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?

As I continue to work on decorating our new home I'm always looking for creative and low cost ways to decorate our house for less. 

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon these state/country prints by Q.A. Design over at Effortless Style and I fell in love.  I immediately went to Q.A. Design to check them out....

I love the idea of decorating with something personal to you - like a state or country that you call home or where you have shared special memories with loved ones like a honeymoon or a vacation.  I also love bright colors and stripes, so these prints spoke to me right away!

And what's even better about these prints is that the fabulous and talented designer, Jenna from Q.A. Design, is now offering them for free to print on her website!  Just click here for more details.

I ended up buying these white frames from Target that were only $3.99 and put them in our downstairs bathroom which was looking way to bare!  We printed NY, NJ, CT, and Cape Cod...four places that hold a special place in our hearts!

Thank you Jenna for offering these fabulous prints to your readers for free!

I have slowly been seeing more and more Mother's Day sales pop up this month, and today I'm sharing two of my favorite shops on Etsy that rarely go on sale that are doing a promotion this week!

I have featured Anne Hartwell's delightful online shop several times in this space.  Anne's shop on Etsy features her original artwork in many different forms including prints, pillows, and matchbooks.  Anne's work includes chinoserie elements that are always classic and timeless. 

Anne is offering her readers 20% off with the code MOMS20.

Here is just one of Anne's beautiful original prints...

Devon Baer also offers her spectacular collection of original jewelry, tunics, belts, and purses on Etsy. 

Devon is offering 15% off everything in her online shop through May 10.  Just click here and sign up to be added to her email list and you will receive the code.

Devon has classic, polished, and preppy down to a tee...I just bought these turquoise studs a few weeks ago and I love them!  Turquoise is a neutral if you ask me - it just seems to go with everything!

Moving from NYC to the suburbs has it's challenges in terms of lifestyle adjustment, but one of the most enjoyable parts of our move has been working on decorating our new home - and of course I'm doing it on a budget!  While the living room is still not complete and ready to show you quite yet, I thought I would share with you a few of my recent purchases for this space that I think are great deals.

First up this pretty blue chinoiserie vase for our mantel...

This is currently being sold at Casa.com for $42.18, and I have seen it else where for even more, but I found it at Home Goods last week for $14.99!

I also picked up this blue zebra-esque area rug for $39.99 on the same trip to Home Goods.  While I'm not thrilled with the wall to wall carpeting in our new place, it has been great for our baby, and I'm trying to work with it by adding a few rugs here and there.

Don't worry, I'm not going to leave the tape there forever!  I was just testing out the dimensions of different ottomans to see how they would look in this space.  This is a new decorating trick for me, but it was so helpful in terms of finding the best shape for the room.  When you are doing a lot of online shopping using tape to test out the dimensions of a new piece in your room is a great way to ensure that you will be buying a piece that fits well in your space.

This is the ottoman we finally settled on...

When purchasing a new coffee table/ottoman for this space I decided to go with an ottoman because of our young child who may be cruising around soon.  I thought the softer surface would be good for her.  There are hundreds of leather ottomans on the web, but this one fit our requirements the best in terms of the look, dimensions, and price - and you can't beat free shipping!

I discovered these greek key end tables at Effortless Style...I can't believe they are only $73.99 a piece!  I bought two, and I still spent less than $150 on the pair.

And last but not least this white ceramic garden stool from One Kings Lane for $69.99...

I have been on the hunt for a white garden stool for less than $100, and most versions I have found are at least $129.  I have noticed that One Kings Lane and
Joss & Main both frequently have garden stools as part of their collections if you are in the market for one too.

When the entire space is complete I will share more photos with you.  In the meantime I will share my latest pillow purchase with you and a special discount for these lovely pillows later in the week.

Have you made any luxe for less living room purchases recently?

It's that time of year again...the always anticipated Kentucky Derby!  From a "mint julep" necklace to a fun and affordable pink straw hat here are a few home and fashion accessories to help you celebrate the Derby in style tomorrow - all for $85 0r less!

I'm on a hunt for a set of Gourd Lamps for our new living room.

I'd love to have something like this...but over $600 for a pair of lamps is definitely not in our budget right now!

Have you seen any fabulous luxe for less lamps recently?

I want to thank Reichel at Copy Cat Chic for featuring a bookcase on Monday that I sent her way.  It looks so much like the more expensive counterpart below...I picked up one for our nursery!  Check it out here!

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?