Boon Frog Pod

May 11, 2011

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!

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Is it a girl thing?
• Wherefore art thou toothbrush?
Esther in Amsterdam | 12 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

ReCrib: Out with the old in with the new

April 28, 2011

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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• My Very Own Fairy Tale
• Grilled Baby Romaine Lettuce
Dina in NYC | 3 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Organic goodies from BabyBearShop

April 15, 2011


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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Barbie Fashionette
• Adorable Beci Orpin coin purses
Esther in Amsterdam | 1 Comment | PRINT PDF | |

French Toast Stamp

April 6, 2011


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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Makedo — recycled craft
• Kiki’s delivery service
Emilie in Paris | 1 Comment | PRINT PDF | |

La Camille cushions

April 4, 2011


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

Emilie in Paris | 5 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Fjallraven Kanken

March 28, 2011

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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Bacsac — a garden on the go
Mo in London | 6 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Smart bags

March 25, 2011


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!

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Re-live the 17th century in Rembrandt’s House
• Egg Heads
Esther in Amsterdam | 2 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

The Mundo Cargo Bike

March 15, 2011

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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Masala Baby dress (and win!)
• Kew Gardens
Dina in NYC | 5 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Esthex Travel Collection

March 14, 2011


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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Bastida — clever clothes that grow with your child
Esther in Amsterdam | Add Comment | PRINT PDF | |

BPA-Free Snackpots from VUP baby

February 21, 2011

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

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Cool cards from Cocodot
Courtney in London | Add Comment | PRINT PDF | |

Playtime Paris

January 27, 2011


This weekend, from the 29th to the 31st of January, Playtime will be in Paris.  Playtime is now the children’s events in Paris — it’s always at lot of fun and really inspiring. A number of great brands will be represented, such a Bobo Choses, Lily and the Funky Boys, Mundo Melicoton, April Showers by Polder, Ada Ada… and lots of other Babyccino Kids favourites .

Such a fun chance to meet up with people, see how brands have developed and discover new and exciting labels. And there is always a great space to take your children to play, and a place to meet up for coffee. Let me know if you are going to be there!

-Emilie

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• This is Australia…
• My Quotable Kids — a safe place for kid’s quotes
Emilie in Paris | 5 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Super cute name labels from Mooo

January 25, 2011


Summer holidays are coming to an end (phew — I need a break from all the cleaning and washing a ’stayvacation’ entails). Aussie children are back to school, the start of a brand new school year. And that means labels. Lot’s of them. Especially for my son who starts his very first year of school (so exciting) and who would be prone to losing his beautiful head, were it not so well attached to his body. These adorable name labels are from Mooo. They also do the coolest personalised books which I have always intended to get for my children but which I have never got around to organizing. Also personalised bags, pencil cases, wooden puzzels, stationery, canvas art and an array of other personalised goodies, all of which make fabulous birthday present options.

- Sara

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Call mum
• Hope & Greenwood
Sara in Melbourne | 3 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Tiny People, Byron Bay

December 29, 2010


If only my daughter still let me dress her!  Isn’t this little jumpsuit totally gorgeous? It is by sweet Aussie brand fabric from a shop called TinyPeople .  Tiny People is in the eclectic town of Byron Bay on the far north coast of NSW.  Byron Bay is quite a hippie little town. Think ‘bohemian cool’ … locals wearing tie-dye sarongs, frangipani sandals and wooden beads, organic produce markets every Thursday, and tempeh, veggie and chickpea burgers — a Byron Bay fast food staple. Unfortunately, I don’t get to visit Byron as often as I’d like to (it is a good 2 hour plane trip from Melbourne), but when I am there I always pop into this very cool little store. Not only do they carry some of my favourite local brands like Little Horn, Munster, Coco & Ginger, Paper Wings, Gaia, Polka and mamapapa… they also carry a small but well edited selection of imports — Wovenplay, Pop Up Shop and Mini Rodini just to name a few — lovely hand-made one-off objects and a beautiful selection of books and toys. Definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere in the vicinity!  And if not, Tiny People have a great website with worldwide shipping available. (more…)

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Absorba
Sara in Melbourne | 1 Comment | PRINT PDF | |

FlexiBath, the smart solution baby bath!

December 8, 2010

Some of you may be so lucky to have a bathroom that fits a Rolls Royce (or two) easily, but ours is on the smaller side (read: tiny)… This is why I’m so happy with our FlexiBath — it can be folded completely flat! Genius. This bath is also great when you just have a shower, or (poor you) no bathroom at all, as it’s easy to set up this bath on the kitchen counter. Because it is a bit higher than your usual baby bath, it can be used for children up to 4 years of age. Available through VUPbaby.co.uk in six fun, bright colour combinations.

xxx Esther

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Giant sticky notes — fun for everyone!
• Oona L’ourse
Esther in Amsterdam | 8 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Dabbawalla Bags & Packs

October 29, 2010

I first discovered these awesome Dabbawalla bags while my kids and I were visiting a friend over the summer. My son got the opportunity to go to his buddy’s camp for a couple days, but he needed a lunchbox, so we borrowed his friend’s Dabbawalla and I was instantly hooked. See, I have this issue with lunchboxes. I hate almost all of them. I buy them very frequently though, in hopes that the next will be “the one”. Alas, junk sticks in the corners even after rinsing, the metal ones rust, the cute soft lunchboxes get thrashed, and the worst are those that test positive for lead(!!). I’ve tried them all. The reason I so loved this Dabbawalla one was because it’s totally machine-washable, it has no corners for crumbs, it’s light enough for kids to tote around, and the design is simple and clean. And they’re made from an eco-friendly neoprene-like fabric that carries a certification which tests for over a hundred harmful substances. Perfect!

