Posts by Mari in Chicago

CRAFTS AND DIY
Dried Orange and Lavender Star Garland
If you are like me, you keep seeing gorgeous dried orange garland and salt dough garland EVERYWHERE.  We had a lazy Saturday to ourselves last weekend and I thought it might be the perfect day to try out this slow, but fun activity.  Thankfully I had a few oranges on hand and lots of dried ...
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CRAFTS AND DIY
Pretty Paper Roll Snowflakes -- a wonderful way to recycle!
There is something special about staying warm indoors when it is cold outside. Although for little ones, an extended period of time in doors can be difficult. I have found that for my daughter, anything involving glue and glitter makes her quite happy! Thanks to quarantine we have lots and lots of paper rolls so ...
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COOK BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street - A delightful cookbook for kids that also tells a story!
As a child growing up, I was privileged enough to be raised by a village.  My mother was intentional about raising me among diverse groups of people.  This also meant that I was exposed to diverse foods.  To this day, a good dal or pancit is comfort food to me.  I learned from an early ...
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CELEBRATIONS
Thanksgiving Traditions: How our family celebrates today.
In my family, Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. For many Americans it is a time to spend with family, but also a time to reminisce about "Pilgrims and Indians" and the story of the "first Thanksgiving feast". However, for other families, like mine, it is a reminder of the genocide and atrocities that soon followed ...
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HALLOWEEN CRAFTS
Perforated Pumpkin Luminaries - A Fun Halloween Cardboard Craft
This year I did not have the energy to go collect a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and carve it with a toddler, so we tried something new!  We "carved", painted and decorated cardboard pumpkins and made them into perforated pumpkin luminaries.  This method is 'less mess and no stress', using materials you already have on ...
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RECIPES
Simple "No Waste" Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Last week we got 3 "pumpkin pie" pumpkins in our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) allotment, which meant we had a LOT of pumpkin seeds.   The fall weather and the surplus of seeds gave us the perfect opportunity to make roasted pumpkin seeds! If you don't like waste and love a quick project that creates ...
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CRAFTS AND DIY
Nature Soup - A DIY game for little ones learning to count
My daughter loves to cook and can count to 20, but she is just now learning how to count out items.  Often when we prepare a recipe at home, I will help her measure and count out ingredients.  I made this game for her after seeing a similar mainstream game and thought that it might ...
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RECIPES
Overnight Refrigerator Pickles
Just last week I received a large amount of small cucumbers in my weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) allotment.  I decided to make pickles because I knew that we would never be able to eat 20 cucumbers before they went bad. Everyone in my family loves pickles. My husband particularly loves dill.  I knew we ...
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BOOKS
My Hair is a Garden, written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera - A lovely book to celebrate beauty in diversity!
I discovered this beautifully illustrated book when trying to find a book to help my daughter appreciate her hair.  I'm very intentional about curating my daughters toys and books.  I want her to learn from every experience and I want every experience to give her tools to see herself in the most positive light.  This ...
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CRAFTS AND DIY
DIY "ABC" Letter Tracing Chalkboard
My daughter is nearly three and lately she has shown an increased interest in writing.  She has been holding a pencil and pretending to write for ages, but now she she is able to identify letters and attempts to draw them.  I wanted to find a way to help her practice writing letters. I prefer ...
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RECIPES
Blueberry Crumble Muffins. One of my favorite recipes to make!
Hello friends!  I had planned a post for you about the issues happening in the States right now.  I wrote it and rewrote it, but I couldn’t find the words to express what is on my mind.  It is all so overwhelming.  So now that will be another post for another day… This weekend I ...
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CHECK THESE OUT

Vild - House of LittleMinimalist, hard-working luxury basics for 0-6s
STUDIO ROAMBespoke, colourful, personalised cashmere baby blankets
Cash ColorModern letter art prints - include your child’s initials in a refreshing way
Magic Cat PublishingBeautifully illustrated children's books. Weaving ideas that matter into stories that engage.

