Cute tunics and dresses from Emerald August
I love the bright colours and bold prints on the tunics at Emerald August. Such happy pieces little girls will love to wear! (Laura from Emerald August sent this tunic dress for Ivy and you should have seen the excitement in opening the package – pink, purple and butterflies!! It doesn’t get better than that!!!).
Emerald August is an Atlanta-based company and each article of clothing is designed by Laura and made locally in the USA. You’ll find tunic tops, dresses and a collection of sweet graphic tees for the summer.
x Courtney
Homemade Cupcake Toppers
This craft idea is so simple I almost did not write about it, but I quite liked the result, so I wanted to share it anyway. Last weekend was Violette’s birthday and she had gotten it into her head that it was going to have a bunny rabbit theme and that we were going to have carrot cake cupcakes (we used Courtney’s amazing carrot cake recipe). I, on the other hand had gotten it into my head that it would be cool to have some rabbit cupcake toppers (I just need to point out that rabbit cupcake toppers are pretty much the only impossible thing to find in Paris!)
So Coco and I made some, and we had a great afternoon of painting, cutting and glueing. First Coco painted a picture of a rabbit. We then scanned it in, scaled it down and multiplied it. We printed it out and cut the little rabbits out in circles. Then we glued 2 together and sandwiched a tooth pick between the 2 pieces of paper.
Voila, the party can begin!
- Emilie
DIY: Feather Crown
First I would like to start by thanking the Babyccino girls for inviting me to become a part of their amazing team of contributors. I’ve been following them ever since I started with my blog and have been quietly hoping for an opportunity like this but honestly I never dared to think I’d actually get one. But here I am and I’m really looking forward to sharing some of my best finds and DIYs with you – hope you’ll like them!
Tila is so in the princess phase right now and that was always one of my biggest fears. But I think I got over the princess phobia by finding out there’s so much more than only the pink puffy and sparkling thingies for the little royals-wannabe. Like this feather crown. I actually found the inspiration for it over on Pinterest and Tila and I both immediately loved it. I think’s it’s a nice untacky alternative to the before mentioned and still has something kids love the most – colors, lots of bright colors!
This is really easy to do and all you need is some feathers in different sizes, a fabric ribbon, glue (super glue and plain craft glue or fabric glue), scissors and some old newspaper to protect the surface.
First you need to measure the head and add a little extra before cutting the ribbon (like 40 cm – 20 for each side, you can still cut more later). Then measure from ear to ear and mark that at the middle of the ribbon and finally pile the feathers by sizes.
I started the first row with the smallest ones and made three rows ending with the longest feathers. Glue them on with super glue just because it will save you some time and nerves.
Wait until the glue dries completely and paste a piece of a ribbon over the feathers – use the craft glue or fabric one don’t use super glue because it will harden that part!
Easy peasy, right?
- Polona
Introducing Polona, writing from Germany!
Polona is born and bread in a tiny chicken-shaped country situated in Central Europe: Slovenia. Together with her husband and their daughter Tila she lived in Denmark and France, before moving to Germany where they are currently located. But they might be moving again this summer… What an adventurous lifestyle!
We’ve been following Polona’s wonderful blog Baby Jungle for a while now. She has such a fun and honest style, and the photos she takes of Tila are so adorable. Not to mention her fun craft projects — so do-able, and so inspirational!
So, we’re super to announce our newest contributor, whose first post will go up today, and let me tell you — it’s a super fun DIY project.
Welcome, Polona — we’re thrilled to have you over here!
xxx Esther
Tie-dye!
I totally remember tie-dying as a child — it was such fashion back then, and I remember how fun and exciting it was. You never really knew what the results were going to be like! So I picked up a packet of fabric dye from the local drugstore (there wasn’t much choice — I used Dylon dye for hand use, colour Ocean Blue), and a few simple, white cotton T-shirts for the kids (plus a onesie for Casper of course). After pre-washing the shirts, I wet the shirts (or you can just leave them wet after washing), and put the kids around the table with each a shirt to use and a bag of elastic bands. I explained some different folding techniques to them using this page, and we started! For Casper’s onesie, I made a big donut by creating a big rosette and pushing the tip back through the rubber band. For Ava’s shirt, we made a line of small rosettes which we tied together with one elastic band. Pim used the folding technique, making vertical folds and tying them at irregular intervals. As you can see he’s very pleased with the results. And Sara made random circles, bigger and small, which also gave a cool effect I think.
After tying the shirts, I prepared the dye in the kitchen sink and we submerged the shirts in the dye for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a big steel spoon. Then, I rinsed with cold water and let the kids untie their shirts with plastic gloves on. The excitement and surprise — they absolutely loved it! After a quick spin in the machine the shirts were ready to wear. With pride!
xxx Esther
INspiRaTiOns by la Girafe
With summer creeping up on us, I am suddenly in the mood for cute, colourful accessories — for my girls and for me! INspiRaTiOns by la Girafe is a French brand with an adorable collection of necklaces, hairclips and bracelets, just perfect in their simplicity and innocence.
