Bullying is one of those things that just shouldn’t happen. As a kid, I definitely had my run-ins with bullies, taunting, and name-calling. If you love art, learning, theater, and music in a small small town, things can be a little rough sometimes. OH yeah, and don’t even get me started on Phys. Ed. classes. Those are memories I don’t ever want to relive.

Bully in a Box from KNOCKinc Interactive on Vimeo.

Now, as a parent, I’m hyper-aware of the same things for my sweet little Birdie and for the kids she knows. I’ve always rooted for the underdog – thanks to my own background – and now I’m working hard to find ways to help nurture her big heart, forgiving nature, and open mind. When Bully in a Box reached out to me, I couldn’t wait to share their books with you. Each iBook features a kid with a specific issue, and an open ending that lets you and your child come up with solutions together. Katerina Faterina has issues with her weight, Stinky Stevie is having problems keeping clean, and Peter Pummeler is your classic bully. All of the books offer great talking points for kids and parents. The illustrations, created by design firm Treat and Company, are amazing too. In the end, these books don’t feel like a bad after school special, but a cool set of tools with engaging stories to tell.

I’m convinced that parents need to learn how to deal with bullying just as much as kids. When I was young, it seemed the best advice was “ignore it and it will go away”, or “they’re just jealous”. Both approaches, frankly, suck. The pro and con of Bully in a Box: they don’t spoon feed you the answers. I’d love to see them include a list of suggestions, and even a community forum, with advice and ideas for how to deal with lots of different situations. Because I need to see some new ideas as much as the kids do. I’m told it’s an addition they’re considering – let’s hope we’l find it on their site soon! You can find all three Bully in a Box books on their website.

So tell me, have you had to deal with bullies in your children’s lives? I would so love to hear your stories! Share them in the comments, and help us all start a fresh approach to this problem.

You didn’t get the memo? Kids glasses have come such a long way baby. I look back at the glasses I grew up with, and the glasses Birdie has the pleasure of wearing, and it’s practically comical. Yet, I’ll admit it, we might be glasses snobs. Her local eye doctor’s childrens selection was rather slim, so we’ve been going to The Glasses Menagerie ever since – which is how we found Zoobug. You can see some of Birdie’s other glasses (we’re on our 5th and 6th pairs now!) here, here and here.

But I digress. Let me get to the point: we heart Zoobug. But the truly awesome news: (besides their amazing styles) is that you can purchase these London-based gems direct online – with free US delivery. Zoobug will help you pick the right size frames for your kiddo too. Which is very comforting, let me tell you. We opted with the only pair Birdie could agree to: the “jeweled” (as she calls them) Razzle in purple. She is also a huge fan of the Daisy frames too.

Thanks to Babiekins and Flannery O’Kafka for the gorgeous Zoobug lookbook, featuring those too-hip-for-school kiddos above. Wowsers.

This post is made possible through Zoobug’s generous support – thanks Zoobug!

These necklaces are the bomb. Simple and fun to make, plus they are completely wearable. My daughter made these obsessively for about a week. She then sold them at a fair and now her friends are all walking around wearing them at school! My little entrepreneur.

Supplies:

~ Washers from hardware store, ranging in size 1.5” to 2” diameter. I picked heavier ones made from stainless steel.

~ Nailpolish

~ Yarn, baker’s twine or suede rope. I got my suede and yarn at Michael’s, but you can also try Walmart or Target. The baker’s twine is from Etsy. I cut about a yard for each necklace.

~ Beads. All of our beads are from Michael’s, but again…you can try Walmart or Target. We uses small glass seed beads, and then larger wooden beads and plastic berry beads.

~ Sewing needles. We used the larger size tapestry needles, and one size down from that. If you get a mixed pack you will have choices.

How to:

Start by painting the washers. My daughter did most of these (she’s thirteen), but I tried some, too. I found that it was better to really go heavy with the polish. You almost have to pour it on (but don’t) and then spread it out with the brush. We only painted the top and tried not to let it run off the sides.

After the washers are dry, it’s time to string and bead them. This is where you can get really creative. The possibilities are endless!

The hardest part is getting the string through the needle. Beyond that, these really are very easy to make. I have been wearing my teal one with the suede rope and it looks like something I bought at Anthropologie! Except it cost about two dollars…love it.

This is an excellent summer craft to do with your older kids. And they also make lovely teacher gifts!

xo Bar

I had my eyes peeled for the perfect vintage trophy that we could customize this year, and wowee did we luck out! This little knight was a chess trophy – and guess who’s baby daddy likes chess? It had a brass label attached to the marble in the front, but that was easily removed with a metal putty knife and some Goo Gone. Then, I let Birdie go crazy. I’m particularly fond of the lopsided “DAD” on the base. But when she asked me to mix up some brown paint for his face, I was definitely giggling to myself. I wish I’d made a video of her process – she narrated the whole thing to me like it was the Martha Stewart Show. So Precious!

