Win! Inke’s Beautiful Wallpaper Birds
Very recently I wrote about how we decorated our children’s new room with a wonderful wallpaper tree from Inke Heiland. Inke’s silhouettes are made from exquisite vintage wallpaper and will instantly spruce up every kid’s room.
These birds come in a set of 2 with a bag of wallpaper glue attached, so the only thing you need is a bit of time on your hands and a cute place for the birds to go. But that shouldn’t be too difficult — they’re for instance very cute on top of a cabinet, or a curtain rail, or a light switch…
Do you think you could find a good spot for a set of birds? Great! Because Inke is very kindly offering TEN sets of handmade, vintage birds to TEN lucky readers!
Just leave your comment below by Sunday, March 14th and we’ll pick a winner at random.
Good luck!!
xxx Esther
P.S. Colours and patterns will be chosen randomly.
Art, food and a place to sit.
I do love New York but there are also a lot of things that I really hate about it.… the lack of parks and open spaces, and the complete absence of places to just sit down. The other day I took my girls to the New Museum on the Bowery. I have been wanting to go since it opened and there was an exhibition by Urs Fisher which looked bizarre and cool. There was, after all, a croissant hanging from the ceiling on fishing wire with a butterfly on it! Anyway– the exhibition was indeed cool but the best discovery of the day was the little cafeteria with tables and chairs that they had in the back of the main lobby. It’s a nice place to sit (for free!) and shockingly, it was very kid friendly – they even serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So for those roaming around Soho or the East Village with a stroller looking for a place to just sit for a few minutes — stop in. Admission is free for everyone under 18.
-Dina
Luna Ninos
Is this little girl not absolutely adorable? That face! That hat! The vest…! I could practically eat her up! Luna Ninos is an Australian brand I discovered when my son was a baby. They design and knit their products in Melbourne without linking, sewing or seams… making their beanies and bonnets, booties, baby blankets and cardigans comfortable and lightweight. They use only the finest natural fibers — pure cotton or extrafine merino wool, and each season offer an array of delectable colours, from the more muted (mouse, spinach, bamboo…) to the very bright (aqua, rosa and tomato….). Luxurious yet practical — everything is machine-washable (fortunately as I have absolutely no patience for hand-washing!). I especially love their tree blankets — not only visually superb, but proceeds from their sale support the Wilderness Society of Australia, saving our beautiful old growth forests, which is a really good thing…
To view their stunning collection and for online orders, click here!
-Sara
Artist at work
Check out this YouTube video featuring Julie from Famille Summerbelle cutting out, by hand, her New York map. I saw it on the Famille Summerbelle website and could not resist writing about it. The whole thing took 20 hours to make, but don’t worry, the video only lasts 2 minutes. It is seriously insane to watch — I personally would have sliced off the tip of my finger in the first minute….
I really like watching someone work with pen, paper and scaple instead of a computer, just like in the good old days.
I also have to say that I have a real soft spot for Julie’s work, especially her cut-out maps. They are lovely and full of little details which are acute observations of the cities on the maps.
- Emilie
Perfect pyjamas from PJ Basics
About a year ago, I told Courtney we should start a pyjama shop. I seriously thought Europe was missing something as simple as this — I’m always on the look-out for cute and affordable pyjamas (preferable the old-fashioned 2-piece variety) of good quality and design, but they are really difficult to find. I’m not sure what happened to the idea — it certainly wasn’t carried out (one of us was probably having a baby or something), but I’m so glad to have discovered that somebody else did!
PJ Basics is an initiative by a Dutch lady called Elsina, and her webshop focusses mainly on kids pyjamas, but there are also some other cute bedroom-related products. I have the pictured pyjamas for my son and they are our all-time favourites. The quality is great, they stay in perfect shape and are seriously cute on. They are also super comfortable as they don’t have itchy labels or annoying seams. I ordered some for my daughter too and they arrived this morning — they have the cutest flowery fabrics and I love the embroidery details. I seriously can’t recommend these pyjamas enough!
