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Have birds always been popular in nursery and child’s room decor, or this somehow related to the popularity of Twitter? Hmmm. I feel like over the past few years I’ve seen a huge array of birdie art. Anyway, these cute birds are sweet, simple and modern. What a perfect wall art duo for your baby’s nursery, child’s room or playroom.

The tricky thing about art for a nursery is you don’t want it to be too babyish. They seem to grow up so fast, it’s a shame to ditch the baby stuff. I like these prints because they are timeless. Thanks to the hip color palette, they work for a boy’s room or a girl’s room. Dwell wall art is digitally printed on gallery frames and uses FSC compliant wood frames. These 16″ x 16″ prints (each) retail for $96 each at ArteBebe.

Don’t you remember how much you loved bean bag chairs when you were a kid? They were so much fun to jump around on and unzip when nobody was looking. How weird was it to stick your hand in the chair and then how annoying were those tiny PVC beads? No matter how hard you shook your arm to get rid of the evidence, they were stuck like glue thanks to static electricity. Fun!

Take a look at these rad bags. Cocoon Couture’s newest member, Cheeky Lucky Elephant Bean Bag Chairs. Each bean bag cover is made of machine washable 100% pinwale cord with an animal accent made of vintage fabrics.  Bags include an internal safety lining to keep beans in place. And here’s why you gotta love couture, each bag holds up to 3 cubic feet of beans – beans are sold separately.

If you’ve got birthday parties, baby showers or other special occasions requiring a cute baby gift, don’t fret! You can find some seriously stylish baby goodies for less than $20. You just have to know where to look. A few weeks ago I was in Dripping Springs, Texas, and stopped by Jordyn’s Closet boutique. In addition to the women’s clothes, handbags, jewelry and shoes, they have a GREAT selection of baby items. Take a look:

Baby Legs – Blue Flame – $10

Rock Star Baby Plate – $10

Mud Pie – Chenille Birdie Rattle – $6.75

Mud Pie – Princess Ballet Slippers – $12.50

Bombay Duck – Hush Little Baby Door Hanger – $12

Okay preggo ladies, do these color swatches mean anything to you? They should. These are color options for a crib. In fact, the Newport Cottages Panel Crib comes in even more colors. This is great news for those of you who can’t seem to turn off your inner perfectionist.  It’s very unique concept and the crib itself is gorgeous. Hop on over to Droolicious to read more!

Looking for something cute and functional and ON SALE for your baby’s nursery or child’s room?  Take a look at these hip, heavy bookends.

The Posh Panda Bookends can keep all of your kiddo’s books neat & tidy, even the big heavy collection of bedtime stories. The pandas are made of leather and weighted with steel shot. They are on sale for $50 each. And when you can’t locate your weights, you can work out with them because they weigh 5 pounds each! On sale now at Posh Tots.

With spring cleaning  season upon us, it’s a great time for parents to think about one of the most germ-filled rooms in their homes – the nursery. A baby’s immune system is not nearly as strong as an adult’s, meaning we must take measures to keep baby’s nursery clean and germ-free.

 The list below is brought to by Dr. Benjamin Tanner, president and founder of the Antimicrobial Test Laboratories, LLC (a microbiology laboratory that specializes in the development of disinfectant and antimicrobial technologies) and the fine folks at Diaper Genie.

10 Simple Tips to Maintain a Healthy and Germ-Free Nursery
1. – Identify the germ “hot spots” within your nursery and clean them often. Germ hot spots within the nursery are the areas that come in contact with waste in diapers and other body fluids, either directly or indirectly. Diaper waste–and the millions and millions of germs in it–can be spread by hands and objects that come in contact with it. Since germs are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye, it’s easy to spread many of them to clean surfaces without knowing it.

Areas where most bacteria typically gather include:
Changing Table – This is the place where diaper messes and germs are transferred from the diaper to baby’s skin – and possibly mom’s hands. And a dirty diaper likely has more germs inside it than anything else in the nursery.

Laundry Hamper – Studies have shown that laundry, especially if it has come in contact with bodily fluids, can harbor great quantities of bacteria and even spread them to clean clothes through normal washing cycles.

