Kid rooms are my favorite thing to decorate, and the challenge of creating happy, creative spaces for kids is one I love embracing. We frequently change things up in our kids’ rooms for fun, but items can add up. All my kids’ rooms include a mix of items we splurged on from our favorite stores as well as thrifted finds and steals we found digging around the Internet. I’ve been collecting some favorite kid room items I found on Amazon and only wish I had a few more kids to decorate for.  Since I don’t, I’ll share them with you.

1. Toy Storage Basket Love the modern Swiss cross design, natural cotton canvas and the fact that it can fold up when not being used. Great for toys or laundry and pretty enough to leave on display.

2. Moon Lamp It’s gorgeous even when not illuminated, but when it’s glowing…wowza. Comes with a remote to change the lamp to 16 different colors.

3. Pom Pom Star Pillow I love shaped pillows on kid beds. This one is super affordable at $12.95 and has the sweetest pom pom trim.

4. Wool Felt Ball Garland We have colorful wool garland hanging in several different places in our home, and it’s such a source of happiness. Makes a cheerful statement in any kid’s room. This set comes with 2 strands, 24 balls each.

5. Cloud Pillow Another whimsical toss pillow at just the right price (kids’ toss pillows can be expensive!).

6. Retro Schoolhouse Clock I love the simplicity of this clock and have seen similar ones that cost much more. Comes in black or two punchy colors–orange or mint green.

7. Natural Matted 11 x 14 Frame At $15.99, this classic frame with mat is perfect for buying several an creating a gallery wall of photos.

8. Balloon Dog I love finding unique items that are heavy enough to hold up a stack of books on a kid’s dresser. This little guy is a fun conversation piece in any kid’s room. This is the 10 x 9 inch one, but this mini one still adds a cute touch to a dresser top.

9. Rainbow Macrame Garland Such a fun pop of happy colors and texture (and only $10!). Would be darling hanging over a kid’s bed or dresser or hung along the top of a window.

10. Copper Wire Twinkle Lights  These babies are a staple in our home and a big part of my “things that make me happy” collection. I love adding a little magical twinkle to kids’ rooms–they’re also great for hanging in forts. I personally like the ones that plug into the wall because I hate changing batteries (and always forget to turn them off before bed).

11. Wood Garment Rack This sturdy garment rack is great for displaying play clothes, creating more storage space where closet space presents a challenge or helping develop some organization and responsibility in a kid’s room (by laying out a week’s worth of clothes and shoes for morning routines).

12. Rainbow Plush Pillow There are some pricey rainbow plush pillows out there (I’ve had my eye on a few), but this one is a nice middle price point. Rainbows make any kid’s room better.

13. Llama Head Wall Decor What kid wouldn’t want this llama friend hanging on their wall?

14. Floating Book Shelves A great way to display favorite kids books but also works great for framed pictures. This 3-pack rustic wood shelf set is narrow enough when you’re short on wall space.

15. Magnetic Wood Picture Hangers I LOVE these! They’re a fun alternative for picture frames and make switching out art easy and quick. They’re also a great way to hang kids’ art projects.

For the seventeen years I’ve lived in Florida, people are often surprised to hear we’ve never been to Disney World. We have no definitive reason why we haven’t other than every time we thought about it, we decided to explore somewhere else instead, concluding that what it costs for a day at Disney could get us several days in another town on our bucket list. That said, we know lots of people who love their Disney excursions and figured we’d take the family there eventually. It happened by accident last week after we realized the weather forecast was going to be too cold for Volcano Bay where we were planning to take the family on our weekend trip to Orlando to celebrate Dash’s birthday. We gave him the choice between a party or a weekend adventure with the family, and he chose adventure because he is Dash.

The Orlando sky when we arrived was singing Happy Birthday Dash.

We found a 3-bedroom Airbnb so my dad and Gary could stay–the perfect setting for our own little family birthday party. We cooked dinner together, played cards, ate cake–all the birthday things.

