Car sing-a-long
We are doing quite a lot of driving this summer which is not really the most exciting thing for kids to do. Sooner or later on every drive my eldest daughter informs us that she needs to vomit! She is mostly crying wolf and is only just bored, but it is always a great way of getting my attention. I have now figured out that the best way of testing if she is really feeling a bit crock or not is by getting her to sing. My reasoning behind this is that a person who is about to vomit does not feel like singing…
So now there is a lot of singing going on in our car (most of my friends would freak at this notion, as I cannot sing for the life of me) and this is our repertoire: ‘Old Macdonald’, ‘Yellow Submarine’, ‘Molly Malone’, the first verse of ‘Lemon Tree’ by Peter, Paul and Mary. We also mix in a bit of ‘No No No’ by Destinys Child, prompted by the 16-month-old as that is the only song she knows the words to, literally. Now, I am interested, what do other families sing? Any suggestions on how to expand our repertoire?
We have another 6-hour journey ahead of us soon and I do not know how often I will be able to deal with these old faithfuls…
- Emilie
Fee Kruse
Look at these darling baby clothes! Aren’t they just to die for? They are so ’70s — I’m sure I was wearing overalls just like that when I was two!
In fact Fee Kruse WAS wearing these exact overalls when she was a baby, and it was well kept for her own baby 30-something years later. When she was unable to find similar cute dungarees when her baby outgrew her own vintage ones, she decided to start creating her own line, and voila!
Fee Kruse makes kid’s clothes from 0 to 6 years, and I am especially in love with the terry cloth range. Super comfortable and cozy, these dungarees and dresses make me long for yet another baby!
xxx Esther
Murchison-Hume
I can’t stop wiping my kitchen bench. Or my kitchen table. And mopping… I mopped twice yesterday.
It all started with a trip to my local kitchen/home-wares shop ‘Roost’ in Malvern where I was searching for a rocket-shaped cookie cutter. As I made my way to the counter I caught sight of the most gorgeously packaged apothecary style bottles of… something. I didn’t know what, all I knew was that whatever it was, I liked it. On closer inspection I realized that they were cleaning products. What’s more they were a ‘premium range of organic cleaning products’ and were ‘earth, food, child and pet safe’. I wasn’t disappointed. Actually, I was so excited! Not only am I BIG on cleaning (perhaps even verging on the neurotic) but I am always on the lookout for more eco-friendly cleaning options. (more…)
Babies and allergies
Luckily, neither of my kids have developed any food allergies… so I’m definitely not an expert in the area. But what I find puzzling is the different approaches to ‘allergenic’ food in the different countries. It seems that every country has its own dos and don’ts for what to feed your children, similar to the rules regarding what you can eat while you’re pregnant.
Emily has already written a funny post on Italian weaning… but apart from offering jars of horse meat, the Italians have very rigid weaning rules to follow.
For example vegetables have to be introduced very slowly. At the beginning, only potatoes, carrots, courgettes and lettuce, and then gradually more veggies can be given. Tomatoes, however, have to wait until the baby is older than 12 months, and that’s pretty strange given the role it has in the Italian diet. Yet it seems other countries are not worried about them. (more…)
Rice
I love wrapping presents! Picking a wrapping paper, choosing a ribbon, adding an accessory… I love it. These days it seems we have one children’s birthday party after the next, so it’s always smart to have a good stock of tissue paper and wrap on hand.
I love these wrapping paper sets from Rice which include 15 sheets of paper, perfectly sized for most presents. Rice is a Danish company specializing in colorful home wear, accessories, table wear, and quirky kid’s products. I love their birthday candles, their magnetic photo frames, their melamine dishes, their…
Here in London you can find their products at Petit Aimé on Ledbury Road or at Olive Loves Alfie.
-Courtney
It’s clean-up time, everybody!
First it was low-carb, then it was no-carb and now it’s all about doing a “cleanse”. We all know of someone who has done it, wants to do it or plans to do it. A juice fast can do the body good every once in a while – even if it is just for a few hours (which is about all I can manage to do). It is especially great for kicking off a new eating routine (i.e.: breaking the coffee/sugar habit) and for those of us whose meals consist mainly of discarded nuggets and pre-chewed food that your kids have flung on the floor. The juices at liquiteria are the best in the city – fresh, delicious and extremely well priced, and if you swing by to talk to one of the owners they will customize your very own cleanse. I highly recommend ‘The Grasshopper’, ‘Beets Me’ and ‘The Killer’.
