Ferns leather lounge

Ferns leather lounge, originally uploaded by pinkorchid_designs.

If you have been following my posts over the last couple of weeks, you will have noticed my slight fixation on finding a comfy chair for my daughter to sit on while she watches telly/ looks at books/ chews on my mobile phone etc. Just as I had comfortably resolved not to worry about it, and to make do with a floor cushion and a couple of propped up pillows, my husband came home with this leathery lounge ensemble (pictured above) yesterday. You see, he's worse than me like that; once he gets a bee in his bonnet about something, he can't rest up until he's either got it, or... well, until he's got it. So my make-do solution drove him quietly crazy until he went out and bought the above chair himself.

I won't tell you what I think about the chair, but tell me what YOU think. Don't hold back. And then we can forever hold our peace on this subject!

Lounging Around

You might recall my rockin-good-time constructing a Cocoon Couture beanbag for Fern a couple of weeks back. I thought I'd found the perfect solution: stylish, practical, cute, affordable... how could I go wrong?! But alas, it appears that this beanbag is a little too big for Fern just yet, she can't get comfortable in it and in short I am back to the drawing board!

I went shopping today for solutions, and let me tell you there are slim pickings on the kids furniture front. The only thing the remotely served a practical purpose was one of those fold-out foam lounges you can get from Toys R Us. I laid one on the floor and Fern immediately clamoured onto it. She loved it! Did I snap one up immediately?

Um, no.

Why why why why is most kids stuff so gaudy and emblazoned with images of Barbie or Thomas the bloody Tank Engine? In this particular instance, my only available option was Spiderman. Nothing against Spiderman, I certainly like Tobey Maquire (hot!)... but I simply cannot bring myself to have a Spiderman lounge in my living room, even if it was only $50.

I briefly toyed with buying one and attempting to sew a new cover...but I've only ever done it once, and that was for a piano stool which seems a lot less ambitious. Still, it might be the only option given the only other fold-out lounge I can find which doesn't have Disney all over it are these ones from Urban Baby, but I'm sorry, I am so not paying $250 for one!!

I am also considering this one priced at $140 from Ezibuy:

And this one is cute AND practical, with bonus toy storage. Priced at $129 from Hipkids:

But I've decided I am going to try Big W later, the word on the street is that they have plain covers available for the fold-out sofas for $5. I figure Fern will use it for so little time, I don't want to waste a lot of moolah, and she has her beanbag for later on as well. I'll let you know how I go...

Have you been through this with your toddler? What furniture solution have you come up with?

Postscript: well, went to Big W and it delivered nothing. It's meant to be - - I always hated those lounges anyway. For now, Im improvising with a floor cushion, a pillow and the beanbag as a backrest! xo

How do YOU throne your highness?

I think I might be one of the only mummies in my circle of friends who does NOT own the Ikea Antilop highchair. And admittedly, at the ridiculously scandalous price of $39.99 I am bemused as to why I didn't join the throng and get one too! Simple, practical and quasi-stylish, there's not a lot wrong with this highchair. Well.... there are a FEW things which turned me off, including:

- The fact that it's from Ikea. (need I explain?)... the tedious drive. The parking debauchery. The queues. The squealing children. Those hideous meatballs. The fact that even though you went for one $39.99 highchair you leave $995 poorer with a trolley full of plastic love-heart ice cube trays, 7 million square shaped photo frames, a rice paper lamp and the entire Expedit shelving range...

- My concern about the chair's sturdiness; it being plastic.

- The fact that it's from Ikea

Ok ok, my reasoning may seem a little lame. The truth is, I was seduced instore by the tantalising lure of a wooden designer chair I could tuck into the table. It promised to grow with my child and best of all... it came in a dazzling array of colours. That you could design and play with different options yourself online. Kind of like the Bugaboo pram, which I also was seduced into buying. But that's another story. Anyway, Naomi Watts had one, dammit! Before I checked the pricetag I assured myself it was the ONLY option and laid down my credit card. What was this said highchair, you ask? I'll tell you in a sec. But first, I can't resist sharing this highchair cover I found on Made It; if you have the Ikea chair, surely its a must-have!

Isn't that cute/ kitch?! Anyway, back to my chosen highchair.

It's this one: the Stokke Tripp Trapp.

Admittedly, my relationship with this highchair got off to a rocky start when I unpacked and went to set it up around the the 6-month mark for Ferns first rice cereal slop meal. At the hefty pricetag of $390 I kinda expected the chair to come equipped with everything I would need. Alas, the 'baby set' - the part that attaches across the front and the plastic chair backing was an added extra, setting me back another $80. grrr. The range of comfy cushions would no doubt make mealtimes extra plush... but that is ANOTHER $80 and poor Fern got a rolled up towel until she was big enough to fill the seat herself. Don't get me wrong; it is a good chair: it tucks beautifully into the kitchen table, is minimalist, easy to clean, sturdy and will no doubt grow with Fern over the coming years. Plus, mine is white and pink which makes me smiley and happy. But I have noticed a few sneaky ripoffs sneaking into the baby stores of late (even Aldi had one!) and no doubt you can now buy one almost identical for half the price. Never mind...

I'll leave you with this charming image of Fern in her Tripp Trapp, she was about 7 months old and sampling Lovely Lentils for the first time. Months later, I'm still scrubbing lentils off the floor..

What highchair do you use? Are you happy with it? Did you get seduced with looks over practicality?? Please share!

Little Polystyrene Nightmares....

Fern's Cocoon Couture beanbag arrived yesterday afternoon. Excitedly, I ripped open the packaging and popped her in front of Playschool for 5 minutes while I filled said bag with beans.

5 minutes? Yeah right.

Have you ever actually filled a beanbag? The instructions sound easy enough: rip small hole in corner of plastic, pour into open beanbag placed inside bathtub.

Of course, the beanbag zipper is childproof and requires a paperclip to open it. Cue running around tearing house apart for 20 minutes trying to find paperclip. Finally located. Right, into the bathroom. Commence pouring beans into bag, realise beans not overly enthusiastic about bag, would rather float happily into every corner of bathroom including my nostrils. 30 mins later, finally have beanbag filled and begin stuffing inner bag into corduroy outer lining when come to sad realisation that inner bag should have been stuffed inside outer bag PRIOR to beans stuffing.

Oh.My.God.

Have you ever tried to remove beans from a beanbag once filled? It's the stuff nightmares are made of.

Don't worry Greenies, I reckon only about - oh - a million or so polystyrene beans fell down the drain in my attempt to unstuff/ restuff Fern's beanbag. Not too much of an environmental disaster(?!)

About 7 hours later I finally emerged from the bathroom with one beautifully stuffed beanbag!

Here's how Fern prefers to watch Playschool (the only program I allow her to view) normally:

... and now?

priceless.