Yes, you’ve come to the right place!
It’s us. A lot more stylish, and a lot more beautiful! As we’re getting older, we thought we could use a bit of a face-lift, so we contacted the super-talented people at Petite Alma to help us with a total re-design of Babyccino Kids, and then we asked our programming wizard Sergiu Baluta to do his magic, and here we are!! A whole new, hip and improved look for Babyccino Kids. We love it. What do you think??
Bibaloo for fabulous French finds
Bibaloo is a UK-based webshop with an exclusive collection of French children’s clothes and accessories. They stock well-known brands like Petite Bateau and smaller labels like La Queue du Chat — a super cute collection of organic cotton pieces like the one pictured. Bibaloo was started by a French mother who moved to the UK and decided to create a one-stop shop for all her favourite and hard-to-find French brands. I love that I can pick up Petite Bateau staples without leaving my house.
And what’s even better is that the Bibaloo sale has now started… with discounts of up to 50% off. Hooray for summer sales!
-Courtney
Original Sprout Hair Care for Kids
One of my twin daughters has stick-straight blond hair while the other is a brunette with a thick mane of curly ringlets. During the morning routine the blond is pretty easy — a quick comb through and she is good to go. The curly brunette however, takes a little more work to get camera ready and I have learned that the easiest (and least painful) way to brush her hair is to use a gentle leave-in conditioning agent.
I recently picked up a bottle of Original Sprout Detangler and it works like a charm! It was developed by a mom and is 100% vegan and made of all natural ingredients and free from all ammonia and chemicals. It also smells absolutely amazing! If you have a curly little one at home you might want to check it out. I am off to order some of their other all natural hair care products. Will keep you posted.
-Dina
The Papered Parlour
I am so, so ‘can’t stop moving’, ‘ants in my pants’ excited. A couple of weeks ago I was reading one of my favourite blogs — do you know it? The blog of author, stylist, photographer, all round uber-chic gal Pia Jane Bijkerk. She wrote about a wonderful sounding place, the Papered Parlour in Clapham. I had to check their website out. The Papered Parlour is a new craft venue in London, which offers classes in classic crafting techniques such as silversmithing, dress-making, photography, screen-printing and quilting as well as offering subsidised studio-space for practising artists. It was set up last year by visual artists Claire and Louise, who met working at Battersea Arts Centre. The space has already received much critical acclaim for not only the skills they teach but the style in which they do it — they have a wonderful looking cafe and most workshops include a proper tea and cake break (you can see why I have been drawn into their ethos!). They hold regular exhibitions and can be hired for parties and events (their ideas for hen-parties are brilliant!).
So why am I so excited? Well I just booked myself onto one of their Summer dress-making workshops — maybe I will finally learn how to make this darling dress for my daughter that I have been cooing over from Oliver + S.
-Mo. x
Eco Nursing Pads from Itzy Ritzy
Although breastfeeding is in my opinion the easiest and cheapest way of feeding a baby, it does require some necessary investments to keep up appearances. Like a sexy maternity bra — Elle MacPherson does it for me. And, trust me, good nursing pads are an absolute must too. These glamourous Glitzy Gals nursing pads from Itzy Ritzy are my all time favourites. They are thin, soft and made from eco sustainable baby bamboo which is naturally anti-bacterial, deodorising and super absorbent. They are really comfortable to wear, easy to wash and can be used over, and over, and over again. And they look really cute too, with those patterned fabrics!
Available through our favourite eco store Shakshuka, where you can also find a matching nursing cover.
xxx Esther
La Fee Clochette
My 4-year-old has taken to introducing herself as Sleeping Beauty, whilst her little sister is apparently not called Violette anymore, but Tinkerbell — in French “La Fée Clochette” (sounds so much lovelier in French, doesn’t it?).
So it is fitting that her favourite item of clothing at the moment is a beautiful little bikini by French label La Fée Clochette.
As I mentioned I have a particular love for Liberty Fabrics and this little bikini is just too cute. When my little girl wants to feel very grown up she wears the top, but often she just runs around in the little pants — I do love the summertime! This little bikini is available from the great website Zebre à Pois which has a sale on at the moment. The bikini and other Fée Clochette items are 50% off.
- Emilie
The Bergstein Boot
I was beyond excited to discover Bergstein Gumboots from Holland were now available in Melbourne! With torrential downpours of late (which we are so thankful for, especially after years of drought and serious water dam deficits…) we have even had plenty of opportunity for frolicking in puddles and sloshing in the mud! Apart from looking gorgeous in an array of bright colours (just check out that Lime!), the Bergstein gumboots are a durable shoe. Each boot is completely cotton lined for comfort, has a rippled safety sole to limit slip on wet surfaces and there’s even a reflective strip on each heel for added safety. The ‘Bergsteins’ are the first product from new online retailer Little Elk which owner Sally Clifford plans to expand over time into a small and exclusive selection of products — items that are stylish, timeless, fresh, simple and expressive, gathered from around the globe. Yes, I’m loving the sound of it already!
