Childen’s Classic Stories
I recently bought Children’s Classic Stories (Storie Classiche in Italian) and I have been reading one (more often two) stories each night to my older son. It’s a great collection of fairytales, fables and folktales from all over the world. There are stories from the Grimm brothers, Hans Cristhian Andersen, Aesopus and many traditional popular tales of unknown author.
They are adapted in length and style and make the perfect bedtime reading. Some of these stories I knew by heart, some of them where hidden in some remote part of my memory, and others were completely new. There are over 60 stories and they are divided in chapters according to their content.
The book is also very compact making it also very convenient to take on a holiday (although it’s not the lightest).
You can buy it here, or here if you want the Italian translation.
-Michela
Paris Plage
There is no way the Parisians are going to be outdone by the Dutch. Amsterdam might have Strand Zuid, but we have Paris Plage — at least 2km of golden sand and palm trees all along the right bank of the Seine with scantly clad Parisians and Parisiennes sunning themselves. There are bars, there’s music, an exercise area and lots of other entertainment. It is great fun, but really hectic and so packed that it is difficult to relax there with kids in case they might mistake the Seine for the Ocean and decide to go take a dip….
This year the city council here in Paris has cleverly put up an outpost of Paris Plage off the beaten track on the basin de la Villette in the 19th (metro Jaures) which is hugely kid-friendly and a huge amount of fun. The ubiquitous manege, big trampolines, a waterplay area and a little beachy sand area all geared toward kids. You can even rent pedalos! It is incredibly clean (even the toilets), relatively empty and what impressed me the most are the organizers (or animateurs as they are called over here), who are incredibly good with kids and make sure that the kids know how to use the facilities and are properly supervised.
So why go to the beach if the beach comes to Paris?
- Emilie
P.S.: all of the facilities are free and the beach is around until the 21st of August
Make a bus!
If you live in a climate like the one we enjoy (?) in Amsterdam, you can’t count on it to be warm and sunny everyday – not even in summer. If you need a fun activity for a rainy (summer) day, maybe you’ll get inspired by these buses I made with my 3-year-old daughter last week!
She loves painting, and is really into drawing people. I guess you could even simplify it by cutting people from magazines – this would be fun too! I can imagine a London bus filled with famous people, or a school bus with monkeys! (more…)
Present & Correct
While spending some time last week browsing Cookie Magazine’s Nesting blog, I stumbled across their post about the British webshop, Present & Correct. A cool British web shop I had never heard of…. what was this?? So I investigated…
Present & Correct is a constantly evolving web shop with new items added regularly. They sell a selection of their own products mixed up with other handmade goods, vintage items and one-of-a-kind goods from around the world. And it is COOL!
They have a small selection of vintage books, like this 1958 London Zoo Guide, which I snatched up straight way! It’s no longer available, thanks to me, but that’s the fun of this shop — if you check in regularly you can find really cool and unique items. I also bought a package of vintage ‘air mail’ envelopes and stamps – so fun!
They sell really cute cards and stationery as well as fun alphabet prints for the kids’ room. Seriously, I want it all!
-Courtney
French Pharmacies
I LOVE my local pharmacy. Whatever problem I have, they always seem to have the right cream, lotion or potion for it. I think that part of my love affair for pharmacies is because roughly 80% of my French family are pharmacists. Then again when you look at the amount of pharmacies in France, 80% of the population must be pharmacists… but I think there is more to it than that. In France we are medication mad; maybe due to the socialized health care system, but here in France more people visit doctors than in any other part of the world. For every ailment, no matter how small, there is a cure you can pick up at your local pharmacy.
But it does not stop there – pharmacists are not only at your beck and call when you have a medical problem, but also when you want to indulge yourself. I buy most my creams, shampoos and the kids’ creams and shampoos at the pharmacy. Most pharmacists, even in tiny villages, stock La Roche Posay, Nuxe, Caudalie etc. and if they don’t they can almost always order the product you need within 24 hours. (more…)
Maracas for tiny hands
Esther and I met In London when we were still pregnant with our first ones. When I went on maternity leave we started to meet more often for shopping trips, with the very good excuse of taking walks to keep mobile with our big bellies! It was during one of these afternoons that we bought the first toys for our still unborn babies: these little, colourful maracas from Pylones.
They make wonderful rattles for tiny babies; they are easy to grasp, have funny animal prints in very bold colours and are filled with tiny beads which make a soft maraca sound. Our kids loved them immediately and so did those who received them as gifts.
I am really attached to this toy, possibly because it was one of the first toys (out of zillions) I bought for my babies, but also because Esther and I discovered it together making it one of the first “good finds”. (more…)
Strand Zuid
Last week we finally had a nice and warm, summery day in the Netherlands, so a girlfriend and I took our children to one of the hip & cool city beaches here in Amsterdam: Strand Zuid (South Beach).
Behind the (big & ugly) congress centre, ‘Amsterdam Rai’, and on the border of the Beatrix Park pond, a lovely treasure is hidden: a beach in the middle of Amsterdam!
