Babyccino selections…
The uber cool kids’ clothing website, Little Fashion Gallery, has given us our very own section on their website with all our favorite picks! We each got to choose four things, which I can assure you was difficult considering they sell all the best brands of clothing, furniture, and accessories! Go and have a look, and see which items made our list!!
Here’s a little preview…
How cool is that??? We feel like rock stars! Or something like that…
-Courtney
Zebra pillow
Esther and family sent us this zebra cushion for my son’s first birthday last month, and we just love it! It looks so cool in the boys’ room.
The zebra is just one of many cute designs by Salvor Fauna — there’s also a sweet bunny rabbit and a purple owl, among many others. All the cushions are hand-made from 100% organic cotton in Brooklyn, NY. While they are obviously hip and modern, there is also something very ‘vintage’ about them.
You can buy them here in the UK from the lovely webshop, Luxeville, where you will get sucked in to spending too much time browsing all the beautiful products… Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
-Courtney
Emilie
Surprise, surprise: due to my name, as a little girl, I was given the Emilie books by Domitille de Pressensé. Emilie wears a red bonnet, a red dress, has a hedgehog (as you do) and lives with her family in a little house in the woods. The stories are simple and they enchanted me. Out of nostalgia I tried to find the the books for my daughter but they had been long taken out of print.
There now seems to be a bit of a retro revival in France regarding children’s books and a few of the Emilie books are back in print. Unfortunately they have not been translated, but for those of you who read French, I highly recommend them!
-Emilie
Temporary but cool!
The latest trend in Milan is something called temporary shops. These are stores which are open for a short and fixed period of time. The reasons may vary — sometimes it’s because the flagship store is being refurbished, sometimes an outlet for last season’s collection is needed, sometimes it’s a rehearsal for something new to come.
The last reason is what is behind the new Benetton temporary shop in the very centre of Milan. It’s a baby/children concept store that will stay open for two months, until the end of July. The clothes on sale belong to the Autumn-Winter 2008 collection and you can also find a maternity range. The decor is quite cool and there are also a few services new to any children’s shop in Milan. There is a personal shopper that can help with selecting the next season’s key pieces, and there is a hair stylist from the Aldo Coppola team that will cut your child’s hair for free!
Benetton PR claims a new store with these characteristics will open permanently in Milan by the end of this year.
-Michela
A gazillion bubbles
The last few containers of bubbles I’ve bought for my kids have been so disappointing! There is nothing worse than buying bubbles, bringing them out at the park hoping for some instant entertainment, and then finding that the bubbles don’t work! We bought some bubbles while we were in New York last month, and no matter what you did, you could NOT get any bubbles out of that wand! (To be fair, my husband did buy them from Whole Foods and they did claim to be non-toxic and eco friendly!)
I have finally found the perfect bubbles: Gazillion Bubbles
AND, the bubbles actually work! I promise…
-Courtney
Potato Stamp
I was caught short the other day when it started bucketing down with rain and I could not imagine anything less appealing than taking the kids to the playground. So what could I do to keep them busy and stop them from going crazy being locked in a flat for a whole day?
I had run out of play dough, read all the books I could read and had already exhausted the crayon option… Then I suddenly remembered my mother making us potato stamps when we were kids! It was an instant hit. Half a potato and some rough carving later produced a stamp that fit perfectly into my daughter’s hand, and she and her friend spent hours stamping every possible piece of paper I could find!
- Emilie
Petite Anglaise-the book.
Petite Anglaise is the nickname of Catherine Sanderson, the title of her very successful blog and the title of her first book. I have to admit I did not know anything about Petite Anglaise until we started this blog, and once I discovered the blog, I meant to read it but never found the time. I wanted to go back to the very early posts and read the whole story as it had developed. Thankfully Ms. Sanderson has a very informative about me page on her website that allows the new reader to get an idea of what happened and where the author stands.
So this is her story: Catherine Sanderson is a brit living in Paris. At the time she created the blog she was living with her daughter, Tadpole, and Tadpole’s father, Mr Frog, and working as a secretary for a British firm. She started her blog to talk about the joys and pains of being an ex-pat. She begins blogging in a very funny and open way, and before long becomes a celebrity in the blogosphere! She then falls in love with one of her readers, Lover, and leaves Mr Frog. Unfortunately the story with Lover ends in tears, shortly afterwards she is fired (or better, dooced) for blogging on the job and for talking about work-related matters in her posts. It is at this stage that her story overcomes the internet community and makes it on the front pages of British newspapers. Catherine is outed, but she gets a book deal and in 2007 she wins her case for unfair dismissal. (more…)
Fortmason tea
A couple years ago Esther and I went to visit our friend, Liska, after the birth of her daughter. As we were both busy admiring the new baby, her mom was busy serving us tea and cookies. The tea was placed casually in front of us, and I remember we both picked up our tea cup, took a sip, and then looked at each other with that look of newfound love. That tea was sooo yummy… fragrant and lovely.
