Posts filed under 'Amsterdam'
Thanks to its flat (meaning not hilly) landscape, the Netherlands is the perfect place for getting around on bike. It’s also quite safe: bike lanes are virtually everywhere, and drivers are so used to the many bikes around that they take them in careful consideration. So the ‘fiets’ is the preferred means of transportation for most, if not all Dutchmen. We cycle to work, we cycle to school, we cycle to the shops and we also grab the bike if we go out at night (this will also conveniently save us the money for a parking ticket or a taxi).
Kids? No problem. We just take them in front with us when they are little, in a special seat hanging from the steer. When they grow bigger, they get a seat on the back of the bike, if necessary combined with the pre-mentioned seat on the front for a little sibling.
If you have three or more children though, it’s probably time to get a bakfiets. A bakfiets is kind of a cross between a bike and a beach wagon, and you can conveniently fit in as many as 4 children (although I’ve seen people squeeze in even more!). If you’ve ever been in Amsterdam, chances are high that you’ve noticed them around.
Bakfietsen come in many shapes and varieties. Foreigners usually choose the variety with two wheels in the front for more stability, but most Dutchmen get one with just one wheel in the front because it’s lighter to cycle and easier to maneuver… I think if we were to (finally) get one, we would get the one pictured.
If you’re ever in Amsterdam with children and are interested in doing as the Dutch do, I suggest renting a bakfiets in one of the many places in the city. It’s the most convenient way to get around, and super fun!
xxx Esther
P.S. We typically don’t put helmets on in the Netherlands, not even on the kids!
Esther in Amsterdam
February 2nd, 2010
Don’t you love these wall decals? I mean, even if you don’t live in Amsterdam, you surely must like them!?!
These supercool stickers are made by Zuuz, and besides the fact that I really like the images of the typical Dutch canal houses, I love the fact that they are so big — my daughter can draw on them even when she’s standing up! We have a long hallway in our current apartment so we could fit both the crayon sticker set and the outlined houses set next to each other, and it really looks fantastic.
I never knew crayon stickers were so much fun for the kids — my daughter really loves drawing in the windows, the doors, and the people… Brilliant!
These (and other) fun wall decals are available through Dutch webshop Zuuz. (BTW, I love the combination of these wall decals and the pendant lampshade I wrote about earlier!)
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
January 12th, 2010
I can’t believe I only just discovered this shop! The only excuse I have is that it’s located on the other side of town…
Broer&Zus stocks a great selection of fantastic brands, which makes it irresistible to start with. But the best part for me is their own label! They have some great pieces for babies and little people, of great quality and lovely colours.
Their knitted wear is made of the softest alpaca wool, which is anti-allergic, doesn’t itch (I can still remember the worst itchy clothes from when I was a kid!) and is nice, warm and wonderful. The pieces are all made by hand in Peru in a workshop run just by women! I especially love the cardigans — they’re perfect for this time of year and have nice, vibrant colours.
The shirts, skirts and dresses are made of soft poplin cotton, so there’s no need to iron and they stay in excellent shape, and the cotton jersey pieces are lovely in their detailing, like stitching on the outside and little pockets.
Truly a brand to keep coming back to for great staples in your kids’ wardrobe!
Broer&Zus is located in the Jordaan here in Amsterdam and is worth checking out when you’re in town, but they also have a web shop and they ship internationally (just contact them for shipments outside the EU).
xxx Esther
Broer & Zus
Rozengracht 104
1016 NG Amsterdam
tel: 020 4229002
email: info@broerenzus.nl
*Map*
Open: Tue - Fri 10.30-18.00
Sat 10.00 – 18.00
Esther in Amsterdam
November 27th, 2009
Look how lovely this pendant lampshade is… I just love having some typical ‘Amsterdam’ toys and decorations in my house now that we live in this special city! Have you ever been to Amsterdam?? It’s very typical with its canals and canal houses; I don’t think there’s another city quite like it in the world! The scene you see on this lamp is called ‘Jordaan’, named after the picturesque neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam with its narrow streets, small houses and cute bridges.
Hylkia, the creative brain behind ‘Hartendief‘, originally studied fashion design but after the birth of her daughter started creating accessories for children’s rooms, eventually resulting in a series of these wonderful silhouette lamps. They are very stylish in their simplicity — plain when switched off, but when switched on the silver (or gold) silhouette on the inside of the shade creates a magical shadow world on the outside…
If you’re not so much into the Amsterdam theme like I am, there are three more sweet designs to choose from, and in a large selection of colours. You can order these lamps through the Hartendief store, but if your Dutch is not so polished these days you can just email Hylkia with your questions and wishes in English.