I love the tiny details like little shells, beads, and neon accents. Summer!
xxx Esther
Silver Sense, clothing that’s kind to skin
I met up with my friend Lindsey from Urban Mums recently and she was telling me about (and showing me) her baby’s terrible eczema. Eczema so bad that his skin, at times, became infected and needed medical treatment. Poor little baby boy. It turns out he is allergic to dairy and gluten, and that feeding him a specially formulated baby milk free from these allergens will keep his eczema at bay. His eczema has thankfully mostly cleared up… but still, Lindsay has to be really picky about the clothing and fabrics her son wears so that his sensitive skin is never irritated. Enter Silver Sense clothing.
Silver Sense specialises in clothing which helps to ease the itching, inflammation and distress caused by eczema and other skin conditions in a natural way. Their clothes are made from soft cotton fabrics which are blended with real, natural silver fibres. I had no idea… but apparently silver fibres have powerful antimicrobial properties that help fight the symptoms of eczema and other skin conditions! How cool is that? (You can read more about it here.)
I love all their cute products, both for babies and children up to 8 years. Lots of fun stripes, and cute colour combos. And Lindsey says the products are really great in person, super cute and nice fitting… and yes, soothing on her baby’s skin. Brilliant!
x Courtney
Crochet creations at 2good2betrue
2cute2betrue is a small Dutch label set up by Judith de Ruyter when she was pregnant with her 6th (!) baby. The label offers a collection of crochet toys and accessories which are designed by Judith here in the Netherlands and are handmade in Thailand as part of a Thai government project to support local communities.
The crochet collections include darling party accessories (I really love the cake toppers!), cute dolls and darling BFFs that come with their own mini house. I just know my girls would love to play with these! Another favourite is the cloud mobile — we have one hanging above Ava’s bed and it looks so sweet in her room.
All the crochet 2cute collections are available from the website (go to ‘collections’ and move your mouse over the photos to discover the different products for sale).
xxx Esther
Sylvanian Families
There’s a little obsession going on in our house since the kind Saint Nicholas brought my kids little Sylvanian families in their shoes last year. Those little figurines with their adorable accessories are just SO cute! Sylvanians have been around since the ‘80 (do you remember them?) and are made in Japan. There’s a whole world available around the families: houses, cars, telephone boxes, doctors on bikes, school uniforms, beach set ups, camper vans — you name it! All of it is so perfectly detailed — babies come with tiny little dummies and bottles, and miniscule bloomers. The hedgehog family has their own teeny weeny hairbrushes, breadbaskets have bunny shaped breads in mini scale, and there’s a fridge packed with goodies like tiny tomatoes and cucumbers!
My kids really love to play with their Sylvanians… and so does their mama — can you tell?
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• MozartKugel, a wooden musical ball• Stitch ‘n Kids: the Sewing Machine
Decorating a baby’s christening party
I had so much fun decorating this party for a newborn. I always thought of white and craft for the occassion and sweet details for a baby girl. It was all made by hand, so it is really a handmade and natural party!
If you want to see more pictures you can see more here and here. Hope you like it and it gives you some ideas for spring parties! It seems like spring has finally arrived after a long long rainy winter!
- Maria
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• MozartKugel, a wooden musical ball• Stitch ‘n Kids: the Sewing Machine
Little Fashion Gallery Fashion Packs
I love this new idea that Little Fashion Gallery has come up with: Fashion Packs. If you buy several of the same items from their lovely Little Fashion Gallery label at the same time, you get a bulk buy discount. A bit like buying from Costco, but infinitely chicer!
- Emilie
Pretty spring dresses by Miller
I popped into Elias & Grace the other day for a ‘just to browse, not to shop’ kind of thing, and ended up walking out with a couple new spring dresses for Ivy. I couldn’t help it — the sun was shining (finally!) so spring was in the air, and the dresses were too cute to pass up. I thought this simple white cotton dress by Miller was the perfect thing for summer. Is there anything sweeter than a little girl in a white dress on a summer’s day? No way.
Now let’s hope the sun stays out and this long, cold winter is over!
x Courtney
Cute crochet toys & decorations from La De Dah Kids
La De Dah Kids is an Australian brand with the sweetest collection of crochet toys, accessories and decorations. Take a peek at their bean bags and crochet floor mats – how cool are they?! They also have the most adorable collection of hand rattles and soft toys. Marlow has this little striped monkey (below) and loves playing with it – each of its legs fit perfectly into her little hands.
They also have a fun collection of knitwear for kids – cute hats with colourful pompoms on top! So fun!
I was starting to think I was sick of knitwear after a long, cold winter… but these pieces from La De Dah are just so bright and fun. Love!
