Twin, Toddler, Junior?

A couple of weeks ago we made the decision to transfer the Misses from cribs to big girl beds. After much deliberation and window shopping, we finally decided on Ikea's Gulliver Bed. There are three main reasons why:

1. Cost: We wanted to make sure we used our dollars for as long as possible, and we needed to stay within our budget. The cost of the two beds, mattresses, and linens was cheaper than buying two twin sets. Also, the linens are really inexpensive to replace, in case of future mishaps.

2. Size: The girls share a room, and it has odd nooks and crannies in it. We needed to be able to put two beds in one room and leave space for a dresser and play. While these beds take up as much wall space as a twin, they fit snug against it as well. Therefore, there are no beds jutting out into the middle of the room, taking precious space away.

3. Durability: These beds are well built and easy to assemble. The bed rail is adjustable, so it can be placed wherever it works best on the bed. In our case, placing it in the middle keeps the girls from falling out at night, and I don't have to remove them to change linens. In addition, the slats are pine and easy to replace if there is breakage due to jumping (yes, I think these things through). We also wanted these to accommodate the girls until they are at least five years old. Our six year old who is very tall for his age fits in them...so they should work for the girls for quite a while.

Overall, I have to say that as my first purchase at Ikea, these beds are a wonderful surprise. Better built than the bunk beds our boys have which were much more costly and inexpensive enough that if linens are stained, mattresses are ruined, or slats are broken, I will not have that ick feeling in the pit of my stomach when faced with replacing something. Now if I can find the magic wand that keeps tots in bed during naptime, I will definitely pass that information along as well.