TGIF!  Tonight when I was perusing the Ikea website for some furniture items that I hope to be purchasing in the near future, (more to come on this soon) I was surprised to see TOYS as an available search option at IKEA.  Am I the last person to realize that Ikea sells toys?  And I'm talking colorful, delightful, and wooden (not plastic) toys...for less than $10!  Call me a sucker because I have been buying toys like this on Amazon for upwards of $20!  Here are just a few toys from Ikea that caught my eye that I would love to scoop up for my little one...

Have you ever bought toys at Ikea?  If so I would love to hear your opinion on their quality and durability!

Once you have children you enter the confusing spiral of constantly wanting them to have more toys so they have a new material to explore and interact with...but then there is the problem of what to do with all those large and sometimes unattractive toys once you get them. 

When we moved into our new home a few months ago I made the mistake of thinking that I could have a "toy corner" in our new living room and still have the rest of the room look polished and chic - every time I walked into that room all I saw were those toys staring me in the face!

So we moved the toys downstairs for good and we are now using our downstairs level as a playroom, but it also needs to function as a family room.

To incorporate my daughter's play space into the rest of our family room decor I have picked up a few pieces that I believe blend her toys and books with the rest of the space in an attractive way.

First we bought this bookcase from Crate and Barrel...

I am a big fan of this bookcase!  Most toy storage solutions include multiple baskets and a bookcase, and are usually upwards of $300 once you buy all the components for the storage system.  Like this one below...

One of the things I like so much about the Shift Bookcase from Crate and Barrel besides the low price is that the shelves are at varying levels, with some being high enough to store my daughter's tall toys.  Most bookshelves cannot accommodate very large toys, and picking the toys off the ground and putting them on the shelf instantly neatens up our space.

For all of my daughter's smaller toys we are using two of these storage ottomans from Target...

Buying two of these ottomans was a bit of a splurge for us, even given their low price, but I believe it was a great investment as they double as both storage and seating when we have friends over for a play date.

As you can tell from the picture above this room is still a work in progress, but when it is complete I will share photos here.

In the meantime I plan on buying a few lamps to put on top of the bookcase for extra lighting...

An acrylic tray that gives the look of lucite for less to hold drinks and snacks...

And to cover up those bare walls I plan on framing images from some of my daughter's favorite books like is shown here on Apartment Therapy...

Do you have any clever ways to elevate the look of your child's play space for less?

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms out there!  I hope that you all enjoyed a relaxing Mother's Day with your families this weekend.

One of my gifts from my sweet husband was this Chewbeads necklace that I had been hinting at for awhile....

My daughter has been putting everything in her mouth lately, including my favorite bangles and necklaces, and so I wanted something that was a little more child friendly than my DY bracelets for her to suck on!

I love this basic black necklace, but Chewbeads offers a variety of styles and colors too...I think I may be in the market for one of their pink or turquoise necklaces soon!  Here is a peak at some of the other styles and colors they have to offer...

My daughter loves the way this necklace tastes, and I love being able to wear jewelry without worrying about it breaking in her mouth - and at less than $40 it is relatively affordable!

Have you tried any special jewelry made for teething with your little one?  Here are a few other pieces of jewelry just for teething that I have my eye on!

Bring Mexico to you!  I must admit with spring break come and gone I have been dreaming of escaping to a warm beach somewhere, but unfortunately a trip to the beach  is not in my future this spring!

Luckily you can still get the look of being at the beach for less with the new Mexicali line at Old Navy for Baby, Girls, and Women!  I would love one of each please, but I think the pink flutter top and bloomers for baby will definitely be in my little one's closet soon!  All of these pieces can be found online and are $34.94 or less...and they come in Maternity too!  Will you be taking home any of these warm weather staples?

As we settle in to our new home I have been "toying" around with the idea of how to incorporate my daughter's play space into our living space.  It seems like most toy storage options are bulky and come in 4 color choices: pink, blue, yellow, and red!  But if you are limited on space and need to incorporate your child's toys into your living room, what are your options? 

I just found these upholstered storage benches from Target and I think they would make a great option for hiding your children's toys in your living room.  We just may be purchasing the grey chevron bench for our family room soon!

Have you found any pretty and affordable ways to store your child's toys?

Yesterday I posted about these porcelain tortoise and hare banks from Uncommon Goods that in my opinion would make a wonderful baby shower gift, and at $22-24 they are also a great deal!  Uncommon Goods is a wonderful source for gifts for everyone in the family and a very unique source for those expecting a little one on the way.  For more of their baby specific gifts, please click here.  And if you have an older child on your list to shop for, they have gifts for a variety of ages too.

Uncommon Goods is a great source for interesting and affordable items to fill your home, find unique baby gifts, and never seen before surprises for family and friends.

I recently received the People Towels and Repurposed Layered Wood Frame from Uncommon Goods to give a try in our new home.  Both of these products are attractive, functional, and sustainable.  I am all for beautiful things and high quality design, and when these things can be green and sustainable too then I'm even happier!

I have to admit that I'm a repeat offender of the "paper towel club."  I use way too many of them and this has become both a financial and an environmental problem in our household!  Since getting these People Towels I have used them for everything from wiping down counters, drying my hands, and wiping out baby bottles.  These reusable towels are a great gift for yourself or any friend who has a paper towel problem like I used to!

I was also lucky enough to receive this beautiful and sustainable frame that is made from re-purposed wood...

On the package of the frame it says, "It was the barn for the square dance on Saturday night / It was the front porch to rock on / The only thing worse than tearing  down an old building is not re-using the wood that created its beauty."  Can you think of a place that you have loved that had to be torn down or demolished?  I sure can...and I love the idea of the wood that housed so many lives and special moments being repurposed as a way to save those moments, our memories, in time.

I decided to use this old wood frame to showcase a new beginning in my life - the walk down the aisle at our rehearsal, the day before our wedding.  Here it is on my bedside table.

And close up...

Isn't it pretty?!

And Uncommon Goods is offering a $50 gift card to one lucky Living Luxe for Less Reader!  To enter this contest please comment below and let me know what Uncommon Goods product you would most like to receive as a gift!  You'll see my top choices for gifts below.  But please look for yourself to get started...

I will announce the lucky winner a week from today, April 5.

For extra entries in this contest you can also

1. Add UncommonGoods to your circle on Google Plus https://plus.google.com/117195462200193731090/
2. Tweet a link to a family page on Uncommon Goods with your favorite product (ie. gifts for baby, gifts for mom)
3.  Pin your favorite UncommonGoods product on Pinterest

Please let me know in the comments if you have done anything to earn an extra entry!

Here are a few other Uncommon Goods products that I think would make amazing unexpected gifts for less!  What is your favorite gift?  I can't wait to hear from you!!!