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16 Little Ways Families Say “I Love You” Through Their Homes
If you’ve ever read The Five Love Languages book (or taken the ubiquitous online quizzes to suss out which love language is yours), you may recall that they are: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, physical touch, and receiving gifts. But I’d wager that there’s also a secret sixth love language: Home decor choices.
Feb 11, 2021
What’s the Best Way to Set up a Kid’s Room for Remote School?
Lockdown has struck us again and my kid is back Zoomschooling all day long. His room is like a troll’s den and his energy is super low. How can I help him? NancyDear Nancy,I feel very lucky that my daughter’s school has so far—knock on wood—kept them in the classroom since September. Last spring, when she was home full-time, she turned into a slouch-monster and never left the old lounge chair with her ready Hydro Flask all day.
Feb 4, 2021
This Michigan Photographer’s Family Home Has Charm, Character—and an Instagram-Famous Bathroom
Name: Emily Berger-Crawford, husband Chris Crawford, daughter Edie, dog Lilly, and cats Chester and CharlieLocation: East English Village in Detroit, MichiganSize: 1,650 square feetEmily Berger-Crawford says that an old house was an all-but inevitable conclusion for her family. Growing up, Emily lived in a 1890s Victorian that her parents lovingly filled with antiques. Then when she and her husband Chris Crawford moved back home to Detroit, old houses were what was available to buy.
Jan 28, 2021
Do Tile Trackers Actually Help You Find Lost Toys? I Tried Them to Find Out
Before I actually had kids, I envisioned their toy collection to be quaint and timeless—mostly wooden, and definitely not derived from the Nickelodeon franchise. But here we are, with an entire stable of miniature Paw Patrol stuffed animals.My boys aren’t the type of kids who drag a stuffed animal with them everywhere, but I frequently find myself turning my house upside down to find these Paw Patrol pups, who are often the main characters in their imaginary games.
Jan 28, 2021
What Are Good Movies To Share with my Children?
During this pandemic we’ve caved in more than usual to letting our kids watch movies, and I would love them to be really good for them. Any guidance? MollyDear Molly,As a teacher of young children I saw firsthand the effects of too much screen-time on young brains, but I also believe in doing what I can as a parent to educate and turn a potential problem into an opportunity.
Jan 28, 2021
This $35 Target Buy Dramatically Improved My Family Bathroom
Most of the time my house is, shall we say, messier than one would strictly like. With a five-year-old and a three-year-old, c’est la vie. But up until recently there was one room that stood out as weirdly miserable: my family bathroom. This bathroom was the victim of a bad, sad patch job before we bought our home eight years ago. It has drippy plumbing (I have a spot on the living room ceiling to prove this), awkward corners, and a curious lack of storage.
Jan 21, 2021
Ask Maxwell: How Do I Store Children’s Art (and Decide What to Keep!)?
I’ve got two daughters, one in first grade and the other in third, and they are prolific artists. It’s all over the kitchen walls and filling up corners of every room. I love it all, don’t want to throw anything away but I don’t know how to keep up with it all. What should I keep? What’s the best place to store it all? NadiaDear Nadia,I have very firm opinions on this and kids’ clutter in general, which is far less special than their original art. Here we go.
Jan 21, 2021
5 Humans and 3 Dogs Share an Incredibly Cute 800-Square-Foot Barn House
Kristin Pardy knows a thing or two about squeezing a large family into a small space. She shares her 800-square-foot home with her husband Preston (a resource enforcement officer for their provincial government), 13-year-old son Coby, 7-year-old daughter Isla, and 3-month-old son Jack. The family also includes three huskies, Bear, Blue, and Beau. Kristin, along with being an emergency medical responder for a local ambulance company, is also a blogger and YouTuber.
Jan 19, 2021
The “Power 10” Method Gets Everyone in the House Inspired to Help Clean Up
You know how in that post-holiday, pre-New Year’s limbo zone your house becomes kind of a mess because everyone is home, all day long, for days? It’s been like that around our house for two and a half months and it’s probably similar in yours. With school, pre-school, and every single out-of-the-house activity on hold, each and every mess made by my curious and vivacious kids and always-home husband happens right under the roof of our perpetually full house.
