Babyccino Kids: Daily tips, Children's products, Craft ideas, Recipes & More » Earth Friendly http://babyccinokids.com/blog International lifestyle site for mums Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:00:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Baby Papoose (by the Good Flock) http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/01/25/the-baby-papoose-by-the-good-flock/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/01/25/the-baby-papoose-by-the-good-flock/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:00:45 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=27031 The first line of the The Good Flock website reads: ‘The products we make can be buried in your backyard’. Which I think is such a daring first sentence, and is proof of the innovative and fun nature of Nikki and Marco, the people behind The Good Flock. Their belief is to use wholesome materials (from living sources or eco-systems that are able to regenerate themselves), work with a conscience (real craftspeople, responsible manufacturing), and design with minimal waste (use only what we need). I’ve been thinking — it sounds a bit like how I like to cook our food! But then applied to product design. An interesting slide can be found here, where the difference between the creation of a plastic iPad case is compared to the creation of a Good Flock IWooly.
Reason enough to purchase The Good Flock products, but there’s more: the products are really, really beautiful. Gorgeous vegetable tanned leather, domestic waxed canvas, patterned wool and buttons made from sustainable harvested tagua nuts are the main materials that are used to create simple but stylish bags, covers and wallets. The Good Flock has also created a Baby Papoose, a warm and wonderful baby wrap, made from their beautiful materials and just perfect to keep your baby cozy in his Bugaboo (works for the Frog, Chameleon but also very well for the Bee).

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/01/25/the-baby-papoose-by-the-good-flock/feed/ 0 Little Bu Non-Toxic Nail Polish http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/12/19/little-bu-non-toxic-nail-polish/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/12/19/little-bu-non-toxic-nail-polish/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:51 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=26408

I’m hoping I have a few years yet before my daughter is interested in nail polish (out of curiosity, when does this happen?!)… but when the time comes, I’ll be buying her the Little BU non-toxic polishes. The nail polishes are water-based, odour-less, quick drying, completely non-toxic and free of all the nasty chemicals normally found in nail polish. They’re perfectly safe for little girls (and pregnant mamas!) and come in loads of great colours. You can buy them directly from the Little BU shop or from Harrods in London.

PS – Speaking of nail polish… don’t you just love this pair of peep-toe shoes, and that all her toenails are painted a different colour?! (Image found on the lovely Pinterest, which I have become completely obsessed about! You can find all of our pins here.)

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/12/19/little-bu-non-toxic-nail-polish/feed/ 9 Little bird, Little bird http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/22/little-bird-little-bird/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/22/little-bird-little-bird/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:03:37 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=25708

I’m not sure if it’s simply the influence of the internet or if it has another reason, but there’s more and more Australia in my life these days. I keep discovering great brands and boutiques from down under, meeting lovely Australian people and I keep hearing about how the grass is greener, the sweets are sweeter and the sun is sunnier there, far away, on the other side of the world. I hope to find out for myself one day!

Bird Textile is one of those amazing Australian brands I got to know very recently, and I’m smitten. I admire the gorgeous and unique textiles all screen-printed by hand with water-based dyes on organic cotton fabrics. The homeware collection is amazing — and by the way, it’s all created using solar energy — have a look at the pillows and how beautiful are those placemats and table runners? (Wouldn’t they make a perfect Christmas gift?) I’m also loving the new children’s collection Little Bird, Little Bird, with beautiful classic designs, all hand-crafted with care and with cute little details like smocks, pleats and fabric-covered buttons — all made from Bird Textile’s signature nature-inspired fabrics and sweet as a button.

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/22/little-bird-little-bird/feed/ 0 A baby play mat that’s modern and stylish (for a change)! http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/10/a-baby-play-mat-thats-modern-and-stylish-for-a-change/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/10/a-baby-play-mat-thats-modern-and-stylish-for-a-change/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:00:16 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=25775

I remember how shocked I was with the playmats available on the market when my babies were born. I seriously didn’t know how fast I could hide them under the sofa once they were finished playing! Definitely not the case for mums who are the proud owner of one of the stylish mats designed by the cool girls from Deuz! Made from 100% organic cotton and full of energetic colors and exciting features like loops to grab, rings to hold and chew, and with a removable cover for easy wash-n-wear care, the Duez play mats will not necessarily need to leave the living room floor at all!

