BB+++
I’ve written about the Dutch clothing brand Buisjes en Beugels +++ before (or just BB+++ if you have trouble pronouncing it), but their spring/summer collection is definitely worth checking out!
Kellie, the owner and designer of BB+++, has combined the traditional with the innovative as before, and the pieces are again very fresh, funky, and highly original. Pleated dresses, cute tunics, and sharp shorts are amongst the collection.
As always, the clothes are comfortable to wear and easy to care for… Cool pieces for both boys and girls, and some for papa and mama too now!
Available through Little Fashion Gallery or the BB+++ webshop.
xxx Esther
Giggles
How long do you spend on your computer each day? How many times have you told your children to “just wait one minute, I have to check/send/read something”? Well, it has happened to me many, many (probably too many) times. One of the (visible) obvious results is that my children both have developed a strong attraction to computers from a very early age. But given that they (the computers!) are among my most treasured possessions, they (the children!) were never allowed to touch them. This was until we got some software by Giggles.
Giggles has developed a few interactive computer games for babies from 6 to 36 months. They are easy to install and, once you launch one, your hard drives are perfectly safe because the game blocks the rest of the computer off so it doesn’t matter what key the baby presses –no damage can be done! (more…)
Win an Eva and Oli Maternity Bag
To celebrate the arrival of Courtney’s new little bundle of joy we are giving away a fabulous maternity bag by the great French Company Eva and Oli!
I have written about Eva & Oli before — they make great clothes for kids and the maternity bag is great — big enough to stick everything you could ever need into it, easy access side pockets, and it turns into a laptop bag once you’re finished with nappies (trust me, the day will come). But what I really like about it is that it looks fab, it is funky and does not look out of place in a chic Parisian café, which is more than you can say for a lot of maternity bags!
Here’s your chance to win the bag! Just leave a comment below by Sunday, May 31st with your top tips for dealing with a newborn and the best tip will win!
- Emilie
Eastern Market
The Eastern Market, in DC’s Southeast quadrant, has always been one of my favorite weekend stops, long before I lived in the neighborhood. The market itself is DC’s oldest food market, dating to 1873, housed in an old brick hall. (The hall suffered from a big fire a few years back, and the market is in a temporary shelter across the street, with the old/refurbished shelter set to re-open soon.) Just like a European market, you can come here to visit your neighborhood butcher, the florist, the cheese monger, the produce man, etc. People from all over the city also flock to Market Lunch, for greasy spoon southern-influenced breakfast and lunch. The bluebucks (blueberry buckwheat pancakes) are to die for! But be sure to get there early, as the lines can be lengthy…. Have Dad stand in line while you take the kids to explore all the other merchants nearby in the hall. After lunch? Take a stroll through the flea market next door (Saturday and Sunday only) to check out furniture and other treasures, and walk the whole block of 7th street — tents are set up all along the street with vendors and artisans selling jewelry, paintings, and all sorts of cool things. And be sure to look for the cafe with the bubble-blowing machine outside — that in itself inspires my 4-year-old to walk the 5 blocks to the market!
-Rebecca
Du Pain et Des Idées
I stumbled across the Michelin’s top ten bakeries in Paris report recently and was almost disappointed to see my favourite bakery in Paris listed as the first of the top ten. I thought it was my little secret that no one knew about! Though Du Pain et Des Idées is a tiny, unassuming bakery, the bread and patisseries are out of this world. I found it purely by chance: I was working in a studio on the same street and was looking for the local bakery to take home a baguette one evening… and I was in for a surprise. The baguette had a wonderfully crisp, but not hard, crust and the inside was so delicate!
Christophe Vasseur, the owner of Du Pain et Des Idées started off as a fashion house sales executive when he had a change of heart at the age of 30 (as you do) and decided to become one of the top bakers in the capital. He has more than succeeded. Voted best baker of Paris by Gault and Millau (a famous food magazine) last year, this year he was voted one of the 10 ten bakers in Paris by the Michelin guide.
If you are ever in the area I personally recommend the baguette, the orange blossom brioche called a ‘mouna’, or the apple turnover with a whole baked half-apple in it.
I can only repeat — out of this world!
- Emilie
Handmade heroes
With everyone getting back to the simple things in life, the craft movement is hugely popular again. I’m even thinking of making a patchwork curtain for Little C’s room – and I can’t even sew! Perhaps I should leave such tasks to the talents of Melbourne’s Madeleine Sargent, who makes a whole host of beautiful products by hand for her little business Made By Mosey. You must check out the website – there are just so many super super cute products.
-Natalie
Golden gladiators for girls
Look how cool these gladiator sandals are! You should have seen the look on my daughter’s face when I took them out of the parcel. Pure ecstasy!
