Soho Parenting
I owe my sanity to the wise women of Soho Parenting. It was not so long ago that I basically crawled through the door of their downtown office for some much needed guidance on setting up a new sleep schedule for my 9-month-old twins. I must admit, the first visit was not easy for me as I have always prided myself on being a mom who relied on her gut instinct to power though the ups and downs and never one to read a parenting book. After months of sleep-deprivation and general feelings of being overwhelmed however, it was time to reach out to a professional — so glad I did. (more…)
Capturing your baby’s hands and feet
I know it seems like that new baby phase (i.e. sleepless nights, spit-up on every shirt you own, messy house, baby brain, etc.) drags on and on… But I swear, you blink your eyes and then that baby is an active toddler. Babies just grow so, so quickly. Which is why I love the idea of capturing their tiny little feet… because they’ll never be that small again. Image Casting is a London-based company which creates the most beautiful bronze and silver casts of your baby’s hands and feet. I got my daughter’s feet casted when she was a baby, and I now have her little feet sitting on my desk… a daily reminder of how tiny she once was (memories of her baby-hood only cheery, of course)!
In addition to their beautiful casts, Image Casting does a really nice job of framing the pieces. Simple but beautiful, with emphasis on the casts. You can pop into their London Bridge studio, or the team will come out to your house if you live within the M25 in London (home visit included in the price). Check their website for more details.
-Courtney
National Infertility Awareness Week: April 24th-May 1st
This week is National Infertility Awareness Week in the U.S. — a movement that aims to raise awareness about how infertility impacts more than 7.3 million people in this country alone (that we know of). Not even sure what the worldwide figures are. This week, a website called Stirrup Queens is hosting a blogging event called Project IF…the “IF” standing for both “infertility” as well as posing the question (IF?) which asks women who have faced the challenges of infertility to contribute the answers to the big “what ifs” in their lives. Although the website is a bit overwhelming and clunky to navigate, there are a lot of links to very personal tales of the journey towards motherhood – many answering some tough questions and revealing a lot of brutally honest emotion. It also links into a list infertility blogs. I wish I had more time to read it all. I know many of us have been either personally affected by a bumpy journey towards motherhood or know someone who has and I think this blog event is a great way to share what women often feel, but rarely say.
For more information on National Infertility Awareness week please check out the Resolve website for other things that might be going on in your area.
-Dina
The Food Stork
Do you remember the days when grocery shopping was fun — when you could take your time walking down the aisles, choosing the ripest avocado and planning your meals ahead of time? Remember when cooking dinners was a relaxing, peaceful time? I don’t know about you, but with three kids running around the kitchen pulling on my legs and tugging on my patience, I can barely scramble eggs without having a mental breakdown. Enter the Food Stork — the maternity chef.
The Food Stork is a UK company which delivers fresh and delicious made-from-scratch food directly to the home. The service was originally designed for new mums to help maintain a healthy and well-balanced diet after childbirth… but it’s been 10 months since my baby was born and I still think the Food Stork is quite handy (obviously not for every meal, but it is nice to have some options in the freezer). (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…)
Resolution 2 of 999,999. Soul Cycle.
Soul Cycle just opened an amazing new space in Tribeca and while I totally TOTALLY dread working out I decided to just suck it up and force myself to go. After all, as mentioned before, the only cardio routine I have these days is courtesy of the Dancey Dance segments from Yo Gabba Gabba.
So anyway– Soul Cycle has had a following for quite some time in other areas of the city and I was nervous as hell to go. I had never done a “spin class” before and I was pretty confident that I was going to die on the bike and make a total scene. As I stood in the lobby waiting for class to start I tried my best to look like a pro but when I saw the sweat drenched people emerge from the prior class I started to panic. (more…)
House swapping
Over the summer break I spent a bit of time decorating my home. (No, the pic above is not of my place — but somewhere I might now be able to stay.) One of the reasons was that I wanted to take some photos so I could list it on a house swap website.
We featured an article on house swapping a couple of years ago in the magazine where I work. It seemed like a great idea. But I always wondered — is it too good to be true?
Well, I believe that you should “give it a go” — as Aussies like to say. So I took the plunge and listed with two sites. Creative Caravan tags itself as “Craiglist for Creatives” — the idea being that you can swap with like-minded people.
The other website is Homelink. I did a bit of research and was attracted to this one because there is strong membership within Australia so if I want to take a trip to Byron Bay or Tasmania then I can swap with people who live there… as well as people in Italy. And within a week of listing I got a message from someone wanting to swap in Martinique!
- Natalie
Relax(ed) Kids
My daughter really loves audio books — she curls up on the floor in front of the speaker behind the couch and patiently listens to the story. So cute, and much more calming than television.
I strongly believe that reading a book (or listening to an audio book) enhances creativity and imagination more than watching television. In fact, even though we do have a television for watching the occasional DVD, we don’t have a cable connection in the house and I’m pretty sure we don’t miss much.