Floor – Germs on the floor are not a concern for adults, but the floor is where babies lay, crawl, and play.  Most floor germs aren’t of the harmful type, but it’s still a hot spot to keep an eye on.

Toys/Toy chest – The average toy isn’t loaded with germs, but toys will transmit them easily if they become contaminated, since toys come in contact with playmates’ hands, skin, and mouths.

2. - Learn the difference between cleaners and disinfectants, and which is appropriate for your nursery. Cleaners remove most soils, but may spread germs around. Disinfectants actually kill germs when used correctly.

To use a disinfectant correctly in a nursery, remove your baby from the spray or wipe zone and apply the product liberally. After the label-specified contact time elapses, wipe off the surface with a wet cloth or paper towel to get rid of any irritating residual chemicals so your baby’s delicate skin does not touch these chemicals.

3. – Set aside a special place in the nursery for disinfectants so they’re readily available for quick cleaning but safely out of reach of children Even “non-toxic” cleaners can be dangerous to children, so keep cleaners on a high shelf in the closet or a child-proofed drawer of the dresser.

4. Keep messes (and germs) to a minimum when changing dirty diapers in the nursery. Establish a quick, mess-free diaper changing routine, and keep supplies handy and close by.

- Get rid of diapers in a hygienic fashion that keeps germs sealed away. Dr. Tanner recommends the Diaper Genie II Elite™ Disposal System. It seals odor into the pail and out of your nursery unlike an ordinary trash can and plastic bag. Diapers only touch the disposable film, not the pail, so there is one less thing to clean. The Diaper Genie II Elite™ Disposal System also has Antimicrobial Protection built into the plastic to inhibit odor-causing bacteria.

5. – Keep soap and warm water, or where soap and water are not available, antibacterial hand wipes, nearby to use after changing your baby in the nursery.  This will help stop the spread of germs within the nursery.

6. – Keep baby bottles away from germ hot spots, such as the changing table, and only handle them when your hands are clean Harmful germs can grow very quickly in formula and breast milk – be sure to keep bottles clean and dry when not in use.

7. - Keep a special hamper inside the nursery to use specifically for heavily soiled baby laundry. This special, separate hamper will help prevent bacteria on heavily soiled laundry from spreading throughout the rest of the nursery. Also, take special care when laundering heavily soiled baby clothing and bedding to prevent the spread of germs through the laundry.

8. – Take special precautions within the nursery when baby is sick to prevent spread of illness to other children and throughout the rest of the nursery.

9. –  Take special precautions in the nursery when you or other family members are sick, to keep from giving your infection to baby and spreading throughout the nursery.

10. – I know we all love our furry and/or scaly children, but you should reduce pet access to the nursery.
- Reptiles and birds frequently harbor dangerous germs, like Salmonella. Make sure that children wash hands well with soap and warm water after handling reptiles and before coming into the nursery, and keep bird bedding/litter out of the nursery altogether.
- Dogs and cats are less risky but still may carry certain kinds of harmful bacteria. Cats may harbor a parasite that is of particular concern to pregnant women – if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, avoid changing cat litter to reduce exposure to the parasite Toxoplasma.
- If a pet makes a mess on the carpet, make sure to spray it with a non-bleach disinfectant after cleanup to prevent those germs from spreading to baby during playtime.

Not feeling very DIYish, but you really want customized wall art for your baby’s nursery or child’s room? Well, why don’t you let Frecklebox take care of the dirty work for you.

Check out their new line of personalized wall art featuring modern designs in vibrant inks. The canvas prints are stretched around handcrafted sturdy wooden frames, creating a durable print that’s easy to hang. You can also get 15% off your order if you use code ART15. This offer expires on April 16th, so get your shop on now!

If you’re shopping for baby cribs, take notice of this one! I remember having minimal options when it came to crib colors. There was white, black or brown. A few expensive ones came in bright, fun colors, but I wasn’t spending $3k on a crib. No way.

Here is a beautiful crib, the “Built to Grow” panel crib from Stanley Furniture’s Young America collection. This crib comes in so many wonderful colors, how will you decide? It is crafted in the USA and GreenGuard certified.  It is a convertible crib, so it goes from infancy to childhood. Find it at BabyEarth for $1080.