Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you have turkey yesterday and enjoy all of the trimmings along with it. My niece made the most delicious chestnut and ham stuffing. All of the delicious aromas drifted all over her house as she was preparing dinner.I brought my Mom's favorite, Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie. Though my Mom is now missing at the family gatherings, we remember all of the things she would get excited about. One of those was the great grandchildren and all of their smiles and antics.If you have just spent Thanksgiving getting together with family, you may now have a renewed interest in getting your Christmas shopping underway. We have some excellent gift ideas for those toddlers in your family. Check us out at www.KidsPaintedFurnitureShop.com

Liz Luvs Kids
Aren't kids great. They make you laugh, they make you cry, they frustrate you but oh, what joy they bring to your lives. Kids will be grown in such a short while, so why not make their lives special while you have them to love and nurture. One way to help them feel special is to read to them and teach them about the excitement and creativity that books can bring into their lives. We love to create reading centers in your home with individualized kids rockers, kids bookshelves and a selection of wonderful books to enjoy. Our site offers a unique selection of child's rocking chairs especially designed to put a sparkle in the eyes of your child and let them know that they are special. We have a beautiful selection of kids bookshelves that not only hold those favorite books but inspire your child's imagination every time they take a book off the shelf. Spend time reading to your child and letting your child read to you. Those precious moments will be gone before you realize it. And be sure to create a reading center for your child from our wonderful selection of kids rockers and kids bookshelves that are beautifully hand painted to delight and inspire your child.

Thomas and Friends come to Kids Painted Furniture Shop
The dictionary says themes are "recurrent ideas" so if you want a theme for your child's room at this time in his life, why not choose the theme - Thomas and Friends.The great moral stories of Thomas the Tank engine have delighted children for almost 60 years. Now, in addition to these wonderful books, Kids Painted Furniture has introduced a brand new line-up of kids furniture beautifully realized in hand painted toy boxes, a design rich growth chart, child's table and chairs and kids toys.To create the theme, place a cute pair of painted book-ends on your child's dresser. His toys can be neatly organized in the Thomas and Friends toy chest. The cute Thomas and Friends table comes with your choice of engine characters; Gordon, Percy, Thomas, Edward, James or Henry. Another addition to the room's theme is the hand painted growth chart which will keep track of many memories as your child grows.See these great items at http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/thomas-and-friends and get started on the Thomas and Friends theme for your little boy's room while we are offering free shipping on any order.

Two Children + Two 'Friggy the Frog' Adirondack Chairs = Lots of Smiles
The season for enjoying time outside is here. Spring has brought the beautiful tulips and daffodils into bloom and we are getting ready to plant our annual flowers.Are you thinking that this year you are definitely going to spend more time outside relishing the warm weather? Maybe it would help to have 'Friggy the Frog' on your front porch or screened in patio to give those little ones in your family a place to relax when they have run their legs off playing in the yard.'Friggy the Frog' perches himself right up on the back of the chair and encourages your child to climb up and sit tall with him.Why not order a set of kid-sized porch chairs so that your child and his or her friends have their own special spot to rest. And, while they are relaxing and quiet, read a book about spiders and caterpillars to them.Here are two suggestions: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle or"Little Miss Spider" by David Kirk.These are wonderful picture story books to share the world of nature with your child. See this beautiful chair at Kids Painted Furniture Shop.com

Magic Garden brings magic to your child's world!
Cheryl loved her Magic Garden rocker. Her comment to us was so gratifying when she said, "The rocker is absolutely beautiful!" We have included a close-up picture of the back of the Magic Garden child's rocker to show you the carving detail and the lovely painting detail. The colors blend so well and are so fitting for today's home decor.If you think your child would enjoy having a beautiful child's rocker, visit us at http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/product/W7499Aand we will give you the same personal attention that we gave Cheryl.

What are Themes?
The dictionary says themes are recurrent ideas. Once you grasp the "theme" you want for this time in your child's life, your life just gets easier. Furniture themes such as those featured on Kids Painted Furniture Shop (http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/theme) are style and subject themes that relate to the living environment. If sports are important to your family, then a sports theme is a logical choice for your son or daughter. If grace and charm are important to you for your little girl, then a princess theme would be more appropriate than a rock and roll or goth theme. Each theme that we choose at Kids Painted Furniture Shop is meant to provide a positive direction and thus a positive impact on your child. Choose one of our themes and bring it into their room to help raise your child to be the person you know he or she can be.