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
November 10th, 2009
I’ve had my eyes on a pair for years now and since they were on sale AND available in my size and in an amazing colour… Hey, what can a girl do.
Shabbies were originally designed in the seventies by Dutch shoe designer Fred de la Bretoniere and are comfortable, fashionable, beautiful, and the perfect mix between nonchalant and chic. Shabby chic!
The colours of the natural leather are seriously amazing, and I really like the fact that they look equally cool with skinny trousers, a skirt or a mini dress. And of course they are much easier to chase kids with than 3 inch high heels!
If you’re interested in a pair of Shabbies, I suggest emailing this shop to ask if they would ship to your country. Or, of course, come to visit the Netherlands soon!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
June 30th, 2009
If you happen to be in Amsterdam and have a few hours to spare for some coffee and shopping, Utrechtsestraat is a good place to go.
The Koffiesalon, a lovely coffee-shop (in the true meaning of the word), has good seating, great espresso, yummy cakes and sandwiches and you can help yourself to as much water as you like. I brought my daughter here for some mummy and daughter time before and we both greatly enjoyed it. It’s also a good place to meet friends or even have an informal meeting (there’s free wireless).
Not far up the road, at number 74, you’ll find one of my favourite shops in Amsterdam, Jan. The shop owner, Janna, who obviously has great taste, has gathered a fantastic selection of products. Lamps, cushions, dinnerware and cutlery are amongst the stock, but the shop also features fashion accessories such as bags, belts, jewelery and watches, and some lovely toys and kiddie books. If you need a present or want to treat your own family (= yourself), don’t miss it.
Next door you’ll find Bellerose (they have good kids’ clothes). Funky ladies fashion can be found at Jan Lensen, beautiful French and Italian ceramics at Kom, great interior pieces at Mobilia, and there are many, many more great shops and restaurants. Maybe you’ll need more than a few hours!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
May 9th, 2009
Holland will be dressed in orange today! Because of the origins of our queen (she’s from the House of Orange), our national colour is orange. Not the deep terra cotta kind of orange, but just plain, nice and bright orange! And once a year, in honour of the queen, we celebrate Queensday. We take the day off, dress in the appropriate color (ALL of us!), and hit the streets to find treasures at the many flee-markets on the streets. Amsterdam’s biggest park, the Vondelpark, is dedicated to kids today.
Even Dutchmen abroad will wear something orange today, so see if you can spot them on the streets!
Happy Queensday!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
April 30th, 2009
I must say that even though I love cooking (I just wish I had more time for it), I possibly love eating out in restaurants even more (I just wish I had more money for it). Last weekend our in-laws came to visit us in Amsterdam and after we treated our children to some indoor playtime at Tun-Fun, we spontaneously decided to go for a late and lazy Dim Sum lunch. It was very nice. We had four children with us, ages 2 to 11, and they kept themselves busy enough with eating, checking out the fish in the aquarium, watching Chinese television and drawing on the paper table-cloths. There were four grown-ups as well, and they loved the variety of steamed, fried and roasted seafood, beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian dishes that kept filling our table.
It’s so nice to sit around a table, chat, eat, drink tea and turn the Lazy Susan around for yet another delicious dish. No wonder the literal meaning of Dim Sum is ‘to touch the heart’!
I find the staff at Chinese restaurants to be very tolerant and sweet toward children, and Dim Sum lunch is definitely something you should try with your children, if you haven’t done so already.
A very good Dim Sum restaurant here in Amsterdam is Oriental City (Dim Sum is served daily from 11.30 to 17.00).
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
March 8th, 2009
Can’t believe how excited and proud we are. It was a full-term, healthy pregnancy, and after a long but painless delivery we have finally given birth to four wonderful, beautiful city guides!!!
Their names are Amsterdam, London, Milan and Paris and even though they are still tiny, all the features are present. So with a lot of love and nurture from their mummies, they will soon grow up to become big, complete travel guides!
No kidding. Visiting cities with kids in tow doesn’t mean you have to spend your days in the swimming pool of the hotel (if it even has one) feeling guilty about disturbing the other hotel guests who, without a doubt, are hoping to spend their first romantic weekend-away-from-kids in 15 years.
Or… ending up in the local Rainforest Café or McDonald’s restaurant because you’re hungry and frustrated and all those fancy-looking local restaurants didn’t look very kid-friendly.