Jan 19, 2021
This Family of Five’s Tidy 750-Square-Foot Rental Is Packed with Organizing Ideas
Tyler Moore blogs under the name “Tidy Dad,” and tidy is just what you have to be when you’re sharing a small NYC third floor walk-up, railroad-style rental apartment with a family. In Tyler’s case that’s wife Emily, 5-year-old Mabel, 3-year-old Matilda, and 7-month-old Margaret, and they’ve had to do some adjusting to their home’s layout a few times in the seven years they’ve been renting.
Jan 19, 2021
The Little $9 Amazon Find That Lowered My End-of-Day Stress
My current life does not cater to my natural HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) tendencies. I’m a mother of five, three of whom are active little boys, and our house is … boisterous. (Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.) I’m learning to listen to the sound of sibling scuffles and middle children clamoring to be heard, and doors slamming as kids go outside to rollerblade and then back inside for an urgently needed snack as the soundtrack of the “good old days.
Jan 19, 2021
This Family of Four Lives Full-Time in a 200-Square-Foot Off-Grid Airstream
Big Mountain Skier-turned-startup founder Kina Pickett shares a 200-square-foot 1971 Airstream International with his wife Nellie, their 6-year-old son Ashur, 4-year-old daughter Story, and their dog Scout. This family of four (plus dog!) purchased an Airstream just before the pandemic broke in February, and have been traveling, remote working, and homeschooling since.
Jan 19, 2021
How My New Dishwashing Routine Changed My Relationship with My Son
I turned 30 a couple of years ago and, despite being solidly married with two children, I suddenly felt this need to adult harder than ever. Things were pretty chaotic (see: two kids) and I was grasping desperately for small things I could tweak to streamline, or simplify — whatever I could do to help me gain more control over the day-to-day. I did not read Marie Kondo and thank my old prom dress before donating it. I didn’t start intensive Sunday meal prepping.
Jan 14, 2021
6 Tricks Home Stagers Use to Make Your Kids’ Rooms Look Way Cleaner
So your child’s room is a bit of a disaster zone. Hey, no judgement here. Messiness is a part of life, but unfortunately, it’s not part of the process for successfully selling a home. That’s where home stagers come in—they unleash a few simple tricks to make a house seem appealing to buyers of all kinds.
Jan 14, 2021
What’s a Great Baby Shower Gift That Will Last?
I have a number of colleagues at work who are all having babies in the next few months and taking leave. I’d really like to send them off with a present and want it to be something long lasting and memorable. Help!LauraDear Laura, Coming off the holidays, I’m primed with gift advice and I really like this question, particularly because we’re talking about NEW parents.
Jan 14, 2021
Ideas For a Beautiful Birthday Present?
As my son gets older I’d like to give him a birthday present that’s also a keepsake and marks this special time that’s moving so fast. Any good ideas? YasminDear Yasmin,I remember when my daughter was smaller, I’d bump into other dads and they’d all say the same thing, “They grow up so quick, don’t they? I just don’t know where the time has gone.
Jan 7, 2021
Can You Help Me Find a Great Nursing Chair That I Will Actually Want to Keep?
I’m putting together my first nursery and need a nursing chair. I want something really comfortable, but also that I won’t mind keeping for a long time. They are expensive! EmmaDear Emma,Nursery furniture is a big challenge. I will come back to all of it in the future as it can be a big first expense and not something that’s very useful for the rest of your child’s life, but I want to give a great recommendation for THE chair we found.
Dec 31, 2020
Our 10 Favorite Stories from Cubby (So Far)
Hi there, Cubby friends! We started Cubby on the spur of the moment this fall (although the idea has been in our heads for a long time). We felt cooped up with our families, but we had a hunch that, while this year has mostly been a flaming dumpster fire of things we hope never happen again in our lifetimes, we might be left with a teeny-weeny bit of nostalgia for all this extra time with our cubs.
Dec 30, 2020
This Cozy Home (in One of the Coolest Suburbs) Embraces a ‘Poetic vs Perfect’ Design Philosophy
Don’t dismiss the value of a child’s input. Their wildly imaginative and sometimes brilliantly simplistic ideas are key to the design plan.
Dec 17, 2020
Grocery Shopping Used to Be My Alone Time … Not Anymore
What Cara Shultz misses most about her pre-pandemic routine isn’t the bars or parties: It’s the grocery shopping. After dropping off her 4-year-old son, Jack, at preschool, the New Jersey mom and YA author would often head to Trader Joe’s for a few essentials — and a sliver of peace. “They would play ‘80s Madonna and I would leisurely stroll the aisles, checking out the seasonal muffins,” Shultz says. “It was my ‘me time.