The magic concoction? One of Fortnum & Mason’s famous aromatic teas: Fortmason — a blend of Indian and Chinese teas scented with orange blossom to produce a delicate, flowery flavour.
Fortnum & Mason is a luxury department store on Picadilly here in London, and is famous for their teas, luxury hampers and upmarket food hall. If you want specialist teas and caviar, you head to Fortnum & Mason. If you want Esther’s and my most favorite tea, you buy the Fortmason blend! Yummm…
-Courtney
Blue Planet
If you haven’t yet seen the under-water documentary, Blue Planet, I can’t stress enough how much you should! It is seriously extraordinary. Both the remarkable footage and the eloquent narration by David Attenborough make this nature series truly fascinating!
This BBC documentary series, consisting of eight 50-minute programs, reveals ocean life and behavior that has never been captured before. From the depth of the ocean to the shores, covering the entire planet from pole to pole, you can watch sea creatures you didn’t even know existed… including a scary deep-sea fangtooth and a giant-mouthed gulper eel! You can also sea an Orca whale capture and kill a seal pup.
It is both fascinating and heartbreaking; I’m quite certain I cried and laughed in almost every chapter. So… too scary for kids you might think, but NO! My 3-year-old son is totally obsessed! He sits there watching so intently for as long as I leave him. It is all he talks about at the moment.
Not bad, right? It’s true educational television. And when he becomes bored with this, we can switch to the sister series, Planet Earth
- Courtney
Amazing teether
I think this rattle teether from Amazing Baby is one of the best handbag toys. It is so small but packed with fun things to do: rattle sound, two soft rubber teethers, four crinkle petals of different colours and bold patterns, two dangly rings, a plastic clip to hook the toy to stroller bars or straps, and best of all a mirror at the back!
You can find them in nice children shops around London or on Amazon.
-Michela
Moltex
I do like to be as environmentally conscious as possible, so I feel guilty using disposable nappies… but I could never get my head around how to use the reusable ones.
This is how I came across the Moltex nappies as a compromise. They are made out of unbleached cellulose, and the core of the nappy is chlorine free. They use an absorbent gel to absorb the pee as they realized that without it the usage of the nappy was 5 fold, so actually created a huge amount of waste.
For me the Moltex work as well as any other nappy and are not that much more expensive! They also allow me to sleep with a bit of a clearer conscience…..
- Emilie
Puppies
I had seen these Magis ‘Me Too’ puppies around before, but was reminded of them when we were in Amsterdam visiting Esther a couple weeks ago. The fun kid-friendly restaurant, Praq, had them displayed throughout their restaurant and our kids were loving them!
So I suppose it was meant to be when we were taking a stroll through the Islington neighborhood of London this past weekend and popped into a cool store that sold them. We just couldn’t resist the begging and pleading from our boys. So we got two — a small and a medium. (more…)
Spa business meetings
Apparently more and more spas in London are catering to groups of women… not on a hen night but on a business meeting! This FT article reports that it is now everything but unusual to overhear conversations that span from the “sub-prime crisis” to “that’s a fabulous colour!”, and that spas like the Spa at Chancery Court or the newly opened Cowshed Carnaby can accommodate small groups of business women for a quick manicure or pedicure at the very start of a working day. Often included in the deal are a healthy breakfast or a quick lunch.
It is clearly another way of doing corporate entertainment, and definitely more suitable for a working woman’s needs and schedule.
I personally think it’s brilliant that women are no longer afraid of being women even at high flying jobs. Although I suspect that this type of business meeting will not happen in the most conservative sectors and/or those with a large majority of men.
Unfortunately, here in Milan spas are not even part of anyone’s schedule, so definitely off the business one. But now I know where we could have the next Babyccino board meeting!
-Michela
Natural Mat
When I was pregnant with our first baby, we were given a hand-me-down cot from some friends of ours. The cot was decent (enough) looking and small enough to fit into our tiny flat so we kept it. That tiny flat, however, happened to be right around the corner from a lovely little baby bedding store called Natural Mat which sells the most beautiful cots and natural mattresses. It was almost a shame that we were given a hand-me-down cot, because it made it really difficult to convince my husband that we needed one of those mattresses!
