I Dreamt I was a Dinosaur
When I became a mom, I always knew I wanted to create a household centered around learning, and what better tool than a book? I have books for the kids to peruse in each room of the house for whenever they get the urge, and I’ve tried to supply them with a wide mix of books from basic picture books to classic story books to educational books.
Of course many of our children’s books are on every parent’s reading list — Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak, Mo Willems (who doesn’t love Knuffle Bunny?!), the Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child, H.A. Rey’s Curious George, etc.
Recently I found some serious “boy” books that have interesting multi-media elements in their illustrations that I believe stimulate a different type of creativity in boys.
One of our favorites is I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur
A week devoted entirely to BOYS!
While it wasn’t intentional, we have noticed that the past few months on Babyccino have been heavily girl-oriented — girlie shoes, dresses, dolls, prints, etc. — and we’ve received quite a few emails lately asking for more emphasis on the male gender. So, we’ve decided to make up for it and devote an entire week to boys!!!
This week we’ll be digging up some cool new boy products, our favourite books for boys, and other fun ideas. But before we launch into the new tips, we thought it was worth re-mentioning some of our favourite boy products already reviewed here on Babyccino Kids.
1.) The Bonz Construction Kits from Curious Toys (still one of my boys’ favourite toys).
2.) The cool gingham shirts from Bobinette (so Dutch, so cool).
3.) The robot dish set from La Chaise Longue.
4.) Cool shirts designed especially for boys from Two Blue Cars.
5.) The Rubbabu toy car — squishy and bouncy and perfect for littler boys.
6.) The TomTect construction set for little future architects.
7.) Babysusu — a darling clothing brand devoted entirely to boys.
8.) The PlanToys Wooden drum — for pleasant-sounding banging.
9.) The super cool Automoblox cars (collect all of them!).
10.) The entire Plan City set-up from PlanToys.
11.) The beautiful, wooden streamliner cars from Playsam.
12.) The wooden toys from top German toymaker Fagus.
The Taga Stroller-Bike
I saw this AMAZING stroller-bike whiz past me the other day while I was walking the girls to school and for a second I thought I was hallucinating. But no….there it was… my dream stroller in the flesh. The Taga is essentially a luxury baby stroller that can be converted into a bicycle in a matter of seconds. Twenty to be exact. It comes in all sorts of incredible configurations and cool colors and I am completely and utterly devastated that I did not have one when my girls were young. Made in the Netherlands (of course), but the bikes are now sold world-wide.
-Dina
World Map from Famille Summerbelle
Do you remember the beautiful hand-cut city maps from Famille Summerbelle? We’ve mentioned them a few times here on Babyccino Kids — clearly we are huge fans. Well, they’ve just this week launched their world map print and it is stunning! I love all the details, including the little idiosyncrasies of each continent, plus the sea life in the water. I think it’s probably just as fun for the kids to look at too, to point out all the animals, etc. You can buy it online from their webshop. And if you aren’t already familiar with their city maps, check those out too!
Oh, and you can also watch the film of the making of the map, which takes more than 20 hours of paper cutting and captures it in just two minutes. Pretty impressive!
-Courtney
Emily Press Labels
I think most households I know have a ‘no shoes in the house’ policy. Some are more rigourous than others, but I think the general consensus is that distributing street dirt around the house is generally a bad idea (especially in Paris, where we do have the infamous dog poo problem). The problem is that kids nowadays tend to have a lot of shoes and they tend to end up in a massive pile in the entryway. There have been many play dates where I have lost some serious time trying to find my childrens’ shoes in the pile.
Cue the shoe stickers by Emily Press… a super simple idea that I have never heard of before! You just stick the personalised, adhesive stickers into the heal of the shoe and all is well. These are also great for gym shoes that are notorious for being lost, especially as they do all look identical. It’s a great way for my eldest daughter to find her shoes by looking for her name, whilst the youngest just looks out for the little design on the label. In her case, if she sees a skull and crossbone, she knows she has found her shoe.
