Posts filed under 'Shopping'
Williamsburg is seriously as cool as it gets. In fact, I used to joke with a friend of mine that they should just plaster a picture of either Beck or Moby on the front of all the Subway cars to identify that the “L” train to Brooklyn was for hipster transport only.
I guess now, with time being what it is, those young men and women with the complicated haircuts and ironic t-shirts are getting older and having kids of their own. And thank goodness they are because the children’s stores there are really just so darn cool!!!! If you have not been, you must go. Make a day of it as there are so many amazing shops and little places to eat.
Mini Jake – is kind of like the Brooklyn version of the popular Giggle chain. It’s a huge space filled with all things modern and cool — strollers, cribs, bedding, feeding stuff… you name it. In a nutshell, it is a modern parents dream as it is chock full of all those eco-fashionable brands that they go gaga for (Oeuf, Stokke, Bloom etc;). The store also has a huge selection toys (think Plan Toys and Playmobil) and a book nook with all the classics.
Sweet William – an absolutely gorgeous store carrying brands that I simply can’t find anywhere else. I am obsessed with under the radar brands like Makie and Talc and they carry both. The well edited selection caters mainly to the younger set — newborn to 5 yrs and has the type of stuff that you will hold on to for years just because it’s all too beautiful to part with. A perfect place for gifts for a newborn.
Flying Squirrel – One word: GENIUS. Flying Squirrel is a consignment shop for gently used kid’s clothes, gear and toys. I bought an amazing fleece jacket here in perfect condition for $10 dollars which retails for like $100. There is a small selection of new items as well but that is not the draw here. Although you have to sift through the racks a bit, all of the clothing that they carry is “higher-end” stuff in perfect condition. When I stop hoarding all my girls’ clothing I might go here to unload.
Smoochie Baby – Another lovely modern store with a well edited selection of clothes and shoes. I was happy to find the tunic top that Emilie wrote about here and it was on sale! I also picked up an adorable dress (pictured) from an Australian line that they carry there called LittleHorn. So cute right?
-Dina
Dina in New York
March 12th, 2010
Oh, I think I have died and gone to heaven! Olive’s friend Pop is a collection of vintage-inspired clothing inspired by proper little-girls’ clothes of post WWII, from a time when little girls looked like…well…little girls. They call it ‘nostalgic playwear‘ — capes, bonnets, overalls, pinafores, aprons and so much more. Simply adorable!
The collection was designed by two very clever Aussie mothers who are quick to concede that whilst their clothes are indeed ’special’ they are not ’special occasion’ wear. The materials are durable and robust, to be worn… because let’s face it, little girls may like getting ‘dressed up’ but they love getting ‘grubbed up’ too (oh, indeed they do, especially mine).
I have a feeling this is a brand to watch out for. The Winter/Autumn range (pictured) is available through stockists listed here.
-Sara
Sara in Melbourne
March 11th, 2010
Another fabulous interactive colouring book just begging to be illustrated! They seem to be popping up everywhere these days and with good reason too. Created by talented Melbournian Nicole Mandile, in the first of her My Picture Storybooks series, The Magical Milky Way’s Super Galactic Zoo kept my rambunctious 4-year-old son in check on a long-haul airplane flight recently. So naturally I am a big fan. He was totally engrossed in creating, drawing and pasting away, each page providing the perfect canvas for his masterpiece. It helps that he has a complete fascination with all things galaxy-related.
The book is created using uncoated paper, a great surface to sketch on and is staple bound so the pages open flat. It is printed in Australia on 100% recycled paper. It isn’t too long or too short — just perfect to capture their little attention spans.
Available through weheartbooks for local and international shipment.
- Sara
Sara in Melbourne
March 7th, 2010
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
Mo in London
March 1st, 2010
Is this little girl not absolutely adorable? That face! That hat! The vest…! I could practically eat her up! Luna Ninos is an Australian brand I discovered when my son was a baby. They design and knit their products in Melbourne without linking, sewing or seams… making their beanies and bonnets, booties, baby blankets and cardigans comfortable and lightweight. They use only the finest natural fibers — pure cotton or extrafine merino wool, and each season offer an array of delectable colours, from the more muted (mouse, spinach, bamboo…) to the very bright (aqua, rosa and tomato….). Luxurious yet practical — everything is machine-washable (fortunately as I have absolutely no patience for hand-washing!). I especially love their tree blankets — not only visually superb, but proceeds from their sale support the Wilderness Society of Australia, saving our beautiful old growth forests, which is a really good thing…
To view their stunning collection and for online orders, click here!
