Just a simple serviette
I am from the cloth-bib-front; I just don’t like the plastic ones. I like cloth bibs, and I like them to be big so they cover the shoulders properly. I suppose my kids are messy!
After dinner I like to use them to clean the kids’ faces with, and I like to hang them over the back of the Stokke chair waiting for the next meal. So they better look good.
These serviettes from Supernana are really, really cute, and really, really practical!
They are actually just a royal square of good quality cotton, which close behind the childs’ neck with a pretty mother-of-pearl snap. Ingenious, I know. Simple is best!
They make kids look cool too. My son looks like a cowboy wearing his bib!
xxx Esther
P.S. Make sure to check out the rest of the Supernana goodies. I love her stuff!
Pizza atelier
How do you entertain kids on a rainy afternoon, teach them to cook, and at the same time have dinner prepared for you by your own personal chef? Let them make pizzas!!
My friend Carla organised a pizza atelier the other day and it was a success beyond any expectations. She prepared lots of fresh vegetables, a disc of pizza dough per child, grated cheese and tomato sauce. Everyone was allowed to top their pizzas with whatever they wanted.
A child psychologist would have had a field day, as the kids’ personalities totally came out by the way they approached the pizza making. One pizza was picture perfect, with all the ingredients evenly distributed. Another had every single ingredient piled up like a mountain. A third had all the vegetables neatly lined up in one straight line.
What this meant I don’t know, but the main thing is the pizzas all tasted equally nice and were enjoyed by young and old! I think this may become a new favourite rainy afternoon activity.
- Emilie
Tiny feet
One of the great things about maintaining contact with the women in my mother’s group – even though I hardly ever see them any more because I’m working full-time – is being on the email list. I get to hear about all the babies’ development milestones and also read some great tips too. This one I had to share. It’s about an eBay store where you can buy pre-walkers for less than $10 a pair! They’re super cute and the woman who sent the email around has already bought two pairs so that makes me feel comfortable enough to recommend them, as I always get nervous buying on Ebay. So consider this tip shared.
-Natalie
Butterhorns
Every Christmas and Easter morning of my childhood (and even still now), my mom made a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls called ‘Butterhorns’. The house would fill with the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar, and we would all congregate in the kitchen waiting eagerly to eat them. She iced them while they were still warm and served them straight off the baking tray. Yummm….
This year for Easter we had friends over for a big brunch and egg hunt. I made my mom’s famous Butterhorns and they were a huge hit! Easter wouldn’t be the same without the butterhorns, but they’re so yummy and so easy to make that I’m thinking they should become a breakfast staple in our house.
Here’s the recipe: (more…)
Tent bed
Being an international family, we travel a lot and don’t always stay in the most child-friendly environments. It has often been a logistical nightmare trying to borrow a travel cot, or we have had to lug a massive travel cot with us. A travel cot does fit in the boot of a car, but trust me, trying to take one on public transport is no joke.
My latest purchase, a pop-up tent bed, is my new number one favourite kid’s item. It is super simple to use, it’s very light and folds up incredibly small. I even sometimes take it to the park as a sun shade/playhouse.
I got my pop-up bed at Fnac Eveil et Jeux, though I do believe that several other companies have brought out similar models. Fnac deliver to most countries in Europe though unfortunately their website is only in French.
- Emilie
Baa-baa blind
My children are used to sleeping in nearly complete darkness (just a night light switched on), so whenever we travel to the Nordic countries or places without proper shutters, or when we stay with friends and sleep in rooms normally devoted to other uses, our nights tend to be shorter than usual.
I have tried many DIY methods to get less light into the room, some more permanent than others depending on the length of our trip. I have hung towels, blankets, double layers of blue fabric using self-adhesive velcro strips, etc., and was rarely satisfied with the result.
During our last trip to London we used baa-baa blind on the window, and it worked really effectively with very little effort! (more…)
The Pocket Garden
On the window sill in Courtney’s bathroom in London sits a little sunflower growing in a bag and every time I look at it it makes me so happy! Sun, new plants growing, birds singing in the garden, woo-hooo — it’s springtime!
It must be so weird for our friends on the other side of the globe to read this, who are getting ready for winter!