-Dina
Sex ed
I have to say I was a bit shocked when my 4-year-old pointed to herself during bathtime and asked, “What is this for?” I, slightly stunned, replied “That is where babies come out when you are a Mama. I’ll tell you more about it later.” I was proud of myself for not freezing up, but still didn’t know exactly how much information should be shared with a preschooler. So I researched a bit and found this great book– Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts
I also picked up a book for parents on educating your children about sexuality (From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children), which has proven to be quite useful as well. So far (I’m not finished with it yet) I’ve learned that it is not about the Big Talk, but about having answers to the questions your children bring up as they come along. As we all dread the birds & the bees lecture, I’m happy to learn about some tools to educate my children without it as the need arises.
xx Rebecca
Back to School with Babyccino – on Etsy
Fruit Tiramisu (sort of)
I am currently enjoying a slower pace of life in the Italian mountains and we are 4 generations staying under one roof, ranging from the 93-year-old great grandmother to the 16- month-old baby girl. (The 16-month-old and 93-year-old get on like a house on fire, by the way!)
Anyway what I love about these holidays is the random stuff I learn, like how to darn, the history of the Italian socialist party, and how to make great deserts– all very useful things.
This year the Zia (Aunt) Emilia brought lots of very ripe peaches from her garden. They were starting to get soft so she came up with a fabulous way of using them. She made a kind of peach tiramisu, a great way of using the surplus of fruit. It has been quite a difficult recipe to write down as she has never measured any of the ingredients. (As is usual with these kind of cooks, when I asked her what the exact measures were, she threw up her arms in a typical Italian way.) I have guestimated the measures, but rest assured that this is one of those recipes where you don’t have to be very exact!
Here’s what you will need: (more…)
Travel bug
I had a big “ah-ha” moment when I realised just how important travelling was for me. It’s quite common for Australians to do a big trip to Europe when they’re in their twenties. Many live there, as I did for a couple of years. But once those people return to Australia rarely do they venture back out into the wide world, other than to, say, Bali or Fiji. But I can’t live without travel. It’s the one time that I actually switch off completely from work and my day-to-day responsibilities and allow myself to dream.
I don’t need a big house or new car or designer clothes, but I do need to travel to new places. All of this sprung to mind when I saw this picture — I started to yearn to take Little C away with me. It’s from Australian brand Infancy’s Spring Summer collection.
-Natalie
Handy hooks!
Hooks of all sorts can come in quite handy. Think Captain Hook, what could the poor man have done without his handy hook..?
These hooks by Think King are INGENIOUS. I wish I had them years ago! They fit any buggy or pushchair, look cool, are well priced, and are in my opinion a must-have buggy accessory for any parent-with-pushchair!
Think King also makes a handy buggy cup holder/key bag. Again, fits any buggy, but also any wheelchair, scooter, bike or bed.
Available through the Think King website, and in the Netherlands at zozwanger.nl.
xxx Esther
Win!
I recently wrote a post raving about my daughter’s lovely leather infant sandals from Bear Feet Shoes which are soft and flexible, perfect for tiny baby feet.
Bear Feet shoes are all handmade in America. The soles on the infant shoes are made from natural vegetable tanned leather while the soles on the bigger sizes are made from natural rubber which has been extracted from the latex sap of the Hevea tree. Cool, no? They’re natural, sustainable, extremely well made and could not be cuter.
Bear Feet Shoes is now offering a free pair of shoes to one Babyccino reader. The winner can choose the size, style and color preference. (They ask for two style and color preferences in case they don’t have the first preference in stock.)
Just leave a comment below by next Monday, August 31st, and we’ll pick one winner at random.
Good luck!
This give away is now closed! We picked a random number to determine the winner and that number is 28 — Claudia. Congats, Claudia, and thank you all for entering!!
Family vacations
I admit I’m lucky — my academic work gives me a lot of flexibility and, especially in the summer, I can take a lot of time off to spend with my family. My husband is not as free but still he spent 2 weeks with us in the mountains. This is absolutely normal in Italy. Depending on family income the destination may vary but 2 or 3 weeks of holiday in August is definitely not a luxury.
Spending so much time with my children is physically draining but extremely emotionally rewarding. We somehow get to know each other better and enjoy new experiences together. Every night now my husband tells me how his relationship with our moody and recently-mother-needy daughter improves by the day as he gets to spend more time with her.
So when I read this article on Babble I was pretty shocked — I knew that European workers were kind of lucky in terms of paid vacations but I had no idea that most American workers have about one week of holiday a year. (more…)
Belle & Boo
I haven’t bought children’s greeting cards in a long time, probably because I really enjoy using my rubber stamps to make my own, and also because I haven’t ever found anything I really like. Until now.
There isn’t anything by Belle & Boo that I don’t love. It’s all so sweet and so simple with a charming vintage-y feel. The greeting cards are great, and I also love the gift tags and the gift wrap.
The designer, Mandy Sutcliffe, beautifully captures the innocence of childhood, whether it’s feeding the birds, hugging a tree, or sharing a story with a friend… And that is something I can’t exactly do with my rubber stamps!
