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
Mila’s day dreams
If you haven’t seen it already — please check out Mila’s day dreams blog. I defy you not to make it one of your favourites. Since I read about it I am totally hooked and check it out daily. A truly wonderful and imaginative maternity hobby! What a cool, cool mum.
-Mo
Babyccino kids on Ohdeedoh
Ohdeedoh featured our newly designed city-guides — check out what they say for some insider information on Paris, New York, London and Amsterdam!!
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…)
Arbor Collective Skateboards
Like most little boys, my son wanted one of these four-wheelers for himself after he first laid eyes on some local skaters enjoying their rides. We went through several superhero-themed “kid” skateboards only to come to the conclusion that they were practically disposable due to poor quality and cheap materials, not to mention the absence of any decent performance. I realized that this was an activity not soon to be outgrown, (most of my friends’ husbands are still proud owners of at LEAST one) and decided it was time to step it up a few notches for something with staying power. I turned to Arbor Collective. I loved the sleek design and use of natural wood. I also happily discovered that on top of incredible aesthetics, performance and craftsmanship, Arbor is committed to creating products in the most environmentally responsible way possible and the owners fully stand behind every snowboard and skateboard they make. They use ecologically based alternatives to harmful chemicals, water-based finishes and recycled materials to produce impressive skateboards in a huge variety of shapes and sizes with designs by featured artists (this mini Pocket Rocket is the choice for my eldest). Arbor Collective has a sweet little showroom in Venice with friendly, helpful staff, and their website tells you about other places you can purchase their products. Have fun!
x Kaela
New York City — a new Babyccino Kids city guide!
In addition to our brand new design and look, we have more exciting Babyccino Kids news. We’ve launched our NYC City Guide!! Dina has been working diligently for the past 6 months to cover off all of NYC’s best kid-friendly places to eat, see, play, shop, etc., and it is finally ready to share with you. Like all of our city guides, it will be updated regularly with new reviews and other kid-friendly ideas. So, if you’re planning a trip to NYC (or know someone who is), make sure to check out all of Dina’s suggestions.
P.S. Check out all of the new city designs. The girls at Petite Alma did such an amazing job capturing each city’s look and feel. We’ve also added some handy new features which will help make your visit even easier. We are so excited about them we can hardly sit still!
P.P.S. As always, we welcome your feedback.
Yes, you’ve come to the right place!
It’s us. A lot more stylish, and a lot more beautiful! As we’re getting older, we thought we could use a bit of a face-lift, so we contacted the super-talented people at Petite Alma to help us with a total re-design of Babyccino Kids, and then we asked our programming wizard Sergiu Baluta to do his magic, and here we are!! A whole new, hip and improved look for Babyccino Kids. We love it. What do you think??
The Bergstein Boot
I was beyond excited to discover Bergstein Gumboots from Holland were now available in Melbourne! With torrential downpours of late (which we are so thankful for, especially after years of drought and serious water dam deficits…) we have even had plenty of opportunity for frolicking in puddles and sloshing in the mud! Apart from looking gorgeous in an array of bright colours (just check out that Lime!), the Bergstein gumboots are a durable shoe. Each boot is completely cotton lined for comfort, has a rippled safety sole to limit slip on wet surfaces and there’s even a reflective strip on each heel for added safety. The ‘Bergsteins’ are the first product from new online retailer Little Elk which owner Sally Clifford plans to expand over time into a small and exclusive selection of products — items that are stylish, timeless, fresh, simple and expressive, gathered from around the globe. Yes, I’m loving the sound of it already!
- Sara
Add to Cart — My “can’t live without” websites
While I do long for a simpler and slower paced era, I honestly don’t know how on earth I would have survived the last few years without the godsend that is “on-line shopping.” If I can point, click and add something to a cart I feel, if only temporarily, like I just bought a few more minutes of freedom in my life.
Here are a list of my favorite on-line shopping websites for the basics — to simplify everyday life with kids in general.
1.) Children’s Shoes – Zappos.com. I get almost all of my kids shoes from Zappos. I am obsessed. They deliver faster than Chinese Food Take Away and they have a massive selection. I kid you not — I always receive a box within 24 hours and shipping is free! They also have a 1-year return policy (unheard of!).
2.) Quality Every-Day Baby/Kids Clothes – Tea Collection, Mini Boden, Lands End. All have great cotton basics that can be worn into the ground. These are my go-to shops for school clothing, leggings, sleepwear and warm weather supplies. (more…)
Cute vintage magnet set
I just recently bought this vintage wooden magnet set from Present&Correct. It was made in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and comes in the cutest little box with a magnetic tray. I think I’ll probably just put the magnets on my fridge and let my kids play with them — how cute are those little faces?
Present&Correct is a great site for unique, often vintage pieces you can’t find anywhere else, and they are constantly getting new things in so it’s always fun to check their new page. It’s also a great place to buy cards, books, and cute craft supplies. I buy their colourful masking tapes for gift-wrapping, and it’s also fun to browse their book section.
