Back to school
It is so strange, we literally have just come back from our holidays and barely 24 hours later I am getting my girls ready to go back to school. The sandals are being put away and being replaced by sensible shoes, new autumn dresses are going to replace their shorts and little sun dresses. I am a little bit melancholic about it, but it is also the start of a new year full of exciting things. Also there are so many lovely back-to-school items…
I love this little school bag by the french label Miniseri — it is so simple and cute and the perfect back-to-school bag. In fact it is so cute I am trying to figure out if my laptop might fit into it… don’t you think it would make a great laptop bag? Though I am not sure my kids will be willing to share…
- Emilie
Little Nutty Helmets — for the coolest bikey in town
Nutcase is the maker of awesome helmets and their Little Nutty line caters the under five set. In Oz it is legal requirement to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle and given that so many are so cringe worthy (seriously lacking in the style stakes) these make me so very excited to hop on my bike once again. There is a cool design to suit every member of the family — in fact there are so many cool designs I seriously defy anyone, young or old, not to find one that suits their personality or acceptable to their sense of aesthetic. The Little Nutty range is particularly adorable and ‘dial-to-fit’ sizing makes getting the correct fit for this helmet simple – just turn the dial on the back of the helmet to make it fit your child’s head exactly, growing as the head grows. So cool. Enough said!
For stockists of Nutcase and Little Nutty in the USA and Canada, click here; for Europe click here and for Australia, click here. For everywhere else in the world, see here.
- Sara
Ubabub — a cot that is uber cool!
I can’t speak for elsewhere in the world but in Australia the nursery furniture market seems dominated with traditional slat style cots — with an occasional cool Scandinavian design thrown into the mix. Now, talented duo from Melbourne, Natasha and Daniel Dumais, have brought to the market some distinctly modern designs with their Ubabub range, creating a fantastic buzz in the process! One of the standout designs is the ‘pod’ (pictured). Talk about UBER cool! It is ultra modern and ultra sleek and quite different to anything out there that I have seen! (more…)
Sunshine Kids Car Seat
Last year I bought this amazing car seat from Sunshine Kids and what I love about it is that it is not a big clunker of a thing that takes up the whole back seat. In fact, it is one of the most narrow seats on the market. It also grows with your child and you can use it from birth up until you don’t need a car seat anymore. The kids can get in and out of it more easily than the other seats we’ve had and they don’t overheat in them (which was a major issue when they were little).
-Dina
Battlefield backpack from Chicken Rhythm
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
Phoyo Playhouses
A playhouse that is portable, practically indestructible and NOT made of plastic! I’m so excited by this new discovery! Isn’t it great? New Zealand architect, Robin Hannah, set about constructing a nifty slot-together version for her kids way back in the ’70s and well … fast forward and she’s kindly decided to not only repeat the design for her lucky grandchildren, but also to make it available to us! The best part? The Phoyo is made made of sustainably grown pine so it’ll last more than one generation (which means technically I can classify this type of plaything as an ‘investment’ — should my plastic-loving husband question the viability of the new purchase!)
On a practical level, the Phoyo comes with a clear varnish or you can receive it bare sanded so that you and the kids can jazz it up with your own bespoke design. I must say though, I kind of like it au natural. Oh and one more thing — aside from the fantastic utility of being completely screw/nail free, the clever six piece set simply flat packs away when not needed. Perfect! For dogs too I would imagine…
- Sara
The brilliance of the SpringFree Trampoline
I was quite adamant that we would never get a trampoline. I had visions of concussions, broken limbs and teeth knocked out (hey, my brother-in-law is a neurosurgeon). That we live in a townhouse with a little courtyard didn’t help. The trampoline would take up at least half of this and wasn’t really the kind of view I had in mind for the glass walls looking out. But that was before I discovered the brilliance of the Springfree Trampoline.
The hours and hours of fun we have had (me included), not just jumping but reading, playing cars, throwing balls, picnics, performances… drying my washing and airing out my blankets — even taking our pillows out for a spot of stargazing. For my daughter it doubles as her ‘clubhouse’. For my son it is his batman cave. For me it is a padded cell to place my kids when I am in dire need of peace and quiet. All this has well and truly compensated for my view (or lack thereof). But really the best aspect of all is that it is a great and fun source of exercise for the whole family (apparently every muscle gets a go). (more…)
This is how we roll…
When I think back to all of the useless things that I bought when I had my twins I literally cringe. I had it all…the Bumbo seat, the baby food ice tray storage, TWO of those ridiculous rainbow Whoozit things that you hang on the stroller and my god, I even had a baby wipes warmer! The best purchase that I made to date, far and above anything else, was our Mountain Buggy Double Stroller which I still use to this day. While the stroller is ideal for twins, it is also great for two kids under four as it allows for a variety of seating options. They even make a triple stroller in the event that you have three little ones to push about (yikes). Although I love the look of the Phil and Ted’s double stroller — I was never a huge fan of having one poor kid wedged at street level. The Urban Double also has a great “peek-a-boo” window so you can see the kids and they can see you! (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
Let’s have a picnic!
How cool are these picnic suitcases? My kids were each given one so they could bring their own picnic to the park. They are filled with a melamine plate, a bowl, a cup and cutlery, and there’s enough space left over for food and drinks. We love them — they’re so practical and stylish! They’re made by the original French brand Minimo, and available through supercool website Peanut and Pip, where I noticed a lot of the Minimo goodies are for sale!(!!)
xxx Esther
Eco Stickers
My kids are great but do have a tendency to get distracted. The amount of times I have found the water running in the sink or lights left on all over the place, it feels like we are wasting enough energy to power a small country. I just read about these little stickers today and thought they were definitely worth a post! These nifty little stickers are designed to be stuck beside sinks, bathtubs and light switches, to remind you to turn off your water and your electricity. As they need to be big enough to be noticed, a lot of thought has gone into making the stickers a reminder and a good looking sticker at the same time. I really love the designs — very simple and to the point!
