card features a busy mom juggling all of her to-do items. This Juggling Mom note pad comes beautifully wrapped in a cello bag with a pink grosgrain bow and makes a great gift for every busy mother. Aside from juggling grocery shopping, soccer, babies and more, Mom needs to be able to remember it all. This will help. The cute notepads might even bring a smile to poor Mom’s face when she reads the text on the pad - ”So much to do…so little time”. As an added bonus, you can feel good about purchasing these pads as not only are they printed on recycled natural white text weight paper, but a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other organizations promoting breast cancer awareness as well.

So try not to sweat the start of back to school routines too much. If you can get organized now, then when your little ones sail away on the bus on the first day of school, you will be able to jump into your own day feeling organized and ready to take on the world yourself!

Mother’s Day is over for another year. Back to work! groan…

Maybe we can help make your day a little easier with some great organizing  pieces to save you a little time and effort over the course of your day.

Why not make your clean-up time a little easier with this toy storage by oeuf. This is one of the best toy storage systems we have found and a nice change from the common plastic brightly colored designs available these days. This design is an innovative storage system designed to make organization as easy as 1, 2, 3. The 3 tiers of storage bins are ideal for toys and books. With the option for the bins to be positioned flat or tilted, the resulting easy access makes clean-up a breeze. Even your children will want to pitch in and help! The bin dividers are removable so you can store a multitude of items of varying sizes – from the smallest Lego pieces to oversized puzzles and everything in between. Available in birch and walnut finishes, with a white frame.

Here is another great toy storage container to think about. This Lulla Smith Toy Bag is part of the luxurious crib bedding collection from this noted designer. The toy bag may be custom ordered in any fabric of your choice. It is available in Dupioni Silk and in any fabrics from the Lulla Smith Collection. It is a great place to put toys and a great accent for your nursery. No more searching for those favorite stuffies at bedtime!

Perhaps by the end of the day, you are just out of steam though. That is when you can take advantage of this beautiful addition to your home. You can hide whatever didn’t get done, or put away from the day before! Or not. REally though, this typical English Cottage Screen with three panel screens is an inimitable way to divide one living space into two, without totally screening them apart crafted by Seabrook Classics. It has great outlook that is fit for every type of room decor by giving an energetic and lively touch to the place. This screen has very intricate wooden work that makes it a demanding creation in international market with its uniqueness and perfection.

So relax, let the day go and give yourself that little bit of me time at the end of the day. I don’t care if Mother’s Day is over, you still deserve it!

It’s that time of year again. The rains are washing away the last of winter’s grimey grip outside. It is time to tackle some of your inside projects as well. Spring cleaning begins Now!

First step: Grab your clipboard and make a list of projects to tackle. The Clipboards collection by Clairebella is perfect for the task at hand. Really, you can use it anywhere you want, such as at home, school or office. With a dry erase surface, these clipboards come with a size of 9” x 12 1/2”. You can easily get them personalized as per your choice with different patterns, background colors and fonts. They look cool and unique with customized styling of names, thoughts, idioms or phrases. So start writing and let’s get cracking on that to-do list!

Step two: Purge! After a long winter of cocooning inside, it is time to break free and purge the area. Get rid of broken items, unloved toys, and clothing that is just too small. While some things can certainly be donated to charitable organizations, other items are headed straight to the trash. Unless you need a dumpster, the hand painted bee waste basket is great for many rooms in the home (bedroom, nursery, bathroom). The waste can is a great accent and a decorative way to disgard used tissues, papers, etc. Don’t be afraid to empty it a few times in your cleansing frenzy. Of course, the charming and cheerful yellow and black design is perfect for boys and girls when you are through with your work. Coordinating picture frames, tissue box and step stool are also available.

Step three: Clean while you are on a roll. Wash and iron your drapes. Rent a steam cleaner, or hire someone to come in and clean your carpets and furniture. Roll up heavy, winter rugs to give a lighter feel to the room for the airier season ahead. Put away your flannel sheets and put your crisp linens on the beds. Clean the windows. Then look down and see where the rest of the dirt has hidden; on you!

