Babyccino Kids: Daily tips, Children's products, Craft ideas, Recipes & More » Equipment

Springfree Trampoline

Stephanie in Auckland — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:00:04 +0000

We’ve moved back to NZ… and for the first time in many years we had our first summer christmas. I do love a cosy winter christmas but there is something to be said for a hot christmas day where the kids can run around outside and burn off all that energy. As soon as I knew we were moving back I planted the idea in their heads that they could ask Father Christmas for a trampoline. My older sister and I had one when we were growing up and I think we played on it every day. They are great for kids as they improve flexibility, help develop their balance and co-ordination, it’s a great workout for their muscles and it develops their motor skills among many other benefits.

Trampolines have come a long way since I was a kid (we had no safety mats or nets!) but now you can buy springfree trampolines as Sara mentioned in an earlier post. I am proud to say these were invented in New Zealand by a father who wanted a safe trampoline for his children. Our trampoline was a huge hit and the kids have been playing on it ever since. I can not recommend these trampolines enough!!

Stephxo

Win a Minui Highchair from Blue Daisy!

Courtney in London — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 05:02:55 +0000

I’ve seen and used the HandySitt portable seat before — you often see it in restaurants here in London. But I had no idea that it is a part of a bigger highchair system. Combined, the Minui HandySitt Chair and portable seat form a freestanding high chair. When detached, the chair is a seat for older kids and/or a sturdy step stool… and the Portable Seat is ideal for travel or for restaurants, etc. Pretty handy if you ask me!

The (also handy) webshop, Blue Daisy, is now giving away one Minui High Chair (value worth £175) to a lucky reader! Click here to enter to win.

-Courtney

Junior Chair from Ikea

Stephanie in Auckland — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000

I’m kicking myself now, but I never bought Stokke Tripp Trap chairs for my children when they started on solids. I wish I had looked to the future and realised they would last them for years to come!

So I was very excited when I happened to come across these chairs in IKEA the other day. We have a very high table to accommodate the tall Dutch folks but sitting at it with a normal height chair was a bit of a problem for my 4½- year-old. Now that she has this chair, she can sit in one spot without wriggling around trying to reach her plate. I will buy another one for my son when he grows out of his high chair. I love the simple design and the fact that they are super easy to clean!

Steph xo

So simple: Scoot ‘n Pull

Esther in Amsterdam — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:00:07 +0000

As always — simple ideas are best. All of us, mummies of Microscooter-users, know that Microscooters can be tiring, and pushing a 2-year-old home on his/her scooter can result in a really sore back (and not to mention, a foul mood)! Also, the scooter doesn’t really fit in the buggy, does it? Now, with this simple invention, the Scoot ‘n Pull, you can simply pull your kid when he’s tired, and carry the scooter over your shoulder when not in use! Brilliant. I have already thrown my Scoot ‘n Pull in our buggy. Great to have around!

xxx Esther

Stripy Blankets from Milk & Coco

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:11:25 +0000

All mothers know — a good baby blanket is an absolute necessity! I’m loving these 100% cotton or lambswool baby blankets by the Stripy Company (found at the lovely Australian boutique Milk & Coco). Gorgeous — and super soft!
Milk&Coco is a wonderful boutique, stocking both good-looking essentials as well as luxury goods, so surely you will find that much needed item or that much wanted gift. Also — don’t forget to check out the latest from Olive’s Friend Pop, an Australian clothing brand we love, and the supersoft, sheepskin Flat Out Bears (Ava doesn’t sleep without hers).

xxx Esther

Poplico Reversible Canopies

Courtney in London — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:03:32 +0000

Our Bugaboo buggy is practically vintage (nearly 7 years old!), but I must say, it has outlasted all our others and is still my favourite buggy we’ve owned! And now, thanks to a brand new Poplico reversible canopy, it looks as good (if not better) than the day we bought it. The Poplico canopies come in 8 different colour sets, are water and stain repellent, and are machine washable and easy to instal. Whether you have a new buggy and just want to customise it or your old buggy needs a facelift, these are the perfect solution. Available to purchase directly from the Poplico website, or from these retailers.

-Courtney

Back to the Bib!

