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Yoga Pretzels

Esther in Amsterdam — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:00:17 +0000

My kids have been greatly enjoying the Yoga Pretzels cards they got from their babysitter for Christmas. It’s so cute to see them bend in all sorts of curves, or trying to keep their balance. There are 50 cards, each of them giving a suggestion for a pose. There are, for instance, balance poses, stretch poses, stand and bend poses, and, most popular with my children, the partner poses (they need each other to perform the pose!). There are also cards that give breathing or relax exercises, or suggestions for games that enhance teamwork and creativity. It’s great fun, and especially 6-year-old Sara has been able to really relax after her yoga. Pim (almost 5) loves it too, his favourite pose, of course, is the ‘Warrior’.
Yoga Pretzels is available through Amazon (UK or US).

xxx Esther

Stitch ‘n Kids: finger crochet

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:51 +0000

Do you remember doing finger crochet as a child? I recall a little boy in my class, he must have been around 7 or 8 years old, and he had made a string of finger crochet so long it could wrap around the classroom twice! I recently taught my daughter Sara and some of her girlfriends to finger-crochet, and it has started a real crocheting-mania! The girls love it, and I’ve seen all the mums walk around with finger-crochet bracelets made by their daughters! Cute.

Finger crocheting is really easy, and a six-year-old child should be able to do it. My nearly-five-year-old son Pim was still a bit clumsy and didn’t really have the patience to learn. But he made an effort (and is very proud of his little bracelet)!

xxx Esther

PS Do you remember how to finger crochet? I put a little film on YouTube here!

Brindille and Twig

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:18 +0000

Who says there are no cool clothes for boys around? I know, typically boys don’t wear dresses and skirts (my son Pim being the exception to the rule — on occasions he loves to dress up as a full-on princess), which does limit the choices quite a bit, but there ARE good choices around. Like these cool jumpers by Brindille and Twig. I love how the seams turn out with those raw edges! And the colours are gorgeous. It might be interesting to know that the collection is made from organic cotton and soy fabrics which are locally sourced in the USA, and that it’s hand-sewn and hand-dyed with a non-toxic, colour-fast dye by Melissa from Brindille and Twig herself. And yes, they’re cool for girls too…
Available from the Brindille and Twig Etsy shop.

xxx Esther

Le Gilet de Berger from Citronille

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:33 +0000

Proud mama speaking: my first real knitting project is finished!!! (I’m not counting the scarf I knitted last year — we’re talking about following a pattern here.) The pattern for Ava’s little vest above is from Citronille, and called ‘Le Gilet de Berger‘. It was really easy, and I’m loving the results!! The same pattern can be used for boys or girls, and you can play with a cute wooden button or a little bow for the front closure. The yarn is also from Citronille and is a wool/alpaca mix called ‘Pôle‘. So — did I inspire you??

xxx Esther

PS The dress is from ‘Nils & Happy to see you‘ — the ready-to-wear line by Astrid le Provost (the same owner as ‘Citronille’), which we adore!!

PPS Astrid will include an English translation when you purchase a ‘Gilet de Berger’ pattern, which we made when we were in Antwerp last year.

Playtime Paris

Esther in Amsterdam — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:08:24 +0000

We have just come back from a busy, fun-filled weekend in Paris. We spent the first day doing a lot of walking and a bit of shopping, and spent the second day at the fabulous Playtime Paris children’s trade show. Now our suitcases are full, our minds are inspired and our feet are tired!

Some of our favourite new discoveries at the show were:

Cotton and Milk, a UK-based brand with the most exquisite knitwear and cool branding (see the animals wearing glasses below!).
Grey Area, the new maternity line from Ada Ada which can be worn before pregnancy, during and after.
Quenotte, a new French label. We really liked the jackets!
Noé & Zoë, with loads of bright neon colours (and we love their collaboration with Tannhäuser!).
Lilly Marthe Ebener, with their gorgeously soft hand-knitted pieces all in stunning colours.
Hase Weiss, with the cool modular doll houses and sweet music boxes situated right next to the wonderful Gabriela Pardo and her funky plush guitars.
Goatmilk, a cool underwear label from NYC.

