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Is Grey the New White?

Have you been looking for new bedroom or possibly nursery furniture and started to see a sneaky little trend popping up on your Insta feed? No it’s not clouds (though they are super cute & totally on trend right now) or cable knit (which just quietly you need to get onto in a big way for lil ones this winter), what is it you say? It’s grey!  That’s right, grey.  Grey is here to stay; and it’s not going away.  Ok, ok I hear you please stop the terrible alliteration and puhlease grey is not exactly a sneaky new trend, but oh my friend it most certainly is.

Grey has been the new Beige for many years now but what we are starting to see, particularly in Children’s Furniture trends in the US, UK & Europe is that grey is making its mark in a big way.

It started with nursery furniture, I’m thinking the Teeny Range in Grey by Incy Interiors & the limited release Sparrow in Slate by Oeuf (as pictured below) but what we are now seeing is the grey look coming through in Single & King Single Beds, Bunks, Metal Beds, Tallboys, Bedsides, you can even colour match desks and wardrobes to this stunning colour palate.

For a while we have had a stunning range of grey upholstery but now the range is just growing, with no sign of stopping any time soon.

My favourite part of this range is what’s coming in early June, grey painted & white washed grey, perfect for a boys bedroom, beachside home or country manor, take a sneak peak at what’s coming soon.

So, grey is never going to replace white and yes I still love white but if you were thinking of something a little bit different, particularly for a son or teenage room – take a second to look at Grey,

I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we do!

With so much landing soon, why not drop us a line to inquire about grey! www.ootc.com.au

Okay, so we all know that in theory we should limit screen time, increase our interaction with our children – blah, blah, blah… I always believed that this was a pipe dream.

This was until we embraced board games (I know hello, 1983 ).  But before you switch off and imagine this is another rant about hands on parenting, I’d love you to know that our battle with screens has been going on for years (you can read some of my other posts) and I can say that quite honestly NOTHING has worked for more than a few weeks.

Limiting time, limiting days, using screens as a reward, refusing them as a punishment.  Nothing worked; yet old skool board games are now in the running.

How we play, why we play & what we play.

1. As a family we have always tried to embrace board games and the simple truth is, sitting down with the kids to play a board game sounds kinda tiresome but in actual fact is really rewarding.
   1. So, we basically have an entire games department in our cupboard so on any particular day we can choose from a number of games – this keeps everyone interested and ensures we are always playing a game that is age appropriate regardless of who joins in.  Just a tip but “Tummy Ache” is the absolute best 1st game ever! It is a game of chance which ensures your child occasionally looses without you “throwing the game”, it teaches turn taking, waiting and can help fussy eaters – any age can play but definitely once they are 2+!
2. Hubby and I play board games with the kids to teach, to learn but mostly to spend time with them.  But the secret key is that we find out – especially for Miss E our sweetheart 2nd child –  where she’s at with reading, numbers, cognition, all the things we are all over with child number 1 but start to miss in our subsequent children (sorry child number 2).  As it turns out she is a true strategist and underestimate the 5 year old at your peril, especially when she’s playing a 10yr+ game (LOOT is a favourite at the moment) she will board your pirate ships & plunder your bounty all with a smile on her sweet lil face.
3. As with any typical household we have – Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, Game of Life etc, etc but we’ve discovered the card based, slightly less popular games have proven the most successful.
   1. In our store we have started stocking a range of these sorts of games and we play ALL of them, choosing which ones are awesome (Sushi Go) and which ones are not so (Monster Cafe).

Games are like books you always feel good when you give or receive them and if you’d like to pick our brains as to age suitability, gender etc drop in, check out our range online or chat to us on facebook as we’d love top help you pick one of our favourites.  We love playing them & I’m sure you’re kids (and hubby’s!) will love playing them just as much as we do.

See more at https://www.ootc.com.au/product-category/gifts/kids-books/

Putting our children into their own room can be daunting & here in Australia we are lucky that we have the ACCC who have mandatory standards for many everyday items.

Such as Cots, Portable Cots, Bunk Beds, Treadmills, Soccer Goals – the full list can be seen on the ACCC website.

But there are things to think about which may not be a “Mandatory Standard”.  We would love for you to take the time to read through this list & if you are putting your child into their first room, or perhaps you already have, just take the time to make sure your room is a safe environment.

1. Secure Tallboys, Bookcases and any item of furniture over 50cm from the ground to a wall.
   1. The ACCC has an excellent PDF on furniture stability Read Here
   2. Securing heavy furniture items to a wall will prevent injury from falling or toppling, which can occur if a child climbs or pulls out all of the drawers.
   3. Toppling FurnitureWhy Anchor it?

