Leon Cookbook
I have a new addiction and it is the food from my new favourite Cookbook: Leon.
Lets wind back a few years when we were all living in London. I was working in Soho and deploring the fact that it was almost impossible to get good take-away food. Try as I might, I never managed to get up in time to prepare sandwiches to take in with me. So my options were greasy spoons and sandwich chains that put so much mayonnaise into their sandwiches that it was had to figure out what else was in the sandwich.
Then, one fine day, Leon opened: fresh salads, soups, wraps… all I ever could have dreamed of was suddenly available just around the corner from me! I never went anywhere else…
Finally my favourite take-away has published a cookbook and I am loving making my own take-away food (The family is loving it too, by the way)!
- Emilie
Last-minute getaways…
Cookie Magazine’s Going Places blog is featuring a week of last-minute getaway ideas, perfect for the holiday time. All their ideas are for easy-to-plan and relatively affordable holidays with kids.
The four of us have written about a quick, last-minute getaway from each of our cities. Check it out here, and also make sure to check out their other ideas… like, how about a sunny trip to Mauritius?!! Oh, how I’m craving some sunshine…
-Courtney
Happy Halloween!
Although it’s certainly not as big of a deal here in London compared to the U.S., it’s a big deal in our house, so we’ll be celebrating today. We’ll head to the fancy neighborhoods of Kensington where you can find some of London’s best trick-or-treating streets. My two boys will be dressed up (the younger one as a lion, and the older one as a shark!), and I’m sure we’ll indulge in loads of sweets! Hooray! I hope you have a Happy Halloween, wherever you are…
-Courtney
P.S. I made these cupcakes this morning from my new Cupcakes! book, and they are soooo tasty! We’re already off to a sugary start!
Duchy!
Nearly 20 years ago, long before the huge wave of organic foods began to arrive at our local foodshops, HRH The Prince of Wales believed we needed to think about the long-term future of our environment and our rural communities. It was this thought that launched the idea of Duchy Originals, and in 1992 the company began with its first product, the oaten biscuit.
Duchy Originals is now a rather booming company with more than 200 quintessentially British food products. It also has made and given over £6 million to The Prince’s Charity Foundation in support of local farmers and with the intention of tackling climate change.
Aside from the interesting history (and the fact that its founded by a Prince!!), Duchy Originals food products are delicious and unique. In fact, I’ve never bought a Duchy product that didn’t impress! (more…)
Bugs, Frogs and Fish at the London Zoo…
The ZSL London Zoo is not the largest zoo I’ve ever seen, nor does it have a very impressive range of large animals (no elephants or rhinos, etc.). But, for a zoo in the middle of such a dense city like London, the zoo does exactly as it should: it places emphasis on the smaller creatures in this world, like bugs of all sorts, butterflies, fish, reptiles and amphibians, and birds of the jungle. All of these different exhibits, each in their own separate building, are located indoors, which means even on a rainy day you can still enjoy a long day at the zoo!
In fact, I have to say that I think my kids actually prefer these indoor exhibits. My son, with a particular fondness of sea creatures, could spend hours inside the small but extensive aquarium. He also really loves the reptiles and amphibians, with loads of large snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs. And if you arrive in the later part of the afternoon, as we usually do, you may even get to see these animals at feeding time, which is great fun! (We once spent a good 20 minutes watching a lizard chase around all the crickets in his cage!) (more…)
Elias and Grace
I know I’ve already written about Elias and Grace — the kid’s clothing shop in Primrose Hill, but it’s definitely one of my favorite kids’ shops in London, and certainly worth mentioning again.
Elias and Grace stocks a variety of great brands, including Belgian designers like Maan, Quincy, Max & Lola, and Simple Kids, and French brands like Petite Bateau and Bonton. There’s also a good selection of Italian and Dutch brands, which is what makes this shop so great — it really represents the best of European children’s clothes.
They don’t have an enormous selection of shoes, but the ones they sell are always beautiful. And, being in rainy London, they are naturally well stocked with a wide range of Aigle wellies in a variety of colors! (more…)
Hampstead Heath
We lived in London for nearly two years before we discovered the Hampstead Heath, which is a huge shame as it is one of London’s finest gems, and is, in my opinion, the most liberating outdoor activity in London. The fact that you can feel so far removed from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of London and yet be smack in the middle of it is a treat which is unusual for such a big city.
Hampstead Heath is London’s largest historic parkland, and arguably the most beautiful. Unlike the more manicured and planned Royal Parks of London, the Heath is wild in nature, offering 3.2 sq km of roaming meadows, fishing and swimming ponds, dark and lush woodlands, hiking and biking trails, and some of London’s best playgrounds. (more…)
Traditional Toys
Tucked in a corner of the historic Chelsea Green off the King’s Road, and on a charming street amidst other lovely shops, is a small but perfectly stocked toy shop called Traditional Toys. Here you can find the very best brands of wooden toys, designer dolls, stuffed bears, dress-up clothes, and other specialty European toys.
