LotusHaus Mama

Apple Park Pals } Cute organic softees!

These Apple Park toys are so cute and certified green! In my search for Baby Einstein puppets, the Apple Park hand puppets are a better option!

I want a Cubebot!

 
I'm loving this Cubebot, an eco-friendly version of a transformer robot! Made from sustainably harvested cherry wood and super posable!

My Master Bedroom and Nursery - "Pagoda in the Heavens"

 
Our master bedroom/nursery makeover was inspired by a calming palette of turquoise, khaki and chocolate. My husband and I pulled together Asian inspired details from antique paintings to pop graphics. Here is the nursery side of our master bedroom. I used Illustrator to draw Chinese and Japanese cloud motifs and printed them at a larger scale using Blockposters. Then we traced and painted them onto the khaki wall using Benjamin Moore's sample paints. These small paint samples had great coverage. The crib is from Target and the shelving is from Ikea.

These are some detail shots from the room... Some inspiring figurines, a pagoda mirror, a Ukiyo-E Japanese Wood Block Print (thrift find!), and a kimono fabric scrap that I plan to make into a pillow...

In the crib you can see a teal and lime colored  "Tummy Time Play Mat" that I will be using as a changing pad at first. I think it's so cute and practical and it has a measuring tape printed on it so I can watch our baby boy grow in length right before my eyes! On top of the play mat is a brown Boppy Noggin Head Support that prevents the baby from having a flat head. The crib is outfitted with an organic cotton flannel sheet and a Nojo fleece sheet saver from Target.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of the baby are two friends, a Yomiko Classics baby panda, and a homemade doll (made by my friend's aunt) swaddled in a Kiddopotamus bamboo fabric swaddle blanket. Also pictured is the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow (folds into a square) that I used for a bit, and a hand crocheted baby blanket from my cousin! These things will be removed when the baby comes because it is much safer for the him to be in a crib without extra things like pillows, dolls and crib bumpers (prevents suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

This is the adult side of the room. In case you haven't noticed, the bed wall and ceiling is painted a chocolate brown and gives us a sense of privacy and intimacy, while the rest of the walls are painted a neutral khaki color. The bedroom artwork consists of Chinese scrolls and artwork I've found over the years at various antique stores. We didn't have it in the budget to buy a new bed, so we updated our existing Ikea rattan frame by staining it dark brown. I really love how our bedroom turned out! Can't wait until our boy can enjoy it too!

Taga - Stroller Bike combo from the Netherlands!

 
Leaping lizards, this urban bike stroller combo is too fresh (stroller can also be used alone without the bike) !!! Taga is a multifunctional urban vehicle, uniquely designed to suit the needs of today's parents and children. Taga combines the benefits of a premium stroller and a carrier bicycle to create a new transportation modality. Via Tangled and True.

Baby Rafael's First Toy - Soothe & Glow Seahorse

Even before I was pregnant I have always loved this little toy! I couldn't wait to get this Soothe & Glow Seahorse at the baby shower, so I asked Isaac to get if for me the last time we went to Target. The tummy glows and plays 5 minutes of lullabies and then fades out. I have been playing it for Rafael before bed and he seems to like it. He's really kicking around a lot and I just love feeling him move about inside me!

Ok, so here's the back story... Isaac and I have a thing about seahorses... When we were dating we watched The Kingdom of Seahorses (on VHS tape!) a documentary about these amazing sea creatures. What we learned was that they mate for life and that the male is the one to give birth to the younglings! The coupling starts with a graceful mating dance and in the documentary it was very romantic because they followed two particular seahorses in their courtship. The seahorse couple would meet at the same time each day, intertwine tails and promenade together through the seagrass for about six minutes a day... they would then return to their regular feeding rituals. When it was time to start a family, the female laid her eggs and deposited them into a pouch in the belly of her mate. The seahorse father not only protected the eggs, but provided oxygen and nutrients, while at the same time regulating the pouch environment during the pregnancy to mimic salt water. Talk about a "superdad"! I always joked with Isaac that he would be the "superdad" and birth our babies instead of me! LOL! 

 
Then on our honeymoon to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we came across a seahorse statue along the waterfront. We also love the "Seahorse Odyssey" exhibit at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma!

Earth Friendly Baby Bamboo Mobiles by Petit Collage

These bamboo baby mobiles are super stylish, cute and eco-friendly for your nursery! Check the out at Petit Collage.

Baby Trunk Show at Kobo

This weekend is the Seattle Chinatown-International District Summer Festival and one of my favorite stores, Kobo at Higo, will be celebrating kids and families with a special Baby Trunk Show! I missed the trunk show but purchased some cute ornamental baby shoes last year from one of the participating local Seattle designers.

Zenblocks Rock!

zenblocks are eco-friendly stacking wood blocks made in Idaho from sustainable, urban harvested wood (organic black walnut). "After witnessing his niece and nephew mindfully stack rocks for fun in their yard, woodworker Mike Peck began crafting zenblocks with the leftover scraps from his furniture business." 

Functional, organic, mindful and artistic! Looks great on the table when not in use too, lol! I love wooden toys! Via Inhabitots.

Wool Dolls by YuYuArts

These wool dolls by Etsy seller, Yu Yu Arts are just too kewt!!!! I want one for my doll collection!