Here’s to a fabulous Father’s Day Weekend for all of you – but especially the dads!

Birdie and I were looking at old photos of me when I was four yesterday. Her gasps and awe at every photo were priceless (and it turns out we’re twinsies, I didn’t realize how much she looks like me!). It reminded me of this print by Vapor Qualquer. I love it so much that I added it to my Luvocracy shop.

Janod is a personal favorite – that French sensibility gets me every time. Plus, almost every toy they make exudes a rather timeless yet quirky quality. It sort of feels like the best bits of the last 60 or 70 years all rolled into several perfect pint-sized packages.

In this case, that package is a perfectly reusable box, filled with a playset to keep girls and boys alike happy. None of that gender-biased toy making here, at least for the most part. Each set comes with a sturdy illustrated box that becomes the focal point of the playset, surrounded by 15-20 pieces to round out the imagination. Whether you choose the Circus, Far West, City, Firefighters, or Farm, the simple play pattern will keep imaginative little ones busy for some time. Add your train sets and your average wooden blocks (and at our house – some cardboard boxes and random rocks) and you’ll have an entire living room environment just waiting for the giants to play with!

A little shop with a lot of designerly muscle, that’s what I like. I’ve loved One Little Red Fox’s spectacled plush toys for a long time now – I really want one for my shelf – and it appears they’ve reeled me in again. Now they’re creating anthropomorphized pouches. Adorable ones.

I’m not sure if it’s the Kawaii-style iPad covers that stole my heart, or the mini zipper pouches with their penchant for bow ties. I suppose in the end it’s all about One Little Red Fox’s unique faces, regardless of the object’s intended purpose! However, much like my doll obsession, if I bought every pouch I loved I’d need several new handbags to hold them all (and a dozen random lip balms to fill them). So, I’m going to send them out into the world and share them with you. Won’t you be a dear and nab one for me?

It’s time: let’s come up with some last minute Father’s Day gift ideas! I think I say this every year, but dayang, men are hard to shop for. The only saving grace for me are the new crop of websites catering towards a high-quality yet homemade vibe. Sites like Kaufmann Mercantile, Best Made Co., West Elm’s Market, and Uncommon Goods are all great examples. If you give a man something that is quality made, it goes alot farther. These sites have that down pat.

1. The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception - This hilarious book features real slight of hand magician’s tricks gathered into one tome and provided to the CIA in the 1950′s. Awesome.
2. Sling Shot – Let him channel his inner 5 year old.
3. Nautical Badges (Set of 26) - For the sailor, or wannabe, in your life. My dad would love these!
4. Sound Machine – 16 Hi-fidelity Sound Effects - We gave this to my husband for Christmas, the two of them love making crazy stupid sounds together.
5. Flavors of America Salt Collection – There are several different sets available, but this one seems like a great starter choice – and perfect for the griller in the family.
6. Wood Handled Screwdrivers, set of 8 - My husband owns these and they are classic, well-made, and ready for use.

I always default to great photos of his favroite little girl too – it’s hard to go wrong with cute pictures of your kids. This year I wish I’d tried Wood Snap – they print your image directly onto a wood veneer so you can see the wood grain. What a beautiful idea!

I’m sitting here on a Friday thinking, yes, this week has been a big improvement over last week. My laptop is working again (thank you dear geek husband), we have a new printer (ok,yes, the old one died yesterday, one flaw in our week), I’m feeling better, and I’ve been checking lots of little things off of my way-too-long-lists. And yet. Do you find it’s hard to appreciate things when they’re going well? That’s where I find myself this week. It’s like I’m still worn down. Even though I made some progress and things went swimmingly for the most part, I have this sense that I didn’t get enough done. Because it’s never enough, is it? I guess it’s time to let go and pretend that it is. Here’s to your weekend!

Round about the internet this week:

• Minimalist Father’s Day Labels from Paper n Stitch.
• One 2 year old and one fan. Brilliant photos from Oaxacaborn.
• Waterproof overalls for your crawlers from Babyology.
• When you can’t attend, watch a video. See the ICFF coverage from Design Milk.
• Sweet but too short, I love the animations in this little video from The Kid Should See This.
• What a great idea, peek-a-boo cards from Tinkerlab.

I wish concept work this gorgeous was also available for me to purchase and display with loving abandon. These amazing robots are from LouLou & Tummie. Found via Share Some Candy.