A big bed
When I first got to know my husband, I was living in Delft (where I studied), in a tiny studio apartment. I loved this place — it was my first little house completely for myself and I thought it was just perfect. It was so tiny that it would only fit a very small bed, about 90 cm (3 feet) wide — plenty of space for me though, and even my new beau fit in! You don’t need a lot of space when you’re in love…
Not even one year later, the boyfriend and I moved to New York together. We took nothing but three boxes of clothes with us. We rented a tiny little one-bedroom apartment in the then upcoming neighbourhood of Cobble Hill, and we loved this place — it was our first little house together and we thought it was just perfect. We inherited the bed of the previous owner, a lovely girl who was moving to the other coast to get married. It was about 120 cm (4 feet) wide — more than plenty of space for the two of us!
About three years later, my fiancee and I moved back to the continent. We took back a little bit more than three boxes (there were a few Eames chairs for example), but we left the bed behind in New York. (more…)
Build Obama
I know that the battle has been lost and won, but here is a project for a cold rainy day, especially for the politically minded… Build Obama!
Simply print out the template page and cut the pieces out. Then you can glue your way to your own personal president. In the instructions they tell you to print it on photo paper, which I did not have. I simply printed the page onto normal paper and then glued it onto some thin cardboard. It is a bit fiddly and the end product is not really as much a toy as a decoration. My daughter had a great time though making it and she definitely now knows who the new president of the USA is!
Also, if you maybe have had enough of Obamania, there are lots of other cute cut-out characters on the website…
- Emilie
Dear Little Heart
I know it’s completely normal… but being pregnant with my third baby is so, so much different than the first, or even second time around. For one, I’m so distracted by my two monsters running around that I hardly have time to think about a third. And second, after already being pregnant twice before, I am more relaxed about everything.
I recently opened up a pregnancy week-by-week book (for the first time this pregnancy) to encourage myself to focus on this baby’s development. From 20 weeks on, the book said, your baby’s hearing is fully developed and so he can hear your voice and other sounds outside the womb. I should be talking to my baby, bonding with him or her already!
Just as I was feeling guilty about being a bad mum to number three, I got a lovely e-mail from Andrea Caro telling me about her CD, Dear Little Heart, designed especially for mums and their bumps! (more…)
Pink Flamingo
My favourite pizza place in Paris goes by the original name of Pink Flamingo. The first outpost was out by the Canal St Martin, but a new venue has just opened, in the middle of the Marais. Why do I like it so much? The pizzas are great — the Pink Flamingo crew has decided not to recreate Italian classics badly, but to successfully take pizza to a new level. Our two favourites are the ‘Basquiat’ which is covered in blue cheese and figs and the ‘Aphrodite’, a houmous and aubergine pizza. (At the moment there is even a Hawaian inspired ‘Obama’ pizza…)
Not only are the pizzas great but there is something else that makes the “Pink Flamingo” our family’s favourite: Their Pink-Nik service! You order the pizzas in the restaurant. You are then given a helium-filled pink balloon and tell them in which park in the area you are going to be. Fifteen minutes later a pizza delivery guy will come and find you. The area has lots of little parks with playgrounds so your kids can have lots of fun while you kick back and relax. Granted, it is a bit cold for this at the moment, but spring is just around the corner…. The restaurants are really cute too, in a retro-kitsch kind of way!
- Emilie
Over the moon!
A while ago I got my daughter this dress from super special Belgian brand Maan (Dutch for ‘moon’). I think it is so wonderful, I’m really over the moon about it! It is so different: classic but at the same time modern, and dressy but at the same time casual!
I just wanted to let you know that this dress is right now for sale in Little Catwalk’s cool e-boutique — with a good 70% discount!!! I already ordered the necklace that looks just perfect with it…
xxx Esther
January blues
I’m just not cut out for London winters. They’re dark, they’re dreary, they’re cold, they’re wet… the holidays are over, and spring still feels like miles away. Ugghh!
Something that helps me beat the ‘January blues’ is having a pot of spring bulb flowers inside the house. It’s quite uplifting to watch flowers bloom, despite the fact that they’re not blooming outside yet.
