Personalised Key-rings
Yesterday I got home late from a day in the park to a pile of seemingly boring bills on the floor. However, there hiding in the pile was a hand-written, slightly bulging envelope (oh! how I love real post). There inside was a little gift from my friend Marisa, this gorgeous hand-made key-ring with a picture of my son on one side and my daughter on the other. I was so moved to receive something from a friend in the post but also how lovely to have such a personalised gift. (more…)
Doctor, doctor!
Last week my kids invited friends over for a play-date so I had a busy house with 4 pre-schoolers and a baby! After we had quesadillas for lunch and did some painting, the 4 friends started to fight over the only nurse-hat we have. So I made them all a doctor’s hat of their own (white paper, red marker and some staples) and some prescription notes to go with them. Hours of fun to follow! Simple does it — again.
xxx Esther
Mundo Melocotón
The weather is starting to cool down over here in France and I have spent the last week shopping for my children. Why does it feel like children grow so much during the summer? Every autumn I feel like they have outgrown all their lovely warm clothes which fit them perfectly just a mere few months ago. But — it is a great excuse to go shopping and discover new brands.
I am especially in love with my daughter’s cozy new bath gown by Mundo Melocotón, a fabulous Belgian brand that I discovered at Playtime. It is really comfortable and cheerful and because it is made out of soft velvet, it isn’t bulky at all. The gown is available from the Belgian website, My Little Zebra.
- Emilie
Room For Children
As I’ve mentioned before, we are in the process of renovating an old Victorian house here in London. We are currently living in a temporary flat while the renovation takes place, probably for another 6-9 months (uggh!). Anyway, I’m trying to keep myself focused on the fun part — the interior design! I just discovered the book, Room for Children, on the Petite Alma blog and ordered it straight away. I find children’s rooms to be the most fun to plan out — all the colours, the playful decor, the creative ways of storing toys and books, etc. And this book is great for getting ideas and inspiration — including everything from traditional to modern design. It’s available from Amazon (UK and US
(Images from Petite Alma)
-Courtney
French Flan Tart — a simple recipe
A few weeks spent in France this summer got me inspired to give the classic French Flan Tart a go. This recipe, that I wrote down a while ago, proved to be super simple and really very tasty! And seriously, don’t you think it looks just like the ones in a French bakery? Here’s the recipe: (more…)
My Formerly Hot Life
I can SO SO SO relate to this very funny book
Patches by Linna Morata
As you might remember I am a big fan of patches. It seriously ticks me off to throw away a good pair of trousers just because the knee has worn through or to get rid of a new sweater because there is an ugly stain on it. I love the Linna Morata patches as they are stinking cute, original and give a second life to a old or damaged piece of clothing. They also stick really well and can be washed without any problems. It is also worth surfing the entire Linna Morata website — there are so many cute things… I especially like the “Mon Super Héros” designs for boys!
- Emilie
Olli Ella stylish nursing chairs
Nursery furniture has come a long way in the past ten years. It’s now easy to find stylish cots, beds, bedding, dressers, etc. But… up until now, stylish nursing chairs simply did not exist. I’ve always found that in order to have something comfortable and practical in the way of nursing chairs you had to sacrifice on looks. And then, in my opinion, what’s the point of buying something not-so-good-looking which you will ditch as soon as you’re finished with it? Wouldn’t it be nice to buy a beautiful chair which you can easily move from nursery to living room and keep for generations?
Enter the Olli Ella nursery furniture. Stylish… check. Comfortable… check. Practical… check. The Olli Ella nursery furniture is handmade in England and built to last for generations, and each piece is upholstered in stain-resistant microsuede ensuring it stays good looking throughout the years. You can choose from two different chair styles and two different ottomans in the colour scheme of your choice. I recently paid a visit to their pop-up shop in Islington and I can assure you those chairs are really comfortable. You can visit the Olli Ella website for more details and to order online, or check out their temporary shop which will be open until the end of the year.
