I love Spain — the culture, the cities, the people and the great, great food. I have not been to Madrid in years (actually decades) and had no idea if it is a good place to visit with kids.  Luckily we got some local intel from the lovely Beatriz.

Beatriz, a Spanish native, lives in Madrid with her husband, her daughter Martina and her dog. During the day, she works in communications for a Spanish Luxury Brand. During the night, she runs her blog Con Botas de Agua about things that inspire her.

Here are Beatriz’s recommendations if you happen to be in Madrid (or need an excuse to go!):

SEE

Because kids can appreciate culture too, I wanted to  suggest some cultural things to for you to get to know more about Madrid and its culture.

Madrid’s most important art museums are the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofía. They all offer special activities and guided visits for children. Your children will see art from a different point-of-view. In the Thyssen-Bornemisza they will be able to paint their first work of art.

The Royal Palace and surroundings are incredible places to visit, especially if you have girls that are crazy about the princesses. They will have fun thinking about how life would be like in a palace with rich interiors, long hallways, detailed ceilings and winding stairways. Boys will probably enjoy The Royal Armoury inside the Palace. It is considered one of the most significant collections of its kind. It houses a valuable collection of weapons and armors worn by the Kings of Spain and other members of the Royal Family.

In front of the Palace, there is a great playground which is very useful if there is a long line to enter the Palace — kids can play while one parent is waiting in line.

The Madrid Card gives you free access and avoid lines at the three museums, the Royal Palace and many other places, which is very nice when you go with kids.

A bit further out:

If you do not mind leaving the centre of Madrid, there are three places that I highly recommend:

FAUNIA - It is a nature-themed park, where you can find animals in their natural habitat and experience different ecosystems. There are some wonderful exotic and incredible species in this park.

MICROPOLIX – This is an innovative idea where kids and parents can share fun and education. There is a kid-sized city with typical services that you can find in a city: grocery stores, banks, a hospital, police station, communication medias and the most fun of all… they even have their own money! Children will be the main characters of their own adventure in this little city!

COSMOCAIXA – It is a place to bring science closer to kids on a very fun way. Children will enjoy the 3D Planetarium and different exhibitions where they can explore, touch, and feel science.

PLAY

EL RETIRO PARK – (Metro Retiro. Line 2) One of the best places in Madrid to go with your kids.This great park is in center of the city, easy to get to by metro, bus, or even by walking. You will find a park full of playgrounds, walking paths, and wide open green spaces where you can play ball, soccer, or whatever you want. Your kids will love the puppet shows and performances that take place during the weekends near the main lake. Don’t miss them! They are free, but you should normally give a tip. There is also a Children’s Theatre which puts on one play per day. Normally it is a puppet show put on by a professional theatre companies. In the main lake you can rent a paddle boat and get a 45 minute ride for just 4,30€. Children will love to paddle themselves and look at the fish.

Another good idea is to rent a bike and ride through the park and even part of the city if you like. If you like picnics, pack everything you need and sit on the grass with your kids to have lunch or a snack. It is a a lot of fun when the weather is nice.

THE ZOO – (Metro: Casa de Campo, Line 5 and 10. Bus lines: 33) Don’t forget to ask at the entrance for the schedule of the shows (dolphins, seals and birds of pray). The three of them are worth seeing and are included in the entrance fee. At the aquarium and the “Mysterious Nature” Pavilion, you can see insects and reptiles. The “Small Farm” is also nice for younger children because they will be able to touch farm animals. And do you know what? We have two little pandas who were born in the zoo on September 2010! They are absolutely adorable!

THE AMUSEMENT PARK – (Metro: Batán, Line 10. Bus Lines: 33, 65) It is full of fun attractions with a special area for the little ones, adapted to their age. Don’t miss the water attractions, for example the rollercoaster… especially on hot days. You can eat here but do not expect too much of the food. It is just something simple and quick (hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc).