Traditional Toys is my favorite toy shop in London. This is where I go whenever I need a birthday gift because I know it will be unique, special and well-made — something that will last forever. It is here where I buy all the Schleich animals (even the big ones like whales and dinosaurs), Fagus vehicles, wooden trains, and Plan Toys pieces, etc. I even bought a bug catcher kit there which was a huge hit this past summer! (more…)
Carluccio’s
With more than 10 different locations across central London, Carluccio’s is a good ‘go-to’ restaurant for decent Italian food, friendly service and great accommodations for kids!
While Carluccio’s is not the most original choice of restaurant, it is kid-friendly without being obnoxious, and comfortable without losing its charm. It’s a great family dinner spot where you can share a bottle of wine with your husband, while your kids stay entertained! (The happier the kids, the happier the adults!)
The kid’s menu, which includes breadsticks, entreé, a drink, and ice cream for dessert, comes as an activity set with cute wooden coloring pencils, a color-your-own puzzle kit, and other fun games. It’s super cute, and my kids LOVE it! (more…)
Return to Glory
Before I had kids, I used to keep my nails in pretty good shape with regular manicures and pedicures, and I was also pretty good at keeping up-to-date on my bikini waxing and hair appointments. This was, of course, not difficult given my flexible schedule. I didn’t mind sitting in a salon, having my nails done, reading the latest gossip magazine, etc. But after having kids things changed dramatically. There was no longer a flexible schedule or time to squeeze in such appointments, and sitting in a salon with your crying baby is certainly not enjoyable! (I remember, not long after my first baby was born, wondering if I was ever going to look well groomed again!)
Thankfully, this transition happens to the best of us mums. And thankfully one such London mum, who got tired of not being able to make her beauty appointments, decided to create a business that would bring beauty to the home. Her company, Return to Glory, offers almost every treatment you can imagine, all in the comfort of your own home (while the baby is napping, or out with a sitter, etc.)! (more…)
Petersham Nurseries
Take the train from central London to Richmond Station and follow the high street through town toward the river. Turn left and walk along the river past the cafés and kayak sheds. Cross the pasture filled with buttercups and cowpies, and venture toward Petersham Nurseries. Set within this lovely garden center is a restaurant that will impress on many levels with delicious food and beautiful decor.
Award-winning head chef, Skye Gyngell, uses the highest quality ingredients in respect of the season, and with support of small farmers and producers across England. The food is amazing, and don’t even get me started about the desserts…
Petersham Nurseries Restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants in London. It’s a beautiful setting (a garden – it doesn’t get prettier than that!), and it just has a very special feeling to it. It’s also the experience of heading to Richmond for the day, which is a lovely little village. (more…)
Kookoo Cookie!
Check us out out on Cookie Magazine’s cool travel blog Going Places! Courtney wrote a very nice article about five things to do with kids when it rains in London (which HARDLY ever happens of course)!!
xxx Esther
Innocent drinks
When I was pregnant in London I was addicted to Innocent smoothies. My favourite was the yogurt and vanilla one, and I could not start the day without picking one up before getting on the tube. Interestingly the company was based in the area I was living in, so I would often see the cute Innocent mobile scooting past.
Last year I was sitting in a café in Paris and suddenly saw a familiar site – the innocent scooter! My favourite smoothies had arrived in my favourite city! Now my daughter is addicted to them. They are super easy to drink, and the packets are easy to recycle, so reasonably environmentally friendly, which is more than one can say for most packaged kids’ drinks.
The design addict in me loves the packaging, which is really cute and cleverly designed. For example, the list of ingredients on the back of the pack has illustrations of the fruit in the drink so that even my two-year-old understands what she is drinking.
Happy drinking!
- Emilie
Inn the Park!
My husband took our little family to this restaurant on Mother’s Day this year. It was a lovely (but cold) day, and was a perfect setting for a Mother’s Day brunch. Inn the Park is, as the name implies, in the middle of the lovely St. James’s Park, overlooking ‘duck lake’.
A couple weeks ago, with the warm summertime weather we were having, we went back for dinner on their terrace, and I was reminded of how much I love this restaurant. The tear-drop shape of the building was designed to fit into the ‘gently undulating landscape’ of London’s oldest royal park. You can’t see it from the road, and so it feels like a little treasure once you’re there. And surprisingly, this sleek restaurant is also extremely kid-friendly. (more…)
Natural History Museum
It is a marvel of a museum, a truly beautiful building with extraordinary exhibits. The Natural History Museum here in London first opened its doors in 1881, and his home to some of the most fascinating and rare objects (like the heaviest woolly mammoth tusks ever found and a skeleton of an extinct sea cow)! It is definitely one of my favorite museums in London, especially for kids.
