Sanity and Money Saving Kid’s Decor from Engage Environments

When my first daughter was little, I spent a small fortune on her bedroom decor. I purchased an “heirloom” iron bunny bed, custom matching pastel linens, and had a a mural painted in her bedroom. It was gorgeous. Breathtaking and perfect. She hated it.
If only I’d met the ladies behind Engage Environments back then, I could have saved myself a ton of money and heartache.

In retrospect I should have seen the revolt coming. Because while my daughter’s room was gorgeous, it was not so much hers, as mine. Her beloved Teletubby dolls were too garish to be left out on her bed and thus banished to the closet. Her favorite blanket, nipped from my mom’s house, did not match the decor. By the time she was three she would not even sleep in her perfectly decorated room. She was over the bunnies she’d loved at two, she wanted rainbows. Or ponies. Or butterflies. It was hard to keep up. Still is! Every six months my kids seems to reinvent themselves and beg to redecorate.
Nowadays, as a mom of four I am now far more cautious about what I buy. I try and buy the simplest and best quality basics that will stand the test of time. I spend as little as possible on “specifics” – anything with a theme, color, style or motif that my kids are likely to tire of. I’m less about matching and more about coordinating. I don’t banish any beloved objects (within reason!) from the bedroom.
This is why I was so captivated by the entire “Backdrop Bedding” collection from Engage Environments. This is quite possibly smartest children’s decor company I have ever seen. Their products literally made me want to clap my hands!
Continue reading for details on the clever bedding accessories from Engage that will save your money, time and sanity

First up was their line of expandable crib/bedskirts in a neutral striped pattern. Engage Enviroments calls these “the colors of childhood”. Their fabric palette was designed to coordinate with virtually everything. To prove this point, I walked their sample through my whole multi-colored home. It went with my kitchen colors, my son’s bedroom primary colors, my daughter’s pastel and paisley and more. But this is not the coolest part. The coolest part is that there are clever zippers hidden in this bedskirt that adjust the size to fit a crib, a toddler bed, a twin (including a twin daybed) and a full size mattress. Check out this video to see how the Expandable Bedskirt works. One size fits all and one color goes with all -it could be the only bedskirt you ever need. And yes, I believe it would even match with Teletubbies. In fact, had I had this item in the ill fated bunny bedroom, it probably would have pulled the toys together with the theme and saved me a lot of redecorating heartache.

Next I checked out Engage’s unique Crib Cozy bumper system which is a complete departure from standard crib bumpers. Their system is composed of two wedges and two angled boslters that contain a high density foam, enclosed in a waterproof anti-microbial casing. The bolsters and wedges fit snugly together like blocks in the crib, requiring only minimal ties. Their shape and density poses less of a strangulation or suffocation risk than traditional bumpers and they are a snap to disassemble and wash in the event of an (inevitable!) mess. The fabric used on the bumpers only gets softer with each wash.
Wondering what to do with bumpers after kids get bigger? The Engage bumpers transition to bed bolter or playroom cushion beautifully. Once again, your investment in long term and wise.
I was so impressed with the creativity and thoughtfulness of these products, designed by moms who really get it! Even their cribsheets are thoughtful The sides are colored to coordinate with bedroom decor themes while the tops are all plain to encourage restful sleep.
I wish I’d invested in bedding like this with my oldest child. I’m pretty sure we’d still be using it now, long after the Teletubbies have faded into distant memory.