Chelsea Market
I really try to avoid taking my twins out to eat. It is nothing short of torture for me. Seriously….it’s like the minute they see that dilapidated cup of crayons and sad coloring placemat coming at them they start to make a scene. Chelsea Market, on the other hand, is now a destination of mine to eat with the girls on sunny days with the stroller in tow. I can only describe it as an underground culinary fantasy land and one where I am at complete ease dining with two three-year-olds. There’s a huge selection of delicious gourmet places to eat – all in a cool and low key setting. Kids can choose from homeade soup, sandwhiches and pasta and then watch fresh bread being baked, visit a fish market and toss coins into an indoor waterfall. Even better are the places to grab dessert – Eleni’s cookies, Sarabeths and Fat Witch Brownies. On the weekends they oftentimes have musical performances for kids so check the schedule and make a morning of it. And while the weather is still nice grab a coffee and check out the new and ultra-swank Highline where you can sit and watch a parade of New York’s hipsters saunter by.
-Dina
Bobo Choses
Bobo Choses is a playful new Spanish design label with a serious intention: to produce ethical clothes that look and feel good. In the Bobo Choses first collection there is not a single piece of tie-dye in site. Quite the contrary, every single piece in the collection is very different, fun and funky. I love the simple prints that are used in various ways on T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies and trousers. I reckon this is a label that finally caters for boys and girls alike.
And now to the ethical stuff. All the Bobo Choses clothes are produced in their own factory-school in Bangladesh, giving local woman a chance to learn the textile trade. To guarantee that each item is the real deal, every piece has a DNA code attached to it, which you can track back via the website to see who and when it was made! Bobo Choses is now being sold via the lovely online webshop Smallable.
- Emilie
What did you do at school today?
“What did you do at school today?” is the first question I ask my son when I pick him up from school, and when the nanny picks him up it’s the question I normally ask during dinner. The second one is “What did you eat at school today?” (Which obviously doesn’t apply to the majority of schoolchildren all over the world who get their lunch packed by their mums.) What I invariably get as an answer is a blank stare followed by something in the line of “I don’t know/I can’t remember/I’m not sure”.
How come the extremely reliable memory of my son fails so spectacularly?
Now, I can’t remember where I read it but apparently the best way to get the information you want is to pose the question differently and ask “What is the best thing you did at school today?”. I tried it a couple of times last week and the reply, maybe just out of surprise for the new question, was way more satisfying than average.
Unfortunately, given the quality of the state school’s canteen service, I cannot apply the same trick to my second question. Somehow “What was the yummiest thing you had for lunch today?” would still get no answer.
-Michela
Moelleux au chocolat
This photo of a chocolate fondant was taped to Emilie’s fridge when I visited her in Paris last month, and when I walked into her kitchen the drool nearly spilled from my mouth. Doesn’t this look like the yummiest thing ever? Don’t you just want to take a spoon and dip it into that melted chocolate center?
I asked her to translate the recipe for me into English so I could try to make it at home. And indeed this is one tasty dessert. Not to mention, it’s ridiculously easy to make. A great treat to make if you find yourself needing a dessert with short notice. All you need is some good dark chocolate lying around (which, if you know me, I always have in my kitchen)!
Here’s the recipe: (more…)
Barefoot Books
I made a wonderful discovery not long ago that has kept my family entertained for evenings and evenings since: Barefoot Books.
Barefoot Books is a publishing company that was started in 1992 (centuries ago!) by two young mums in London — one with a passion for art and story and one with the entrepreneurial know-how. Their aim was to publish books for children that celebrate diversity and imagination…
Over fifteen years later, it is safe to say that they’ve succeeded. Every book of Barefoot Books I have seen so far has been truly wonderful! (more…)
Multitasking homewares
The time has finally come to stop washing Little C in the bathroom sink. He’s 15 months old now (how did that happen?!) and we almost have to oil him to get him out of the teeny tiny basin. In our new apartment we don’t have a bath, and I don’t really want to buy a baby bath – after all, what on earth do I do with it once he’s finished with that! Space is at too much of premium to just store things. So I’ve taken the plunge and bought a Tubtrug from the Australian storage mecca of Howards Storage World. I know some of you probably have a Tubtrug already to store toys, but I was won over by the new shallow design (and that sunny yellow). It kind of reminded me of the paddling pools I had as a child and thought it would make the perfect bath… and washing basket, and toy storage…
-Natalie
Bye bye, DC. Bonjour, Paris!
You’ve guessed it– I am moving back to Paris this fall. And while I’d much rather be blogging for Babyccino than packing up endless boxes, the move is quickly approaching… So there will be a few more posts from DC and then I am off. Thanks to all the readers for your great comments about my posts and an extra big THANKS to the Babyccino girls for having me as a blogger– it has been great fun, and I’ll be sure to keep up with you all! In the meantime, keep in touch with me via my website and blog (which will soon be updated!), www.chicshoppingparis.com.
xx Rebecca
PS- The great prints above are part of the City Love prints series by Artsharkdesign on Etsy. Check them out!