Exciting New Product Introduction
One of our suppliers just introduced two (2) new Kids High Chairs. They are so cute and reflect the always attractive designs and styles for which Teamson is known. This hand carved and hand painted chair pictured on the left is from the "Friends at the Zoo" collection and is a popular group that has sold very well. If you would like some additional information be sure to go to our site. Just click here http://kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/product/W8366A. You may also want to share this info with a new mom. As nice as these high chairs are, you'll both be glad you did!

How do we give gifts that work!
OR SHOULD WE EVEN GIVE GIFTS ANYMORE!Every time a holiday or birthday comes around many of us get that 'sinking' feeling inside along with the thought, "Is it his birthday, AGAIN?" "What am I going to get her THIS Christmas?" "He is impossible to shop for, he already has everything." "Last year I got her this beautiful sweater and she already had one like it." "His other grandparents will get him something more than we can afford." This list of 'thoughts' could go on forever and we would still not know what to buy for our grandson. I hope to give you some help solving the problem of 'THE GIFT.'Recently, a program on the radio discussing a book titled, "Scroogenomics" (author's name is Joel Waldfogel) got me to thinking, once again, about this universal problem. On the show they talked about several interesting aspects of gift giving. Here is my take on a few ideas that may help you.If you buy a gift for a $100, you expect that the person you give it to would appreciate it at least $100 worth. Well, it is not that easy. Each of us value things differently, so if your $100 gift is something that the other person really wants, then you have hit a home run and they value it at a $125 or more. If, as is sometimes the case, it may NOT be something they really want, then the value goes down. This is an illustration of 'perceived value.' Another way to look at it is that when we get a gift, it sometimes isn't as valuable to us as it cost the giver. In fact, Waldfogel and others actually translate this phenomenon into a discount percentage. The estimates range to as much as a whopping 75% of the purchase value of the gift is lost in the view of the person receiving the gift. How much we would be willing to pay for the gift if we were to buy it for ourselves reflects our actual value of the item. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to improve your gift giving ability and become more the hero you really are.1. Creatively hand made items are often at the top of the list because they represent something more valuable than money - your time and interest. When a small child makes something for his mom or grandpa, it is appreciated way beyond its actual worth. Picture, as a parent or grandparent, the value of a short poem or song made up, written and yes, even performed especially for you.As an adult, your hand made gift is expected to reflect a higher level of quality. Once again, the added factor is that the person actually wants it. Sometimes a hobby that we have holds a special interest for us, but the products of our hobby may hold lesser value to someone we might gift it to. We can often sense how people might feel about such items by their reactions to them when they see us working on such products.By now you have figured out that the key factor is KNOWING the person. This is a great example of where knowledge is power. (My wife listens all through the year for clues as to what it is that our family members would like to have.) What would the person like to have, that they won't likely buy for themselves. When you get this right, it reveals that you have taken time and effort to discover what they want and got it for them.2. Sometimes we don't have the opportunity to get ideas for gifts because we live at a distance or are not in close enough relationship to learn. Then you have to depend on someone else providing that information to you, (wife, sister, parent, children, etc.). It still requires time and effort to find the right gift for that person. Hobbies and special interests can be a clue, but it still is nice to know what the person wants.3. Now we start thinking about things that a child may not have but that he might enjoy. A few of the things we enjoyed as children can be brought into the present age, but many of them cannot since they have been upstaged by the latest electronic gizmo. If we start thinking of things that we see other children playing with and enjoying, that can provide clues. When we are dealing with kids gifts, remember that size is one of the factors in the mind of a child. A bigger gift often carries more value than a small one. You can remember that from when you were a kid. Appearance, size, color and design all add to the visual impact and perceived value in a child's eye. Creative and uncommon gifts are always appreciated. When you as a dad or grandma give something to a child, there is also a sentimental quality that comes with it. When they are little, this works well. Another related aspect to this is that if the mom and dad like the gift you give their child, you get extra points for that too.4. In an article about the etiquette of gift giving and receiving, the discussion was directed towards the person who receives the gift. The main idea the article addressed, was that ALL gifts need to be acknowledged. The obvious reason for this is courtesy. This takes on additional significance when gifts are not given in person. The giver would like to know that the gift was received. If the gift is one that is only mildly valuable, a simple thank you is in order. If on the other hand, the gift is one that indicates that a lot of time, effort and/or expense was invested, it needs to be acknowledged with praise and gratefulness as appropriate.When we receive gifts that we don't like or need, that puts us in a difficult position. In some cultures, gifts are not opened in front of others so that the giver won't loose face. In the instance above, a reaction in front of others may not be the best way to deal with the issue.Businesses struggle with this problem every day. What can we offer our customers that is unique, reasonable in price, good quality and sells. The solution that we came up with for ourselves is kids furniture. It is colorful, useful for several years and durable. What we sell is additionally creative and appealing to kids. Our customers constantly tell us that they are pleasantly surprised at how well it is made and that their kids love it. Look at http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/ You will not be disappointed.