FOLLOW US

Who can believe it’s just four days to go until Christmas Day? What a year it has been! Whilst the holidays shall undoubtedly look different for the majority of us this year, we wish you a safe, cosy and happy festive season. We will be taking a break for a few weeks, to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with our families. See you back here in 2021! @estherbabyccino #babyccinokids
3 weeks ago
What are your family’s favourite films to watch this time of year? Our contributor Zainab shares 12 cosy films to watch this winter this week on the blog. Some of them are here (swipe), full list via the link in our bio. @themontessoristudio #babyccinokids
4 weeks ago
Love adding homemade touches to your decorations or gifts? On the blog today our contributor Mari shares a three ingredient salt dough recipe that can be used to make glorious garlands and gorgeous gift tags! So beautiful! Discover via the link in our bio. @bellamartinelli #babyccinocrafts
4 weeks ago
“For me and for many, 2020 has been a year of ‘Slow and Simple’. Our lifestyles and livelihoods were forced to slow down, to adapt or at the very least relocate to our living rooms... And so, as the year draws to a close, I’m looking forward to celebrating a Christmas and New Year that reflects the slower and simpler direction my life has taken this year.” Our contributor Sydney shared the ways (and why) she’s slowing down this Christmas, this week on the blog. (She also shares this simple craft too). Discover through the link in our bio. @sydney.piercey #babyccinocrafts
4 weeks ago
With just over a week to go until Christmas Day, how are you feeling? Ready and raring to go? Or (swipe) utterly exhausted already! However you’re feeling, from gift ideas, craft ideas, cooking ideas, and alternative ways to spend this year safely at home, we have got you covered. Head to our blog for more. Link in our bio. @estherbabyccino #babyccinokids
1 month ago
Looking for simple yet fun ways to entertain your little people at home? Try this ‘Toy box treasure hunt’ shared by our contributor Sydney on the blog. Link in bio @sydney.piercey #babyccinocrafts
1 month ago
What’s your favourite drink this time of year? Our contributor Mariam shares this spiced Kinderglühwein punch, a wintery German tradition to be enjoyed by all the family. Head to the link in our bio for this delicious recipe. @_maays___ #babyccinoeats
1 month ago
Pretty paper roll snowflakes! Discover through the link in our bio how our contributor Bella made these using just paper rolls and glue! Such a beautiful craft! @bellamartinelli #babyccinocrafts
1 month ago
“Do you know The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse? It is a book for all ages — from eight to one hundred and eight. And it is a book full of hope and full of positivity. The perfect book for a gift, but also, as a treat for yourself.“ Read our contributor Lara’s review of this book by @charliemackesy via the link in our bio. @laraoflondon #babyccinoreads
1 month ago
A craft idea for your weekend ️ Pretty paper flowers to decorate gifts of your home! Discover this simple DIY by Esther through the link in our bio. @estherbabyccino #babyccinocrafts
1 month ago
Here’s a video of our latest ShopUp in East London (shot and edited by our lovely and talented friend Nadine Brandt). It encapsulates the ShopUp atmosphere really, really well, and it makes us so excited for the next one!
2 years ago
Check out our new book! 9 months: A month by month guide to pregnancy for the family to share. PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY HERE: UK: http://amzn.to/2n6eCT7 / US: http://amzn.to/2nVWOZo / AUS: http://bit.ly/2nDYggy
3 years ago
Our beautiful new book, '9 months: A month by month guide to pregnancy' for the family to share, is AVAILABLE NOW! You can order it here: UK: http://amzn.to/2n6eCT7 / US: http://amzn.to/2nVWOZo / AUS: http://bit.ly/2nDYggy
3 years ago
Check out the cool vibes of our Shop Up event in London in December!
3 years ago
Our 2nd live shopping event in Brooklyn was amazing! Great shopping, delicious treats, tons of kids activities and a super cool family photo booth!
4 years ago
Esther shows us her recipe for delicious mint syrup.
4 years ago
Our live shopping event in London at Chelsea Old Town Hall in 2015 was a big success and so much fun.
4 years ago
Here we show you how to harvest rhubarb from the garden, and make it into a delicious compote. If you make oatmeal at the same time, you have made a delicious and nutritious breakfast that your family will love! (Ours do!)
4 years ago
This gym bag is such a fun and easy project, also for beginners this is a nice sewing project. Esther, Emilie and the kids had so much fun going to the market choosing all the supplies. The fabrics from Little Cube are the cutest!
4 years ago
Our first live shopping event in Brooklyn was a great success. We loved seeing the best boutiques under one roof, combined with great food and fun activities...and some dancing! Hope to see everyone this year again on September 18th & 19th at 501 Union, 501 Union Street in Brooklyn.
4 years ago