EAT

BABY DELI This is a must. It is a store full of toys, books , eco-products, workshops, and a cafeteria with selected, organic and natural products, to eat while your kids play and have fun. They have also a very nice open space to enjoy if the weather is nice. This is a lovely place that you shouldn’t miss.

PIZZA JARDIN – This is an easy and nice place to eat pizza and pasta. Your kids will feel free to run and play. At the entrance, children are given a balloon, and when they leave, a little present. They also have kids menus.

REAL CAFE BERNABEU – If your kids are passionate about soccer,you definitely should take them to this restaurant. They will love eating while seeing the RealMadrid football playing field, one of the biggest fields in Europe. You can also take the Bernabeu Tour and become a soccer player, visiting the changing rooms, the benches, the field, and many other places in this gorgeous stadium.

LA GABINOTECA – Even if it’s not a place geared towards kids, I’m sure they will enjoy it. There are low chairs, low tables, and old school blackboard walls. There is also a fun and tasty menu where you will find typical Spanish food with twist. Kids will love the Juan Palomo dessert; they give you the ingredients and you can make whatever you want… so fun! It is close to the Science Museum. My tip would be to go for lunch as it get quite bust during the night and they don’t take reservations.

MERCADO DE SAN MIGUEL – In the heart of Madrid, this is a nice place to show your kids a typical Spanish market, full of fresh food, colours, people, and life. The perfect place to tapear (eat tapas). You can choose food from the many stands and eat it in one of the many bars inside the market. There is cheese, wine, fish, meat, hot dogs, fruit, juices, sweets, ice cream… whatever you want! Your kids will experience a typical Spanish way of eating. Be warned though, there is often a large crowd, but also a great athmosphere.

LIVING IN LONDON, TEA ROOM – Girls will love to have a “cup of tea” in this wonderful stylish place. Apart from their exquisite cupcakes you can also find plenty of English tea sets, toys, and things for kitchens and living rooms.

CHOCOLATERIAS VALOR and Chocolateria San Ginés – Two perfect places to drink a wonderful cup of hot chocolate with the typical Spanish “churros”.

HAPPY DAY BAKERY (Espiritu Santo, 11) – This bakery has great cupcakes and is in one of Madrid’s more lively neighborhoods, Malasaña. If you like alternative stores and life, you can take your kids to Malasaña and show them this part of the city, full of people, vintage stores, and other cute little stores. In the Happy Day Bakery there is just one little table, but you can take your cupcakes with you and eat them while you discover this great area.

SHOP

The Salamanca district is the perfect place to go shopping. You will find many nice children clothes stores in Lagasca and Claudio Coello streets. If your kids get tired of shopping you can take them to a nice Merry-Go-Round and playground placed in Serrano Street, just in the heart of the Golden Mille and at the entrance of El Corte Inglés, big Spanish Department Store.

Imaginairum on Serrano Street –  It’s the biggest Imaginarium store in the world! Your kids will love it. You can find toys for every age, a wide range of books, furniture and decor. The coolest thing is the kid’s hair salon. It is so fun finding a place where your kids can get their hair cut while they are playing. There is also a little cafe, that is perfect to get a little snack and a little market with ecological and organic food for kids.

Mi pequeño Lucas – This is a beautiful store with beautiful clothes for your kids. The clothes have contemporary esthetic designs inspired by classic designs with comfortable fabrics. All are made in Spain.

Así - It is a unique and wonderful house of dolls. Asi is a family-owned store that has been making their own dolls since 1942. They have incredible and beautiful toys and dolls with a classical touch that make them very special.

Copperpot (Espiritu Santo, 28. Entrance by San Andrés street) –  It is one of my favourite stores. This is a very little dreamy and cute store that you and your kids will adore. It is place to find unique toys with a lot of personality and charm. They also offer their own line of products that are great and made with love. It is located in Malasaña and very close to Happy Day Bakery.