How to Repair a Loose Leg in Your Kid's Furniture
Many new kid's furniture manufacturers, because of shipping and design considerations , do not have spindles or legs that are glued into the seat of a chair or rocker. But, kids rockers and chairs from previous generations often used this construction. Through the years, the legs or spindles may become loose and your kids rocker becomes wobbly. If left unrepaired, the rocker will not last long.The repair is more permanent and stronger when the two pieces can be fully separated. If other spindles/legs keep you from removing the loose leg, you may have to separate those that are still tight. By using a mallet and a block of wood and/or with a rocking and twisting motion, you will be able to loosen the tight leg. A further aid in this process would be to use a chemical solution to soften the old glue. Equally mix distilled white vinegar and hot water. Inject the solution using some kind of syringe into the joint. Doing this several times during a few hour period will work. If that solution doesn't soften the joint, a stronger solution of lacquer thinner (acetone) can be tried. Be aware, however, that lacquer thinner will almost always damage furniture finishes and should be used only as a last resort.Once the pieces to be repaired and reglued are separated, you must remove all the old dried glue. New glue applied to a joint without removing the old glue will not result in a strong repair. Scrape and sand the dowel end and clear the socket by removing all the old glue. If you have a drum sanding bit (Dremel style) you can use it with your drill to sand the inside of the socket. Another way is to wrap sandpaper around a dowel rod and use that to sand the insides. Be sure to carefully remove the lump of glue often found in the bottom of the socket with a drill and/or chisel. That glue is sometimes the result of the dowel end not fully inserted into the socket which may be why the joint became loose.Check the pieces for fit. Next apply white glue to both pieces and reassemble. You will want to clamp and glue the joint. Be sure it is fully together. Do not over tighten the clamps as this will squeeze too much glue from the joint and weaken your repair. Wipe any any excess glue or runs from your repair.Clamping chairs can be tricky. You may need to employ a rope or cords to mate with the uneven surfaces and angles.If you have questions, contact us through our website: http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/ and we will be glad to help. We also have some wonderful new kid's furniture pieces that will inspire and delight your child or grandchild.

How to Repair a Loose Leg/Rail Joint in Your Kid's Furniture
Repairing your kid's furniture can be a rewarding task. Here is what you would do to repair a loose leg/rail joint in your kid's furniture. Underneath a padded removable seat or table top, there is a rail frame. The legs are located in the corners of this frame. The rails have a tenon (tab) and the leg has a mortise (hole). In some designs the leg is mounted inside the frame and secured by screws or a special bracket. The loose joint is often due to the stress applied to the leg in usage and it needs to be re-glued before it breaks. To re-glue the joint it is best to disassemble the leg and rail. Once apart you can clean the old glue from both pieces. You may find that the tenon is slightly too small and doesn't fit. This can be remedied by building up the tenon with a shim. A tapered shim may work but probably a piece of flat stock would work better. You can make a flat shim with your table saw. Another approach would be to carefully saw a slot into the tenon and then insert a wedge to expand it to the proper size. Drilling a small hole as shown in the drawing at the top of the slot will reduce the chance of splitting.Once done it would be best to glue the wedge/shim in place and let cure. At that time you can test fit the tenon to be sure that it is tight. Apply white glue evenly to all surfaces of both the mortise and tenon and assemble. Be sure that the tenon is fully into the mortise and that the alignment is correct. Clamp and wipe away the excess glue. Stand the chair or table on a level floor and put a heavy tool box on it so that all four legs will be square with the floor as the glue drys. Touch up the finish if necessary. To see some nice kids furniture that you don't have to repair go to http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com

How to Repair your Kid's Furniture
You would be unique indeed if your children weren't a little rougher on their furniture than you would like them to be. When that happens, sometimes things get broken or damaged. We have a couple of ideas on how to solve your problem.Your first and best idea is to contact the manufacturer to see if replacement parts are available. Our manufacturers keep spare parts just for this purpose.If replacement parts are not available, make an assessment of the damage and plan your course of action. If the repair potentially compromises the strength and thus the safety of the piece of your kid's furniture, then you need to proceed cautiously.In upcoming posts, we will discuss some of the repairs and how they can be made safely.http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/ has some wonderful replacement items if your kid's furniture is beyond repair.

