Do you ask your children to take off their shoes when they enter the house? It wasn’t a rule for me when I was a kid (unless I wore my wellies), nor was it a common thing in other households. Even still, adults won’t take off their shoes when they step inside a house here in the Netherlands, so I don’t ask my grown-up guests, but I do ask kids (visitors and mine) to throw their shoes in a basket next to the front door when they enter. My kids and I always wear slippers in my house — it’s so much more comfortable, and hygienic, I feel!

Collegien is a French brand  with the most wonderful slippers imaginable. I love these slippers for my kids, so cute and easy! There are many great designs and models — how cute are the short summer ballet flats in the bright colours and happy stripes. Adult sizes are also available, so you can treat your husband to a pair (it’s Father’s Day soon), and you probably could use a pair for yourself as well! These slippers are also great for babies who are just starting to walk — warm, comfy, and anti-slip.

Don’t you love all those sweet designs?

xxx Esther

Our New Earth is a completely organic line of baby clothes and accessories, and Hugh has passionately told me how he’s constantly striving to find the cleanest and most honestly fabricated materials for his collections. He’s now for instance working with gorgeous 100% organic and natural dyed denims for his upcoming winter collections.

In the meantime I’ve completely fallen in love with the simplicity and timelessness of the Our New Earth designs. It’s all just so adorable! The little sunsuits (see photo of Ava featuring one above), the sweet embroidered and smock dresses, all with the sweetest details, the adorable dress shirts and jackets and pants, the easy bloomers and tank tops…

You can find Our New Earth on our shopping portal here, with a great 15% discount this month — and the prices are already so very, very pleasant!

xxx Esther

xxx Esther

Sweet! Love these little baby shoes from Poco Nido. Little baby slippers are so handy this time of year (well, any time of year, really) — we don’t want our little ones to be getting cold feet, or slipping all over the place when they just start trotting around! These sweet shoes come in a nicely designed, tube-shaped gift-box, so they are also the perfect present to give to a newborn. (Everything at Poco Nido actually is really well designed — their website is one of the best ones we’ve seen in a while!)

xxx Esther

Don’t these images evoke the wonderful simplicity of summer? The sort of days when all your little one needs to wear is a little floral bloomer, running around barefoot on dry green grass?! Oh I can’t wait! I am absolutely in love with this new clothing brand from NYC — everything is so beautifully simple and understated. Soor Ploom offers a range of clothing for babies and toddlers up to age 3. Find gorgeous tops, tunics, rompers, and bloomers, all available in the most lovely fabrics (fine floral cottons, soft linens, etc.) and the sweetest little flowing shapes. Perfect for simple summer days to come…

x Courtney

xxx Esther

xxx Esther

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

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

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!

So if you need great basics or fun wardrobe staples for your kids, Big Blue Cuddle has a lovely selection and remember: you’re shopping for a good cause!

xxx Esther

xxx Esther

I’m loving the new gender-neutral bedding collection from Olli Ella. What a great solution for parents who are expecting but aren’t finding out the gender of the baby. Or even just a good option if you don’t want to go down the pink for girls and blue for boys route. The bedding is all made in England using the softest 300-thread count cotton. I also like the new art prints which are cute on their own (or paired with the bedding of course).

x Courtney

ps — For the chance to win one of the new Olli Ella snuggle blankets, visit our Facebook page and leave a comment there!

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

Ava has a new favourite toy: the ‘House of Balls‘ from stylish French toy company Vilac. The concept is simple: four coloured balls (perfectly sized for a toddler’s hand) and a house-shaped track with a little bell on the end. It’s amazingly addictive for babies and toddlers! They love to see the ball roll down the track, over and over again. The toy is really cute looking, nice and sturdy and easy to carry around, and such a perfect present for little ones aged 12 months and up!
Available through VUP baby.

xxx Esther

(Photo of Ava and her friend Luka, by Elke Mendelsohn)

How cute are these warm woollen goodies from Australian company Acorn Kids? Made with an eye for detail and with sweet designs, which kids wouldn’t love to stay warm with these? Ava has been wearing those little owl mittens, and she adores them! And isn’t that cute mouse scarf hard to resist too?? Check the website for stockists.

xxx Esther

If you’re also a little bit of a bag junkie, then take note: Junikit is now giving away an emergency first-aid kit in the Australia print to three lucky readers, so quickly head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment for your chance to win!

xxx Esther

Sarah Strachan is a talented lady. She first worked in film and TV as a puppet maker. (How cool is that?) After having her two kids she was looking for a way to work from her home in Devon, where she nowadays creates the most gorgeous dolls on commission, and makes beautiful name plaques for children which she sells in her Etsy boutique. Sarah made lucky Ava her own name plaque, and it’s absolutely beautiful. The name plaques are original paintings, all created by hand and stitched and quilted onto two layers of felted wool, and can have a Russian doll, pixy or fairy design. They are made with a lot of care and an amazing eye for detail. I think these pieces (of art!) will be a perfect gift for a newborn and will be treasured for ever.

