A Girl Named PJ

crib bedding options

April 25, 2012

I had my heart set on this DwellStudio pattern when I was decorating Levi’s nursery. All I wanted were the crib bumper and sheets, but at the time, the pattern was only available as a full crib set that included a sheet, a bumper, a crib skirt and a play blanket. Wouldn’t you know that now you can buy DwellStudio’s modern Skyline crib bedding and accessories individually? Go figure!

(Truth be told, I’m not sure I would still by the bumper…or any bumper, for that matter. I’m beginning to fully realize what a pain in the ass it is to have to remove it from the crib every time I want to change Levi’s sheet. Having a bumper may prevent Levi from throwing his pacifiers overboard, but is it really worth the hassle? I don’t know…)

However, had this product had been on the market last year, I might have taken Levi’s nursery design in a different direction. Skip Hop’s Complete Sheet features two complementary patterns – one on top and one around the sides – to give the illusion of a bumper. How genius is that? For parents who follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’s guidelines to not use a crib bumper but still like the look of one, this double-duty sheet would make a fantastic decorative alternative. Best of all, at $24 each, the Complete Sheet is not that expensive!

Tell me: Do you use a crib bumper or go bumper-less?

going bumperless

April 24, 2012

On a whim last week I took out the mesh bumper in Levi’s crib. It always looked sloppy to me, and I wanted to see if Levi could manage without it.

The short answer? No.

While Levi didn’t bang his head or get his limbs stuck in the bars (phew), he repeatedly lost his pacifiers through the slats of the crib. I’m not quite sure whether he purposefully threw them onto the floor or if he accidentally knocked them to the ground (my guess is that it was a combination of both), but not having his usual three or four pacifiers at hand definitely affected his quality of sleep – especially during naps.

When Levi is transitioning through sleep cycles, he often reaches out his arm to grab a pacifier and replace the one that fell out when he started to snooze. With all of them on the floor and out of reach, he had to pick up his head and open his eyes to search for one. He would start to cry when he couldn’t find any, resulting in several shorter naps and a few 4am outbursts.

So I replaced the mesh bumper with the padded, patterned one that came with his crib set and his sleep returned to normal. Of course, now I have to deal with crib bumper when I’m changing his sheet. I suppose I could’ve kept the bumper out and waited for him to learn to not need the pacifier, but I’m ok with him using it as a coping mechanism for now.

What about you? Crib bumper or no crib bumper? Pacifiers or no pacifiers?

survey says…

April 23, 2012

A big thank you to everybody who responded to my blog survey. Your answers were really informative! For those of you who are curious, I thought I’d share some of the results here.

So, the majority of Bunny & Dolly readers:

are in their 30s and have 1 child
hear about new posts via Facebook
read the blog primarily for updates on my life (I’m flattered!)
would like to see more personal musings and links to other blogs/websites
would like to see less product recommendations for moms

Do you agree or disagree with these findings? Is there anything you want to add? Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email with your thoughts on Bunny & Dolly. As I prepare for a redesign (!) I would love to know what you like or don’t like about my current content and ways you think I could improve the blog to make it a more worthwhile read.

Thanks! xoxo

friday favorites

April 20, 2012

Because I’m now a VPTWAHM, I was able to check out my neighbor’s garage sale in the early afternoon and found a 3-pelt sheepskin rug for $25. Score! I also took Levi to Costco and enjoyed a Very Berry Sundae for dessert. Hopefully our weekend will be just as exciting and productive as today!

Here are some of my favorite posts from around the web:

I love these shoes but worry they will be too wide on my narrow feet.

Courtney reveals her dirty little parenting secrets.

Holy cow, these photos are unbelievable!

The 72-room bohemian dream house (via Hither & Thither)

“New Girl” fans (I’m obsessed!), check out Schmidt’s Workout Video

Help me reach 100 “likes” on Facebook by the end of the month!

I also write for Lifetime Moms:

3 Ways to Worry Less When Your Husband is Deployed

Anybody doing anything out of the ordinary this weekend? Happy Earth Day!

me…jane by patrick mcdonnell

April 20, 2012

Did anybody catch Dr. Jane Goodall on “The Daily Show” earlier this week? The renowned primatologist was on the show to promote Disney’s new movie, “Chimpanzees.” Um, how adorable is that trailer?

I’m always amazed when I stop to think about Jane’s incredible life. She has basically lived the dream she imagined for herself when she was a young girl–to live with and help animals. Her adventures as a child with her stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, are the subject of an illustrated book called Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell.

I think this sweet picture book, which is based on Jane Goodall’s autobiography, would make a lovely addition to a little one’s library, especially with Earth Day coming up this weekend!

{via Amazon}