Elsina just translated her web-site in English, and ships worldwide. Bravo!
xxx Esther
Camping: The good, the bad and the ugly
We’ve just completed our 30-day drive up the eastern coast of Australia in a campervan, driving more than 4,000 km from Sydney to Cairns with a few detours in between. We did and saw some amazing things, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re happy our camping days are behind us! I’m still not sure whether it was the best or worst decision we’ve ever made – there were moments where I nearly divorced my husband, disowned my children (only kidding, of course!) and swore I’d never return to Australia. BUT it was a really wonderful way to see the country, and the highlights of our trip were well worth the struggles — snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef was worth the journey alone! I think it all would have been much more enjoyable (and easy) if we didn’t have the kids, but the irony is that the kids LOVED the campervan and could carry on camping forever.
I’m sure in years to come we will look back at our camping trip with really fond memories but right now I’m happy to be sleeping on a mattress, eating good meals and staying put for more than three days at a time.
Anyway, now that I’m a ‘camping expert’ I’ve compiled a list of all the pros and cons of traveling in a campervan (with young kids). (more…)
The London High Street
Following on from Emilie’s recent post about places in Paris to find chic clothes at less-than-chic prices I thought I’d let you know about some of my favourite spots on a typical London High Street. Now most Mums in London will know of these national treasures but if you are visiting London they are worth checking out.
I’m a huge fan of Swedish kids clothes shop P.OP (Polarn O Pyret) which sells playful and colourful kids clothes and a small selection of maternity wear. Think lots of stripes and lots of colour. They have 4 shops in and around London (Brent Cross, Westfield, House of Fraser (Oxford Street) and Kingston) but a further 10 or so stores around the rest of the UK.
Next up: Zara Home (no, not Zara Kids): A very small selection but I love their quilts and blankets for kids and they always have a tiny rail with really sweet sleep-wear/snuggly-wear. I have had some great finds there. (more…)
House swapping
Over the summer break I spent a bit of time decorating my home. (No, the pic above is not of my place — but somewhere I might now be able to stay.) One of the reasons was that I wanted to take some photos so I could list it on a house swap website.
We featured an article on house swapping a couple of years ago in the magazine where I work. It seemed like a great idea. But I always wondered — is it too good to be true?
Well, I believe that you should “give it a go” — as Aussies like to say. So I took the plunge and listed with two sites. Creative Caravan tags itself as “Craiglist for Creatives” — the idea being that you can swap with like-minded people.
The other website is Homelink. I did a bit of research and was attracted to this one because there is strong membership within Australia so if I want to take a trip to Byron Bay or Tasmania then I can swap with people who live there… as well as people in Italy. And within a week of listing I got a message from someone wanting to swap in Martinique!
- Natalie
Inke’s Wonderful Wallpaper Trees
As you know we recently moved to a new house. It has a little garden, but it’s by no means bigger than the previous apartment, so our children are still (happily) sharing a room. My husband and I went through some effort to make it a lovely, cosy space (we have really sweet kids, you know), so we painted, hung bookshelves, assembled cabinets, and glued an enormous, wonderful wallpaper tree to the wall.
Inke Heiland originally designed her wallpaper silhouettes for her little boy’s room, but after great results and very positive feedback she decided to start producing the designs, which are now available from her webshop. All handmade from the most exquisite vintage wallpaper, these trees come as a do-it-yourself kit, completely cut out, with clear instructions, wallpaper glue and brush present in the tube. It was a bit scary at first as neither of us have wallpapered before, but the application process was surprisingly easy, and though I’m not saying it was 3 minutes work — more certainly we spent over 3 hours — the result is absolutely fantastic. The kids are super proud and adore their room. And yes, I admit, it did turn out rather nicely. (more…)
Chicken Pie
England is not known for its cooking, but sometimes that reputation is uncalled for. Sure, jellied eels, deep-fried pizzas and french fry sandwiches (aka chip butties) are not to everyone’s taste, but in a cold, wintery climate a warming dish cannot be beaten. There is one thing I miss in particular from my London days: a good savoury pie.
Every country seems to have its own variation on a baked crust with a savoury filling, but it is hard to beat a good English pie… ask my children, I think they would agree.
This is my version of a pie, but any suggestions or spins on the subject are more than welcome. (more…)
A sun hat that’s guaranteed for life
These days, it seems, nothing comes with a guarantee, and quantity usually takes precedence over quality. Not the case, however, with the Tilley hat. These hats have been around for ages – we used to wear them when we were little – and they’re still made with the same good old-fashioned care.
