ROAD TRIP!

Hitting the road with kids in tow? Here are a few ideas to help pass the time:

Snack Trap...keep the cheerios, fish crackers and raisins off the floor of the car!

The ultimate Summer picnic and travel essential? The Skip Hop Central Park Outdoor Blanket and Cooler Bag! Just the thing for the beach, park or road side rest stop.

Finally a way to keep baby's favourites in the car seat. These Canadian-made toy straps are made with an adjustable velcro end that accommodates literally everything from:

• Sophie the Giraffe
• Sippy cups
• Snack traps
• Stainless steel bottles ...and so much more!

These Magnetic Dress Up Dolls Sets that allow for hours of independent play in the car. All the pieces fit right in the tin, so there is no worry of the pieces getting lost.

Happy Trails!

Vellum Mobiles

Feeling crafty?

We love these sweet mobiles and just imagine them hanging in a cluster above a simple crib in a modern nursery. They are a breeze to make and can be colour-coordinated to your nursery colours and would also be fun above a change table.

Although the pictures below show them used in above a dining room table, we plan on making a few for our store window this summer, so make sure you take a look when you're in the neighbourhood.

Materials:

vellum paper (we used 14 shades)

56 sheets of paper total (less than $20)

a sewing machine

fishing weights (pictured in the image below) $5

an exacto knife and straight edge

fishing line for hanging

Just cut out the strips into the length you want and sew them together as pictured below. Add a fishing weight so it does not curl up and attach fishing line or matching ribbon and hang from a small hook in the ceiling.

Enjoy!

all images and instructions courtesy of www.projectwedding.com

Nursery Design Inspiration

We could talk design all day and not get bored. Here are some lovely rooms to help inspire your nursery design.

Love the colours, the huge giraffe and the vintage prints.

The use of bold colour is not overwhelming and makes for a fun space for you and your baby.

This is an example of how great design doesn't mean great expense. The do-it-yourself feel of this room makes it warm and welcoming. Love the mobile!

This nursery designed by Dwell Studio features one of the most popular crib sets we have in the store right now: Skyline bedding. And did you know that the principal designer and founder of Dwell Studio, Christiane Lemieux, is from Ottawa?!

Fans of Domino Magazine may remember this nursery which belongs to the son of Jenna Lyons of J Crew fame.

We couldn't resist this celebrity nursery of Ms. Mariah Carey. A little over-the-top, but what else to expect? Lucky babies!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

We know you dads have it all organized already, but in case you don't, here are a few gift suggestions from Red Chair Kids for that lovely lady who is the mother of your little ones.

The Petunia Picklebottom Cross-Town Clutch makes diaper changing chic and fun.

This gorgeous glider from Grace Designs will make all those late night rocking sessions a little bit easier.

Bug & Pickle’s Belly Firm harnesses the power of essential oils and vitamins to tighten up stretched skin and reduce the appearance of any stretch marks or c-section scars.

Being pregnant will place demands upon your skin like never before, stretching the skin on your belly to the limit. Bug & Pickle’s ultra-moisturizing Belly Cream helps repel stretch marks by increasing your skin’s elasticity.

This sweet piece from Canadian artist Heather Shaw would be a perfect momento of a special Mother's Day.

Bath Time Fun

Bath time is always fun, but these sweet bath essentials make it even better.

Stokke Furniture

What's not to love about our new furniture line? From the iconic Tripp Trapp high chair to the adorable Sleepi crib, this juvenile furniture line from Sweden satisfies so many of our nursery design mantras: safe for baby, beautiful lines and oh-so-functional.

Happy Easter

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Here are a few Red Chair Kids favourites that made us smile as we prepared for Easter.

New Furniture Introduction

We just received news that Oeuf NYC will be introducing a gorgeous new bunk bed this spring. It is called "Perch" and comes in two colour combinations: white/birch and white/walnut which will coordinate with other Oeuf pieces. Like all Oeuf furniture, the Perch has a small footprint and a low overall height for added safety.

