Berlingot Jackets from Bibaloo
I know, I know… It’s still August and here I go writing a post about winter jackets! But last year I waited too long to buy my kids their winter coats and by the time I got around to it, all the best ones were sold out. So this year I’m on it early. I love the Berlingot Jackets from Bibaloo. I got this reversible one (pictured) for my daughter and I love that it’s long, hooded and puffy — it will keep her nice and covered in cold weather. I also like the Button Parkas for boys — so cute. Bibaloo is a UK-based webshop dedicated to French fashion. Their Autumn/Winter collection is now in (including the new collection from Petit Bateau)!
-Courtney
Really Rosie and the Nutshell Library
If there is one thing out there that can instantly transport me back to being a young child, it’s the soundtrack to “Really Rosie”. Carol King’s bell-bottomed clad voice is forever burned into my memory bank and for those of you who remember the songs “Eating chicken soup with rice”, “One was Johnny” and “Pierre” I urge you to share them with the next generation. I recently purchased the soundtrack on Itunes and also picked up this boxed book set
-Dina
Crazy pinecone creatures
It’s technically still summer here in Amsterdam but in reality it’s been autumn at its worst these last few weeks. Crazy! The one advantage of autumn (the only one, really) is that there are loads of cool things falling from the trees, like for instance pine cones, which are fun to gather on a forest walk. And from which one can create very cool creatures like these pink hedgehogs. In the past we’ve made acorn men and chestnut chaps too. Fun!
xxx Esther
My Bread
After mentioning my love for bread baking last week, I received a couple emails asking which pizza dough recipe I use. The good news is that both the No-Knead bread recipe and our favourite pizza dough recipe come from the same source: Jim Lahey’s My Bread. We have a large stack of bread-baking recipe books, but this one is definitely our favourite. What I really love about the book is how he uses photos to walk you through the recipes, step by step, making it nearly impossible to mess up. And his pizza dough really is the best.
The book is available from Amazon (UK and US).
-Courtney
Dear Avocado…Thank you.
The summer in New York City has been brutal. I’ve heard that it was the hottest July on record but August was pretty unbearable as well. Meanwhile, I have been outdoors most of the time, forgetting to re-apply sunscreen and definitely not taking care of my hair which now is the consistency of straw. So… the other day while sitting around making guacamole with a friend, she suggested I mash up an avocado, mush it around with an egg yolk and put it in my hair. So next thing I know I am massaging in the green goop and wrapping my head in saran wrap (sexy!) and after sitting with it for 45 minutes I was shocked! It really did give my hair a noticeable boost as it felt suddenly thicker and healthier. I am going to do it with the kids because I think they would love it — especially after a summer of chlorinated pools!!! I also hear that Mayo works well — I will try that next and let you know.
Just to recap: mash up avocado, mix in egg yolk, apply to hair (more at the roots), sit for a bit, rinse it, done.
-Dina
(Image from For The Birds)
Bembo’s Zoo
My friend, Al, told me about this wonderful website which has apparently been running for years and years and years but I never knew about it. Bembo’s Zoo actually started life as a book, designed by world renowned graphic designer, Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich (I know, fabulous name!). The concept used the letters of the alphabet to create animals (using type font, Bembo). It was turned into a flash-animated website and is utterly mesmerising — you can spend hours just clicking through the alphabet and watching the animals unfold. My children love it and it is a great way to start familiarising them with the letters. Enjoy!
-Mo
Olive & Moss, classy retro baby clothes
Can you believe that little Ava is 3 months old already? Yesterday I put her in a sleeping bag for the first time (we’ve been swaddling her so far), and she looks so cute in it! The sleeping bag is from Olive & Moss, a brand which reminds me a bit of the ’70s. (Sometimes I just need to step away from Liberty and luxury for a bit, and these funky designs really bring a smile to my face.)
Ava is in a Margot and Mo sleeping bag, which I thought was cute for a girl, but if I had a boy I would definitely go for Louis the Lion, I mean how cool is he? Margot and Louis and more crazy characters are available from the Olive & Moss website.