Good bulb flowers to buy right now are: Narcissus (which is a type of daffodil and is what I currently have in my house), daffodils, tulips or hyacinth… many of which also smell quite nice too!
Plus, your kids will also enjoy watching them bloom!
-Courtney
Laptop pillow
Laptops are truly great because you can take them with you wherever you are, but that means you end up using the computer in very unsuitable places. I don’t know if this happens to you, but I often tap on the keyboard or browse the internet keeping the computer on the armrest of the couch and with my shoulders twisted and cramped. Not healthy at all!!!
Bräda the new laptop support from IKEA is doing wonders for my shoulders. It’s a moon shaped plastic board on top of a cloth bag that stays level on your laps or any uneven surface. It’s such a simple product and it does not even look that bad!
I truly recommend it to any computer addict!
-Michela
Nuxe Facial Oil
I am a bit of a victim of my genetic heritage. I have very dark hair, like my French mother and yet I have my father’s typical Irish skin, pale and covered in freckles. My skin does not cope well with the cold, dry winters here in Paris. Add onto this the hard Parisian water and I feel like my skin has been replaced with parchment paper.
So, as you do here in France, I popped into my local pharmacy to see what they would recommend. I walked out with what is now my all-time favourite facial cleanser: the NUXE facial oil. Honestly, it has made such a difference to my skin. I never thought I could wash my face with oil and it would feel clean, but it does and on top of that my skin never feels tight anymore. It is organic and only has a subtle scent to it.
I love it! Unfortunately it is only available at the moment in France, but I am sure it will soon be distributed internationally so keep an eye out for it!
- Emilie
Le Big
I love good socks. Nice looking ones, of great quality.
I’m afraid I got Courtney hooked on good socks as well, after I introduced her to Falke last year…
Well, Court, I recently discovered another really great kiddie’s sock brand: Le Big. Very good quality, I must say. And a great basic collection with gorgeous colours, not to mention seasonal collections that are really funky! My daughter LOVES her Le Big socks, as they have dots, little balls, little bows or come with flower brooches — so cool! You should see her walking around with them, as if she’s the queen!
Nice to know is that all cotton used at Le Big is organic, and they are part of the Made-By label — a label on fashion brands that works on sustainability.
If you’re in the Netherlands, you can order Le Big socks from their web shop. If you’re international it’s best to e-mail them for retail information until their international web-shop goes live later this year…
xxx Esther
Good food choices
Okay, so I don’t want to sound like I’m having a meltdown but I am in a bit of a major adjustment zone at the moment. (Haha. It’s not going to last until he’s 18 years old, is it???) While I feel more comfortable with my baby being at daycare — he’s slowly settling in – I am still torn about letting go of another ideal I held about being a “good” mother. The first one to slip through my fingers was breastfeeding. Going back to work, it wasn’t practical to continue. And I also realised that I wasn’t producing enough milk to sustain my growing boy. He actually became quite underweight. Now, I’m weighing up the pros and cons of homemade solids versus store-bought ones. While I look at the jam-packed website of Annabel Karmel and wish I had a spare day or two to make “Tasty Salmon Puree” or “Braised Beef with Sweet Potato” I just don’t have the time. And while there is probably more variety in store-bought baby food than ever before, there still doesn’t seem a huge choice. I’ve yet to see any fish on offer in the form of a baby food jar (locally farmed, preferably — yep, I warned you that I have pretty high ideals). I would love to know what choices you’ve made regarding homemade versus store-bought food, especially if you’ve gone back to work.
-Natalie
Secret support vest
I’ve never actually gotten used to the term ‘vest’ for what I’ve always called a ‘tank top’, but nonetheless… this secret support vest by Séraphine has got to be one of my all-time favorite pregnancy wear staples.
Super soft and perfectly stretchy, it fits nicely over your bump (no matter how big it gets — I promise)! I also love that it has thin, yet supportive, spaghetti straps and a bit of ruching at the bust, which I think has a nice minimizing effect, or at least it keeps your breasts from looking like one big body part as some maternity tanks do.