They are made by the Belgian brand Essentiel and are, according to my daughter, really comfortable to wear. I guess the fact that all the straps are adjustable and the leather is super soft helps. And they look equally cute paired with shorts or a summer dress. I actually like them so much that I’m going to try finding myself a similar pair!
The kiddy version is available through Peace and Jam, a webshop that offers a fantastic collection of contemporary kid’s clothing.
Now, do you girls have any idea where I could find the grown-up style?
xxx Esther
Pasta with grilled vegetables
Last time we were in London our Sicilian friend cooked this pasta, and I honestly think it’s delicious! It’s very Mediterranean, full of colour and flavour. It is also quite easy and quick to prepare if you take the smart shortcut of using frozen grilled vegetables (mixed bags of veggies are a blessing, and I know Waitrose now stocks them!)
The following recipe is for 4 people, but it could easily be for 3 or 5 … it depends on how many vegetables you want with your pasta. (more…)
Vertbaudet
I was going to write a post about Vertbaudet, which is bit like the French version of H&M for kids, and so I went on their website, just to have a peek.
I have just come off half an hour later, having bought a top, a pair of shorts, a little jacket and some sandals for my daughter! (I had just gone on the the site to do research, not to buy…)
This is the problem with inexpensive lovely clothes — it’s very hard to just browse, instead I always feel like I have spotted a bargain that is too hard to miss! I really like their cute little cotton summer dresses and tops, and their little gladiator sandals. Their designs are perfect for basics, and it is great to have clothes that your kids can play and get dirty in, without having to worry about them getting damaged!
Vertbaudet have a UK site and deliver to most European countries.
- Emilie
Ivy
Jaya loves Tekeko
Don’t you just love these pillows? I think they are so cute… There are six different designs, all equally nice.
We have Professor Acorn at home and love it. The kids like playing with it, it’s super light and fluffy and I guess they consider it some sort of doll. I adore the look of it on the couch, and am secretly saving up to get more, as I like them even more in pairs, or trios even… Well, to be honest I would prefer to have all six of them, but unfortunately they don’t come cheap!
They are made in Miami by a small company called Jaya loves Tekeko (named after the owner’s kids), from all organic fabrics, printed with non-toxic water-based inks and stuffed with 100% natural kapok fill. A portion of the company’s sales is donated to planting peace. Jaya loves Tekeko might be a small company, but with a big conscience, for sure!
xxx Esther
A mountain even little people can climb
I have one of these babies who loves to climb up on EVERYTHING. She can’t walk, can’t talk, but she can definitely climb! Her greatest joy in life is having a mountain built for her out of lots of pillows. The assent of a 50 cm high mountain can keep her happy for the longest time and when she gets on top she is as proud as if she was Sir Edmund Hilary himself.
To celebrate this budding mountaineer I could not keep myself from investing in her very own mountain…. in the form of her very own beanbag. I fell in love with this great toy/design piece a while ago and finally gave in. Isn’t it great? It is made to look like Sweden’s tallest mountain, the Kebnekaise (I guess in Sweden even the mountains are well designed!), and is created by a very talented design team called Little Red Stuga. You can get it via Little Fashion Gallery or through the Little Stuga website.
As they say: If the baby will not come to the mountain, the mountain will come to the baby… (or something like that!)
- Emilie
A smart idea
My son goes to a state school — teachers are well prepared, it’s nearly free and it’s around the corner. What else? Food is not great and the teachers face a constant lack of funding. Parents chip in on many occasions (Christmas and end of the year) and bring everyday supplies of tissues, wipes and plastic cups. The teachers though came up with an additional way of supplementing their class endowment: each child brings a present for the class on his birthday.
It’s a system that is working beautifully — parents ask for suggestions and teachers get what the class is in need of. But also the children love it! After all, they spend so much time between those walls and have no problem at all in giving a present to the class on their birthday because it’s a new toy that they will use too!
-Michela
Pretty, pretty things from Hucklebones…
Last year Hucklebones came out with their first collection and I was impressed. My daughter got her mustard yellow winter coat from them, and we loved it (she was complimented all the time)!
Hucklebones recently presented their second collection, and they’ve really done it this time! The most amazing pieces can be found in their shop — beautiful cuts, exquisite fabrics and unique prints, all with a nostalgic but at the same time very fresh feel to it…
Take the Organza Pleated Bib Blouse — it’s seriously unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything quite like it! It’s made from 100% organza silk and has truly amazing detail to it. The body is lined so the sleeves remain transparent. It’s really something exquisite for a special occasion, but I also like to put it on my daughter with skinny jeans and All Stars!
