monday's five things: toddler beds

Somewhere over the past few weeks, our little Bug started looking less baby-like and more like a little girl.

That means toddler bed. And a toddler bed means decorating.

{{Yay!}}

I asked (cool) progeny readers about toddler beds they loved on our facebook page a few weeks ago. Some of you suggested we skip the pint sized bed model and go straight for the twin - with a bed tent or a guard rail. Others offered up some of their fav toddler sleep spaces. A few suggested we keep the crib for as long as we could!

Because we have some space considerations -- er, constraints-- we opted to go the toddler bed route rather than jump to a twin. Here are the ones that we took a look at:

1. The Ultimate Cinderella Bed: Ok, not really. But this is pretty incredible, no? The Bug asked for a fairy princess garden room -- and this bed would definitely take 'princess' to the ultimate. Did NOT meet space consideration criteria.

2. P'Kolino Convertible Toddler Bed: We {{heart}} P'Kolino in our house. We have their chalkboard toddler table and chair set -- a Bug favorite. So we thought long and hard about this fun modern toddler bed that converts into a chair. Ultimately, we ended up not going with this model because the Bug wanted a princess garden room and I couldn't make this work with the decor. Ah, what we sacrifice for fashion. You can pick up this bed from our friends at aMuse Toys!

3. Ikea Extendable Toddler Bed: This seemed to be a (cool) progeny fan favorite! A lot of readers said the loved Ikea toddler beds -- especially the extendable one that could grow right along with their child. I liked that the bed was low to the ground and uber affordable. There are also all sorts of fun ways to 'hack' Ikea beds. I kinda love this 'create a stuffed toy bin in the bed' idea on Ikea Hackers! We ended up not going with this model because I read several reviews online that said you needed to buy an Ikea mattress with the frame in order for the mattress to fit correctly. One benefit of going to a toddler bed was taking the crib mattress to the next level. So I had a philosophical difference with this model...

4. Oeuf Toddler Bed: I just love the modern lines and eco friendly design of this bed. Again, I hit a style snag. The boxiness didn't quite meet my 'fairy garden' ideas. Another snag: the price tag was a bit more than I was comfortable spending. $620 was too much of a splurge.

So what did we end up with?

5. Catalina Toddler Bed: Pottery Barn just came out with their first toddler bed and it matched the other PB nursery pieces already in the space. The price was right at $250 and it comes delivered and assembled. Score. Ordered the pink daisy garden bedding to go with it -- Bug's choice. Can't wait to share how the room comes together!