Weekend Away Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is one of my top ten favourite cities. One of my closest friends lives over there, and so, before kids, I used to visit almost once a year. Kuala Lumpur is such a great mix between a modern metropolitan city and an ethnically diverse melting pot, full of history and buzzing with energy.
We are very lucky to have Vivien, a mom of two and a KL local, do a write up for us of her favourite child-friendly places in and around Kuala Lumpur. Vivien works with Irene Hoofs on one of our favourite blogs Bloesem Kids. She lives with her two daughters and husband in KL. Do let us know if you have other great ideas of things to do in KL. (more…)
Little Eats
If you live in Melbourne or are planning a visit, a fabulous (and totally cute) website to check out is Little Eats. Little Eats is the brainchild of Jemma Reynolds — a self confessed foodie, critique and ’super-mum’ to 2 pre-schoolers. Let’s face it — dining out with kids in tow can be fraught… fraught with fear, trepidation, anxiety and a host of other raging emotions. I have certainly had my fair share of cringe-worthy cafe moments. But it needn’t be so! Jemma profiles restaurants and cafes in and around Melbourne and rates them in relation to their ‘kid-friendliness’. Pram access? High chairs? Distraction apparatus like books or paper and crayons? Welcoming smiles? With her expert eye (and with the help of her 2 adorable pint-sized side-kicks) Jemma susses out the facilities, children’s menu, table and customer service. Of course she is also obligated to road-test the menu (all in the name of ‘field research’ she assures me.) Afterall we all know that pram access, high chairs, drawing supplies, babyccinos, choc-topped gingerbread men, great food and the perfect latte are important… in equal measure.
- Sara
Playtime Paris
This weekend, from the 29th to the 31st of January, Playtime will be in Paris. Playtime is now the children’s events in Paris — it’s always at lot of fun and really inspiring. A number of great brands will be represented, such a Bobo Choses, Lily and the Funky Boys, Mundo Melicoton, April Showers by Polder, Ada Ada… and lots of other Babyccino Kids favourites .
Such a fun chance to meet up with people, see how brands have developed and discover new and exciting labels. And there is always a great space to take your children to play, and a place to meet up for coffee. Let me know if you are going to be there!
-Emilie
Jamie at Winter Wonderland
As children are starting to break up from nurseries, kindergartens and schools for the Christmas holidays, a typical London holiday attraction to visit is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. We went last weekend and whilst crazy busy I was really impressed with the fairground — lots of really beautiful old-fashioned fairground rides, mixed up with more crazy modern ones. Also there is Zippo’s circus and an ice-rink and of course a German Christmas Market to browse around.
Jamie Oliver even has a presence there (for those of you who don’t know Jamie — he is the UK’s culinary cheeky chappy). He has taken over the band stand to offer some proper outdoor winter cuisine — Jamie’s Fabulous Feasts offers hot pork rolls, polenta chips and much much more, all of which looked delicious.
But the best bit of Jamie’s presence was the ‘decorate your own gingerbread man’ bit, set up for children. For £5 my son and I gave it a go. We got a naked man and tree and an egg box filled with various decorations — dolly mixture sweets, white and milk chocolate buttons, cranberries, apricots, dessicated coconut and an icing tube (to act as glue). We had a lot of fun jazzing our biscuits up and I have to admit, when we finally felt we had admired them enough, they tasted pretty good too.
Winter Wonderland is open in London’s Hyde Park until the 4th January.
Sweet William opens in Manhattan!
One of my very favorite children’s shops from Brooklyn recently opened in Nolita last month — dangerously close to where I live (uh oh). I have always admired Sweet William as it is a store that gets it just right. The space is adorable and the clothes are incredibly well edited, wearable and unique. I assure you, you will want it all. I am especially drawn to the store as a great source for newborn gifts — the teeny tiny outfits from the likes of Ketiketa and Tuss are criminal they are so cute.
-Dina
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Babyccino birthday — Personalised gift tags• Babyccino Birthday — Djeco Stacking Game
Decorating a Kid’s Room — More posters
I really don’t want to become boring with my posts (you’d tell me wouldn’t you?) but I just keep finding great ideas for posters for kids rooms. My latest finds are these fabulous vintage ‘Trooping the Colour’ posters from the (quite brilliant I must say) London Transport Museum. I have long known about the wonderful archive of posters held by London Transport (I personally love this poster advertising the ‘Summer Sales‘) but I came about these in a funny way. I spotted 4 different Trooping the Colour prints used on a gift-box of espresso cups and immediately thought that posters of the same would look great on my son’s bedroom wall, so I looked them up on the London Transport Museum poster website.
