We’re planning on moving Everett into his toddler room after Thanksgiving. I am very pleased with how his new room has turned out: bright, cheery and fun.

crib: ikea // crib rail: ikea // quilt: land of nod // fitted sheet: land of nod // monkey: build-a-bear

The first item I selected for Everett’s room was this colorful quilt. Once I picked it, the rest of the room quickly came together.

into the woods print: c/o minted

I hung this scenic print of a watercolor painting where Everett can see it as he lies in bed. I am so happy with all of the framed prints I ordered from Minted. They really complete Everett’s room and the nursery.

celestial moon print: c/o minted // shelving unit: secondhand // lantern: vintage coleman ukulele: hape // doe & buck: schleich //  car: hape // stacker tree: plan toys // drum: plan toys // bear puppet: gift // owl puppet: ikea // alligator: plan toys // stacker cone: plan toys // hammer toy: hape // glockenspiel: hohner kids // crocheted balls: gift

I hung this celestial moon print above Everett’s toy storage. Everett recently added the word “moon” to his vocabulary. He always points out the moon when it appears in his story books.

I received this shelving unit from a friend who no longer needed it–thanks Kathleen! It’s a great fit for the space. Each toy has its own cubby, which should make it easy for Everett to clean up once he’s done playing. One can hope…

I stuffed a few battery operated LED lights into a vintage camping lantern to create a nightlight. It looks a bit like fireflies on a warm summer night.

teepee: land of nod

Everett loves playing hide and seek in his new teepee. He tries to sneak-out underneath one of the side walls instead of the front door, then laughs endlessly.

plush campfire: land of nod // rug: land of nod

In front of the teepee, I added a plush campfire set. Everett’s not quite old enough to comprehend the joy of roasting marshmallows, but he likes throwing the soft rocks around his room.

The thick wool rug provides a soft play space for Everett and it should provide a cushion if (or when) he falls off his bed.

I am glad I could create this happy space for Everett. It seems to fit his personality and he already enjoys playing in his future bedroom. Hopefully he will settle in long before his younger sibling arrives.

P.S. Minted is offering 15% off any order and 20% off $150+ orders of holiday & art gifts from 11/25 – 11/27. Shop now >
Post contains affiliate links.

In anticipation of big things to come, I decided to move Everett out of the nursery early so that he can adjust to his new bedroom long before his sibling arrives.

One of the things I love most about being pregnant is how my nesting instinct kicks in. It’s so much fun decorating kids’ rooms. There is more leeway to be creative and there are fewer restraints, especially when it comes to color and accessories.

the nursery

I started work on the nursery first by replacing the old art with woodland animal art. I found two prints at Minted, which is also where my Everett’s birth announcements, baby shower invitations and baby shower decorations came from. They have an amazing selection of custom invitations, holiday cards and art from independent artists.

a deer friend print c/o minted

Above the changing table I hung this beautiful photograph of a fawn. I love its simplicity and Everett is fascinated with it.

wild rabbit print c/o minted

I also added this watercolor print of a rabbit near the window. I like how it’s the focal point when you enter the nursery.

What do you think of our nursery? I feel like it looks more ‘finished’ with the new art.

P.S. If you haven’t ordered your holiday cards yet, Minted is offering 15% off holiday cards from 11/18-11/25.
Post contains affiliate links.

Marengo Ridge is just over 800 acres with five miles of hiking trails. Thomas Woods campground offers both car camping and hike in sites. On the early May weekend we camped there were only a handful of sites taken. We chose site 39, but there wasn’t a bad site in the campground.

We had a hard time keeping Everett on the blanket we laid out for him. At this age he just loves to explore and hates being confined (getting him into his car seat is a challenge). Everett spent a lot of time crawling around on the soft moss that covered the ground. He had a blast playing with the rocks, sticks and pinecones scattered about our site.

We took a couple hikes and spotted a good variety of early spring flowers. There were a few lookout points with sweeping views of the grasslands and surrounding farms.

Everett loves to raise his hands to show us that he’s “so big!” We brought along our clip-on high chair and tray, which worked well with the picnic bench at mealtimes.

To our surprise, Everett slept better in our tent than he does in his crib at home. I guess he liked being snuggled up between us in our double sleeping bag.

We packed light for this camping trip and managed to fit all our essentials plus our pup Lacy in my Jetta Sportwagen. We did bring our huge sleeping pads to make sure that Everett got a good night’s sleep. We kept our meals simple as well. We made veggie quesadillas in our pie iron for dinner and egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast.

Judging by his smiles, I think Everett had a great time. We’re looking forward to our next family camping experience.

• Thomas Woods Campsite website
• Location: 3100 IL-23, Marengo, IL 60152
• Reservations: Call (815) 338-6223, ext. 1200 by 11 am on the Thursday before you camp, or register with the camp host when you arrive.
• Camping fees:
  Non-Electric Site: $10 Residents / $15 Non-Residents
  Electric RV Only Site: $20 Residents / $30 Non-Residents
  Holiday weekend surcharge: $2 Residents; $5 Non-Residents
• Firewood: No outside firewood permitted. Good quality firewood available on-site for $5 a bundle.
• Things to know: Dogs are welcome, though it is not mentioned on the website.

I created the camping nursery art using recreational signs from the Federal Highway Administration. You can download the nursery art here:
Free Printable Camping Themed Nursery Art

Whenever I walk by the nursery, I’m always tempted to sit in the chair. It’s the most comfortable seat in our house, and it has a great view of the treetops outside.

The baby blocks have the Greek alphabet on them. My husband Billy is half Greek, and we traveled to Greece on our honeymoon.

I fell in love with the painted wooden paddles from Norquay Co., but they were way out of my budget. Instead, my mom painted some inexpensive wooden paddles.

My dad made the book ledges. We’ll always have good books nearby for story time.

I chose a simple white crib and a few colorful fitted sheets.

The bird mobile is made of lightweight cardboard, so even the slightest breeze causes it to move.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of our nursery. We can’t wait for our little guy to arrive.

Sources
Note: I purchased a number of items at the Land of Nod Outlet in Naperville, IL. The outlet is definitely worth checking out if you live in the area.
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Robin’s Nest
Dresser: Land of Nod Jenny Lind Dresser
Changing pad: Keekaroo Peanut Diaper Changer
Chevron bag: Planet Wise Wet Diaper Bag
Wall art: Printable Camp Themed Nursery Art, printed through Bay Photo
Frames: Target Single Image Frame
Chair: McCreary Modern Dylan Swivel Glider
Blanket: Land of Nod Favorite Sweats Blanket
Rug: Land of Nod Candy Dot Rug
Blocks: Uncle Goose Greek Alphabet Wooden Blocks
Stacking toy: Plan Toys Cone Sorting
Storage tote: 3 Sprouts Storage Caddy, Beaver
Paddles: DIY using paddles from Gander Mtn. and paint samples from Lowe’s
Crib: El Greco Straight-Up Crib
Fitted sheet: Land of Nod Field Guide Crib Fitted Sheet
Mobile: Land of Nod Balancing Birds Mobile
Book Ledges: similar here

We’re very excited about our upcoming arrival. I had a bit of a struggle with morning sickness, but now I’m feeling great. I’ll share some photos of our camp-inspired nursery soon.

I’m already thinking about camping trips with our little boy. Although I guess you could say that he already camped with us in the fall at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and this past weekend at Blackhawk Memorial Park in Wisconsin.

Have you camped with babies or toddlers? I’d love to hear your tips and advice!