f&f Family Journal

Experimenting with the world around us and learning about the power of language is essential to growth and pretend play is a great way to let children explore both. When children are prompted to use their imagination, their creativity is endless and the options know no boundaries. 

Play Kitchens For Creative Fun

Allow children to explore the world as a chef in their own pretend play kitchen. Milton & Goose Essential Play Kitchen is a great addition to a playroom.  Expertly crafted by Amish artisans in the USA from sustainable Baltic birch and solid North American maple, this play kitchen is designed to last for generations to come and provide for endless hours of pretend play fun. 

Create an entire environment for your budding chef with the matching Milton & Goose Refrigerator, pantry items, and kitchen accessories. These items allow kids to use their imagination and creativity as they cook up their (and your)  favorite foods, organize their shelves, and stock their pantry. Creative pretend play at its best with a splash of sharing thrown in for good measure - a win-win! 

Outside Fun for Pretend Play 

Indoor pretend play is fun but sometimes you need to get outside and explore. The Baghera Tractor and Trailer allow for hours of fun and creative play outdoors. This metal pedal tractor pulls an open-air trailer, allowing toddlers and young children up to the age of six the ability to pretend play as far as their imagination will take them. From collecting sticks to build their hut on the homestead to farming the land for their lads, the possibilities are only as limited as their imagination. 

At fawn+forest, we’re constantly looking for toys that spark the imagination and build on a child’s natural creative spirit. We invite you to browse our collection of personally selected toys here. 

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One of the largest purchases that you will make for your baby is his crib but babies often outgrow their crib within a couple of years. Because of this, choosing a crib that has the option of converting to a toddler bed is a great idea and one that many families are choosing to purchase. We’ve highlighted three Customer Favorites to help you choose the perfect conversion crib for your baby to grow up with. 

The Pod Crib by Ubabub

Baby will cozy up in The Pod Crib, a cocoon-shaped crib with no bars or slats for babies’ arms or legs to slip through. Created with safety in mind, the see-through acrylic glass is outfitted with small cut out designs for airflow, without being large enough for tiny fingers to poke through. The included conversion kit allows The Pod Crib to convert to a toddler bed for babies later years.  

Oeuf Arbor Crib

Beautiful and timeless is how we often hear the Oeuf Arbor Crib described. Sleek legs and a matte, warm-white finish enhance any nursery decor while the classic design allows for space efficiently. This crib converts into a stylish toddler bed for the later years and is classic enough to be passed down from generation to generation. 

Stokke Sleepi Crib/Bed

If you are looking for a crib that can stay with baby for a decade, the Stokke Sleepi is the choice for you.   A unique nursery furniture option, Stokke Sleepi’s comforting oval shape grows with baby into toddlerhood and beyond when you purchase the extension kit. 

A crib is an essential piece of furniture for your baby and fawn+forest offers only cribs that meet our standards on safety, comfort, and sustainability.  Our cribs are chosen with the idea that they will either A) grow with your baby or B) be passed down to the next baby in your family. Shop the collection here.

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Choosing the decor for a baby’s nursery generally starts with choosing a color scheme, deciding on a nursery theme (or choosing to forgo the theme altogether) and deciding what type of decorations and art you want to include. Browsing quality baby nursery art and decor is a great place to start when deciding how to decorate a nursery. 

Start With a Color And/Or Theme 

Animals, nature, sea life, and the alphabet are just a handful of themes that people consider when they are choosing decor for babies’ nursery. Starting with a color scheme or theme will make it easier for you to narrow down favorites when looking for art for a nursery wall or rugs for the nursery floor. 

Color schemes can be happy and bright, calming pastels, an eccentric mix, or contrasting colors for brain development. The colors and theme that you choose should be pleasing to the eye, create a sense of peace for you and baby, and make you smile. If you achieve those essentials, you’re off to a great start in decorating your baby’s nursery.

Baby Nursery Art and Decor

The space that you create for a baby is a space that they will spend time in, exploring the world around them. For babies, it starts with their eyes so choose eye-catching decor and art that inspires creativity. At fawn+forest, our art and decor are sustainability sourced so you can rest in the knowledge that you truly are providing the best for your baby. From what you choose to hang on the walls to the mobile above their crib, the decor in the baby room is an integral part of babies’ development. Choose items that add to the style and don’t appear to clutter a space. You also want to choose items that can grow with baby. Take this Ferm Living ABC Wallhanging Art as an example. A perfect decor item for a nursery, but also great for a toddler learning the alphabet a couple of years down the road. 

• CHILDHOOD

It’s safe to say that if you are a mom, there are times you feel that your nonstop job is feeding your kids. Food is fuel. Your children require natural, healthy food to keep up their energy, grow and develop. It’s easy to see how the task of feeding them can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. Providing quality, healthy foods and skipping things that are simply empty calories does not have to be hard though.

Healthy, no-bake granola bites are a fantastic healthy snack for your children.  Whether you are on the go and need a snack, or are simply looking for a fast, easy idea for something you can make for your kids, this recipe is the perfect solution.

They take minutes to make, and you can freeze them and have them on hand whenever the need for a quick nutritious snack arises.

