Hunter Boots
When you live in the UK, rain boots are serious business. They aren’t just an accessory for the odd rainy day, but a necessity year round. Even at the children’s schools they’re required to have a pair of wellies on hand for wet, rainy days… which means that all of my children have a pair of wellies at home and a pair at school. I even have a few extra pairs in the back of our car! And of course my husband and I each have a pair as well.
Over the years I have bought many different pairs of wellies from many different brands and I’ve come to the conclusion that the Hunter boots are the best bang for your buck. They’re not the cheapest but the quality is really good. And unlike other boots which quickly get holes in the toes or soles, the Hunter boots have nice thick soles which are sturdy and which also provide good traction for slippery surfaces. Boots you can pass down from one child to the next!
Hunter recently sent a few pairs of boots for the kids from their colourful festival range, and as you can imagine – the kids love the fun, bright colours. (Ivy hasn’t taken her pink pair off in three days!) I keep catching a glimpse of the colourful boots in our back hall and it really does brighten things up around here.
x Courtney
DIY: Simple skirts for little girls
When I was in Amsterdam with Esther last month, we sat down one evening to make some cute stripy skirts for the girls. (I should clarify – I did a bit of ironing, and Esther did everything else!!). She whipped up three skirts in one evening and I was so super impressed with how quickly you can have results! The girls were wearing their new skirts the following day! Esther explained the simple steps to me… but of course, like with anything else, you can’t fully learn how to do something unless you really sit down and do it yourself. So I was determined to come back to London, buy some cute fabric and learn by doing.
My mom is here visiting us so I figured it was the perfect timing to do so. Together we set up my sewing machine and sat down one evening for a little sewing session. It is surprisingly easy! And I must say, quite addictive!
I thought I would share the steps for how to make a super simple elastic waistband skirt (taught to me by Esther). My sewing lingo is very basic, so I’m not even sure if I can properly explain it… but I figured my basic steps might be helpful for other beginner sewers.
- Cut the length of fabric you think will be suitable for your child’s height. (I’ve made a few skirts now for Ivy and I think my favourite length began with a 46cm length of fabric. The length of the pink skirt in the photo below is longer, roughly 52cm). Remember to wash the fabric first so you know how much it is going to shrink (or allow for shrinkage if you don’t wash it first).
- The width of the fabric will become the waist/width of the skirt (the elastic will determine the size of the waist, determining how much fabric gets scrunched by the elastic). Widths of fabric differ – the wider the fabric, the fuller the skirt will be. (The floral Liberty print skirt pictured above has a 135cm or 54″ width.)
- Fold your fabric width-wise with the inside of the fabric on the outside, matching up the two outside edges. Sew a basic seam along this edge (about 1.5cm from the edge). Now you will have a loop of fabric with one seam. (You can iron the flaps of the seam down so they are flat against the fabric – this help keeps things looking tidy and also helps when sewing the hem and waistband over the seam.)
- Create a hem at the bottom by folding the bottom edge up (about 1cm) once and then folding again (about 2.5cm) to create a neat hem (where you don’t see any of the unfinished edge). Iron the folds, and pin the folding down so that it stays straight and in place. (You can measure while you do this to ensure the hem is straight and remains the same thickness all along the bottom). Then sew the hem in place.
- Create a waist band by doing roughly the same thing as the bottom hem (only it can be thinner, about half the width of the hem). I’ve been using elastic which is 9mm wide, so I just need to make sure the waistband is wide enough for the 9mm elastic to fit through easily). Iron the folds and pin down so that it stays straight when you sew it. Sew it together, leaving a small gap at the seam of the skirt for you to get the elastic band into the waist.
- Insert the elastic into the waistband using a safety pin pinned to the end of the elastic. Work the elastic all the way around the waistband and cinch up to your desired waist size (make sure the elastic doesn’t get twisted). Sew the elastic together so that it makes a loop within the waistband.
- Finish the skirt by sewing shut the gap of the waistband.
And that’s it! It’s so basic. The skirt consists of one seam, one hem and one elastic waistband. Easy peasy! I hope my instructions haven’t confused you. If you have any questions, just ask in the comments section below.
x Courtney
Angulus shoes
Angulus is a luxury Danish shoe brand I have become familiar with in the past few years. I’ve spotted the brand at some of my favourite children’s shops in London — Hop Like A Bunny, Notsobig and Kidsen — but I’ve never bought a pair of the shoes… until recently. I got Ivy a pair of sandals (these ones) and they’re really great, both cute and comfortable. (Angulus shoes are said to be as durable as they are trendy!)