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:02:37 +0000

Baby Ava obviously wears a bib when she’s eating and she can’t say too much about that yet, but the other two kids have been feeling WAY too old for a bib for years now … which is kind of annoying, because dinner never seems to escape their clothes, no matter how hard they try. But since I brought home Deuz Napkids for them they have been requesting their bib! I didn’t introduce them as bibs of course, I said that these were ‘clever napkins’ — they are in fact packaged as napkins (very cool) so that was totally plausible. The design, size and colours of the Napkids are aimed at bigger children, so they don’t feel like babies at all when they’re wearing them. And they have seriously helped me cut on the amount of laundry so far!
Napkids by Deuz are ethically made in India from 100% certified organic cotton and printed with non toxic inks. Check here for points of sale.

xxx Esther

Crazy Helmets

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 05:03:44 +0000

You will rarely see adults in the Netherlands cycling with a helmet, but it’s more and more common to see children wearing one. Safety first, of course, and even though I won’t be the first helmet wearing grown-up in Amsterdam myself, my kids do wear theirs fathfully. I’m loving the 3D helmets by Danish company Crazy Stuff (my son Pim sports the crocodile and is thus hard to miss in the Amsterdam street scenes). They are designed by an ex-Lego designer and are really cool looking. But more importantly, they are lined with shock absorbers, are dial adjustable to ensure a perfect fit and meet European and US safety standards.
For kids aged 2 to 8, available through Kidsen.co.uk.

xxx Esther

Luxembourg chairs

Emilie in Paris — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:05:23 +0000

The Luxembourg Gardens is one of my favourite parks in Paris. The downside of this park is that there is only a tiny little strip of grass to sit on. Everywhere else you get shooed away by the guards! There is a silver lining to this story though: the famous, green Luxembourg Garden chairs which you can find all over the park, ready to sit your weary bottom on. Surprisingly comfortable, I have spent many lunch hours in them, watching the world go by while munching on a saucisson sandwich.

What I did not know was that you can actually buy them, and mini, kid-sized versions exists too! How great would these look in your garden?

Oceans Friends Beach Bag (by Coq en Pâte)

Esther in Amsterdam — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:00:26 +0000

If you’re searching for the perfect beach bag for this summer, then look no further — this is it. It’s huge, it’s cool, it’s washable, and it’s made with respect for human beings as well as the environment. It has pockets on the inside as well as the outside so there’s a place for sun lotion, hats, flip flops and frisbee. There’s even a little matching pouch that is just perfect to keep your valuables together and safeguard your telephone from sand and sun. With appropriate sea graphics on the outside, and big enough to fit towels for the entire family, this bag will certainly not disappoint. Beware beach — here we come!

xxx Esther

Boon Frog Pod

Esther in Amsterdam — Wed, 11 May 2011 05:00:25 +0000

Have you recently taken a close look at your baths toys? My husband is mostly the one bathing our kids, but last week I happened to be the one scooping the toys out of the bath. Two comments:
1. Where does that black residue on and in the bath toys comes from? Is that mould???
2. How come my husband doesn’t take notice of the fact that the toys are dirty when he’s the one storing them away every evening? (Let’s just ignore this point.)
Time for action. I carefully washed the toys that could be saved, and tossed the ones that couldn’t. Then I got myself a Boon Frog Pod, partly because I always thought it looked so cool, and partly because (I hope) it is now easier for my husband to rinse all of the toys after bath time.

So far, so good. The frog is super easy to install, and looks super cool in our bathroom. It stores away all of the toys, and it also has a very handy shelf for the baby bubbles and shampoo. And no mould yet!

xxx Esther

PS Do you have tips on good bath toys? I think our kids’ favourite ones are the old-fashioned stacking cups!

ReCrib: Out with the old in with the new

Dina in NYC — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:00:59 +0000

A friend just passed along this website to me and I am thrilled to see that someone took the time to put this together! ReCrib is essentially a “Craigslist” for all things child related — a place to buy and sell cribs, baby gear, strollers and all the other wonderful and time-limited things that come along with having children. It looks like the website is only catering to New York and New Jersey right now but I am sure once it gets rolling it will be everywhere! The site offers high-end products from the likes of DucDuc, Stokke and Netto all for a fraction of their retail costs. While I always prefer to donate bygone items to friends or local charities there is something to be said about recouping some cash to purchase the next needed items coming down the pipeline (ie: this crib for this toddler bed).