      Small children have died or suffered serious injuries from unstable furniture. Small children can be trapped under furniture; unable to breathe or be hit/struck by falling furniture. You can prevent death or injury to small children when choosing and securing furniture in your home.

      There are simple ways to prevent death or serious injury to small children when choosing and securing furniture in your home by anchoring furniture.

      Buy Safe

      • Purchase low-set furniture or furniture with sturdy, stable and broad bases.
      • Look for furniture that comes with safety information or equipment for anchoring it to the walls.
      • Test the furniture in the shop—make sure it is stable. For example, pull out the top drawers of a chest of drawers and apply a little pressure to see how stable it is; make sure the drawers do not fall out easily.

      Use safe

      • Attach, mount, bolt or otherwise secure furniture to walls and floors.
      • Do not put heavy items on top shelves of bookcases.
      • Place televisions at the back of cabinets or secure them to the wall.
      • Discourage small children from climbing on furniture.
      • Do not put tempting items such as favourite toys on top of furniture that encourage children to climb up and reach.
      • Do not place unstable furniture near where children play.

      Put locking devices on all drawers to prevent children opening them and using them as steps

   4. We suggest using a product like Dream Baby Wall Straps but please seek professional advice from a Master Builder regarding your type of wall & the correct mounting.

1. When thinking about a bunk bed, we ensure that the product meets all Australian Standards but there are several things which may influence your decision, based on each individual child & room.
   1. Ensure no ceiling fans are within reach of the top bunk
   2. Think about curtain/blind cords
   3. Do you have a tallboy or dresser within “climbing” reach of the bunk
   4. Always attach the ladder – this is the safest option for climbing up & down
   5. Read more at the ACCC “Think First” information page

These are not necessarily nice things to think about, but a little time & care will ensure a safe space for your child.

via Jall & Tofta | Roar Studio

Rocky Adaptable Children’s Bed

Our new Rocky collection is here:
powerful and delicate in classic white!
No matter how you twist and turn! Rocky is a 4-in-1 furniture with long usability,
as it adapts to the growth and needs of the active child.
At first it is both, a cradle for baby and a rocking-chair for parents, combined into one.
As the child grows the cradle can be rotated 180° and turns into a children‘s bed with a length of 140 cm.
You can use the bedrail as a boundary for greater safety.

It is flexible and adaptable.
Rocky grows and changes with your child. And it does so without the need to store many extra/spare parts.

As Rocky will be a part of your child’s life for the next 7 years, your investment can be split over this time period.
Therefore Rocky makes a lot of sense economically as well as ecologically.

ybody who makes the decision to buy products which grow with the child and therefore face a much longer lifetime of the purchased product,

will purchase far less goods all together.
At the same time, this is an indirect way to reduce the amount of produced waste.
It looks good.
As far as the colour and design are concerned,
Rocky convinces with simplicity and its clean and smart design.
It promotes closeness.
The baby cradle (stage one of your use of your Rocky bed), allows the parents to sit with their baby.
This promotes the bonding process by creating a special closeness between the baby and the parents
as well holding the potential to be very helpful in lulling your baby to sleep.
Furthermore, Rocky offers comfortable seating for the mother who can thoroughly and comfortably enjoy breastfeeding her baby.
This special bonding between the mother and her child is only improved by a balanced and relaxed atmosphere.
It is ergonomic.
When you reach stage two of the use of your Rocky bed (basic bed with mesh sides),
Rocky does not only think about the child and its wellbeing but also the parent’s.
By raising the height of the lying surface in comparison to most other children beds,
putting the child into bed and/or picking it up is much easier and therefore protects the carer’s back from sciatic pain syndrome and other related injuries.

What has it got that others do not?
It is flexible and adaptable.
Rocky grows and changes with your child and it does so without the need to store many extra/spare parts. As Rocky will be a part of your child’s life for the next 5-6 years, your investment can be split over this time period. Therefore Rocky makes a lot of sense economically as well as eco-logically.

Everybody who makes the decision to buy products which grow with the child and therefore face a much longer lifetime of the purchased product,
will purchase far less goods all together.

At the same time, this is an indirect way to reduce the amount of produced waste. Rocky is also easy to assemble.
Materials:
Lacquered birch plywood
Upholstering: 100 % Polyester
Size:

1550 x 1070 x 750 mm
Size of packaging:
Box A: 920x810x65 mm

Box B: 1520x880x65 mm

Box C: 705x605x315 mm

Box D: 1555x670x65 mm

Gross weight: 65 kg
What is more:

From age 0+
Designed in Germany & made in EU

Read more or order now https://www.ootc.com.au/product/rocky-4-in-1-convertible-nursery-system/