And here are some other highlights:

-We LOVED meeting the girls from Elfie, seeing their gorgeous display, eating the impressively decorated cookies, and of course meeting little Elfie herself.
-Seeing the charming Charlotte from the wonderful brand Deuz. We love their playmats!
-La Cerise Sur Le Gâteau — such cool graphics and fabrics.
-As always, the Bobo Choses collection was cool, colourful, playful and super original. We loved the poncho from Peru!
-Macarons — a brand on the brink of major stardom.
-Such a pleasure to meet Hana from Mole-Little Norway and see her gorgeous collection in full.
-The entire collection from Morley. Lovely!

-As always, we were won over by Wovenplay and were excited to see a glimpse of outerwear (such a cool bubble coat!).
-The always impressive and cosy collection at Waddler.
-We had such a fun chat with the trendy ladies from My Little Day.
-The new bedding collection and flags from Smiling Planet put a smile on our faces. We love their positivity and happy, peaceful messages.
-A really beautiful collection at Noro.
-Meeting the owner of Nui Organics who flew all the way over from Austin Texas with a cosy new collection to show.
-Meeting Marie from Miss Louise and her elegant mother who served the most delicious almond cookies ever!

-Justine from Une Sardine à Rio showed us how her clever pieces transfer from childhood to adulthood.
-Popupshop – So simple, yet so stylish!
-TeenyTini by JK Lange and her colourful crochet wonders.

Phew! And now a hot bath and a glass of red wine!

x Courtney & Esther

PS It was SUCH fun meeting and talking to you all!

January give-aways!

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:21 +0000

Have you already entered our give-aways this month? They’re awesome!
A woollen blanket, so soft and snuggly. Royally sized, so perfect as a throw on the couch, or as a beautiful cover on a bed (colour of your choice). A gorgeous and luxurious classic silk dress with lace detail and pearl button back closure… so comfortable and incredibly stylish! In the size of your choice (XS, S, or M).

And last but not least, a beautiful gift bundle from Green Baby — bursting with super soft, organic, eco-friendly goodies! Perfect for a maternity-leave gift in the office, a baby-shower gift, or to get you started when your new baby arrives!

Enter now to win these goodies!!

Fig!

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:16 +0000

I love figs. To eat of course, but also, very much the smell of them. I’ve lined up a few of my favourite fig-scented products below — hoping of course that you will share yours!!

1. Zenology Sycamore Fig — discovered recently in a hotel and love the entire collection.
2. Company de Provence Savon de Marseille Extra Pur Figue — I love Marseille soap, I love fig, so this combination is hard to resist. The hand soap is a fixed staple in our house.
3. Diptyque scented candle — Very rarely I splurge on a Diptyque candle. Figuier is one of my favourite scents (I love Pomander too).
4. l’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier — a beautiful perfume, that I’ve never owned but always run to in shops.
5. Rituals Under a Fig Tree fragrance sticks — the best fragrance sticks, I think.

xxx Esther

Bu! Play blanket

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:24 +0000

My kids recently got a Little Red Stuga play blanket and it’s just awesome. What a cool design!! The idea is so simple, but as always with the simplest ideas there is a very talented mind behind it. In this case Little Red Stuga worked together with the lovely Elisabeth Dunker from the beautiful blog and boutique Fine Little Day, who designed the indian graphics. I love how the Bu! blanket doubles up as a comfort blanket and a pretend play dress-up device — and how it travels everywhere. So cool!

xxx Esther

The Baby Papoose (by the Good Flock)

