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Parenting

BOOKS
Good books for teenagers -- Sara's now favourite reads
It's already nearly two years ago that I asked Sara to share her favourite books, and many of you have asked to share her current favourites. She is nearly 15 years old now, and still absolutely loves to get lost in a great story! She reads loads, so there's a lot of material to choose ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
A schedule for our new reality...
We are in our third week of lockdown here in the Netherlands, and a new reality has slowly settled in. As much as it is humanly possible, with 5 children and 2 adults at home 24/7 for the unforeseeable future, the new ways and customs we have established already feel surprisingly 'normal'. Where usually our ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
How can we manage worrying information around our children?
Remembering days outdoors with my friend Sarah @abitofpink and her big girls As we are all well aware by now, we are in ‘unprecedented’ times. Endless news reels, articles, conversations, not only between adults but children too, are hard to ignore. It is impossible to shield our children from the worries and events of the ...
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PARENTING
A different world...
Dear friends, How are you? It's a different world! Some of you may have been house-bound for a while now, and for some of you it's only just beginning. Working from home, schooling from home, spending less time outside... No playdates, no sports or hobbies, no little trips to parks, pools, museums or even family. ...
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FOR MUMS
Going back to work -- tips and thoughts
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend who is taking the big step of going back to work -- in an office, with a commute, and with colleagues. It is such a massive shift, not only for her but also for her family! So I jotted back some of my random ...
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PARENTING
Laundry - Are we doing too much of it?
I've been thinking a lot about laundry lately, and it's not entirely because I always seem to be faced with piles that need to be washed, folded, or put away (although yes, that is my reality!)....no, laundry has been on my mind because I think I am slowly coming to the realization that I'm doing ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Tuesday Tips: integrating older siblings into life with a newborn 
In the last seven months since our sweet baby, Georgina Rose, was born, time has flown by! And it is amazing how many of my friends have also had new babies too... and one of the most common questions around day two or three of the new baby in the home is 'how do I ...
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BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Birthday gifts for school friends -- what do you give?
My daughter started kindergarten last fall, and beyond the expected academically-focused changes (beginning math! learning to read!), I've noticed a big social one as well: a larger class, an expanded social circle, and invitations to so many birthday parties for school friends. At first, choosing a birthday gift for my daughter to give the birthday ...
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HEALTH & CARE
Restarting a fitness routine with a 7-minute workout
I'm almost afraid to admit this, but here it is: before two weeks ago, I hadn't engaged in proper exercise - I mean, exercise for the sole purpose of fitness - in over six years. Six years! That brings us back to the start of my pregnancy with my daughter, a time that feels like it may ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Do you talk about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender with your kids?
Earlier this week, a successful beauty blogger here in the Netherlands, Nikkie de Jager (@nikkietutorials), publicly announced that she is transgender. A very brave thing to do -- I watched her coming out video on YouTube and was incredibly impressed by her story and the way she chose to share it. I recommend you to ...
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SERVICES
Revisiting summer memories with photo books, and strategies for moving photos from digital to print
I'm now five and half years into parenthood and I still haven't developed a consistent method for archiving and printing photos...please tell me I'm not the only one! I've had stretches where I ordered some prints monthly and I've made photo books after having nice family photos taken, but I'm still searching for a method ...
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PARENTING
Cultural Richness around Bringing Up Children
London, has always been home. Born in the house I grew up in, it was my base for travelling this way and that to all of London’s corners which have attracted me and welcomed me. Its’ beauty owes much to do with its rich culture, hot mess of food and smells, sights and peoples, markets ...
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PARENTING
Do You Keep Things Even in Your Family? Some thoughts
"Do I get a new book bag too?" "Why did you read three books to Charlotte and I only get one? No fair!" Do you see where this is going? Today I’m talking about the constant questions and comments on fairness and evenness when it comes to young children. Is it a thing in your ...
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INTERVIEWS
5 Questions With… Samantha Barnes of Raddish Kids
In this age of female empowerment and the continuous search for balance between work and family, it's so refreshing to read Samantha's 5 Questions With interview below. Her company, Raddish Kids (a monthly cooking club for kids -- more below), values this balance. Samantha supports the parents in her team to be flexible and wants them ...