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/10/a-baby-play-mat-thats-modern-and-stylish-for-a-change/feed/ 3 Made from corn! http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/08/made-from-corn/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/08/made-from-corn/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:00:09 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=25703
Ava is now 18 months old, and she’s quite a little character. She knows exactly what she wants and is incredibly clever in communicating it. One of the things she’s adamant about, is that she wants to eat her own food, and (attempt to) drink from her own cup. Preferred tableware: plastic.  However, most plastics have a risk of leaching BPA and phthalates, and shouldn’t go in the dishwasher because of this. So I’m extremely pleased to discover zoë b’s newest product, the fantastic anti-plastic dishes: the world’s only dishwasher-safe dishes entirely made from corn! Safe for our kids (entirely BPA and phthalates free), safe for our environment (these dishes are completely compostable), and best of all: kind to the parents (who dislike washing up).

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/11/08/made-from-corn/feed/ 7 Cubebot — a wooden robot http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/14/cubebot-a-wooden-robot/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/14/cubebot-a-wooden-robot/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:43:12 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=25303

Forget flashy lights or fancy buttons… this non-traditional toy robot is made of wood and doesn’t require batteries! Cubebot starts as a cube and then you can fold and twist him to create different poses — he can sit or stand… or stand on his head! It’s really so interesting how much more imaginative children’s play becomes when they don’t have the obvious buttons to push — my kids have had so much fun playing with this little guy. Plus, Cubebot looks really cute on a shelf when he’s not being played with. He’s available from eco lifestyle shop E-Side.

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/14/cubebot-a-wooden-robot/feed/ 1 Fournier — so beautiful, and so socially conscious http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/13/fournier-so-beautiful-and-so-socially-conscious/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/13/fournier-so-beautiful-and-so-socially-conscious/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:00:33 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=25259

Now that Ava is finally taking her first steps (see photo on our Facebook page!), I can go crazy with all the cute little dresses around (dresses just don’t work well on a crawling baby). One of my favourites is from Fournier – a darling little dress, hand-knit in Bolivia from the finest baby alpaca you can imagine making it so soft and cosy.

The story of Fournier is a sweet one. Over 6 years ago, Anabel Fournier researched the survival strategies of extremely poor rural women living in Bolivia. The point of her research was to help the community make long lasting improvements to their standards of living. After discovering the amazing natural materials and craftmanship, Anabel founded Fournier as a poverty alleviation project in 2004. In the past six years Fournier has been training the artisans in knitting and sewing, following a strict quality control to manufacture a fashion forward, eco-friendly collection of clothing and accessories.

Shopping at Fournier will provide you with something more beautiful and more original. I just love the quality and softness of it all, and knowing that it’s made with respect for our planet (and the people on it) makes a big difference to me.

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/10/13/fournier-so-beautiful-and-so-socially-conscious/feed/ 2 Biodegradable Beach Toys http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/08/03/biodegradable-beach-toys/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/08/03/biodegradable-beach-toys/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:00:44 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=24007
I don’t know about you, but it seems that every single beach holiday we go on, we end up buying a new set of plastic beach toys to keep the kids happy in the sand. We end up leaving the toys behind us… and then who knows whatever happens to them. I try to tell myself that the toys will get passed down to new holidayers and will be played with for years and years. The truth is, they probably end up in a landfill somewhere taking up precious space.

Anyway, if you’re anything like me and feel bad about this plastic beach toys cycle, then look no further. Zoë b Organic has just launched these cute biodegradable beach toys which, if left on the beach, would biodegrade in 2-3 years! Cool, no? Oh, and check out the video on why these beach toys outdo the others. (Very cute.)

x Courtney

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If you didn’t know the name of Lisa Jones, you’d recognise the style of her studio’s illustrations — influenced by 1950’s design they are wonderfully vibrant and optomistic.  And now Lisa and her partner Edward Underwood have collaborated with Joanna Skipwith of Silver Jungle Books to produce 2 delightful little books about animals for little ones. I’d Chew Yew and I Choose You.

All the books published by Silver Jungle have the ambition to share enthusiasm and concern for wildlife and each one therefore helps raise money for chosen charitable conservation projects.  Sales of I’d Chew Yew will help plant Aspen and Silver Birch in the Caledonian Forest in Scotland, which hopes to help the reintroduction of Beavers into Britain, extinct since the 18th Century. I Choose You supports CERCOPAN, which aims to protect monkeys in the wild.

Aside from the fantastic work they support, Silver Jungle Books are all beautifully produced and illustrated — I really love the look of the books for older children (9+) – Rhino: Animals in Art and Tiger: Animals in Art. A great way to start getting our kids aware of protecting the world they live in.