In keeping with the ecological message the stickers are made in France in the most earth friendly manner as possible. The website is only in French at the moment. (more…)
Win! Zoocchini animal towels
After-bath, pre-bed time has become something of a wilderness in our house with these super-fun towels from Zoocchini! My son is the lion and my daughter is the elephant, and my husband and I sing ‘The lion sleeps tonight’ as if we’re the Von Trapps instead of the Van de Paals. Sweet. These towels are thick, well made and have fun little details like ears, paws and cute little tails on them. They come in a variety of animals, and are super royal in size (royally big even for my 5-year-old), which makes them more-than-perfect for the beach as well.
Would you like to win 3 (three!) Zoocchini towels of your choice? Then just leave one comment below by Wednesday, July 7th and we’ll pick one winner at random. Good luck!!!
xxx Esther
Goki Racing Cars
The more I have researched for our boys theme week, the more I realize that there are some great boy toys out there, most of which I had never noticed! And so I have discovered the Goki range of toy racing and pedal cars. I simply love everything about these cars — their look, their design and their playing potential.
I can completely imagine children spending hours zooming around on one of these, as they are super easy to steer and push. It must be impossible not to feel like Lewis Hamilton on one of these.
Goki also make some great pedal cars; my absolute favourite is the fire truck, which comes with a ladder, a hose and a bell! The Goki cars are available from Madame la Marchande, a brilliant online toy shop.
- Emilie
The Taga Stroller-Bike
I saw this AMAZING stroller-bike whiz past me the other day while I was walking the girls to school and for a second I thought I was hallucinating. But no….there it was… my dream stroller in the flesh. The Taga is essentially a luxury baby stroller that can be converted into a bicycle in a matter of seconds. Twenty to be exact. It comes in all sorts of incredible configurations and cool colors and I am completely and utterly devastated that I did not have one when my girls were young. Made in the Netherlands (of course), but the bikes are now sold world-wide.
-Dina
Emily Press Labels
I think most households I know have a ‘no shoes in the house’ policy. Some are more rigourous than others, but I think the general consensus is that distributing street dirt around the house is generally a bad idea (especially in Paris, where we do have the infamous dog poo problem). The problem is that kids nowadays tend to have a lot of shoes and they tend to end up in a massive pile in the entryway. There have been many play dates where I have lost some serious time trying to find my childrens’ shoes in the pile.
Cue the shoe stickers by Emily Press… a super simple idea that I have never heard of before! You just stick the personalised, adhesive stickers into the heal of the shoe and all is well. These are also great for gym shoes that are notorious for being lost, especially as they do all look identical. It’s a great way for my eldest daughter to find her shoes by looking for her name, whilst the youngest just looks out for the little design on the label. In her case, if she sees a skull and crossbone, she knows she has found her shoe.
- Emilie
Win! Maternity bag from Eva and Oli
I
don’t have the need anymore to carry around a maternity bag (which almost makes me sad), but I never did find the perfect one. The bags I had were either too big or to small, too bulky or to narrow, or just not stylish enough. And I do think you need a bit of style even if the contents of the bag are not the most glamourous!
We are very lucky to offer a maternity bag from one of my very favourite labels Eva and Oli. The bag is super practical, as it has been designed to open up wide so you have extremely easy access to everything. And it closes with a magnet so you don’t have to fiddle around with a zip. It is also really stylish, so stylish that most people continue using it as a laptop bag once it has rendered its services as a maternity bag.
Just leave a comment below by Wednesday, June 23rd and we’ll pick one winner at random. Good luck!
In addition, Eva and Oli are offering Babyccino Kids readers an exclusive discount of 10% for the next 3 weeks, just used the promotional code: BABYCCINO.
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…)
Beco Potty — the eco-friendly potty!
Potty training is one of the most frustrating moments of motherhood as far as my experience goes. But when it’s done and over with, it’s in fact one of the most rewarding!!! I LOVE the concept behind this Eco Potty from Becothings. It’s a potty, in its very basic shape, but the material it is made of is what distinguishes it from any other potty — big or small. In true cradle-to-cradle fashion, these becopotties are made from waste plant material. Bamboo and rice husks, leftover from farming, are ground to a fine powder, mixed with biodegradable resin and pressed in a hot mould. While they’re very durable and will last for years in your home, they start biodegrading as soon as you pop (or religiously bury) them in your garden! Plant a few vegetables on top of them and the biodegrading potty will feed your crop…
To bury the frustration and celebrate the reward — in a very eco-sensitive way!! Available through Greenjump.nl
xxx Esther
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Bubble Umbrella from Totes
Rain. Good for the flowers and trees. Not so great for my disposition…or my hair. Most kids however, love when the opportunity arises to break out the rain gear which is why I really like this umbrella from Totes. One — it is a bubble which means better bodily coverage. Two — it’s clear so kids can look through to see where they are going instead of struggling and banging into things. Three — it’s cheap and cheerful, so when it breaks or disappears, like all umbrellas eventually do, I won’t feel so bad. Also worth nothing is that the smaller version is good for an adult as I have used one many times when I can’t find my own umbrella, which is always…
-Dina