-Courtney
P.S. If they’ve sold out of something you like, click to request a re-stock notice — they’ll send you an email as soon as it’s back in stock!
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…)
Eco Fashion Rocks — a place to buy and sell children’s clothing
I just recently sat down to the daunting task of organizing all my kids’ clothes — handing down items from oldest to youngest son, boxing up things which are too small, and trying to organize all the baby clothes which my daughter grew out of way too quickly. It is shocking how many things were barely (or even never) worn. And the boxes of outgrown clothes are literally taking over my house!
Thankfully I had heard about Eco Fashion Rocks — a site where you can buy and sell children’s clothing. I literally sent a stack of never-worn clothes over to them… and just this week received a payment into my bank account. Easy as that!
Eco Fashion Rocks is also a good place to find great bargains — like this Petite Bateau smock dress available for only £7! What I really like about the site is that they personally rate every product — from ‘perfect’ for never worn items in mint condition to ‘good’ for lightly washed items. It means you know exactly what you’re getting when you buy. Check out the website for more details on how to buy or sell.
-Courtney
MadeIt for unique handmade finds
Packed to the rafters with local designers and craftspeople, MadeIt is a virtual craft market containing a wealth of handmade housewares and goodies. It is my go-to source when I want something unique, affordable and hand-crafted. It is similar to Etsy but supports only local Australian talent.
What I love about the site, apart from the fact that everything is handmade and local, is that it brings you, in one spot, everything you can’t buy at your local shopping mall. It takes the legwork out of shopping for those unique, handmade goodies which I love to buy but can take me forever to look for. And of course there is something gratifying about buying a locally made gift, supporting your local economy. (more…)
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
Decorating a kids room (part 1)
We are in the process of buying our first home after 13 years of renting. For the girl who was still playing ‘house’ when she was 13 (!) this is a big deal. Most evenings I drift into sleep dream-decorating and imagining how each room will look. The room that gets most of my ‘dream’ time is the kids’ bedroom. It is a small room but we have decided to put our 2 children in together — they like each other’s company and we like the idea of having a spare room for guests with the other bedroom. Over the next weeks I’m sure I will be posting various of my dream-decorating ideas but yesterday I made one of these ideas a reality — uh huh… I have made the first purchase for the room.
I found these lights from Swedish company, Nud Collection in Skandium. They are such a simple idea but beautifully executed (isn’t it always the way with good ones!). Textile cables with a porcelain lamp holder which takes an E27 light bulb*. My idea is to get 5 or 6 different colours (and my do they do great colours!) and group them together hanging them at different heights for a ‘chandelier’ effect. (more…)
Nina, a little pupetta born from pieces of cloth…
“Her body is made of natural hemp fabric, her cloak of red wool & her face sown in black cotton. Almost invisible to many, she’s sometimes filled with sweet melancholy without knowing why, other times she’s exuberant, or plays lazily with her precious little pearls, or dances the “Twist” with reels of cotton. Nina moves around, exploring Inside and Out, observing and reflecting. She asks questions bigger than herself (she’s only biscuit size…), questions forgotten somewhere. Nina exists only if you see her, and not everyone can.”
She’s created by Eloise Morandi, and shows up in different places, but the easiest way to catch her is by way of the little rag books, all hand-made and unique, and dreamily wonderful. The level of detail is amazing.
Curious? Check out the blog ‘Nina and other little things’…
xxx Esther
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…)
Whippet Grey
Whippet Grey began as a story-book, one full of enchanting objects … and that’s just the feeling you get when stepping onto the web pages of this online store. Whippet Grey is a family-run business selling various curiosities for the home, garden, you & the kids. With the departments sounding like chapter-headings; “Secret Garden” or “Curious Objects“, Whippet Grey is a lovely cyber-space to spend a coffee break.
I particularly like the “Children’s Den” split into 3 sub-chapters; Animal Kingdom, Budding Artist and Discovery Trail — there are some beautiful and different gifts for children of all ages. I love this shaggy black sheep rocker (if only there was justification for another rocker!) and have just ordered these ‘play-shapes‘ for my son’s 3rd birthday — we are very into any good rainy-day activities and these not only fit the bill but are beautiful to boot!
Oh and also their sale just started — temptation just got a bit more tempting!
- Mo. x
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
Cool cards from Cocodot
How superbly cute is this card? I just sent it out for my son’s third birthday party (which will be this week, and still needs to planned completely). Don’t you think it looks like the real thing?
Well, it’s not… not really. I just discovered Cocodot, a wonderful source of the most gorgeous designs and, best of all, paperless for perfect simplicity and extreme eco-sensibility!
I must say I was always a bit skeptical about using e-mailed invites, but after having sent out my first one, I’m a convert. Completely.
How extremely easy it is! How perfect to keep track of the guest list and interact with the invitees! How sweet are the designs! How wonderful for an at-the-moment-not-very-organised, overworked mama…
The service is not free, but compared to paper mail it’s quite cheap, and the ease of creating, sending and planning your correspondence is great. I’m planning to use it loads.
xxx Esther