-Sara
Sara in Melbourne
February 26th, 2010
About a year ago, I told Courtney we should start a pyjama shop. I seriously thought Europe was missing something as simple as this — I’m always on the look-out for cute and affordable pyjamas (preferable the old-fashioned 2-piece variety) of good quality and design, but they are really difficult to find. I’m not sure what happened to the idea — it certainly wasn’t carried out (one of us was probably having a baby or something), but I’m so glad to have discovered that somebody else did!
PJ Basics is an initiative by a Dutch lady called Elsina, and her webshop focusses mainly on kids pyjamas, but there are also some other cute bedroom-related products. I have the pictured pyjamas for my son and they are our all-time favourites. The quality is great, they stay in perfect shape and are seriously cute on. They are also super comfortable as they don’t have itchy labels or annoying seams. I ordered some for my daughter too and they arrived this morning — they have the cutest flowery fabrics and I love the embroidery details. I seriously can’t recommend these pyjamas enough!
Elsina just translated her web-site in English, and ships worldwide. Bravo!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
February 25th, 2010
Following on from Emilie’s recent post about places in Paris to find chic clothes at less-than-chic prices I thought I’d let you know about some of my favourite spots on a typical London High Street. Now most Mums in London will know of these national treasures but if you are visiting London they are worth checking out.
I’m a huge fan of Swedish kids clothes shop P.OP (Polarn O Pyret) which sells playful and colourful kids clothes and a small selection of maternity wear. Think lots of stripes and lots of colour. They have 4 shops in and around London (Brent Cross, Westfield, House of Fraser (Oxford Street) and Kingston) but a further 10 or so stores around the rest of the UK.
Next up: Zara Home (no, not Zara Kids): A very small selection but I love their quilts and blankets for kids and they always have a tiny rail with really sweet sleep-wear/snuggly-wear. I have had some great finds there.
I find so many good kids birthday presents from Paperchase particularly these children’s writing sets, which are so sweetly designed. They often do melamine plates and trays and sets of fun snackpots, which are perfect for kids’ dinner time and eating on the go.
Long before having children I had a bit of a Muji-addiction. I always find something there — it certainly indulges my stationery habit. It is also a great place to head for souvenirs as they do these sweet little bags of miniature wooden cities and London transport (black cabs, red buses) in a bag (but I’ve only seen these in-store not on-line). What some may not know about Muji though is that they are great for (what I like to call) ‘fat-tops’ — cleverly designed tops that fall over your bump during pregnancy or, as in my case, my post-baby chocolate-bump. Note there is usually more of a selection in store then online.
On this subject I do love Comptoir des Cotonniers – very flattering clothes! Quite a bit pricier then Gap but really very lovely (also have a tiny ‘girls’ collection from age 6 — I’m seriously wishing the years away so my daughter is old enough for it, cute! cute!) Feel a bit of a cheat with this one though as it’s originally a Parisian brand.
A great stop for well-designed toys and kid’s furnishings is Habitat. Their wooden London Bus is a long-running classic but I also love some of their newer toys like the Tito (pictured here). They also do fab bits and pieces for a kids room — we recently got a bright red wagon for storing toys in, which we love.
Last but not least, if you happen to be passing The White Company (or The Little White Company) then it’s always worth popping in. I particularly like their pyjamas but they also do cashmere baby cardies and classic toys and nursery decoration.
All that shopping might make you hungry and on a London High Street you are never far away from a Carluccio’s (Italian), Wagamama’s (Japanese) or Giraffe (International) — which are all well set-up for kids. If sushi is your thing, then I adore Itsu, but it’s not so buggy /high-chair friendly. For a sandwich-on-the-go … you can’t beat Pret-a-Manger (who now do cute kids bags).
Enjoy. Mo. x
Mo in London
February 24th, 2010
Seems like everyone I know is having a baby all of a sudden. Funny how it always happens in waves.