Make jellyfish!
Now, it might be a bit of a stretch, but if you squint your eyes slightly those creatures pictured on the right look like slippery little jellyfish. Or at least my boys are quite content to think they are! We made them yesterday and it was a really easy and fun project. And of course my boys are loving their new jellyfish ‘toys’.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• Clear plastic sandwich bags
• Tissue paper and/or crepe paper
• Shredded or ripped paper bits
• Ribbon or string
• Adhesive googly eyes (optional)
Rip up some tissue paper or crepe paper and shred some plain white paper (your kids will love this task). Hand the sandwich baggies to your kids (supervised, of course) and let them stuff them about half way full. Obviously you can be inventive with what you put in the baggies. Hang some long strips of crepe paper out of the baggies, and then tie it tightly with some ribbon and/or string. Apply googly eyes. And enjoy your jellyfish!
-Courtney
I am not “that” kind of Thermos
You know it’s kind of a slow day at home when I am sitting here trying to write something creative about a thermos… but I must spread the word about this particular one as it will change your life. The ante for the lunch standard in New York City has changed quite a bit since the ’70s and a boring old sandwich is simply unacceptable. We now send our kids with “food jars” so that we can offer them variety. The Foogo thermos is perfect for packing pasta’s, soups, fruit, cheese, etc; and it keeps food hot or cold for up to five hours. It’s the perfect portion size and fits nicely into a backpack. Let’s just say it is a far cry from the Thermos from back in the olden days when I went to school. All I’m saying is that mine totally leaked, always smelled like rotting apple juice and rolled around in my lunchbox crushing my sandwich. Kids today….they don’t even know how good they have it.
-Dina
Play-brunch at the San Vittore
Italians, or possibly just the people from Milan, have come up with their own version of brunch. In the last 10 years many restaurants have specialised in a particular Sunday lunch, that goes by the name of brunch.
It’s not too dissimilar from what the international crowd believes brunch should be, but it has its own peculiarities. First of all it happens at lunch time, not in between breakfast and lunch. The experience normally involves a big buffet table that offers food in a very wide range. You’ll find lasagna, pasta and risotto next to meatballs and sausages. All sorts of grain salads next to grilled vegetables. But also scrambled and hard boiled eggs, brownies, pancakes, fruit, yogurt and cereals. So it’s really hard not to find something everybody likes.
That’s why it has become a favourite family event — informal, quick and with lots of choice for the fussy children.
Today we tried the play-brunch at the San Vittore restaurant, named from the prison it faces (in the center of Milan!). (more…)
I Love Mae
I’ve decided that either we should move out of our current flat, or we should updo this one and sit the crises out until we can afford to buy one…
To prepare for both scenarios, I ordered a set of fabric wall stickers from Mae. Mae is a small Australian company that makes the sweetest designs: trees, animals, birds and dress-up dolls, you name it, all made of fabric with the most darling patterns. Romantic for girls, cool for boys.
I went for the Twitters (pictured), which look super-cute and which actually came with the little piece of string (how thoughtful to include it in the package). So the only thing I need to do now is put two little nails in the wall and make the scene. Or should I wait for the new house??
xxx Esther
P.S. Because of my star-sign (Libra) I’m pretty bad at making decisions…
Intemporel pour enfants
The translation for the french word intemporel is timeless. It is the perfect description for this book of lovely kid’s clothes patterns.
I am starting to get a bit obsessed about making clothes for my kids. I am not particularly good at it, but it is really nice to throw a little top for them together in an evening. I actually find it really relaxing to do something with my hands after a day of running around or sitting all day at a computer.
The Intemporel pour enfant book has really inspired me to produce simple pieces for the kids’ wardrobes. I have been making drawstring trousers, simple tunics, nightgowns and little summer dresses all based on patterns out of this book.
If you have a sewing machine standing around, I highly recommend this book! Unfortunately it is written in French, but I reckon that if you have a little sewing experience you should be able to figure out the patterns.
- Emilie
Children’s personalized stationery
Despite having lived in Europe for more than six years now, I still cling firmly to some of my ‘Americanisms’. Like sending ‘thank you’ notes for all important occasions, making peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for my kids, and relishing silly holidays like Halloween.
My European friends can laugh all they want, but some of these things I’m actually proud of. Like the ‘thank you’ notes. I think it’s a really valuable lesson to teach your kids to say thank you, and to encourage this ‘old-fashioned’ type of correspondence.
Minted has just launched a whole new line of personalized children’s stationery with loads of different styles… perfect for saying ‘thank you’ or for just saying ‘hi’. Your kids will love that their very own name is on there, and you can even choose a style they like too (I chose the whale design for my boys)!