I noticed they also make women’s shoes, and I’m in love with all the pretty sandals. I might just have to buy a pair of sandals to match Ivy (or is that really cheesy?! maybe I won’t match her exactly!).
x Courtney
Mum & Baby yoga
As I mentioned in this post, I took my first yoga class when I was pregnant with Marlow and after just one class I knew it would become an important part of my life from then on. I don’t know what took me so long to start up yoga, but I am so thankful I finally did. I loved taking pregnancy yoga classes when I was pregnant, and I am so convinced it helped prepare me mentally and physically for the birthing experience I had always longed for.
When Marlow was 8 weeks old we started taking yoga classes together. Once a week the two of us hop on a bus and head over to Triyoga in Primrose Hill for the Mummy & Me yoga class with Nadia Narain. It is always a highlight of the week for both of us! I love that I get to practice yoga even though I have a little baby who still can’t be left with a sitter, I love that every Wednesday I wake up and my muscles are slightly sore from the previous day’s work out, I love being surrounded by other mums with young babies and chatting to them about motherhood and baby stages, and I love ending the class with a little dance with Marlow – a special time for the two of us to share with each other. Marlow loves the bit at the end when we sing songs (Incy Wincy Spider is her favourite!), and she loves checking out all the other sweet babies in the room — I’m certain that she loves our yoga class as much as I do.
x Courtney
p.s. Marlow’s romper in the photo above is from Marie Puce.
Wooden Doll Family Portrait
Several months back I did a tutorial on Bloesem Kids showing how to make a wooden doll family. The inspiration for this project came from the dolls designed by Alexander Girard and my son’s drawings of our family. Instead of the basic wooden people that you buy at the craft store I made our little family with wooden furniture legs purchased at the hardware store, and blocks found in our home. I had such a good time making these portraits of our little family and I hope you enjoy!
If you would like to make a family portrait of your own here are the tools you’ll need:
* wooden furniture legs and a few wooden blocks
* wood glue
* primer, paint
* acrylic paint and paint brushes
* pliers
Here are the steps for making the dolls:
Step 1. Pick out what furniture legs and wooden blocks you would like to use to represent your family
Step 2. Unscrew the screws with the pliers. You may want to trim or cut the wooden legs. I used a bandsaw to trim the longer furniture leg and was able to get two dolls out of it.
Step 3. Glue blocks onto the furniture legs to give the figures more character
Step 4. Spray the dolls with white primer and paint.
Step 5. This is the fun part. Paint the faces and clothing on the dolls, each one representing a member in your family. The possibilities are endless with what you can do. Now it’s time to play with your dolls!
-Meta
Nosara Week Away Travel Guide
I called this post a Week Away Travel Guide as opposed to a Weekend Away Guide, as Nosara, Costa Rica is not the kind of place most of us can pop over for the weekend. But I can pretty much say with confidence that if I could pop over there quickly for a weekend, I would probably be there all the time! It looks so amazing and sounds like such a great place to take children on a wonderful adventure.
Now imagine after growing up in California, then living in Australia, you decided to call Costa Rica your home! How incredible does that sound? Shelly, the author of this post, did just that: She now lives in Nosara, Costa Rica and it sounds like the perfect place to travel to!
In her 40-something years of life, Shelly has been a world traveler, waitress, writer, magazine editor, non-profit founder, entrepreneur and artist. By sheer luck and twists of fate, these paths have led to and helped define her latest, greatest and most challenging role as wife and homemaker; mother and teacher to Pixel, Robert and Beckett; and hostess extraordinaire. Shelly is the author of The Book of Questions for New Parents and the blog Kitchen Ranch. Here is her guide to Nosara, Costa Rica:
Nosara, located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, has recently enjoyed some very favorable press. National Geographic named Nosara as one of the top surf towns on the planet, a BBC Travel Segment included Nosara as the best beach in Costa Rica, and the New York Times raved about the world class waves in their travel section.
It is not surprising to me that this small and dusty jungle town is getting attention; Nosara is perfect. I know that is a bold statement, but after living here I feel confident in making it. The beaches, the ocean and the jungle backdrop are awe-inspiring. (more…)
Jamie Oliver’s Vegetarian Chili
We discovered Jamie Oliver’s vegetarian chili recipe a couple months ago, and have made it nearly once a week since. It’s so yummy, and so easy to make. And it’s one of those meals you can make at the end of the week when your fridge is empty and you can’t think of anything else to make. Most of the ingredients are canned ingredients you’ll have in your pantry, or spices you’ll probably have in the cupboard. The fresh ingredients you’ll need are sweet potatoes, peppers, chillis and coriander (unless, like us, you have a stash of frozen coriander in your freezer). Give this recipe a go — I’m certain you’ll love it too!
x Courtney
Image taken from the Jamie Oliver website.
