Duck Duck Moose Blog

We've moved!

2009-07-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Duck Duck Moose Design blog has moved to a different url. You can find us at: http://blog.duckduckmoosedesign.com/

Succulent Planters

2009-06-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

My grandmother was an avid gardener and growing up I spent my summers among her many fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. Some of my happiest childhood memories are there, following her around while she dispensed gardening tips. Unfortunately for me, the green thumb which seems to have been bestowed on all members of my family stopped at me. Unfortunately for the plants, I still have an insatiable desire to plant every spring. This year I decided to do something a bit different.

I was inspired by the beauty of succulents after reading an article in Sunset Magazine featuring these spectacular outdoor installations.

Succulents are really the perfect plant -- they are attractive, require little water and best of all, seemingly not tasty fodder for hungry felines (which truth be told, is the most common demise for my house plants).

There are a few boutique shops that specialize in succulents where you are likely to find some of the more colorful and rare varieties. After researching a few different options, I decided to pick mine up at the garden department of Home Depot where they have a large selection and they are considerably less expensive.

To Make a Succulent Planter

1. Choose your plants
I spent a little time considering the color palette and composition of my planters. I was careful to choose plants that are relatively the same height, with a few that are slightly taller for variation. There are many varieties of green to choose from, but I opted for a few shades of green with some darker varieties. My local Home Depot had colorful cacti, but I wanted my palette to be comprised of greens and hues of purple.

It is helpful to choose you planter at the same time so you have an idea of how tall your plants should be. Since I would be displaying mine inside on my dining table, I opted for glass vases.

2. Ready your plants
When you get your plants home, carefully remove them from their pots and separate them if you wish. Depending on how much soil you want in your planter, it may be helpful to try and save the dirt around the roots.

3. Plan your composition
It is important to decide how you would like your planter to look before starting. I wanted mine to have very little soil in the bottom, so I placed a small amount of soil at the bottom, secured the shorter plants by tamping soil around the roots while clearing a place for taller varieties.

You can add garden accents such as cement mushrooms or attractive stones, as well as a layer of gravel and/or sand below the dirt in your terrarium.

The trickiest part, is nudging the plants into position and adding the cactus soil without covering them in dirt. For attractive arrangements, try and keep the glass clean. I used a damp towel to remove dirt from the sides and Q-tips to tamp down dirt and nudge plants into tight spots.

Succulent Care

1. Make sure to keep your succulents in full sunlight

2. Water every two weeks (don't over water as this will cause the roots to rot)

3. Take care to pot your plants in cactus soil which helps with drainage

A note about cats: Many succulents are cat-friendly, however, if you have a cat it is always good practice to do a little research before selecting house plants.

Ooh la la...summer is here -- Part I

2009-05-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Summer is fast approaching and to celebrate here are some of our favorites this season.

Part I: Summer Wear

As the weather was heating up in San Francisco, we decided to hop in the car and visit some friends who defected to Denver with their 18 month old daughter. My friend gets a lot of her daughter's summer gear from REI, here are a few things we couldn't resist posting about.

{a} Roxy Teeny tiny two-piece swim suit.

{b} Life is Good Monkey Tee There is something very charming about these simple illustrations.

{c} My friend swears by these Keen shoes for wading around in streams with her daughter (they also come in adult sizes)

Fiddlesticks in Hayes Valley San Francisco is one of my favorite kid's clothing stores. They have an adorable selection of clothing, soft lunch boxes and capes. Here are a few of our favorite Fiddlesticks tees for this season.

{a} Peacock Tee for girls

{b} Fireflies Tee for boys

This Alice + Olivia Eloise party dress is a cutie (I kind of wish it came in adult sizes). Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet created a line of fashionable duds for wee ones including some edgy party dresses and organic cotton pieces.

Wheels on the Bus Contest Winner!

2009-05-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Duck Duck Moose put out a call for entries for our Kid Talent Contest. The rules were simple, make a video of your little one singing Wheels on the Bus. We received entries from all over and have really enjoyed watching them. Today, we are proud to announce a winner to our contest!

Congratulations to Misty Griffis and her son Ethan for Ethan's rendition of Wheels on the Bus. Check out Ethan's video below or visit the Duck Duck Moose website to see some of the Runner-ups for the contest. A big 'thank you' to all who participated!

Duck, Duck & Moose

Ingredients for Easter fun!

2009-04-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of our favorite Easter-themed goodies from around the web.

Around The World Children's Tin Pail
We couldn't resist blogging about these adorable vintage pails from Three Potato Four. The colorful illustrations depict children and animals from around the world and the pail is perfect to hold your little one's odds and ends.

Easter Play Food from Quiet Hour Toys

There is nothing more nostalgic that chocolate Easter bunnies and creme eggs. These small felt holiday confections are adorable additions to any Easter basket.

