My daughter is the messiest eater out of all the children we know. It is not unusual to find food remains on everything (and everyone) within a two to three foot radius after one of her meals. Cleaning the floor three times a day got old really quickly, so I went on a hunt for a splashmat and I was thrilled that the lovely folks at Mimi the Sardine offered to send me one of their splashmats in the Jungle print (above).

I have to say that for the most part I LOVE the splashmat. First off, I adore its green credentials (the fabric used is organic cotton and the coated fabric meets high European Organic standards) – who doesn’t want to look good while doing good? The size (42 inches by 42 inches) means more of my floor is protected and the fact the fabric is coated (as opposed to PVC) means that I don’t have to scrub the floors.  I can either wipe the mat down or THROW IT IN THE WASHING MACHINE. Yup! You read that right – these slashmats (and the company’s stunning tablecloths) are machine washable.

My only issue with the Mimi the Sardine splashmats is how light and unfinished they are. I expected finished seam edges, but the mat is just literally a piece of fabric (cool, wipe-able, washable fabric – but still). I think the unfinished seams and the lightness of the fabric are the cause our only problem with the splashmat, which is that it bunches up under our chair. Now I will say that if you have a high chair on wheels this might not be an issue for you, but we have Little Miss in a half-highchair (kind of like a big booster seat that sits on one of our regular chairs) and any movement seems to make it bunch up so that it ends up covering less space.

That said, since getting the splashmat I’ve used it even more as an art mat. Little Miss has just started colouring and our coffee table is the perfect height for her artistic endeavours, but as it is a piece of furniture purchased PB (pre-baby), it wasn’t designed for the kind of abuse a 14-month old dishes out. The splashmat is AWESOME for this – finger paints, playdough, water. All wipe off and the mat protects the furniture at the same time. In addition to splashmats (which retail for $39.95 USD), Mimi the Sardine also make a huge variety of other cool items including lunchbugs, messy baby bibs/art smocks, aprons and placemats out of their organic, coated fabrics.

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We are so excited to be able to help save one of our reader’s floors and tables by giving away a Mimi the Sardine splashmat in the winner’s choice of fabric! Thanks for the giveaway Mimi the Sardine!

To Enter:  Go to the Mimi the Sardine website and then leave us a comment HERE (one per day only, please) telling us what your favourite Mimi the Sardine product is. Once you’ve entered by leaving this mandatory comment, you can gain additional entries like this:

• Follow @mimithesardine and @SpiltMilkMoms on Twitter and tweet ”Protect your floors by WINNING a fabulous splashmat from @mimithesardine & @SpiltMilkMoms http://tinyurl.com/2awvg28 #giveaway #contest“ and leave us the link for extra daily entries.
• If you ‘Like’ Mimi the Sardine on Facebook, leave us a comment letting us know for one extra entry.
• If you ‘Like’ Spilt Milk Moms on Facebook, leave us a comment letting us know for one extra entry.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog for one extra entry.
• Subscribe to Spilt Milk Moms via Email or RSS (top right) and leave us a comment letting us know for one extra entry.
  

This giveaway ends at 12:01am PST on Saturday, November 13th , and the winner will be selected using Random.org.  The winner will have 7 days to respond to our notification email before another winner is selected.  This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.

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My husband is an exceedingly practical guy. He doesn’t enjoy having what he considers extraneous things lying about the house. If he can use it – fine. If he can’t use it – forget it. This doesn’t make gift giving very easy because as he gets older, the list of things that he needs, but doesn’t already have, is very small.

I had no idea what to do for my husband for Father’s Day, when I happened upon a great craft idea. My husband likes practical items such as tools, but instead of just buying him a new tool, I decided to have our three-year-old son paint and decorate the handle for him to make the gift of a tool extra special.

My three-year-old son is not a very crafty fellow. He would much prefer to be doing something physical over painting, however the promise of playing in messy paint piqued his interest enough to convince him to participate. I think the optimum age for this craft is probably closer to five than three – unless your child loves crafts and has enough patience to let the paint dry properly between coats.

Supplies Required:

• A tool with a wooden handle
• Coarse sandpaper
• Primer (optional)
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Varnish

Steps:

1. Use the coarse sandpaper to rough up the wooden handle. Make sure you sand off any smooth coating on the handle otherwise your paint will not stick.
2. Paint the handle with primer and let it dry (Note: I didn’t do this step because I was already pushing the limits of my three-year-old son’s patience)
3. Paint and decorate the handle and let it dry.
4. Varnish the handle and let it dry.

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I love art! All my walls have some sort of artwork and photography on them, so when it came time to decorate my son’s nursery, I knew I wanted some colourful, modern, and fun pictures for the wall above his change table. Etsy is my go-to website for a lot of my online purchases these days, especially artwork. There is something really special about getting a piece directly from the artist, and knowing you are supporting a rising star rather than a big box store.

There are lots of affordable original works to be found on Etsy, but I almost always buy prints instead because they are more within my (tiny!) budget. Artist Stephanie Fizer has a gorgeous little Etsy shop filled with lots of quirky pieces and also has a cute website where she posts what’s going on in her life and any new artwork she is currently working on. I was searching specifically for a robot print for my son’s nursery, but I was having a hard time finding robots that weren’t scary looking! Stephanie’s Robot Prints meet all of my fun, modern, and colourful requirements … and hey! So not scary! AND only $10.00 USD!

I paid for my purchase using PayPal (painless and quick) and had my Stephanie Fizer Robot Print mailed to me in no time (in about a week). When it arrived, I popped it into one of my Ikea shatterproof kid frames and voila! Instant happy wall art!

