I love to be space-savvy, to not hoard stuff and to be clever about how I fit our family of four into our tiny apartment. However, sometimes, when I am trying to cook a big dinner with no bench space, or attempting to bathe my kids and getting a leg cramp since there's nowhere to sit, I need to remind myself: we chose this. We chose this, and this is why:

Outside of water balloons, watering cans and play pools, what other ideas are there for refreshing the kids on a hot day? My kids want more - something to make themselves, now... 

Bilibo Silver

• $25.50
• Diapers.com

Hi-yo, Silver! Praised for its simple design and open-endedness, the Swiss-designed Bilibo has been around for over a decade. But it's never looked so good as this silver iteration.

When Ursula outgrew her crib, and then the conversion crib with only three sides, I decided to stretch the life of her very nice mattress further by turning it into a toddler bed (amazingly, she slept on this until recently, and she's six and a half). Even though I saw some nice ones, rather than buying a frame, I decided to save money and build my own for her. 

Name: Mateus, 1
Location: San Francisco, CA

For my son's first birthday, I developed the concept "Time Flies" for his party, playing with the numbers 1 through 12 representing his age in months. 

As a kid, I looked forward to summer all year long and though there were a few long, lazy days in between, the span between Memorial Day and Labor Day always seemed to fly by. Make the most of your summer with a Family Bucket List: fun ideas of things to see and do together this summer. Here are some tips:

• Twinkle Lights in Kids Rooms
  
• Using Luxury Rooms to Keep Kids Home
  
• Layla Kate's Raspberry Linen Room
  
• 5 Tips for Living Without a Washer/Dryer  
  
  

Better Together by Eric Rewitzer

Previous On the Wall print

Name: Crew & McKay, 1
Location: South Jordan, UT

Emily and her family of four live in a 1,000 square foot apartment in Westchester County north of New York City. They're expecting the fifth member of the family any day now and since her other two children share a bedroom, she's set up a corner of the master bedroom as a welcoming nursery nook for the new arrival.