I just spent a good long time on Pinterest filling my brain with images of stylishly dressed pregnant women. Not sure if I feel better or worse! On one hand, when I look at photos of gorgeous pregnant women I feel optimistic that it’s possible to be stylish in pregnancy… but in reality, I don’t have a supermodel’s body (shame!) and I find it really tricky to be stylish and comfortable.

But… with a growing baby bump and clothes which are getting tight and uncomfortable, I spent the past week investing in a few maternity pieces which I’m hoping will help keep things somewhat fashionable around here. Here are a few good maternity pieces I found:

• I invested in a pair of Koka-Mama black leggings. They are the best! They’re nice and thick, so you feel more like you are wearing a trouser, but they’re as comfortable as a legging (I wear these practically every day).
• I also pulled out my old Séraphine secret support vests and bought myself a new white one to wear under all my tops. These are a must have (I sleep in them too!).
• I went to Topshop and got this swimsuit and these jeans, both necessary maternity items. I love Topshop jeans — they’re cheap and they fit well, even the maternity ones.
• And of course I picked up a couple pairs of these leggings (for lounging around the house 24/7). They come up over the bump, so there’s no awkward elastic anywhere near your lower belly.
• I love the look of the entire Hatch Maternity collection (pictured above)…but so far haven’t bought anything. It’s hard to spend money on maternity pieces when you know you’ll only wear it for a few months. (Although the clothes at Hatch are meant to be worn both during and after pregnancy… so maybe it’s worth the investment?!)

What about you? Do you have any must-have maternity pieces I should know about? And… are you like me — do you immediately take your jeans off the minute you walk in your door and swap for something comfortable? Or am I just a major slouch?! (I think my postman thinks I only wear leggings and a big jumper!)

x Courtney

PS – Images from Hatch.

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

Carrots, radishes, salad and rocket are best sewn in the full ground (outside). If you don’t have a garden or balcony, you can also easily grow these vegetables on your window sill. Just one word of advice (we keep doing this wrong!) — don’t sew the seeds too close together, or the carrots, radishes etc don’t have room to grow! Plain salad and rocket are also super easy to grow (even in the windowsill), and you can keep cutting their leaves for a long time.

Of course we set the children to work immediately. They love gardening! Obviously the small scale of our vegetable garden-to-be will far from feed our entire family, but it’s a real pleasure to harvest our own grows, little as it may be, and it’s educational for the children. Here are some really fun ideas for gardening with kids:

Sara received this super cute Gardening Giftbox (from French brand Moulin Roty) as a gift and it comes filled with little pots, compost, seeds, a watering can and gardening tools — all packed in an adorable little suitcase. So cool! Sara and her friend spent hours working in the garden, preparing the soil, sewing their seeds, watering the plants, etc.

I got some bags of seeds at the Balcony Gardener. These bags are really pretty and also make gorgeous gifts (I just ordered a few more of them!). They also sell beautiful quality kid’s sized gardening tools which we love.

Finally, if you live in the Netherlands or Belgium (or speak Dutch), this little Moestuinkabouterpakket is such fun and so very, very cute. It comes with seeds, bags to sew them in, labels, a little book about the garden gnomes that will help you to look after the seedlings (provided you make sure their hat and coat is hanging ready for them to wear!).

xxx Esther

I am a bit obsessed with the spring/summer collection at baggu. With back to back trips to Bali and Turks and Caicos, I wanted some light, summery bags for the beach and these fit the bill perfectly. They fold up easily and are great for trips to the beach, market or for holding all of your little one’s coloring books, crayons and snacks for the plane. I can’t wait to get the leather one in citron!