Ingredients

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup ground flaxseed

1 cup crispy rice cereal

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup mini chocolate chips

2/3 cup locally sourced honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons coconut oil 

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until ingredients are well mixed.
2. Using a cookie scoop make rounded balls about the size of a tablespoon and place onto a parchment-lined cooking sheet. 
3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and your snacks are ready!

Storage Tips

Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a week, or if you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to several months.

Preparation Tips

You could use whole grain oats, but pulse them in a food processor a few times first. If not you may need to add a little extra peanut butter or honey to the mixture to help them stick together.

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A baby stroller is perhaps the most substantial piece of baby gear that will be purchased for your child. There are many considerations to take into account when choosing the perfect stroller. First, you need to consider where you live and what types of daily activities you are going to be taking part in. For instance, do you want to take your baby on regular runs around your neighborhood? Do you like to go on mini-weekend adventures and travel to new and interesting places either on trains or in the car? Do you need something that is easy to open and close as you find yourself doing endless amounts of errands day-to-day? Your activities play a big part in the type of stroller you should choose for your baby.

The weight, ease of folding and overall function of your baby stroller should exceed your expectations of what you need the stroller to do. You do not want to skimp on these features. If you do, inevitably you’ll end up regretting your purchase.

We have carefully chosen our collection of strollers to meet your needs, provide ultimate versatility and take precedent in overall safety with a collection of accessories to make life easier. 

Whether you are looking for something lightweight, something that can withstand high-intensity activity, or extra room for your growing family, we’ve taken every need into consideration in order to offer you the broadest range of safe, quality strollers to meet your needs.

If you are in search of the perfect baby stroller but aren’t sure where to begin, contact us anytime. Our team of dedicated customer service representatives are here to answer all your questions, helping you make the decision that best suits your needs, ensuring your purchase will exceed all your needs and expectations.

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As the holidays approach, you most likely have a list of “littles” that you are going to need to purchase gifts for. When it comes to toys for children, there is no shortage of available choices on the market. The problem that arises when there are so many choices is that there are simply so many choices out there that present health risks for children.

Even with extra government regulation and child safety standards, the regulations that do exist lack the level of protection that ensure all toys are safe for all children. So how do you find a great children’s gift the child will love, while at the same time ensuring that they are made of natural materials, safe for them to use and something their parents won’t be concerned about them playing with? Look at our line of Heritage Holiday Gifts.

Our curated line of holiday gifts has something for everyone. Whether you are shopping for an infant or a toddler that is mobile, curious and actively exploring everything the world has to offer, we have something for everyone’s life stage and interest that is sure to be a memorable gift they’ll love.

These gifts promote the healthy development of children, stoke the fires of imagination and make-believe and give peace of mind to the discerning parent as each item is crafted, with love, from the most responsible and safest materials on the market.

Fawn&Forest believes in the value of family, the beauty of nature, and the wholesome joy that can be found in simple living. This list of holiday gifts is another example of our commitment to these values. If you are looking for the perfect holiday gift but aren’t sure where to begin your search, contact us anytime. Our team of dedicated customer service representatives is here to help you with anything you need.

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During the first few months of their life, your baby is going to be spending a lot of time sleeping. Because of this, choosing the right baby blanket is so important. The right baby blanket not only ensures their comfort, but also their security. To help you make this selection, here are some common factors to keep in mind as you think about which blanket to buy.

Choose Your Blanket Material Carefully

A baby blanket should be made out of materials that are gentle on sensitive skin and breathable to make sleep comfortable. The best way to do this is to think “Cotton”. Look for organic cotton and avoid synthetic materials.

You also want to make sure that you are buying a blanket that is appropriate to the season. You’ll want to have a heavier blanket for winter and a lighter one for summer. When you do purchase a heavier blanket for winter, do not get a quilt or one that is soft and heavy. These can contribute to SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 

Remember, Safety First

Safety is absolutely essential when thinking about baby blankets. It might seem obvious, but definitely avoid blankets that have loose tassels, fringes, or ribbons. Your baby could get tangled in those and that could result in a choking hazard.  

Ferm Living makes some very safe, visually appealing all-natural blankets that are some of our all-time favorite blankets.

Think About The Size Of The Blanket

When it comes to baby blankets, size is important. You want one that is big enough to keep your baby warm, but not so big that the size overwhelms them. A standard baby blanket size is 45″ by 45″ to 60″. A blanket this size has lots of versatility. It can be used as bedding, a floor mat, or even hung on the wall to decorate your baby’s nursery.

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When it comes to shopping for nursery furniture, it’s easy to see how one may feel that there simply isn’t the quality in the industry that adult bedroom furniture exhibits. Nursery furniture, by definition, is temporary furniture. Your baby will outgrow it (rather quickly in the grand scheme of things), and you will be upgrading your child’s room in a short span of time. Because of these factors, many nursery furniture manufacturing companies choose to go the easy route, cutting corners and producing furniture with a lack of inspiration.

Nursery Works is the exception to this rule. Nursery Works is a purveyor of cutting-edge juvenile products. Created for the ultra-chic, Nursery Works aims to bring high design into the nursery.