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Back to School with Babyccino – on Etsy• Fruit Tiramisu (sort of)
• Travel bug
Biisoo — Handknit Luxury for Infants
How cute are all these little handknit pieces? I just love that red pom-pom hat! They come from Biisoo — a New Zealand-based label for infants. All the products are handmade from merino wool which is grown and processed on certified organic farms on the south island of New Zealand. The wool is super soft, non-irritating and oh-so cozy, making it ideal for babies. I know it’s still technically summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, but I’ve just returned to a very dreary, cold London… and I’m in the mood for cozy! You can shop online at the Biisoo online shop.
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Back to School with Babyccino – on Etsy• Fruit Tiramisu (sort of)
• Travel bug
Planter’s Crema Riparatrice
A true discovery this summer has been the Viso Mani Corpo repairing cream from Planter’s. Made from all natural ingredients, and with a delicious, gentle smell, this cream is equally suitable to put on your body, hands and face. Perfect for when you’re traveling!
It’s lovely for after bath or shower and rich enough to give nutrition to dry skin. And good for children’s cheeks too! A summer favourite, but this cream will from now on live in our house the whole year around. Available in Europe through Soap.
xxx Esther
Weebits — Beautiful Knitwear for Babies
Gosh, I am a sucker for beautiful knitwear — for myself and my kids. When I discovered Weebits at Magnolia Square recently I was mesmerized by the quality, texture, colors and design and just a tiny bit peeved that they didn’t come in sizes big enough for us! Pure merino wool from New Zealand is the world’s most exclusive natural fibre and it is as scarce as cashmere. Because of its natural elasticity, lustre, resilience, density, strength, warmth and softness, it is perfect for newborns. I totally love these hoodies (pictured) but the rest of the range (especially the ponchos and loop scarves) are equally drool-worthy. The colors are just superb and produced using eco-friendly dyes. Definitely worth checking out. The good news is they ship world-wide. For more details, click here.
- Sara
Elephant Elements
Elephant Elements
What I love about this book is it goes much further then your normal book on opposites — yes you have your ‘big & small’, ‘long & short’ and ‘top & bottom’ but you also have the unconventional ‘visible & invisible’, ’solid & liquid’ & ‘broken & mended’ — and the book always uses an elephant to illustrate them! It is very, very funny and imaginative and appeals as much to adults as to children (beware of the rotten elephant though – urghhhhh!).
-Mo
Jenga
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we’ve been spending the past week at our beach house on Bainbridge Island. The house has no television, no internet, no fancy electronics — just good old-fashioned entertainment like cards and board games… and Jenga
Jenga is a simple game consisting of 54 wooden blocks. You start by building a tower using all the blocks, then each player takes a turn removing one block from the tower and sticking it back on top. Over time the tower gets taller and more wobbly until eventually it topples. Last one to remove a block without knocking over the tower wins. Simple as that!
You can purchase Jenga from Amazon (UK
-Courtney
Our New Bunk Bed. The Pros. The Cons.
I was quite inspired by Natalie’s post a while back when she wrote about this absolutely beautiful bunk bed from Australia. Like her, I am somewhat obsessed with the idea of a bunk bed and it got me to thinking about getting one for my girls. When their recent birthday loomed, a plan was hatched to get one, and after months of hard-core research I decided to get this particular one from Room and Board (which is simple and beautiful in person).