Sarah also keeps a blog, where you can see some of her commissioned work (she just made some dolls wearing the miniature version of the spring collection from designers Dosa and Samantha Sung for the Cross Shop in London — how amazing is that?).

xxx Esther

So here goes:
1. Fold away bathtub from the Babyccino Boutique Whitestep:  This is a great idea, especially if you live in a city like Paris, where space is key. I would have never thought of getting a fold away bathtub, but it works and it is so easy to put together and store away.

2. Coq en Pate soft book: babies grow up so fast and several of my friends have noticed how suddenly, one morning, their babies have started to reach out for things and are ready to explore. I love this little soft book that is full of fun shapes. It is easy to hold onto and also easy to wash if it has been chewed on a bit.

3. Phil and Ted’s portable chair: though not for newborns, this is one of my favourite presents for new parents. Again, kids grow fast and this is such a handy thing to have with you on the go. I think I had mine for my kids from 6 months onwards and it is the best, especially in France where restaurants rarely have highchairs.

4. A good maternity bag: some are gimmicky and some are really useful. Through personal experience being a mom of a new born means that often your brain is a bit fried, so having a bag ready prepared, with the right amount of space and pockets, is key. (I had this bag when my kids where younger and it rocked!)

5 – 6. And for the Mums and Dads who too often get forgotten: bath salts, body oils and a Mad Men or Downton Abbey box set, to have something good to watch during those long hours feeding!

Do you have any other gift ideas for new parents?

- Emilie x

Wow! Two trade shows in one weekend! We have seen so many great children’s brands, our heads are spinning! Here are some highlights from yesterday at Bubble London:

• The new designs at Poppy feature a little girl riding around on a giraffe through a beautifully illustrated London town, and we can’t get enough. Absolutely fabulous designs and colours in the A/W collection. Much to look forward to!
• Olive Loves Alfie is launching a new range of interiors paint and their display was awesome! So many great colours.
• We were ultra impressed with the fantastic, happy collection at Tootsa Macginty. And apparently we weren’t the only ones — her stand was buzzing the entire day long! (And we loved the new haircut of Kate!)
• As always, the Hucklebones collection was stunning. And the creators, Dan and Zoe, couldn’t be more lovely.
• Seeing the hand-crafted pillows from Lettie Belle in person made us love them even more!
• Really like the sweet prints and fresh colours in the Old Rectory collection. And excited about their new baby pyjamas.
• The ilovegorgeous stand rocked our world. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
• Loved meeting Joanna from Babatude and seeing her luxuriously soft cashmere creations.
• The Spotty Otter outerwear collection is both functional and fun, and we think this is a brand on the rise (it’s already hugely popular at our kids’ schools!).
• With beautiful textiles from India, the entire Bouton collection really, really impressed us.
• It was really great to meet Helen from Helen Gordon and to see all her pieces in one place. We are big fans of her scrumptiously soft pyjamas and love her new circus print!
• The Aden & Anais collection is, as always, super impressive. So cool to see all their swaddle blankets hanging in one big row!

• Just listening to Yanina from Aravore discuss each piece in her collection makes you appreciate just how much thought and love went into each piece. Such a gem of a brand (and a lady!).
• The bright colours and happy messages in the Boys & Girls collection put a smile on our faces! That’s what childhood is all about!
• The NYC-based brand, Ode, which we first discovered at Playtime NYC last summer, featured a stunning collection and a new knitwear line. Such pretty textiles and loads of details!
• So nice to see the Dutch brand Kidscase both at Bubble and at Playtime. As always, it’s a can’t-go-wrong collection!
• We discovered the new label Beau Loves, and with their Zorro mask prints and playful designs, we think this is going to become a new favourite brand.
• We also discovered the new UK brand, Marmalade & Mash which made their debut at Bubble. This is a brand to watch for sure!
• We met the lovely Amynta from Tulip and Nettle who wowed us with her luxurious collection and beautiful photography.
• And finally, the Spanish brand Nadadelazos is super fun and funky, and we were already fans… but even more so now!

xx Courtney and Esther

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