No way. From now on, just check out the Babyccino city guides with inside information of all the cool places we like to visit in our cities, carefully selected and tested and proven to be kid or parent friendly! Discover the coolest kid-friendly restaurants, the cutest kiddie shops, the best parks and playgrounds, the most interesting museums, the best local products and more!
Of course, this is a work in progress so we will keep updating them — and we would love to hear back from you with feedback and tips!
Enjoy!
Love, the Babyccino girls
(Phew – time for a beer now!)
Esther in Amsterdam
February 19th, 2009
There are many rituals in the day of an average human being, and taking care of ourselves is certainly an important one! Dutch home and body cosmetics brand ‘Rituals‘ strives to transform everyday routines into more meaningful rituals: feeling good about ourselves and caring about others and the environment.
I very much like the Rituals products. They look good, feel good, and best of all: they smell very good too! No chemical smells, but nice and natural ones. In fact, all Rituals products are made using natural, renewable, and preferably organic ingredients wherever possible. The products are not overly expensive, and last a very long time! We have the Sereni-tea foaming shower gel in our shower and love it. A little bit of gel transforms to a lathering foam. I think we’ve had the same bottle for over five months now, and we both use it daily!
Rituals also has a nice home fragrance line, and beautiful, state-of-the-art make-up using minerals (crushed sapphire, cool, don’t you think?)! I can also recommend the skin-care line; I really like the Awareness Foaming cleanser…
Rituals is available in a number of European countries, and if you’re visiting Amsterdam you might have the chance to visit the Rituals flagship store in the Kalverstraat where you can try out all the products…
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
February 18th, 2009
HEMA is one of those shops (or concepts really), that is almost impossible to describe. If you’ve ever set foot in a HEMA, you understand. In fact, you get the concept immediately, and you’re a fan instantly – no denial possible! And you just understand why we, Dutchmen, are all raving about it, and why this chain of shops is what we miss most when we move abroad…
So, what is HEMA?
HEMA is a Dutch chain of shops that only sells HEMA-brand products. No luxury products, but products that are meant for daily use and that are functional yet fun. The assortment is wide and prices are low (we like that in the Netherlands), designs are trendy and fresh, simple and colourful. The quality is good, and overall the products are seriously so much fun that you can’t help bringing home yet another cool tea-towel, notebook or cute cookie-cutter set for the kids!
The baby and kid’s products of HEMA are seriously adorable. Great onesies, lovely toys, fun towels, wonderful sheets and pajamas (with matching pajama for the doll), perfect party products (from garlands to cakes), great craft projects… I can go on and on, and I didn’t even start about the Jip and Janneke range yet!
If you happen to travel to the Netherlands, MAKE SURE to step into a HEMA. You will like it, I am sure! Just ask a random person on the streets for the nearest HEMA and he/she will direct you…
If you’re in Belgium, Luxembourg or Germany you probably already know what I’m talking about, and when you’re in Paris, you’ll be able to find out soon, because HEMA will open it’s first shop in the shopping mall of Créteil-Soleil in mid January!
xxx Esther
P.S. The real online HEMA shop unfortunately only ships within the Netherlands…
P.P.S. This un-official online HEMA shop is as cool as everything else HEMA!
Esther in Amsterdam
December 31st, 2008
I’m sure I’m telling the food-concious Amsterdam inhabitant nothing new when I say the word ‘Marqt‘. Because Marqt came and conquered, almost a year ago!
The concept behind Marqt (not a supermarket but a ‘fresh market’) is fresh food, mostly organic, coming from local farms in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam and of very high quality. Everything is presented in a sublime and spacious interior (think wood, brick and stainless steel).
For people living in NY or London, where fancy food experiences (we don’t call them supermarkets any more) such as Whole Foods are around your corner, this concept might be nothing new. But to us here in provincial Amsterdam, organic shopping used to be limited to a couple of over-prized, sexless bio-shops where the shop assistants were as slow and un-enthusiastic as the food they were selling. But with Marqt in town, Amsterdam is back on the organic map!
xxx Esther
P.S. When you go shopping at Marqt (BTW the bread is divine), you can leave your cash at home, because they only accept cards.
Esther in Amsterdam
December 20th, 2008
Cookie Magazine’s Going Places blog is featuring a week of last-minute getaway ideas, perfect for the holiday time. All their ideas are for easy-to-plan and relatively affordable holidays with kids.