SLEEP

xxx Esther

Would you holiday in a teepee? I definitely would, especially if it looked like this! How cool does this place look? My kids would be in heaven. Red Cone Retreat is in Colorado, USA and sounds amazing, according to Maia Chavez Larkin on Momfilter.  I’m definitely bookmarking this for future holidays.

So tell us, would you stay in a teepee? Or have you done this type of holiday before? I wonder if there’s something similar in Europe…

x Courtney

xxx Esther

xxx Esther

Anyway, with our upcoming camping trip in mind, I’ve given Pim and Sara each one of the cool Art Kits pictured above. These art kits are great — the canvas cover is bright and strong, the pencils are soft to draw with, there’s a sharpener attached and there’s a notebook with thick, coloured paper. KicoKids makes them, do check out their shop — such wonderful, creative products and fun concepts, and I can tell you — the quality of it all is great.

xxx Esther

My dad and his girlfriend sent me a few photos of the tulip fields surrounding their house. I thought they were so beautiful, I just had to share them with you. I remember playing as a child in these tulip fields, and riding my bicycle up and down the paths. These photos make me miss home! Anyway, hope you enjoy. Have a lovely weekend!

xo Courtney

p.s. Photos taken by Susie Jungemann.

xxx Esther

PS Fun fact: the founder of the Envirosax company, Belinda David-Tooze, lives in one of the most innovative, totally sustainable eco houses in Australia together with her husband and three small children. So amazing!

Another cool spotting on the streets of Tribeca!  While walking my girls back from swim class last night (all of us tired, hungry and cranky as could be) a man on a bike whizzed past us with two kids sitting snugly on the back.  Immediately one of my daughter started screaming “I WANT THAT NOWWWWWWWWW!!!!! and I looked at her and said “ME TOOOOOOO!!!”

A few blocks later and I found it parked on the street and we all went to investigate.  Turns out there is a company in California called Yuba that makes them and it is way cool.  The Mundo Cargo Bike is essentially a utility bicycle that is  made with the intent of hauling heavier loads.  It’s not much longer than a traditional bicycle and has a long sturdy plank on the back, and because it doesn’t have a large basket like a Bakfiets,  it’s more city friendly.  True, it is a bit of an investment, but the way I see it it would have saved me a lot of stress about making it to school on time.  New York is becoming more and more bike friendly these days with separate paved lanes and ample bike parking cropping up everywhere so we will probably start to see more Mundos as time goes on.  Sad I missed the boat on this one….

-Dina

Available through Esthex’s webshop.

xxx Esther

- Sara

- Sara

- Sara

Pretty scary thought, that now that I have put the Wagalum reflective strips onto Ava’s buggy, the risk of us having an accident is reduced by 85%. One wonders how it’s possible we’re still alive to start with!
No kidding, Wagalum reflective strips should be installed on every buggy on the planet. They ensure the buggy is noticed six times faster by other traffic, and seen from a distance as far as 150 meters instead of the usual 30 meters, which, in the end can make the difference between life or death. Wagalum strips are hardly noticeable during the day, but at night shine nine times brighter than comparable materials. And they cost next to nothing, especially if you compare it to the price of the actual buggy, which costs the same as a small car these days. No excuses, I would say.
For stockists, check the Wagalum website.

xxx Esther

Being a new mum doesn’t always bring out the physically best. For instance, after three babies my belly looks like a cross between gelatin pudding and a hot cross bun. My hair is a constant explosion of dry and frizzy dullness (and I’m losing it as we speak) and well, now that I’m at it: my bikini line looks like a Brazilian… rain forest.
Not the best ingredients for feeling like a yummy mummy. But, help is at hand: the moment I throw my uber-glamourous, luxurious Il Tutto Layla over my shoulder I instantly convert from tired looking, un-cute mum to a cool, hip and stylish mama. Or at least I feel that way! My back automatically straightens, my hair seems to look ‘interesting’ (Tina Turner looked good too after all) and surely soon the seventies will be sexy again.
The Il Tutto baby bags are not just your ordinary baby bag. They are made from high quality Italian nappa leather and have chic patent highlights. There are many internal and external pockets for all the organisation necessary (I personally love loads of pockets in bags). It comes with the usual accessories like a waterproof changing mat, a plastic zip-pocket and an insulated bottle holder, and there are side straps so you can hang the bag on your stroller (they can also be hidden away). The complete lining can be zipped out and washed — great for those unavoidable leaking bottles and smashed bananas.
Now here’s to a baby bag that is not only beautiful but also super practical! It definitely deserves another life after the baby years. And it will: it fits my 15″ laptop perfectly…(A laptop lining is for sale separately).