Dec 17, 2020
I Let My 4-Year-Old Rearrange Our Living Room—and It Was Surprisingly Fun
I’ve always loved rearranging furniture. It’s a great opportunity to deep clean and it just feels good to look at everything from a different perspective. My family is a few weeks out from beginning a living room makeover, and the state of the space is currently a jumble of pieces for the redesign mixed with pieces that have found their way in from other rooms—and a little bit o’ Christmas sprinkled in there because at this point, why not?
Dec 17, 2020
The Best Ways to Clean Slime from Your Carpet, Sofa, Clothes, and More
To this day, my mother has a mark on her ceiling from when my younger sister threw a glob of slime on the ceiling and it stuck for a while. I guess the oils or whatever was in that abominable stuff seeped into the paint as the slime slowly dripped and squelched away from the ceiling and fell onto the carpet where, thank goodness, it didn’t stick.
Dec 17, 2020
Kids’ Weirdest Christmas Wishes, as Shared by Mall Santas
If you have kids or have spent a lot of time with them, you know they have an outsized ability to say things that catch you off-guard. Apart from parents and preschool teachers, there’s another group of people who get to hear kids at their most candid: mall Santas.Because mall Santas hear the deepest wishes of hundreds of kids per day, they’re bound to hear some interesting things. In a recent Reddit thread, mall Santas (and elves and Mrs.
Dec 17, 2020
This Home Is Literally Built for the Kids to Swing from the Rafters
Name: Stefanie Archer, Chris Archer, Gabriel (12), James (8), Darcy (6)Location: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsSize: 1,872 square feet When Stefanie and Chris Archer started to think about shopping for a new house, they asked their kids if they wanted their own rooms, and they all emphatically said no. An unsurprising reaction given the fact the kids share a verifiable playground in their Amsterdam home.
Dec 16, 2020
This Buenos Aires Home Has Some of the Best Bookshelves We’ve Seen Yet
Name: Tomás, Martina, Nina, and Florián Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 1,800 square feet Tomás is an architect and Martina is a decorator, so of course the home they share in Buenos Aires with their two children, Nina, 7, and Florián, 4, is stunning. But it didn’t always look this way: When the couple first found this apartment, it had been neglected for years and it needed a full remodel, which gave the creative couple the opportunity to make it their own.
Dec 9, 2020
My Five Unbreakable Hanukkah Rules
Kids ruin everything. Really (not really, but you see where this is going). You can’t enjoy a great night out without worrying about a hangover the next day. Every trip you plan, you think out worst-case scenarios, pack a great quantity of medicine, and invariably freak out when the airline messes up your seats and places you far away from your toddler. They especially ruin lazy holidays.
Dec 9, 2020
Ask Maxwell: Why Is It Good to Read Before Sleep?
I have a son who is now five and has a hard time going to bed, which is my job. I’ve heard it’s good to read to children before bed, but he’s restless and I’m not good at it. Should I keep trying? SamDear Sam, Yes—and don’t stop! It will turn into one of the greatest joys you can share with your son. Starting a reading habit early helps, but five years old is a fine time to begin.
Dec 9, 2020
A “Drop Zone” Can Help Your Family Stay More Organized at Home
Keeping kids organized is a herculean effort during the best of times, but trying to keep their spaces clutter-free and clean during a quarantine that involves both working from home and virtual learning presents undeniable organizational challenges for parents. Luckily, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin—the dynamic duo also known as The Home Edit, Instagram’s beloved home organizers—shared their easy, doable tip for helping to keep clutter at bay in shared spaces.
Dec 2, 2020
The 12 Best Kids’ Bedroom Makeovers We’ve Ever Seen
When it comes to decorating, a child’s room is one of the most enjoyable projects to take on. There are seemingly no rules—fun themes, bold colors, and whimsical decor all tap into the playfulness of childhood, perfectly suiting the space. There’s a real satisfaction to completing these projects, too. Designing a nursery for a baby is often your first chance to “nest” and create a safe space for your child.
Nov 30, 2020
In the Ultimate Post-2020 Move, We’re Reclaiming My Office as a Family Quiet Room
We have space a few doors down from our toddler’s playroom that we call the Quiet Room. The sunlight from outside hits perfectly on the two single window panes, and moments of deep sighing are shared with tri-color leaves waving in the wind. Our interior designer recommended a soft green meditation mat and singing bowl for one corner, and all the books perched on the tower-style rack are self-help or “how-to-care” for plant titles.