New children’s necklaces from Gabriela Pardo
We have been long-time fans of Gabriela Pardo and her cool guitar pillows… so when she emailed to let us know about her new necklaces, we knew we’d love those too. She sent this one with bells and feathers for Ivy, and of course Ivy loves it. Such a fun, vibrant way to accessorise any outfit whether for normal wear or for dress-up.
x Courtney
Build The Human Body
My oldest has a birthday coming up. Eight! It sounds so big to me! He’s at that tender age where he is no longer a little kid in a needy way, but yet he’s still so naive and blissfully unaware of ‘cool’. Still happy to hold my hand as we walk into his classroom and kiss me when I pick him up. So sweet. I want to pickle him and keep him like this forever!
Anyway, I’m slightly stumped as to what to buy him for his birthday. (Don’t you find that the older they get, the trickier it is to buy them things? Or is it just me?!) I picked up this How To Build A Human Body
The set includes a 32-page book full of colorful illustrations and intriguing facts about the human body along with 66 slotted pieces to build a 3-D skeleton. Cool, no?
x Courtney
ps – If you have other tips for what to buy an 8-year-old, please share!
H-Luv handmade soft toys
I have been a fan of the H-Luv fabrications since I first saw them and met the designer, Heidi Iverson, at Playtime NYC years ago. The little mushroom men are sooo cute! So full of character with their little hand-stitched faces. I also love the little trees – how the trunks are weighted with polybeads so they stand upright wherever you put them. And the little dolls (below) are so sweet.
When I was at Sweet William in NYC this past March, I picked up one of the H-Luv cloud mobiles to hang above Marlow’s bed. I love the bright colours and the little rain pompoms hanging down. So fun.
Do you see Marlow’s hands reaching out of her cot in the photo above? I’m pretty sure she’s trying to say she likes the cloud mobile too! : )
xx Courtney
Shadow puppets
We are on holiday! Yes! But I need to work the first week, which is not so fun. So my girls have been going to mini holiday ateliers which you can find all over Paris — little art classes and theatre classes that teach kids essential survival skills like making shadow puppets. Not a skill useful to have during an apocalypse but, none the less, a great skill to have if you want to design your own characters and put together your own little plays.
All you need is cardboard paper (preferably black), scissors, some tape, some skewers and some imagination. Cut out the characters and props and tape on a skewer (you might want to cut off the sharp tip). Hang up a white sheet and shine a lamp at it. You then make the shadow puppets appear between the lamp and the sheet.
Voila, a shadow show can commence. Also if you need some inspiration, do have a look at the French silhouette aninmation film, Prince and Princess.
- Emilie
P.S To all those Paris dwellers out there: the atelier my daughters went to was at Attrape Nuages a brilliant little theatre school in the 11e arrondissement!
Makedo Box Props
We already were big fans of the Australian company Makedo, the super smart connector system that enables the creation of objects and spaces from found materials. And now they have come up with yet another brilliant and innovative way to re-use old boxes: the Box Props! So simple, but so, so fun! The system works with very easy-to-use plastic screws that (really very easily!) screw into a cardboard box. Then, you can connect the ready to use, illustrated plastic ‘Props’ to create anything from robots, pets and monster faces, even vehicles! I love how this simple idea transforms any cereal, tissue or shoebox into a character to play with. We had fun with the ‘people’ Box Props, and transformed an ordinary tissue box into a super fun guy!
xxx Esther
Mastermind
Way back when, we lived in the USA. I was around 8 years old and I still remember it as clear as day, it made such a huge impression on me. I mean, the ice cream shop carried 33 different flavours of ice-cream and we got to eat our lunch at school wrapped up in a brown paper bag!
But I do think my most favourite memory is the trip we took around the US in a big old Chevy and went camping everywhere from Dakota to Colorado. It was so much fun (the first night we put up our tents, the family in the next tent heard us jabbering away in French and invited us over to eat our first ever smores!).
Anyway, my brother and I spent a lot of time in the back of the car on that journey and there were exactly two things that kept us from skinning each other alive: Uno and Mastermind. Do you remember this game? It’s a great strategy game in which you need to guess your opponents code, so it is a bit like breaking the enigma code, but for 7 year olds. It is addictive and perfect for 2 siblings, especially those with a competitive streak in them!
