A very cool lamp…
You can’t help but feel better if you step through the doors of a Jonathan Adler design store. His bright and quirky designs make for great housewarming gifts, and recently I’ve noticed they are trying to launch a new “Junior” line for kids (although between you and me — most of it is not really my taste). I did however spot, and now worship, this giraffe lamp!! It kills me that the head sticks out of the top! Kills me. Not only is it perfect for a kids room but could work easily as a desk lamp. Selfishly, I am getting it for myself… not my kids.
-Dina
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
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)
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…)
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!!!
Appaman — Brooklyn inspired clothing for kids
I recently stumbled across the brand Appaman and although I do not have a son… if I did I would most likely outfit him in some of their cool get-ups. Granted, the four year-old-boy in this photo looks about fifteen with that knit hat on but the style is just so up my alley — comfortable, hipster and Brooklyn cool. The Norweigian desinger behind Appaman created the line to reflect a “Scandinavian perspective on Ameripop iconic imagery” and he seems to hit the nail on the head with chic European-inspired styling and quality that is both playful and urban. There are also cute things for babies and girls! I am especially loving their line of down jackets for girls…
-Dina
Tea Time for Tots
For the past few years my family has had the good fortune of spending a month living in London. We are always quite sad to leave, but memories of London remain with us day to day via our much improved vocabulary, our deep appreciation for the BBC & Peppa Pig, and our proclivity for afternoon tea. You don’t often see children drinking tea in the states, however some of my friends love to serve their children chilled chamomile or herbal teas. At first I thought it was a bit strange but now I think it’s a fantastic alternative for kids and at least one of my girls is catching on. I found these German designed tea-bag cup loungers from Donkey Creative Labs and I think they are absolutely hilarious. They come in all sorts of themes — mostly for adults — but I thought they were so cute I just had to share.
-Dina
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
For those of you who are not familiar with Ellie Krieger, I would highly recommend any of her cookbooks — specifically The Food You Crave
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Sunshine Kids Car Seat
Last year I bought this amazing car seat from Sunshine Kids and what I love about it is that it is not a big clunker of a thing that takes up the whole back seat. In fact, it is one of the most narrow seats on the market. It also grows with your child and you can use it from birth up until you don’t need a car seat anymore. The kids can get in and out of it more easily than the other seats we’ve had and they don’t overheat in them (which was a major issue when they were little).
-Dina
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
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
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
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
Soho Parenting
I owe my sanity to the wise women of Soho Parenting. It was not so long ago that I basically crawled through the door of their downtown office for some much needed guidance on setting up a new sleep schedule for my 9-month-old twins. I must admit, the first visit was not easy for me as I have always prided myself on being a mom who relied on her gut instinct to power though the ups and downs and never one to read a parenting book. After months of sleep-deprivation and general feelings of being overwhelmed however, it was time to reach out to a professional — so glad I did. (more…)
Sidewalk Shoe Survival Balm
Rejoice! Summer is here in full force and with the clunky boots now tossed to the back of the closet it’s time to break out the cute sandals and flats. But oh my… ouch… so uncool… breaking in the new shoes for the new season also means blisters and sore feet!
A very good friend of mine from college has been working on this product for years now and just recently rolled it out. She is a mama herself and one that always looks amazing and stylish. In her pre-mommy days she used to do all sorts of healthy San Francisco-ish things like ironman’s and triathalon’s and as a result was always looking for a lady-like product to ease her sore feet. Sidewalk Survival Balm was born out of her love for comfort and high fashion and her organic foot-saver is a god-send that smells incredible. After taking it for a bunch of test runs, I can attest that it really works. Basically, it’s a protective balm for feet, almost like a chapstick, and I keep one in my bag to offer instant relief from rubbing shoes. I am even going to use it on my kids as they break in their new summer sandals. She will ship internationally if you contact her directly and is offering Babyccino readers a discount of 20% off till the end of July. Just use promo code: babyccino.
-Dina
New York Magazine Feature: “I Love my Children. I Hate My Life.”
There is no denying that motherhood is as amazing and enjoyable as it is difficult, stressful and monotonous, and while I would not trade it for anything in the entire world I do appreciate some of the honesty of this recent feature that ran this week in New York Magazine titled “I Love My Children. I Hate My Life”. It seems to be the modern problem — and especially for those women who had children later in life after a long stretch on independence. I can only speak for myself here but all too often I find myself in a never ending inner dialogue of “am I getting this right?”, “am I a failure because I feel stressed out about meal planning” and “am I a bad mom for taking a break from time to time?” Not to mention feeling discombobulated in general about my role OUTSIDE of being a mother. (more…)
This is how we roll…
When I think back to all of the useless things that I bought when I had my twins I literally cringe. I had it all…the Bumbo seat, the baby food ice tray storage, TWO of those ridiculous rainbow Whoozit things that you hang on the stroller and my god, I even had a baby wipes warmer! The best purchase that I made to date, far and above anything else, was our Mountain Buggy Double Stroller which I still use to this day. While the stroller is ideal for twins, it is also great for two kids under four as it allows for a variety of seating options. They even make a triple stroller in the event that you have three little ones to push about (yikes). Although I love the look of the Phil and Ted’s double stroller — I was never a huge fan of having one poor kid wedged at street level. The Urban Double also has a great “peek-a-boo” window so you can see the kids and they can see you! (more…)
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
Parking Garage by Plan Toys
I actually bought this lovely little Parking Garage
-Dina
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
