Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Around this time of year, the weather is brutally cold – particularly on days like today – in New York City. Wind gusts help push the temperature well into the teens and way below freezing. We have been itching to light a fire in our apartment since the day that we moved in, as wood burning fireplaces are somewhat rare in city living, and incredibly cozy on these exceptionally bitter days.

However, before even purchasing the firewood, we need to swap out our baby proofing gates for an iron enclosure that will help prevent wandering sparks from reaching our living room, and keep creeping fingers out of the hot-zone, so-to-speak.

Currently, we have several fencing enclosures around our book shelves and fireplace to keep our children from playing in the cinder. Given that they are framed in wood, I will have to forgo using them in my living room during the winter months. So before we head to the fireplace store this weekend, I just had to share this wonderful fencing we have been using over the past three years, with my readers.

I purchased these with the recommendation of my sister and brother-in-law, who also used them around their fireplace and shelving when their son was young. While it is targeted at pets, tiny toddlers are really no different of curious crawlers.

The fact that it is freestanding means no unsightly holes on the walls and it is relatively sturdy to resist frequent crashes from small sprinting bodies, who also have used its rails as monkey bars and the like. It comes in a variety of colors from dark, matte finish to painted white, which match a variety of interior styles. And the best part, in my opinion, is that it is expandable, so it can really block out a whole section of shelving, sharp corners or areas of your living space that are not meant for such uninhibited enthusiasm.

While I would not recommend it as a barricade for stairs, given that it is not structurally attached to the wall and is therefore movable, it is a great choice as a flexible barricade for those wide open spaces that are difficult to block off.

It is also relatively easy to put together, in fact, I did both gates in a total of ten minutes. I typically shy away from do-it-yourself projects that involve any sort of “tool” usage, but I accomplished this with ease, perhaps giving me false hope about my overall handiwork aptitude.