What is it with this time of year?
I suddenly get nostalgic and start craving my childhood treats! It must have something to do with the cold weather and the early nights. All I want to do is curl up on a sofa, preferably in front of a fire, and eat!
Anyway, this is my latest craving that I want to share with you: Vanille Kipferl (I dare you to pronounce it), my favourite ever German Advent Cookie. It is super easy and really fun to make with kids! Here’s the recipe…
Can I give you a hand, madame??
After my absence of nearly seven years, I was afraid I would come back to a city of… ahem, I don’t want to insult anyone, but you girls know how I’ve been bitching about Amsterdam for, well, ever: no style, no customer service, no etiquette, no good food, no sun, no mountains, no…
But I must say, after being back for about six weeks now, I feel that the city has changed. People have been surprisingly friendly. Cool shops. Nice restaurants. Clean. Well organized. Luxurious even (at times)!
Fact is, it’s probably not so much the city that has changed – I have changed. (more…)
A child in sheep’s clothing
Aaagghhh! Winter. You all know it depresses me. It’s dark, it’s wet, and it’s COLD!!
And I have a husband who refuses to turn the heat on during the night- (doesn’t want to waste energy, and also doesn’t mind if his babies freeze)!
Thank God for Mokopuna’s merino wool range.
They make the cutest pajamas (and many other things) for babies made from 100% New Zealand mokopuna merino. It’s designed to keep your babies warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Their pajamas are super soft, cozy and oh-so cute. (more…)
Me too!
Since we’re all mums that like to travel, I have to tell you girls about the perfect baby/toddler seat for on-the-go. THIS IS IT: the Phil&Teds Me Too Chair.
It’s light (less than 1 kilo /2 lbs), it’s flat (2,5 cm /1 inch when folded), it fits on nearly every table and it looks really, really good.
Best of both worlds
At this time of year, I spend, spend, spend on presents and sometimes have a guilty conscience, as a little part of me feels that I am being a bit wasteful. But it is really hard to find beautiful presents that also make you feel like you are supporting a good cause, and there is no point giving something ugly just because it is politically correct!
Is there light (Starbucks) at the end of the tunnel?
Italians invented espresso and cappuccino. Fantastic! Humanity will be grateful forever. Then we stopped there.
Why is it that every other country capitalized on our inventions, and now have more choices when getting a hot drink than the average Italian could ever dream of? (more…)
Fall / winter Fashion 2007 – some looks I like
I was sitting at the hairdresser earlier this week and browsing through a fashion magazine (forgot which one exactly), and I decided to sketch some of my favourite looks for this fall:
Thanksgiving
It is America’s Thanksgiving Day today!
So, as an American (not living in America), we will be celebrating… (er, sort of). My 2-year-old went to nursery, my husband went to work, I’m not surrounded by extended family, and there is no parade to watch! But, nonetheless, we will be feasting on the usual turkey fare tonight with some of our obliging European friends! 
In addition to the turkey dinner, Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks.
So, let’s see…. I am thankful for Lidgates (arguably the best butcher in London), which delivered my beautiful, free-range turkey straight to my door this morning. (They also do dressings- I ordered some fresh, home-made cranberry sauce as well). (more…)
My son has superpowers
It happens that I was really looking forward to this last week before the birth of #2. I wanted to hang around quietly by myself, getting hair and nails done, having lunch in nice places, doing a bit of Christmas shopping… in other words spending quality time with myself!
But NO! Clearly #1 sensed that this was a special week and got sick! Sick in a way that makes you hope that everyday is the last day at home and that he can go back to the nursery. Yet every morning he seems super energetic, but runs a temperature. The paediatrican has advised to keep him at home until he has been 2 days without fever, which is to make sure that next week when #2 will be born, he won’t be carrying around nasty viruses. Needless to say he behaves like any sick toddler; he cries, he whines, he needs his mummy more than ever… and I’m going insane because my patience and energy levels are not normal (though they may not be particularly high in any case) because I’m 38+3 weeks pregnant.
Is there a positive side to all this? YES, it would have been much worse if he had gotten sick in 2 weeks time when I’ll be home from the hospital.
-Michela
Yoghurt in a tube!
I know it sounds sort of gross- eating yoghurt out of a tube!? But it has completely revolutionized meal time in our house.
What is it? Yeo Valley organic yoghurt now comes in individual tubes specially designed for children. The yoghurt is 100% natural and organic, (of course), and because it’s in a tube, it is easy for the kids to eat (assuming they get the tube to their mouth before giving it a squeeze)!
For some reason, my toddler thinks it’s especially cool (he calls it a “yoghurt lolly”), and just knowing that he gets one after he finishes his dinner gives him all the incentive he needs to clean his plate. (He wasn’t really ever thrilled with yoghurt before, but now he is hooked)! (more…)
Ex-pat moms
Here is an article an American friend of mine living in Paris wrote. It made me laugh, as it rings very true. I thought you guys might like it as we have all been, or are, expat moms!
click here for LA Times article
-Emilie
Stolen Wallet- Stolen (fashion) Identity
Some jerk stole my wallet on Wednesday! My lovely, leather, Chloe wallet… the last remaining slice of style I still had. He probably saw me, (carrying one baby in the Baby Bjorn and dragging the other along on the way to French Class), and thought… bingo! Easy target! He stole it right out of my diaper bag…
The baby beanbag
I discovered that one of the advantages of expecting a second child is being able to shop for completely superflous equipment, given that one supposedly already owns all the essentials. A bit over a year ago I discovered the doomoo seat, and I’ve been meaning to buy one since the pregnancy test stick showed two lines. I think the baby looks so comfortable on it! And also toddlers can use it.
So we received ours yesterday… and now the toddler is using it while watching dvds. I just hope he’ll be willing to give it back to the newborn in a couple of weeks!!