In anticipation of our big trip ‘down under’, my siblings gave each of my boys a children’s T3 Tilley Hat for Christmas, and it’s the one thing we ‘don’t leave home without’. I think these hats have got to be the best sun hats on the planet. They’re UV-protected (with the maximum UPF 50+ rating), rain-proof, they don’t shrink and won’t get floppy if wet, they have two different drawstrings to keep the hat in place, and they’re machine-washable. And like I said, they’re guaranteed for life (even insured against loss!) – you just can’t beat that! They’re made in Canada, but available internationally.
P.S. They also have a secret little pocket in the top of the hat. Tell me a kid who won’t love that!
-Courtney
A non-frumpy nine months
Seems like everyone I know is having a baby all of a sudden. Funny how it always happens in waves.
With “three being the new two” and “twins being the new singleton” in NYC, the maternity business is booming! When I was pregnant I was determined to remain somewhat stylish (well with the roots growing in and the adult onset acne, the least I could do was wear a semi-decent outfit.) One of my very favorite brands to discover along the way was Nom de Naissance, which is based out of LA and is carried at my very favorite maternity store in NYC, Belly Dance Maternity. This adorable West Village shop carries a well edited selection of labels like Splendid, Diane Von Furstenburg and Ripe with the premise being that you can still dress like you did before you got prego. Two other amazing stores that I discovered along the way were Cappucine in Tribeca which does not have an on-line website but is definitely worth the visit. The owner carries both maternity wear and adorable regular clothes in larger sizes (and the owner is French so you know it’s cool). The other place that I found was Bump in Brooklyn which opened after I had the girls but it looks ultra, ultra swank. For the gals that are not into “Pea in a Pod” and “Liz Lange” – these stores are for you.
-Dina
Cool cards from Cocodot
How superbly cute is this card? I just sent it out for my son’s third birthday party (which will be this week, and still needs to planned completely). Don’t you think it looks like the real thing?
Well, it’s not… not really. I just discovered Cocodot, a wonderful source of the most gorgeous designs and, best of all, paperless for perfect simplicity and extreme eco-sensibility!
I must say I was always a bit skeptical about using e-mailed invites, but after having sent out my first one, I’m a convert. Completely.
How extremely easy it is! How perfect to keep track of the guest list and interact with the invitees! How sweet are the designs! How wonderful for an at-the-moment-not-very-organised, overworked mama…
The service is not free, but compared to paper mail it’s quite cheap, and the ease of creating, sending and planning your correspondence is great. I’m planning to use it loads.
xxx Esther
What I can’t leave the house without …
Anyone who knows me will find it somewhat hysterical that I would be writing about my favourite ‘beauty’ product. I’m one of those girls who considers mascara and lip-balm “dolling myself up”. I’m pretty useless in that whole arena and since having kids even worse.
The only ‘area’ that I did try and spend a bit of time on was my hair — not because I love it all styled but because (as if being born with ‘mousy’ coloured hair wasn’t enough) the World at large also decided I should have that kind of hair that is neither straight nor curly — so, even after spending hours with the dryer and the straightener, it only needs to smell rain to turn to frizz. Great!
After having a baby I realised life was seriously too short to waste time with a hair-dryer so I cut off all my hair and attempted to go for a Meg Ryan-esque quirky messy look. It helped a bit but I still had my frizz problem — until my very good friend Caroline introduced me to Kiehl’s Silk Groom. I get out of the shower, scrunch some into my hair and go. I haven’t used a hair dryer or straighteners for 3 years and it is solely down to this little bottle of goodness that calms my hair down on a daily basis. It would now be the one thing I’d save from a burning wash bag (yes – even before my tooth-brush!).
-Mo
Balzac Cinema
My kids love going to the cinema. The crowd, the sounds, the visual experience — a promise to go to the cinema makes them get so excited they have difficulty sleeping the night before!
Luckily enough, here in Paris, the children’s cinema scene is huge, between the Forum des Images and several yearly children’s film festivals. Cinema is so much a part of the culture over here that the city organises screenings for school classes at least once a semester.