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FOR MUMS
Hospital bag: 10 items to make your stay a little cosier
Courtney and Esther have already written excellent posts about what to pack into your hospital bag, here and here. So you might wonder why I'm writing yet another post about the hospital bag? Well, having had a C-section delivery for my firstborn and waiting to get a second one in a couple days from now, ...
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TUESDAY TIPS
Memorizing Poetry, a lost art? Let's talk about the benefits.
I'm just back from Community Meeting at my children's school, which is a short weekly gathering of all the children in grades PreK-3 (so, ages 4 through 8 or 9 years old) and their parents. Typically at Community Meetings we sing together or listen to presentations from various classes on their studies, but the theme of ...
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INTERVIEWS
5 Questions with Maya Simler from PLAYin CHOC
I have rarely encountered a person with such an international life as Maya. Reading the answers to our 5 questions below, it became clear that she really has worked and lived in so many places! Maya currently lives in London with her husband and two boys. She's the brainchild behind her amazing brand PLAYin CHOC, ...
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PARENTING
Moments of big transition, and the ones that catch you off guard
A big event happened this weekend at our house: we removed the tall sides of the crib my son has slept in for the last two years (and my daughter for 2.5 years before him), replacing them with shorter, toddler-friendly ones. In truth, it was time -- he's been potty trained for more than 8 ...
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PARENTING
Would you share the name of your baby before birth?
Esther and I just had an interesting conversation about sharing or not sharing the name of your unborn child. She cheekily asked if we had decided on a name for our baby boy already and if I would share it with her. Which got us comparing habits and traditions on the matter. I am now ...
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INTERESTING ARTICLES
Why being kind makes you happier!
Earlier this week, Lara in London sent me this wonderful article in The Sydney Morning Herald (her husband worked on the studies involved at Kindness.org), and it really hit home with me. The article shows a link between kindness and happiness. Reading it, I was reminded of an analogy my friend, Jeremy, shared with me ...
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EDUCATION
The climate strike (plus: 8 ways to make a conscious change at home)
If you are reading this post on Friday, 27th of September 2019, you will be looking at a black&white website. For one day we're ditching all colour, in solidarity with everyone who is striving for an urgent climate change -- today, this week, and always! A small change, perhaps, but I find it quite disturbing ...
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PARENTING
Thursday Thoughts: Do You Make Your Kids Stay at the Table at Mealtimes?
 My husband and I have had a bit of a predicament lately which has left us with this question I'd love to ask you: When your kids are finished eating, do you make them stay at the table until everyone is finished or do you excuse them? We’ve always let our girls get down when ...
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PARENTING
A new kind of list making
  I made a list today, a different kind of list than I usually do. Not a to-do list, or a grocery list, or a list of errands to run, or a list in my gratitude journal that doesn't exist because I have zero extra time in my day for that. It originated as a ...
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Dotti shopGraceful and playful dresses, made from natural materials in NYC
The NattyModern, minimalistic fashion with a touch of playfulness.
BayíriA colourful, cute collection of beautiful baby knits
Emile et RoseClassic British-designed outfits for baby

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Chirp chirp! These fingerprint cards are super easy and quick to make so if you are in need of a last-minute Easter card read on. ⭐️ You will need: Yellow water colour paint (water and a paintbrush to mix) Plain white card folded in half Black felt tip pen Orange felt tip pen (We found water colours worked great but any yellow paint will do). ⭐️ Mix up some yellow water colour paint, dip a finger into the paint and then place firmly onto the front of a folded piece of card. Repeat and cover the whole card with yellow fingerprints leaving some gaps for the feet and beaks. ⭐️ Once the paint has dried add some little black legs and feet, a dot for the eye and an orange beak. The beaks look great all pointing in different directions. ⭐️ What we love about these cute cards are their randomness. It’s such a simple idea that children of any age can get involved. Anything goes here, long legs/ short legs, big beaks/little beaks!! We guarantee they’ll look great in any style and they will definitely bring a smile to a loved ones face. #babyccinokids #babyccinocrafts #eastercards @soloskates