Molkky
If you are in any way a follower of Instagram or read Babyccino Kids on a regular basis, you might have noticed that we all have been suffering from a very, very cold winter which has continued long into April. Well, this weekend was the first sunny weekend in 2013 and I think EVERYONE in the whole of Europe went outside and smiled.
We were challenged by some friends to a game of Molkky in our local park. Have you heard of it? It is the best – it’s a bit of a Skandinavian skittles, perfect for parks and gardens as you throw a piece of wood at the skittles, as opposed to rolling it. (As an aside, it is also really good for learning how to count in your head, as you need to get 50 points exactly).
I can just imagine a gang of Vikings playing this somewhere along a fjord…
- Emilie
Party kits from My Little Day
Yesterday was my son Quin’s 6th birthday and we had a little party for him after school. I followed Esther’s idea and told him he could invite six friends because he is 6 years old. I picked the kids up from school, brought them back home, and we played a few games in the garden, played pass-the-parcel, had a little dance party, and then they ate dinner and made ice cream ‘mondays’ (since it was not a Sunday – it was a Monday!). It was good old-fashioned simple fun. And I was really so unorganised, that all of the party prep happened in the two hours before I picked them up from school!
Thank goodness for the My Little Day party kits. They seriously saved the day! I bought this kit and it had everything I needed to set up a perfect party table. In fact, it made me look deceivingly organised when in fact I was not! Here’s a picture of our kitchen table before the chaos ensued…
And you can also buy other matching party supplies like party hats, goody bags, and bunting. All from the new My Little Day collection.
Being unorganised has never paid off so well. Thank you My Little Day!
xx Courtney
Decorating a baby’s nursery, wallpaper on the ceiling
A few weeks ago I told you about the nursery I had the pleasure to decorate. Today I would like to share the lovely wallpaper we used — instead of putting it on the wall I put it on the ceiling! It looks different, don’t you think?
The paper is one of my favorite nowadays. The Ferm Living, Harlequin. I am completely madly in love with it! Hope you like it!
- Maria
Make your own stamp
The other day Pim and I made a stamp together. He made the design, and I helped him cut it out!
Making a stamp is not very difficult. First, you need an eraser. (It can be a cheap one, I like to use these from HEMA.) Mark the outline of the eraser on a piece of paper, and draw your design inside using a soft pencil. Don’t be too detailed! Then, transfer the design on the eraser by rubbing it face down against the surface. As a final step, use a set of Lino Cutting Tools (I use these
I also make stamps to make labels for jams, etc. It’s fun! If you decide to give it a try, please do share the results with us!
xxx Esther
Little Hanbury, a shop for boys!
Do you find it hard to shop for your little boys? Don’t you find there is always so much more choice for little girls? Whenever I’m looking for something for my boy I get side tracked and end up buying something for my daughter instead! I have to say, the boys market is getting bigger and better with every passing season. Little Hanbury is a brand new online store dedicated to the world of boys – no more getting lost! Although, my daughter would look great in all the cute styles…
Seriously, Little Hanbury is for boys between the ages of 2 and 10, and it carries all of my favorite brands from around the world such as Tootsa MacGinty, Indikidual, Quenotte, Nico Nico – just to name a few. You’ll find a great variety of tees and bottoms as well as some really cool accessories and shoes. Sarah, the owner has impeccable taste and has put together a really nice selection- the colors are great and the style mix and match nicely. The website is fresh, simple and easy to navigate through – I’m sure you’ll find a few outfits in no time.
You might want to check their blog – it’s a great read and check out their Pinterest, it’s a favorite of mine when it comes to boy’s style.
Now I’m having a hard time just choosing a few items- my son might just have an awesome wardrobe this summer after all!
- Celina
Sweet pixie doll rattles
Aren’t these Pixie Doll Rattles so cute? I love how simple and colourful they are, with their sweet pointed hats. They are easy to hold for little babies, and there’s a little rattle hidden inside. Casper loves to play with his doll!
These pixie dolls are made by Pebble Toys (via Family Nation), and next to being such a wonderful first toy for baby boys or girls, they also provide high quality and secure jobs for 5,000 women in Bangladesh.
xxx Esther
The little boy who lost his name, by Lostmy.name
The Little Boy Who Lost His Name is the story of a little boy who wakes up one morning to realise that his name has gone! He puts on some clothes, brushes his hair even, and sets off on a magical journey to find his lost name. One by one he gets the missing letters back, given to him by wonderful creatures he meets on his path.
Each book by Lostmy.name is based on the letters of your child’s name (so it’s personalised), and there is a girls version next to the boys version. Lostmy.name (a company created by 3 dads and an uncle), did a truly superb job of making a personalised book with not only the most beautiful illustrations, but also with a story that is very sweet and clever and captivating. It works perfectly, totally independent of the name of the child!
The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost His/Her Name is most suitable for children aged 2 to 6 years old, but little Casper already greatly enjoys reading his personalised book — see photos above!
xxx Esther