In an effort to bring more peace and calm to our household after dinnertime, I’m currently testing out a fairytales relaxation CD from Relax Kids. (My son especially needs to unwind; last night we caught him making a complex puzzle in his room 45 minutes after we put him to bed!)
The CDs from Relax Kids are meant to help children relax with the aid of meditative stories and soothing music, believing that a calm and confident child will have an easier time falling asleep. The CDs can also be helpful for over-active or anxious children, or for kids with specific problems like bed-wetting or nightmares. You can listen to an intro of each CD on the website, and you’ll get the gist.
Even though my kids need to get used to it still, their mama gets so super relaxed I’m sure it must eventually rub off on them! There are specific themes available, we have ‘Up, up and away‘ but I’m also very intrigued by the Princess and Superheroes CDs.
xxx Esther
Doodle Doo’s
This adorable little West Village shop is a perfect place to go for kid’s haircuts – especially the very first one when most kids have the potential to totally flip out. Courtney wrote a post some time ago about a place called Tantrum which we visited during our stay in London and absolutely loved! Doodle Doo’s is its New York equivalent. The staff is beyond nice and when we went last week my daughters left not only with adorable new chic hairdos but also with a barrette, some sparkle hairspray and a lollipop. The premise is simple… place kid in car or boat seat… insert princess video… bribe with future delivery of treat… snip away. It just makes the whole experience a win win. They also have a wonderful selection of toys and children’s clothing for parents to browse while you wait and if you are up for it, it’s a block away from New York’s famed Magnolia Bakery.
-Dina
11-13 weeks scan at the Fetal Medicine Centre
My first two babies were born in London. Even though I had both of them through the National Health Service system, I went to the Fetal Medicine Centre (FMC), a private clinic on Harley Street in London, for the 11-13 week scans. Reason is, the founder of the FMC is Professor Kypros Nicolaides, the world’s authority on fetal medicine and the person who discovered the relationship between Down Sydrome and the measurement of the nuchal translucency!
Since I was exactly 12 weeks pregnant when we met with the girls in London a few weeks ago, I decided that this little baby also had to receive the test of all tests at the place of all places. And it was fabulous to see that little person happily moving around inside of me!
Everything looked absolutely perfect at the scan, BUT (and here’s the but!) I was told that the nasal bone of this little 12-week-old creature was on the small side. Not non-existent, but small. And, I was told, a non-existent, or very small nasal bone is one of the soft markers for Down syndrome. However, since the rest of the rest of the test was good, and the results of the blood test were fine, the overall chance of a chromosomal disorder was still considered small. (more…)
Physique 57 — the workout that actually works
I wish it wasn’t the case but I don’t like to work out. I loathe the gym. The few times I dabbled in Yoga and Pilates I would be all gung-ho for a few months only to eventually find myself watching the clock like a hawk the entire time (is it over now?….now? …what about now?….)
Last winter however, I started taking classes at Physique 57 and everything changed.
Physique 57 has a major cult following in New York. In a nutshell, it’s 57 minutes of upbeat music and fluid, muscle crunching movements that hone in on all the key areas. Based on the famous Lotte Berk method, P57 classes focus on core strength and flexibility and the classes are taught by adorable professional dancers who really motivate you to keep going even when your insides are screaming. What I love about it is that it is comprised of short routines – every five minutes or so you work on a different part of the body. And before you know it, the class is over — yay! (more…)
De-Clutter for a Cause!
Last year I did something really quite indulgent but worth every penny. I hired a “wardrobe consultant/stylist” to come in and help me de-clutter and organize my very messy and chaotic closet.
Her job: 1) toss what is heinous, dated and does not fit 2) make a list of what was missing and 3) not make fun of me for being a hoarder.
When she left, I kid you not, there was basically a lonely hanging t-shirt swinging in the breeze and I was sitting between two ginormous heaps of clothing to give away.
It was emotionally draining, sad and scary….but mostly FREEING!!! The clutter was gone!
It really did feel great — not just from an organizational standpoint but emotional one as well. Even better, I was able to donate all of my old work suits, never worn items, things with the tags still on to a girl’s garage sale in my neighborhood and raise money for charity. Like they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Someone out there was going to be delighted that I parted ways with my light-wash boot cut jeans and boxy, unflattering sweaters. (more…)
Take our survey and receive 15% off at Little Baby Company!
For the past couple years we have told you all about our favorite products, we’ve told you about our children and all about our struggles (potty training) and joys (sibling bonds) of parenting, and we’ve shared our favorite recipes, art projects, and parenting tips… always with the hope that you enjoy hearing from us.
But… we’re wondering if you would like more recipes and fewer parenting tips. Or perhaps you love our product reviews but don’t care for the craft projects. Or maybe you would like to hear more about our cities and the places we recommend visiting?
The thing is, we really have no idea what it is you like about Babyccino. And we would really LOVE to know! So we’ve created a simple on-line reader’s survey in the hopes that you’ll tell us.
Please take a few minutes to answer just ten easy questions. Click here to start.