There are 2,000 square meters of sand, chill-out areas, bars & terraces with good food, sun-loungers, a beach volleyball field and showers. It’s great to bring your children here on a warm summer day; they can enjoy themselves in the sand and play with all the other kids, while you can relax a bit with a rosé and pretend to be in the Mediterranean…
It’s also not a bad place to come without children – for a stylish dinner on a nice summer evening… It’s open until midnight on weekends.
xxx Esther
D’Aulaires’ Book of Animals
My friend, Mo, sent me an e-mail the other day raving about D’Aulaires’ Book of Animals
D’Aulaires’ Book of Animals was written and illustrated by the celebrated husband and wife team of Ingrid and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire in 1940 and introduces young children to more than 50 different animals of every continent. The pages of the book unfold to reveal an 8-foot-long panorama of beautiful animal life lithographed in full color form. The reverse side of the pages shows the animals at nighttime in the very same settings. The simple text provides information about the way the animals act, the world they live in, and the sounds they make. The book is beautiful — both for young children and for adults. It deserves a special spot on your bookshelf, or even on your coffee table!
-Courtney
Tony Chocolonely
Since we moved back to the Netherlands, about half a year ago, I’ve noticed these brightly-coloured ‘Tony’s Chocolonely’ chocolate bars around. The wrapping is very garish and in-your-face (cool though), and not at all like the packaging I usually go for in Chocolate Land (meaning matte dark-brown paper, golden accents and names like ‘La Maison du Chocolat’ or ‘Marcolini’ – I’m posh like that 
). But the fact that my hairdresser, who uses Aveda and makes an effort to be very earth-friendly and chic in general, had Tony’s Chocolonely’s bars on the counter made me decide to try one.
I must say, I was certainly not disappointed! I tried the blue 72% cacao variety and it was beautifully brittle and tasty. By now I was getting curious – what’s the story behind these different-looking chocolate bars with their weird name?
A visit to Tony Chocolonely’s website explained it all, and made me laugh and cry at the same time… (more…)
Flapjacks
Okay, I really have the feeling I am doing things a bit backwards! I have now had my baby, BUT it is only now that I am getting cravings! And my latest one is a bit bizarre: I am craving Flapjacks.
I have no idea how well-known Flapjacks are, being a UK/ Irish invention, but they are one of the tastiest and easiest-to-make treats ever. I also reckon they are not too bad for you, considering they mostly are made up of oats.
The problem was, I just could not find a good recipe! The perfect Flapjack, in my opinion, is chewy not crisp or brittle.
I tried Nigel Slater, Delia Smith and even Nigella Lawson (I think I was getting quite obsessive in my quest for the perfect Flapjack recipe). I even e-mailed everyone I knew, but no one had a good recipe. I was about to give up when my Aunt Joanna came to the rescue!! Having 5 kids herself I reckon she has had plenty of time perfecting her Flapjack skills. Her Flapjack recipe is perfect. I think because it is really, really simple.
And here it is… (more…)
Baby jeans
Today my son is wearing his sister’s hand-me-down Levis jeans for the first time and he looks so super-cute, I just had to tell you girls about it! They are still slightly too big, so I had to roll the legs up to his knees (he’s 17 months and he’s wearing a size 2) – but that makes him even more adorable.
I’m quite pleased with the quality of these Levis jeans – as I said they’re hand-me-downs, but they still look great. Not like other very-expensive-designer-kids-jeans in which there are holes-in-the-knees after just one month of wearing! (Was it me who told you to get those for your son, Court?)
I got the Levis at Elias & Grace, over a year ago, but it looks like they still sell them (in the girls’ collection )…
xxx Esther
Plum Baby Muesli
I’ve already raved about the 4-grain super porridge from Plum Baby which was a staple of my baby’s diet for the first few months of weaning. That porridge was far better than anything else I tried, and smoother in consistency too.
My baby is now 15 months old, and no longer into mushy cereals or baby food pots. Thankfully, Plum Baby have just launched a range of new products, including a Four Grain Muesli which is especially designed for toddlers! Like the popular porridge, the muesli is made with all the nutritional grains (including the super healthy quinoa), as well as dried apricot and banana. The consistency is closer to oatmeal and the the taste is naturally sweet without any added sugar. Both my boys love it! Which is great because it’s a breeze to make — you just add warm milk, and then voilà breakfast is served!
-Courtney
Pauli, the football star
In this little Italian seaside town where I’m staying for two weeks, the shops are not great… with one notable exception: a fantastic children’s bookshop. They have loads and loads of nice, less mainstream titles, all very nicely displayed. They also have a great selection of wooden toys.
It’s here that I found out about Brigitte Weninger, a very famous Austrian writer, and her character Pauli – a little rabbit. The latest story is entitled Pauli Football Star and it’s a nice story of how a team of sweet and loyal rabbits participate in a football tournament to win a true leather football.
Of course I bought it immediately for my three-year-old son who, like any Italian male, is getting into the national sport. The book is the right length and has a well balanced combination of cute pictures and words. With my son, pictures are definitely not enough anymore; he now requires more involved stories and explanations, but he still needs pictures to fully grasp and remember the story.
I’ll definitely be looking for more Pauli adventures, but if you are looking to buy them in English you will have to look for Davy!