A great cinema event here on a Sunday is the monthly ‘Pochette Surprise’ event at the Balzac, an art house cinema off the Champs Elysees. On show are a series of short classic films, some of them over 100 years old, mixed in with some classic Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and some old-school Tex Avery animation shorts. Every short is silent and the whole programme is accompanied by a musician, so even if you are completely anglophone, you will not miss out on anything… and to make it even better everyone gets a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream!
- Emilie
Little Marc Jacobs summer playsuit
Here in Amsterdam, cold and dreary February just takes too long. How is it possible — it has littler days than any other month and seems to take twice as long!
I just can’t wait for summer because I’m so in love with this cute playsuit I got for my daughter. How I love the retro look of it — it could have been something we wore ourselves in the eighties!
I had no clue Marc Jacobs makes kids clothes, but I guess all the big designers do so these days, hence, 10 points for originality: he does too. But he does it well!
This playsuit is just the perfect summer outfit for a 5-year-old girl; not too childish, not too grown-up (I’m not a fan of too-grown-up on little girls), not too trendy, but just trendy enough.
Available through Alex and Alexa.
xxx Esther
Pomme baby blankets
I always like to find special gifts that are useful and practical for friends with a new baby. In a cramped NYC apartment the last thing you need is more stuff, especially if you are on kid number 2 or 3, which is why I love these adorable little square quilts from Pomme. They are small, plush, easy to wash and cheery.
Pomme is an adorable little store in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn that carries a well-edited and unique array of items for young children. You can call the store direct to get matching pillows or if you are feeling particularly fashionable there are booties to match!
-Dina
Teaching your kids to read
Before we left for our sabbatical, I sat down with the teachers at my son’s school and asked them if they had any suggestions or activities they recommended for my son while we’re away. They told me that kids often forget basic lessons if they take a long break from school — apparently kids can forget how to use scissors, forget how to count, even forget how to read if they go a while without doing it! So they suggested that I try to keep up on these sorts of activities. They also suggested that I take the time to teach my 4-year-old the basics of reading.
I’m not the most patient parent and I’m certainly not cut out for ‘real’ home-schooling, but I must admit I’m actually having some success thanks to these Key Words Flash Cards — containing the 100 key words that make up 50% of those we read, write and speak every day. The concept of flash cards is easy: they gradually introduce the words and, because of repetition, teach kids to recognize and memorize the words on first sight. (more…)
Little Rivet Jeans
If I had to name one wardrobe staple that my kids and I cannot live without, it would have to be our denim jeans. Sure, there are items I love more but I doubt there is an item of clothing more durable, more versatile or more enduring than a pair of well constructed denim jeans.
And so, when I discovered a cute little pop-up store in King Street, Prahran that specializes exclusively in children’s jeans, I couldn’t wait to spread the word.
Little Rivet Jeans is a gorgeous shop offering a seasonally relevant denim range for boys and girls aged 1-6 years where the focus is on fit, construction and quality – but without the ridiculously expensive price tag that we have come to expect from premium denim. The jeans are soft and simple, just as children’s jeans should be, in a really impressive range of fits and finishes — including a vibrant coloured range for the girls. And whilst they have a ‘vintage’ feel about them, they are still modern and trendy. (more…)
Relax(ed) Kids
My daughter really loves audio books — she curls up on the floor in front of the speaker behind the couch and patiently listens to the story. So cute, and much more calming than television.
I strongly believe that reading a book (or listening to an audio book) enhances creativity and imagination more than watching television. In fact, even though we do have a television for watching the occasional DVD, we don’t have a cable connection in the house and I’m pretty sure we don’t miss much.
In an effort to bring more peace and calm to our household after dinnertime, I’m currently testing out a fairytales relaxation CD from Relax Kids. (My son especially needs to unwind; last night we caught him making a complex puzzle in his room 45 minutes after we put him to bed!)
The CDs from Relax Kids are meant to help children relax with the aid of meditative stories and soothing music, believing that a calm and confident child will have an easier time falling asleep. The CDs can also be helpful for over-active or anxious children, or for kids with specific problems like bed-wetting or nightmares. You can listen to an intro of each CD on the website, and you’ll get the gist.
Even though my kids need to get used to it still, their mama gets so super relaxed I’m sure it must eventually rub off on them! There are specific themes available, we have ‘Up, up and away‘ but I’m also very intrigued by the Princess and Superheroes CDs.
xxx Esther
