Beetroot
I think I only discovered the beauty of beetroot in my thirties. If I am not mistaken, when I was a kid, beetroot used to come out of a tin and had the texture of a wet piece of Styrofoam. Now that I have started buying fresh beetroot and have learned to roast or steam it, I have developed a new appreciation for this vegetable. Plus, my kids love it… though that might have more to do with the fact that I told them that their pee would turn pink if they ate loads. (This is very exciting if you happen to be four years old). So here are a couple of things that I have started making with beetroot…
1. I roasted them for an hour in olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in the oven with a garlic clove or two and I then served them as a side dish garnished just with a bit of parsley. (more…)
The Perfect First Shoe
I am indeed a big shoe fan, especially when I come across shoes as adorable and as clever in design as these! Handmade from one piece of leather and with no seamline, these All About Heidi shoes are ingenious… yet they look beautifully raw. Created by a mum from Bondi Beach in Sydney, they are the ideal first shoes. Not only does the soft buttery leather act like a ‘second skin’ for baby while she takes her first steps, but to ensure a perfect fit, the shoe can be adjusted for width by loosening the leather ties on the toes. So very clever! There are various gorgeous colors, and upon request are available for older children and adults too. Available for international shipment through online retailer DragonflyToys.
- Sara
Birdhouse Wallpaper
How cute is this Birdhouse Wallpaper I’ve just discovered?! I love the worn-out background and all the detailed little birds — and it almost looks as if you could actually touch the different textures. I think it would be so cute to cover a bedroom wall with this paper, adding a bit of colour/texture to a child’s room.
My husband and I have actually just bought an old, very run-down house in London and are in the midst of planning a complete renovation (exciting but terrifying!). So I am officially on the hunt for cute interior design ideas, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing my discoveries with you along the way. If you have any good tips or ideas — please share!
-Courtney
Battlefield backpack from Chicken Rhythm
I got this cute backpack for my son at the Kleine Fabriek trade show. Isn’t it cool? I love the fact that it’s drum-shaped, and I love that cute image of the little rider on the horse. My son has been so much into fighting, and knights, and guns these days, without really knowing what he’s talking about… so it’s very appropriate for him! I have no clue where he gets the fighting obsession, but my husband tells me not to worry — it’s very normal for boys, apparently.
Anyway, the backpack is from Chicken Rhythm, and there are also some other prints available.
xxx Esther
Sally Test
Here is, at long last, the new Babyccino Kids Charity (so sorry it has taken me so long to post about it). As you may remember we want to bring attention to smaller charities which don’t have the marketing budget of the bigger ones, but also need support, as they make a huge different in people’s lives. Justyn Strother and fellow blogger and talented photographer lives in Kenya with her husband and four children. She introduced us to Sally Test, a pediatrics centre in Western Kenya. Here she will explain all about it… (more…)
Everything in its place…
I have a real love/hate relationship with technology and I am absolutely TERRIBLE when it comes to keeping things charged. It’s a problem worthy of an intervention. When I go to use my Ipod there is generally enough power to get me through only one or two songs, and rare is the day when my digital camera does not immediately flash “low battery” the minute I snap a picture. My mother – sensing my distress and also noticing that my cell phone rarely worked — bought the following charging station for our house and it has served as a gentle reminder to keep things “juiced” and has solved the issue of keeping everything in a neat and tidy space. As many of you know, I am on a mission to get organized and this whimsical grass caddy looks great on the counter. Kikkerland has tons of silly things for the home so do check out the rest of the website.
-Dina
A quick word on Baker’s Twine
I have a bit of an obsession with baker’s twine. I ordered 4 huge spools of it a few months ago and I am looking around for more. Now I’m no crafty, but even I can think of a million uses. In fact, we seem to be using it in some shape or form at least once a day (yesterday my daughter used it to make some bunting for her dolls house). Great for gift wrapping instead of ribbon, just team with brown butcher paper… It is also beautiful for wrapping baked goods. It adds a nostalgic, rustic look that is simple and classic. Traditional red and white baker’s twine is perfect but I am totally smitten with these delicious, eye-popping colors from The Twinery.