- Emilie
Rifle Paper Co.
I recently stumbled upon Rifle Paper Co., a boutique stationery brand started by Anna and Nathan Bond, a husband and wife duo based in Florida. They specialize in cards, paper goods, invitations and art prints featuring Anna’s hand-painted, whimsical designs. I fell in love with the ‘Uh Oh’ print (pictured) which I bought for my daughter. I just love that little girl curled up inside the bear reading her book — so sweet. I also love their Animal Alphabet Chart and the Hat Collection print (nice for a boy’s room).
Rifle Paper Co. also makes lovely personalized stationery and birthday invitations — and check out their Father’s Day cards! Cute.
-Courtney
Man Gift
I have been long-suffering when it comes to purchasing “man gifts.” I am always at a loss to come up with something that goes beyond the boring ol’ tie and wallet default, but recently I stumbled upon a genius idea… buy him something that SEEMS like it’s for him but will secretly benefit the whole family!!! Man oriented cooking gear and a good man cookbook.
Now that it is summertime, my husband loves nothing more than scorching meat on a hot fiery bbq and his hero/mentor/favorite person on the planet is Adam Perry Lang. Adam Perry Lang IS the “God of BBQ” and these books ARE the holy grail. I have personally tasted many of the recipes and although they can be labor intensive they are all beyond incredible. Lang recently released a short version of his first book “Serious BBQ” called “BBQ 25″ which offers less time-consuming recipes but if you know someone who loves to grill – get them a copy asap! Also worth nothing is that Lang splits his time between London and NYC which I thought was pretty cool and he is opening a restaurant with Jamie Oliver in London in October 2010.
Then again there is always the beer holster.
-Dina
Win! Maternity bag from Eva and Oli
I
don’t have the need anymore to carry around a maternity bag (which almost makes me sad), but I never did find the perfect one. The bags I had were either too big or to small, too bulky or to narrow, or just not stylish enough. And I do think you need a bit of style even if the contents of the bag are not the most glamourous!
We are very lucky to offer a maternity bag from one of my very favourite labels Eva and Oli. The bag is super practical, as it has been designed to open up wide so you have extremely easy access to everything. And it closes with a magnet so you don’t have to fiddle around with a zip. It is also really stylish, so stylish that most people continue using it as a laptop bag once it has rendered its services as a maternity bag.
Just leave a comment below by Wednesday, June 23rd and we’ll pick one winner at random. Good luck!
In addition, Eva and Oli are offering Babyccino Kids readers an exclusive discount of 10% for the next 3 weeks, just used the promotional code: BABYCCINO.
Two Kids and a Little Baby
People ask me how I’m getting on with three kids. Well, I get on. And it’s great! Ava is the sweetest baby in the world. Of course. She’s delightful and wonderful. She’s that easy third child I’ve heard rumours about. She’s the icing on the cake, the cherry on the pie…
After the first weeks after the birth, we’re now back in our usual structure. Getting up, having breakfast, kids to school… The baby adjusts to the schedule, and sometimes the schedule adjusts to her. Life is not so different, it’s just a whole lot better! We all enjoy her so much (even in the middle of the night) and the kids absolutely adore her.
Of course it takes longer to get out of the house, and of course the other kids need more attention, and of course she wakes up three times at night, and of course the milk in the fridge is finished. But the thing is, I’m just not so bothered by it anymore.
We live, we love, and we have each other. It feels good to have three kids!
xxx Esther
Smiggle
If you live in Melbourne and you parent a tween girl then you are unlikely to need an introduction to ‘Smiggledom’ — after all, the Smiggle craze is rife down under, even infiltrating our schools. And, judging by the whims of my 8-year-old and her posse of friends, it is not disappearing anytime soon. So what is ‘Smiggle’, this tween sensation, also coveted by high-school and university students? Smiggle is the name of some extremely fashion-forward and innovative stationery — it is synonymous with great design, great value, bright colors and cool graphics; being coordinated and being eco aware.