Anyway, the little plant growing on Courtney’s window sill comes from The Pocket Garden, a lovely company that sells cool little bags filled with compost and seeds. The only thing that’s needed for the plant to grow is a pair of scissors to cut open the package, some water on a regular basis and a sunny spot! Very cute to give as a gift (through Send-a-Thought), or to teach your children a thing or two about nature.
xxx Esther
Robot Set
I always find it hard getting presents for boys, as I only have girls and I don’t really know what little boys like. This melanine dining set with a cute robot design by Chaise Longue is one of my favourite presents for little guys. I found it when Courtney’s oldest son was obsessed with robots and have gifted it several times since. The boys have always loved it.
In fact, I like a lot of the Chaise Longue melamine sets, bibs and placemats. The designs are cute and I love melamine as it is seriously indestructible. I don’t know about you but in my house, more often than not, plate and cups don’t stay on the table!
Chaise Longue deliver anywhere in Europe. In the USA the company trades under the name of Baby Cie. The collection is not quite the same but it is equally as cute!
- Emilie
Three Billy Goats
I love the idea of my kids being familiar with all the old fairy tales I grew up with… like this old Norwegian story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff — the ones who want to eat the grass in the pasture across the bridge but discover a nasty troll underneath it.
So I bought this book for my boys a couple months ago, and it has become quite a favorite! Even though my oldest still can not read, this is one of those books he can read aloud from memory. A simple story, but certainly captivating… judging from the impression it has made in our family!
Paul Galdone’s illustrations are, as always, very beautiful. This is definitely my favorite version of the story.
-Courtney
A sky-nanny? A dream!
This past weekend we flew to London to spend Easter with our old friends, and it was great. It’s always fun to be there, but never very much fun to travel! It’s only a 2-hour plane ride, but with air traffic and holiday travelers it always ends up being a long journey. My son is now a nearly pleasant travel companion — he plays with his toy cars, colours, reads books, etc. My 16-month-old daughter is more the problem, as she cannot stay still for longer than 3 minutes! I always try to avoid being one of those families that makes people wish they could buy a ticket on a child-free flight.
Did you know that Gulf Air offers a Sky Nanny service? The sky nannies help you deal with your children from the moment you check-in at the gate. They will arrange feeding times, not to overlap with yours, provide extra-snacks, age suitable entertainment and a few moments of babysitting when needed.
Now that would be something I might be willing to pay extra for…
-Michela
Easy tomato soup – from the cupboard
This weekend we were staying in London with Courtney and her family. We met up with Michela and her family on Saturday, who also spent the Easter weekend in London! After a fun day spent in Hampstead Heath and an enormous lunch at Kenwood House (both in people as in food), we weren’t too inspired to cook dinner…
We had a look in Courtney’s cupboard and decided to make tomato soup, which together with a lovely salad and some good bread made a perfect meal.
Here’s the recipe for the tomato soup — all of the ingredients are to be found in the pantry!
Rue Vavin
Just south of the Luxembourg Gardens you can find the Rue Vavin, a mom’s dream of a shopping street. Along the rue Vavin and its side street, the rue Brea, you will find some of the best Parisian children’s shops. From the affordable — a great DPAM baby shop– to the more expensive — Jacadi and Catimini both have a branch on this street– there is everything you could wish to get for your kid. Paris’ first children’s hairdresser Simon is based in the rue Vavin (16 rue Vavin. Tél. : 01 53 10 08 12). There are also toy shops, chain shops, shoe shops and other cute, little individual boutiques.
I personally recommend dragging the family for a quick shopping mission around the rue and then heading off to the playground in the Luxembourg Gardens — a great day out for the whole family.
- Emilie
Petit Bateau does organic!
When I heard that Petit Bateau had launched an organic range, I couldn’t help but take a peak into one of their shops. And, even though I have resisted buying anything for the new baby up until now (yes, I’m serious!), I couldn’t help but buckle.
My very first purchase for baby number three? This darling, super soft, knitted ‘combicourt‘ in a very gender-neutral cream color — one of the many beautiful pieces in the new Bio range.
I was really quite impressed with the whole organic range. The colors are all muted, natural tones and many of the pieces are reversible, which is always fun. They also cover all the bases, from simple onesies to their famous sleeping bag — all in soft organic cotton.
The organic range has just hit stores here in London, but is also available from Petite Bateau’s French webshop.
-Courtney
Happy Easter!