-Michela
Only in Amsterdam!
My husband got fined yesterday for cycling on the pavement.
-Esther
Playground Rage
I had an instance of playground rage yesterday. (I have the feeling that the longer I am in Paris the more I am feeling the French rage as opposed to British reserve).
It got me thinking: maybe the playground is the main learning ground for toddlers for how to defend themselves and maybe, by intervening, I am actually causing irreparable damage to my cute little defenceless 22-month-old.
Holiday Cards
It’s that time of year again… Holidays. Can you believe it?
And thus, time to pick out my holiday cards! (Is this just an American tradition, or do the Europeans do it too)?? Every year of my childhood (and even still now), my parents would send out personalized holiday cards, with a photo of their 5 charming children, to all their friends, family, colleagues, etc.
And so now that I have (charming) children of my own, I feel obliged to send out the traditional holiday card. (And you all know me- I love this sort of thing)!
I had chosen the photo. All I needed was the card. I could send out personalized holiday cards (with photo mounted on top), which costs around $550 (for 150 cards). OR, I could order the generic boxed holiday greeting cards (which is what I did last year, and I still spent almost $500). Ordering holiday cards is easy: you just go to Crane and choose your selection. (I’m always a fan of their stationery, and their website is straight-forward and good). Perfect… if you’re not on a budget!
Sooo… what to do, what to DO?! (more…)
Fall 2007 and fashionably pregnant
Now this post is not about a specific thing, it is a shout-out to the fashion of the fall and winter of 2007. Thank you Miuccia Prada, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs for inspiring this fall’s fashion as there is still not a single maternity item hanging in my closet! (And I am 5 months pregnant)!
Every shop is stocked to the brim with lovely little baby doll dresses and tunic tops, that are nicely fitted on top and then trapeze out. This means that the features I am wanting to accentuate, (i.e. my momentarily nicely shaped boobies), are being well presented, while my ever-expanding waist line is disappearing under a few strategically placed layers of cloth.
Now the only thing I need is a nice pair of really skinny maternity jeans and my fashion happiness is complete. So if anyone knows where to pick up a pair, please let me know!
-Emilie
Spot The Difference
When #2 arrives in a couple of weeks, she will bring a present to #1. The present will be a wooden bike that I have been meaning to buy for my dear son since his 2nd birthday. I didn’t buy it back then because people at the shop told me that, being a short 2 year-old, the bike would be too big. Now 6 months have gone by and it seems the right time.
My problem was… which bike to choose. In a bike shop in the centre of Milan, they sell the like-a-bike 
, that costs 189 euros.
BUT in two of the nicest toys shops I know (where, for example, they sell plan toys, sigikid stuffed animals, mini-micro scooters, schleich animals) they sell this other bike 
that costs 49.50 euros!
I was (and still am) a bit surprised about such a price difference, so I went to the bike shop and asked one of the salesmen to explain to me why the like-a-bike is 4 times the price of the other wooden bike sold at very reputable toy stores. His reply was that the difference was in some details and finishing but nothing major or structural.
I (we) decided that the bikes may not differ substantially, but their prices do… so #2 will save some money and bring the less expensive bike to #1! 
-Michela
Mmmmmont d’Or
The first time I ate it I was attending a houseparty somewhere on the Lower East Side in New York City, probably about 5 years ago. Someone ignorant (could have easily been me) had opened the circle of bark around the cheese and thus, the hotter the party seemed to get, the more the cheese started to spread out over the entire table. But we (the selection of partygoers always at the snack table), didn’t care – after our first bite we were hooked. We were scooping the cheese right off the table, with our backs to the rest of the party to shield it: mine! mine!… Delicious stuff.
What was it???
This Swiss/French cheese, le Vacherin Mont d’Or, is produced from mid August to the end of March and is thus only available in the late autumn and winter months. I missed it last year due to pregnancy (it is non-pasteurized), so needless to say I was overly thrilled when I discovered it in our local cheese shop last week.
I love this cheese! It has a very soft & subtle full flavour, a bit nutty, and raw almost. There is also a hint of wood, which must be the bark surrounding it. As pointed out before, when this cheese is at room temperature (and this is how it should be eaten), it becomes really, really runny, so the ring of bark has to stay in place.
I prefer to eat it as is – scoop it out with a piece a crusty French bread and enjoy with a glass of light red wine (Pinot Noir maybe? I’m not an expert.). Lovely as a dessert.
Alternatively, as I did last week, you can wrap aluminum foil around it, stick some garlic cloves in the crust, pour white wine over it (DRY, obviously!) and pop it in the oven (200°C) for about 20, 25 minutes. Eat as cheese fondue. Apparently you can also spoon it over jacket potatoes but I have never tried it.
Yummy!!!
(I just read that it can be frozen, so if you really like it, (or if you’re pregnant), you can, let’s say, pre-spoil yourself for next summer)!
-Esther
Book Binge
I have become a little bit obsessed. First I started with one, and then we bought another, and then we had to have ALL of them. And now I’ve decided we should get them ALL in hardback! Yes, it’s children’s books I’m talking about. But not just any children’s books; I’m obsessed with one author/illustrator in particular: Oliver Jeffers.
My husband (being an artist himself) first discovered one of his books in a book store just because he was drawn to his illustrations. But not only are his drawings so endearing, his stories are clever, sweet and very original.
Our favorite is Lost and Found
We have become SO obsessed, that we even bought a few prints from his website, where he sells and displays a collection of his work.
AND.. as if his talent wasn’t enough to have me hooked… he’s also really, really cute! (I saw photos on line). I’m truly obsessed! Wink, wink. I think you girls would really like him. (Despite your taste in men)! he he…
-Courtney
