Our secondhand Stokke crib

When I was putting together ideas for the nursery, one of the main pieces we needed was a crib. Cora’s room is quite small and whatever crib we picked would be a big deal, so I wanted to make sure it was something we really loved before getting one. We went to a lot of stores and looked at a lot of cribs, but my gut feeling was to see if we could find a secondhand crib. I wrote about it more in my Nearly New Wood Challenge a couple of years ago; how for the most part I’m not too keen on buying brand new furniture, especially wood. 
I spent a few days looking through the cribs available on Adverts.ie and that’s when I spotted a secondhand Stokke Sleepi crib in walnut. It was so different to any other crib we had seen that it immediately gave me heart-eye emojis. Before I replied to the ad I looked up more information on the Stokke Sleepi crib and my doubts were drowned out pretty much by how incredible it is. 

A couple of text messages later and a thorough cleaning, Cora’s new [to us] crib was home. We didn’t use the mini crib as it didn’t fit in our equally small bedroom. I don’t know if we’ll end up using the bed until Cora is 10 [though it’s a nice idea to not have to buy her a bed for 10 years], but being able to use the end pieces of the cot as chairs? Game changer. “Look how much use we can get out of it!” Robert didn’t need too much convincing TBH. 

We paid €200 for our secondhand Stokke Sleepi crib which was €20 over our budget. I didn’t have a problem going over budget as I thought it was just too good to pass on. It came with newborn and toddler conversion kits which if bought new, including kits it would altogether cost us over €1,000. That’s not why we bought it though. It’s a gorgeous solid walnut bed [and it looks like Stokke no longer sell it in walnut] with simple lines and a killer shape. And even better, for my conscious at least; it didn’t cost the earth. 

To find out more, you can check out my Nearly New Challenge and Nearly New Wood Challenge

Trends that do good – TK Maxx Uganda

I’ve
noticed since having Cora that I’ve changed. A lot. Chemically. Not
that I was emotionally devoid BC (before Cora), but I’m now much more
emotional whenever something child-related pops up in my news feed.
The little girl who loves
a broken water heater
? I cried. The sassy kids who interrupt
their dad’s BBC interview
? Cried. Different types of tears, but I
think they prove I’m doomed to look like crying Dawson Leery
at anything involving children going forward. 

Last
week when TK
Maxx

approached me to help promote their new homeware range with a
difference, they hit a chord with my new-found parental emotions.
From today, an incredible range of hand woven and hand crafted pieces
will be available that are not only perfect to brighten your home for
spring, but they also support a strong cause.
Each piece that’s sold supports the disadvantaged Ugandan parents who
crafted them by increasing their income so they can afford to keep
their children in school. 
1.
Multi-coloured hand woven platter, €16.99, TK Maxx
2.
Hand woven patterned vase, €16.99, TK Maxx
3.
Rice spoons, €8.99, TK Maxx
4. Horn
bowls, €22.99 each, TK
Maxx
5. Lidded hand woven basket, €19.99, TK Maxx

Since
TK Maxx began working with parents in Uganda in 2008, school
attendance has risen from 53% to 94%. This isn’t something that in
the past would have hit home so hard, but since having Cora I can’t
begin to imagine how difficult
that struggle is and I’m only starting to realise how much we take
for granted.
The
sale of these bespoke pieces helps to achieve long-term improvement
in the everyday lives of the people who make them; an excuse to go
shopping if I ever needed one. Let’s also not forget the durability
factor. Now that Cora has reached pre-toddler mode, these woven bowls
and vases won’t shatter should your adorable bundle of grabby-hands
hone in on them. They’re uniquely crafted statement pieces that are
doing good for those less fortunate. 

Please
note that the new Ugandan stock is limited and will vary per TK Maxx
store nationwide.
DISCLOSURE
– this is a sponsored blog post by TK Maxx to help promote their new
range of Ugandan handmade products. As always, all words and opinions
are my own. I only work with companies I like and of course, think
that you will too. Thank you for supporting the companies that
support The Interior DIYer. 

Not quite Home of the Year

In September of last year, an RTE researcher contacted me looking to have our apartment take part and be in the running for RTE’s Home of the Year for 2017. After much hyperventilating I pulled myself together, but I decided, however exciting it was to be asked, it wasn’t something we could do. At the very least, the show tours each home for roughly 10 minutes and as I later said to the representative, the camera man would pan our living room and filming would be done. It would take all of three and a half seconds to feature our apartment. Our apartment simply isn’t enough of anything. And TBH I didn’t know it I was up for scrubbing the entire apartment at 8 months pregnant, because there was no way I was going to allow a TV crew and judges into our home without scrubbing an inch off everything.

We had a lovely discussion, I thanked them many times and politely declined after explaining my concerns. As it turns out, we couldn’t have been featured in the end as we don’t own our apartment and that was one of the base guidelines in order to be featured.

It’s a slightly pointless blog post, but the truth is that I’m very proud of that offer and opportunity. Our home didn’t need to be on the show. Having been asked was more than enough for me. 
Happy Friday, homies x