-Courtney
Hopsan, sweet eco baby clothes…
It’s an early September evening, and I’m listening to the storm raging outside. It feels more like winter than summer! Depressing, maybe, but somehow this little jacket I received for Ava makes me long for cold, winter evenings — drinking hot chocolate by the fire, cozying up to my baby…
Hopsan is a new Dutch brand with the very fine philosophy of reducing waste on this planet. They use 100% certified organic cotton, and if they use packaging at all it’s by way of a little cardboard cottage, with real doors and windows that can be decorated by the kids and re-used as a toy. Such a sweet idea! Also, the garments come with a little bag of sunflower seeds, to literally teach your children how things grow. All in all, there’s a lot of thought and care behind the little jacket next to me, which, if you’re interested, I would snatch up before it’s sold out all together…
xxx Esther
Weekend get-away: Hong Kong
If you travel internationally it is very hard not to have a stop-over at some point in Hong Kong. Chances are that you are on a long-haul flight so it is the perfect place to take a break in your journey. But it has never seemed to me like a kid-friendly place, so I was really excited to meet Kristen a few months ago, who runs the lovely eco-friendly and ethical e-shop Hocusadabra and lives in Hong Kong. (Hilariously enough we have friends in common in Kuala Lumpur which shows yet again how small the world is.) Kristen was excited to hear about the weekend get-away posts and was kind enough to write up what she would recommend doing with kids on a weekend in Hong Kong. I hope you enjoy it. Please do let us know if you have any other recommendations for what to do in this great city! (more…)
Bubbles Before Bed
One of my favourite stationery designers, Belle & Boo, has just launched a darling activity book for children called Bubbles Before Bed. I got my hands on a copy early and we have loved it. It’s actually a story book, colouring book and activity all in one, so it appeals to all sorts of enthusiasms. The illustrations are so cute (as always) and it offers so many hands-on craft activities for kids — like how to make a bath time puppet, how to make a mobile from twigs and ribbon, and how to make a paper boat. There’s also a Belle dress-up doll to cut out and keep. So cute!
-Courtney
Zara Online
I was just checking out the new ZARA collection online and was super happy to find out that they have finally opened an online shop! As I am at work during the day, I have become a consummate online shopper for kids clothes. It is soo easy and hassle free.
Zara always has some lovely pieces for girls and I think that they seem to have more choice online than they have in their shops! I am in love with this lovely winter cape and the little skirts like this one. They are perfect for the winter.
- Emilie
Win! Inlight spoil-yourself-package
Remember my write up on the 100% organic INLIGHT Nyp Balm? I love that cream and the fact that it’s so multi-purpose. Recently, I’ve also been using the INLIGHT Restorative Body Butter – very nice, and since I’m still breastfeeding also a very safe choice. INLIGHT, the 100% organic skin care brand, was created by Dr Mariano Spiezia, medical doctor, homeopath and herbalist, and contains only the highest quality plant-based organic ingredients. The best raw, food-grade ingredients that nature has to offer — oils, herbs and flowers– are taken to give your skin power-packed nourishment in its purest, most unadulterated form. You can really eat the whole skincare line, might you feel the urge.
INLIGHT is giving away a spoil-yourself package consisting of the Organic Face Cleanser, the Organic Floral Face Tonic and the Restorative Body Butter (RRP £78.40) to one lucky Babyccino reader. Interested? Then please leave one comment below by Friday, September 17th and we’ll pick one lucky reader at random. Good luck!
xxx Esther
P.S. Inlight is also offering a 20% discount on the whole range until the 17th!
This give-away is now closed!