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Every now and then I stumble across something and love it soooooooooooooooooooooo much that it becomes my “it” present for the year. When I first saw Alphabet Prints by Penny People Designs (pictured above), I knew I just had to buy one for our little daughter-to-be and for every single child I knew!

These bright, colourful designs are iconicly cool with their alphabet lettering, but what makes them even more special is that you can personalize them with the child’s name. There are several size prints to choose from – 8×10 to 27×39 – and six different colour choices so they’ll match any bedroom or nursery decor.

Two big things about Penny People really impressed me. First, the quality of the prints is higher than I expected (the photos don’t do them justice). The designs are printed on glossy archival photo paper, which looks and feels fantastic. Secondly, Penny People’s customer service was amazing. After sorting out my order I realized I had actually missed someone and needed to add one more print. As you only pay for postage for the first (largest) item, I didn’t want to go back and order through the shop again as it would have added extra postage. I dropped Penny People designer Lindsay Stephenson an email about my problem, and it was all sorted out in no time. Within a week of the initial order I had all the prints in my hot little hands (Lindsay sent them within a day of finalizing the order, but Canada Post can’t be accused of being hasty!).

I honestly can’t rave enough about these prints or Penny People Designs!

As she is as incredibly generous as she is talented, Lindsay has donated a large 13×19 print and three 8×10 prints for our lovely readers to win!

Here are the A, B, C’s of entering: Go straight to the Penny People site to check out all the lovely items they have to offer, and then leave a comment below to let us know what your favourite product is. One entry per person per day BUT if you follow @PennyPeople on Twitter (leave a comment to let us know you have) that’s another entry AND each Tweet and/or blog post about this give-away counts as an extra entry for that day! (Make sure you @spiltmilkmoms in your tweets and include a trackback for your blogposts).  Contest closes at midnight on Sunday, May 24th and FOUR lucky winners will be chosen using random.org.

Good Luck!

UPDATED TO ADD: Congratulations to our contest winners Jessica, Adrienne, Heather & Kara – hope you enjoy your prints!

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I fell in love with these beautiful tables by the Moroccan company Zid Zid Kids. Hand painted in different styles from original illustrations by the company founder, these tables would brighten any play area and instantly inspire creativity. I particularly love that they are shorter than regular tables therefore don’t require chairs – a few colourful throw cushions would be all you need to finish off the look. As you can’t buy directly from the Zid Zid site I found the tables at Craftsbury Kids. The only downside is the price ($325) but I think this table would be a lovely “keeper” piece of furniture and a great gift for Grandparents!

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Homeworks Etc. offers a variety of simple and stunning wood creations for your home.  Inspired by the birth of her first daughter, the company’s creator and president, Jacqueline De’Ath, decided to turn her hobby into a home business.  Her online store sells handmade wood furniture and gorgeous handmade wood accessories, including a Girl, Boy, and Home Collection.

I first saw the Homeworks Etc. line at a local boutique, and instantly fell in love the with the daisies.  They are so simple, yet very effective at sparkling up any nursery or little girl’s room.  They come in a variety of colours and are available in two sizes: 12″ or 18″.  Constructed from 100% recycled, formaldehyde-free, medium density fibreboard and non-toxic adhesives, the daisies are painted with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) finishes, so you don’t have to worry about the health of your child or the environment.

Homeworks Etc.’s online Product Catologue contains the complete Girl, Boy, and Home Collections, including growth charts and adorable customized name plaques.  And in case you are looking for inspiration, the Product Catalogue also contains a photo gallery of bedroom decorating and design ideas.

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I have noticed a growing trend in the last few years of mom’s creating their own companies.  Perhaps they discover an untapped ability or a missing niche in the market or, in the case of B.Delicious founder Jennifer Talbot they take their pre-mommy skills (Jennifer was an installation artist pre-children) and use them in a new arena.

I first fell in love with B.Delicious designs when I came across the fabulous owls on Etsy.  Handmade in a selection of fabrics these owls are brimming with personality and style.  I am always looking for  interesting and different new baby gifts and these fit the bill perfectly.  Charming, playful and interesting the owls come in a variety of colours and styles.  Technically they’re a decoration rather than a toy but they are so stylistic and fun that I would hope they have a long “shelf” life in a child’s room.

B.Delicious also do childrens’ barrettes and ponytail holders and the flowerpots are adorable (and last much longer than flowers you take to the hospital!)

One of the most stunning things I have ever seen for a kid’s room is Jennifer’s custom room design.  Playful, tactile, charming and fun with new discoveries hidden throughout this is a brilliant example of mommy-know-how combined with artistic flair and is definitely worth checking out!

*I have no idea why B.Delicious’ name reminds me of a high school cheer but it does.

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When I picture mobiles, I think “works of art suspended in air”, not “Winnie-the-Pooh and friends travelling in circles to irritating battery operated music”.  Flensted mobiles to the rescue!

These simple and elegant mobiles are made in Denmark in an eco-friendly manner – the mobiles are made of cardboard, a renewable and sustainable resource, and the company’s employees work from home assembling the mobiles (twice a month a company car collects their work – it’s enough to make anyone want to move to Denmark to become a mobile artisan).  And Flensted doesn’t just make mobiles for kids – check out their line of modern mobiles for everyone.

Flensted mobiles are available at select retailers and on-line stores (including Crocodile Baby and KangarooBoo).  Prices vary depending on the mobile’s complexity.

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