Before you dirty up your fresh and clean space, head to the bathroom and clean yourself up. The inspire personalized soaps are a delightful way to wash away the dirt of the day. They are 100% vegetable-based and triple-milled for a luxurious lather.  One of the freshest personalized soaps on the market with a warm white décor-complimenting color, these gentle yet intoxicating aqua mineral scented soaps will transport you from scullery maid to princess in an instant.

Step four: Now that you are clean, you have to put it all back together again. To ensure that your nice, clean space stays that way for a little while, try to reorganize things as you go. A great way to organize some of those stuffies is with a melissa’s garden handpainted toy box by sweet beginnings. This toy box is a beautiful and practical accessory for your room. The toy box features a charming hand painted bunny surrounded by hugs and kisses (x’s and o’s). The chest is designed to function as a spacious toy bin and bench seat. The elegant and beautifully detailed box can store all of your child’s toys as well as extra pillows, blankets or comforters in any room. Available in many base colors, we recommend using a light shade to enhance the design. Finely crafted, there is a space between the base of the chest and the lid to prevent a child’s fingers from becoming caught. The toy box is a great addition to your room! Best of all, it will help to complete your Spring cleaning for another year (or at least today!)

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Happy New Years! Goodbye to 2010. It is time to welcome in 2011. Woohoo!

Anyone have any resolutions for the new year? Every girl on the go needs a stylish magnetic note pad to keep track of her New Year Resolutions!

This note pad comes beautifully wrapped in a cello bag with a red grosgrain bow. It is printed on recycled warm white text weight paper and makes a great gift for every girl.

The text on the note pad reads:

* New Year Resolutions… ( ) travel more ( ) get organized ( ) save $ ( ) exercise more ( ) eat healthier ( ) reduce stress ( ) volunteer ( ) enjoy life

And just to start the year off right, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other organizations promoting breast cancer awareness!

There are many that make resolutions this time of year. Why not start on some of them with this momagenda kitchen folio. You can schedule in your exercise regime, volunteering, and get organized at the same time. This will also definitely help to bring down your stress level. With its personalization, stylish, faux-lizard cover and stain-resistance it is right at home in any kitchen or family room. Take the first step to a better and more organized you in the new year!

With your new-found organization, perhaps more travel will be easier to attain as well. In that case, you will need a new travel bag. This personalized waffle cotton cosmetic bag is perfect for carrying all of babies small essentials. Fill with ointments, diaper rash creme, cotton balls, just about anything you can think of. This gift not only looks nice but is very useful as well. Finished around the middle with a colorful Grosgrain ribbon which can be removed for easy washing.

All of your organization, exercise, volunteering and travel  will be sure to make your life a little rosier in the new year. So pull on your party hat and blow on your noise makers, because tonight you can celebrate the start of a new year and and new you!

Happy New Year from all of us at Babybox.com!

Laundry; will it ever end? The answer is no, I’m afraid. It piles up day by day, until the piles can be ignored no longer. There are even those poor souls that do several loads a day trying to keep up with the spit-ups, spills, accidents and just regular wear and tear that a family entails. So what can you do about it? Well, today we will try and help you out with our suggestions.

For starters, let’s look at where it all goes while it is waiting for laundry day to arrive (or hour, as the case may be).  There is nothing worse than clothes scattered under beds, on top of table lamps, on the bathroom floor or even in the hall! Our solution is this cute laundry hamper by Art For Kids.  This hand painted hamper is a stylish choice to hide dirty laundry and keep your nursery looking pristine. It is available in many hand painted motifs and finishes. As well as functional, it makes a great accent piece for any room. Now the trick is to teach the kids what it is for and make the game fun by improving their aim at the hamper. Point one for you!

Next up is getting the laundry down to the laundry room. It may not be your favorite part of the day, but sorting the loads into whites, brights, towels and jeans, will make your job easier in the long run. Once the piles have been established, then you can reach for the laundry detergent. You have to try luxury baby detergent by the laundress. We all know that babies have brought loads of love, but also many loads of laundry into your life. This product is formulated to be soft on baby and strong on stains. The Laundress Baby Detergant was created by combining optical brighteners, stain fighting agents and color guard with a special delicate Baby scent. This detergent is not only for babies; it is for adults too. With this low-sudsing detergent, you can even use it in front-loading he machines. Perfect.