Little Dish Cookbook
I was recently given this cookbook from a friend of the author (who was surprised I had never heard of it before). I’ve never really used child-specific cookbooks because I generally feed my kids whatever we’re eating… but I must admit that this one really impressed me. The Little Dish Favourites Cookbook has over 60 simple recipes for kids, including recipes for weaning and the early stages. The recipes are all straightforward, quick to prepare, and use readily available ingredients… however they’re more creative than the standard child meal. And it’s nice to have some new ideas! The book also includes the cutest illustrations scattered throughout the recipes…. and some fun little poems about food. I definitely recommend!
-Courtney
Let it snow!!
So clearly Courtney and I have similar brains as I have been shopping for winter jacket during a heatwave here in NYC. Let me cut to the chase on this one. I have always admired the cashmere sweaters and puffy down jackets from J.Crew (Crewcuts) but have always trended towards the “Lands End’s” and “LL Beans” of the world for the winter get-ups… that is until until I saw this coat!!! Three-quarter length, down-filled, fleece lined goodness with a stylish ribbon belt. Sold!!!! There just comes a time and a place when one must splurge for the sake of cuteness (and extra warmth) and that is exactly what I did. Get one before they go…
(Available from Tada! Shop)
-Dina
Citronille swimmers
One of my favourite things about summertime (apart from sun, holidays and chilled rosé) is seeing my kids running around wearing nothing much at all. They look so free without shoes, coats, jumpers and long trousers! Earlier this summer I picked up this pattern from Citronille to make my girls some little swimmers. They are really adorable and the easiest thing I have ever made. I think it must have taken me about ½ an hour to put them together. They use very little material so I just used up scraps I had lying around.
I know this post is a bit late as the summer is almost over in the northern hemisphere, but there might still be some warm days coming up. There are also so many parts of the world were the sun shines every day. (I am so envious of you people living in those parts of the world, by the way…)
- Emilie
Esthex
Esthex is the brand owned and designed by my Dutch namesake Esther, and it’s way cool. Esther just knows how to make kids toys work; for the kids, but also for the parents. Before Ava was born I decided to get her one little toy, and from all the toys in the world I chose Esthex’s mini music box Peter (pictured). It’s been living in the maxicosi ever since, and both Ava and I love it dearly. I will keep that toy forever. And now that Ava has discovered that her little fingers actually have a purpose, I should get her a Rupert, or rattle Gilbert – she’d love it and so would I…
xxx Esther
Chinti and Parker Baby
Chinti and Parker is a UK clothing company started last year by two cousins. The brand aims to create beautiful, well-made clothing in a respectful manner, meaning they aim to produce their clothing locally, ethically and organically. (Do check out their women’s wear — I particularly like their range of cotton basics!) Their line of baby baby knitwear is just darling and so, so soft. I also love that you can personalise the pockets with the baby’s initials –it would make for a very thoughtful baby gift.
-Courtney
Author! Author! Scribble Press
Here in Los Angeles if there’s anything more prized than making movies it’s writing stories that become movies. Maybe that’s why LA was a natural place for Scribble Press, a make-your-own-book store where children can write, illustrate and publish their own books. Created by two mommy friends, this simple and reasonably priced press — a storefront with desks, art materials, and story templates to stimulate ideas — was an instant hit with my five-year-old son. To my amazement he was able to write and illustrate a story in a two-hour visit and watch it turn into a real book. At first I thought the writing process might be too difficult for a kiddo his age, but I was assured that much younger kids had authored before him. (more…)
Focaccia
I know I live in France but sometimes it is nice to have some bread other than a baguette. I found this recipe for Foccacia the other day and it is great. It is by one of my favourite cooks and food writers, Nigel Slater, who has written some fabulous recipes for the Guardian. It is super easy to make and completely delicious. I even got my children and some of their friends to get involved and they loved slapping and prodding a piece of dough… great way of getting some dough kneaded.
The great thing about Foccacia is that you can garnish it with whatever you have handy in your kitchen: cherry tomatoes cut in half, cheese, olives, any kind of herb or just plain salt and olive oil. I do love this kind of recipe — it’s super simple and whatever you do with it, it always turns out great.
- Emilie