This poster from 1923 is my absolute favourite but I also love this one from 1922 and this one from 1930 — they’d make a great set together. (more…)
Children’s Photographer Emily Ulmer
The arrival of my children triggered an obsession with capturing every important (and not so important) moment with my digital camera. My amateur photography skills have developed, though perhaps not at the same speed as my little ones. I still haven’t quite mastered the understated photographic style I’ve always loved in my favorite design and European kids magazines.
When I saw the work of children’s photographer Emily Ulmer, I was so impressed by photographs that captured the innocence of childhood, but with the added sophistication of an editorial layout. These are no Sears Portraits– no forced smiles here. Emily’s style captures the thoughtful and pensive moments as well as the sweet and silly ones.
-Kaela
Melbourne’s top 10 in Caos Magazine!
Recently, wonderful Spanish magazine Caos asked Babyccino if we could compile a list of the 10 top things to do when visiting the city of Melbourne. We were very excited to oblige! Here is the list written up which was of course then translated into Spanish (and which, most will agree, makes everything sound just so much more wonderful). (more…)
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…)
Igloo Zoo
No matter the weather, every Friday after school my children and I head down to Igloo Zoo for a fix of creamy frozen yogurt. YUM-OH! We patiently wait behind the hoards of teenage schoolkids who are equally excited. It is pure decadence and relatively sinless (I figure) given that it is made with real yogurt (live cultures) is 99.5% fat-free, high in antioxidants and low in sugar. There are 4 flavors on offer — original, green tea, cocoa and pomegranate. As an incentive (not that we need one) they offer an array of amazing accoutrements like organic kaffir, lime biscotti, white chocolate, pomegranate seeds, passion fruit puree, halva (a middle eastern treat made from sesame seed), choc-covered goji berries, lychee and a host of other treats. Admittedly, I usually eschew the more exotic toppings in favor of good old triple choc crunch, passion fruit puree and coconut…beyond divine!
If you are visiting Melbourne, the Gold Coast or Sydney check out locations here ! If you live elsewhere in the world and you are hankering for your own sampling of Igloo Zoo — I apologize profusely for the tease!
- Sara
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
Summer Sweetness: Upside Down Fig Cake
Living in Los Angeles, we’re so fortunate to have an abundance of fresh, organic and local produce year round. You can find farmer’s markets every day of the week in a multitude of L.A. neighborhoods with readily available, inspiring ingredients. One of the ingredients that I get particularly excited about each year is the fig. When figs are in season, I can’t get enough of this beautiful, sweet, fleshy fruit. I could eat them served just about any way – whole and fresh, mixed with yogurt and honey, in savory Moroccan dishes, and in this delectable, moist fig cake courtesy of my good friend Jules who frequents the markets every week, searches for the best of the best produce and creates dishes for her family and her blog, Renaissance Mamas that positively make my mouth water. Her cake is similar to the pineapple upside down, with the added sophistication of the succulent fig. I think it would be even more delicious with a big dollop of lightly sweetened crème fraiche. Yummmmm… Here’s the recipe: (more…)
Babyccino kids on Ohdeedoh
Ohdeedoh featured our newly designed city-guides — check out what they say for some insider information on Paris, New York, London and Amsterdam!!
Arbor Collective Skateboards
Like most little boys, my son wanted one of these four-wheelers for himself after he first laid eyes on some local skaters enjoying their rides. We went through several superhero-themed “kid” skateboards only to come to the conclusion that they were practically disposable due to poor quality and cheap materials, not to mention the absence of any decent performance. I realized that this was an activity not soon to be outgrown, (most of my friends’ husbands are still proud owners of at LEAST one) and decided it was time to step it up a few notches for something with staying power. I turned to Arbor Collective. I loved the sleek design and use of natural wood. I also happily discovered that on top of incredible aesthetics, performance and craftsmanship, Arbor is committed to creating products in the most environmentally responsible way possible and the owners fully stand behind every snowboard and skateboard they make. They use ecologically based alternatives to harmful chemicals, water-based finishes and recycled materials to produce impressive skateboards in a huge variety of shapes and sizes with designs by featured artists (this mini Pocket Rocket is the choice for my eldest). Arbor Collective has a sweet little showroom in Venice with friendly, helpful staff, and their website tells you about other places you can purchase their products. Have fun!
x Kaela
Playtime Paris
I am so excited, this weekend I’ll be heading to one of my favourite children’s events in Paris. Playtime Paris is a bi-yearly children’s trade fair in the lovely Bois de Vincennes on the outskirts of Paris. A lot of my favourite children’s companies come together to display their new collections… There’s Lili and the Funky Boys, Antik Batik, Moon Kids, Petite by Sophie Schnoor, Soeur and many, many more.
