"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.

"When I moved into an apartment with a not-so-spacious bedroom, it was clear that my desk was the elephant--if not the 800 pound gorilla--in the room. I put it into storage and tried to find a skinny, space-saving table that could go against the wall. My father came up with the idea of L-shaped table that could serve as a nightstand and a desk. A terrific woodworker from New Jersey, Carl Kunkel, made it out of cherry, and now it works perfectly as a bedside table and a desk that is just wide enough to fit my laptop. (It's also a clever way to hide my radiator.)" --Anna Nordberg, Cookie Associate Editor

"I had a regular tote bag, but I always forgot it at home when I went to buy groceries. Luckily, I discovered Baggu Bags. Made of rip-stop nylon, each $8 bag can hold 25 lbs. They come in eight cheerful colors--my daughter's favorite is pink, of course. The best part: The bags fold up and fit into a 5"x5" pouch, so I just stick them in my purse and have them whenever I need them." --Rachel, Cookie reader, Pittsburgh, PA

"I repurposed this chef's order rack that I found at a restaurant supply store, and turned it into my memo station. All those little (yet crucial!) scraps that get misplaced--phone numbers, business cards, even ripped out pages of magazines--are stuck up right where I know to find them." --Kiera Coffee, Cookie's home editor

"My 6-year-old daughter, Frances, LOVES the shoes I got her several years ago. She wears them all the time. They come in navy, gray and green, but her favorite is the gold. We now carry them at our stores; I named them the Frances flat. --Jane, owner of children's boutiques, catalog and website, Flora and Henri.

On Frances's (amazing) bedroom shelves: Wooden sailor skittles and sailor bank from flora and henri. Kitten and terrier by mohair toymaker Steiff. Hello Kitty calendar from Sanrio; the tin wind-up toy from Seattle's Magic Mouse Toys, and wooden elephant from Turpan. Frances is wearing a lace blouse and cords, available at Flora and Henri. Says Jane, "The giraffe drawing was by an old friend and neighbor, Mentor Giles. Mentor would often visit our Seattle office and sit down to draw. We liked this giraffe drawing so much, it became a T-shirt design in our 2004 fall/winter season. Mentor died a year ago, and our work isn't the same without him. He was a big Audrey Hepburn fan and encouraged us to live like ladies."

"I turn my purse into an adventure by always carrying two travel-size playdoughs, a small wooden car, a dinosaur and a couple of Playmobil people. Wherever we are, I can pull out these things and improvise with what's around us, like chopsticks from a restaurant or a stick at the playground. I give my 3-year-old son Noah the tools, and he leads us into a world of make believe." -- Sara Galkin, photo editor and mother of two in Brooklyn.

"I couldn't get through mornings without my Bodum French Press coffee maker. It was only $20 but perhaps the most used item in my entire kitchen. I'm a complete addict." --Nicolette Berthelot, Cookie designer

"My daughter Gabby has a Whoozit plush that she loves. She's seven months old, but the Whoozit has been with her since she was three weeks. I swear by it and take it with us wherever we go." -- Jennifer Tam of Seattle-based Turtlepapers (which we love).

"I know it's not very exciting, but I truly couldn't live without Method's All-Purpose Surface Cleaner in the cucumber scent--it's my favorite. It's environmentally-friendly, it works really well, and it smells so crisp and clean. I love their whole line of cleaning products, but I use this one constantly!"  --Elena North-Kelly, Cookie Home Assistant

Every mom has certain things that she swears by, things she can't imagine not having. Good Night Moon. A comfy rocking chair. A glass of Pinot Grigio at the end of the day. So we're launching a new category here on Nesting to find out exactly what our readers can't live without.

First up, we spoke to Mary, a mother of two from Seattle. "I love the Bumbo," she told us. "It's a soft seat that you can place your children in before they can actually sit up. When Conor [above] was a baby, the Bumbo opened up a whole new world to him. It was much more exciting than lying on his belly!"

The Bumbo was also a godsend for Mary herself. "I was always holding Conor or putting him in a sling, so the seat gave me a break from carrying him all the time." Because of the seat's design, babies' body weights prevent them from getting out, so they can relax there safely. "I totally recommend it," says Mary.

Email your home photos and design questions here.