xxx Esther

I love, love, love this! I keep berating myself for having not conjured it up in one of my brainstorming sessions (honestly I am still hopeful that one day I will invent the next ‘lego’). In the meantime, I just marvel at gems like these… it reminds me that the simplest of ideas are the best — a game powered by imagination rather than a USB cable! Think-ets is so simple in concept — a little pouch of random, very charming ‘trinkets’ from around the world. Along with the pouch comes rules for a few games, such as “I’ll take one away, and you tell me which one is missing”, or “Make a story about the item you’re holding” — educational in so many ways, inspiring story-telling, testing memory and just fun for kids to fiddle with.

The idea is to keep the pouch handy in your handbag or car so that when you need something to entertain or pass the time, you have them on hand. I imagine they would be perfect for taking with you on travel, while waiting for that elusive waiter or in waiting rooms — anywhere kids get antsy, bored or wound-up! Oh… and no two sets are alike so they can be collected and even swapped! I can so imagine my kids loving this. You can order them online; worldwide shipping available. Just click here.

(Image from LMNOP)

- Sara

Greece is a dream holiday destination — the beautiful islands, the history, the coffee and the food. Athens is the the main hub and starting point for most trips to Greece, so why not spend a couple of days discovering this historic city, before hitting the beach?

Pepi, an Athens native, was gracious enough to give us some tips and ideas on what to do in Athens with children. She grew up in the city of Patras before coming to Athens many years ago. During her studies she spent a year in Scotland before settling in Athens.  She now lives with her husband Chris and their little daughter Alice in this city full of history. Pepi is now a full time mom and spends her time with her daughter discovering and playing. Here are her insider tips:

SEE:

1) Visit Stntagma Square (Metro stop Syntagma station). On the side of the square you can see the Parliament Building with the monument of the “Unknown Soldier”. Kids always love to watch the changing of the guards, as well as feed the pigeons that live on the square. Guards (“tsoliades”) wear traditional Greek costumes. Do not miss the famous “koulouri” pastries sold on the benches on the square.

2) You can always take a small train called the Athens Sunshine Express, that gives you a little tour. I am sure kids would love it. The tour takes you around the city’s most popular areas such as Plaka, Monastiraki, Thissio and of course the Acropolis. A train departs every hour and the tour lasts approximately 40 minutes

3) Numismatic Museum is one of the oldest museums in Athens designed by the German Architect Tsiller. We recently discovered it while searching for a nice place to sit one afternoon. One cannot actually see it from the avenue but it is really nice to visit, to read newspaper or a book while the kids can walk around.

4) Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Centre: The Hellenic Cosmos can easily be reached from the centre of Athens (Metro station Kerameikos and then a short walk or a short taxi route). It is one of the best museums in Athens and a very fascinating place for kids and adults. You will find interactive exhibitions, educational programs, and virtual reality tours, which combine historic information with Hi-Tech, and will introduce adults and kids to Hellenic history and culture. The museum is divided into two parts: the “Tholos” that resembles a planetarium and hosts a virtual reality tour about life in ancient Athens. The second part “Theatron” is a venue that hosts plays, music concerts, dance performances, conferences, exhibitions and other. It’s a wonderful place to have an outdoor or indoor coffee while the kids can run through the wonderful educational games on the laptops provided. You can find the summer schedule on the Hellenic Cosmos website.

