Focaccia
I know I live in France but sometimes it is nice to have some bread other than a baguette. I found this recipe for Foccacia the other day and it is great. It is by one of my favourite cooks and food writers, Nigel Slater, who has written some fabulous recipes for the Guardian. It is super easy to make and completely delicious. I even got my children and some of their friends to get involved and they loved slapping and prodding a piece of dough… great way of getting some dough kneaded.
The great thing about Foccacia is that you can garnish it with whatever you have handy in your kitchen: cherry tomatoes cut in half, cheese, olives, any kind of herb or just plain salt and olive oil. I do love this kind of recipe — it’s super simple and whatever you do with it, it always turns out great.
- Emilie
Giant Bubbles
I just read this post about how to make girant bubbles on Bambino Goodies and I am hooked. Imagine making huge bubbles out of hula hoops and bent, metal coat hangers? I seriously cannot imagine anything more fun. I personally recommend adding in a couple spoonfuls of sugar. Who knows why… but it makes the bubbles even stronger. I am now off to my local pharmacy to pick up a bottle of glycerine and some non-eco washing up liquid to produce the perfect bubble!
- Emilie
New York Magazine Feature: “I Love my Children. I Hate My Life.”
There is no denying that motherhood is as amazing and enjoyable as it is difficult, stressful and monotonous, and while I would not trade it for anything in the entire world I do appreciate some of the honesty of this recent feature that ran this week in New York Magazine titled “I Love My Children. I Hate My Life”. It seems to be the modern problem — and especially for those women who had children later in life after a long stretch on independence. I can only speak for myself here but all too often I find myself in a never ending inner dialogue of “am I getting this right?”, “am I a failure because I feel stressed out about meal planning” and “am I a bad mom for taking a break from time to time?” Not to mention feeling discombobulated in general about my role OUTSIDE of being a mother. (more…)
Let them climb trees
I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and am bringing my kids up in a cosmopolitan, cultural and mentally stimulating environment. But physically — not so much. In contrast to my daughters, I grew up in a small village, walked to school on my own from the age of six and our kitchen door was never locked. We happily let ourselves in and out and would go play in the fields and woods. My parents did not care as long as we were back for dinner at 6pm sharp.
I do worry that my children are not being given the freedom we had and are missing out on an incredibly important lesson in life, namely being able to be responsible and independent in a safe environment. There is even a term for this now “Nature Deficit Disorder”, coined by American author Richard Louv. I just read this article in the UK Guardian and thought you might be interested. I am now obsessed with turning my little town dwellers into outside adventurers…
The photo, by the way, is of my daughter and Courtney’s son playing together this weekend in London and roaming around trees and fields — they had the best time.
-Emilie
A romantic night… IN
A while ago Esther and I were asked by the new website Domestic Ease to write a post about how to have a romantic night at home, so as not to spend a fortune on restaurants and babysitters. We had a great time writing the post — some of the tips we have actually tried and tested ourselves while the others we will definitely try out in the future…
Here are our ideas for a fabulous date night that won’t break the bank:
1. Prepare a cheese fondue following this recipe, add some French bread and serve a good, dry white wine. Imagine you’re in the Swiss mountains.
2. Buy a (tango) dance instruction DVD and get moving!
3. Borrow (or rent) a display projector and play something hopelessly romantic on a big screen (a piece of white wall or a white bed sheet) in the living room. Cook up some popcorn and make yourselves comfy on a big blanket with pillows. (more…)
Date Night
So I went to see “New Moon” this weekend. I have been looking forward to it for months! And yes, I was one of the older people in the theater. And yes, I think Robert Patterson is hotter than hell! But in the final analysis I did not think the movie was as good as “Twilight”, a movie which reminded me that 1) vampires are actually much cooler and better dressed then I expected and 2) I needed to plan more “date nights.”
I really don’t like the term “date night.” I feel like there is so much pressure — like we are supposed to easily switch off our day-to-day roles and somehow slip back to the carefree days of our old selves…. days, say, when my husband did not openly pick his nose in front of me…. days when I could drink a bottle of wine and not be completely incapacitated the next day.
People talk about it a lot here but rarely stick to it and I totally get it. It’s just so hard to feel romantic and energized when you have young kids pulling at you all day long and what’s worse, a dinner out at a restaurant really just does not cut it.
But it is so important to do! To feel connected to your significant other as well as reclaim the side of yourself that exists outside of your daily role. (more…)
I had it all
I just read this article by the former political editor of the Observer Magazine, Gaby Hinsliff, who recently gave up her career to bring up her son. I have been obsessed ever since my first daughter came along about how to “have it all”, and to be honest, I am still looking for the perfect solution, like a lot of us I’m sure…
I think Gaby Hinsliff touches on a lot of interesting points, namely how the recession might actually be an opportunity for us to redefine how we work and what is important to us.