I must concede that I, a 30 something mother of two, am not entirely immune to the Smiggle craze (I invested in the brilliant Cuattro Maxi Pen — a red pen, blue pen, mechanical pencil and highlighter all in one). I also love checking out their amazing concept stores, a kaleidoscope of bright colors and yummy smells, just beckoning you in. (more…)
Let them climb trees
I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and am bringing my kids up in a cosmopolitan, cultural and mentally stimulating environment. But physically — not so much. In contrast to my daughters, I grew up in a small village, walked to school on my own from the age of six and our kitchen door was never locked. We happily let ourselves in and out and would go play in the fields and woods. My parents did not care as long as we were back for dinner at 6pm sharp.
I do worry that my children are not being given the freedom we had and are missing out on an incredibly important lesson in life, namely being able to be responsible and independent in a safe environment. There is even a term for this now “Nature Deficit Disorder”, coined by American author Richard Louv. I just read this article in the UK Guardian and thought you might be interested. I am now obsessed with turning my little town dwellers into outside adventurers…
The photo, by the way, is of my daughter and Courtney’s son playing together this weekend in London and roaming around trees and fields — they had the best time.
-Emilie
Doodles at Dinner
I just picked up this book of Doodle Placemats
We have a ‘no toys at the table’ policy when we’re eating, but I find this really handy for that pre-dinner phase when my kids are completely crazy. It gets them to the table and quiets them down… and then they have a lovely placemat to use when dinner arrives.
The book is available from our bookshop (both US and UK).
-Courtney
Ladybird Prints
As you may have figured by now, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to children’s books and I have a particular passion for old ones. That’s why I love this idea from Ladybird Books …
Ladybird Books started during the First World War (actually near my home-town in Leicestershire). Their aim being to publish ‘pure and healthy literature’ for children. Most of my generation will remember reading Ladybird books at home or school, especially the Peter and Jane series. They had some classic titles like ‘Learning is Fun’ or ‘Books are Exciting’.
Now Ladybird have put over 4,500 images from their archives (mainly from the ’50s and ’60s) online to order as prints or canvases. It is such a brilliant idea and with the array of sizes available it is so adaptable to any nursery or child’s room. Prints start as small as a photo and go up to A0 poster size, and canvases start at 20cm and go up to 125cm. Both can be ordered framed as well.
The images are not just front covers but pictures from inside the books and even the pencil sketches from the endpapers (like this adorable one from Bunnikin’s Picnic Party). The site is well worth a browse (even if just for the sake of nostalgia) but as there are so many to forage through, here are my favourites to get you started: (more…)
Add to Cart — My “can’t live without” websites
While I do long for a simpler and slower paced era, I honestly don’t know how on earth I would have survived the last few years without the godsend that is “on-line shopping.” If I can point, click and add something to a cart I feel, if only temporarily, like I just bought a few more minutes of freedom in my life.
Here are a list of my favorite on-line shopping websites for the basics — to simplify everyday life with kids in general.
1.) Children’s Shoes – Zappos.com. I get almost all of my kids shoes from Zappos. I am obsessed. They deliver faster than Chinese Food Take Away and they have a massive selection. I kid you not — I always receive a box within 24 hours and shipping is free! They also have a 1-year return policy (unheard of!).
2.) Quality Every-Day Baby/Kids Clothes – Tea Collection, Mini Boden, Lands End. All have great cotton basics that can be worn into the ground. These are my go-to shops for school clothing, leggings, sleepwear and warm weather supplies. (more…)
Hold it up with Dapper Snappers
Nowadays a lot of children’s trousers are sold with the elastic band inside, so they can grow with the belly size of your kid and it’s all a big improvement. However, sometimes there’s still the odd pair sold without the elastic inside, which admittedly has a much nicer fit but does come with the problem of dropping down or causing a builder’s bum when kneeling down. This simple invention, the Dapper Snapper, is just that little thing you need to make the trousers fit perfectly. You just fasten the strap through the belt hoops and tighten the waste accordingly. I just leave them on the trousers in the washing machine, and they really do the trick!