- Sara
Floating Ducks from Kid O
My sister-in law came to visit recently and brought the kids this Floating Ducks bath toy from Kid O. I’ve seen it before, and never thought anything of it… but I must say that my kids absolutely love it! It’s such a huge hit both in the bath and out. The little duckling stacks on top of its mama duck and they rock (or float) together as one. It is seriously the one thing they fight over every evening in the bath. Isn’t it funny, the things your kids are attracted to?
The ducks are available from our US Bookstore or directly from Kid O.
-Courtney
Summer Sweetness: Upside Down Fig Cake
Living in Los Angeles, we’re so fortunate to have an abundance of fresh, organic and local produce year round. You can find farmer’s markets every day of the week in a multitude of L.A. neighborhoods with readily available, inspiring ingredients. One of the ingredients that I get particularly excited about each year is the fig. When figs are in season, I can’t get enough of this beautiful, sweet, fleshy fruit. I could eat them served just about any way – whole and fresh, mixed with yogurt and honey, in savory Moroccan dishes, and in this delectable, moist fig cake courtesy of my good friend Jules who frequents the markets every week, searches for the best of the best produce and creates dishes for her family and her blog, Renaissance Mamas that positively make my mouth water. Her cake is similar to the pineapple upside down, with the added sophistication of the succulent fig. I think it would be even more delicious with a big dollop of lightly sweetened crème fraiche. Yummmmm… Here’s the recipe: (more…)
DIY Stick Horses
Before the birth of Ava I had already concluded that my soon to be 5-year-old daughter should have a proper birthday party — no excuses. For months and months she’d been talking about a ‘pony’ birthday (probably secretly hoping we would get her a real horse), which is not an easy theme for a party, especially if you don’t want to end up with loads of plastic trash!! So, 9 days after giving birth, my husband (still on paternity leave — this is Europe!) and my mother-in-law and I spent a whole evening making 7 stick horses for my daughter’s party. I got some rough instructions from This Vintage Chica, went to the market to get broomsticks, stuffing, and decoration, and to HEMA for some groovy socks, biggest size. We worked hard and stayed up late, but the result was a HUGE success! Part of the party was about personalising the horses with letters and glitters, and part was a horse racetrack, and of course all the girls got to take their own stick horse home. The kids absolutely loved their horses and are still playing with them today.
If you feel like making your own stick horse — it’s pretty easy, you don’t need a sewing machine at all. An (old) broomstick and an (old) sock will do. Here’s the how-to:
Klick Desk by P’kolino
I just ordered a pair of these Klick Desks by P’Kolino for my girls and I can’t wait for them to arrive! I have been on the hunt for a cute and practical workspace for them for a while now and I simply love the way these look — clean, modern and functional. The desk/chair combo snaps closed into a solid cube and there is storage space under the seat for art supplies and paper. Genius. I was also pleased to learn that the company was founded by two DADS!!! The website currently only offers three colors (red, green and orange) but definitely check out all that they have to offer as P’Kolino makes a bunch of really great things!!
-Dina
Ferm Living Wallpaper
I am in the midst of redoing our little holiday cottage in France. It is a VERY slow moving process as every summer I only have time to do a small part, but it is fun and gives me a great excuse to day dream all year long. It also means I spend a lot of blissful time leafing through interior decoration magazines and surfing the web, dreaming up different room ideas.
I stumbled over the Ferm Living Wallpapers the other day and now I am revisiting all my decoration decisions in my head. I got especially excited when I realised that they had a great kid’s selection, with some beautiful designs both for girls and boys rooms. Do have a look at the great Rush Hour wallpaper for boys and the Dotty wallpaper for girls. And even if you are not planning to wallpaper a room, Ferm Living also have a fabulous rage of wallstickers for kids.
- Emilie
Beaba at VUP Baby
I’ve raved before about the Beaba Baby Cook — it is one of the few must-have baby gadgets I always recommend to new mums. And the baby spoons from Beaba are also my all-time favourite spoons — they’re made from BPA-free silicone and have nice, long handles for easy feeding. I have one in every colour!
Actually, when it comes to the Beaba brand, you really can’t go wrong — all their products are great. And they’re now conveniently available from VUPbaby, the ultimate source for non-toxic baby products.
