ABCs from The Wild Unknown
I’m a big fan of the whimsical prints and calendars from The Wild Unknown — I have this calendar hanging in my office and it’s one of my favourite things in my house! So of course I was so excited to receive an email from them announcing their latest project: a series of art prints for children… and a children’s ABC book! I love the touch of watercolour to the ABCD print and the fact that a butterfly lands on B and a mouse creeps across M, etc. So sweet. And from the sneak peeks of the book, it looks to be just as beautiful. It’s available to pre-order now.
-Courtney
Who’s been sitting in my chair??
A few months ago we stayed in Emilie’s flat for a few days, which is a feast for my kids because they love all the new-to-them toys and secret hide-aways! (Emilie’s daughters also have a ‘real’ mini sized Vespa which my kids go crazy about. I think baby Ava and Pim sat on it every single minute we spent in the apartment!) We also got to discover some new books while we were staying there, and ‘Goldilocks’ was one of them — funnily enough it made a deep impression on them! I know this might sounds strange, but my kids didn’t know the story of Goldilocks — it’s not a common tale here in the Netherlands at all.
So when I saw this pillow from Samantha Morris, I thought I should get it as a little fun joke in our living room (and how cute is the little bear at the end of the zipper?). I also would love to get my kids a good Goldilocks book — I found this one in Dutch that looks nice, but can anyone recommend a good one in English? (Or any other language for our readers in the rest of the world!) Thanks!
xxx Esther
Sock Monkeys
How cute is this little guy? I’d like to say I made him for my kids… but in fact he sits on our bookshelf in the living room keeping an eye on family life. I wanted a quick craft project one day and found some instructions on line. Have a look here for some instructions on how to make one.
I love the fact that every monkey is different — from the way you sew them up to the positioning of their eyes, they all have their own personality. I think my sock monkey looks a bit bewildered but then he does have to watch our family all day!
Steph xo
Duralex Glasses
In a household of 3 clumsy girls (I can bank for the fact that clumsiness is indeed genetic), we need hardened utensils, that can survive a lot of rough and tumble. Thus, I am a big fan of Duralex, famous for making the same iconic hardened glasses for the last 60 years at least.
Have you ever been served a coffee in a little glass in a French café? Probably a Duralex Gigogne glass. Show any French person a Duralex Picardie glass and it will take them back to their school cantine days, where everyone got to drink out of Duralex glasses. I love their utilitarian chic and the fact that they are almost unbreakable (I say almost, as I will never forget my mother trying to demonstrate how unbreakable these glasses are by hurling one on the floor, where it smashed into a thousand pieces, much to her embarrasment!). They are perfect for families with young kids, especially if you are getting a bit tired of colourful plastic cups.
I picked my glasses up at Merci, but I also found them on this website which deliver internationally. Alternatively, you can find them in most French hardware shops. For our readers on the other side of the Atlantic there is a dedicated USA Duralex website!
-Emilie
Junior Chair from Ikea
I’m kicking myself now, but I never bought Stokke Tripp Trap chairs for my children when they started on solids. I wish I had looked to the future and realised they would last them for years to come!
So I was very excited when I happened to come across these chairs in IKEA the other day. We have a very high table to accommodate the tall Dutch folks but sitting at it with a normal height chair was a bit of a problem for my 4½- year-old. Now that she has this chair, she can sit in one spot without wriggling around trying to reach her plate. I will buy another one for my son when he grows out of his high chair. I love the simple design and the fact that they are super easy to clean!
Steph xo
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• London shopping guide for Small Magazine• Cute, cool and practical. The DRIA cover.
Tin Trunks from Toast
I must have a thing for trunks. We have a few scattered around the house storing all sorts of things: dress-up clothes, toys, my knitting supplies, winter scarves and hats, etc. I like that you can use them as decor (they look cool just placed on the floor!), but they’re also handy for storage. I stumbled upon these tin trunks on the Toast website this week and just thought I would share my find. They’re available to pre-order, and I have a feeling they will sell out quickly.
