THURSDAY THOUGHTS
At what age do you leave your kids home alone at night?
I had a revelation the other day when my youngest daughter told me that she had spent the evening entertaining the guest. The guest in this case was the 19-year-old babysitter whom I was paying good money to! This is when I realized that my kids were probably fine at staying home alone and very ...
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KIDS
Carmen Sandiego - finally a strong female cartoon lead
I will let you in on a secret -- we do watch TV ;). In fact, I really like watching television with the kids, especially now that they are older and we can enjoy shows together. (It goes without saying that this is of course in moderation). Some great content has been made lately, with ...
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SEE
The Huntington: Library, Art and Botanical Garden in Pasadena
The Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based educational and research institute established by Henry E. Huntington. In 1919 Henry and his wife Arabella Huntington drafted the trust document that would transform their private estate into an institution for the "advancement of learning, the arts and sciences, and to promote the public ...
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PLAY
The Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena
Most children's museums (that we have been to) are indoors. Which is quite a bummer when the weather is nice out! The Kidspace Museum in Pasadena has exhibits indoors and outdoors, which is one of the many reasons we really like visiting. The museum sits on a 3.5 acre lot and next to the Rose ...
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FOR MUMS
The Babyccino x Reunion Pop-Up In Paris
Our little Pop Up is just around the corner!!! Honestly, it is going to be great. We have more than 40 brands coming with beautiful products for babies, kids and some for mums also. It will be a mixture of toys, skincare, clothes and accessories. There are so many great designers and creators, I cannot ...
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KIDS
Swifty Scooters -- a fun and safe way to explore and travel
In my ever continuing search to find the ideal transport to cross Paris easily and quickly -- I have come to the conclusion that travelling independently, i.e. with wheels or by foot, is the best way to get from A to B. First and foremost it lets us enjoy the beautiful city we live in. ...
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INTERESTING ARTICLES
Let's talk morning routines (and an interesting approach)
We are well and truly back to school over here in Paris. The long nights and slow mornings of the summer holidays are over. It's back to the real life routine. I just read this article and it really struck home with me. As I have mentioned before, mornings are not our forte. We are ...
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PARENTING TIPS
Teenagers -- let them vent!
When my girls were small, their problems seemed smaller. A cuddle and a kiss solved most problems. But as they grow bigger, so does the complexity of their problems. I cannot just rush in like Batman anymore and make everything okay. One new development I have noticed as my kids getting older is the need ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Teens - Navigating the rocky waters of social media
Teens and social media is a 'hot potato' topic (as we say in French). The fact is: as much as I love the idea of a totally unplugged childhood, we will not be able to avoid social media forever. We ourselves use social media, and for good reason -- it is a simple way to ...
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PLAY
Noah's Arc at the Skirball Cultural Center
Noah's Arc at the Skirball Cultural Center is located in the Santa Monica Mountains, close to the Getty Center. It's an interactive "playground" themed after the story of Noah's Arc, where children become part of the experience by bringing the story to life themselves! Children can climb, operate and pretend play on the large vessel ...
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SHOPUP
A recap of our 2nd annual summer ShopUp in London
London - I love this city. It is pulsing with creativity and energy around every corner, and there is always something happening! This past weekend, the event that drew us all to London was our 2nd annual spring/summer ShopUp, and it was such a beautiful event! Honestly, it was so fun and so inspiring. We ...
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SHOP
Merci Milo - A magical toy store in Highland Park
Merci Milo is a treasure trove and a true gem of a toy store tucked away on a side street next to bustling Figueroa Avenue in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Once a horse carriage stable, this converted space is now one of the most magical toy stores around. With the door just slightly slanted and ...
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SHOP
Quinnie B - A Tiny (but very memorable!) Toy Shop
This wonderful (and colorful) tiny toy shop is brim full with the greatest selection of toys, party decor, outdoor toys, games and arts and crafts ideas! The bright blue storefront is such a pop of color in the neighborhood its hard to miss and basically impossible to walk on by with a toddler without stopping ...
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TEAM FAVOURITES
Team Favourites: Best Storage Items for the Family
Storage, storage, storage! Whether you live in a small apartment in the city or a big house in the country (or anything in between!), having enough storage feels like the never-ending conundrum... especially when you have kids! You need places to store their shoes, their toys, hair accessories, nicknacks, books, etc. etc. etc. And there's ...
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FASHION
Alice à Paris -- French fashion for kids and tweens up to age 12
Oh sunshine, how welcome you are after this cold, cold European winter! It is glorious to be able to shed shoes and sweaters and to lap up every sun ray possible! The exciting thing is that for the first full year we have been able to take advantage of our little courtyard. We have planted ...
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WEEKEND GETAWAYS
Weekend Getaway: Rome with kids!
Isabel Lamb moved to Rome three years ago with her husband Christopher and their children, Joseph, 8, and Martha, 5. The family relocated from London for Christopher’s job as a journalist reporting on the Vatican and Rome. Isabel now runs The Little Grand Tour in London and Rome, a company introducing children to art with fun ...
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WEEKEND GETAWAYS
Weekend Getaway: Ibiza!
Oh Ibiza! If you've grown up in Europe you know the reputation of Ibiza: the best party island to dance from dusk 'til dawn. I'm sure many of us have had good times there in our pre-kids days. Discovering the island with kids sounds intriguing to say the least and there is no one with ...
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FOR MUMS
Luna & Stella -- beautiful, timeless jewelry
At last September's ShopUp in New York, Esther and I were having a great time meeting and mingling with so many interesting people. But I have to say I was missing my girls back home a lot. It was just after the summer holidays and we had such a good time together travelling around France, ...
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THURSDAY THOUGHTS
After school activities: when is it too much?
After school activities can be great for keeping your kids active and entertained beyond the school day. They can encourage your children to hone skills they might not necessarily have the chance to practice in school, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends outside of their classroom. However, having ...
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BOOKS
What we are reading right now
As we are nearing the shortest days of the year and, as a result, spending more time indoors, I thought it might be fun to share with you what we are reading right now in our little home! Coco, who is 11, is on multiple books (as per usual). She is devouring the Generation K ...
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TOP TEN BOOK LISTS
Oliver Jeffers shares his Top Ten Favourite Children's Books
Who doesn't love Oliver Jeffers? Without a doubt, many of his own books would appear on other authors' top ten book lists. They would certainly make the cut on my list! His super charming children's books are big-time favourites in our house. 'How to Catch a Star' and 'Lost and Found' will forever remind me of ...
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SEE
Copenhagen's Harbour Buses – Seeing the city from the water
When you're in Copenhagen, there's water, water, everywhere, and it follows that in this city, the connection to it is magnetic. Great efforts have been made to make the harbour clean enough to swim in, and there are bright orange ladders emerging from it everywhere, so that you can dive in where you like and ...
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PLAY
Skydebanehaven – A 70-year-old secret playground for Copenhagen's children
If Vesterbrogade feels busier than most other parts of the city, that's because it is – and it's not just a feeling, it's a fact: this is the most densely populated area in the (albeit small) country of Denmark. Its streets edge the main train station, Københavens Hovedbanegård (Copenhagen's Central Station); it's where its red ...
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