-Michela
Why?
It’s official now, my 3-year-old has officially entered the WHY phase. I’ve known about this famous phase for a long time now, possibly even since I was a kid myself. It always seemed like so much fun to me – how great is it that children are so curious and eager to learn, and what a challenge for parents to come up with the answers and educate their kids!!!
Yeah – right.
The entire, entire, entire day, after everything that is said, my daughter religiously asks ‘Why?’ And even though I try my best to give her the best possible answers, she just doesn’t give up!
Example (in the car):
-Mummy, where are we going?
We’re taking you to school.
-Why?
Because it’s fun for you to play with your little friends!
-Why?
(ignoring her)
-Why?
(ignoring her)
-Whyyyy, mummy?
(Thinking she might have forgotten the original question) Why what, honey?
-Why is it fun for me to play with my little friends? (more…)
A time and a place…
Yesterday I was breast feeding my youngest daughter when my eldest one asked, “Mummy can I feed her?” I said that that would not be possible to which she answered, “Why? I have boobies too, you know!!!” I started launching into this elaborate description about how milk is produced, how her body would develop during puberty and so on, when I realized that actually, at 2½, she did not really understand what I was going on about. Don’t get me wrong, she is a smart girl but I was pushing it… I guess there is a lot of time to explain to our kids the facts of life, and 2½ is just maybe a little bit too young.
Which brings me to the main part of my story! Last week I was in the park at an English speaking playgroup I go to once a week, and invariably my baby daughter did the biggest poo known to mankind. So what do I do? There are no changing facilities so I started changing her on a park bench, nothing unusual about that. Nothing unusual, except that another mother comes along, sees what is going on and shouts at the top of her voice, “Magnolia, come over here and look at this baby’s vulva”. (more…)
When it rains in the summertime
If you live in London you learn to make the most of a sunny day, and you learn how to cope with your kids on a rainy day. Which means that we spend at least one afternoon a week, even in the summertime, sitting at the kitchen table with finger paint up to our elbows. There are two things that make this activity possible (’cause you know how anxious I get from the mess!): a wipe-clean tablecloth and paint smocks.
I think I got the idea from Esther, so I can’t really take credit… but did you know that you can buy oilcloth fabrics by the meter from John Lewis? They make really cute fabrics especially designed for kids, and you can find them in the furnishings/fabrics department on the 2nd floor in the Oxford Street shop. You can also buy cute oilcloths from Cath Kidtson (pictured).
The oilcloths are great for protecting your tables or floors from paint, pens, crayons, glue, scissors, etc. They wipe clean really easily, and they’re cute too! We use ours ALL the time.
Babybanz
I am currently on holiday at the seaside with my 3-year-old son and 6-month-old daughter. The little one is attracting loads of attention thanks to her babybanz sunglasses. They actually stay on and she does not seem to mind them, which is great because she is not staying in the shade as much as I’d like because I’m constantly running after her older brother.
The baby version of these sunglasses are suitable from newborn until they are 2, but from experience I think that they need to be at least over 3 months (otherwise the elastic band is a bit loose). They are Australian and guarantee very good UV protection.
They may not be designer shades but they keep those young eyes well protected, which is enough for me!
(But in case you need something more diva like, they also make the retro style!)
-Michela
A summer swaddling blanket
I’m a big fan of swaddling babies. I know it was considered a bit old-fashioned until a couple of years ago, but nowadays it’s really normal and most of my friends (if not all of them) have swaddled their babies! It’s a logical choice as far as I’m concerned: swaddled babies apparently get twice as much REM sleep and sleep longer than other babies!! Hellooo!
During a hot summer, or in a very hot climate, it can however be a bit tricky to swaddle your baby, as overheating a baby can increase the chance of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). This is why two mums in Arizona (where it gets REALLY hot in summer) started to swaddle their babies in big squares of lightweight cotton. Their lightweight swaddles were a success, and their company, Solana Babywear, a fact! (more…)
Wee Gallery
Wee Gallery is a UK company started by a husband and wife team who wanted to provide their newborn with high-contrast, black and white images of fun, recognizable animals. They make cute, multi-purpose flash cards for babies that are designed to interest babies at different stages. Babies will love the repeating black and white graphics, and as they grow older they will enjoy recognizing the different animals! (My one-year-old is a big fan!)
Wee Gallery also makes fun wall graphic kits in different themes. Because of my older son’s obsession with sea creatures, we obviously just had to have the sea-themed wall stickers. The kit comes complete with sea turtles, stingrays and sea horses, as well as various seaweeds and bubbles. Very cute! Again, the graphics are perfect for both babies AND older kids. Really, what more can you ask for?
-Courtney
Chic Shopping Paris
Here is a must-have for any self respecting shopper coming to Paris. Our friend, Rebecca Magniant, has put together her hard-earned knowledge about shopping in Paris and has published a shopping guide “Chic Shopping Paris”
It is lovely! It is a great read just on its own and makes you want to visit every boutique. The advice is priceless if you are fed up with the big department shops and want to venture out beyond the obvious. It has beautiful photos and I love the way it is small enough to fit into any handbag!
Available through Amazon UK
- Emilie
