Stitch ‘n Kids: finger crochet
Do you remember doing finger crochet as a child? I recall a little boy in my class, he must have been around 7 or 8 years old, and he had made a string of finger crochet so long it could wrap around the classroom twice! I recently taught my daughter Sara and some of her girlfriends to finger-crochet, and it has started a real crocheting-mania! The girls love it, and I’ve seen all the mums walk around with finger-crochet bracelets made by their daughters! Cute.
Finger crocheting is really easy, and a six-year-old child should be able to do it. My nearly-five-year-old son Pim was still a bit clumsy and didn’t really have the patience to learn. But he made an effort (and is very proud of his little bracelet)!
xxx Esther
PS Do you remember how to finger crochet? I put a little film on YouTube here!
Le Gilet de Berger from Citronille
Proud mama speaking: my first real knitting project is finished!!! (I’m not counting the scarf I knitted last year — we’re talking about following a pattern here.) The pattern for Ava’s little vest above is from Citronille, and called ‘Le Gilet de Berger‘. It was really easy, and I’m loving the results!! The same pattern can be used for boys or girls, and you can play with a cute wooden button or a little bow for the front closure. The yarn is also from Citronille and is a wool/alpaca mix called ‘Pôle‘. So — did I inspire you??
xxx Esther
PS The dress is from ‘Nils & Happy to see you‘ — the ready-to-wear line by Astrid le Provost (the same owner as ‘Citronille’), which we adore!!
PPS Astrid will include an English translation when you purchase a ‘Gilet de Berger’ pattern, which we made when we were in Antwerp last year.
Fig!
I love figs. To eat of course, but also, very much the smell of them. I’ve lined up a few of my favourite fig-scented products below — hoping of course that you will share yours!!
1. Zenology Sycamore Fig — discovered recently in a hotel and love the entire collection.
2. Company de Provence Savon de Marseille Extra Pur Figue — I love Marseille soap, I love fig, so this combination is hard to resist. The hand soap is a fixed staple in our house.
3. Diptyque scented candle — Very rarely I splurge on a Diptyque candle. Figuier is one of my favourite scents (I love Pomander too).
4. l’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier — a beautiful perfume, that I’ve never owned but always run to in shops.
5. Rituals Under a Fig Tree fragrance sticks — the best fragrance sticks, I think.
xxx Esther
The Baby Papoose (by the Good Flock)
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
Davina Zagury photography
If you’re looking for something truly special for your house, take a look at Davina Zagury’s website. She has a collection of beautiful still-life images with three main concepts. The first one is about the land of lost toys. Vintage toys, found at flea markets, second hand stores or in the garbage bin (!), make us wonder about the children that once treasured these toys, their home, their story, their life. The second series is about kitchen appliances. Not only are the objects so interesting and beautiful to look at, they also hold memories of our grandmother’s kitchens; they smell of home-made biscuits, chocolate cake, and warm milk. In the animals series that Davina created, little toy animals take centre stage and tell us a special story in which they play the main part.
xxx Esther
Stitch ‘n kids: the knitting fork
After joining a little craft group a few months ago, I’ve been making more time for sewing, knitting and crocheting. My 6-year-old daughter Sara is entranced by the idea — she loves nothing more than sitting next to me when I’m creating and always asks me when she’ll be old enough to join my craft group. She actually already does some easy sewing herself (last year we gave her a sewing machine for Christmas), and I recently taught her how to knit (and I was surprised that she was able to do it)!
I thought it would be fun to share some fun sewing/knitting/crocheting ideas with you that are easy enough for children to enjoy. The first idea is the Lucet. Have you ever heard of it? It a very traditional and really simple wooden utensil that has been used since the Viking times to ‘knit’ cords. The process is easy enough for children about 5 years and older, and Sara loves doing it. She already made a beautiful long cord — and is of course very proud! Now we have to come up with a fun project to use the cord… Any ideas?
xxx Esther
Petite Alma Birthday Card Packs
Petite Alma have recently launched some new birthday card packs (for grown-ups and for kids) and they’re so cheerful and happy and just the perfect thing to have on hand for all upcoming birthdays this year. I love the vibrant watercolour illustrations, the fun greetings on each card, and I’m so smitten with that adorable little mouse on the ‘You’re a Star’ card in the Furry Friends set (above). So cute!
x Courtney
The tooth fairy visit
There was a lot of excitement in our house last week. My daughter (a few days shy of her 5th birthday) lost her first tooth. I remember when I was little, wiggling and twisting my loose teeth until they fell out. However, when my daughter had the same fascination with her wiggly tooth it made me feel so queasy!
