Crazy pinecone creatures
It’s technically still summer here in Amsterdam but in reality it’s been autumn at its worst these last few weeks. Crazy! The one advantage of autumn (the only one, really) is that there are loads of cool things falling from the trees, like for instance pine cones, which are fun to gather on a forest walk. And from which one can create very cool creatures like these pink hedgehogs. In the past we’ve made acorn men and chestnut chaps too. Fun!
xxx Esther
Bembo’s Zoo
My friend, Al, told me about this wonderful website which has apparently been running for years and years and years but I never knew about it. Bembo’s Zoo actually started life as a book, designed by world renowned graphic designer, Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich (I know, fabulous name!). The concept used the letters of the alphabet to create animals (using type font, Bembo). It was turned into a flash-animated website and is utterly mesmerising — you can spend hours just clicking through the alphabet and watching the animals unfold. My children love it and it is a great way to start familiarising them with the letters. Enjoy!
-Mo
Think-ets
I love, love, love this! I keep berating myself for having not conjured it up in one of my brainstorming sessions (honestly I am still hopeful that one day I will invent the next ‘lego’). In the meantime, I just marvel at gems like these… it reminds me that the simplest of ideas are the best — a game powered by imagination rather than a USB cable! Think-ets is so simple in concept — a little pouch of random, very charming ‘trinkets’ from around the world. Along with the pouch comes rules for a few games, such as “I’ll take one away, and you tell me which one is missing”, or “Make a story about the item you’re holding” — educational in so many ways, inspiring story-telling, testing memory and just fun for kids to fiddle with. (more…)
Mucho Moustache Fun!
I can’t resist a bit of silly fun! When some family came to stay recently I decided we should make some silly pictures of the kids pretending to be Grandpas to send to their Oma and Opa in Berlin. I bought these ‘cheap as chips’ stick-on moustaches and away we went with our role-play. What was hilarious is they didn’t behave at all like their Opa (who actually doesn’t have a moustache) but they all pretended to be the stereotypical grumpy Grandpa that you see in films (like the ones who work at the bank in Mary Poppins). Good summer holiday fun!
-Mo
Art Jar from Land of Nod
We are currently in Seattle visiting my family… and having loads of summertime fun in the sun. I think my kids have spent the majority of the time running around naked outside… bliss!! However, thanks to the I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar from The Land of Nod, we’ve also been spending some ultra crafty time inside making all sorts of art projects. How cool is this concept? It’s a big jar filled to the brim with arts & craft supplies — things like construction paper, googly eyes, wooden buttons, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, tissue paper, etc. etc. It’s like a craft store in a jar. And when you’re finished making projects, you just shove everything back into the jar, close the lid and store the jar in a cupboard. Easy peasy!
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes• Take our survey and receive 15% off at Little Baby Company!
Doodles at Dinner
I just picked up this book of Doodle Placemats
We have a ‘no toys at the table’ policy when we’re eating, but I find this really handy for that pre-dinner phase when my kids are completely crazy. It gets them to the table and quiets them down… and then they have a lovely placemat to use when dinner arrives.
The book is available from our bookshop (both US and UK).
-Courtney
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Light Painting
I bought a Digital SLR camera (Nikon D80) shortly after my first child was born as I realised that this most beautiful of subjects had to be captured in every conceivable pose possible. However, for two years I wasn’t quite sure how to use the camera. Not much of a manual-reader, I pottered along happily with the pictures I was taking on the auto-modes. One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to finally learn how to use it and so I have been going to an evening class to learn. I love it and look forward to it every week — I can’t wait to get the home-work so I can go out and play.
A couple of weeks ago my tutor taught us how to do light-painting. I came home and tested it on the family and now it is one of the kid’s favourite games — and makes for some really interesting family portraits. It may seem complicated to do written down but once you’ve done it it’s really easy and only takes a few minutes to set up. So let me see if I can give you a simple how-to guide …. (more…)
Blackboard Sticker by Wall Candy
There was a time, not too long ago, where no one had ever heard of wall stickers. I remember doing my first post about them… But now they are everywhere in all sizes, shapes and forms, and for good reason: wall stickers are a fantastic idea! Especially if you (like me) live in a rented flat, they are a fabulous way of adding a little bit of colour and individuality. Even better when they can be repositioned, as it is impossible to keep a child away from a wall full of stickers –it’s like the proverbial red rag to a bull…
I recently stuck the WallCandy blackboard apple wall sticker in our corridor and it has been a complete success. It has been “repositioned” numerous times and still keeps on sticking. My girls have a riot drawing on it and, for a blackboard, it requires a minimal amount of space. It also looks really cute and gives an extra something to an otherwise neutral corridor in our little flat!