Play:

1) Starting from Syntagma square you can take a very nice walk to the National Gardens: a green park full of big trees, various animals such as turtles, different kind of birds, ducks, goats and loads more. There is a very well organized play ground with swings, climbing structures, sand box and a pony-ride. Next to the National Gardens, at Zappeion, you can go for a cup of coffee or for a light lunch at the Aegli restaurant.

2) The Adventure Park Malakasa is aimed at children above three years old. You will find challenging games within this wonderful leisure park situated in Malakasa (exit Markopoulo towards Lamia). It is ideal for those seeking to embrace nature while playing. Children and adults get to play on flying foxes and climbing walls. The is also a great refreshment area where you can have coffee and refreshments under the trees. This place is great for a Sunday morning.

3) BALUX Café in Glyfada offers a unique home away from home. In the lounge you can find board games for kids and adults, and of course there is a wonderful playground area suitable for all ages where your kids can entertain themselves while you are drinking coffee, or enjoying yourself by the sea.

4) YABANAKI BEACH in Varkiza (unfortunately the web site is under construction, so for some more info please see below). You will find clear shallow water pools ideal for kids. Parasols are free and there are beach showers and changing facilities and of course a large bar area full of tables in the shade. Older kids can enjoy themselves at the water sport center. Great for all family members! Address: Varkiza Beach, Varkiza. Opening hours: 08:00-20:00. Tel: 210 8972414

Eat:

1) Aegli is a very chic and modern restaurant – I definitely prefer it in summer time where you can enjoy your coffee while children can play around the Gardens of Zappeion. Alternatively there is a new playground next to it with new and very safe equipment.

2) Al Milanese (49 Ksenokratous str, Kolonaki) is a very nice restaurant to enjoy some spaghetti and the original recipes by Italians who permanently live in Athens. There is a great garden, on the pedestrian part of Ksenokratous road with a very friendly atmosphere especially on Sundays.

Shop:

1) Go to Gaitanaki (18 Akadimias str, Kolonaki) for a great variety of “little treasures”. The shop looks like it is from a fairy tale. It is a cave filled with creative toys and inspirational gifts for kids. There are some wonderful deco articles for kids’ bedrooms. Although it is sometimes a little bit expensive, I really believe you should visit it.

2) Trikiklo is one of my favorite kids’ concept store in Athens where you can find a wide selection of furniture, baby carriers, toys and clothes.

I am just about to go away on holiday for the next few weeks. I read this article in the Guardian and had to laugh… a lot of it rang so true. I thought I was the only person in the whole world who got disproportionately annoyed by my fellow passengers resting their elbows on “my” armrest on a plane. Summer holidays are so much fun but I am not a big fan of the packing, preparation and traveling, especially with kids. This time I am going away by car which is bliss. I get to take so many more extras…

So my main must-have holiday items this year are:

• Straw hats for the whole family
• TC Boyle’s The Women, for me
• My childhood copy of AA Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” for my daughters
• A pack of cards, as I am obsessed with learning card games (I wish Courtney was coming as she knows the best games)
• The scarf that I have been knitting for the last 2 years, which I have vowed to finish before the winter
• My ipod with the new Scissor Sisters Album and Beatles tracks for the kids to sing along to: “Yellow Tumborine” (as they call it) is a favourite

What are your holiday must-haves? I would love to hear!

- Emilie

I got this cute backpack for my son at the Kleine Fabriek trade show.  Isn’t it cool? I love the fact that it’s drum-shaped, and I love that cute image of the little rider on the horse. My son has been so much into fighting, and knights, and guns these days, without really knowing what he’s talking about… so it’s very appropriate for him! I have no clue where he gets the fighting obsession, but my husband tells me not to worry — it’s very normal for boys, apparently.
Anyway, the backpack is from Chicken Rhythm, and there are also some other prints available.

xxx Esther