The Canadian retail price will be around $1490. Not cheap, but considering the bottom bunk can be separated to be used as a standalone twin and loft bed, you will use this bed for years.

3 Sprouts Latest Additions!

Who knew organizing could be this much fun? New from the Toronto-based company,

3 Sprouts, the storage bins, wall organizers and

caddies make putting away all those toys and laundry a little more fun!

Skip Hop : Great Products that Make Parenting Easier

Skip Hop has been well represented at Red Chair Kids since the day we opened. Their diaper bags revolutionalized the industry in 2003 because they combined modern design with function. Gone were the bunnies, teddy bears and bows of older diaper bags. Dad no longer had to carry a diaper bag that was juvenile and feminine, and both parents could enjoy a bag that saw them through their child's toddlerhood.

Their philosophy is that "it's all about great products and making parenting better". Couldn't have phrased it better!

We Dare You!

We dare you to resist this delightful toy. We dare you not to ooh and ahh and pick it up and look inside and pretend to fly the rocket. We are thrilled to introduce a new toy line in Ottawa from French toy manufacturer, Janod. One of the oldest toy makers in France, this company prides itself on its whimisical creations, bold use of colour and safety. Our only complaint? How do we choose which are our favourites from such a big toy line with so many winners? Well, the answer is that we have chosen MANY, so drop by the store to see for yourself. Any remember, we dare you to resist!

Lovell Designs

We are sticklers for keeping things organized in the store and at home, so these lovely hampers appeal to us for both their function and style. Even if every parent has to repeat, "Pick up your clothes" a million times, at least this makes the chore a bit easier! Lovell Designs is a Toronto based company that has received numerous accolades in the design and blog world for her original patterns and use-anywhere designs. Check out Style at Home Magazine and Canadian House & Home Magazine for their latest reviews of one of our favourites.

Lovell Designs by msg361 on Polyvore.com

Ride On!

We don’t want to make a mountain out of a snow hill, but that sorry excuse of a sled your kid’s riding could use an update.

Hop on the Walrooz train, the downhill wonder that takes the classic saucer design and bedazzles it with modern features. Each sled has curved handles with notches at the top and bottom, so kiddos can create a toboggan effect by linking their discs. The more Walrooz there are, the faster they ride.

The sleds come in primary brights (red, orange, green and blue), so they’re easy to spot in a white-washed wipeout. There are even adult-size Walrooz with extra room for mom and dad sledders.

And to that we say: Ride on.

Vintage Books

Books have always been a mainstay in both of our homes and our kids loved books from an early age. When it comes to choosing books for the store we are often reminded of our favourites from when the kids were young. But with the re-releases of vintage classics, we sometimes remember favourites from when we were kids! It is so much fun to hear a customer pick up a book and exclaim, "I remember this book. I loved it as a kid!".

Starting with This is Paris published in 1958, the books Miroslav Sasek wrote painted a delightful picture of some of the world's great cities. Having delighted children and adults for more than 50 years they have now being reissued.

This is London

This is London is the second This Is book and undoubtedly one of the best. Sasek concentrates on the things he likes best: people, costume, transport and local details that somehow come together to form a whole impression of the city that still seems quite accurate today.

Bloombaby High Chairs

Well, it has happened again.

Red Chair Kids just added another gorgeous new line: the Bloombaby High Chair! We have been debating about this for years, but so many people have asked us to carry it, we decided it needed to find a home in Ottawa. It "checks all the boxes for us" in our favourite categories: great design and fabulous function. As Sarah always says, "I would have bought this for Brianna!".

It is the only modern high chair that works from newborn to toddlerhood. It is a 3-in-1 resting, feeding and play chair. The chair begins as a "nest" with the seat in a horizontal position for newborns to 6 month olds. It then becomes a feeding chair with up-to-the table or traditional tray modes. Finally, the tray can be removed and it can be used at various heights for children 3 years + and up to 79 pounds.

There are two versions; the Fresco and the Fresco Loft. The latter allows you to put baby in command at breakfast bar or counter top with an extra 6 inches in height.

Check this out: Bloombaby