- Emile
Mosaic Memory Box — Travel with kids part II
We are a few days away from another trip across the pond to London and I am in the process of getting my in-flight arsenal ready. Between the headphones and DVDs, the sticker books and the doodle pads, we should be okay for at least ½ the flight if all goes well. I am most excited however about my master plan to make a “memory box” on route. In it we will put our photos, ticket stubs, trinkets and the like. Orb Factory has a whole line of fun sticky things that are great for travel and I especially love their Mosaic Jewelry Box. The box is color coded so your little one can match the numbers to the colored stickers and apply them one-by-one to create a little masterpiece. I have to say, having made one myself — it is quite relaxing and a great way to kill time. The end-product looks incredible and there is no mess to clean up!
-Dina
Colour-me-in T-shirt by Pure Baby
I can’t imagine a young child who wouldn’t be rapt to receive a gift like this ‘color me in’ t-shirt by Pure Baby. It is 100% organic cotton, handprinted with sweet animal motifs that will appeal to boys and girls alike and is ready for coloring in with 8 fabric crayons provided. So cute! Pure Baby is one of my favorite Aussie brands, especially for their soft organic pyjamas which always come in a cute little coordinating pouch (so handy for hair elastics, clips, pegs…). I spotted this little gem while checking out their new website and immediately made a mental note to keep it in mind for birthdays… and I can vouch for the softness and quality of their cotton — it’s just like butter and washes beautifully!
For orders, local and international, please check their website.
-Sara
Ikea Indoor Swing
Ever since I was a small girl I have dreamt about having a swing inside my room… who wouldn’t love that? Now I am living my life vicariously though my daughters, as I have just got them one! Ikea has come up with the best ever indoor swing, the Sväva. (I literally was giddy with excitement when I bought it.)
It is almost 1 metre in diametre and holds up to 70ish kilos so several kids can play around on it at one time. It is super safe and easy to put together. It also has a typical Ikea parent-friendly price tag.
The only thing is, you really do need a lot of room to hang it up, as there is no point in having a swing if you can’t really use it…
- Emilie
Scrabble letters and my sanity
I have discovered a brilliantly simple way to keep my 4-year-old occupied while I make dinner. And it isn’t the television.
Inspired by something I had seen in Servery & Spoon, a fantastic cafe in East Malvern (credit where it’s due), I poured all the Scrabble letters into a big ceramic pot and placed it on the kitchen table. I asked my son to spell all the words he knows like mum and dad and his name. When he was finished I pulled out one of his favorite books — a book that he knows almost by heart. I got him to copy the words in the book using the scrabble letters! That simple! He is totally into this task and at the end of each few words he shows me and we read them together.
Now I can concentrate on getting dinner prepared (as I have relayed in previous posts, I do need to muster all the concentration I can), and…over the few weeks we have had this little ‘routine’ going, he has learned a gazillion new words — opening up a new world of spelling and reading for him and making me feel like the genius! Try it!
- Sara
Barbie Fashionette
I would like to start this post with a disclaimer: I am categorically not a Barbie fan, as I was brought up by a devout Barbie opposer. (I have already written a whole post on the subject.) However I could not resist writing a post about the new Barbie clothes collection.
So the thing is: IF I did like Barbies and IF my kids had Barbies, then I would definitely get them some of these threads. I think they are seriously cute. Almost so cute that I am almost swaying in my conviction… almost.
- Emilie
Metrotwin
I was recently approached by Metrotwin to do a guest-list for them of my favourite places in London with kids. I said “hey! I can do one better than that — I can ask our fabulous Babyccino NY contributor (Dina to you and me) to do a NY list too”. They were very excited.
You see Metrotwin is a site powered by British Airways to offer reviews of all the best things to do in the London and NYC. It is a fabulous resource if you happen to be travelling to or even if you live in either of the cities.
You can check out the Babyccino Kids London Address Book here and the NY address book here.