With “three being the new two” and “twins being the new singleton” in NYC, the maternity business is booming! When I was pregnant I was determined to remain somewhat stylish (well with the roots growing in and the adult onset acne, the least I could do was wear a semi-decent outfit.) One of my very favorite brands to discover along the way was Nom de Naissance, which is based out of LA and is carried at my very favorite maternity store in NYC, Belly Dance Maternity. This adorable West Village shop carries a well edited selection of labels like Splendid, Diane Von Furstenburg and Ripe with the premise being that you can still dress like you did before you got prego. Two other amazing stores that I discovered along the way were Cappucine in Tribeca which does not have an on-line website but is definitely worth the visit. The owner carries both maternity wear and adorable regular clothes in larger sizes (and the owner is French so you know it’s cool). The other place that I found was Bump in Brooklyn which opened after I had the girls but it looks ultra, ultra swank. For the gals that are not into “Pea in a Pod” and “Liz Lange” – these stores are for you.
-Dina
Dina in New York
February 22nd, 2010
I always like to find special gifts that are useful and practical for friends with a new baby. In a cramped NYC apartment the last thing you need is more stuff, especially if you are on kid number 2 or 3, which is why I love these adorable little square quilts from Pomme. They are small, plush, easy to wash and cheery.
Pomme is an adorable little store in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn that carries a well-edited and unique array of items for young children. You can call the store direct to get matching pillows or if you are feeling particularly fashionable there are booties to match!
-Dina
Dina in New York
February 18th, 2010
With Valentine’s Day approaching I am thinking that a trip to the Suga Candy Kitchen might be on the cards. This lolly shop is my kids’ version of heaven. What can be more exciting, more mesmerizing than handmade, delicious rock candy made right before your eyes (to be honest, I can think of many things but my kids, I’m sure, they can’t!). The lolliologists (highly trained lolly makers… really… I’m not kidding) stretch, pull and twist the hot molten candy, then chop it into jewel-sized bites. Yum! Fresh from the cooling slab they then generously hand out samples, and if you want to you can personalize your lollies with names or cute messages like ‘I love you’ and ‘you are sweet’ and ‘be mine’.
Oh….in case you were wondering, here in Australia we call a piece of what is called candy in the States, or sweets in the UK, as ’lollies’.
It is a fun place to go and I seriously defy anyone, sugar devotee or otherwise, to leave without having bought a bag or jar of some type of hard rock confection… A great Valentine’s treat for the children or a loved one. For more mouth watering details and Suga Candy Kitchen locations click here.
- Sara
Sara in Melbourne
February 11th, 2010
As Courtney mentioned I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to children’s books, and Sparkle and Spin
is my latest aquistition. The book is about words and is SO SO SO beautifully illustrated. I really love it. Without even knowing it, it appears I have stumbled upon a pretty powerful author/illustrator team with Paul and Ann Rand.
Paul Rand is known as one of America’s greatest graphic designers having designed logos for IBM, UPS and ABC. He teamed up with his wife, Ann, in the 1950s and ’60s to produce some children’s books. Rather then stories, their books explain things like how words are used (as in Sparkle and Spin) or what ‘knowing’ is (in ‘I Know a Lot of Things‘, which I have on order) or being alone in ‘Little 1‘ (also on order!).
I’m just hoping that the final of the 4 books they collaborated on ‘Listen, Listen’ is put back into print soon (as it is out of my price range in the used-book stores!).
-Mo
Mo in London
February 3rd, 2010
Most parents discover fairly early on that if they want to meet in a cafe with friends and have any hope of conversation (one that spans more than 10 seconds), then a distraction for the children in the form of a book/toy is imperative. It allows at least some semblance of communication between the adults whilst in the company of young children — where you can form a full sentence… in one go!!
Many cafes in Melbourne answer this need, providing crayons and butcher paper to occupy the kids. And that certainly helps! But Family Life Home & Café in Grattan Street, Prahran goes one step further. Not only is it a divine Balinese inspired space, incorporating a cafe and boutique, but it has a gorgeous imaginative play area for the children.
So… whilst you leisurely sip your cappuccino on a comfy couch, chat to friends, read the newspaper (without being interrupted every. single. sentence) and shop for hand-made toys, eco homewares, exotic recycled furniture and some great kidswear — the children are happily playing nearby in the enchanted forest or putting on a show in the gazebo! Happiness all around!
If you are visiting, be sure to check out the kidswear. Not only do they carry some great Aussie designers like Mill&Mia, Sudo and Jellyfish but they also carry a more obscure Balinese designer called Paul Ropp. His distinctive and vibrant pieces are truly amazing!
Family Life will also throw a fantastic kids birthday party, with every little detail taken care of!
- Sara
Sara in Melbourne
February 1st, 2010
Here are two books that my son (aged 3) and I love: Who’s Hiding?
by Satoru Onishi and Spot It!: Find the Hidden Creatures
by Delphine Chedru.