I got mine through Musjes.com, who will ship worldwide, but here’s a list of retailers for the USA.
xxx Esther
Marilyn T-shirt
As you may have noticed, I am a lover of all sorts of styles of kids clothes: romantic, girlie, sporty, sometimes a bit bohemian and also sometimes a bit rock ‘n roll. I find it just as difficult to choose a specific style for my girls as I do for myself! I recently discovered a website that is perfect for me: Poppy’s Closet — it covers all my categories. It is actually as if I had put the website together to cover all my tastes… perfect for someone like me who just cannot make up her mind.
I fell for this Marilyn T-shirt as I do like to dress my kids in something cheeky (maybe it’s a very belated rebellion against the clothes I wore as a kid). But I also love the beautiful little kaftans and the sweet little shoes. My list, in fact, could go on and on.
- Emilie
The Santa Monica Airport — fun for the kids!
For most of us living in Southern California, kids + outdoor activities = the way to go. Yes, of course we have many parks and beaches (and parks AT beaches), and I definitely have my favorites, but here’s a different idea (at least to those who don’t know about it yet!) – the Santa Monica Airport. “Airplane” being one of my son’s first words, I knew that this would be a home run when I first discovered from another parent its entertainment potential (other than a possible ‘Brangelina’ sighting). This small, un-crowded, easily accessible airport is a great spot for KIDS!
Once you reach the “public view deck” of this little unassuming airpot, voilà – you have front row seats to take-offs and landings! My son was enthralled and totally mesmerized each time a little prop plane or private jet would arrive or take to the sky – or even just start to taxi on the runway. (more…)
Natalie Merchant — Leave Your Sleep
I discovered Natalie Merchant’s new album, Leave Your Sleep, on the Small Magazine blog recently and ordered it immediately. I’ve always been a fan of Natalie Merchant, but when I heard that the lyrics on her new album were interpreted from 19th and 20th century poems and nursery rhymes, I was sucked in.
This new album is a celebration of childhood and motherhood influenced by her relationship with her own daughter and her desire to share the power of poetry and speech with her. It brings to life the old nursery rhymes and their traditional stories in such a beautiful, wonderful way.
It’s currently playing (on repeat) on my stereo — I love it. But if you need further convincing, you can hear snippets of each song on her website.
-Courtney
A Balloon for a Blunderbuss
I really enjoy writing for Babyccino Kids. My favourite bit is reading the comments people leave on my posts — it is so great to have a dialogue with like-minded mums and dads. Back in February I wrote about a great book I’d found, Sparkle & Spin. Tina left a comment and it was clear to me this was a lady with a similar book-obsession. Not only had she already discovered Sparkle & Spin (and the other books written by the same authors), but she also had some suggestions of other books I may like.
Now I don’t need much persuading to order a few books on Amazon so I ordered Tina’s suggestions and of course they were all fabulous, but my particular favourite was A Balloon for Blunderbuss.
An imaginative tale of exchange and how something tiny can grow into a big dream. Written by poet Alastair Reid and illustrated by world-renowned graphic designer, Bob Gill, it is a truly beautiful book and we all love reading it here in this house. So thank you Tina!
(Available from the Babyccino Kids Bookstore — both UK and US.)
Mo. x
Toddler Sleeping Bag
My two-year-old has developed a new habit; she cannot keep her blankets on herself at night. I tuck her in tightly and she still manages to wiggle out. This new habit comes with an unwelcomed side effect — a constant runny nose. Turns out that even in the spring time, Parisian nights are chilly and blankets are essential.
This beautiful merino wool toddler sleep sack from Bambino Merino has been a life saver. It is designed for toddlers aged 2-4 and is seriously big (I can almost fit in it) so there is lots of space to move around. It is also so soft and comfortable that there isn’t any resistance when I put her into it.
If you have a blanket-kicker, even a big one, I strongly recommend this bag!
- Emilie
