Make Some Waves — Nursery Reveal

When you live in the Bay Area, ample living space is not a given. It’s a luxury. And you better be willing to pay even more outrageous rent amounts if you want a slice of it.

So it almost goes without saying that we don’t have much space and I dream of the day when we can buy a house and roll around in a plush backyard. Until then, we’ll continue renting our two bedroom condo and will always be asking ourselves, “Do we really need this?”

But then along comes baby and the funny thing about these tiny creatures is that they can somehow amass huge amounts of “stuff” and what you “need” is overwhelming. Add in the “Pinterest Pressure” and the glamorous lives of people who get professional designers to create nurseries, and you’ve surely entered the Twilight Zone. Is this real life?!?!

Where am I supposed to fit all of this stuff?
But my bike is supposed to go there!
Why do all of the posh nurseries have full-blown teepees in them now-a-days?
Arrrgh, I can’t even fit a laundry basket in here!

So when it came time to turn our second room into a nursery, my vision was clear:

• Create a space that I personally would want to be in (i.e. avoid anything that feels overly “childish”)
• Simple, clean, and modern
• Avoid the “unnecessary”
• Don’t over-do it with painting, hanging, etc. (we want our security deposit back someday)
• Embrace hand-me-downs
• Budget-friendly

With these tenants in mind, I landed on what I like to call a simple, modern, gender-neutral, “make some waves” themed nursery. And yes, I admit that I spent more time researching the best items at budget-friendly prices than the ideas themselves. Thus, I wanted to share the room and links to all of the goodies so you can enjoy some of it too!

Babyletto Crib / Newton Crib Mattress / Waves Crib Sheet / Surfer Beach Print / Sleep Sheep

Dresser / Waves Prints (left and right) / Surfer Print (personal photo) / Changing Pad / Changing Pad Cover / Voluspa Candle / Jonathan Adler Grapefruit Candle (the same SoulCylce uses, but found on sale)

Ledge Shelves / Light-Up Message Board (similar) / Make Some Waves Print (DIY) / Sleeping Eyelashes Print (DIY. Thanks, Francisco!) / OH BOY Letters (similar) / “Will You Be My Sunshine” / “An Awesome Book” / “ABC Yoga” / “In My Heart: A Book of Feelings“

A couple notes on my favorite pieces:

Rug (similar) / White Leather Pouf / Mini bookcase (HomeGoods) / Clock / Lamp

• The Crib: Man, this was an ordeal. We were originally going to use a hand-me-down Italian crib and paint it white with a baby-safe paint. My parents lugged the crib from Nevada to California, we bought the special paint, and we were ready to dive in, only to discover that it was a pretty old drop-side crib. While we could have done some fancy handy-man work to make it safe, I just didn’t feel comfortable. So I set out on the search for a white, modern crib that would also convert into a toddler bed. Search after search after search, I landed on the Babyletto Hudson Crib. I’m so glad we got this crib already, not only for it’s looks, but it’s perfect size, height, and ability to last for years.

• The Mattress: Before I started the nursery, I had thought that baby mattresses were included with cribs. Or maybe they arrived by stork. Who knows — I had given it zero thought. But when it was brought to my attention that the mattress may be the most important piece of your entire nursery, I was again overwhelmed with decisions. This is where they’ll spend most of their time, it’s a safety factor, there a too many mattresses on the market with terrible chemicals in them, and then, you’re going to have to put another cover on it because accidents happen. UGH. But fortunately, Newton was generous enough to send me one of their Newton Crib Mattresses and totally put my mind at ease. But trust me, I didn’t just say, “Oh yay great. Send me one of those bad boys.” I did my research and referenced Lucie’s List (pretty much the best site ever for all things baby) and saw the amazing reviews. I’m excited to get the little guy on it and will come back with a full review. But if you’re interested in one now, feel free to use the code “twentysix30” for $30 off any purchase of $250 or more on their site! HURRAH!

If you’re wondering why we don’t have a traditional rocker, it’s because we wanted to keep the Crate & Barrel pull-out couch we already had (#tradeoffs). Oh and if you’re curious where the bouncers, Boppies, and other baby goodies are, they’re spread throughout the rest of the house. If you have any Qs about what ones we picked, just leave a comment and I’ll follow-up with more.

Happy running (and nesting)!