a little tour: e in the living room

Our living room is definitely the heart of our home, the place where we spend most of our indoor time.  From the beginning, Hubs and I knew that we wanted it to be engaging for little people, as-well-as comfortable for us grown ups.  Now that Elise is older and more mobile, we have plans to rearrange.  Before we do that, here's a little peek at how we've had it set up during the first year of Elise's life. 

Where's all your furniture?  Yes, I know it looks a little empty, but when Elise was a few months old and laying on her back and belly, I wanted her to have an unobstructed view of the whole room.  Then, as she began to roll and scoot, all that open space allowed her plenty of freedom to practice her new moves.

The lower shelves of our bookcase have been designated for Elise's books and activities.  Before Elise was mobile, I took things off the shelf for her and she played with them in front of her mirror or on the rug.  As soon as she started rolling, this shelf was her top destination!  

I was going to get rid of our coffee table, but a good friend suggested that I move it against the wall instead.  I'm so glad I took her advice!  The coffee table ended up being one of the first places where Elise practiced pulling up and standing.  Lately, I've been putting a puzzle on top of the table for Elise to stand and take the pieces out of  - she loves doing this!  Underneath the table, there are baskets of diaper supplies, blankets, burp clothes, etc.

A few months ago, we set up a shelf for Elise on the other side of the room, too.  Arranging Elise's activities on shelves keeps everything orderly and appealing, and it's a snap to clean up because everything has its place.  Elise's sense of order is so strong, she notices immediately if something has been changed on one of the shelves.  Also, having the two shelves across the room from each other has really encouraged Elise to move!

Well, that's the tour - now I'm off to start rearranging.  I'm really excited because Hubs and I have decided to turn our tv room into a craft studio!  Woo hoo!!!