The little Seersucker Gathered Shorts are super cute and look darling on, and I just love the look of the Gingham Handkerchief Dress, which I’m seriously contemplating getting for my daughter…
xxx Esther
P.S. Hucklebones is kindly offering a 10% discount to Babyccino readers. Just use the code ‘daisy’ at check-out!
Consigning for a cause
I adore shopping for my kids—and now that I have two girls, I feel a little less guilty about buying for my older one, knowing that later on the baby might wear it again. But at some point, you have to start getting rid of stuff! I know my girls have things that they have only worn once before outgrowing it… which is why I plan to make a stop at Monkey’s Uncle with a bag full of stuff to consign! The cool owners, aka the “Uncles,” take gently used baby, kid’s, and maternity clothing for consignment in an effort to “reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink” what we already have. They have even outfitted the store in used fixtures, print receipts on recycled paper, and give a percentage of profits to charity, all while outfitting Capitol Hill’s tots in cute duds. Guilt-free shopping for my “monkeys,” at last!
-Rebecca
A new baby?
No, I still haven’t had the baby! We’re still anxiously awaiting the arrival — all snuggled up in our house, lying low, waiting, waiting, waiting…
Last week, in anticipation of the baby, Esther sent us a copy of Dick Bruna’s Miffy and the New Baby
Short, simple and sweet, it is the perfect book to ‘prep’ your kids for a new sibling on the way.
Fingers crossed it’s not much longer now…
-Courtney
Sewing Bee
I don’t know if you have heard the news — sewing is back in style. Sales of sewing machines have gone up between 50%-500% over the last year, especially the cheaper models, as more people are getting into the ‘credit crunch’ mentality.
I have always had a sewing machine. My mother landed in the middle of Germany in the early ’70s. Being a petite French Madame, she was roughly half the size of all of the locals, so she quickly had to learn how to make and mend. I learned the basics of sewing from her and, though I am definitely no Coco Chanel, I love whipping up the odd skirt and cushion cover on my trusted little machine.
Especially since having kids, I’ve had such grandiose ideas of creating their whole wardrobe. Surprisingly though, I have never gotten round to it…. So when my friend Purvika, who helped me make the Babyccino Birthday Bunting, invited four of us round for a sewing bee, I jumped at the chance! (more…)
Utrechtsestraat
If you happen to be in Amsterdam and have a few hours to spare for some coffee and shopping, Utrechtsestraat is a good place to go.
The Koffiesalon, a lovely coffee-shop (in the true meaning of the word), has good seating, great espresso, yummy cakes and sandwiches and you can help yourself to as much water as you like. I brought my daughter here for some mummy and daughter time before and we both greatly enjoyed it. It’s also a good place to meet friends or even have an informal meeting (there’s free wireless).
Not far up the road, at number 74, you’ll find one of my favourite shops in Amsterdam, Jan. The shop owner, Janna, who obviously has great taste, has gathered a fantastic selection of products. Lamps, cushions, dinnerware and cutlery are amongst the stock, but the shop also features fashion accessories such as bags, belts, jewelery and watches, and some lovely toys and kiddie books. If you need a present or want to treat your own family (= yourself), don’t miss it.
Next door you’ll find Bellerose (they have good kids’ clothes). Funky ladies fashion can be found at Jan Lensen, beautiful French and Italian ceramics at Kom, great interior pieces at Mobilia, and there are many, many more great shops and restaurants. Maybe you’ll need more than a few hours!
xxx Esther
Daytime dreaming
If you’re Australian and love stationery then you most probably know Kikki-k. That’s because this Melbourne-based but Swedish-inspired company (the uber-stylish owner Kristina is from Sweden) has been producing the most to-die-for designs for some time now. One of the things I love about the company is that they continually evolve, too. They’re always bringing out new products and designs.
One of their recent – and perhaps cutest – ranges is for kids. While “Luft” isn’t available in store until May, you can buy it online now. Oh, and luft means “air” in Swedish. The range also comes in notebooks, paper clips, mouse pads, sticky tape…
-Natalie
COS
H&M was one of my favorites shops for years and years. On the money, on style and on trend. I didn’t really care that everything fell apart after a few washes.
Over the last few years I have been buying less and less stuff from there. Try as I might, I could rarely find things I wanted. Maybe I have started outgrowing H&M? I must not be the only one, as H&M themselves spotted a gap in the market: a higher end, though still affordable clothing label. And so COS was born.
I love their designs, classic pieces with a modern twist. They are well made and infinitely wearable.
Now, though you cannot find it yet on their website, COS has also brought out a children’s line, reflecting the style of their adult clothes. Cute designs, made out of good quality materials and strong colours and without any logos or fluff you often find on kids clothes… (more…)