Both books are about finding things in the pictures — ‘Who’s Hiding?’ is a bit like playing that memory game with a tray of objects, but in this book we have a line-up of animals and we have to find which one is hiding or crying or asleep. I was so surprised that my son could do it when we bought the book about a year ago as I found it quite difficult.
‘Spot It!’ is much harder but so beautiful you don’t mind staring hard at the pages to ’spot it’ — creatures hide within graphic patterns and we often have to stare for a few minutes before finding them. I love how we both start to panic when we can’t find them immediately (he obviously takes after me with his impatience)!
Both books are available from the Babyccino Bookshop (both US and UK).
-Mo. x
Mo in London
January 29th, 2010
I used to keep a picture in the front of my diary of an old-fashioned sweet shop. You know the kind: shelves stacked with glass jars brimming with brightly-coloured sweets. The Juliette Binoche in me always quite fancied being a ‘purveyor of splendid confectionery’. However these days there would be little point in me following this dream as Hope & Greenwood do it so perfectly.
They have stores in Dulwich & Covent Garden (which would be perfect if you happen to be taking a trip to Benjamin Pollocks as per my last post), but they are also sold in some pretty lovely other places: Liberty, Selfridges, Fortum & Mason (to name but a few) and of course you can buy them online from their site. I find the Miss Hope’s Jolly Mixture a very exciting treat and the Sugar free Gummy Bears a good one to ensure the children don’t bounce off the ceiling with too much sugar!
-Mo. x
Mo in London
January 25th, 2010
I grew up in a little farming village about 100 miles north of London and only made very rare trips to the ‘big smoke’ as a child. I remember one very special trip when my Godmother (literally one of the coolest people on the planet) brought me down for a WHOLE weekend in London for my 9th birthday. We saw a show and explored the city and I vividly remember stumbling across the most magical old-fashioned toyshop, which specialised in Toy Theatres.
Recently I had a reason to re-find that store, and the magic hasn’t left the place! Benjamin Pollocks is a delightfully old fashioned place (originally established in the 1880s) in the Covent Garden Piazza. I must warn you — it isn’t buggy friendly as you have to climb a narrow staircase to reach it and the shop is small and crammed to the rafters with toys, but worth the trip indeed.
The toy theatres are beautiful gifts for slightly older children (I think my kids may be more interested in ripping and chewing their cardboard constructions!) but they also have a good selection of other ‘oldy-worldy’ toys and games. I ended up getting Hopla for my 3-year-old and these darling counting flashcards for my daughter.
If Covent Garden is too much of a trip, they do also conveniently sell some of their wares through their website.
-Mo. x
Mo in London
January 22nd, 2010
All those scorching Australian summers that I spent oiling myself with ‘Hawaiian Tropic’ –- how it makes me cringe! If only this product was around when I was in my late teens… okay, who am I kidding, I still would have ignored the facts, all for a deep bronze tan that didn’t ever last. The fact is that the sun ages your skin prematurely and causes cancer. Whilst I did come to my senses long ago, I am sure that I still wear the damage of those early reckless years. These days, I don’t leave home without having applied Invisible Zinc to each and every member of my family (husband excluded here, he is not partial to me assaulting him with ‘goo’ every morning — not for want of trying, mind you).
The concept behind Invisible Zinc is technology that provides a physical (not chemical) barrier between you and the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. They use a world patented form of Zinc Oxide that has been milled down so that it is no longer visible to the naked eye …fortunately you can banish all images of the white zinc-nosed, speedo-clad Aussie lifeguard, not quite the look I favor either when I head for the beach! Zinc Oxide is a natural sunscreen agent that sits on the skin reflecting dangerous UVA and UVB rays without unnecessary chemical sun-filters (incidentally, most chemical sunscreens offer little or no protection against UVA rays).
So Courtney, take note! This Aussie product is a must-have for you and your family over the coming months… and for those of you shivering in the Northern Hemisphere, as strange as it may seem, summer is just around the corner! (-:
-Sara
Sara in Melbourne
January 12th, 2010
I know Paris is well-known for being an expensive city, especially when it come to clothes. However, it is possible to find some bargains, especially come the new year: the winter sales start on the today!!
