Puff, The Magic Dragon
For accommodation on our recent trip to Australia, we managed to arrange a house swap with a lovely family in Melbourne (have you ever done a house swap before? it was our first time and we LOVED it!). One of the best things about doing a house swap is you get to stay in a family home with toys and books for the kids! So nice! (They even had a trampoline in their backyard. Constant entertainment for the kids!)
Anyway, my favourite find from their shelves of children’s books was this beautiful copy of Puff, the Magic Dragon
x Courtney
Pequeño Tocon — at Orfeo
Swoon… Pascale from Orfeo emailed me about their new Spanish brand Pequeño Tocon. Beautiful, natural colours, soft, delicate fabrics, and little details makes this brand stand out. What a great find, and a perfect addition to the other outstanding selections at Orfeo — we are big fans!
xxx Esther
Nils and Happy to See You
Have you had a peek at the new summer collection by Nils and Happy to See You, one of my favourite French labels? The summer collection is so darling. Simple cotton tops, dresses and tunics for boys and girls. I love the fact that all the clothes exist for girls and also their dolls. I have also noticed that some tops are now available for moms too (size S and M)!
All the clothes are made in France. I do have a soft spot for locally made things– it is so rare!
- Emilie
Sweet butterflies from Dents de Loup!
Another sweet baby find! These beautiful butterflies are completely handmade by Paula from Dents de Loup and luckily enough I was able to catch one here in Amsterdam — it came fluttering by all the way from India! I love the combination of techniques used (knitting, sewing, embroidery), and the unique finished product is ideal for little babies to play with, feel it, chew it… So cute!
xxx Esther
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…)
Giant Coloring Poster
Here is yet again a product that I am officially buying for the good of my children, but to be honest, I actually also want it myself. It is a 3m (which I believe is 10 ft) long giant colouring poster! Can you imagine pulling this out of your hat one rainy weekend, when everyone is cranky and a little bit bored?? I reckon this could be a hit for the whole family! It can be used as wallpaper that kids officially can draw on, or you can spread it out on the floor or use as a tablecloth for a party — the possibilities are endless.
- Emilie
MozartKugel, a wooden musical ball
This stunning Mozartkugel wooden musical ball is made of solid beech wood and plays Mozart melodies whether it’s sitting on a shelf or rolling across the floor. You simply wind the ball, remove the key and let it amuse (or soothe) your baby. Such a unique baby gift I think! (Available from Toyella.)
x Courtney
Stitch ‘n Kids: the Sewing Machine
Last year we gave Sara a sewing machine for Christmas. She was five at the time, and had always shown an honest interest for sewing (she would almost sit on my lap when I was busy with my machine). So after reading up on the best age to give a child her (or his!) first sewing machine, and not finding a very clear answer, we decided to just go for it — if she would still be too young, she would certainly grow into it at some point.
I’ve rarely seen a child so excited by a gift as Sara when she opened her package, and her sewing machine is still one of her most treasured possessions. So, what does she sew? First of all, she still needs a lot of help. Preparing the machine (inserting the bobbin, leading the thread through the machine, pulling it through the needle etc) is something she can’t completely do herself just yet. But she’s getting quite good at cutting the fabric, pinning it together, and sewing straight lines. So far she’s made lots of little pillows, an easy thing to make (with fast results) and a great present for her friends (doll’s cushions!), or teachers and grandparents (pin cushions!). Simple bags are a step up from the pillows and she needs a bit more help with these. She also made a little dress for her little sister’s doll, and this was something we did together according to her design, and it turned out really nice!
All in all, I think we made the right decision to give her the machine fairly early. In case you’re interested, Sara’s machine is a Janome Sew Mini de Luxe.
xxx Esther
Dinner with Sarah from Nyom Nyoms
Sarah from Nyom Nyoms is a full time mummy of 2 little children, Noah (6) and Matilda (4). She lives in Bushey (about 20-30 minutes outside of London), and is passionate about children’s clothing and interiors, and easy-to-prepare dishes. Here is her dinnertime story!
Ok…let me begin this by saying that when I was asked by Esther to guest post my dinnertime rituals, I was thrilled!! So that night, when pesto pasta was on the menu, the camera came out hoping I could get some great snapshots. The kids were enthusiastic to help. Fantastic, I thought, I should get some fab pictures! Then within the next 10 mintutes my son Noah smashed one of my favourite glasses after I’d told him to calm down for about the fifth time, one of the cats was sick over the kitchen floor and the pan of water cooking the pasta boiled over and put out the gas on the hob….which I hadn’t noticed!! I became monster mummy!!!! Aggghhhhhh!!! Of course it isn’t always like this, but some days it is… (more…)
Djeco 3-Layer Puzzle
Christmas has come and gone and some toys have been played with and others neglected! Today I wanted to share with you one of the toys that was and still is a success: The Djeco, 3-layer puzzle. My daughter, who is 2½ now, wasn’t very much into puzzles and that worried us a little at the time, so I decided to get her some puzzles for Christmas. The Djeco 3-Layer puzzle is just wonderful — it’s a gorgeous wooden lift-out puzzle with multiple levels. We got the Tree House, and so in the first layer the child discovers all the animals that live in the tree, then in the second you discover their different activities and in the top layer you see where they live. We are fans of the Djeco toys in my household, but we weren’t expecting this puzzle to be such a huge success, even my 4-year-old loves it, which is the cause of many disputes!!! Available from Niddle Noddle in the UK and Amazon
-Celina
Shortbread
Here in France we have some great patisseries, from croissants to profiteroles. But sometimes there is nothing more delicious to eat with a good cup of tea, than a piece of shortbread. I think even the French would agree…
My friend Audrey and I have made it our mission to put together the perfect recipe and, over the last week, we have been taking turns at turning up at work with a box of freshly baked shortbread. We have been accused of trying to sabotage people’s waistlines, which could not be further from the truth! Finding the perfect shortbread recipe is a serious endeavor, and sacrifices need to be made!