Their designers work in close collaboration with highly skilled American craftspeople to build each piece. Their products are made in low production runs which allows them to use methods and materials that would be unavailable in typical mass production. This quality can be easily seen. Many of their solid wood cribs, for instance, are bench-made in small local shops in the United States.

They take pride in presenting new materials to the children’s industry that raise the bar in design, quality, and functionality. With every product they make, they strive to find new materials and processes. Of particular importance to them is using the highest quality non-toxic, recyclable acrylic, CNC-milled maple, 24K gold-plated aluminum, custom marble/granite and powder-coated stainless steel materials.

When you are choosing furniture for your baby’s nursery, you deserve original, unique furniture designs made from the highest quality, natural materials available on the market. Nursery Works is dedicated to their craft and pledges to bring you only best in class nursery furniture that will make your baby’s nursery look one of a kind and ensure their healthy, happy development.

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It would seem logical to assume that a new crib mattress would be safer than an old one. After all, as years go by, we continue to regulate more and more. There is even a certification for crib mattresses, so how could they be less safe? The truth is they are.

You would think that since crib mattresses are regulated and certified by a giant safety seal they would be safe. That's not entirely true. 

The University of Texas did a study and found that

• New crib mattresses release about 4x as many VOCs (organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature.) as old crib mattresses.
• Body heat increases emissions.
• Toxic chemical emissions are strongest in the sleeping infant’s immediate breathing zone.

Part of the cause of the problem is the manufacturers. Manufactures want to make as much profit as possible, manufacturing as much product as possible, so as long as it passes government regulations, they feel they’ve done their jobs. The real problem though is that the regulations are not very strict.

So why should you buy an organic crib mattress? Is a healthy crib mattress necessary for your baby's health? In short, yes.

Here are just a few of the unhealthy components found in a standard crib mattress. 

Why You Should Get A Natural Crib Mattress

1) Brominated Fire Retardants

These fire-retardant materials are cause for concern wherever children may come in contact with them. This applies to sofas and any other soft furniture where they may be present, as well.

Countries in Europe have banned harmful chemicals like flame retardants entirely. These retardants get stored in the human body with every exposure, making them bioaccumulative (the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in your body).

In experiments with mice, PBDE's lead to problems with the thyroid, developmental problems with learning and motor skills, and cancer.

PDBE's are in numerous places such as televisions, computers, carpets, and couches, so it is worthy of taking note of this and whenever possible trying to limit your exposure.

Non-Natural Crib Mattresses Use Cheap Glues

Why do you want to avoid cheap glue? Simply put, cheap glues contain a number of harmful chemicals that are toxic to children, and standard crib mattresses contain a disproportionate amount of these glues to keep it firm and rigid.

Non-Natural Crib Mattresses Have Polyester Fabrics

Fabrics and batting in crib mattresses are often made with polyester. Polyester can cause respiratory tract irritation and severe skin rashes. 

Conclusion

It's not hype, buying an organic crib mattress could be one of the most important purchases you'll ever make for your baby or child to ensure their safety while they sleep.

An organic crib mattress helps increase blood flow and relieve pressure so your baby can get a good night’s sleep. Organic baby crib mattresses are made with non-toxic materials so your baby will avoid sleep interruptions due to exposure to chemically treated fabrics.

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Unlike your bedroom, which is primarily used for sleeping, dressing, and relaxing, your children’s rooms are much more versatile. They serve not only as places to sleep and dress, but also places for creativity, imagination, learning, and active play. 

For pre-school-age children, a bedroom is a good spot for reading before bed and playing with toys after a nap. As children start school, their bedroom will become a more socially-oriented space as they begin to use their rooms as a place to play when they have playdates with their classmates.

The ideal kids’ room offers a safe environment with sturdy furniture and non-toxic materials. Laid out correctly, it will also cultivate play and learning experiences. Apart from furniture, your kid’s room should include plenty of educational items like books and games, as well as movable objects that a child can feel, stack, and manipulate. Items for creating art and music or playing pretend are also very enriching. All these things are valuable pieces in your child’s overall educational program. 

With this in mind, today we want to share with you a few creative kids’ room ideas you can use to morph your kid’s room to help inspire their imagination and development.

Install A Chalkboard

Installing a chalkboard or using a can of chalkboard wall paint is a quick and easy room upgrade that will be something your kid will use for many years. Any time the mood strikes, they can grab a piece of chalk and draw out whatever they are imagining on a blank canvas that is always there for them.

Create A Theme Bedroom

One of the greatest things about being a kid is learning about (and becoming obsessed) with so many new things. One great way to inspire your kid’s imagination and give them a stage to make-believe and really enjoy playing in their room is by designing their room in the theme of their current favorite thing.

Create A Fort In Their Room

One of the most amazing opportunities to inspire imagination in your kid is by giving them a fort in their room they can use to play in. Forts offer endless opportunities for playtime, allowing them to take ownership of the space and design it exactly the way they want. They will have countless opportunities to make-believe and imagine great play scenarios that will keep them engaged and entertained for hours on end.

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