-Elizabeth

]]> http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/05/10/carry-all/feed/ 2 http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/05/08/cushions-from-yellow-velvet/ http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2012/05/08/cushions-from-yellow-velvet/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:47 +0000 Courtney in London http://babyccinokids.com/blog/?p=29232

We moved into our house a little over a year ago, and the project of decorating it is still an ongoing task. Walls need artwork, sofas need cushions, we still desperately need a mirror in our bathroom (the list goes on)! I only just managed to get some very much-needed hooks up in the kids’ rooms — it’s amazing how long it can take to do something as simple as putting hooks on a wall!

Anyway, in my quest to buy new cushions for our home, I have discovered the most wonderful webshop specialising only in cushions and pillows. Yellow Velvet is a stylish and well-organised site with an even more stylish selection. They have cushions for every setting: living room, bedroom, outdoor areas, children’s rooms, etc. There are so many great options, my only problem was choosing! I ended up buying a selection of these embroidered linen cushions for the yellow sofa in our living room (see below).

And now I’m super tempted to buy some cushions for the kids’ rooms. There is no end to decoration it seems! Do check out Yellow Velvet if you’re also in a decorating mood…

x Courtney

Last week I was so caught up with my sewing projects I forgot to write a post for you — so sorry! For my last project I decided to sew up some one-piece pajamas for the kids from some organic cotton I had. The kids and I collaborated — the kids got to choose the fabric color and an animal for the all over print, and then we created a potato stamp together.

As my daughter napped, my son and I got to work; we printed the all over pattern on the pajama fabric and it was so much fun we even stamped on a t-shirt. It was only later I had the idea to add little bow ties with a green sharpie pen.

If you are looking for a potato stamp tutorial, here’s one from one of my favourite blogs — Llevo el Invernio or here is a really easy tutorial by Homemade Serenity which uses cookie cutters. Careful it’s addictive — I had so much fun, and I now want to print everything in my home…

And if you are curious and would like to see what else I put together last week, everything is on my flickr.

-Celina

I recently came across this great online shop based in LA called Waanaki (which means ‘to live in peace’). Owner Nanette Sulano focuses on carefully curated vintage pieces for children age zero to six. Check out the shoes and accessories for some great one of a kind pieces!

-Elizabeth

When we moved back to New Zealand I had grand plans of what the kids bedroom would look like.  I had bought them matching beds to bring back and bought loads of dark grey gingham to make matching duvet covers.  In my head it was going to look so cute! When we finally found a house to rent, the bedrooms were so small I couldn’t fit in their matching beds.  Luckily, we had bought Mia’s toddler bed back with us so Kees ended up having to sleep in that. For a while he also had to use his sister’s girlie duvet covers.  Last week I finally got around to making him his own duvet covers so his bed feels more like his own.

How I made them:

• I cut up an old white sheet.
• I printed Kees’ name on normal printer paper
• I traced Kees’ name with pencil onto the sheet.

• Then I hand embroidered over the pencil line.

• Finally I sewed on a matching grey gingham back.

I think his new duvet looks very smart and its always good to recycle old sheets.

Steph xo

We all know that choosing family holidays is tricky; you want to relax but the kids need to be entertained, and trying to find somewhere that achieves both can seem impossible. Which is why we’ve done the hard work for you, and selected the best of our Family Collection in Europe! With endless outdoor activities, beautiful beaches and kids’ clubs for all ages, these boutique offerings might just be that nirvana you’ve been searching for…

Ammos Hotel, Crete, Greece:
You’ll find style with a big smile at this chic beachfront hotel. With sheltered, shallow waters, a sandy beach and a kids’ pool, it’s particularly suited to babies and toddlers, and there’s a kids’ room with a climbing frame and drawing equipment. Parents can enjoy delicious food and panoramic views on the gorgeous dining terrace, and each room has a kitchenette so you can whip up meals for little’uns. Best of all, it’s not too expensive.

Monte da Vilarinha, Algarve, Portugal:
Fabulous, family-focused apartments for 2-4, set in 32 hectares of leafy valley near the stunning Costa Vicentina beaches. There’s an adventure playground, mountain bikes and a beautiful pool, plus lawns and toys for toddlers. And thanks to the peace and tasty regional cuisine, grown-ups love it, too.