Now don’t forget about the dryer! These baby laundry Dryer Sheets are the must have for any new mom. We love dryer sheets not only because of the fabric conditioning and static solutions, but also for their versatility. Stuff your luggage, A/C units, shoes and closets with our dryer sheets — they’re perfect to rub against your clothes to freshen them up too! Your nursery will smell delicious.

Last of all, if you want it to look as good as it smells, then why not hang up this sweet fairy laundry wall art canvas reproduction by Sharon Furner? This “Fairy Laundry” wall art from Oopsy Daisy by Sharon Furner brings the colorful and magical world of fairies into your little girl’s room. This top quality canvas reproduction is stretched over wood bars with no glass to break. It is made using the Giclee printing process and has the look and feel of an original painting. Equipped with a wire hanger on the back for easy wall displaying so no framing is required, it can also be wiped clean with a soft, dry cloth. The beautiful wall art makes a wonderful addition to any child’s room, playroom or even beach house. In fact, you might even be tempted to hang it in your own laundry room so that you can enjoy it as well. You know that you will be there often enough, so you may as well enjoy it while you are there. Happy laundering!

The sun sets
and shadows creep
across the lawn
with today’s last leap.

A yawn escapes
your tiny smile
as pajamas swaddle
you in style.

Lullabies croon of
love held bright
as moon rays peak
in window’s night.

As I sit on the floor with you and gaze around, I imagine what you see through your little eyes. This is your bedroom, your sanctuary.  What is important to you in this space that is yours? Well, what do you see?

Let’s start on the floor. Loving me from the ground up, you provide me a luxurious place to sit and play or read books on this beautiful rug. The DwellStudio Dahlia Rug is a stylish and fun addition to any room. Comfy and cool, this finely made wool carpet in a variety of pink and chocolate hues, adds a unique touch to your decor. The Dahlia rug is designed to coordinate with the Dwell Studio bedding and crib collections or it works with many other designs!

Since we are on the floor already, let’s crawl on over to the bookshelf to pick out a book to read. The Floral Swag Bookcase by Sweet Beginnings features the French Country embossed carving appliques floral design. This bookcase is designed to be extra sturdy with deep shelves that hold just about every size of book that your child might imagine and still have room for future favorites. Most bookcases have many colors to choose from, so that you can truly customize the piece to match any child’s room or decor. The bookcases top and bottom styles can be customized as well. Perfect for boys and girls, the bookcase works well with other pieces in the Sweet Beginnings collection or by itself!

With book in hand looking around, where do we go to read? Well the bed is an option, as the mattress is delightfully comfortable. My favorite chair is the one right in the corner though. The Serena & Lily Hayes glider in light pink basketweave and white twill piping is a beautiful choice for your little girl’s nursery. This glider is very comfortable and built to last with a reinforced wood frame, double-wrapped foam-core cushions and a swivel glider base. A higher back and rounded armrests make Hayes glider ideal for dads; the more generous size makes for years of snuggling up for bedtime stories as little ones grow. Made in the USA with durable wood frames, swivel glider bases and plush double-wrapped foam-core cushions for ultimate comfort.

Snuggle in tight, as its time to read all our treasured stories. First let’s click on the light so that we can see all the delightful pictures that you love so much. Reach over and turn on the Serena & Lily Pagoda Table Lamp. There, that’s better. Now as we cuddle in tight to your favorite chair we can see your whole room and all it holds. With Babybox wall art decorating the walls and your bed to send you off to dream land this room is a pretty sweet place to be. Yes, I spy a beautiful baby’s room with all that her heart desires.

Kids just want to play all day. Play they should, as through play children learn about the world around them. A favorite game for any little person is the classic game of dress-up. They will want scarves, silly hats, vests and whatever else they can get their hands on. This sweet Thumbolina hand painted toy box by Sweet Beginnings is the perfect place to store all of your dress-up needs. It is a charming addition to any room. The toy box is 3 feet long and features a beautifully illustrated Thumbolina tale theme. The toy box is designed to function as a spacious toy chest and bench seat. while you might designate it for dress-up clothes, the elegant and exquisitely detailed box can store all of your child’s toys as well as extra pillows, blankets or comforters in any room. It is available in many colors, so that you can truly customize the piece to match any child’s room or decor. We recommend using a light base shade to enhance the design. Finely crafted, there is a space between the base of the chest and the lid to prevent a child’s fingers from becoming caught. Babybox recognizes the essential need for play, so offers many more toy chests for you to peruse.

