Every mom knows the virtues of melamine--it's durable, it's easy to clean, and it's cheap enough to buy in bulk. We've gathered the newest, most creative, stylish melamine plates. Not only are they fantastic for your upcoming outdoor dining, whatever your kids toss at 'em, these plates can handle it.

Clockwise from top left:

Melamine Paper salad plate, $1.25, Pier 1 imports for stores
A clever nod to the ubiquitous paper plate, this cute version will dress up any outdoor fete.

Poketo Middletons melamine plate, $40 for a set of 4, Poketo + Marco Cibola
Add a little whimsy into your dinnertime routine with this abstract pattern.

Custom melamine plate, $15, Freddy & Ma
Cater to your taste for design by customizing your plates from a selection
of about 400 cool, vintage styles.

Melamine salad plate, $10, Smith & Hawken
The scalloped edges and dainty dots make it look like fine china, but it’s just as sturdy as your kid’s favorite Spongebob plate.

Sea Life dinner plate, $36,Thomas Paul, Velocity Art and Design
Choose from lobsters, seahorses, goldfish, crabs, and more, and pretend you're dining oceanside.

Photography by Philip Ficks

Scullcave is not your usual play hut. Made of lightweight durable sensaten, a material used as isolation when laying the foundation of cemented roads, it's easy to unscrew and roll up with just a few simple steps. This funky looking play hut will sure make a bold statement in your child's room--and will probably make him the envy of all his friends.

Last week we showed you Cynthia Rowley's cute backyard accessories for Target, but the colorful new outdoor living collection from The Conran Shop is making us even more eager for summer. Bring on the mojitos!

Cambi Table in Orange by Aldo Ciabatti, $495

Luxembourg Bar Cart in Apple Green by Frederic Sofia, $595

Casanova Sunlounger in Emerald, $425

Lizz Chair in Red, $285

Strolling through Flickr (and inspired by our story on terrariums), Junior Society found a smattering of some gorgeous DIY terrariums. Whether you have a yard or not, they're easy to create and a gorgeous accessory for any room. Click here to see the rest of their top 10 and check out a how-to video.

These self-adhesive tiles from the German design company Pulpo are a stroke of brilliance. Not only do they give you a convenient (temporary) way to store or hang your bathroom odds and ends (maybe putting a towel hook or toothbrush at kid reach), they also brighten up an otherwise blah tile bathroom wall. (Also sold through ex49.)

Forget those boring genealogy charts. Nowadays, smart do-it-yourselfers are creating modern takes on family trees. Here's a round-up of our favorites...

"I treasure old photographs of my family. Most were kept in a box, and I really wanted to showcase them and was inspired by the inspiration boards that I saw on Design for Mankind, Poppytalk, and other design blogs. I created this display over my bedroom dresser and it was so sweet to see these happy family memories everyday." -- Emilia Jane from San Diego.

"My inspiration was a family tree that my mom had filled out when I was little. I thought art would be better appreciated than something in a book that nobody ever sees." -- Coren from Texas (who sells customizable family trees with up to seven names).

"This family tree is from The Small Object. The instruction sheet says, "Fill it with her biggest fans," so we fill in the blanks with her grandparents and great-grandparents." -- Elly from Boulder, Colorado.

"Inspired by a fellow flickr member, this project was fun and frustrating all at once. I love working with fabric and paper, but wood is a whole other animal. You should have seen me out there routing and drilling. After making the tree with pine, a jigsaw, a router, small dowels, wooden beads, and acrylic paint, I gave it to my parents as a gift." -- Amanda from Lancaster, Texas.

Not up for a big project? British shop Famille Summerbelle will create a hand-cut family tree print with your loved ones' photographs.

Little dudes grow up so quickly, it's sometimes hard to believe they were ever that small. So wouldn't it be amazing to create photo books showcasing the growth of your baby? Well, we've found two genius companies that do just that.

Splurge: Good Stock creates custom books with baby photos, letters or drawings. These gorgeously designed, high quality tomes would make any coffee table proud. Just beware the hefty price tag: $1,750 for a 50-page large book.

Steal: Apple can also made books featuring your favorite snapshots. The process is more DIY and the quality not as polished, but the bright side is the rock-bottom price: From $30 for a 20-page book.

Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

If you don't yet know Irene Hoofs, today's your lucky day! The Malaysia-based designer runs the design blog Bloesem and recently launched a children's blog, B:Kids. Fans adore her fresh, modern style and friendly tone. We decided to "visit" her (over e-mail, unfortunately!), and it was clear that this design maven and her family live beautifully...

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband and I met almost fifteen years ago. We both have a passion for exploring other countries. For the past two years, our son, Lode, joins us wherever we go. He's the best thing that has happened to us and hopefully there will be a little brother or sister for him in the near future.

What's Kuala Lumpur like?
It's a cosmopolitan city; the energy is great, and people are very friendly, especially towards children. And I love the weather. You can feel the country wants to grow, and it's an easy hub to many Asian cities. For instance, we recently went to Bangkok to do some sightseeing.

You're originally from Amsterdam. What brought you to KL?
My husband found an exciting job here, and I didn't mind joining him. But I had two wishes: My Apple had to come with me and we would look for a place big enough for me to have my own studio. My wishes came true.

What do you do as a family in your area?
You can go to the elephant park, and see wild monkeys and beautiful birds.

How would you describe your decor style?
We try to keep our place open and uncluttered. We like to travel light and keep space for Lode to run around. Each year, we only buy one or two collector's items by designers we love--Isamu Noguchi, Eames and Hans Wegner. I also hope one day to have a real Kiki van Eijk.

How did you want Lode's nursery to look?
Fresh and basic and simple. The main attention should go to his books, toys and posters.
The curtains are from IKEA.

How did you decide on Lode's name?
"Lode" is just a name that I heard one day and fell in love with. It felt right, and fortunately my husband liked it too.

What a lovely chair! Do you use it a lot?
It's perfect comfy chair where we can read books together. Lode also enjoys sitting in it himself and will get this really proud smile on his face after climbing in it with as many toys as possible.

What language do you speak with Lode?
Dutch, and the baby-sitter speaks English with him.

Where did you find the great Panton chair?
We bought it at a market. We love the bright color, and it brightens up Lode's room, which doesn't always get much light...

When you choose toys, what do you look for?
We love wooden toys; they're solid and give a more natural feel. I don't think Lode notices this yet, although he finds the wooden toys hard to break. I think he likes the plastic toys just as much, and often they make more noise and he likes that, too.

Is art a big part of your life? (P.S. Your husband is cute.)
Although I'm not a frequent visitor of museums and don't know a lot about art, I do know what I like. Art, design and crafts make me very happy and give a beautiful dimension to our lives. They're like good food and wine: They make life so much better.

What prompted you to start a kids' blog? (We love it.)
I'd been toying with the idea since Lode was born, and I must say writing posts for BloesemKids is almost easier than for Bloesem, because there are so many beautiful finds out there. It's great to see how children inspire people to be more creative and daring and to tickle our imagination with beautiful products.

Do you consider blogging work or relaxation?
Mainly relaxation, but sometimes when I'm still writing late in the evening or on vacation, I consider it work. A blog never stops. It's a never-ending story, but a beautiful one...

Has motherhood been the same or different from what you expected?
Being a mom has softened me more than I had expected. My son brings so much laughter to my daily life. Motherhood also makes me fully appreciate life--it's just a wonderful gift!

For more, visit Irene's design blog and kids' blog. If you're in the house-touring mood, you can read through all the past Cookie home tours here.

We're big fans of Target over here, and we are so excited for the arrival of their Whim by Cynthia Rowley summer collection. Starting Sunday and through June 27, you can glam up your backyard at incredibly reasonable prices. (Who would of thought an inflatable pool could be such a style statement?) Here are some of our favorites from the line, which includes everything from a cute turquoise mini grill to a hot pink hose.

Madras Plaid inflatable pool, $10

Badminton set, $13

Blue/Green hooded towel, $10

"When my daughter was small, I loved carrying her with me, instead of strapping her into a stroller. It was easier to browse through shops and flea markets, and we loved exploring the world together." -- Jean, Naples, Florida.

We agree--and the cutest slings we've seen recently are these numbers from etsy shop BronwenHandcrafted. Made with designer knits (think Missoni, Marimekko and Vera Wang), they're available in five sizes and many colors. Ridiculously cute baby, not included.