As for Disney, if you’re looking for “how to do it” tips, don’t listen to me. I simply don’t know enough about it, and I’ve realized there’s basically an unwritten encyclopedia of ins and outs and secret tips and ways to navigate Magic Kingdom that can make a day go smoother beginning with “Never visit Disney on a Saturday.” Saturday is what we had for this trip, so that’s when we arrived–at park opening–and we still dealt with overwhelming crowds and wait times, even with the disability pass. Nella’s disability pass allowed us to check in at rides and come back at a given time rather than stand in lines, but she had to be riding for it to work for the family; and she was very hesitant about getting on any rides that day. Thankfully, Disney employees were very understanding that siblings got bummed out, so they made accommodations. And we did what we do best–had fun given the circumstances.

Arriving to the park…

We were exceptionally lucky to have the most amazing weather the day we visited–cool enough for sweaters in the morning, my favorite.

It took some convincing to get Nella on the Small World ride (another woman in line was selling it to her–“It’s just a pretty boat ride! Not scary!”), and I’m so happy she finally agreed.

The fast pass line for the Peter Pan ride was still a really long wait, but one of my favorite moments of the day happened when we stepped off. Dash realized his birthday wish when he blew out his candles the night before came true–he wished he could fly.

One of the best things we did–thanks to lots of people recommending it–was bring our stroller even though our stroller days are over. We used it to stash our stuff and periodically hold a pooped out kids who needed to sit.

Other favorites…

Mickey treats.

Mouse shadows.

The parade!

The 4-D Donald movie (the kids really loved this).

Lainey’s rainbow Minnie ears.

Having the poppas with us so we could split up when needed.

My favorite photo of the day.

This stinkin’ Minnie wand I made the night before we left–made her happier than any ride.

Watching Nella and Dash fill their Disney journals when the day was over.

Climbing into bed Saturday evening.

Our birthday celebration for Dash continued this weekend with family and more cake and a proud birthday boy who insists he’s much taller now that he’s seven.

This post is sponsored by Stonyfield. 

It is no secret that Holiday is my fluent language, evident from my dining room credenza drawers bulging with festive table cloths, special occasion banners and happy little decor trinkets that make my kids smile when we pull them out, anticipating an opportunity for extra celebration. We love any day that calls for garland, special dishes or an out-of-ordinary treat; and with Valentine’s Day coming up, we’re getting our fill this week of red and pink and lace and love. As the kids are excitedly putting together their Valentine treats to give away to classmates later this week, I’m looking for little ways to add some love to our Valentine’s Day celebrations both at home and at school. My mom used to make and decorate the most beautiful heart cookies for our classes, but our school doesn’t allow handmade treats. Store bought saves time anyway, so no complaints! We found a way to take one of our favorite store bought kid treats and add our own touch to make it look adorable and festive for V-day.

We always have Stonyfield yogurt pouches in our refrigerator for lunches and snacks, but now they offer new dairy-free Fruit & Veggie Smoothie Pouches made with smooth coconut cream–and they’re delicious! They’re made with 100% real fruit and vegetables for a half serving of fruit, only six simple ingredients, no sugar added and dairy-free.

We made two different printables that are easy to cut out and wrap around a Stonyfield smoothie pouch (just tape the tabs in place in the back). I love that the pouch stands up on its own and that a paper straw fits perfectly in the spout.

There’s the Cute Mason Jar Smoothie look…

…or Silly Valentine Face Smoothie. We just glued on big googly eyes. We added our own eyelashes with black card stock paper, but you can order them with eyelashes here.

We’ve loved Stonyfield products for as long as I’ve been a parent and love that Stonyfield takes care with everything it puts into its products and everything it keeps out (no toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics or GMOs). The Fruit & Veggie Smoothie Pouches are nutritious, portable, family-friendly and a great snack to serve kids at parties and in classrooms.

You can download printable wraps here:
Jar Smoothie Printable
Face Smoothie Printable

…and you can purchase Stonyfield Fruit & Veggie Smoothie Pouches in the yogurt aisle at Whole Foods Markets, Target and other stores near you. Check out the Stonyfield Store Locator to find the new pouches near you.