16th century dress-up doll
I love this free down-loadable dress up doll from Ce Que Je Veux — do you remember their wonderful pyjamas?
xxx Esther
Whole Wheat Bread
My husband and I are big into bread baking. On the weekends when we have the time, we usually make a few loafs of the No-Knead Bread, a recipe made famous by the New York Times. We also make home-made pizza at least once a week (I would eat it every day of the week if I could — it’s that good!), and we play around with new bread recipes all the time. My sister sent me this recipe for whole wheat bread which comes from the food blog Orangette. The fun thing about this recipe is you can play around with different flours to create different textures. This bread (pictured) was made with flaxseeds, flaxmeal, and garbanzo bean flour — an even healthier version.
-Courtney
Think-ets
I love, love, love this! I keep berating myself for having not conjured it up in one of my brainstorming sessions (honestly I am still hopeful that one day I will invent the next ‘lego’). In the meantime, I just marvel at gems like these… it reminds me that the simplest of ideas are the best — a game powered by imagination rather than a USB cable! Think-ets is so simple in concept — a little pouch of random, very charming ‘trinkets’ from around the world. Along with the pouch comes rules for a few games, such as “I’ll take one away, and you tell me which one is missing”, or “Make a story about the item you’re holding” — educational in so many ways, inspiring story-telling, testing memory and just fun for kids to fiddle with. (more…)
Not a Box
Have you ever used a cardboard box as something else? A space-rocket perhaps, a television, a doll’s bed? My kids certainly fall into the category of finding the box more exciting than whatever comes in it. That is why we love Not A Box
We have also ordered the follow up title Not A Stick
Kitasticks Chopsticks
Esther did a brilliant post a while ago on how to make your own child-friendly chopsticks. I admit to being a bit lazier and got my girls some Kitasticks — chopsticks that can be linked to together and are super easy to use. These great little sticks were designed by a Finnish design collective, (it is always a success story when Northern European design meets Asian design) and I picked them up at Merci. The kids love them — the prospect of using chopsticks rather than their usual forks and knives got them so excited that they insisted on eating a sandwich with their new chopsticks. Not exactly what I had in mind, but oh well…
- Emilie
Appaman — Brooklyn inspired clothing for kids
I recently stumbled across the brand Appaman and although I do not have a son… if I did I would most likely outfit him in some of their cool get-ups. Granted, the four year-old-boy in this photo looks about fifteen with that knit hat on but the style is just so up my alley — comfortable, hipster and Brooklyn cool. The Norweigian desinger behind Appaman created the line to reflect a “Scandinavian perspective on Ameripop iconic imagery” and he seems to hit the nail on the head with chic European-inspired styling and quality that is both playful and urban. There are also cute things for babies and girls! I am especially loving their line of down jackets for girls…
-Dina
Fimo Clay
I think Fimo Clay
You can buy Fimo clay from Amazon
-Courtney
What’s in a name?
Unless they’re called William III, or Jesse James Junior, you might have gone through nine months of nervous brainstorming — what should I call my new baby? I found it to be a very difficult task, and my husband and I have spent more than a few hours debating about it! I guess I like short, catchy names, because all our kids’ names have no more than 4 letters. I also like names that work in multiple languages. And they should work well with our family name (van de Paal).
Our first baby is called SARA van de Paal. I’ve always thought Sara is a beautiful name, very old-fashioned, but at the same time very simple and modern. I like how there are so many As in the first and last name. (more…)
Tangle Teezer
The Tangle Teezer is definitely loud (I have only ever seen it in bright pink) but this brush is not supposed to be pretty; it is supposed to save you and your long-haired children from unnecessary pain… and believe me, it works.
I have an everyday fight with my eldest daughter’s curls on my hands — it is like a battle of wills between those curls and me! I am always looking for new things to make brushing easier, and this gadget does the trick. You can pick it up at most Boots and other chemists in the UK.
- Emilie
Mucho Moustache Fun!
I can’t resist a bit of silly fun! When some family came to stay recently I decided we should make some silly pictures of the kids pretending to be Grandpas to send to their Oma and Opa in Berlin. I bought these ‘cheap as chips’ stick-on moustaches and away we went with our role-play. What was hilarious is they didn’t behave at all like their Opa (who actually doesn’t have a moustache) but they all pretended to be the stereotypical grumpy Grandpa that you see in films (like the ones who work at the bank in Mary Poppins). Good summer holiday fun!
-Mo
Tea Time for Tots
For the past few years my family has had the good fortune of spending a month living in London. We are always quite sad to leave, but memories of London remain with us day to day via our much improved vocabulary, our deep appreciation for the BBC & Peppa Pig, and our proclivity for afternoon tea. You don’t often see children drinking tea in the states, however some of my friends love to serve their children chilled chamomile or herbal teas. At first I thought it was a bit strange but now I think it’s a fantastic alternative for kids and at least one of my girls is catching on. I found these German designed tea-bag cup loungers from Donkey Creative Labs and I think they are absolutely hilarious. They come in all sorts of themes — mostly for adults — but I thought they were so cute I just had to share.