Enjoy! Mo.x
For the little budding gardener
Considering how gardening helps children learn about the cycle of life and about time, patience, nature, and cause and effect… I can’t think of a better gift for a child than this mini greenhouse by HaPe. Not to mention the cool design — it is made of birch plywood and bamboo and cleverly designed to allow gardeners to open the rooftop for planting and watering. Two sliding doors offer a second access to four double-walled, fully functional plastic trays that can be filled with earth and seeds. It is pretty fantastic! I have ordered one for my daughter for her birthday — a real step up from the pint milk containers and fast-to-sprout seeds she has been tending to. A little garden of her own to love and nurture!
Incidentally, HaPe International is the maker of a great line of all natural bamboo games that were developed by designers, teachers, and technicians from over 15 different nations. It is the world’s first collection of bamboo toys. (more…)
Kiki’s delivery service
We have a pretty regular Friday Film Night at our house. My youngest girl is almost two and gets completely enthralled by a movie, not moving an inch until the end titles roll. I am a movie addict so I am pretty excited that my kids have inherited my movie genes. So on a Friday night, we make popcorn, get into our pyjamas, bring out the blankets and the cushions and snuggle down…
One of our favourites is Kiki’s Delivery Service by Hayao Myasaki — for me one of the most enchanting animated movies ever made. It is really hard to explain the story to do this film justice: a little witch goes out and makes it on her own, meeting lots of friends on the way. It sounds banal, but the story is wonderfully told. It is a nice step away from the fast moving, action based animation that has become the norm for kids.
If you enjoy Kiki, do also check out “My Neighbour Totoro” which I wrote about a while back…
- Emilie
Lucky Voice at home!
Working in an advertising agency was hard work … and hard play! On those Soho nights when we had had one too many after work, we would often end up in a karaoke bar called Lucky Voice. Based on Poland Street in the heart of Soho, LV is super cool with private rooms to enjoy your own glitzy karaoke party.
However, I am a loyal ONLY-in-the-shower singer and NEVER-in-public (even after one too many!) so I spent these evenings laughing at my friends’ renditions of a Dolly Parton classic, while secretly wishing I had the guts to get up and belt out my best ‘Love Cats’ (see I even worked out which song I’d sing).
But now there is Lucky Voice Home — sign up on their website to get 50 free song credits and your computer turns into a glamorous karaoke machine. Buy the Lucky Voice Party Box and you get a (brilliant pink) mic and a mixer for the ultimate experience. So, so, so much fun! I just sang Vogue, whilst writing this post (well I needed a pic). (more…)
Decorating Easter Eggs
Last week I got inspired by the lovely hand-painted Easter eggs by Laikonik that I saw on the Famile Summerbelle website. I had visions of sitting around the kitchen table with my kids producing one egg gem after another and hanging them all over the flat… But turns out fantasy and reality could not have been any different — our egg painting experience was a complete bust!
Right from the start I came across some barriers: most eggs in France are not white but brown, so it is really hard to paint them and get a nice colour. It is also impossible to find those little tablets you dye eggs with over here! But I was not going to be deterred but such minor details, so I started looking up natural ways of dying eggs. I came across loads of different suggestions, including: onion peel, rose petals and spinach which, according to the internet, all give eggs wonderful, delicate colours. I got very excited and raided my vegetable box. (more…)
A possible saviour called Cupcake
My friend calls winter ’soft-play-season’ and she dreads it every year. Year one of having children I thought she was just being miserable, and I loved watching my baby boy smile as some slightly clownish adults sang nursery rhymes to him in a church hall. In Year two I was too preoccupied with the new baby in our lives to care much where we were or what we were doing. Now in Year 3, with two children and myself desperate to leave the house on these typical English drizzly days, I am pulling my hair out about where to go and dread the inevitable soft-play options. It is true — the kids have fun, but at the sacrifice of my sanity. I find myself looking around wondering sometimes what has happened to my life? I know that I’m lucky to be hanging out with these two brilliant people, but is it a requisite that places for children should totally alienate adults? I realise I’m sounding grumpy (seriously … if you could see the weather!) but do not fret, here I come to the good bit…
Since moving South I have often heard of the place ‘Cupcake’ (in Putney and Wandsworth) in association with descriptors such as ‘haven’ and ‘God-send’. And so last week I asked whether it was OK to come and check it out (Cupcake is a members only club and I’m not a member …. yet!). The minute I walked in I felt a sort of happiness come over me. This didn’t feel loud (from noise or from an interiors-carnage) — no this felt like being in a (stylish) friend’s living room… only a bit bigger and with a bar to order lattes, brownies, babyccinos or something for lunch — perfect! (more…)
