Seed
Well… it’s almost summer here and we all know what that means: summer clothes! I always find it exciting shopping for summer clothes – it’s the promise of hot days on the beach, long balmy evenings, lashings of sorbet, endless swimming and those delicious summer fruits…. and as much as we complain about the heat (oh, do we ever, and don’t even get me started on those pesky flies) it really is my favorite time of the year! Now, the first place I will head to is Seed.
Seed is one of those kid’s labels that you can always rely on to deliver the essential basic pieces (the plain t-shirts, the perfect pair of cargo shorts, the classic linen shirt) and then some more. No logos, no excessive detail or styling, just lovely comfortable, clean-cut classics and always with a modern directional twist… think playground chic!
Seed’s gorgeous signature stores are located throughout Australia and Hong Kong. For the rest of the world, international shipping is available online.
-Sara
Aesop — an Aussie classic!
I thrash my hands. Hot water, cleaning products, using my fingernails as tools… you name it… most mothers will understand! As a result, my hands are often flaky and dry — not unlike sandpaper. Over the years I have tried dozens of hand lotions, but none have worked their magic like a potion from Australian skin care range Aesop. The lotion is called Aesop Ressurection Aromatique Hand Balm and I honestly think it is the holy grail of all hand creams.
I first discovered Aesop several years ago in the restroom of a local Melbourne restaurant. It smelled and felt so intoxicatingly good that I kept going back for more (really!), and I have been hooked ever since. It soaks in, leaving no greasy residue and you can literally smell the botanical and fruity ingredients permeating your skin (rosemary, mandarin and cedarwood……delicious). In our dry Australian climate it’s no wonder this product has become somewhat of an Aussie cult favorite.
The hand cream can be purchased online but Aesop also have lovely signature stores in London, Paris, Zurich, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and across Australia and these are definitely worth a visit.
- Sara
KeepCup and save the environment
The only thing marring the great pleasure I get from my take-away morning coffee is guilt… and I don’t mean the guilt I feel when I add my two teaspoons of sugar! Rather the guilt I feel when I toss away my disposable, un-recyclable paper coffee cup. Australians use approximately 500 million disposable cups a year and discard 1.36 million disposable cups a day into landfill! Staggering isn’t it? Indeed, our love of take-away coffee is costing our environment dearly. Now, imagine this on a global scale!
With guilt in my heart and these figures in mind, today I purchased a KeepCup. (more…)
The best things in Melbourne are…free!
Actually, it is the best things in life that are free! A cliché but oh, so true. In a quest to live more simply and to try and instill this truth in my children, I have been trying to entertain them these term holidays with ‘nature inspired’ activities and simple pleasures. Homemade picnics in the garden, collecting pebbles and leaves to paint, walking rather than driving, and so forth.
Now in doing so I am learning 3 things – one, my children know a lot more about recycling than I do, even my 4-year-old (for this I have their school to thank!). Two, my kids are quite happy living more ‘simply’; they have much more of a respect for and interest in nature and their planet than I ever had, which I am ashamed to admit but of which I am so, so proud (and which I am determined to keep fostering as I learn too, with them). And three, that in Melbourne you can treat your children to the most beautiful nature attractions without needing to pay for the pleasure as you do with so many other activities – they are ‘free’, indeed just as they should be, for everyone to enjoy.
One of the best of these in my opinion is the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens. (more…)
Shhh, one of Melbourne’s best kept secrets
This weekend, I plan to treat my kids to a mini cupcake at Little Cupcake in Delgraves Street, Melbourne — a delightful strip in the city renowned for its gorgeous hotchpotch of eclectic shops and cafes. Little Cupcake is a quaint haven for sweet tooths, dedicated entirely to cupcakes! Think mini cupcakes smothered in heavenly buttercream in a size perfect for cramming the whole thing in your mouth. As I devour my cupcake, I will float back on a nostalgic cloud to my childhood and regale my children with tales of the ‘good old days’ when the delicious aromas of Grandma’s warm gooey homemade cakes beckoned us on our weekly visits. They will probably completely ignore me, cupcake heaven beckons afterall. Oh, who can blame them?
Little Cupcakes is in fact so ‘mini’ that queues regularly spill out the door and way down the road. Timeless classics are on offer including vanilla, lemon, mint and strawberry as well as other inviting concoctions – ‘creamy coconut’, ‘Belgian button chocolate’ and the dreamy ‘Red Velvet’- my absolute favourite. Cupcakes are available in 2 sizes ‘small’ and ‘extra extra tiny’ and served on a wooden tray. Offered with an array of coffees and teas, served in pretty teapots. Who can resist? Anyone care to join me for some afternoon tea?
