Gardening time!
This weekend we had such a treat: one day without rain and even (yes!) a few rays of sunshine!! Hurray for May! Seriously, the weather has been so lousy here in Amsterdam, we’re in much need of sun. Anyway, we decided it was time to spend a day in our little garden to plant all the seedlings we’d grown in the windowsill of the kid’s room the last weeks: tomato, pumpkin, courgette, sunflowers, nasturtiums, sweet pea… They had by now grown into little puppy plants so it was time for them to hit the rough Amsterdam climate outside.
Carrots, radishes, salad and rocket are best sewn in the full ground (outside). If you don’t have a garden or balcony, you can also easily grow these vegetables on your window sill. Just one word of advice (we keep doing this wrong!) — don’t sew the seeds too close together, or the carrots, radishes etc don’t have room to grow! Plain salad and rocket are also super easy to grow (even in the windowsill), and you can keep cutting their leaves for a long time.
Of course we set the children to work immediately. They love gardening! Obviously the small scale of our vegetable garden-to-be will far from feed our entire family, but it’s a real pleasure to harvest our own grows, little as it may be, and it’s educational for the children. Here are some really fun ideas for gardening with kids:
Sara received this super cute Gardening Giftbox (from French brand Moulin Roty) as a gift and it comes filled with little pots, compost, seeds, a watering can and gardening tools — all packed in an adorable little suitcase. So cool! Sara and her friend spent hours working in the garden, preparing the soil, sewing their seeds, watering the plants, etc.
I got some bags of seeds at the Balcony Gardener. These bags are really pretty and also make gorgeous gifts (I just ordered a few more of them!). They also sell beautiful quality kid’s sized gardening tools which we love.
Finally, if you live in the Netherlands or Belgium (or speak Dutch), this little Moestuinkabouterpakket is such fun and so very, very cute. It comes with seeds, bags to sew them in, labels, a little book about the garden gnomes that will help you to look after the seedlings (provided you make sure their hat and coat is hanging ready for them to wear!).
xxx Esther
Carry All
I am a bit obsessed with the spring/summer collection at baggu. With back to back trips to Bali and Turks and Caicos, I wanted some light, summery bags for the beach and these fit the bill perfectly. They fold up easily and are great for trips to the beach, market or for holding all of your little one’s coloring books, crayons and snacks for the plane. I can’t wait to get the leather one in citron!
-Elizabeth
Cushions from Yellow Velvet
We moved into our house a little over a year ago, and the project of decorating it is still an ongoing task. Walls need artwork, sofas need cushions, we still desperately need a mirror in our bathroom (the list goes on)! I only just managed to get some very much-needed hooks up in the kids’ rooms — it’s amazing how long it can take to do something as simple as putting hooks on a wall!
Anyway, in my quest to buy new cushions for our home, I have discovered the most wonderful webshop specialising only in cushions and pillows. Yellow Velvet is a stylish and well-organised site with an even more stylish selection. They have cushions for every setting: living room, bedroom, outdoor areas, children’s rooms, etc. There are so many great options, my only problem was choosing! I ended up buying a selection of these embroidered linen cushions for the yellow sofa in our living room (see below).
And now I’m super tempted to buy some cushions for the kids’ rooms. There is no end to decoration it seems! Do check out Yellow Velvet if you’re also in a decorating mood…
x Courtney
Potato Stamps
Last week I was so caught up with my sewing projects I forgot to write a post for you — so sorry! For my last project I decided to sew up some one-piece pajamas for the kids from some organic cotton I had. The kids and I collaborated — the kids got to choose the fabric color and an animal for the all over print, and then we created a potato stamp together.
As my daughter napped, my son and I got to work; we printed the all over pattern on the pajama fabric and it was so much fun we even stamped on a t-shirt. It was only later I had the idea to add little bow ties with a green sharpie pen.
If you are looking for a potato stamp tutorial, here’s one from one of my favourite blogs — Llevo el Invernio or here is a really easy tutorial by Homemade Serenity which uses cookie cutters. Careful it’s addictive — I had so much fun, and I now want to print everything in my home…
And if you are curious and would like to see what else I put together last week, everything is on my flickr.
-Celina
Waanaki
I recently came across this great online shop based in LA called Waanaki (which means ‘to live in peace’). Owner Nanette Sulano focuses on carefully curated vintage pieces for children age zero to six. Check out the shoes and accessories for some great one of a kind pieces!
-Elizabeth
Home made duvet cover
When we moved back to New Zealand I had grand plans of what the kids bedroom would look like. I had bought them matching beds to bring back and bought loads of dark grey gingham to make matching duvet covers. In my head it was going to look so cute! When we finally found a house to rent, the bedrooms were so small I couldn’t fit in their matching beds. Luckily, we had bought Mia’s toddler bed back with us so Kees ended up having to sleep in that. For a while he also had to use his sister’s girlie duvet covers. Last week I finally got around to making him his own duvet covers so his bed feels more like his own.