I personally have now decided to go down the freelance option so that I can continue working but can also take long breaks. I earn less than I used to, but have decided that less expensive holidays and clothes are easy to give up for a few years at least. I would love to hear how other woman are coping. Has anyone found the “ideal” solution?
- Emilie
Family dinners
As you probably know, Italians are experts at family dinners, especially the ’special occasion’ meals. We’ll usually have three (or more) generations sitting, eating and chatting their time away. I love them, but real life is different.
In our home it seems that even two generations is one too many as it’s nearly impossible to enjoy a meal with the children. They are fussy eaters, they need total dedication, encouragement and a lot of effort. The older one never finishes his (ant-size) portions of food, and the little one cannot sit still for longer than 10 minutes. Every other minute a spoon falls on the floor, or somebody’s beaker needs refilling. Not too mention the cutting and the chopping.
Call me a bad mother, but I simply cannot enjoy my food and the company in such situations. (more…)
New and improved daily email
If you already subscribe to our daily email, then I’m sure you’re a bit confused by now… We have switched email partners and have updated our old version to a fancy new one. The good news is that we’ve added loads of new features, the bad news is that we may have lost you along the way. Last week we sent out an email to all our current subscribers asking you to opt in to the new email list. If you didn’t click the link to opt in, please click here to sign up! You will start receiving the new version from today.
Now, if you don’t already subscribe to our daily email, then here are a few reasons to start: 1) we’ll send you an email every day with the latest Babyccino news, tips, and cool finds. 2) you can click to leave comments and join our conversation directly from your inbox. 3) what better way to start off your morning than with a Babyccino e-mail and a cup of coffee at your desk?
Please sign up, read our emails, and leave us comments… we love it!
xoxo, The Babyccino girls
Croque Monsieur
I was reading yesterday that even London fashion week has gone back to basics. As the Guardian reported, instead of last year’s sashimi, this year simple Croque Monsieurs — otherwise known as plain old grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, are all the rage. After all, there is no food more cheap, cheerful and comforting as melted cheese on a buttered grilled piece of bread.
And this is my favourite way of making a Croque Monsieur: (more…)
Multitasking gets tested
I pride myself in being a good multitasker, and I’m sure I’m not alone! Over the years my casual (but now numerous) observations have led me to believe that women are generally better multitaskers than men. Also, I believe this quality further improves with motherhood.
I may be wrong but it seems to me that mums are particularly good at handling many things at the same time. After all they (still in most cases) keep the family running! They can breastfeed while buying groceries online, then immediately switch to bathing the toddler while remembering to defrost the meat for dinner and load the washing machine with their husband’s dirty jogging clothes.
Isn’t this multitasking? Isn’t this a nice ability to possess?
Well, not everybody thinks so. The NYT reports the results of a Stanford study which has investigated the cognitive abilities of good multitaskers and found no advantage whatsoever if compared to low multitaskers. They were shocked too, but it seems that when a self-declared multitasker is bombarded with information his brain in the end does not work very efficiently. They actually performed all the tasks worse than the others. (more…)
Playpen
Both my children have spent more than a few hours in our playpen in the first year of their lives. At the beginning it was just a nice place where they could lie and look at the mobile or play with the baby-gym. When they could sit it was a place where pillows and special toys were kept — a place to put them when I needed both my hands. When they started to crawl it became a safe place where they could also experiment with some new moves. Even when they were older than 12 months I put them in the playpen always surrounded by toys or books.
I had no idea it was such a controversial piece of equipment until I read this article on Slate. Maybe it was because my mother used it with me, or because Esther (who I was basically sharing my life with after we both gave birth in late spring 2005) had a very cool wooden one, or just because I never used it for very long stretches of time. Honestly it never crossed my mind that I might have been slowing down my children’s development. (more…)
Family vacations
I admit I’m lucky — my academic work gives me a lot of flexibility and, especially in the summer, I can take a lot of time off to spend with my family. My husband is not as free but still he spent 2 weeks with us in the mountains. This is absolutely normal in Italy. Depending on family income the destination may vary but 2 or 3 weeks of holiday in August is definitely not a luxury.
Spending so much time with my children is physically draining but extremely emotionally rewarding. We somehow get to know each other better and enjoy new experiences together. Every night now my husband tells me how his relationship with our moody and recently-mother-needy daughter improves by the day as he gets to spend more time with her.
So when I read this article on Babble I was pretty shocked — I knew that European workers were kind of lucky in terms of paid vacations but I had no idea that most American workers have about one week of holiday a year. (more…)
Choice of buggies
At the moment I am really enjoying cutting corners, recycling and making do with what we have, embracing a simple lifestyle. However, there are a few things that are not worth skimping on and children’s security is one of them, but being security conscious does not mean breaking the bank.
I found this article in the Guardian about how to choose a buggy sensibly and they had some really good tips.
I actually wish I had read it before getting mine. I am the proud owner of three buggies, and that is exactly two buggies too many!
- Emilie
Do they always need a fig leaf?