-Sara
The best reward system
Melbourne is an enigmatic cosmopolitan city with an infectious energy. And for children it is a wonderland! There is so much to delight the young in this southern metropolis from interactive museums and galleries, fabulous beaches, bustling markets, an abundance of leafy parks, sporting and cultural events and child-friendly cafes and restaurants. Rather than reward my two children with toys or sweets for good behaviour, in our household we have devised a point-based system where we reward our children with ‘special outings’ in and around Melbourne. This works like a charm! They need to earn a certain number of combined points in order to earn a ‘special outing’ of their choice (within a defined list, of course, which we update regularly!). Some outings (the more expensive ones) are worth more points. But not all outing rewards cost us a thing! The points are pinned onto a homemade chart in our under-the-stairs cupboard. The one with most points at the end of the week gets to choose the outing. However, if less than 20 combined points are earned, there is no ‘special’ outing and points are carried over to the following week.
It is a win-win arrangement for all! Not only does it teach the children to co-operate and encourage one another, we have well behaved children (well, most of the time) and our family gets to enjoy activities that delight, excite and educate us all. This week we are off to the Aquarium to see the magnificent new penguin exhibit….I think I am more excited than the kids!
-Sara
Little clothes for BIG imaginations
Now here is an Australian label to fill you with pure nostalgia and delight! Melbourne mums in the know are already familiar with ‘Big’ by Fiona Scanlan. Following her success with revered Australian fashion label “Scanlan & Theodore’ Fiona’s ‘Big’ range for girls combines the concept of clothes with dress-ups — the result is whimsical, playful and most of all, just so much fun to wear! Just ask my daughter!
The new winter collection (believe me – it does get cold here) is inspired by the circus with injections of bright colour and bold stripes – yet it still retains the all important ‘pretty’ factor. Each piece has an element of ‘dress up’ to it, embracing imagination and fun from a child’s perspective. Think wizard capes, batwing cardigans, lurex leggings, stripey tutu dresses, 20’s inspired feathered sequin headpieces (irresistible) and Paddington Bear duffle coats. There are great pared down everyday pieces too and all are reasonably priced.
What really makes me drool are the gorgeous crystal beaded tutus and coloured fishnet stockings (which will look great teamed with a chunky knit cardigan)…. Oh, and the silk dresses are simply heavenly… now if only they came in my size…..hmmm, need I go on?
-Sara
Warmest greetings from Melbourne, Australia!
What could possibly be more exciting than leaving behind the manic scenes of chaos at the school gates (aka ‘morning school drop off’) sitting down to a nice cup of tea, vegemite and butter dripping on warm toasted sourdough and my daily shot of the very addictive and highly insightful Babyccino blog? Joining the Babyccino team, of course! My name is Sara and I’m so thrilled to be on board! I cannot wait to share the best my beautiful city has to offer in the world where fashion, food, style and motherhood coincide.
Now, what to know about me? I was born and raised in inner-Melbourne and prior to children I was a lawyer with a specialty in Intellectual Property Law. The only intellectual property quandary I resolve these days is who gets to suck on the mango stone. Law was a piece of cake compared to the trials and tribulations of motherhood but nothing could prepare me for the sheer joy and incredible love, and I have been a stay-at-home mum since my daughter Zoe was born almost 8 years ago. I share with the team at Babyccino a passion for art, style, interior design, fashion, good food, travel and shopping. Melbourne is a mecca for all these things but I admit, I also have plenty of expertise in trawling the shops of London, New York, Paris and beyond without leaving my couch!
Now, if only I could get on a plane and meet my co-bloggers in person….oh and do a spot of shopping while I’m over there….
ps. More on the ‘vegemite’ later.
-Sara
Sara in Melbourne
Australia is on the top of my list for places I want to visit. Perhaps it’s the sunshine, the laid-back lifestyle, the cool shops, the good food, the beach, the…. And it really seems like there are so many great Australian kid’s products and labels popping up all over the place. (Must be all that sunshine — I swear it’s good for you!) Anyway, we are all very excited to add another contributor to Babyccino, and thrilled to have another voice from Australia. Melbourne this time…
Sara is a mum of two, a native to Melbourne, she’s traveled the world, and she LOVES to shop. We’re lucky to welcome her to our team, and excited to hear all about Melbourne, cool Australian products, her parenting tips and anything else she’ll share with us!
Welcome Sara!