Perhaps you have some princess dresses, fire fighter coats or long capes that you want to display that will just get crumpled at the bottom of the trunk. In that case, this children’s clothes tree is just the trick. It  is a decorative way to tidy up pajamas, hats and jackets. The tree has a cottage design & ball feet giving it a playful vintage look. It is available in several colors including blue, green, soft chocolate and antique white. Pretty and practical, this piece is a great addition to both boys and girls rooms.

If rescue is the game of the day and your daring do-gooder dons the fire hat,  add a little more fun to their imagination with this pedal car deluxe fire truck. It has a flashing light and a ringing bell that will delight every would-be fire-fighter. Just like the originals, this pedal car is made of heavy gauge steel and is ready for hours of play. Inspired by the famous and highly collectible “SAD FACE” pedal Fire Truck of the 1940′s, it is true in all details. There is no tailgate, but a rear step just like the originals. The fire truck comes in a deep red highlighted with white graphics. Real high quality wooden ladders grace the rear resting on their own chrome plated, high hoop, grab bars. Speaking of chrome, this vehicle has lots of it, the windshield, steering wheel, ringing bell and the hubcaps are all chromed. Even the flashing light has a chrome base. They will be racing to the emergency with glee in this beauty.

Once the fire is out, reward your brave soul with a little treat on this cute plate. This personalized firetruck baby plate is what every beginning firefighter needs! Complete with official title of “Firefighter (Baby’s Name)”, it’s the perfect gift for any little one. This dish is 100% dishwasher and dinner safe and 100% cute! A handful of cookies is what any hungry fire fighter needs after a hard day of  imagination and play.

Spring is well under way and summer is peeking around the bend. Winter is a distant memory. You know what that means; time to spruce up your home. Spring Cleaning is at hand. Open the blinds to let in all that  light. Dust the blinds while you are at it and don’t forget to wash the windows.  Now with all that beautiful fresh new life bubbling around you turn around and survey the rest of the house. It is hard to ignore now. Yes, the next task at hand is to banish the clutter.

With the return of the sun, the light makes our winter cocooning very obvious. It is time to toss away all the old items that are not used anymore. In this day and age of reduce, re-use, and recycle a good way to purge unwanted items from your home is to donate them to your local Goodwill store or Salvation Army. Better yet, have a garage sale to earn a little extra income. We can all do with an extra coin or two in our pockets, can’t we? While you might be done witha particular item, someone might discover a brilliant new find for their own purposes. All the better for them.

Now with your new found space, you might be inspired to put a fresh coat of paint on a little one’s room or even  the living room. It feels fabulous to have a fresh new space to call your own. Wait a minute though. Before you pile back in your remaining possessions, you might want to stop and consider some new storage ideas. This DucDuc cube box with cushion includes a sliding drawer for said storage. The DucDuc cube box is available in painted or walnut finishes as well as a variety of color options including the ability for you to choose your own material. DucDuc does everything to ensure that only non-voc paints are used,  and that none of our products contain formaldehyde (most mdf and fiberboard does). Form and function all in one product. The best part; hiding the potential clutter!

Or consider this stylish item. Storage has never looked as cool as it does with the Chocolate Dot and other DwellStudio Storage Bins. This new Chocolate Dot storage bin is both fun and functional. Whether it’s a ton of toys, a pile of dirty laundry or freshly folded towels, the bins will make organizing effortless and stylish. The heavy duty coated canvas bins not only make a room look great, but make cleaning up fun. Now who doesn’t need that!

One cannot forget the necessary toy box. This Harlequin hand painted toy box by Sweet Beginnings is a beautiful and practical accessory for your room. The toy box is 4 feet long and features a charming harlequin pattern and is designed to function as a spacious toy chest and bench seat. The elegant and beautifully detailed box can store all of your child’s toys as well as extra pillows, blankets or comforters in any room. It is available in many colors, so that you can truly customize the piece to match any child’s room or decor. We recommend using a light shade to enhance the design. Finely crafted, there is a space between the base of the chest and the lid to prevent a child’s fingers from becoming caught. The toy box is a great addition to boys and girls rooms!

With that you should be able to breath a little easier and perhaps trip on a toy or two less. Happy cleaning!