-Courtney
Gorgeous fabrics and must-haves at MondaysMilk
Dutch online boutique MondaysMilk is a little gem. I’m telling you. Please have a look at the gorgeous fabrics, the beautiful quilts and pillows and the hand-crochet bags and hats and I dare you to say you disagree! (Ava has a cat hat in green and it’s really ridiculously cute…)
I’m thinking about re-doing parts of my house, and I’m going to start with the couch pillows. So I have been ‘window-shopping’ at MondaysMilk and I love this fabric here, these cute flowers, this neon yellow… With this depressing fall weather here in Amsterdam, it’s time to get my sewing machine out and make the house cosy!
xxx Esther
Sweet summer bowls
We’re vacationing in France at the moment, and I came across these adorable bowls in a store yesterday. Of course I just couldn’t resist — thinking they would just be perfect for breakfast in the garden, or for serving summery dishes like blackberry cobbler! They are available online through the online store of Comptoir de Famille, or in the UK at Divertimenti.
xxx Esther
Coral and Tusk
I am absolutely in love with Coral and Tusk, a husband and wife design studio based in New York. I first discovered their products on the Smallable website a few months ago, I then got to see them in person in the Sweet William boutique, and then finally I got to meet the lovely designer, Stephanie, at Playtime last week… and I could not be more impressed with everything about the brand. How darling are the designs? I love all the feathers, the many different animals, the natural linens and the colourful embroidery. Take a peek at the website to see the full range of products (you can also purchase directly from their site).
x Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Little Nutty Helmets — for the coolest bikey in town• Sweet for baby: Toffee Moon
STEK — cool pieces, bold lines
For the past few months we’ve had a little STEK rocking chair living in our living room and we’re all really, really pleased with it.
I’m loving the bold, modern lines and the great colour (I chose the olive green one). It’s an unmistakable piece in the room, it has a very strong shape, which makes it a really cool design piece and adds a certain amount of style to the room. For the kids, it’s a chair, that rocks, that they can play with, use, have fun with.
STEK is a Dutch design agency that has produced a series of lovely handmade children’s furniture, all recognisable by the strong, simple, bold and basic shapes and cool, strong colours. A great addition to every room!
xxx Esther
Nasturtiums — a gardeners dream!
In Dutch we call them ‘East Indian Cress’ — my favourite plant in our garden! I love the pretty round leaves of the nasturtiums, I love how wild and crazy (and easy!) they grow, and I love the beautiful, tissue-paper-like flowers, with their bright, happy colours. Both the leaves and the flowers of the nasturtium are edible, which only adds to their appeal. They have a delightful, peppery sweet taste (a bit like radishes), and look so beautiful in a fresh, green salad. My kids love picking them before dinner, and they love to eat them too (high in vitamin C, I’ve read)!
xxx Esther
Dinosaur Cookies (fun boys activity)
My son Pim just started school (here in the Netherlands school starts at the age of four), and he’s still getting used to the whole ordeal. He’s really exhausted when he gets home in the afternoon, and I can see (and imagine!) that the whole thing is a big change for him. Getting used to the bigger boys, making new friends, learning to learn and behave…
Anyway, he needed a bit of special attention so he and I made fun dinosaur cookies when his big sister was away on a play date the other day. We got these cute dinosaur cookie shapes for him when we were in London last month, and we made and ate a whole batch of them. I used the sand-cookie recipe that I’ve written about earlier, and which is great because it’s easy and children can be very involved in the process. Similar cookie cutters are available on Amazon (UK
xxx Esther
My house on Design*Sponge!
I am a huge fan of Design*Sponge (well, really who isn’t?!!), and I look forward to their Monday sneak peeks each week. In fact, when we were renovating the house, I often browsed through all the past sneak peaks for a bit of design inspiration — it’s so fun to see all the different interior styles. Well anyway, I am so super excited to have my very own house featured on this impressive design blog. It’s a little bit like hearing your own voice on a recorder, a bit bizarre, sort of funny… but also really exciting! The image above is my boys’ bedroom, and you can check out the rest of my house here. (Please say nice things! It’s still a work in progress.)
x Courtney
(Photograph by Darrin Henry)
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Win! Play-Doh Fun Factory• I Dreamt I was a Dinosaur
• A week devoted entirely to BOYS!