I brought both my boys to the museum last week, and I nearly had tears in my eyes watching my 3-year-old squeal with delight. When he saw that giant life-size model of the blue whale and the other sea creatures he could barely speak. He experienced that same sensation later on when we visited the dinosaurs, but for a different reason: that roaring animatronic T-rex terrified him so much, he was left speechless. But yet he sat there staring in amazement, and didn’t want to leave. So much fun for a little person. (more…)
Orangery Restaurant
If you’re visiting London, you’ll probably want to make a booking for afternoon tea to be assured a true English experience. If you’re coming to London with your kids, you should plan on having tea at the Orangery Restaurant in the beautiful Kensington Gardens (as opposed to the Ritz, for example)!
The Orangery, located literally smack in the center of the park, is directly opposite Kensington Palace, and right next to one of London’s most famous playgrounds: the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (known to London mums as the ‘pirate ship’). The location is ideal for an afternoon outing, and their ‘kids’ version’ of afternoon tea allows you to bring them along without feeling out of place. (more…)
Eco party bags for kids
For my son’s birthday party last month I walked to my local party store and hastily grabbed a bunch of little plastic toys and party favors, grabbed a bunch of paper bags, and threw them all together to make 20 different party bags. I’m sure they were a hit with all the kids… but certainly not good for the environment (or for their health, for that matter)!
Next time I am definitely heading to Eco — a shop in Chiswick, London that specializes in everything earth friendly and energy efficient. The shop is the first of its kind to offer domestic solutions for making your home completely green, including eco floor coverings, fabrics, paints and furnishings. They also have a small section devoted to kids’ toys and accessories for healthy, eco-friendly party bags!
First, you choose the party bags themselves, ranging from recycled paper bags to beautiful vintage fabric bags. Then you choose the filling: wooden toys painted in vegetable dies, little books, colored pencils, stamps, little potted plants, and a good range of Remarkable toys (pictured) made from recycled car tires and plastic objects! (more…)
Eurostar
I have been traveling to and from London and Paris for years and years and it is some of the most relaxed traveling ever. The Eurostar leaves from the center of one capital and arrives a mere 2 hours and 15 minutes later bang in the middle of the other capital city. I would sometimes just go from one city to the other for a night out!
Even now with 2 little travel buddies, it is still the easiest way for traveling… but there are a couple of tricks! Firstly there are two “kid friendly” cars — car 1 and car 18 at the extremities of the train, but it is only possible to book yourself into these cars if you book by telephone, not on the internet. Kid friendly does not mean much except that the seats are all grouped by 4 in those cars and there are changing table facilities. Most importantly, I don’t feel like I have to worry as much about a child running around or crying in those specific cars. (more…)
Babington House
I’m not sure where to begin, or how to do proper justice in describing just how much I love the English country-side hotel, Babington House. It’s truly one of those places you really must see for yourself. Of course, you can see photos on-line, and you may already be familiar with the style and chic of the sister hotels (of the Soho House family), but nothing will prepare you for how wonderful your time will be at the beautiful Babington House. It’s almost too good to be true.
Babington House is a private members club and hotel/spa set on 18 beautiful acres in Sommerset, England (about 2 1/2 hours outside London). It is also the home of the well-known Cowshed spa and famous range of Cowshed products.
It is posh without being stuffy, it is convenient without loosing its cool, and it is totally kid-friendly without being obnoxious or patronizing. We always spend a long weekend at Babington House every year in June, and it is without a doubt my most treasured weekend of the year. (more…)
Baby Gift Service
I hope your experience is different from mine, but I have the impression that corporate baby gifts (i.e. those gifts coming from your company or your husband’s company) are often disappointing in spite of the reasonable amount of money spent on them. One possible explanation is that they are chosen by men or by P.A.s way too young to know what the hip mum would need or like.
That is why the web address of BabyBox London is something you should keep in mind if you are a gift picker for your company, or something you should casually drop in a conversation with your boss’ secretary if you are pregnant or planning to have children soon.
It’s a gift service with a good selection of stylish high quality gifts for the new baby and the mother. You can choose some of the ready-made “Express” boxes or pick items for the “Bespoke” service. Gifts include cute rattles, lambswool blankets, organic onesies, scented candles and skincare products.
They ship internationally although the fee becomes substantial for everywhere outside the UK.
Oh I so wish my husband’s secretary knew about this service!
-Michela