We will be decorating, hiding, finding and eating a lot of eggs today! Have a great day, hope the sun will shine and the Easter bunny will be merry…
Love,
the Babyccino girls
Greekalicious
I know it’s bad to wish away the days and years, but I can’t wait for Little C to become old enough so we can cook together. I have such happy memories of baking as a child – and licking the wooden spoon (I still do!). And when I heard that Maria Benardis was extending her Greekalicious cooking classes to children, I was so excited that I had to share it with you. You see, I’ve been to one of Maria’s Greek cooking classes and I was so impressed by not only the taste of her food but also the stories she passes on. After all, Greek culture is all about tradition and I can’t get enough of all the rituals and history. So, if you have children who are of an age that can cook and live in Sydney, here are the details for her April school holiday classes:
Wednesday 15 April, 10.30am-1.30pm – children age 4-8
Thursday 16 April, 10.30am-1.30pm – children age 9-15
Dishes include bread making, cheese filo pies, keftedes (Greek meat fritters) (4-8yrs), chicken soulvaki (9-15yrs), and a salad. Classes are $60 and bookings can be made online, or by phone: 02 9331 0734.
-Natalie
Les Chansons et les Comptines
Here in France a lot of the songs the children sing have been around for generations. It’s quite cute actually — my daughter is now singing songs that my grandmother sang with me, which have been hidden somewhere in a forgotten part of my brain and which I am now remembering.
So I have picked up a couple of CDs and we listen to them loads and have a bit of a dance-off (though the CDs we have are fun, I have not as of yet found a CD that is outstanding and that I could recommend). I was being a bit slow on the uptake and it is only after a while that I started to tune in and realise that some of the songs are not really politically correct in the world of 2009… (more…)
The Odd Egg
Thanks to a tip from one of our readers I got The Odd Egg as a new book for the upcoming Easter. The book has lovely pastel coloured illustrations on cream paper by Emily Gravett, who also uses the cut-pages technique to give more action to the images.
The story is about a male duck who (obviously) cannot lay an egg and, when all his female bird mates do, he starts looking for his own ovoid bundle and he finds a big green speckled egg which he immediately adopts. All the other birds think the appearance of that big egg is a bit odd and look suspiciously at the duck while he patiently knits a scarf and booties waiting for the egg to hatch. The odd egg is the last one to crack open and everybody is in for a big surprise.
A very fun book, easy for the younger children and with a deeper meaning for the older ones – as I read in a review, it’s a “witty salute to both nature and nurture”! (Available from Amazon UK or US).
-Michela
Easter tree
We have a tradition here in the Netherlands: we put up an Easter tree. It’s not really a tree, merely a couple of curly willow branches put in a vase. We hang colourful eggs from lovely ribbons in the tree, which have the symbolic meaning of new life on earth. Which reminds me – my neighbour just gave birth to her third child yesterday, a little girl weighing 5195 grams… NATURAL BIRTH!!!
Back to the Easter tree… it’s great fun to decorate it with the kids. They can paint their own eggs, or maybe sew little birds like the ones pictured (I found them on Flickr). And it makes such a lovely centerpiece on the Easter table!
xxx Esther
Homemade maracas
My siblings and I all had the same second grade teacher — Mrs. Johnson, whom, along with her crazy earrings and funky jewelery, was famous for her arts & crafts projects!
Each of us came home from our second grade classroom with one of these homemade maracas, and during my last trip home to Seattle I discovered a couple of them stashed away with the rest of some old toys… reminding me of second grade and the day we made them. Such a fun art project! Of course I had to give it a go with my own kids.
Here are the steps for making your own maracas: (more…)
Petit Bateau for future moms
Finally the good people at Petit Bateau have come to their senses, have done what they should have done a long time ago and brought out a maternity line!
During my two pregnancies I wore a lot of Petit Bateau T-shirts and dresses. The cotton is so soft and stretchy it is perfect to fit over a growing bump. But there were always bits that gaped and pulled and didn’t quite cover. So it is great to see some key, super comfortable maternity pieces. After all, why not dress well and feel comfortable when you are pregnant?
I have seen the collection in Petit Bateau boutiques all over Paris and it is available on the French and other European Petit Bateau online boutiques, but at time of writing it isn’t available in the USA. I’m sure it is only a matter of time!
- Emilie