How I made them:
- I cut up an old white sheet.
- I printed Kees’ name on normal printer paper
- I traced Kees’ name with pencil onto the sheet.
- Then I hand embroidered over the pencil line.
- Finally I sewed on a matching grey gingham back.
I think his new duvet looks very smart and its always good to recycle old sheets.
Steph xo
Ten of the best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Europe from i-escape
I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with the lovely team from i-escape which happens to be one of our very favourite travel sites for boutique accommodation. They have recently launched a new kids collection which features over 700 kid-friendly hotels and self-catering properties around the world — hotels which warmly welcome children and yet still offer the wow factor for parents. Their new collection offers everything from city apartments where you can live like a local to far-flung beach retreats with babysitting options. To narrow down some hotel options, we asked them to suggest ten of their favourite kid-friendly hotels in Europe. Here is their inspiring list (which is your favourite?):
We all know that choosing family holidays is tricky; you want to relax but the kids need to be entertained, and trying to find somewhere that achieves both can seem impossible. Which is why we’ve done the hard work for you, and selected the best of our Family Collection in Europe! With endless outdoor activities, beautiful beaches and kids’ clubs for all ages, these boutique offerings might just be that nirvana you’ve been searching for…
Ammos Hotel, Crete, Greece:
You’ll find style with a big smile at this chic beachfront hotel. With sheltered, shallow waters, a sandy beach and a kids’ pool, it’s particularly suited to babies and toddlers, and there’s a kids’ room with a climbing frame and drawing equipment. Parents can enjoy delicious food and panoramic views on the gorgeous dining terrace, and each room has a kitchenette so you can whip up meals for little’uns. Best of all, it’s not too expensive. (more…)
Our little monster!
It’s not often that personalised art takes the shape of a cool looking monster with a very big mouth and a bright red background! I couldn’t resist this Little Monster print from KoKo Kids: very modern and fresh and cool (and very cute too, but not obviously so). The royally sized poster is giclee printed with archival print, so it has a very artisanal, matte look to it. Our little monster Pim is over the moon with his poster!
xxx Esther
Sharon Montrose Photography
I was feeling a bit blue the other day when I stumbled upon Sharon Montrose’s Animal Print Shop. There is nothing like portraits of bunnies, ducks, and sheep to instantly elevate your mood. I am still trying to decide which animal needs to come home with us. Maybe the two bear cubs?
Avarcas USA
Anyone who is from Spain, has family from Spain, or has been to Spain will be familiar with Avarca sandals. I lived in Spain for a bit when I was a teenager on a study abroad program and everyone I knew wore these sandals. I ended up buying a couple pairs and bringing them home to America… to envious friends and family members!
Noelia Pahissa and her husband, both originally from Barcelona but currently living in California, have decided to start a company importing and selling the treasured avarcas in the USA. They launched AvarcaUSA where you can now buy avarcas in any size and style, all originally hand-crafted in Spain. How cute are the kiddie sizes? And they come in such fun colours! (I got the saffron colour for Ivy and they are ADORABLE!).
x Courtney
Canal houses
A while ago my friend asked me if I could make something to go above her daughter’s bed. She asked that it not be too girlie, pink, princess-related or too young… oh and she asked if I could sew a picture of her on there too. Not too much of an ask then! As they live in the Netherlands we decided on a canal house theme. I must admit I’m pleased with the result and the most important thing is my friend’s daughter loves it. I have to thank my dear friend Becky for finishing it off for me by doing the quilting part as I haven’t learned that skill yet. For my part I simply just cut out the canal houses and sewed them on then added on the other items (windows, curtains, trees etc) layer by layer and finished with the hand sewing. Now for my next project…
xo Steph
Inaluxe Art Prints
I recently discovered the fantastic Australian-based shop, Inaluxe, while browsing Pinterest. I quickly ordered a couple prints (although I must admit, it was difficult to only choose a couple!), and I’m so pleased with them. What I like is that the prints can work in an adult’s space or a child’s room. I think the bright colours and birds would really appeal to children, while adults might like the more abstract pieces. (The prints I ordered are for me, not the kids!)
Inaluxe is run by Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, two artists who met in school. Their attention to detail and quality is so immaculate — they use only the best archival fine art papers, and work with the best giclee reproduction print technology out there. And they ship all over the world — my prints arrived super quickly!
x Courtney
Stitch n’ Kids: Easter decoration
With a few sheets of felt and a 6-year-old daughter who now masters the blanket stitch, we’ve had some fun creating the above Easter decoration! If you feel inspired, you can download a template for the bird and the egg-cozy here. (You can also quickly make the egg-cozies on the sewing machine, if you have one.)
xxx Esther
Easter Buddies
I came across these cute printable animal sets from UK based company Mibo while looking for last minute Easter decorating ideas. You simply purchase and they email you templates for your animals that you can print, cut and fold for a fun afternoon activity with your kids. They offer a wide variety ranging from safari animals to forest friends with the sweetest little expressions. You’re bound to fall in love with them!
xo Elizabeth
An easy-to-knit baby hat!