Batchi Batcha Quilts and Bedding
With three little children in our house, it’s very nice to discover items that work for them as well as for me. Batchi Batcha is one of those finds: these quilts are beautiful! Made in India out of thick, organic cotton, with gorgeous coloured hand-printed designs inspired by Indian Warli Art (a Tribal Art depicting scenes of nature: trees, birds, animals), these quilts make me happy as well as the kids — to use as play mats, as a blanket on the couch, or as a picnic rug… Or just for decoration.
xxx Esther
Insekt desk from BB+++
I am in love with this beautiful Insekt desk designed by Kellie from Buisjes en Beugels +++. So simple in shape, but so strong in concept! The desk is available in 3 sizes (kids, table height and kitchen counter height), and three vibrant colours. It’s now available for pre-order on Kellie’s (cool) webshop. Are you as tempted as I am??
xxx Esther
Tissue box holders from Sparkly Pony
I am in love with these tissue holders! Esther gave the whale to my son for his birthday and it is so cute. What a great way to hide an ugly tissue box. I just love that the white tissue acts as the whale’s spout (or the horse’s tale!). Isn’t that so clever? They’re available from the Sparkly Pony Etsy shop.
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Serena and Lily Moses Basket• Sweet for Baby: Bonnie Baby Vintage Fun Collection
• Celebrating all things BABY!
Cerise sur le gateau
I don’t know if you are the same but I have a drawer in my kitchen in which I stuff everything: instructions for the toaster (easily the most useless thing ever printed!), loose pieces of wire, pens, and take-away menus. I also have a couple of random bags full of similar stuff peppered around my flat. In France we have an actual word for this: “un fourre tout” – literally translated: “a stuff everything”. (I hope this does not reveal us as a nation of slobs.)
The fourre tout (on the English website it is described as a zip-up bag) designed by the lovely label La Cerise Sur Le Gateau has given me a stylish excuse to continue stuffing my stuff in little bags! I love their cute designs. They also have other super sweet things on offer — How gorgeous are these little bags for shoes and boots?
-Emilie
Around The World Print
I just got this Around The World print from the recently re-designed site, L’Affiche Moderne, and I love it. It’s one of those prints you can look at for hours and still find something new. My kids are especially fond of it — and I think it’s such a clever way to teach kids about the world and the different regions. All the cute little creatures and colourful details are so fun to point out.
We’ve mentioned L’Affiche Moderne before (here)… but the whole site has recently been re-designed and I’m loving this spiffy new version. If you’re looking for affordable art for your house, this is a good place to start.
-Courtney
Little Fashion Gallery Candle
Little Fashion Gallery have done it again. Now that they have started their own line, called LFG Editions. Nothing can stop them! After the beautiful poster I wrote about, they have recently brought out this lovely candle.
I have to admit that I am a candle addict. I love putting the kids to bed, tidying up the flat and putting on a candle and some good music. This candle fits right into this ritual. I can’t wait to see what else LFG Editions are going to come up with next!
-Emilie
Boon Frog Pod
Have you recently taken a close look at your baths toys? My husband is mostly the one bathing our kids, but last week I happened to be the one scooping the toys out of the bath. Two comments:
1. Where does that black residue on and in the bath toys comes from? Is that mould???
2. How come my husband doesn’t take notice of the fact that the toys are dirty when he’s the one storing them away every evening? (Let’s just ignore this point.)
Time for action. I carefully washed the toys that could be saved, and tossed the ones that couldn’t. Then I got myself a Boon Frog Pod, partly because I always thought it looked so cool, and partly because (I hope) it is now easier for my husband to rinse all of the toys after bath time.
So far, so good. The frog is super easy to install, and looks super cool in our bathroom. It stores away all of the toys, and it also has a very handy shelf for the baby bubbles and shampoo. And no mould yet!
xxx Esther
PS Do you have tips on good bath toys? I think our kids’ favourite ones are the old-fashioned stacking cups!