I have one in each color (white, light pink and black), and I wear them ALL the time. I even sleep in mine, because the built-in breast support keeps everything in place, and is much better than sleeping with a bra!
-Courtney
Lili & the Funky Boys
It is always great when you find two different design aesthetics coming together to create a completely new look… This is what happened when Dutch designer Esther Loomen mixed French cool with Dutch practical design ideas. A wonderful new children’s clothing label called Lili & the Funky Boys was born. The label was founded in 2006 by the Paris-based Dutch designer, who decided to branch out into the children’s market after the birth of her daughter. She uses fabrics such as soft cottons, linens and wool to create beautifully handcrafted garments.
The wonderful thing is that while the clothes are lovely to look at, they also feel relaxed and practical. As often happens, the secret lies in the details, like, for example, a summer baby sleeping bag that has an opening at the foot end to let a little breeze so that your little one does not get too warm. Little extras like this are cleverly crafted into this collection, making both moms and their little kids very happy.
Lili & the Funky Boys is available through Little Fashion Gallery.
-Emilie
Arty & Bella
Last year (2008, can you remember?) we were invited to a Christmas party at my friend Petrina’s house, which by the way was lovely. There, I met a cute woman named Laura, and I ended up chatting with her a good part of the evening. She at some point told me about her friend, Zelda, in London (can you follow?) who makes the cutest hand-sewn hair-clips.
And this is how it happened that right now I am sitting in front of a gorgeous headband, and a selection of exquisite hairclips for my daughter, all in blue (to go with her eyes), or pink (to go with her taste).
Zelda started making her own line of baby and kid-friendly hair accessories when she was looking for something cute for her daughter to wear on her first birthday, and couldn’t find anything that she really loved. So she ended up making her own cute hair-clips by covering a regular clip with felt, and adding some beautiful flowers. And her clips had so much success that before long her little business Arty & Bella, named after her kids, was born!
All Zelda’s clips are hand sewn in her ’slightly chaotic London home’, and are absolutely beautiful. They are made without glue, so soft enough even for the most delicate little girls. Zelda’s online shop is most definitely worth a visit, or, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, you can also check them out at Harrods, because they recently added Arty & Bella to their kiddies department! Way to go, Zelda!
xxx Esther
Risotto alla Milanese
Milan is in the middle of the Po valley, a not very exciting plain in the north of Italy. The climate is not the most desirable, very hot (and humid) summers with pretty grey (and humid) winters, but the flat land and the abundance of water make for an ideal place to grow rice. Risotto is in fact a typical dish from all the regions in the Po valley — Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto. Risotto is quite a versatile dish, and once you have learned the basic you can really customize it to your taste. It’s not difficult at all; it just requires a bit of patience and the right ingredients!
The one below is a recipe for saffron risotto, which is probably “the” most Milanese dish you can find. You can add soaked dried mushrooms to it to make it even more tasty and colourful. You can make risotto also with courgette, asparagus, spinach, pumpkin, radicchio or even sausage. The important thing is to cook these secondary ingredients on the side so that you can add them to the rice without letting the temperature drop too much.
Here’s the recipe for 4 people…. (more…)
When the sun doesn’t shine…
When I was home for the holidays last month, my sister (who is not even really a make-up expert herself) looked at my face and told me I needed to find a new make-up. Really? I thought. Was I doing a bad job putting mine on? Was it really that obvious that I don’t have a clue when it comes to make-up?
It’s quite possible my worries were actually valid, but what my sister was getting at was that she had found the most perfect tinted moisturizer and I must have it too. So, of course I took her advice.
Chantecaille Tinted Moisturizer is like magic for your face. It goes on so smoothly and easily, you couldn’t even leave smudge lines if you tried. And it gives you the perfect sun-kissed glow. Plus, it has SPF 15, so it protects your face from sun damage (if your face were to ever see the sun this time of year)!
I’m no make-up guru, but I’m LOVING this new find!
-Courtney
Mum and Babe
A while ago I wrote a blog post about one of my favourite streets here in Paris, rue Keller. Rue Keller has just gotten even better. It is worth visiting for this place alone — Mum and Babe, Paris’ first Hairdresser and Beauty Salon with creche.