Orange Bunny Baby Slippers

Etsy is a great resource for crafty items. We can't seem to browse it without finding multiple things to covet. Check out these adorable Bunny Slippers from the Piddies shop. These little guys are handmade out of felt and fully lined. If bunnies are not your thing, there are plenty more designs from which to choose.

Responsible Easter Chicks

I took a brief respite from the California sun this weekend, to spend some time with my girlfriends in Santa Fe. While driving around I saw a sign for 'Easter chicks' and wondered about what happens to the little Easter chicks when they become not-so-Easter chickens. If you can't resist the allure of the soft and fluffy, check out these tiny, felted replicas -- they come in a variety of Easter colors.

Animal Stamper Set from Stubby Pencil Studio

Stubby Pencil Studio sells a myriad of creative, eco-friendly items for kids. This little Stamper set caught our eye. The fun toppers and playful stamps are perfect for making Easter cards.

Helen, a handknit bunny from Woolies

Adorable. Need we say more? See Helen on Woolies Etsy Shop

Squiggles’ Twin Bunny Toy with Carrot from Palomino Morgan

We really love the adorable face on this Bunny plush toy from Palomino Morgan. This bunny is made from a previously laundered wool sweater, but note that she can be pre-ordered only at this time.

Easter Bib from Hazel May

This is a sweet Easter bib from Hazel May's Etsy shop. The colorful fabric is adorable and the back is lined with a soft material.

Small Felt Sheep from Lagreen

There is something a little reminiscent of the Ugly Doll/Emily the Strange style in this small felt sheep from Lagreen.

Easter Hats & Dresses

Some adorable Easter dresses and baby hats from around the web.

Spring Flower Hat

Floppy Ear Easter Bunny/ Lamb Hat

Rio Dress from Tea Collection

Catedral Dress

Designer Easter Chocolates

These chocolate Easter eggs from Recchiuti in San Francisco are *almost* too pretty to eat! Recchiuti has a whole line of exquisite and tasty treats. Some of their chocolates can also be beautifully customized for weddings and parties with a design or monogram.

Wheels on the Bus Kid Contest!

2009-03-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Calling all Wheels on the Bus fans - submit your videos for a chance to win $250 and be featured in our iPhone app!

Submit your video of Wheels on the Bus on YouTube. We’re looking for ALL renditions of the Wheels on the Bus song. We want to see your little musicians, clowns, pranksters, dreamers, actors, dancers, magicians, comedians, poets, and more!

Enter contest for a chance to win $250 and have your video featured in the Wheels on the Bus iPhone application, one of the most popular children’s applications on iTunes. Thousands of children and parents around the world will see the winning video.

Ends April 30, 2009.

For more information on the contest, what we are looking for and how to submit your videos, visit our contest page: http://duckduckmoosedesign.com/kid-talent-contest

The wheels on the bus go round and round…

2009-02-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

And round. Here are some of our favorite buses at home and abroad.

You can take the bus with you with this Zid Zid bus backpack. A simple, and modern design, it is made with vinyl so can be cleaned easily. You can find the Zid Zid backpack on Design Public Kids. It is a great resource for Modern objects designed especially with kids in mind.

You have probably seen this classic Marimekko design - Bo Boo by Katsuji Wakisaka which has cars, trucks, and, of course, yellow buses.

The bright, playful fabric of Marimekko can easily be turned into a wall hanging in your child's room (my brother had one on his wall growing up). Check out these easy instructions to create your own Marimekko wall hanging.

This 'Ride the Bus' t-shirt by Tadpole Creations is perfect for small tykes. The playful illustrative nature of the designs and bold colors make this a must-have for any parent. Check out Tadpole Creations other designs, my favorite is this colorful elephant.

The book Bus Stops by Taro Gomi is a favorite in our house. The beautiful watercolor illustrations depict a bus going through town, stopping at various places like a fair, a hospital, and a restaurant. The book encourages visual exploration and asks children to find fun things -- a clown, a mechanic, a cow.

The Ten Thousand Villages School Bus toy was handmade in Sri Lanka by an organization that provides work to at-risk youth. Made with albizia wood, a fast-growing, reforested tree.

Welcome to Duck Duck Moose Design Blog!

2009-02-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

Duck Duck Moose was founded by three friends who share a passion for children, music, education, design, and play. We observed that our young children loved to play with our iPhones – a perfect form factor for small hands and an interface that is intuitive for even toddlers. We also noticed that there were very few fun, educational apps designed for children.

We created our first product, Wheels on the Bus, with help from many friends. We produced all the music, illustrations and interactions ourselves. Our own children, their friends, and other parents tested the Bus for us, and gave us very helpful feedback.

After launching Wheels on the Bus, we at Duck Duck Moose were inspired to start a blog to showcase some of the many exciting things that are happening in the world of design for babies and young children.

We hope you enjoy our blog!

Caroline (duck), Nicci (duck) & Michael (moose)