P.S. For a little added incentive, the very cool kid’s shop, Little Baby Company, is offering a 15% discount to everyone who partakes in our survey! (The promo code will be given upon completion of the survey.)
Go Home Gorgeous
Giving birth is exhausting, physically and emotionally, and once the baby is born the mother is typically not that free or in the mood to go to a spa. A new business in the Minneapolis area, which is expanding in other cities, has decided to bring the mountain to Mohammed!
Go Home Gorgeous will send a massage specialist to the hospital room to give the new mother the pampering she deserves. Apparently the massage therapists are also doulas so they’re quite trained in post-partum care. Their packages, not surprisingly, have proved to be excellent baby shower gifts.
A new business run by women to cater for women during an economic downturn — this is excellent news!
-Michela
Emergency contact
I recently commissioned a feature for Real Living magazine about “what to do in an emergency”. After the recent series of devastating bush fires and floods across the country, I was talking to my mum and we were saying that it’s hard to know what you should do first in an emergency. Hence, the feature. At about the same time I received this email from a woman in my mother’s group who is a nurse. I’m not sure if you have seen this information from anyone else, but it’s the only time I’ve seen it so I thought it was worth sharing…
-Natalie
Message from the Ambulance Service:
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn’t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this ‘ICE’ (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. (more…)
A sky-nanny? A dream!
This past weekend we flew to London to spend Easter with our old friends, and it was great. It’s always fun to be there, but never very much fun to travel! It’s only a 2-hour plane ride, but with air traffic and holiday travelers it always ends up being a long journey. My son is now a nearly pleasant travel companion — he plays with his toy cars, colours, reads books, etc. My 16-month-old daughter is more the problem, as she cannot stay still for longer than 3 minutes! I always try to avoid being one of those families that makes people wish they could buy a ticket on a child-free flight.
Did you know that Gulf Air offers a Sky Nanny service? The sky nannies help you deal with your children from the moment you check-in at the gate. They will arrange feeding times, not to overlap with yours, provide extra-snacks, age suitable entertainment and a few moments of babysitting when needed.
Now that would be something I might be willing to pay extra for…
-Michela
No tantrums here…
My experience with kiddie hair salons has always been the same: the place looks cool, my kids love it and sit still and happy in their seat, BUT they still manage to walk out with a less-than-stellar haircut. Too much glitz, not enough guts.
Thankfully, this is NOT the case at the new children’s hair salon, Tantrum, on the King’s Road, where I took my youngest son for his first real haircut last week. (I’ve been dreading the risk of cutting off his baby curls, so I was delaying the inevitable!)
He got a great cut, and we both left happy… curls in tact! (more…)
Just awful
As I’m sure many of you know by now, Australia has just experienced its worst natural disaster after ravaging bush fires killed hundreds of people and destroyed many more homes. I received an email yesterday from a woman in my mother’s group who said that her brother had lost his home and all its contents, and she had rushed to the shops to buy supplies for his eight-day-old baby. That’s right. Eight days old! I can’t imagine what it must be like to cope with a disaster of that magnitude with a newborn.
Then on the news last night there was an image of a woman carrying a baby capsule. I’m not sure how old that baby was but it just cut me up that she was also in the midst of upheaval with such a young baby. This weekend I’m going to go through all the clothes that my eight-month-old baby has outgrown and donate them to the Red Cross. There are several ways people can help: (more…)
Mum and Babe
A while ago I wrote a blog post about one of my favourite streets here in Paris, rue Keller. Rue Keller has just gotten even better. It is worth visiting for this place alone — Mum and Babe, Paris’ first Hairdresser and Beauty Salon with creche.
A beautiful separate room with a professional child minder awaits your children while you get your hair cut or coloured, have a massage or a manicure. Lucie, the owner, realised the need for a parent-friendly pamper centre when her niece was born and she could not find a place for her sister-in-law to have a well deserved post-natal massage, with baby in tow. It has taken three long years for her to find the perfect location and the perfect staff and set-up. But finally her persistence has paid off and Mum and Babe opened at the beginning of January. The childcare is included in the price of the treatment for up to two children under the age of six. Mum and Babe are offering a 10% discount for the month of January so there is no excuse not to treat yourself! As I write the website is still under construction so here are the details: (more…)
Send a thought!
Do you have a friend who just found out she’s expecting? Wouldn’t it be cute to send her a little gift box to show her how excited you are for her? Or perhaps you have a friend (or many) who are sick with a flu bug, and you just want to tell them you’re thinking about them and hope they get well soon. Send-A-Thought makes it easy to, well, send your thoughts!
You can send chocolate medicine to your sick friend. Or expectancy tea to your expecting friend. Or you could even send a little ‘hot stuff’ package to your husband at work to tell him how hot you think he is! Fun! Just think of all the thoughts you can send…
Each thought comes wrapped in a gift box and includes your custom message hand-written on a little note card. In a world obsessed with e-mail and text messaging, I just love the idea of sending something fun and unexpected to your friend’s letterbox! (And I’m sure he or she will love it too…)
-Courtney