The four of us have written about a quick, last-minute getaway from each of our cities. Check it out here, and also make sure to check out their other ideas… like, how about a sunny trip to Mauritius?!! Oh, how I’m craving some sunshine…
-Courtney
Courtney in London
December 10th, 2008
I love soap. And, much to my husband’s chagrin, I love soap shops! A beautiful soap shop here in Amsterdam is La Savonnerie, where soap is being made by hand, the traditional way – all with natural ingredients and all hand-stamped!
Many, many, many beautiful bars of soap can be found here, in the most gorgeous shapes, colours and scents. And, if you are you looking for a cute give-away for a birthday or other festive occasion – La Savonnerie can stamp any soap with your own special text!
A visit to this lovely shop is totally worth it (and it is very close to one of my favourite shopping areas in Amsterdam, the Nine Streets). Next to the soaps they also carry a nice selection of lovely bathroom articles and… they have a small collection of the cutest toys imaginable!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
December 2nd, 2008
Ice-skating has a long history in the Netherlands, and there is no child in this country who didn’t grow up learning how to skate! Of course this would happen the old-fashioned way: on ‘botjes’ (double-bladed skates) and holding on to a chair to remain balanced.
Traditionally, children living alongside the many rivers or canals in the Netherlands would be very pleased when they could skate to school instead of walk — it would save a lot of time! (And, of course, not everybody owned a bike like in modern times!) Their parents would strap on their wooden skates with leather thongs and skate for miles to go and see family they hadn’t seen in months.
On weekends big tours would be organized, and alongside the canal one could find little stands selling ‘koek en zopie’ — cookies and hot chocolate (or gin for the dads). After the tour, the family would come home to a big pan of ’snert’, the traditional Dutch pea-soup…
It’s been a while since it has frozen in the Netherlands, at least enough for all the natural waterways to freeze. In fact, the last ‘Elfstedentocht’ (Eleven Cities Tour), an ice-skating race that takes place in the north of the Netherlands and keeps every Dutchmen captivated as soon as the temperature drops under zero, was in 1997!
Thankfully every city in the Netherlands will make sure there is an artificial ice-skating rink in their centre. And in Amsterdam there will be five!
- Skating Rink Museumplein: 17 December 2008 – 22 February 2009, open daily from 10 am until 8 pm. My absolute favourite Skating Rink, to be found at the foot of the wonderful Rijksmuseum!
- Skating Rink Beursplein: 11 November 2008 – 4 January 2009
Not far from the central train station. There will also be a little Christmas market!
- Skating Rink Leidseplein: 1 November 2008 – 11 January 2009, open daily from 10:00 to 23:00. Not far from the Vondelpark. Set up in the middle of the cafés and restaurants of the Leidseplein.
- Skating Rink Wittenburgerplein: 6 December 2008 – 19 December 2008, open daily from 11 am until 4 pm.
Near to Amsterdam’s lovely city zoo, Artis.
- Skating Rink Westergasfabriek: 5 December 2008 – 4 January 2009
West of the city centre. There are loads of other wonderful activities in the Westergasfabriek area!
Well, we say: when in Amsterdam, do as the Dutch. So take your children for a skate on one of the many skating rinks (but don’t be afraid to show off your own skills as well)! Skates are for rent at the rinks.
Enjoy!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
November 25th, 2008
Last Sunday we took our children to witness the arrival of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) here in Amsterdam. He traveled in his private steamboat from Spain, where he resides, and changed for horseback as soon as he reached the city’s shore. Escorted by over 600 ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (Black Peets) he rode through the city, waving at thousands of children and promising them to come by that night to put a small present in their little shoes. In return, the children sang loads of traditional songs (as did their parents), and many of them were dressed up as miniature Zwarte Pieten themselves (the children, not the parents).
If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can read more about Sinterklaas in the post I wrote last year. Also – the good man is basically the origin of the North-American Santa Claus!
So, if you happen to be in the Netherlands this time a year, and see a strangely dressed older man accompanied by an even weirder looking friend, don’t be in shock: this is Sinterklaas, the friend of every child!
xxx Esther
P.S. Sinterklaas will be in the country untill December 5th, his birthday. After that, he’ll take his steamboat back to Spain.
Esther in Amsterdam
November 22nd, 2008
I have a fellow blogger here in Amsterdam who really has an amazing eye for kids’ style! Sophie Chalumeau takes daily pictures of the looks of Amsterdam’s cool and cute kids, very often in our city’s great Vondelpark. Think Sartorialist, only for children!
Totally addictive, and totally interesting!
Sophie also had a little online conversation, interview style, with the 4 of us; check it out here!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
November 4th, 2008
The Dutch are pretty famous for their cheeses. The ‘normal’ Gouda cheese is well known internationally, and also the plain Edam cheese is pretty much available in better cheese shops all over the world.