(Available in the UK from Peanut & Pip.)

-Kaela

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• A Buzzer like no other
• Madison Browne does cashmere
Kaela in LA | 5 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Klean Kanteen at VUPbaby

October 12, 2010

At the beginning of the school term, my son’s teacher asked that all kids bring in a water bottle to keep in the classroom. I sent my husband to the sports store next to his office to pick up a non-plastic water bottle… and he came back with a large, clunky thing with a screw-on lid that took about ten minutes to open. I’m not sure this is what the teacher had in mind for quick water breaks. So I turned to VUPbaby who specialize in BPA-free, non-toxic drinking products. I ended up with a Klean Kanteen bottle which is perfect. It’s a lightweight, stainless steel bottle with an easy-to-use sport cap, and it comes in cool colours that kids love (we got the orange!). Klean Kanteen also makes bottles for grown-ups and sippy cups for babies.

-Courtney

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Hanging children’s art
• Knitted alphabet letters
Courtney in London | 5 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Bugaboo Double Stroller

October 4, 2010


I don’t know what is in the water at the moment but loads of people I know are expecting not only one baby, but two. In fact, in one week I had two friends of mine call me with their happy news and both had two buns in the oven.

Well, Bugaboo seems as usual to have its finger on the pulse for this new twin trend and are launching in the Spring of next year the Bugaboo Donkey, their first double stroller. Perfect timing for all my friends. How it is exactly going to work, is not clear, but apparently you can easily convert it from a single to a double buggy and there will be loads of storage space… I have high hopes for this double buggy –  hopefully the good people of Bugaboo won’t let me down!

- Emilie

First seen on Bambino Goodies.

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Simple Living Theme Week
Emilie in Paris | 4 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Safety first — buggy reflective strips from Wagalum

October 1, 2010

Pretty scary thought, that now that I have put the Wagalum reflective strips onto Ava’s buggy, the risk of us having an accident is reduced by 85%. One wonders how it’s possible we’re still alive to start with!
No kidding, Wagalum reflective strips should be installed on every buggy on the planet. They ensure the buggy is noticed six times faster by other traffic, and seen from a distance as far as 150 meters instead of the usual 30 meters, which, in the end can make the difference between life or death. Wagalum strips are hardly noticeable during the day, but at night shine nine times brighter than comparable materials. And they cost next to nothing, especially if you compare it to the price of the actual buggy, which costs the same as a small car these days. No excuses, I would say.
For stockists, check the Wagalum website.

xxx Esther

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Awkward Family Photos
• Print on Wood
Esther in Amsterdam | 6 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

WasteNot Sandwich Saks

September 27, 2010

With school now back in full swing (finally!), I must say I am quite happy to be back in the routine… and yet, on the flip side, I am not at all psyched about the part about making and packing the daily lunch.  That being said, I recently stumbled upon this Etsy site the other day and thought it was such a great idea, especially for those, like me, who have relied on the plastic “baggie” for my sandwich and snack packing needs as I didn’t really know of an alternative.

The WasteNot Saks are not only stylish and easy to open but are lined with water and stain-resistant nylon.  On the website it says “After using, you may simply shake out the crumbs, turn the bag inside-out and wipe the liner down, or if you have a particularly goopy PB&J that day just toss it in the washing machine and line dry.”  The other plus — they come in a variety of very cute and kid-friendly fabrics making lunch-time at least pleasurable for someone!

-Dina

Dina in NYC | 3 Comments | PRINT PDF | |

Shinzi Katoh Disney

September 17, 2010



My daughter finally got to go to Euro-Disney and had the best time ever. You see, we live in the Eastern part of Paris, and Disneyland is only 30 mins away from us. Many families in this area of Paris even have annual passes. Hilariously, when I asked her if she knew what Disneyland was, she shrugged her shoulders — all that she knew was that it was GREAT, whatever it was. So off she went, and of course she came back with the biggest pink princess obsession.

Now all my friends are going to cringe when they read this, as they think that I should just give into the kitsch and the pink, but I just cannot deal with the whole plastic, princess thing. I know I should, as my kids love it, but I am not yet at the point where I think that battery operated, twirling princesses on sticks are acceptable. So this is my alternative: Shinzi Katoh’s take on Mickey Mouse. Don’t you think they are lovely? He also has a series of Snow White designs.

I am not sure if my daughter is going to accept this as an alternative to her Disney princess obsession, but I can but try. After all… it is all in the name of design.

- Emilie

ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:

• Blackmail
• Look and Cook
Emilie in Paris | 3 Comments | PRINT PDF | |
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