The other day I read an article in an Italian newspaper about child nudity that quoted this article in the New York Times. The article discusses, with the aid of interviews and psycologists’ opinions, whether it is appropriate to let children play around in the nude, and until when. The article also discusses whether it could be appropriate at home but not in public places, and also whether the presence of unknown adults matters.
From the sheer number of comments (on the online article) I realized this topic is quite hot and controversial.
I think I have an “average” attitude toward the issue, in the sense that I typically encourage my children to have their clothes on at home (or outside of it), but do let them run around naked on the beach or in a friend’s garden if they so wish. Even at home we take a relaxed approach; I never go about doing my business in the nude but I also never hide myself when dressing or coming out of the shower. Sometimes my children point at me, after all my body is different from theirs, and sometimes they just don’t care.
Although I’m pretty sure that any child below the age of 3 should not offend anyone’s feeling if he or she is seen naked, I’m not too sure about when, and if, this freedom should stop for the comfort of the child and the people surrounding him/her. (more…)
The science of shopping
I’m usually a fashion magazine reader, but lately I’ve been tempted (while stuck in line at the checkout) to grab the mags that promise easy weeknight dinners or dresses that make you look thinner, like plenty of hurried moms out there. My latest purchase was the July issue of O Magazine, in which I’ve discovered a very interesting article on shopping. I consider myself a bit of a shopping expert, or shopaholic at the least, and I’ve even managed to make a career out of it with my shopping tours in Paris. (When I was 2, someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I answered, “A shopper like my Mommy!”)
And this article, entitled 6 Common Shopping Traps, proves what I’ve known all along– shopping does something to the brain to make you feel better! That is, in some individuals, anyway — it seems that “feel good” parts of the brain are activated when they shop, and others have strong reactions in the pain centers in the brain. Think I can convince my husband that shopping is actually making me healthy? Check out the article for more info and other tips on how not to overspend. Thanks, Oprah!
xx Rebecca
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Kids and Jet Lag• The perfect travel outfit
• Cash in the car
• Traveling in Italy
• Traveling with kids!
Is there a right way to space out siblings?
I came across this article on Parenting, about the pros and cons of different age gaps between siblings.
They came up with three classes: less than 2 years apart, 2 to 3 years apart, and more than 4 years apart. I have to admit they seem to list them perfectly. The authors, in fact, mention the logistical nightmares of having 2-under-2 children around, but also stress the strong bonds they will develop. For the second group they highlight the fact that the older son may better understand what’s going on, but still may not react well to the new arrival. The wider spacing instead has the logistical and financial benefits of not having two children in daycare or college, but they most likely will be less involved with each other.
They also talk about the effects on marriage with each option. It’s good food for thought in my opinion. (more…)
Brio Zento
Last week I wrote about rear-facing car seats, about how much safer they’ve proven to be for children under 4 years old, and about how difficult they are to find here in the UK. Since then I’ve received a few different e-mails in support of rear-facing car seats, including one from the lovely Corina of KIDSEN — a cute Scandinavian kid’s shop here in London.
Originally from Sweden (where rear-facing seats are standard practice), Corina couldn’t imagine putting her 2-year-old in a forward-facing seat. So she went on a search for a rear-facing seat which would fit a UK car and ended up buying the Brio Zento.
The Zento is one of the most versatile combination seats on the market. It meets the more stringent Nordic safety standards, it fits most UK cars, and is approved for rear-facing for kids up to 25kg. (more…)
A late Father’s Day reading
Last Sunday was Father’s Day in many countries (not in Italy though) and reading a few blogs I discovered the essay President Obama wrote on the occasion for Parade magazine.
The title, “We need fathers to step up“, is very powerful and so is the whole essay, simply to the point — as the President has got us used to. He grew up without a father and still managed to be elected to the most important position in the world, so this means that everything is possible in spite of your upbringing.
Still he writes that fathers have to be present in body, mind and soul for their children. They have to be there through thick and thin and to make an effort of shielding the younger ones from the problems in their own adult life. They have to be role models because parents are the primary teachers in a child’s life. (more…)
Madonna and the Malawi orphans
There has been so much in the newspapers lately about Madonna adopting from Malawi. I am not an expert in adoption and cannot claim to understand the complexities both legally and ethically of adopting from another country and culture. But I do wonder whether it’s okay to take a child away from the culture it is deeply rooted in and whisk them away to a completely different environment. I honestly don’t know.
Maybe naively I have always considered adoption as a very viable option if I had not been able to have my own children. I do think that I could love a child as my own irrelevant of whether it is genetically related to me and my husband or not. There seem to be so many children in the world without a family who need a home and a loving environment.
But, in the case of Madonna, is this a mother honestly trying to give a little girl a home and love and support, or is she a celebrity used to getting whatever she wants and not thinking of the impact her decisions have on the life of this little girl?
Would love to hear what you guys think…
- Emilie