A beautiful separate room with a professional child minder awaits your children while you get your hair cut or coloured, have a massage or a manicure. Lucie, the owner, realised the need for a parent-friendly pamper centre when her niece was born and she could not find a place for her sister-in-law to have a well deserved post-natal massage, with baby in tow. It has taken three long years for her to find the perfect location and the perfect staff and set-up. But finally her persistence has paid off and Mum and Babe opened at the beginning of January. The childcare is included in the price of the treatment for up to two children under the age of six. Mum and Babe are offering a 10% discount for the month of January so there is no excuse not to treat yourself! As I write the website is still under construction so here are the details: (more…)
Cool shirts for boys (and trendy girls, of course)!
I’m not big into graphic images or slogans on my kids’ clothes, but I love the simple and understated vehicles on the shirts from Two Blue Cars! (And if you think I love them, you should see the joy on my boys’ faces when they’re wearing them!) Diggers, tractors, buses, garbage trucks — what more could a little boy want on his shirt?
Two Blue Cars was started by a mom and dad artist team who started making shirts for their own boys after an exhaustive and disappointing search for cool garbage truck shirts. Now they make all sorts of designs, which are then screen printed onto American Apparel wear, making the shirts super soft and great fitting. They also come in a variety of cool colors.
Two Blue Cars is a New York-based company, but they ship internationally.
-Courtney
Food Phases
Both of my children are healthy eaters and not overly picky. That is – until recently! For about 6 weeks, my toddler son refused to eat anything other than bananas and cookies (which of course I did not give in to, most of the time). At the dinner table he was extremely picky, often only eating some sausage, pasta, or potatoes, without ever touching the vegetables. Sometimes, with the assistance of loads of animals around his plate sharing his dinner (fake ones of course, although it might have helped to bring in a cow), I could trick him into opening his mouth for an unwanted bite of something healthy. But my son is not easily fooled. He would immediately take the food out of his mouth and smash it on the floor, proclaiming a loud: BAH! As if I was trying to feed him dog poo!
What to do? I could hardly force the food back into his mouth – although I admit that I have tried, with no success!
You must know that I have trouble with picky eaters. And especially if they are my own kids!
Thankfully, since yesterday our little guy has been back to his old ways: he eats everything, and loads of it too! Such a delight to see him enjoying his food again.
Honestly, what causes little children to go through these phases? And what makes them think that they can live on just cookies and bananas to start with?
xxx Esther
Rubbabu
As I have two girls, I am completely and utterly clueless about presents for boys. I genuinely have no idea what boys like! Girls are easy: a dress, a doll, a dress for a doll, the list goes on and on. Boys — I just don’t know….
So what I normally do is just go to our local toy shop and see what is around. This is how I discovered the Rubbabu car. It is bouncy and squishy. It is big enough that it can easily be picked up by little un-coordinated hands. It is very well made, so it can be pushed along easily. Last but not least, it is actually really cute.
Oh, and another important thing is that it is soft enough so if a toddler is swinging it over their head and accidentally hurls it at another kid, it does not hurt, as my 9-month-old will attest to.
There you go…. I never thought I would be able to wax lyrical about a toy car….
- Emilie
Babybjorn smock
When my first son was a toddler I had a difficult time finding good protection for those afternoons of painting or playing with stamps. All the aprons that were properly waterproof (and paint proof) were normally too big (designed for preschoolers or older) and quite rigid. This was until I decided to try the Babybjorn Eat and Play Smock. I think it was meant to be a bib but it works perfectly for a painting coverall, and it’s the right size — I would say it’s perfect from 1 ’til at least 3 years old. It’s soft, waterproof and can be machine washed when it gets too dirty for a simple wipe.
Plus, as with all the babybjorn products, it is super-safe and this smock has obtained the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification that ensures the textiles do not contain concentrations of substances that could be hazardous to human health.
Ours is still in perfect conditions and it has already been handed down to my little daughter, not that she can paint yet!
Also available through Amazon (US or UK).
-Michela