Elies Hotel, Kardamyli , Greece:
Tucked among gnarled olive trees and a pebble’s throw from Kardamyli’s beach in the southern Peloponnese, these secluded stone cottages are a great place to stay with older, outdoorsy kids. The pebbled beach is safe (no tides or currents), plus there are easy walking trails and sandy beaches in Stoupa (10km). Self-cater in the simple kitchens or eat at the owners’ delicious tavern, one of the best in the region.

Pristava Lepana, Soca Valley, Slovenia:
Clusters of wooden cabins in the stunning Soca Valley, with plenty of space, a small pool, goats to pet and ponies to ride. It doesn’t get much more perfect for active children – the area is ideal for kayaking, rafting, fishing and hiking, and the unspoilt alpine scenery is heavenly. There’s a relaxed restaurant, too, serving hearty fare.

Agro Can Gall, Ibiza, Spain:
A relaxed 9-room finca set in the grounds of a working farm, with a wonderful welcome. The grounds are spacious and perfect for hide and seek, plus there are bikes to ride, a kitten to play with and a beautiful pool. There’s a seasonal kitchen but families can be fed all year, and at all times of the day, with special mealtimes and menus for tots. You’re a short drive from sandy beaches.

Flying Boat Club, Scilly Isles:
A clutch of stylish beach houses with direct beach access, a spa and a restaurant. Say hello to freedom! With no cars and plenty of places to explore, this is heaven for kids. Hire children’s bikes and helmets from the bike shop and let them go. Older kids can join the sailing club and island hop in small yachts, and if it’s raining, the heated indoor pool is ideal. Each sleeps 6-10.

Polurrian Bay Hotel, Cornwall:
A spectacularly sited Cornish coastal hotel, reinvented as a boutique family haven, with great facilities including a cinema, huge gardens, a playground and a games room. The Den is a fabulous Ofsted-registered creche for children aged from 3 months to 8 years, and a 2-hour session per day is included in your room rate. Frazzled mums will love the spa; dads can go surfing.

The Cove, Cornwall, England:
These contemporary apartments near Penzance share a heated swimming pool, a restaurant and offer organised free activities during school holidays. The well-kitted kitchens and living rooms give you the best of both worlds: the facilities of a hotel and the space and flexibility of your own apartment. Our founder Nikki is a regular, along with her husband and young daughter.

Hotel Barcelo La Bobadilla, Andalucía, Spain:
This fancy country estate runs a free kids’ club each morning and evening in summer, so parents can have a lazy brunch, spa treatments or a child-free dinner. It’s set in 1,000 acres of private land, so choose your mode of transport – foot, horse, bicycle, quad – and explore the many tracks and trails at your disposal. Kids will also love the tennis courts, games room, pool and playground.

Villas Martinhal, near Sagres, Portugal:
These chic, resort-based villas for 2-8 are a dream come true for families, with kit to borrow, a crèche and a kids’ club, even screenings of cartoons in the village square on summer evenings. Overlooking a vast, sandy beach, everything a family could need is within easy reach, and it has the most comprehensive range of kids’ activities we’ve ever seen, including tennis and football academies. There are 2 family friendly restaurants, and the kitchens are well kitted out for self catering.

PS- If you’re interested in even more options, visit i-escape for loads more. With their clever search function, the site allows users to browse by location, family size and type of property (B&B, hotel, hotel with self-catering, villa). There are also useful suggestions of where’s best for babies, toddlers, kids aged 4-12 and teenagers, plus options for budget breaks, adventure holidays and villas with pools.

xxx Esther

I was feeling a bit blue the other day when I stumbled upon Sharon Montrose’s Animal Print Shop. There is nothing like portraits of bunnies, ducks, and sheep to instantly elevate your mood. I am still trying to decide which animal needs to come home with us. Maybe the two bear cubs?