A cheese I have never found abroad though is ’komijnekaas’ (’cumin cheese’) — basically a Gouda or Edam cheese with cumin seeds in it, and a cheese we love in the Netherlands (at least I do)!
The cumin seeds give the cheese a mild, nutty flavour and it is very good on a slice of fresh bread or just as is on a cheese platter.
If in Amsterdam, make sure to step in to one of the many cheese shops (don’t worry — although they are certainly ’cheesy’, they are not at all ‘just for tourists’)! They will gladly let you taste cumin cheese – and any other cheese you would like to try (and there are many)!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
October 26th, 2008
Amsterdam has a new attraction for kids and it is so great we immediately added it to our ‘top five things to do in Amsterdam’.
Het Huis van Aristoteles (’The House of Aristotle’ – named after the famous philosopher and inventor of the senses), is a children’s museum which offers activities ‘that challenge the senses and stimulate creativity, fantasy and curiosity’.
The first exposition in the museum is called Heldenstad (’HeroTown’) and is inspired by the famous Dutch children’s book, ‘Pluk van de Petteflet’. There’s a 6-meter-high building envisioning the ‘Petteflet’ (see picture), with all sorts of great things to be explored: various little bedrooms furnished by children from different cultures and backgrounds, dress up clothes, dolls, trains, etc.
There is even a kitchen with ‘Mrs. Helderder’ (’Mrs. Clearer’ – a character of the book), who vigorously tells all the children to help her clean, because ‘it is all so filthy’. My daughter was polishing shoes and mopping floors for nearly one hour; she had rosy cheeks and a big smile on her face!
Pluk van de Petteflet is probably only familiar to you if you are Dutch, or have lived in the Netherlands for a fairly long time. I don’t think it has ever been translated! But if you’re interested, you can read our friend Irene’s review of the book on B:Kids.
There are also ’laboratories’ in which children can experiment with only natural materials — they can make their own shadow-theater, there are plenty of dolls, books, toys, and little corners to be explored.
The museum is directed toward children from 4 to 8 years, but my children (1½ and 3½) had the time of their life!
Really, I highly recommend this place.
Also, the museum happens to be located in a wonderful area of Amsterdam, Westergasfabriek, where there is a park, playground, tons of cute cafés and restaurants (de Bakkerswinkel amongst them), and a city farm, all within walking distance.
Enjoy!
xxx Esther
Picture: polishing shoes in Mrs. Clearer’s kitchen
Esther in Amsterdam
October 24th, 2008
One of my favourite kiddie shoe shops here in Amsterdam has always been, without a doubt, the super cool shop Luukie.
At Luukie, they always have shoes in their collection that I love. (And I am picky!) I like kids’ shoes to be quite traditional, but with a modern twist, which is why I love Italian brands like PéPé and Rondinella, who do this brilliantly. (I know these shoes are not the cheapest, but my mother raised me to believe it is essential for the health of children’s feet to wear good shoes with sturdy, leather soles.)
One of my favourite kid’s clothes shops here in Amsterdam is the extra stylish shop, Xsmall. Here, they sell my absolute favourite (Dutch and Belgian) brands, like Imps&Elfs, Quincy, Simple Kids, KidsCase, Maan, and more! I guess I will just have to say that these clothes are cute, extremely stylish and of very good quality with extreme attention to detail…
Imagine my surprise (and extreme satisfaction), when I discovered that these two shops had actually joined forces! The combination of two of my favourite kid’s shops, both to be found under one roof! Brilliant!
When in Amsterdam and with an interest in children’s attire, this duo is certainly not to miss. There is a tiny play area in the back and in the summer they will open their garden so your kids can have a play outside while you make sure they will be properly dressed for the next season (or are just ‘gathering inspiration’, like I very often do). They also have a changing table, and even a kiddies toilet!
The shop is very conveniently located, with chic shopping Walhalla PC Hooftstraat around the corner (think Gucci, Prada, Burberry…), and neighbourhood favourite shopping district Cornelis Schuitstraat (think little designer boutiques and fancy lunch places) around the other one.
If your kids need a run, head over to the Museumplein – there is a huge lawn with a play area next to a café with terrace where the parents can have a coffee. Or just have a stroll in Vondelpark!
This is one of my favourite areas in Amsterdam!
xxx Esther
NOTE: unfortunately Luukie/Xsmall has closed down… 
Esther in Amsterdam
October 23rd, 2008
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