-Dina

Organic goodies from BabyBearShop

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:08 +0000

Oh, I’m in love with the cute packaging of the BabyBearShop products. So adorable! This line of organic products is maybe not extensive but it is absolutely enough for what I need. Loving the cheeky baby butter that I’m using for Ava! The lip balms are delicious too (and they come in the cutest packaging), and how cute is the soap with the bird (and again, how beautiful is the packaging with the nest drawn on it and the little holes in egg shape). All available through BabyBearShop.

xxx Esther

French Toast Stamp

Emilie in Paris — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:00:06 +0000

This is possibly the most useless gadget in the world, but there is a firm belief in my family that toast that has been embossed with the Eiffel Tower tastes better than toast without any decoration. I have to admit — there is not scientific evidence that supports this claim, but, as we all know, belief is more important than fact. So if little Coco and Vivi believe that toast with an Eiffel tower on it tastes better, I am not one to judge!

I picked my stamp up at the Printemps department shop here in Paris, but here is the link to the list of shops that stock Fred’s Stamps.

-Emilie

La Camille cushions

Emilie in Paris — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:00:23 +0000

I think it bodes well for a product when, in its product description, it says: Fait avec amour (Made with love) . It is either a genius marketing strategy, aiming at gullible people like me, or a sincere statement. I am pretty sure that in the case of La Camille, it is the latter.

Esther discovered these pillows and told me about them (she has a good eye, that Esther). Aren’t they super cute? My daughter Violette is now surgically attached to hers. Also have a look at the dream catchers also made by la Camille. It is so much cuter than the old-fashioned dusty feather & bead contraption that is usually associated with dream catchers…

-Emilie

Fjallraven Kanken

Mo in London — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:00:41 +0000

When my son was still a babe in arms I bought him a Fjallraven Kanken rucksack for when he started Kindergarten. I bought it from an uber-cool kid’s boutique in Berlin (Le Petite Boutique on Auguststr. in Mitte if you happen to be in the area), and just thought it was the cutest thing to imagine my little boy carrying it on his back to and from school some day.
His rucksack (in colour ‘Putty’) is now very well used, and we also have a navy blue one ready in waiting for my daughter, who starts kindergarten this year. If I have any more children I want to add a Grasshopper Green and a Warm Yellow one to our collection. I think it is the perfect kid’s rucksack. Big enough for a lunch-box and water-bottle and with a pocket in the front for treasures (torches, sticks, string etc). The back is kept sturdy with a removable foam pad which is handy for impromtu picnics when the ground is a bit too cold to sit on. They come in a great range of colours and are really durable. You can buy them at the very cool Austrian webshop, Der Kleine Salon.

-Mo. x

Smart bags

Esther in Amsterdam — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:03 +0000

Have you seen the Envirosax yet? Pretty clever, these foldable bags, and such fun designs too! I really, really loathe plastic bags these days. It’s just such a waste, all of that plastic, and so unnecessarily destructive for our environment. If you read these facts, you probably won’t touch another plastic bag ever again! In the Netherlands, more and more shops keep a ‘bag bubble‘ in their shop, where customers can leave plastic bags for others to re-use, which is such a clever initiative. I personally make an effort to keep a little shopping bag rolled up in my handbag at all times (loving the green robot bag from the Kids Series). And for my weekly shopping, my Trolley Dolly is still going strong! What do you do for the fight against plastic?

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!

The Mundo Cargo Bike

Dina in NYC — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 06:00:09 +0000

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

Esthex Travel Collection

Esther in Amsterdam — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:00:11 +0000

We’ve written about Dutch brand Esthex before and I know you’re all big, big fans, so I’m pretty sure you’ll love Esther Schuiven’s new travel collection as much as I do. There’s a fun suitcase and matching backpack in harlequinesque colour schemes with blue or pink, and the super cute character Fieke also transformed into a cool backpack. I can tell you from personal experience that those cute backpacks are the perfect size for school-going kids, and, as all Esthex products, they are machine washable, which comes in handy in case of milk spills…

Available through Esthex’s webshop.

xxx Esther

BPA-Free Snackpots from VUP baby

Courtney in London — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:00:32 +0000

How cute are these little TumTum Snack Pots from VUPbaby, each with a little bug on the lid? They’re made from BPA-free plastic, are dishwasher safe and fit one inside the other for easy storage. Cute for inside lunch boxes or for storing after school snacks. Or… you can do what I just did and give them to your 2-year-old and ask her to stack and sort them. Mine sat there for nearly 20 minutes completely entertained!

-Courtney