Minted is offering a 25% discount to all Babyccino readers. Just enter BABYCCINO25 at check-out! (Offer is good for one week, until September 30th.) And please note that Minted is sadly no longer shipping internationally.
-Courtney
Spoon
Spoon
The sweet illustrations, by Scott Magoon, are simple and funny — captivating both child and adult. (Note the misfit ’spork’ in spoon’s family portrait). And the story ends with the spoon family ’spooning’ in bed, which is our favorite bit!
Available from our bookshop, both in the UK and the US.
-Courtney
WALNUT
I love this canvas tennis shoe by Melbourne designer WALNUT. I bought a pair for my son and daughter and was extra excited with my purchase when the shop assistant told me that Katie Holmes had just bought a pair for Suri, which I was later able to verify in the photos of Katie and Suri in the park!! (Katie is in Melbourne filming for those of you who are not privy to her filming schedule!)
They are super soft and go with absolutely any outfit and, I have calculated, will save you about 12 minutes a day on taking on and off. Oh and so well priced that you won’t be devastated when one gets lost at the beach or the local pool, two hotspots for losing shoes in my family….. Or if it falls out of the car as you are strapping said children in, as has happened at least twice in my mothering history (my son has an annoying habit of taking off his shoes the minute he gets into the car).
I bet that you could throw them in the washing machine too. As a lover of neutrals I love the stone, white and marle grey but they come in vibrant red, pink and navy blue too… You can find them online at Little Styles.
-Sara
A quick quiche
This recipe is based on the famous Quiche Lorraine. I’m not sure how the real Quiche Lorraine is supposed to be made, but I’ve been making it this way for a very long time, and I always get great responses. This quiche is really easy to make, quick, and doesn’t require special ingredients. Fantastic for a light dinner or lunch, great for a picnic or as party food. They’re equally good warm or cold, so you can easily make it the night before. Serve it with a salad, and presto!
Here is the recipe:
Onion / leek quiche, for 4 persons:
- (frozen) puff pastry, or pie-crust
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 big or 2 thin leeks, in thin slices
- a garlic clove, minced
- 100 g bacon, diced
- 3 medium eggs
- 125 ml or half a cup of cream (crème fraîche, or double cream)
- fresh ground pepper
- 100 g grated cheese (can be a mix, f.e. cheddar and Gruyere) (more…)
Deux Par Deux
As a general rule of thumb, I don’t buy clothing for my kids that I would not consider wearing myself (note: this does not apply to Elmo underwear and hello kitty pajamas). I figure since I don’t do a ton of shopping for myself that keeping my kids fashionable will somehow overshadow the fact that I am always in jeans and a pony tail. I adore Deux Par Deux not only for its painfully cute and chic clothing but because I don’t think I have come across a more colorful and cheery childrens line in my life . This Canadian brand is sold at a ton of stores all over the globe (see their website) and every season focuses on a different ethnic theme. I am especially setting my sites on getting a hold of one of their beautiful winter coats or snowsuits for this season.
Dina
Funny bird collage/drawing
Last weekend we had dinner at a street fair and we ventured to the kids craft tent to see if there was anything nice and easy for my 4-year-old to do. And that’s where we made these funny birds!
My son loved it, and it was a super simple project… something I could even organise myself! His bird is now hanging proudly in his room, and so is the one I made for his sister.
Just get a rectangle of heavy coloured paper (any colour will do, these are funny birds), the long side should be double the length of the short side. Fold along the median, so that now you have a square. Unfold and now fold along the squares diagonals, so you will now have a triangle.
To create the beak you must slightly overlap the folded parts — you can obviously create beaks of any width. Just glue it in the middle of a white sheet of paper and let your child create his bird, or any other beaked animal!
-Michela
Neuilly Swimming Pool
The summer is almost over, and we are trying to use every available ray of sunshine before the leaves start falling off the trees and the cool weather starts creeping up on us. Last weekend we headed off to the swimming pool and the aim was to go swimming outside and nothing was going to stop us!
Turns out swimming outside in Paris is actually not that difficult. All we had to do is jump on the line 1 metro (the fastest metro in Paris) and jump out in the very chic Parisian suburb of Neuilly. The public pool there has an outdoor area, a sun lawn, a toddler paddling pool and, to everyone’s great excitement: a big waterslide. It is great to go with kids — enough to keep them entertained for a few hours and not too much to bring on a sensory overload. The swimming pool does tend to get a bit crowed so I would recommend going earlier rather than later in the day. (more…)
Sleep tight
Kideko is one Australian children’s brand that just gets it right. The super stylish owner Shelley Mason has extended her range of bedlinen to include pyjamas in the distinctive retro-inspired print she has made her own. The pjs are made with cotton jersey, which means they’ve got enough stretch for those of us who have wriggly worms for children. Plus, they’re affordable – gotta love that! – at $35 each. The only catch – you’ll have to wait until October to be able to buy a pair. In the meantime, check out her bedlinen – my fave is Sunshine ROCK.
-Natalie