When the tooth finally came out there were a few tears from her as I think she got a fright, but when I mentioned that she could put it under her pillow that night for the tooth fairy to collect, the tears stopped. So that day Mia drew a picture for the tooth fairy and left the picture with her tooth under her pillow. In the morning the tooth fairy had taken her tooth and picture and left her $2. How much does the tooth fairy pay for teeth at your house?
Stephxo
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Pixie Lily — heirloom clothing, for baby• Natural Paint Kit from Shak-Shuka
Bringing up bilingual
A friend of mine recently referred to the way my 3-year-old daughter speaks as Creole. It a great way of describing it: she speaks an absolute mixture of French and English. Phrases like “Can you s’il te please tirer my culotte” (please pull up my undies) are very normal in our household and it is so cute I don’t want it to change! But it won’t last; she is quickly learning to differentiate her two languages.
In our household I try to only speak English at home and the children are exposed to French at school and with their friends. I myself grew up with a French mother, and an Irish father but spent my childhood in Germany, so I grew up speaking English, French and German. I actually now have a bit of an accent in every language I speak! As a child I really did not enjoy coming from a multi-lingual family as I felt I was different from my friends. My girls have the great advantage of going to an inner-city Paris school where a huge amount of the kids speak at least two languages, if not more.
So now that I am trying to bring up my kids bi-lingually myself, I have done a bit of research. I am not an expect in anyway, but here are some of the facts I thought were interesting:
- Being bi-lingual or tri-lingual has nothing to do with intelligence, people of different levels of intelligence are multi-lingual.
- Children start differentiating between languages around the ages of 2-3.
- Bi-lingual children do not usually learn to speak later because of learning different languages, as previously thought.
- One of the simplest approaches towards having bilingual children seems to be the one-parent/one-language approach. It is easier for a child to differentiate a language if one person speaks one language consistently to them.
Voila! I am really interested to hear if anyone else has tips and ideas on how to bring up kids with several languages!
- Emilie
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Win! Broer&Zus outfit of choice!• Julia Eccleshare’s top ten book list
• Top Ten Book Lists
Tante Ted — just for boys!
Tante Ted (‘Aunty Ted’) is a Dutch brand focussing exclusively on boys bedding and accessories. I’ve known Ted for a few years now and I’ve seen his brand develop, and it’s so cool that his collection is now professionally produced by bedding company Damai! Well deserved, because Ted just knows what boys like. The bedding for starters, all very cool and with bright colours and graphics, inspired by traffic, travel, insects and other things boys love. But what about the lights (my son Pim LOVES this builders’ light!), or the carpets (made from moving blankets! And there are lampshades too!). Everything is just so very cool, just what boys love… and stylish too, just what their parents love. Way to go, Ted!
xxx Esther
P.S. The Tante Ted site is still just in Dutch, unfortunately, but just email Ted if you have questions or would like to order something!
New Dallas Clayton book! For grown-ups!
Our love for Dallas Clayton is no secret — we’ve written about his talents here, here and here, and, by the way, you can find his ten favourite children’s books here. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I discovered his newest book, a selection of his poetry and illustration — this time aimed at his teenage and adult audience. I’ve read the book in one go, and it’s as beautiful and touching as his other two books. You can order the book here, or read it as a PDF. Do you love it as much as I do?
xxx Esther
Seascape products from Jersey
There’s something incredibly luxurious about the Seascape products — I just love the gentle smell and stylish packaging of them. All products are created with ingredients sourced from the Jersey shores (a little island which is part of Great Britain but located close to France). Lavender, beeswax and milk come from decennia old, local family run businesses who all share in the success of the company. So romantic! There’s a lovely maternity range and some beautiful products for children too — all paraben, silicone, petroleum and sulphate free and without artificial colours or fragrances. Just lovely!
xxx Esther
Little Bu Non-Toxic Nail Polish
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
Fabriko — a passion for patterns!
Swedish design company Fabriko was started last year by Lisa Erikkson, a Stockholm-based designer and mum. Her patterns are aimed at children but I’m sure they are as attractive for big people as they are for the little ones! The collection consists of wallpapers and a textile collection including bed linen, pillows, quilts and bags, all made from organic cotton and really super cool and decorative. Lisa currently works with 4 amazing patterns, but I hope we will see more in the future.
xxx Esther
Personalised presents
Looking for a lovely, personal gift for one of your best friends, you mother (in law) or your spouse? I thought I would recommend these three great ideas that I love and know would make the most perfect and personal presents:
- What about a personalised iPhone cover, featuring a photo of the (grand) children? I love my iPhone cover with a photo of my kids! It’s super-easy to order through Giant Sparrows. The only thing you need is a sweet photo!