3 hours ago
Hoppy paper doll bunnies from @laraoflondon were super easy. Just accordion fold a long strip of white paper and cut out! Then add ears, eyes, and a few accessories of course! #babyccinocrafts #babyccinokids #paperdolls #easterbunny
15 hours ago
Decorations that don’t waste too many precious cooking ingredients... yes please! We love this simple salt dough recipe!🧂 1 cup flour 1/2 cup salt 1/2 cup water 1. Preheat the oven to 120 °C and line baking tray with baking paper. 2. Mix flour and salt in the bowl then gradually add water, stirring until combined. 3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, roll out until about 7mm thick and transfer to baking tray. 4. Then all you need is an egg-shaped cookie cutter, which is easy to find at this time of the year. Cut them out and make a hole in each about a centimeter from the top edge. Bake on 120C for about three hours turning them once after about 2 hours. 5. Now paint both sides with one color or each in different and wait to dry completely. 6. After about an hour you can draw your favorite designs on the eggs (again, one or both sides). 7. Leave for about 12 hours or overnight to dry and finish them with glossy varnish. (Clear nail polish works nicely.) 8. Now just string the twine or a fishing line through holes and you’re done! 9. Place on branches or hang around the home. 10. Enjoy! 🥚🧂 More Easter ideas in our bio! #babyccinokids #babyccinocrafts #eastercraftsforkids #saltdoughornaments
1 day ago
Paper, glue, scissors... make your own sweet bunny ears to create more fun for your Easter at home. It’s a 5 minute craft and 100% recycled scraps friendly! See @laraoflondon ‘s idea in the bio and customise the colours for your little ! #babyccinokids #babyccinocrafts
2 days ago
Hello Easter! We have over ninety crafts, recipes & blog posts (yes, that’s 90!) for this season we adore. So click on the bio link and get inspired. And stay tuned as we share all week — natural egg dyeing, making edible egg nests, cakes, salads, cards, decor, and more! #babyccinokids #babyccinoeats #babyccinocrafts #easter
3 days ago
Schedules? Routines? We have pointers from week three of being indoors. More on today’s blog. @estherbabyccino #babyccinokids
4 days ago
How can we manage worrying information around our children? Today’s blog post looks at these ‘unprecedented’ times. With news reels, articles, conversations, not only between adults but children too that are hard to ignore. It is impossible to shield our children from the worries and events of the wider world, and important to share some truths with them about what is happening. We are, as Maria Montessori put it, “Citizens of the World” and our children will be the ones to inherit it. Being in lockdown, (hello to everyone at home!) can make for a really good environment to nurture discussion, as we have time to drip feed explanations, observe reactions and unpick tricky questions. There are some simple ways we can help stem and support the flow of information, manage anxieties and make sense of the world around us all. So today we have tips in our bio, so click on the link and share with loved ones. And please stay safe. #babyccinokids #explainingcoronavirustokids @themontessoristudio
5 days ago
The Dictionary of Difficult Words by Jane Solomon is a great hit. It is filled with over 400 whimsical words which continually amaze us ... words like ‘bumbershoot’, ‘spaghettification’, ‘hurdy-gurdy’ and ‘ombudsman’ are carefully described and fantastically illustrated by Louise Lockhart. I mean how cool is the word ‘hurdy-gurdy’?! Read more about the book on today’s blog. #babyccinokids #babyccinoreads @vanessa_wild_flours
6 days ago
Art for everyone... Julie from @famillesummerbelle shared this beautiful print for colouring in fun. Print out available in our bio. Enjoy. ️ @estherbabyccino @famillesummerbelle #famillesummerbelle
6 days ago
We’ve had a full-on week with home learning (as you all have I imagine) and managed to survive (just) the week in the house together. But this morning I felt we all needed a little time out from the work and we did maths through baking by making these delicious cookies. They were out of the oven just in time for a mid-morning brain break. I think we’ve tried every recipe for chocolate chip cookies but this is our favourite and today I thought I’d share it with you. I must warn you, they are not the healthiest, but during these times I think we are all in need of a little treat. Thanks to @vanessa_wild_flours for this idea ... and click on our bio for her yummy recipe! #babyccinokids #babyccinoeats
1 week 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!
1 year 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
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
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!
3 years ago
Esther shows us her recipe for delicious mint syrup.
3 years ago
Our live shopping event in London at Chelsea Old Town Hall in 2015 was a big success and so much fun.
3 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!)
3 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!
3 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