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:00:45 +0000

The first line of the The Good Flock website reads: ‘The products we make can be buried in your backyard’. Which I think is such a daring first sentence, and is proof of the innovative and fun nature of Nikki and Marco, the people behind The Good Flock. Their belief is to use wholesome materials (from living sources or eco-systems that are able to regenerate themselves), work with a conscience (real craftspeople, responsible manufacturing), and design with minimal waste (use only what we need). I’ve been thinking — it sounds a bit like how I like to cook our food! But then applied to product design. An interesting slide can be found here, where the difference between the creation of a plastic iPad case is compared to the creation of a Good Flock IWooly.
Reason enough to purchase The Good Flock products, but there’s more: the products are really, really beautiful. Gorgeous vegetable tanned leather, domestic waxed canvas, patterned wool and buttons made from sustainable harvested tagua nuts are the main materials that are used to create simple but stylish bags, covers and wallets. The Good Flock has also created a Baby Papoose, a warm and wonderful baby wrap, made from their beautiful materials and just perfect to keep your baby cozy in his Bugaboo (works for the Frog, Chameleon but also very well for the Bee).

xxx Esther

Davina Zagury photography

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:50 +0000

If you’re looking for something truly special for your house, take a look at Davina Zagury’s website. She has a collection of beautiful still-life images with three main concepts. The first one is about the land of lost toys. Vintage toys, found at flea markets, second hand stores or in the garbage bin (!), make us wonder about the children that once treasured these toys, their home, their story, their life. The second series is about kitchen appliances. Not only are the objects so interesting and beautiful to look at, they also hold memories of our grandmother’s kitchens; they smell of home-made biscuits, chocolate cake, and warm milk. In the animals series that Davina created, little toy animals take centre stage and tell us a special story in which they play the main part.

xxx Esther

Bibu — cool pillows!

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:24 +0000

These happy pillows from Barcelona make me smile every time I see them! They’re made by Yuly from Bibu, who wanted to create something fun, modern and unusual for her son. Her pillows can be used to play with, sleep on, and make great decoration too. And I love that the ‘backside’ of each pillow is made out of a very cool, custom designed fabric!!

xxx Esther

Macarons — an exciting new innovation from Germany

Esther in Amsterdam — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:51 +0000

Yesterday I went to the Kleine Fabriek, the children’s trade fair here in Amsterdam. I love going to trade shows; it’s always fun to walk around, have chats with all of the business owners and designers and see their new collections. It was especially fun to meet Veit and Julie from the new brand Macarons — a lovely couple from Germany (sadly I didn’t meet their baby girl Cleo because she was asleep, but I heard rumours about how cute she is)!
Veit and Julie developed an innovative fabric, the IQ fabric, which is based on traditional production techniques that have been around for centuries in the South of Germany. With a soft and ‘fresh’ feeling organic cotton inside, which is woven together with a warm and water-resistant organic merino wool outside (and sometimes boiled to get a cool rippled felted effect), the IQ fabric is as warm and practical as it gets. But it doesn’t end there — the designs of the clothing line is so cute and different. Contrasting colours on the inside of the hems and collars let you play around with the shapes, sweet pompoms and prints ad lightness and fun — it is all so very, very delightful.

The Macarons collection will be in stores after summer — and we can’t wait.

xxx Esther

Stitch ‘n kids: the knitting fork

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:33 +0000

After joining a little craft group a few months ago, I’ve been making more time for sewing, knitting and crocheting. My 6-year-old daughter Sara is entranced by the idea — she loves nothing more than sitting next to me when I’m creating and always asks me when she’ll be old enough to join my craft group. She actually already does some easy sewing herself (last year we gave her a sewing machine for Christmas), and I recently taught her how to knit (and I was surprised that she was able to do it)!
I thought it would be fun to share some fun sewing/knitting/crocheting ideas with you that are easy enough for children to enjoy. The first idea is the Lucet. Have you ever heard of it? It a very traditional and really simple wooden utensil that has been used since the Viking times to ‘knit’ cords. The process is easy enough for children about 5 years and older, and Sara loves doing it. She already made a beautiful long cord — and is of course very proud! Now we have to come up with a fun project to use the cord… Any ideas?

