DIY: a Teepee (and what to do inside one)
Last weekend, with a kind of boring and grey afternoon here in northern Spain, we decided to do something fun and so escape the dull weather. So, with the stuff we had at home, we tried to do a teepe. It was fun to put the bamboo sticks together. As we were not very skilled in the art, it took us a while, but it was so much fun!!. This is what come out.
Today, 3 things you can do on a grey afternoon in a “do it yourself” teepee:
1. Draw: I always take with me paper and pens, and also a little fruit box which makes a great table! Such fun to spend the afternoon drawing inside a teepee!
2. Take a summer nap under a tree… that’s nice!
3. Have a little snack. Nico was hungry after the lovely nap!!
Three simple things to do on a grey, but not boring, afternoon!!!
- Maria
Nisee Made
Do you recognise this illustration? It was inspired by this photo which I posted a couple weeks ago! Chicago-based illustrator, Denise Holmes, liked the photo and thought it would make a cute drawing… and I know I’m biased (it’s a photo of my daughter after all), but isn’t it indeed SO cute?!
Denise has a paper goods studio called Nisee Made and sells her products on Etsy. I love all the cute and happy little designs like this panda holding the yellow balloon!
-Courtney
Teepees!
Do your kids have a teepee? I got this teepee for my kids years ago… and I must say that it is one of the best gifts I’ve given them. They play with/in it all the time — I think kids just love having a little nook to hide away in, whether they’re reading books, playing games or creating an imaginative scene far, far away from the reality of their bedroom.
Our teepee is from Little Smiles and the quality is really, really good. I also like the simplicity of this one from Bianca and Family (so pretty!). And this one from Habitat is slightly smaller so it’s a good option for smaller spaces. Do you have other good teepee suggestions?
x Courtney
A teepee vacation
Would you holiday in a teepee? I definitely would, especially if it looked like this! How cool does this place look? My kids would be in heaven. Red Cone Retreat is in Colorado, USA and sounds amazing, according to Maia Chavez Larkin on Momfilter. I’m definitely bookmarking this for future holidays.
So tell us, would you stay in a teepee? Or have you done this type of holiday before? I wonder if there’s something similar in Europe…
x 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…)
Hobby Horses by Dobbin and Drum
I love traditional toys that allow my children to use their imaginations — toys that inspire their creative play. I also love toys that look great in my home. (Hey, I haven’t earned the title ‘toy snob’ from my friends for nothing!) Enter Dobbin and Drum’s hobby horses. Just gorgeous. They are made from 100% natural fabrics — Australian hardwood dowel, leather trim and are filled with the highest quality 100% lightweight pure Australian merino wool. Now these hobby horses are no ordinary run of the mill horses, they are of heirloom quality and completely and lovingly hand-made. In a world of electronic toys and high tech gadgets, I am proud to say my children love their hobby horses and they regularly feature in their creative play. To be honest, they also make the odd appearance when they are fighting….
Dobbin and Drum are a small Australian company that produce a select range of natural fibre quality crafted toys — toys with ’soul and substance”. For the full range of hobby horses (including the fabulous unicorns and dragons) and for stockist information, refer to their website. Despite being a little tricky to wrap (I always end up resorting to just a ribbon) they make the perfect gift for a young child.
P.S. I can also recommend Dobbin and Drum’s teepee’s and drums — the very best I have seen.
- Sara
Terrific teepees!
We moved house last week, which was an exhausting and emotional experience! As happy as we are to have a bigger home with more space (which we needed thanks to a certain baby number 3 on the way), it was sad to leave the home where my children were born, and to leave a home my children were so happy in.
To make the move exciting for my kids, I promised them a surprise for the new house — something they could have for their play room, something really, really cool!
I bought them this really lovely teepee from Little Smiles, which absolutely thrilled them beyond belief! They just love having a little ‘house’ of their own — a place for their special toys, somewhere for them to hide away to a little world of their own.
The teepees are all beautifully hand-made, assemble quickly and easily in a matter of minutes, have velcro fasteners to close the doors, and are super, super cute! (I think they make a perfect present for the holidays or any other big event.) (more…)