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/25/silver-jungle-books/feed/ 0 Organic goodies from BabyBearShop http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/15/organic-goodies-from-babybearshop/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/15/organic-goodies-from-babybearshop/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:08 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21789

Oh, I’m in love with the cute packaging of the BabyBearShop products. So adorable! This line of organic products is maybe not extensive but it is absolutely enough for what I need. Loving the cheeky baby butter that I’m using for Ava! The lip balms are delicious too (and they come in the cutest packaging), and how cute is the soap with the bird (and again, how beautiful is the packaging with the nest drawn on it and the little holes in egg shape). All available through BabyBearShop.

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/15/organic-goodies-from-babybearshop/feed/ 1 Bright Basics from Boys and Girls Shop http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/13/bright-basics-from-boys-and-girls-shop/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/13/bright-basics-from-boys-and-girls-shop/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:00:11 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21751

Well if these bright colours and fun designs don’t add instant cheer to your day, I’m not sure what will!! I am loving the happy factor of everything from the new UK childrenswear label, Boys & Girls. And my kids love it too. (My son has insisted he wear his new star hoodie every day since it arrived.)

All the clothes are made from 100% Fairtrade organic cotton. They’re easy to wash, easy to wear, and I love that many of the designs can be worn by both boys and girls (hence the name!). Everything is available to buy online from the Boys & Girls Shop.

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/13/bright-basics-from-boys-and-girls-shop/feed/ 4 Win! A Smiling Planet Plate and Bowl set from E-Side! http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/07/win-a-smiling-planet-plate-and-bowl-set-from-e-side/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/07/win-a-smiling-planet-plate-and-bowl-set-from-e-side/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:00:46 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21761

I LOVE the Smiling Planet dishes! The whimsical designs are so, so sweet. Plus they’re made from 100% recycled BPA-free plastic, they’re dishwasher safe and scratch resistant. Perfect for your little ones!

E-Side, the new eco webshop, is now kindly offering this Wonderful World Plate and Bowl Gift Set to one lucky reader. How cute! Just leave a comment below by next Wednesday, April 13th, and we’ll pick one winner at random.

Good luck!

This give-away is now closed.

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/04/07/win-a-smiling-planet-plate-and-bowl-set-from-e-side/feed/ 74 Smart bags http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/25/smart-bags/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/25/smart-bags/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:03 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21457
Have you seen the Envirosax yet? Pretty clever, these foldable bags, and such fun designs too! I really, really loathe plastic bags these days. It’s just such a waste, all of that plastic, and so unnecessarily destructive for our environment. If you read these facts, you probably won’t touch another plastic bag ever again! In the Netherlands, more and more shops keep a ‘bag bubble‘ in their shop, where customers can leave plastic bags for others to re-use, which is such a clever initiative. I personally make an effort to keep a little shopping bag rolled up in my handbag at all times (loving the green robot bag from the Kids Series). And for my weekly shopping, my Trolley Dolly is still going strong! What do you do for the fight against plastic?

xxx Esther

PS Fun fact: the founder of the Envirosax company, Belinda David-Tooze, lives in one of the most innovative, totally sustainable eco houses in Australia together with her husband and three small children. So amazing!

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/25/smart-bags/feed/ 2 Goodbyn lunch boxes from Toyella http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/21/goodbyn-lunch-boxes-from-toyella/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/21/goodbyn-lunch-boxes-from-toyella/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 06:00:50 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21384
My son is the proud owner of a new Goodbyn lunch box. And when I say ‘proud’ I mean it. You would have thought it was his birthday and Christmas all in one when I handed him the lunch box. He was that excited. And he immediately decorated it with the enclosed stickers, filled the water bottle with water, grabbed some snacks and took his lunch box up to his room for a picnic with his toys. Cute.

These Goodbyn lunch boxes are something else. They are so clever and tick all the boxes — they’re BPA-free, 100% recyclable, dishwasher safe, and made in the USA. The innovative design means you have 5 containers in one, eliminating the need for any wasteful plastic baggies. And not to mention, so cute and kid-friendly!

They’re available in many different colours from the fantastic new UK webshop, Toyella, which specialises in toys, games and gifts that offer something different.

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/21/goodbyn-lunch-boxes-from-toyella/feed/ 7 Tiny Brokiga bedlinen http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/16/tiny-brokiga-bedlinen/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/16/tiny-brokiga-bedlinen/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:34 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/?p=21225

Brokiga is a brand from Sweden I have just discovered, and which I find truly adorable.  The collection, designed by (sister) Anna Hörling, is based on the illustrations of (sister) Stina Wirsén, illustrator of about 40 books in Sweden… which in fact were written by (mother) Carin Wirsén. I’m loving this sweet duvet cover, which is made of an excellent quality organic cotton and is so fun and fresh with all of those little characters! It’s just perfect for spring — makes me want to open windows and start spring cleaning. Available through the new Dutch webshop Little Robot.

-Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/16/tiny-brokiga-bedlinen/feed/ 2 Exquisite prints from Missemai http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/04/exquisite-prints-from-missemai/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/04/exquisite-prints-from-missemai/#comments Fri, 04 Mar 2011 06:00:02 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/?p=20490

I have something with tree prints, and ‘The Old Oak’s last Dream‘ by Missemai is among my favourites. It has something magic, and is as lovely in a kids room as it is outside of it. Missemai also makes the most beautiful bed-linen, which I love. I have the pink stripy one for Ava’s bed, and it is gorgeous. It’s made of a lovely thick and soft quality organic cotton, and the print is whimsical, and again, beautiful in children’s rooms without being childish. I’m now saving my pennies for this yellow (!) Old Oak Pillow… Exquisite!

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/04/exquisite-prints-from-missemai/feed/ 1 Organic luxury from Aravore http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/01/organic-luxury-from-aravore/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/01/organic-luxury-from-aravore/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:00:51 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=20896

How sweet is this little party dress from Aravore? I recently got it for Ivy and I can’t wait for her to wear it this summer. (I am already dreaming about garden parties, bare feet, and days so hot even a dress like this feels like too much! Well…it’s now March after all!!)  This dress, like all the beautiful products from Aravore, is made from fairly traded, soft organic cotton and has the sweetest crochet detailing on the sleeves and skirt.  It truly feels unique in both quality and design.

Aravore also makes beautiful baby blankets, accessories and shawls made from organic merino wool. Check out their website for more products, and look out for their new Spring/Summer collection — so cute!

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/03/01/organic-luxury-from-aravore/feed/ 2 BPA-Free Snackpots from VUP baby http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/21/bpa-free-snackpots-from-vub-baby/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/21/bpa-free-snackpots-from-vub-baby/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:00:32 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=20650

How cute are these little TumTum Snack Pots from VUPbaby, each with a little bug on the lid? They’re made from BPA-free plastic, are dishwasher safe and fit one inside the other for easy storage.  Cute for inside lunch boxes or for storing after school snacks. Or… you can do what I just did and give them to your 2-year-old and ask her to stack and sort them. Mine sat there for nearly 20 minutes completely entertained!

-Courtney

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/21/bpa-free-snackpots-from-vub-baby/feed/ 0 Laikonik — paper goods with a Polish twist http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/04/laikonik-paper-goods-with-a-polish-twist/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/04/laikonik-paper-goods-with-a-polish-twist/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:00:50 +0000 Esther in Amsterdam http://babyccinokids.com/?p=20211
We’ve reviewed the beautiful Laikonik once-a-year books before, but they have only gotten better in the meantime! How beautiful are these Polish folk art designs, screen-printed in beautiful whites or strong reds on soft grey linen? The once-a-year books have 18 pages for photos, where once a year you can insert a picture of your child. At the back of the photo is a place for a short description of important happenings that specific year. At the end of the 18 years the book will be a short but strong documentation of childhood, beautifully documenting the changes over the years and growth into adulthood.
Kasia from Laikonik made a personalised once-a-year book for Ava, and it is such a beautiful and thoughtful gift! It came with a screen-printed hemp bag to protect it, and Kasia even wrapped the book in matching screen printed wrapping paper — gorgeous.
Laikonik also offers other beautiful paper goods, like the photograms, a mini photo book that gives space to four photos and a letter, which is a wonderful gift for far-away loved ones.

xxx Esther

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/04/laikonik-paper-goods-with-a-polish-twist/feed/ 2 Cheekeyes from Ollie & Forbes http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/03/cheekeyes-from-ollie-forbes/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2011/02/03/cheekeyes-from-ollie-forbes/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:00:11 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/?p=20129

How cute is this Cheekeyes Dinosaur set? The Cheekeyes (given their name because of the pink painted cheek on every character) are handmade from eco-friendly rubber wood and come in themed sets. We have this dinosaur set, which my son LOVES, but there’s also a Rainforest theme, an Arctic theme, an Africa and a Forest theme.

They’re all available from Ollie & Forbes, a great user-friendly site offering imaginative and sustainable toys for children.  I love that they have a currency coverter which converts the prices to your chosen currency — how smart!

-Courtney

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