- Emilie
A Little About the Right Type of Sunscreen
Usually I write about cute clothes, darling shoes, best toys, I even throw in a few recipes and some fun DIYs here and there but today I’d like to talk about something a little more boring but far more important than all that – about choosing the right type of sunscreen. The sunny days that finally arrived already call for good sun protection (Spring apparently doesn’t really exist anymore). But there’s a catch about them which I didn’t know for a very long time. I only took care that the sunscreen doesn’t contain any parabens and has the highest SPF filter possible but that is actually not enough:
There are two types of sunscreens – the ones with Physical UV filters (good!) and the ones with Chemical ones (very bad!). The main problem about Chemical Filters is that they penetrate the skin and absorb the UV light from there until they eventually release free radicals which can be even more damaging than the rays themselves! They can cause not only greater skin ageing but also skin cancer! Yes, sunscreen itself can cause the things we always thought (or at least I did) only the sun can! While Physical Filters (also Mineral Screens) stay on the skin and don’t absorb but reflect the UV light! They act as a barrier between the skin and light. So be careful and look for the sun protection with Physical Filters like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Dioxide.
I tried a few different ones already and some of them were really awful – they were just impossible to spread and left white or even yellow marks on clothes that never got washed off but I finally found two I really like. UVbio is the best sunscreen I have ever tried by far but it’s quite expensive and the other one I also like is from Lavera and it’s a lot more budget friendly.
-Polona
Let’s Make Some Fingerprint Art
I am always on the lookout for new craft books, for the simple reason that we like crafting so much but often do need a little boost in inspiration. This great new book is by the same lady as Let’s Make Some Art. It is such a great way of introducing children to creating new art and using other things (namely fingers) to create shapes. I also love the little video that goes with the book and also the little online games.
- Emilie
A yummy puy lentil & bulghur salad
This bulghur lentil salad has been a huge success in our house lately. It’s easy to make, easy to keep, easy to take along (picnics!), and easy to eat as well. Our kids love it! And I imagine it’s quite healthy too.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1 cup Puy lentils
- 1/3 cup bulghur
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (like parsley, basil, coriander, mint)
- 1/2 cup good olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- fresh ground pepper, maldon salt
Cook Dupuy lentils according to instructions (don’t overcook, it’s nice when they still have a bite to them, I cook them for about 25 minutes and rinse them with cold water immediately after), and prepare the bulghur acording to instructions as well. Leave to cool. Mix all of the ingredients well. Add more salt and pepper, olive oil, herbs and lemon juice to taste.
Bon appetite!
xxx Esther
PS I often double the recipe and keep some in the fridge for a lunch, picnic or side dish later that week.
‘As They Grow’ on The Littlest Blog
Elizabeth from The Littlest blog (and our lovely LA-based contributor) has started up a wonderful new series on her blog called ‘As They Grow’ which features a different mother & baby duo to highlight the monthly stages of a baby’s development from birth up to 24 months. Each mother will describe how they engage with their baby – how they play with their baby, what songs they sing, what games they play, etc. She asked me to describe the third month in a baby’s development and Esther to describe the fourth month.
Take a peek at The Littlest blog to see our contributions and to see what other mums say about the different months. We’re excited to read about the coming months (months five, six, seven, eight, etc.) in anticipation of our own babies being at that stage. It’s always nice to hear ideas for how to engage and play with your baby at the different stages.
x Courtney
The String Shelf
I completely adore the String Shelf. The String system was design in 1949 and over the last years has become one of the most popular pieces of classic scandinavian design. We got one for Nico’s room — we call it “the treasure shelf”, because this is where he keeps his most valuable toys at the moment.
Robots, dinos, rockets. But the most important toys are the Star Wars ones, because they were a present from Uncle Javi. The toys belonged to him since he was little, and now they belong to Nico, 30 years later! Such a lovely present.
We are very happy with our String ! Hope you like it!
- Maria
Big Kids Magazine
Big Kids Magazine is an Australian magazine created by two friends living in opposite sides of Australia, and they haven’t seen each other for over 12 years! Jo, from Perth, is a dancer. Lilly, from Sydney, a visual artist. They are mothers as well — and now publishers!
Big Kids Magazine is a not just your ordinary magazine. It’s a celebration of creativity, art, words, meanings, associations and innovation. Printed on beautiful paper and full of gorgeous illustrations and ideas, this magazine is such a great inspiration for children — and adults too!
Sara and Pim love the magazine, and it’s been so inspirational for them. I see lots of ideas we discussed while reading Big Kids Magazine back in their artwork! (And do you like the crazy guy above we drew together as a family?)
xxx Esther
Mon Marcel, lovely fashion from Spain
Don’t you love these easy and adorable summer pieces from Mon Marcel? Originating from Barcelona and inspired by the Mediterranean and Provence, all the Mon Marcel pieces excel in their simple, rich and clean lines. The beautiful, natural fabrics used and the great attention to detail add to the high quality and elegance of the collection. Cute!
Mon Marcel is available through Bibaloo.com.
xxx Esther