-Courtney
The Shoe Garden
My husband cringes every time he sees a tiny empty shoebox in the trash, knowing full well that I have just purchased something with a shelf life of approximately two months…. But heck – I ask you – is there anything cuter than a toddler shoe? I discovered The Shoe Garden a few years ago and it is still my go-to place for adorable and affordable children’s footwear. They have an amazing selection of high quality and stylish shoes for kids of all ages with a large selection of hard-to-find European brands. Like moth to flame I need to walk into the store every time I am in the neighborhood, and I usually leave with a tiny box in hand, but like I said, is there anything cuter than a toddler shoe?
-Dina
Native Kingdom
I have fallen back in love with second-hand clothes, a passion I had when I was a poor student. Now a mother of two growing girls, I have decided that second-hand is back in vogue. There is so much stuff out there at a fraction of the original price.
Second-hand can mean a lot of things and often you need to sort through a lot of stuff before you find a little gem…. This is where Native Kingdom comes in: a new second-hand (otherwise known as vintage) children’s boutique here in Paris.
The clothes rock: vintage printed T-shirts, printed skirts, little leather jackets and jeans, mostly from the ‘70-80s era… The clothes are reasonably priced and absolutely fabulous. Unfortunately there is no website, but once there is I will add it on to the post. In the meantime, here are the details…
Native Kingdom
24 rue du Poitou
75003 Paris
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30-19.30
- Emilie
Bengh on!
It’s funny, a while ago Marie from LFG asked us to describe the typical kid’s clothes in each of our countries for her latest Fashion Book. I wrote that Dutch children wear cool and trendy clothes, but also clothes that are practical and comfortable, allowing for a comfortable ride on the back of their parent’s bike! I should probably add that Dutch clothes are mostly very colourful and innovative too.
This week was my daughter’s first day at her new school, and the first thing she said when I came to pick her up was that she thought the clothes of all the other children were all so ‘interesting’! I looked around, and indeed it was one colourful bunch on the schoolyard. Especially considering the fact that her previous school was uniformed!
I recently discovered Bengh per Principesse, a girl’s clothing brand that despite its Italian sounding name is truly very Dutch. Innovative, fashionable, colourful AND practical and comfortable — check on all the aspects!
I really like Bengh’s new winter collection; all the clothes and combinations are just so much FUN! Those patchwork scarves, the cute skirts and cardigans, the smart coats; it is really my cup of tea — sophisticated, but funky and fun at the same time! (Or, in my daughter’s words: ‘interesting’!) The fabrics are of great quality and have original patterns, and the models are well fitted and have great detail. This school year is going to be FUN!!
xxx Esther
Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta is one of those easy, but elegant desserts I like to make when I have guests over. For some reason, I usually don’t think of it as a summer dessert, but my mother-in-law served it a few days ago and it was fresh, light, and super summery after all. I owe credit for my recipe to my sister, Katie, who got this version from her cooking professor one summer in Florence.
Panna Cotta: (8 servings)
-4 cups whipping cream, or half milk/half cream (950ml)
-½ cup sugar (60 grams)
-2 T vanilla (or insides of one vanilla bean)
-2 packages knox gelatin (or 4 sheets of sheet gelatin) (more…)
Making fish
Sometimes the best art projects are the most simple, the ones your kids can actually do by themselves with little intervention. Apart from being easy, my kids also like it when we make things that they can play with afterward.
I took my son to a drop-in art class at the kid’s cafe, That Place on the Corner, here in London, which is where I learned this cute idea…
All you do is cut almond-shaped fish bodies from tag board and then let your kids decorate them with tissue paper, crepe paper, felt pens, etc.
To ‘go fishing’ with your fish you can stick brass split-pins into the fish. Then tie a piece of string to a stick and tie a magnet to the other end of the string. The magnet will stick to the pin like a fish to a hook!
-Courtney
Quinoa (‘keen-wah’)
I will confess that I’m really not a very good cook… I do try, really I do but the reality is that it just doesn’t come naturally to me. I find it tedious and stressful, not to mention expensive due to my high turnover of pots and pans and regular culinary disasters. Despite this, I am adamant that my children eat healthy food. As I only allow them one takeaway meal a week (usually sushi, sometimes pizza) this means that I do more cooking than I would like to. Fortunately I have found that the healthiest cooking is actually often the simplest.
One of my greatest discoveries is ‘quinoa’. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a small disk shaped seed that looks a lot like a sesame seed. Classified as a grain, quinoa is actually the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach. It was a staple of the ancient Incas who called quinoa the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. I revere it too – for it’s nutritional qualities and the fact that it’s so easy and fast to prepare; just perfect for ‘simple’ cooks like myself.
Nutritionally quinoa is a ‘protein powerhouse’ – it contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a “complete” protein. It is also high in antioxidants, fiber, and minerals and is gluten free. (more…)