Anyone who is from Spain, has family from Spain, or has been to Spain will be familiar with Avarca sandals. I lived in Spain for a bit when I was a teenager on a study abroad program and everyone I knew wore these sandals. I ended up buying a couple pairs and bringing them home to America… to envious friends and family members!

Noelia Pahissa and her husband, both originally from Barcelona but currently living in California, have decided to start a company importing and selling the treasured avarcas in the USA. They launched AvarcaUSA where you can now buy avarcas in any size and style, all originally hand-crafted in Spain. How cute are the kiddie sizes? And they come in such fun colours! (I got the saffron colour for Ivy and they are ADORABLE!).

x Courtney

A while ago my friend asked me if I could make something to go above her daughter’s bed.  She asked that it not be too girlie, pink, princess-related or too young… oh and she asked if I could sew a picture of her on there too.  Not too much of an ask then!  As they live in the Netherlands we decided on a canal house theme. I must admit I’m pleased with the result and the most important thing is my friend’s daughter loves it. I have to thank my dear friend Becky for finishing it off for me by doing the quilting part as I haven’t learned that skill yet. For my part I simply just cut out the canal houses and sewed them on then added on the other items (windows, curtains, trees etc) layer by layer and finished with the hand sewing. Now for my next project…

xo Steph

I recently discovered the fantastic Australian-based shop, Inaluxe, while browsing Pinterest. I quickly ordered a couple prints (although I must admit, it was difficult to only choose a couple!), and I’m so pleased with them. What I like is that the prints can work in an adult’s space or a child’s room. I think the bright colours and birds would really appeal to children, while adults might like the more abstract pieces. (The prints I ordered are for me, not the kids!)

Inaluxe is run by Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, two artists who met in school. Their attention to detail and quality is so immaculate — they use only the best archival fine art papers, and work with the best giclee reproduction print technology out there. And they ship all over the world — my prints arrived super quickly!

x Courtney

With a few sheets of felt and a 6-year-old daughter who now masters the blanket stitch, we’ve had some fun creating the above Easter decoration! If you feel inspired, you can download a template for the bird and the egg-cozy here. (You can also quickly make the egg-cozies on the sewing machine, if you have one.)

xxx Esther

I came across these cute printable animal sets from UK based company Mibo while looking for last minute Easter decorating ideas. You simply purchase and they email you templates for your animals that you can print, cut and fold for a fun afternoon activity with your kids. They offer a wide variety ranging from safari animals to forest friends with the sweetest little expressions. You’re bound to fall in love with them!

xo Elizabeth

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!

It’s warm and sunny in Amsterdam so time to prepare for the summer season! (Yay!) Because Sara will pass her 3rd swimming exam today (part of the test: swimming with jeans, long-sleeved shirt, shoes and a raincoat on!), and the state of her current swimsuits is embarassing to say the least, I ordered her some new swimsuits from the wonderful Stella Cove collection. The package just arrived (very fast!), and the swimsuits are so beautiful! I love the prints, the quality (all lined!), and the models. Sweet!
Do you know Stella Cove yet? They have a stunning collection of bikinis, swimsuits, shorts and adorable cotton beach dresses, both for boys and girls, from toddler to teenager. They also have a gorgeous selection of swimwear for mamas. Very, very tempting! Too bad this mama already passed her swimming exams…

xxx Esther

There is a little shop in Encinitas, California (where I used to live) called m.o.m that has the most adorable decor pieces, accessories and handmade clothes for children. They often use one-of-a-kind fabrics with fun prints for their items. I bought the most adorable pink striped tie for one of the favorite little boys in my life when I was last down there and he adores it. These would be darling additions to any easter outfit or to have around for a dress-up occasion.  (They don’t show a big selection on their site, but they are great at taking custom orders and letting you pick out the fabrics.)

-Elizabeth

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