- Sara
Things to do with BOYS in Paris
I have been discovering lots of BOY friendly activities here in Paris — a far cry away from the usual shopping and coffee-drinking that you normally associate with this city. I reckon our Babyccino Boys Theme week is the perfect opportunity to share them with you…
The Argonaute at the Parc de la Villette: The Argonaute is a 1950’s submarine that was taken out of commission in the ’80s and is now moored in the Parc de la Villette, right beside the Cité des Sciences, Paris’ science museum. It is fascinating. The submarine has been kept exactly the way it was and you get a real feeling of what it was like to live and work in such a confined space. The motors are completely exposed and the audio tour (available in several different languages), describes the life on a submarine really well.
Dinosaur exhibition at the Grand Palais: All the boys I know are going wild about the Dinosaur exhibition at the Grand Palais. The exhibition is not too big to be overwhelming but it is a great way to get to know this species that fascinates so many boys. The animated models are VERY realistic, so small children might be slightly scared. Children discover how dinosaurs lived and ate and there is even a replica of a dinosaur poo (somehow poo never fails to get a rise out of the under-18 crowd).
Play area at the Parc de Belleville: This play area is our favourite place to go at the moment. It has been built specifically for city kids to get them to use their imagination and get to know their physical capabilities better. It is such an unsual structure that every kid interprets differently: for some it is a boat, for some a village, for some a jungle and for some just a great place to let go of some steam.
- Emilie
Parking Garage by Plan Toys
I actually bought this lovely little Parking Garage
-Dina
Estella stripey onesies for baby boys
Aren’t these stripey onesies just the cutest? I love all the different colours — the bold ones and the more muted ones. They’re just so perfect for the summertime when all your little one needs is a onesie. I also love the Estella t-shirts — so cute and so summery, and like the onesies they are extremely soft and have a really nice fit.
Estella is a cute children’s boutique located in NYC (Greenwich Village), but they also have a webshop and will ship worldwide. They carry loads of international brands as well as their own label — a collection of onesies, tees and leggings which are all made in the USA.
-Courtney
Big Boy Pop-Up Book
Pop-Up books today are not like the ones I grew up with, that’s for sure. Last year I picked up this Matthew Reinhart Star Wars pop-up book for one of my friend’s sons who happened to be obsessed with Star Wars and I was simply blown away by it. The book itself is packed with the most artistic, intense and downright amazing 3-D pop-ups I have ever seen! It’s the type of book that a child could sit with again and again as it also has a bunch of hidden flaps to explore and tons of information.
You should check out the Matthew Reinhart website to get a sense of what lurks inside and be sure to check out his full collection if pop-ups as they are all pretty incredible.
-Dina
Cool Click-Clack Cars for Boys
Not only are these Australian-made little cars produced in the most environmentally friendly way, they also challenge our little children’s young minds a bit more than your conventional cars. They come in three different parts, which are easily clicked together to become a race car, or a police car, or a garbage truck. There’s also a click-clack police station, hospital and fire station, to let the kids build there own little town — the best ingredients for hours of fun.
Through Mudd Kids.
xxx Esther
Wall Stickers for Boys
We’ve mentioned the Love Mae wall stickers before here on Babyccino Kids, but I don’t think we ever pointed out just how cute the boys designs are. My boys have the Dinosuars on their bedroom wall and they love them.
The Love Mae wall stickers are not vinyl like most wall stickers, but fabric, so they are extra special in design. They are also completely reusable, so you can remove them and re-stick them on your walls as often as you like and they won’t lose their stick (or damage your walls).
They’re available from the UK-based webshop, Quick Brown Fox of Dulwich, who specialise in bedding and other fabric products. And they ship worldwide for only £6.95.
-Courtney
Win! A Monster Bedset from Little Baby Company
My little boys are completely enthralled by monsters. They talk about them all the time… sea monsters, dragon monsters, bone-eating monsters, etc. It’s not that they’re scared of them, but more that they’re really interested in the idea of ‘monsters’. Must be a boy thing.
So, in celebration of boys and monsters, we’re giving away this Monster Bedset by Kideko from the kind people at Little Baby Company. We’re also giving away the matching drawstring bag, perfect for toy storage. What little boy wouldn’t be thrilled with that?!
Just leave a comment below by next Wednesday, June 30th, and we’ll pick one winner at random. Good luck!
P.S. Check out Little Baby Company for more cool toys, bedding, clothing and decor pieces.
P.P.S. Congrats to Shalene who won the Eva & Oli Maternity Bag!
Blabla — dolls for boys (and girls)
In the same line of thought of getting our daughter a train track for her second birthday, we recently got our 3-year-old boy his own doll. I mean, we don’t want to be forcing a love of trains or dolls on our children while they’re possibly equally inclined to play with the other, do we?