While moms can browse the stands, there will be lots kids entertainment. Check out the So Chic Kids disco on Saturday night — I went with my children to one of their last events and it was a huge success. During the day there will be ateliers and entertainment. And for you “gourmand” out there you can discover my new favourite Parisian cupcakes made by Cakes by Cloe. I reckon this is going to be a fun day out!
- Emilie
New York City — a new Babyccino Kids city guide!
In addition to our brand new design and look, we have more exciting Babyccino Kids news. We’ve launched our NYC City Guide!! Dina has been working diligently for the past 6 months to cover off all of NYC’s best kid-friendly places to eat, see, play, shop, etc., and it is finally ready to share with you. Like all of our city guides, it will be updated regularly with new reviews and other kid-friendly ideas. So, if you’re planning a trip to NYC (or know someone who is), make sure to check out all of Dina’s suggestions.
P.S. Check out all of the new city designs. The girls at Petite Alma did such an amazing job capturing each city’s look and feel. We’ve also added some handy new features which will help make your visit even easier. We are so excited about them we can hardly sit still!
P.P.S. As always, we welcome your feedback.
The Papered Parlour
I am so, so ‘can’t stop moving’, ‘ants in my pants’ excited. A couple of weeks ago I was reading one of my favourite blogs — do you know it? The blog of author, stylist, photographer, all round uber-chic gal Pia Jane Bijkerk. She wrote about a wonderful sounding place, the Papered Parlour in Clapham. I had to check their website out. The Papered Parlour is a new craft venue in London, which offers classes in classic crafting techniques such as silversmithing, dress-making, photography, screen-printing and quilting as well as offering subsidised studio-space for practising artists. It was set up last year by visual artists Claire and Louise, who met working at Battersea Arts Centre. The space has already received much critical acclaim for not only the skills they teach but the style in which they do it — they have a wonderful looking cafe and most workshops include a proper tea and cake break (you can see why I have been drawn into their ethos!). They hold regular exhibitions and can be hired for parties and events (their ideas for hen-parties are brilliant!).
So why am I so excited? Well I just booked myself onto one of their Summer dress-making workshops — maybe I will finally learn how to make this darling dress for my daughter that I have been cooing over from Oliver + S.
-Mo. x
Things to do with BOYS in Paris
I have been discovering lots of BOY friendly activities here in Paris — a far cry away from the usual shopping and coffee-drinking that you normally associate with this city. I reckon our Babyccino Boys Theme week is the perfect opportunity to share them with you…
The Argonaute at the Parc de la Villette: The Argonaute is a 1950’s submarine that was taken out of commission in the ’80s and is now moored in the Parc de la Villette, right beside the Cité des Sciences, Paris’ science museum. It is fascinating. The submarine has been kept exactly the way it was and you get a real feeling of what it was like to live and work in such a confined space. The motors are completely exposed and the audio tour (available in several different languages), describes the life on a submarine really well.
Dinosaur exhibition at the Grand Palais: All the boys I know are going wild about the Dinosaur exhibition at the Grand Palais. The exhibition is not too big to be overwhelming but it is a great way to get to know this species that fascinates so many boys. The animated models are VERY realistic, so small children might be slightly scared. Children discover how dinosaurs lived and ate and there is even a replica of a dinosaur poo (somehow poo never fails to get a rise out of the under-18 crowd).
Play area at the Parc de Belleville: This play area is our favourite place to go at the moment. It has been built specifically for city kids to get them to use their imagination and get to know their physical capabilities better. It is such an unsual structure that every kid interprets differently: for some it is a boat, for some a village, for some a jungle and for some just a great place to let go of some steam.
- Emilie
The Santa Monica Airport — fun for the kids!
For most of us living in Southern California, kids + outdoor activities = the way to go. Yes, of course we have many parks and beaches (and parks AT beaches), and I definitely have my favorites, but here’s a different idea (at least to those who don’t know about it yet!) – the Santa Monica Airport. “Airplane” being one of my son’s first words, I knew that this would be a home run when I first discovered from another parent its entertainment potential (other than a possible ‘Brangelina’ sighting). This small, un-crowded, easily accessible airport is a great spot for KIDS!
Once you reach the “public view deck” of this little unassuming airpot, voilà – you have front row seats to take-offs and landings! My son was enthralled and totally mesmerized each time a little prop plane or private jet would arrive or take to the sky – or even just start to taxi on the runway. (more…)
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
