Candace Jackson just wrote an interesting piece for the Wall Street Journal about luxury, over-the-top spaces for kids. It's tempting to focus on the money being spent on these elaborate bedrooms and "teen lounges," but what I find much more interesting is the reason many parents cite for creating these teen havens at home and how it may affect kids and the family dynamic. 

Name: Parker (8), Monty (5) & Elliot (3)
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin

My boys have recently moved in together in preparation of their sister's arrival! We gave this room a makeover to make it extra special for them, putting some fresh paint on the walls and buying new beds with matching duvets.  

Sometimes vacations are about traveling to new places and exploring new cultures. And sometimes they're about relaxing, kicking back and spending time together as a family. One of the best ways to do this, especially for families with kids, is to rent a house in a lovely location. My family has been lucky enough to tag along on a few of these vacations with extended family over the past few years and this year we took the plunge and rented a place ourselves. Here are some tips for what to look for in a kid-friendly rental.

Of course, we've seen lots of uses for twinkle lights during the holidays, and even some great ideas for using them year round in your house. But we also love twinkle lights for kids' rooms, where you can use them to make the room a little more special, created a themed room, or even create a custom night light.

Okay, so I signed up to do this party-gig-bash for a bunch of three-year-olds in June, and now I have to deliver on the goods. Because who wants to anger a gaggle of toddlers in the heat of summer? Not me, that's who. 

Alphabet Wall Hanging

• $50
• Graphic Spaces

Alphabet posters are great, but perhaps you'd like something three dimensional. This handsome version appeals to your inner typographer or wood nut.

As are many of you, I'll wager, I am passionate for names. I have been slowly collecting my favorite children's name displays from Apartment Therapy Family and across the web.  Parents with a knack for picking great monikers also tend to get creative with their kids' rooms.  Click through for inspiration beyond the traditional cookie-cutter mold.  

Name: Noah, 7
Location: Springville, UT

My son Noah just turned 7 and he had such a fun party. I heard a couple of months ago about a company called Wild Wonders here in Utah that you can hire to bring animals to your party. Noah loves animals and was beyond thrilled. 

Name: Maxwell & Ursula
Type of Project: Light renovation of a rental apt
Location: Soho, NYC
Type of building: Two bedroom apartment

I had a big unsolved issue for this project, which was how to get a compact bed into Ursula's room along with all the storage she and I needed in both of our rooms for clothing, etc. Then I ran into George Evageliou again after posting about his company back in 2007. He was literally in our offices dropping off his new cards, when I asked if he'd come take a look at this apartment. Within thirty minutes he'd convinced me to rip out all the old, funky closets and work with him to install cabinets in both rooms, one of which would carry Ursula's bed. That's when the fun began. 

The Renovation Diaries are a new collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here.

Categorize this video as "pretty darn cute". Tech blogger, Chris Angelini, was readying a Tom's Hardware post about his thoughts about Google Glass when his inquisitive 2-year-old son wanted to know what all the hubbub was all about (alongside a request for some juice). Father equips son with Google's life's moment capturing device, giving us a short glimpse of what it's like to be 2 years old all over again...