After some research I found him this adorable boy doll to play with. It came with a terrific set of cool looking clothes, so cute, and of great quality (I would dress my baby into them would they fit).
Both are from Blabla, a lovely company not yet very known in Europe, but hopefully not for long. Blabla has a wonderful selection of dolls in different shapes and sizes (all equally lovely), mobiles, clothes and blankets. All the products are hand knitted by Peruvian artisans and absolutely adorable in their design. Take for instance this guy Watson, how cool is he? Perfect for a little boy’s bedroom. Or these darling backpacks — my boy would LOVE that lion!!
xxx Esther
For the cool boys about town
It’s not always easy finding the right balance of ‘cool’ and ‘classic’ for my son. He has strong ideas about what he likes to wear, which still surprises and amuses me — he is only 4 after all! Apparently ‘grey’ is cool but anything neutral is ’so not cool Mum’. Enter Sudo, a hip Melbourne brand for girls and boys aged 2-12 that we both like. It is ‘cool’ enough for him — he likes to sport the rebel rocker vibe which I am not so partial to ( I am still not sold on skinny jeans for boys but Sudo’s rocker boy jeans, my son’s favorites, I can just about cope with). But also, much of the collection still retains a ‘classic’ enough look for me — lovely lightweight linen shorts and fine muslin shirts! Think ‘preppy’ with a rocker edge! Practical and durable too. One particular pair of unfortunate grey marle shorts has been subjected to multiple rounds of Napisan and survived. Completely intact. A big plus in my books.
Sudo is available at retailers throughout Australia and internationally at many online retailers — just click here.
- Sara
Books for Boys
Categorizing books by gender is really tricky business. I mean, who’s to say that girls won’t like books about trains or that boys only like books about diggers? We all know this is not the case.
My boys tend to like books about animals and sea creatures, but they’re happy to read anything (including the more ‘girlie’ books). This being said, I’ve just scanned the books on their bookshelf and many of their favourites feature a boy as the central character. Here is a list of our favourite ‘boy’ books:
1.)Iggy Peck, Architect
2.)Lost and Found
3.)When You Were Small
4.)The Giving Tree
5.)Tyrannosaurus Drip
6.)The Runaway Dinner
7.)The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
8.)Alfie and the Big Boys
9.)Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
10.)Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
11.)Who’s Driving?
12.)How to Catch a Star
13.)And the Train Goes…
14.)Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman
15.)Harry by the Sea
16.)The Happy Lion
17.)Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
18.)Green Eggs and Ham
19.)Who’s Hiding?
20.)A Walk in New York
Do you have favourite ‘boy’ books? Please share!!!
-Courtney
Goki Racing Cars
The more I have researched for our boys theme week, the more I realize that there are some great boy toys out there, most of which I had never noticed! And so I have discovered the Goki range of toy racing and pedal cars. I simply love everything about these cars — their look, their design and their playing potential.
I can completely imagine children spending hours zooming around on one of these, as they are super easy to steer and push. It must be impossible not to feel like Lewis Hamilton on one of these.
Goki also make some great pedal cars; my absolute favourite is the fire truck, which comes with a ladder, a hose and a bell! The Goki cars are available from Madame la Marchande, a brilliant online toy shop.
- Emilie
Cute tees for BOYS!
Have you caught the J. Crew fever yet? I’m so in love! Up until recently, J. Crew was only an American novelty (I always stocked up when I went home). But now… even net-a-porter is stocking J. Crew women’s wear, and I am seeing it everywhere — each piece cuter than the next.
And the cuteness factor on their children’s wear is seriously sky-high. Check out these t-shirts for boys. Darling! I’m not usually one for logos, but of course I just cannot resist that happy camper tee — wish I had that for my boys while we were camping in Australia.
You can now buy J. Crew, as well as a whole host of other cute brands, at the recently launched Tada! Shop — a one-stop children’s shop for brands big and small. So many great products all in one shop — such a great idea.
-Courtney
Win! Play-Doh Fun Factory
If my son likes a gift, he takes it to bed with him. No matter how big, small, soft or hard it is, it must spend the night on his pillow. When he recently received the Play-Doh Fun Factory Spin ‘n Store set, he took it to bed for three nights in a row. Meaning, this was a particularly good gift!
I’m pretty sure this toy will be a hit with most little boys (and girls), as it has been proving itself to be very popular for the last 50 (!!) years. And to make it even better; the Fun Factory has recently been completely re-designed, making the squeezing, moulding and extruding even more fun.
If you would like to try your luck AND the new and improved Play Doh Fun Factory Spin ‘n Store, then please leave one comment below by Wednesday, June 23rd, as we’re giving away 5 Fun Factories to 5 lucky Babyccino Kids readers. Winners will be picked at random. Good luck!
xxx Esther
This give-away is now closed…
