Gender Neutral

Food and Fun

A Cute Vintage Cookies-and-Milk Party For Twins

"Having boy/girl twins, I wanted to create a party that had touches of masculine and feminine to represent them both but wasn't too strong in either way.

"Having boy/girl twins, I wanted to create a party that had touches of masculine and feminine to represent them both but wasn't too strong in either way. This can be very tricky!" says mom and interior, floral, and event designer Kimberly Francom. Kimberly started with a gender-neutral cookies-and-milk theme and added in both girlie and boy-friendly elements. "I used small doses of ruffles, lace, fresh florals, and coral, balanced with burlap, neutral tones, and distressed crates," she says. The result is a vintage, rustic party full of DIY details that would appeal to any cookie-loving child (e.g. all children)! Keep clicking for all the details.

Source: Designs by KF

parenting

5 Parenting Methods That Take It to the Extreme

No two parenting styles are exactly alike, but most families follow some variation of, "Eat your vegetables, go to bed at a reasonable time, and don't watch too much TV."
Different Parenting Philosophies

No two parenting styles are exactly alike, but most families follow some variation of, "Eat your vegetables, go to bed at a reasonable time, and don't watch too much TV." They adjust their parenting style to fit the needs and personalities of their individual kids. However, some parents adhere to much more clearly defined — what some would consider extreme — parenting philosophies.

Did you adhere to any of these?

Shopping

Unisex Decals Cheer Up Drab Bedroom Walls

There are lots of ways to go the traditional boy or girl route when decorating your lil one's nursery.
Unisex Wall Decorations For Nursery

There are lots of ways to go the traditional boy or girl route when decorating your lil one's nursery. But if you don't subscribe to gender-specific decorating, wall decals are an easy way to jazz up a room. Check out my favorite five options.

Open House: How Do You Balance Masculine and Feminine Elements?

CasaSugar Community member Mamalovespapa posted this photo in the Lovely Little Vignettes group, saying, "My husband wanted this midcentury black leather couch and I wanted to add a little girly touch with photos, the vintage mirrors, and the throw pillows."

CasaSugar Community member Mamalovespapa posted this photo in the Lovely Little Vignettes group, saying, "My husband wanted this midcentury black leather couch and I wanted to add a little girly touch with photos, the vintage mirrors, and the throw pillows." I love her wall art arrangement as well as their leather sofa, and I think it's a successful example of balancing masculine and feminine elements. Of course, it's definitely OK to have a room that's mainly either masculine or feminine, but if you're sharing your home with your better half, it's only fair to meet halfway. Even if you're living alone, creating a gender-neutral balance sometimes is just more interesting than something overly girlish. How do you balance masculine and feminine elements in your home? Fill us in by commenting below!

Bedrooms

Assisted Living: Decorating With the Boyfriend

Assisted Living group member Quindalina is moving in with her boyfriend and having a decorating dilemma: The problem is, how do you design a flat (especially the bedroom) in a neutral style without being too girly?

Assisted Living group member Quindalina is moving in with her boyfriend and having a decorating dilemma:

The problem is, how do you design a flat (especially the bedroom) in a neutral style without being too girly? Right now my studio is full of pastels and bright colors: pink bedspread, flowers, pictures everywhere, etc. We are moving next week and I'm thinking of design ideas and color themes but cannot come up with anything, help!!

I think my 10 Gender-Neutral Bedrooms post should help any of you who are moving in with a boyfriend or husband. You should find a lot of inspiration and tips there. But I think the thing to remember is that balance is key. Anything overly masculine or feminine won't do — say goodbye to florals and pink and tell him to put his sports memorabilia in storage. Mix clean-lined shapes with more delicate ones. Pair deep hues with pops of livelier color in accessories. As for the wardrobe, check out these tips on sharing a closet with your man. And here are some gender-neutral nightstands, too — make sure you have one for each side of the bed.

Does anyone else have any tips for decorating a shared home? Have a question of your own? Be sure to post photos and tales to the Assisted Living group!

Source

Bedrooms

Roundup: Gender-Neutral Nightstands

Since we're on the topic of gender-neutral bedrooms, I decided to hunt down some nightstands for the nonpartisan rooms to help you get the look.
Martha Stewart at ShopStyle

Since we're on the topic of gender-neutral bedrooms, I decided to hunt down some nightstands for the nonpartisan rooms to help you get the look. Whether you're trying to fashion a successful cohabitation or you're just decorating a guest room or spare room, these tables are for you. The thing to remember is that your choice doesn't have to be bland to be neutral; you can still have color, ornamentation, shape, shine, and interesting materials without creating an overly feminine or masculine room. To see what I'm getting at, read more