Nov 24, 2020
I Do 1,800 Tuck-Ins a Year. Here’s What I Can Tell You About Bedtime Routines
I did the math. Tucking my five kids into bed every night means I do almost two thousand tuck-ins a year. As much as it’s my joy and pleasure to do them, I’m not always Patient Happy Mommy by the time it comes time to switch off the light and leave the room. Sometimes all it takes is an “I’m thirsty” while I’m kissing a forehead for Growly Mom to come onstage. And I know I’m not alone.
Nov 24, 2020
This Australian Home Mixes Natural Woods, Muted Colors, and Interesting Forms for a Calm Vibe
Name: Ellen Maire, Patrick, and JoniLocation: Melbourne, AustraliaEllen, Patrick, and their daughter Joni, age 2 1/2, live in a post-war brick house in Melbourne, Australia. Their charming home is flush with original details such as cornices, ceiling plasterwork, and lovely wooden window frames. It’s an architectural style that suits the couple’s nature and vintage aesthetic perfectly.
Nov 24, 2020
Organization Is the Secret to Fitting a Family Business and 3 Kids into 1,200 Square Feet
Name: Amber and Chris Earl, owners of EARL (@earl_home); their daughters, Giavanni, 4, and Copen, 3; and son, Guy, 1Location: North Hollywood, CaliforniaObserving a house evolve over time is a specific kind of pleasure: It’s like watching a young person grow up. You can see how a home stretches, adapts, and evolves to the lives that are being lived within. A visit to Amber and Chris Earl’s two-bedroom home in North Hollywood shows a house that has found its stride.
Nov 18, 2020
The 1-Minute Organizing Hack Every Parent Needs to Know About
My first nephew’s first word was “Grino.” This is not a variation on green; rather, it is an abbreviation of Pellegrino, the sparkling water that my parents always have stocked in their refrigerator. My other nephews (there are three) and my niece all have a penchant for fancy carbonated water. They drink a lot of it — and they can go through a lot of cups in the process.
Nov 18, 2020
An Already Gorgeous Victorian House Has Been Energized With Bold Color
Names: Angela Wator, owner/designer of BASH Party Goods, and owner of Festive Collective, and Jeramy Webb, and their daughters Penelope, age 5, and Ramona, age 2. And Bogie, the family’s 10-year-old bulldogLocation: Oak Park, Illinois Angela Wator and Jeramy Webb weren’t planning to buy a home when they stumbled across an 1896 Victorian outside of Chicago where they live. (Amazingly they each found independently while daydreaming on Zillow and emailed the listing to one another!
Nov 18, 2020
What’s the Best Way To Deal with Toy Clutter?
I struggle particularly with the organization and clutter of my kids’ toys. How do you store them easily and how do you part with old toys when kids are resistant?SusanDear Susan, I’m very old school when it comes to toy storage and always feel that the easiest, open shape—BINS!—are the most practical for kids and parents. I like soft bins that can easily slide under shelves, up against the wall, in a corner or under a bed.
Nov 11, 2020
The One Place In Your Kitchen You’re (Probably) Forgetting to Clean (and How to Clean It)
As busy as they are, kitchens are just about the germiest places in our homes—especially all those handles. You touch food, you open the oven. Your kids come in after touching who-knows-what and head straight to the fridge (or maybe it’s just mine?). With all that touching comes the risk of cross-contamination of foodborne illnesses and the spread of germs (in addition to all our fears about coronavirus, flu season is coming!).
Nov 10, 2020
One Family, 1,000 Toys, Two Bedrooms, and Space to Work & Play
“I love the way I’ve set up the house! I love our living room so much. That’s where we spend most of our time together: It feels super cozy.” Name: Caroline and Jason Rodrigues, owners of @shopmercimilo; their daughter, Milo, 5; and Caroline’s children, Cailin, 14, and Darren, 16, who live there part of the timeLocation: Glendale, CaliforinaImagine if your child had a never-ending stream of toys showing up in your home.
Nov 4, 2020
10 Parents on the 2020 Buys That Made Life a Little Better at Home
Last spring as the world shut down, I snapped up masks, Purell, and something expensive and seemingly frivolous: an outdoor sectional. I’m not kidding when I say that impulse purchase saved us. It got me through the long, lonely first months of quarantine, the worry about my kids’ emotional health, and the heartbreak when I suddenly lost my dad in early summer. It’s like we magically got a bonus room in our cramped house.