How to repair a broken leg or spindle on your kids furniture
You may have a broken chair/rocker leg or spindle on your kid's furniture. The strength of this repair is critical in providing safety for your child. There are several ways to make these repairs to provide strength. Your good judgment comes into play when deciding the best technique. If you are working on a round or turned leg/spindle, you are limited by the smallest dimension of the leg as to what size dowel rod you may use. You can find a good selection of repair dowels at a store like Lowes. Obviously, the larger the diameter, the stronger the dowel and thus the repair. Some dowels come with ribs or grooves on their surfaces to increase the gluing surface and aid in distributing the glue into the repair. However, those dowels are generally too short for the repair that we will illustrate here. It may be necessary to make your own grooves on the surface of a smooth dowel rod. Dowel materials are made from different woods and a hardwood is preferred. Kids furniture often is subject to hard use and so strength is important.Depending on the leg diameter, use a 1/4", 5/16", or 3/8" dowel. First, glue the break with white glue and clamp. Let it cure for 24/48 hours. Then, per the illustration, very accurately drill a hole through the leg into the spindle about 1/4" longer than the dowel. Since a dry fit doesn't work well with a dowel repair, check your measurements carefully before applying the glue. If the hole isn't deep enough or the dowel sticks out too far, that will cause you trouble. Again it is very important to apply glue evenly to the inside walls of the hole as well as to the dowel. Carefully tap the dowel into the repair. Be sure to go about an equal distance on either side of the repair and leave about an 1/8" at the outside end to fill and finish the repair. Clamp the repair making sure that the pieces are completely together without over tightening. Wipe away excess glue with a damp cloth.If your repair is in the length of the leg and if the break is close to one end of the leg/spindle, you can glue the repair and drill in only one direction as described above. If the break is too far into the leg, then it requires that you drill the leg first in one direction then the other and get it lined up straight in the process. This would be very difficult to do by 'eye.' If you have access to a drill press and can clamp each piece securely and straight in all planes, you have a good chance for success. If the holes are not lined up accurately then the repaired leg will be crooked.Does all of this sound like too much work to repair your kid's furniture? Then how about taking some time to check out all of the wonderful kids rockers and chairs on our website, http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/.

Repairing a Broken Leg on your Kids Furniture
When you repair a child's chair or table leg, it is important to make the repair as strong or stronger than the original leg. As mentioned in our previous blog, if you can get a replacement piece that is best. However, many kids furniture pieces have been passed down in the family and replacement pieces are not available. There are several ways to make repairs to a break and each has its own advantage. We will discuss just one method in this blog. The illustration on the left shows a good way to make a strong repair.1. First, accurately glue the break, clamp and let dry .2. Then notch the leg with a router.3. Finally glue repair splints and clamp into place.If you don't have a router, a table saw with the blade set at 1/4" height (the thickness of your splints) will cut those splint notches very nicely. Make the notches by making a series of close cuts. Then by moving the piece back and forth sideways, you can remove the very thin strips left from your series of close cuts.Finally, the best glue to use for wood repair is a white glue like Elmers. The benefit is that it doesn't become as brittle as yellow glue. It is also a little easier to clean up and will dry clear.If you are ready for a brand new piece of kids furniture for your child, check out what we have at http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/

Welcome to the Kids Furniture Blog!
Kids furniture has some cool aspects. How did the pint sized furniture idea originate? What is the history of the child's rocking chair? Would you like to learn how to decorate your child's room with inspiration and style?These questions and more will be the topic of our upcoming blogs. Be sure to let us know topics that are of interest to you and we will do our research.And of course we would love to have you visit http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/ for really nifty kids furniture that will delight your child.

Would a Monkey Make Mealtime More Fun?
Kids Painted Furniture Shop recently introduced two new kid's high chairs. One is a "Friends at the Zoo" theme and the other is a soft pastel "Princess" theme.It is so much fun to put your child in a colorful high chair at each meal. Unlike many things, this is something that you will use every day and probably several times a day. It will create a color-filled space that both you and your child will enjoy.Take time today to see these new introductions and put meal-time at the top of their list of fun things to do. Here is the place to check out the first kid's high chair - http://www.kidspaintedfurnitureshop.com/product/W8366A