-Dina
Cute back-to-school clothes from Olive Juice
I know it’s August and we’re in the midst of summertime fun… and the last thing we want to do is think about it all coming to an end… but if you can be tempted to think about Autumn/Winter clothes, you should seriously check out the darling collection from Olive Juice Kids. It is all so cute, I don’t even know where to begin. I just ordered the Olivia Pants and the stripey tights for my daughter, the Liam Topper for my boys, and just check out their collection of shoes! Gosh, I’m almost excited for September! Almost…
-Courtney
Little Nutty Helmets — for the coolest bikey in town
Nutcase is the maker of awesome helmets and their Little Nutty line caters the under five set. In Oz it is legal requirement to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle and given that so many are so cringe worthy (seriously lacking in the style stakes) these make me so very excited to hop on my bike once again. There is a cool design to suit every member of the family — in fact there are so many cool designs I seriously defy anyone, young or old, not to find one that suits their personality or acceptable to their sense of aesthetic. The Little Nutty range is particularly adorable and ‘dial-to-fit’ sizing makes getting the correct fit for this helmet simple – just turn the dial on the back of the helmet to make it fit your child’s head exactly, growing as the head grows. So cool. Enough said!
For stockists of Nutcase and Little Nutty in the USA and Canada, click here; for Europe click here and for Australia, click here. For everywhere else in the world, see here.
- Sara
Sweet for baby: Toffee Moon
Love the sleep suits from Toffee Moon! The baby girl outfits are absolutely beautiful with all the old fashioned smock work and special details, and the baby boy selection is so cool with the double layers, pockets and pin-tuck fronts! They’re made of thick, good quality cotton and are very comfortable and soft to wear. I also really like the hooded shawl cardigans — they have them for boys and girls. Cute!
xxx Esther
Weekend get-away: Athens
Greece is a dream holiday destination — the beautiful islands, the history, the coffee and the food. Athens is the the main hub and starting point for most trips to Greece, so why not spend a couple of days discovering this historic city, before hitting the beach?
Pepi, an Athens native, was gracious enough to give us some tips and ideas on what to do in Athens with children. She grew up in the city of Patras before coming to Athens many years ago. During her studies she spent a year in Scotland before settling in Athens. She now lives with her husband Chris and their little daughter Alice in this city full of history. Pepi is now a full time mom and spends her time with her daughter discovering and playing. Here are her insider tips: (more…)
The Children’s Nature Institute: Tykes on Trails Program
I was so excited to come across Tykes on Trails — guided trail walks for youngsters to learn about local flora and fauna. I signed up for a program at nearby Temescal Canyon Park and it was such a fun activity. After a non-strenuous, sweet little hike, we came home with stories to tell about shamrocks seen through a magnifying glass, acorns that fell from a tree, rocks you could skip across a stream, and a treasured lizard tattoo for my son. (I got a butterfly). Our walk leader gave us a plant clipping in a wet strip of paper towel, ready to put in water by the kitchen window until it grew some roots. This hands-on learning is such a great experience for kids. They LOVE it and the leaders are incredibly knowledgeable and able to keep the attention of the little explorers. As the walk leader says, the kids are in training to be “nature spies.” How cool?!
x Kaela
Art Jar from Land of Nod
We are currently in Seattle visiting my family… and having loads of summertime fun in the sun. I think my kids have spent the majority of the time running around naked outside… bliss!! However, thanks to the I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar from The Land of Nod, we’ve also been spending some ultra crafty time inside making all sorts of art projects. How cool is this concept? It’s a big jar filled to the brim with arts & craft supplies — things like construction paper, googly eyes, wooden buttons, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, tissue paper, etc. etc. It’s like a craft store in a jar. And when you’re finished making projects, you just shove everything back into the jar, close the lid and store the jar in a cupboard. Easy peasy!
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes• Take our survey and receive 15% off at Little Baby Company!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
For those of you who are not familiar with Ellie Krieger, I would highly recommend any of her cookbooks — specifically The Food You Crave
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes• Take our survey and receive 15% off at Little Baby Company!
Summer Holidays Must-Haves
I am just about to go away on holiday for the next few weeks. I read this article in the Guardian and had to laugh… a lot of it rang so true. I thought I was the only person in the whole world who got disproportionately annoyed by my fellow passengers resting their elbows on “my” armrest on a plane. Summer holidays are so much fun but I am not a big fan of the packing, preparation and traveling, especially with kids. This time I am going away by car which is bliss. I get to take so many more extras…
So my main must-have holiday items this year are: (more…)
Craft garden
Do you remember those cool rock animals Courtney made with her boys a while ago? I’ve been meaning to make them with my daughter ever since, and we’ve been building up quite a collection of stones. Yesterday we finally decorated them, and it was easy and such fun! My creative daughter insisted on adding a gold-fish, and when we were done with the animals she thought it was a good idea to make them a little garden to roam around in. With a fish pond, obviously, and some waterlilies, for the frog. And flowers, for the bee. It turned out nicely, and my daughter has been playing with it for hours and hours. Not bad for some pebbles and an old pizza box!
xxx Esther