xxx Esther

Mole, from Norway

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:31 +0000

It’s always so exciting to discover a new-to-us brand that is of great quality, great design, and looks even better in reality than it does on the photo! Enter Mole, a beautiful brand from Norway that I’ve fallen in love with. How cool are the Nordic designs on the jumpers (which have a great, snug fit). The quality of the Merino wool is amazing — it’s thick, warm and soft. Patterns and colours are gorgeous — all the clothes are simple, timeless, and just perfect — look at the overalls in all the different sizes — how snug! I think Pim would love a suit like that — would your little boy??

xxx Esther

Funny finger worms from Hervé Tullet

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0000

Ava got this little book ‘The Game of Finger Worms‘ by Hervé Tullet for Christmas and she absolutely adores it. The concept is so simple (a hole in the book through which you can stick your finger with a little face drawn on it), but the effect on a 19-month-old is so big! She has a little face drawn on her finger as well, and it’s become her new little friend. Cute!
Available through Amazon UK or US.

xxx Esther

Sal de Coco –bedding from Spain

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:14 +0000

Bedtime should be a happy affair, and this colourful bedding from Spanish brand Sal de Coco will set the atmosphere in the bedroom just right. Cute prints and playful illustrations, fresh colours, and the best quality cotton you can imagine make Sal de Coco a worthwhile bedding affair. Sal de Coco is distributed internationally through cool kids furniture company Ninetonine, so if you’re interested in purchasing shoot them an email here.

xxx Esther

Sweet windmills from Broken Tricycle

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:00:07 +0000

It’s summer down under and the Broken Tricycle collection shows! I love those summery pieces with their sweet patterns — how awfully cute are the little windmills? As a Dutch girl I can only approve! All the Broken Tricycle essentials are made from organic, fair trade cotton and are perfect for babies up to two years old.

xxx Esther

Tante Ted — just for boys!

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:18 +0000

Tante Ted (‘Aunty Ted’) is a Dutch brand focussing exclusively on boys bedding and accessories. I’ve known Ted for a few years now and I’ve seen his brand develop, and it’s so cool that his collection is now professionally produced by bedding company Damai! Well deserved, because Ted just knows what boys like. The bedding for starters, all very cool and with bright colours and graphics, inspired by traffic, travel, insects and other things boys love. But what about the lights (my son Pim LOVES this builders’ light!), or the carpets (made from moving blankets! And there are lampshades too!). Everything is just so very cool, just what boys love… and stylish too, just what their parents love. Way to go, Ted!

xxx Esther

P.S. The Tante Ted site is still just in Dutch, unfortunately, but just email Ted if you have questions or would like to order something!

Romantic nightgowns for sweet princesses

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:00:17 +0000

I love my kids always and always but to see them when they’ve just woken up, all warm and confused, and with their cheeks rosy and hair messy, it makes me melt every single time. So sweet! I also have a related fondness for sweet pyjamas and nighties for my children. A freshly bathed child in a clean and cute pyjama — I love it!
Snugg Nightwear is where I discovered the above nightgown for Ava and it’s just gorgeous. Made from cotton and with sweet butterfly details, I’m sure she will look cuter than cute in it… Snugg Nightwear also sells some of my other favourite nightwear brands (like Hatley, Claessens, Petit Bateau and Toffee Moon), and it’s all superbly organised so you can search by brand, price or age — super easy for nighttime lovers like me!

xxx Esther

New Dallas Clayton book! For grown-ups!

Esther in Amsterdam — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:10:54 +0000

Our love for Dallas Clayton is no secret — we’ve written about his talents here, here and here, and, by the way, you can find his ten favourite children’s books here. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I discovered his newest book, a selection of his poetry and illustration — this time aimed at his teenage and adult audience. I’ve read the book in one go, and it’s as beautiful and touching as his other two books. You can order the book here, or read it as a PDF. Do you love it as much as I do?

xxx Esther