We talked about its arrival for weeks on end – nailing out the details of who was on top, who was on bottom. Talking about how we would drape a sheet and make a cave out of the lower bunk AND how exciting it would be to have a bigger room with more space for toys! The excitement could barely be contained….Then it arrived… (more…)
Eponime, beautiful baby wear
Eponime is a French baby brand that I just love giving to newborn babies. Designed by Fanny Chretien, a young talented designer based in Normandy, these baby beauties are seriously something else. The designs are simple, but absolutely exquisite and the fabrics are beautiful, natural and soft with gorgeous prints. And they are functional too! As far as I’m concerned, Eponime hits the nail on the head with original, elegant and luxurious baby wear. Bring on more babies, friends!
xxx Esther
Native shoes in mini sizes
I am so excited… I just discovered that Little Fashion Gallery are stocking Native shoes in mini sizes! I have long been bemoaning the fact that these cool shoes didn’t come in kids sizes and…well...here they are! The perfect summer holiday shoe in my opinion — so versatile, so robust with the utility of a Croc but really so much more style! And in such delicious colors too. Made from 100% EVA, an environmentally amphibious material that makes them ultra-comfortable and all-terrain; molding perfectly to the foot. I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair (for the kids and also for myself — I am eyeing the shell white here)!
- Sara
Mila’s day dreams
If you haven’t seen it already — please check out Mila’s day dreams blog. I defy you not to make it one of your favourites. Since I read about it I am totally hooked and check it out daily. A truly wonderful and imaginative maternity hobby! What a cool, cool mum.
-Mo
Blackberry Cobbler
We’re currently staying at my family’s beach house on Bainbridge Island (Washington State), enjoying the rocky beaches and cold, cold water of the Puget Sound. We’re also enjoying the delicious blackberries that grow wild everywhere around here — blackberries for breakfast, blackberry smoothies, blackberry jam, blackberries on ice cream… and blackberry cobbler! Yummmmm. I send my kids out every afternoon with a big bowl and they come back with purple hands and faces and mounds of fresh berries. Doesn’t get better than that!
Anyway, here’s the recipe we’ve always used. It’s taken from one of my very favourite cookbooks, Alice Bay, and it’s delicious! (more…)
Picard
The French are known for their elaborate cuisine, but there is a secret hidden in many French freezers and its name is Picard. When I first moved to France I could not figure out what went on in the Picard shops — they are huge expanses, kept all white, with freezer upon freezer standing beside each other… and, as I found out, full of frozen food. Even then I wasn’t convinced — years of terrible frozen pizzas and microwave dinners had turned me off frozen food. Turns out the French are addicted to their local Picard, and with reason — Picard food is (mostly) fantastic. (more…)
Il Tutto: stylish baby bags
Being a new mum doesn’t always bring out the physically best. For instance, after three babies my belly looks like a cross between gelatin pudding and a hot cross bun. My hair is a constant explosion of dry and frizzy dullness (and I’m losing it as we speak) and well, now that I’m at it: my bikini line looks like a Brazilian… rain forest.
Not the best ingredients for feeling like a yummy mummy. But, help is at hand: the moment I throw my uber-glamourous, luxurious Il Tutto Layla over my shoulder I instantly convert from tired looking, un-cute mum to a cool, hip and stylish mama. Or at least I feel that way! My back automatically straightens, my hair seems to look ‘interesting’ (Tina Turner looked good too after all) and surely soon the seventies will be sexy again. (more…)
We All Screamed for Ice Cream
Recently, we had friends come stay with us for the weekend and they always show up bearing gifts and fun things to keep us occupied. That being said…when they unloaded this pink ice cream maker from the trunk of their car a virtual riot ensued. My girls screamed at the sight of it and wanted to unpack it, make it and eat it STAT. I screamed (to myself) about where I was going to store this thing that I needed like a hole in the head. And then, our friend screamed as they almost dropped it while carrying it into the house.
Summer though is really all about the joy of ice cream so after getting it set up inside I decided that it wasn’t such a bad idea to just make it at home. Making ice cream is actually quite easy and the great part about making it in-house is that you can control what is in it (all natural ingredients, organic milk, fresh fruit, etc;) In 15-20 minutes you can whip up soft-serve ice cream, sherbet or frozen yogurt and I love the cute little dispensers on the side for sprinkles and nuts. So while we all screamed initially for different reasons, this is one of our most prized summer indulgences!!!