My friend Becky just had her third baby, a little boy named Olly, and I knit him a little baby hat that first of all was extremely easy to knit (perfect for beginners like me!), and second of all looked super duper adorable on. The basics of this hat are simple: just knit or crochet a square, approximately 19 cm (7.5″) in width and 27 cm (10.6″) high. Sew the sides together (wrong side out if applicable), turn around, and presto! You could make little pompons and sew them to the two pointy flaps, or stitch through them as a triangle to make them look more like little ears, but I preferred to keep it simple…
This is what I did exactly for Olly’s hat, using a pure cashmere yarn and 4 mm (UK6, US8) needles: Cast on 40 stitches. Knit 4 rows (alternating knit and pearl), then change yarn colour, knit another 4 rows, etc, until you have knit 8 stripes. Then, knit 8 rows in the first colour (in my case blue), so you’ll end up with one extra wide stripe, and start alternating again, 8 times, finishing with the first colour. Sew sides together (wrong side out), making sure to align the stripes. Turn around, and done!
xxx Esther
PS Thanks to 2-week-old Olly for being my perfect model!
Stella Cove Swimwear
It’s warm and sunny in Amsterdam so time to prepare for the summer season! (Yay!) Because Sara will pass her 3rd swimming exam today (part of the test: swimming with jeans, long-sleeved shirt, shoes and a raincoat on!), and the state of her current swimsuits is embarassing to say the least, I ordered her some new swimsuits from the wonderful Stella Cove collection. The package just arrived (very fast!), and the swimsuits are so beautiful! I love the prints, the quality (all lined!), and the models. Sweet!
Do you know Stella Cove yet? They have a stunning collection of bikinis, swimsuits, shorts and adorable cotton beach dresses, both for boys and girls, from toddler to teenager. They also have a gorgeous selection of swimwear for mamas. Very, very tempting! Too bad this mama already passed her swimming exams…
xxx Esther
Looking Dapper
There is a little shop in Encinitas, California (where I used to live) called m.o.m that has the most adorable decor pieces, accessories and handmade clothes for children. They often use one-of-a-kind fabrics with fun prints for their items. I bought the most adorable pink striped tie for one of the favorite little boys in my life when I was last down there and he adores it. These would be darling additions to any easter outfit or to have around for a dress-up occasion. (They don’t show a big selection on their site, but they are great at taking custom orders and letting you pick out the fabrics.)
-Elizabeth
The Rocking Company — cool retro finds!
I think little Ava might have inherited my love of chairs! I got her one of these beautiful little Tica chairs from the new French Rocking Company and she can’t let go of it. She takes it to her bedroom at night, and back down to the living room in the morning. So cute! Don’t you love the look of these chairs? The retro design and cool colours (we have the red one) appeal to me big time. And the size is perfect for children, both for Ava (now 22 months) and also for her big sister Sara (a very tall 6-year-old).
The Rocking Company also has a selection of durable, cool bibs, made from thick and soft fabrics with an unmistakable retro feel to them as well. A very nice selection of first products — I wonder what else Sandra (the owner) will come up with next!
xxx Esther
Lovely trinkets from Rootsliving
Rootsliving is a new UK-based company run by Charlotte Kjeldsen, a lovely Danish mum who stays true to her ‘roots’ by sourcing all the products from Scandinavia (mostly Denmark). She carries one of my favourite Danish brands, Rie Elise Larsen, as well as other little Scandinavian treasures. Find everything from homewares and accessories to children’s fashion and decor. I like the selection of jewellery, I love these yellow candlesticks, and you’ll probably be interested to know that all the children’s clothing is now half off!
x Courtney
Koka Mama Maternity Wear
I am so excited for all you pregnant mamas to announce the launch of Koka Mama. Finally… here is a maternity label which is perfectly spot on in every way. It’s stylish and modern, it’s also quite practical and it’s very thoughtfully designed with clever cuts and special details to fit and flatter the pregnant body.
Tamara Hema, the (very stylish!) founder and designer, came over to my house recently with a big suitcase filled with her collection. She set each piece out on my kitchen table and walked me through all the tiny details which make each piece wonderful. All the trousers, for example, have not one elastic band in the waist, but two — to support the belly from below, and also to rise a bit high in the back to fit, support and stay up. Clever!
Each piece is better than the next, and all available to purchase directly from the Koka Mama website.
x Courtney