- I think a personalised notebook would make a great gift for anyone. Mine is from Sloane Stationary, and it’s gorgeous! (We now have an exclusive promotion running on the shopping portal where you get a free mini notebook with every notebook order from Sloane Stationary!)
- How sweet is this little bracelet with the names of my children? Every (grand)mother would love this! Available through Mum et Moi (and with a 15% exclusive discount for Babyccino Kids readers)!
Happy shopping!
xxx Esther
Do you take your kids to see Santa?
Every year of my childhood my mom took us to see Santa. We would drive into the city, head to the big department store and wait for hours in the queue to see Santa. I still remember standing there with all my siblings, waiting eagerly to see him, and my mom telling us all to behave and stand patiently! My mom has kept all the santa photos in one big album… and it’s hilarious to look through them. From the time I was a baby (crying on Santa’s lap) until the time I was 20 (looking very awkward standing next to him!), there is a photo from every year.
Isn’t it funny how some kids LOVE santa and others think he’s the scariest thing they’ve ever seen? My now four-year-old has cried every year we’ve visited Santa. And he told me the other day that this year when we go he wants to sit on a stool, not Santa’s lap. (Sweet.)
So tell me, is visiting Santa a tradition you did when you were younger? Do you now take your own kids to see Santa? I’m curious to know which countries do and don’t do this!
xx Courtney
p.s. That photo is of my two boys when they were younger (2½ and 6mos) and it’s my favourite of all our Santa photos. I just love how they’re both crying… and Santa looks so perfectly poised!
Fina Du — gorgeous, Scandinavian fashion for mamas!
It’s the season for gorgeous outfits! The end-of-year parties are approaching (not to mention the New Year’s receptions)… and have you found your perfect party dress yet?
Fina Du, a Manhattan based, online fashion boutique offers a stunning collection of sophisticated essentials — all carefully selected from a handful of Scandinavian designers. At first glance, the pieces seem to be simple, but one soon discovers the high-quality fabrics and the attention to detail (like vintage buttons and clever pleats), making these pieces incredibly easy to wear, but at the same time super sophisticated and elegant. And they will surely become a staple in your wardrobe for many years to come!
So which piece would you choose? That stunning black beauty? A lavishly yellow dress? A luscious lacy frock? A shiny silk success number? I got the Black Button Bib dress and I absolutely adore it!
xxx Esther
PS Fina Du is now offering an exclusive discount for Babyccino Kids readers: enter code babyccinokids20 for a swell 20% off AND free international and domestic US shipping. This code is valid until december 31st 2011. Happy shopping!!
Rudolph Cards
I already mentioned how I love to send out holiday cards every year… but I also like to have a stack of more generic cards at the ready for teacher’s gifts and other little holiday presents. How sweet are these Rudolph cards? They come in a set of 8, and I think they’re the perfect thing to have around for that reason. They’re available from The Indigo Bunting Shop along with other cute designs!
xx Courtney
Happy December!
Can you believe it’s December already?! Wow! It crept up quickly this year, didn’t it?!
This year will be the first year we stay in London for Christmas… which means we get to properly decorate the house and make it nice and cosy and christmasy (!!!). We’re all very excited about it and have already hung our stockings, set out the decorations, and of course, hung the Advent Calendar (which starts today!). And… I’m listening to Christmas music as I type! Oooh Happy December!
Have you caught the ‘holiday bug’ yet? Do you do an Advent Calendar? Any other little traditions you do around this time of year? I would love to know!
xx Courtney
Win! A $1,000 shopping spree at Gilt Kids
Are you familiar with Gilt?! It is THE place to go for great daily bargains and discounts on top designer brands and products. Their Baby & Kids section offers fab discounts on children’s fashion, accessories, toys, and other really cool things you suddenly want to buy the minute you spot them. It’s absolutely addictive and exciting, this bargain hunting (especially for children’s products!) — I could easily spend hours on that site just snatching up deal after deal!
Anyway, we’ve teamed up with the fantastic US-based children’s shopping portal, Tada! Shop, and Gilt to offer a $1,000 shopping spree at Gilt Kids. That’s $1,000 to spend on already discounted products. Just imagine how far that money will go!! Enter to win here. Good luck!
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Autumn craft — A not-so-scary spiderweb• Two-in-one Parka from Bibaloo