I find it particularly interesting how many variations there can be for a cookie that is made out of 4 main ingredients: butter, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt! Who knew? So here is our recipe, I would love to hear what your think about it, especially if there are some genuine Scots out there who might have some secret tips!
Shortbread:
- 100 g of white sugar
- 170 g of soft butter
- 200 g of flour
- 100 g of rice flour
- 1 pinch of salt
Mix together the sugar, salt and the butter until the mixture colour and becomes pale yellow. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the rice flour and add it to the butter/ sugar mix. Mix it until if becomes a big round ball. Wrap the ball in cellophane and let it cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Pre-heat the oven to 160° Celsius. Roll out the dough to make a rough square and cut the dough into fingers. They should be about 5mm thick. Prick them a couple of times with a fork and bake until barely golden. Sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar. By the way you can replace the rice flour with normal flour, it just gives the cookie an extra bit of crunch.
- Emilie
Teething Toys from NiHaMa
I saw these adorable crochet teething toys on the LMNOP blog the other day, and instantly ordered a few for baby gifts (if you’re a friend of mine and you’ve just had a new baby, please don’t be surprised when one of these arrives on your doorstep!). Aren’t they so sweet? I just love the mix of colours with the natural wood. All handmade and crocheted with organic cotton yarn, so they’re perfectly safe for your baby to nibble on. Available from the NiHaMa Etsy shop.
x Courtney
PrestoBingo shapes App
Sweet, this Shapes app by PrestoBingo! We’re loving the beautiful graphics and the educational content. Currently only available in English, but thanks to the easy lay-out kids will quickly figure out how to play this mathematical app, no matter what language they speak. A great way to practise shapes, math and basic geometry!
xxx Esther
Dinette by Natalie Lété
In our little household, we have actually gone through more tea sets than an elephant in a china shop. These tea sets have been made out of plastic, china, paper…most of them have been truely hideous, especially as they have been coloured on with markers and otherwise defaced.
A tea set is the ultimate toy though and little Violette can spend hours making tea, pouring out the tea and serving it to her imaginary friends (she actually still thinks it is called a “coffa’ tea” -mix between a coffee and a cup of tea… which cracks me up every single time).
So I have been on the lookout for a new tea set and discovered this super sweet set by Natalie Lété, one of my favourite current designers. I want one in my size! I love the retro bright colours and the little suitcase it comes in. This little tea set is perfect to have my coffa’ tea served in…
- Emilie
Great things to win this month!
Wow, we love this month’s items to win!
* What about a stunning Tutu du Monde Sugar Drop silk tutu in the size of your choice? A dream for every little girl!
* Or, a super handy Bizzyboard week planner — the fun and interactive organiser for the entire family.
* The oversized wall decals from Pop &Lolli will cheer up any room — you can now win a $150 gift certificate to spend on any of the cool wall decals.
* And last but not least, the incredibly cool DESKHOUSE from Ninetonine! It’s a desk, a drawing board, a playhouse and a hiding spot all in one!
Wow! The four winners at the end of this month will be highly envied by all of us! Have you already entered? You can do so here. Good luck!
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• The perfect Easter dress from Baby Barn• Win!! Amazing kite from Gray Label!
• Nettle quiche
Ten Handy Products for Travelling with Kids
We recently compiled a list of ten handy kiddie travel products for our friends over at i-escape. Check out our list here, and while you’re there make sure to have a look at their newly launched Kids Collection offering more than 700 amazing, family-friendly holiday accommodations.
x Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• The perfect Easter dress from Baby Barn• Win!! Amazing kite from Gray Label!
• Nettle quiche
Lately Lily Tees for girls
Lately Lily is a cute range of girl’s t-shirts which celebrate childhood and worldly adventures. They’re designed and made in Southern California, and have that sunny, daydreamy feeling to each of them. I got Ivy the Zeborah tee (featured above) and it’s so cute! I love the poppy red colour and it has a nice, narrow fit with sweet little sleeves.
The tees are available online from the Lately Lily shop.
x Courtney
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
Pale Cloud Raincoat, Tested and Loved
My daughter, Ivy, finally outgrew her treasured Talc raincoat, and it was time for a new one. So, after hearing all the fuss about the ‘famous’ Pale Cloud Raincoat, I decided this could be the answer. And indeed it is! The soft nylon outer shell is flexible and easy to wear. And the cosy cotton inner layer means that it’s comfortable on the inside. Plus, it has little details like a yellow drawstring, which when you pull creates a pear-shaped silhouette. And the pale pink colour is pretty without being too girlie (these days my daughter and I are in the ‘pink war’, fighting over which types of pinks are doable!). Anyway, I really recommend the raincoat, and it’s available online from the fantastic Italian boutique, Brebí.
x Courtney
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?