But it isn’t only during the sales time that you can find bargains. We also have a few local high street shops that have a great selection! Here is a list of a few places to visit next time you are here in Paris or in other French cities:
•It may sound strange to buy your kids clothes at a supermarket, but the Monoprix supermarket chain has a great range of baby clothes called Bout’Chou and CFK for older kids that seriously can rival any design brand. (Unfortunately their website is terrible, so you need to go in person to see what is available.) A lot of my kids’ clothes are from here. Super cute tunics, trousers, dresses and knitwear makes these a hit with a lot of Parisian mothers.
•Du Pareil Au Meme, otherwise known as DPAM, has now become an international brand, but if you cannot find it in your country of origin, do check it out! It has a great range of clothes, from newborn to pre-teenagers. The shops are often grouped by three, one catering only for newborns (clothes and all equipment), one for all age ranges and one specializing in shoes…
•A little shop I love called Alice A Paris has some lovely items at very reasonable prices. The collections are very classic and practical (The little dress in the photo is from there). The shop is in the 6th arrondissement and you can also buy online.
•Another place worth checking out if you like classic clothes is a shop called Natalys, which specialises in baby things up to the age of three. The same group runs a chain of shops called Sergent Major for older kids. I don’t always find what I want in there, but it is definitely worth a look if you happen to be over in France.
•Last but not least, one of my other favorite shops is called Vertbaudet. I mostly order off their website, but they do have some shops scattered around Paris, and all over France for that matter.
Happy shopping!
- Emilie
Emilie in Paris
January 6th, 2010
My family is in the grip of ‘Masterchef’ fever! My kids are so enthused by this reality television program that I practically have my youngest deriding me for not making the terrine for his school lunch. And while the downside for me is that the bar has been raised (my rather unspectacular cooking now looks even more… unspectacular), the show has reinforced the value of good eating, team-building and the importance of accepting constructive criticism. My daughter particularly has been caught by the cooking bug. This morning she made us a lovely, albeit slightly burnt dish of scrambled eggs, grilled tomato, and baby spinach — we devoured it… every char-grilled morsel!
A friend recently introduced me to a great children’s cooking website called Wholesome Productions which creates a fabulous range of children’s cooking kits. They also sell party cooking kits for those brave enough to host their own kid’s cooking party.
The Pizza Baking Kit (pictured) is particularly adorable because it comes in a genuine pizza box and includes an apron, chef’s hat, a pan, rolling pin and an easy-to-follow washable recipe book… a great present for this holiday season! I have also found a ton of kid’s cooking utensils and baking sets at Mini Whisk and these are worth a mention because they come in a range of cool themes (Australiana, love hearts, flying etc.) and they are really well-priced too. Alternatively, add a cute little recipe book to some mini-sized cooking tools, or a little chef’s hat to a pint sized rolling pin and there you have some practical and fun gift ideas for all the aspiring master chefs out there!
-Sara
Sara in Melbourne
December 23rd, 2009
I keep trying to work out a trip that might take me in the direction of Hereford (about 2.5 hours west of my house). I haven’t come up with one yet but would one day really like to visit the store of Mark and Sally Bailey, Bailey’s Home & Garden.
In the meantime I will have to continue browsing their lovely website. Mark and Sally describe their interior style as the ‘recycled home’ so they have some great vintage gems alongside some beautiful homewares from small, family run companies.
I love everything they sell but they have some particularly beautiful wooden toys for children. I bought the xylophone for my daughter because I love the simplicity of it, and I’m quite tempted by the Noah’s Ark and these cheeky chappies (pictured).
They don’t have e-commerce set up on their site so you need to browse and then give them a bell with you order and credit card details.
(Note: For more on Mark and Sally you can check out their interiors book, Recycled Home. Available through their website or from Amazon.)
-Mo
Mo in London
December 18th, 2009
These baby loafers and ballet slippers by Australian-based company Czarque are exquisite and so, so chic. My only gripe is that they were not around when my children were babies!!
They are delicate and soft, understated and …. just so very adorable! Not to mention, they come in the most gorgeous of textures (honestly, I’m not sure that these pictures do them justice). They are perfect for the special occasions in life or ‘just because’. After all, there is nothing more frustrating than spending money on something special for your children only to have them outgrow it after two wears. What a waste!
Czarque baby shoes are handcrafted in Australia in the finest quality Australian leather and they all feature soft, flexible brushed suede soles that are perfect for babies’ delicate feet (from newborn size to age 2). As a first shoe I think that they would make the sweetest keepsake.
They are available at Bon Bon Tresor for both local and international shipment.
- Sara
Sara in Melbourne
December 17th, 2009
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