Nov 4, 2020
What’s The Best Sofa When You Have Kids?
I have two children: a six-year old boy and a three-year old girl, who eat and play all over the house. They are wearing things out fast. What kind of sofa is most likely to survive them?MelissaDear Melissa, I’ve got three directions you can go.
Nov 4, 2020
11 Incredible Ways to “Remodel” IKEA’s Duktig Play Kitchen
Since IKEA introduced the DUKTIG play kitchen, customers have brainstormed ways to hack and customize this plain Jane item into something with more personality and charm—like, you know, a full-sized kitchen might have. The tweaks these parents have made are doable for even DIY beginners and, I think you’ll agree, make these little plays kitchens even more special for their kids.
Nov 4, 2020
This Family’s Cozy San Francisco Apartment Is Bursting With Books, Color and Art
Names: Bridget, Bill, and Mabel Watson Payne Location: Nob Hill/Tenderloin — San Francisco, California Size: 650 square feetHow do you fit more books into an apartment with 20 bookshelves is not a question most families find themselves asking, but it’s constantly on the minds of Bridget and Bill Watson Payne, who are parents to one daughter, Mabel. “One look around will tell you that we love books, color, and art,” Bridget says.
Nov 4, 2020
Ask Maxwell: How Can We Make Our Dining Room Feel Like a Family Destination?
With all our meals happening at home, what can we do to make our dining space more inviting? We recently converted a small bedroom to our dining room, we eat all our meals there, with our 10-year-old and 7-year-old, and the space is so drab. With cold weather approaching here in Maine, we’d love for our dining room to feel like more of a destination in our house and not just a pass-through space.
Oct 29, 2020
The One Question I Ask Myself When Decluttering My Kids’ Books
A child’s relationship to books is one of the biggest predictors of their success down the road, and exposure to all types of print has a lot to do with early reading ability. So hang on to your well-worn “Calvin & Hobbes” treasuries, go ahead and subscribe to Highlights, and definitely send a book-loving message by keeping a fairly robust library, if that’s your thing.
Oct 28, 2020
Over-the-Top Halloween Decorations—No Crafting Required
Halloween is Apartment Therapy Tour Editor Adrienne Breaux’s favorite holiday. Our New Orleans-based editor jokes that it’s practically mandatory to decorate for the holiday. In fact, Adrienne put her Halloween decorations up before Labor Day this year (and made a convincing case for why you should put yours up early too). While we missed the boat for the early-bird decor, there are a ton of ideas to steal from Adrienne’s stylish, colorful, and downright joyful home.
Oct 22, 2020
The Time-Saving Reason I Switched to These Smaller $8 Laundry Baskets
I enjoy simplifying and streamlining wherever I can, especially when it comes to routines and tasks at home. Usually this means downsizing supplies and tools and cutting down on decisions when possible. Simplifying almost always means less.But when it came to solving my laundry problem, it turns out that simplifying means having more of something, specifically more laundry baskets. First some background: We’re a family of seven.
Oct 21, 2020
This IKEA Chair Has Become My School-at-Home Savior
One night while visiting my parents a few years back, my dad hauled an old chair up from the basement for my son. This was a chair I’d sat in for hundreds of family meals as a child; it had then made its way through some younger cousins and gotten a custom paint job along the way. Not a high chair and not a full-sized chair, this was a seat designed specifically for a little kid. My son loved it.
Oct 15, 2020
You’ll Never Believe This Bohemian Loft Was Once a Garage
Most parents would balk at the prospect of moving into a former garage with their child, but designer Cherub Stewart of Florida Water Interiors, saw the potential in a lofty converted garage in the Newark, New Jersey area. With her background in interior design, Cherub could look past the concrete interior and parking lot outside to see the space’s good bones.
Oct 12, 2020
The Single Best Thing 10 Families Did for Their Homes This Year
From simple solutions like a new outdoor umbrella to sky-high additions, like a parkour gym in the garage, ten families share how they have changed and improved their homes to adapt to the weird times we're living in.
Oct 7, 2020
There's a Surprising Decision in this Madewell Designer's Home
Joyce Lee's apartment is filled with stylish, family-friendly ideas, including her secret to a tidy living room.
Oct 7, 2020