-Courtney
Nina’s House
I’m so impressed by the design of this little house. How clever it is: crib, playpen, storage cabinet and changing table all in one! Such fun, so super innovative and beautiful!! The Dutch designer, Dave Keune, thought about all the little details: the entire roof can be opened with bright yellow ropes. The base can be lowered and the rails removed to create a bed when the baby gets older. And (I love this detail), the chest of drawers below the changing table can be opened and closed with a slight push of the knee, so that both hands can still be available while changing the baby’s nappy. Good thinking, Dave!!
xxx Esther
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
I am just back from the French country side where we have spent a lovely few days of just playing or, alternatively, doing strictly nothing. It is so nice to get out of the city sometimes… One of the big bonuses of our summer house is that our neighbour lets us pick vegetables out of his vegetable garden, which is quite a change from picking vegetables from the supermarket shelves. It actually takes a lot of thinking out of the equation as we organise the menu around what is available in the garden, and start coming up with new ideas for recipes depending on the pick of the day. Last week was all about Zucchini — my good friend Russell who was visiting, had eaten stuffed Zucchini flowers in a tapas bar in London, so he tried to recreate the tapas dish and it was amazingly good! Here is the recipe:
Crocs: Take Two
How completely adorable are these new Mary-Janes! After some bad PR over the last few years it seems that Crocs are back and in full force and I am really liking all the new styles! Not only are they comfy and waterproof but they are easy to get on! I also like these for boys.
-Dina
Phoyo Playhouses
A playhouse that is portable, practically indestructible and NOT made of plastic! I’m so excited by this new discovery! Isn’t it great? New Zealand architect, Robin Hannah, set about constructing a nifty slot-together version for her kids way back in the ’70s and well … fast forward and she’s kindly decided to not only repeat the design for her lucky grandchildren, but also to make it available to us! The best part? The Phoyo is made made of sustainably grown pine so it’ll last more than one generation (which means technically I can classify this type of plaything as an ‘investment’ — should my plastic-loving husband question the viability of the new purchase!)
On a practical level, the Phoyo comes with a clear varnish or you can receive it bare sanded so that you and the kids can jazz it up with your own bespoke design. I must say though, I kind of like it au natural. Oh and one more thing — aside from the fantastic utility of being completely screw/nail free, the clever six piece set simply flat packs away when not needed. Perfect! For dogs too I would imagine…
- Sara
Berry season
I remember as a kid I came home during lunch break and my mum sent me to the neighbours (who had a strawberry farm) with a very little amount of money and I came back with a wooden crate filled to the top with strawberries — the reddest, sweetest, biggest and tastiest variety you can imagine. Before I came home I had eaten about a third, for lunch we had another third (on bread, with a little sugar), and the rest was eaten with yogurt for desert. Bliss.
Last week, in my father-in-law’s Mr. McGregor-like garden I picked a generous amount of raspberries, and quickly made raspberry jam (my favourite ever jam)! And yesterday I picked the few redberries from our neighbour’s shrub that came peeping through the hedge, and made blue redberry muffins of them. I just love berry season! Can’t wait for the blackberries to be ripe (blackberry jam is my second favourite jam)…
Have you been eating berries? Any good recipes to share??
xxx Esther
P.S. That cute cutting board is from Tas-Ka
Castlebox Melbourne
I recently discovered the Melbourne-based brand, Castelbox, and I was immediately attracted to the French-inspired pieces — the cute floral dress, the hooded knit jumper for boys (which I got for my son), and the beautiful shoes. The pieces are all produced in limited quantities and are designed for children aged 3 to 10. They’re also designed with comfort and washability in mind, which I love. You can purchase directly from the Castlebox website.
-Courtney
The Runaway Dinner
I just love when a children’s book has a decent storyline, great illustrations AND the added bonus of being just plain silly. If I am going to read the same book a hundred and fifty times for weeks on end is it too much to ask for basic things like plot, action, suspense and pretty pictures? I think not “Goodnight Moon” (ahem). The Runaway Dinner
Available from the Babyccino Bookshop, both US and Europe.
-Dina