I never got one of those natural mattresses, but If I could do it all over again, I definitely would! The handmade mattresses from Natural Mat are 100% natural and non allergenic, breathable, naturally fire-retardant, and totally biodegradable! You can read the many advantages here. They come in all different shapes and sizes, but you can even have one custom-made for you if you have specific requests.
While I never bought a mattress from them, I did manage to do my fair share of browsing and shopping from the many other beautiful items they sell. Like the Danish Flensted mobiles, the cute organic baby clothes, and the coolest range of nursery furniture (including the Netto Collection)! (more…)
A death in the family…
After her long battle with cancer, Esther’s mum passed away late last night. Esther and her family were with her at her home in France. She was the kind of mum and grandmother that anyone could ever hope for, and we all feel thankful to have known her. We will miss her, and we send Esther our deepest love and support.
-Courtney, Emilie and Michela
I love it…
…… but she doesn’t!
I am so sad! I found the ideal present for our 2-year-old (or so I thought!): The Moulin Roty antique kitchen. It looks so lovely and I thought it would look fabulous in her room. It is made out of wood and is so simple. But… the girl was having none of it. The moment we arrived at the toy store and she was told that we were thinking of buying her a kitchen she ran towards a florescent green, pink and yellow monstrosity and could not be convinced that she would really and honestly prefer sleek natural wood, with pretty accessories.
I realized that unfortunately 2-year-olds and I have a very different perception of what would be fun to play with. For now I have built her a cooker out of a cardboard box which she loves. I will see in a couple years if she will be more partial to neutral colours and will have learned the importance of minimalism in contrast to fluorescents. I’m keeping my fingers crossed…
-Emilie
Pick up truck
This little Eichhorn pick-up truck is one of those toys that my son got for his first birthday (thanks, Miriam) and that we all love… So simple, and it has so many possibilities! You can drive it around, take the pieces out, stack them up, put them back in again… And it looks really cute!
Available through the German Amazon.
xxx Esther
Wagamama Baby
To everyone familiar with London, Wagamama will remind them of noodles and communal tables. Instead, Wagamama Baby is the company behind the baby zabu, an interpretation of the traditional Japanese zabuton cushion. It’s a thin mattress with sides that can be easily made flat and that rolls up for portability. It’s exactly this last characteristic that makes it so special. 
It can be taken to a picnic in the park, to a friend’s house for the weekend or to the neighbour’s for a cup of coffee. You can use it for tummy time, play time or sleep time, and the best thing is that the small version fits perfectly into any standard portable playpen or travel cot. This means that you always have a nice and clean place for your wagamama (“spoiled rotten” in Japanese) baby to sleep in!
It is made in the U.S. and you can choose from many stylish fabric combinations.
-Michela
via ohdeedoh
Famille Summerbelle
The wonderfully kind and talented Julie from Famille Summerbelle invited me to the Pulse trade show last week. It was my chance to meet her, see her new products, and browse the many other designers on display. The show was great — I promised my husband I wouldn’t be more than two hours, but it was impossible to cram it all in in less than 3! It was really overwhelming the amount of talent and creativity.
But my most favorite designer was Julie herself! I love everything she does. The colors she chooses along with her whimsical designs are just so, so endearing. I can just imagine how beautiful her home must be (there are even a few photos on her website)! Some of my favorite Famille Summerbelle products are the family tree (pictured), the Bluebird ‘tongue twister’ cushion, and the new ‘Mouse in the House‘ print, which she debuted at the show.
But really, everything is beautiful! I want it all. And here’s another bonus… She sizes all her prints to fit perfectly into Ikea frames (which is what she uses for all display purposes), which means you don’t have to spend a fortune getting everything framed! I love that!
-Courtney
The one problem with pavements in Paris
I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world; the streets are kept relatively clean, the people know how to dress — it is generally a good place to live. So why, oh why, do the Parisians think it is okay to let their dogs poop on the pavement? I have never understood this phenomenon. In a city where the footwear you see everyday is more delicate and expensive than in most places, it is impossible to walk down a street without encountering piles of fresh dog poo. I learned the hard way that it’s impossible to take in this city while on foot, as you have to constantly look on the ground to make sure you avoid said piles. This is made extremely difficult when you are pushing around a buggy as you can’t really see. I have now trained our two-year-old to be on the look out and give me a warning whenever she spies a pile. She thinks it is hilarious – I don’t!!
So for all you New Yorkers out there — be happy that they have invented a ‘pooper scooper’ where you live, as we sorely need them over here!
- Emilie
