A ‘One Pot Wonder’ recipe — a video with Abel & Cole!

When we lived in London (already 10 years ago!), I was a huge fan of the beautiful organic food boxes that were delivered to our doorstep once a week by British home delivery service Abel & Cole. For me, it really pioneered cooking with seasonal and local ingredients, so different from the supermarket food I had gotten used to in previous decades.

So I loved the opportunity of visiting the Abel & Cole offices in South London recently with our team member Bethie. How fun to see the now size of this amazing company, to meet some of the wonderful people working there (all positively obsessed about great food!) and hey — to not only visit the beautiful Abel & Cole test kitchen (where I felt right at home!) but cook in it, too!

The video-recipe of the delicious ‘One Pot Wonder’ we prepared that day is now up on our YouTube channel — have a look and if you’re inspired and decide to try it out, do let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

xxx Esther

PS Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiration!

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Babaà jumpers keeping us cosy in Uruguay

After spending the month of October in warm, tropical Brazil (where I questioned having sacrificed space in our suitcases to pack thick, wooly jumpers), we travelled south to spend the month of November in Uruguay where the weather is much cooler and we are so thankful we made room for those jumpers! It’s late spring here — the weather is still unreliable and if you’re not in the direct sunshine it can be quite chilly. Jumpers in constant use.

Because I knew we’d be in mostly warm places this year, I packed just one jumper for each of the kids (plus a hoodie for the boys and a cardigan for the girls).  Of course I packed jumpers from Babaà — they’re my absolute favourite! And not just my favourite, but really the children’s favourites as well. We particularly love the softer wool blend jumpers made with wool, alpaca and extra fine merino. They are super soft, chunky and just perfect. Not to mention, so well made that they last for year and years and years…! (Quin had a dark grey jumper which he wore nearly every single day for two years!! They joked at school that he and that jumper were inseparable. He finally outgrew it, and this blue one was the replacement.)

This year, Babaà came out with a wool dress for girls, made with the same cosy alpaca wool blend. I got them for my girls and they’ve worn them loads already (we just put them on over their summery dresses when they get chilly in the evenings! sometimes even over their bathing suit when they’re cold from a swim!).

Babaà will have a stand (for the third year in a row) at our ShopUp event in London in a couple weeks. It’s the perfect opportunity to see and feel her collection in person.

Courtney xx

p.s. In the photos above, the kids were playing with their wooden cameras from Fanny & Alexander, a gift from the designer, Delfina, who is also staying in Uruguay this month (just down the street!).  Both Marta (from Babaà) and Delfina are two women who I deeply admire, both professionally and personally, and I am so happy I was able to feature them both together like this. x

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Don’t miss our November Give-Aways!

Every month we have some fantastic prizes to win from our amazing and lovely shops. Of course November is no exception! Can you believe it’s nearly December… Maybe you can tick off something from your list with the below!

Bamboo-blended baby accessories specialists Nest Designs are giving one lucky winner a Keira Diaper Clutch, a stylish clutch which cleverly folds out into a changing pad, plus 3 sets of super soft Bib Bandanas!

Poppy & Hester have a cute range of high quality, fun-to-wear girls clothing featuring their own stylish prints. This month one lucky winner can choose any dress and cardigan, plus neckerchief scarf to complete the outfit!

Contemporary Spanish children’s clothing and accessories specialist Pepa & Co have picked their lovely baby moccs to give away this month! Choose from 9 cute models.

SO Awesome wallet-sized cards are modern, durable and irresistible; perfect for entertaining your little ones wherever you are! Educational and safe for ages 0+, there are two sets of the full line of Children’s Wallet Cards plus My Wallet sets to be won!

Head on over to our WIN! Page to enter! Good luck everyone!

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Win a Set of Iconic Petit Bateau Outfits!

I have always loved seeing my kids absorbed in an intricate game of their own making. There is something so special and touching about the imaginary worlds that children are able to create in their own heads, and encouraging creativity and imagination is one of the best ways to nurture our children.  (I recently watched my two boys pretending to be dinosaurs in the front yard, so absorbed in their role play they didn’t even notice me nearby. Long may this imaginative play last between those two!!)

One of our favourite brands Petit Bateau are celebrating the wonder of children’s imaginations and inventive natures in a beautiful new film, The Mini Factory which you can watch here.

The film is a colourful, nostalgic journey of childhood creativity. The kids and I watched this on repeat several times and giggled along with the joyful robotics and t-shirts doing the hula (and the rubber gloves for the cow’s udder! brilliant!).

The film features a secret factory and a young factory controller (Max) who stretches and splatters, tugs and tests clothes to their limits while his little sister Louise and dog Scratch stand guard outside.

Clothes take on a life of their own, trousers dance to the beat of remote-controlled cars and a steam engine pours chocolate over a conveyer belt packed with undergarments. It is a joyful, whimsical salute to Petit Bateau’s own factory in Troyes, France, where each item they create is the fruit of a lasting commitment to fantasy and quality.

But what happens next? Petit Bateau would love you to come up with your very own version to end the story. If you can help write the next chapter to the film, you could win a set of iconic Petit Bateau outfits, including their trusty mariniere and weatherproof raincoats!

Here at Babyccino, we have donned our thinking caps and imagined our own ending to Max, Louise and Scratch’s adventures: in our heads, we see Max, Louise and Scratch returning to the factory for a second time, constructing their own tent out of striped sweaters, cotton t-shirts and sturdy nightwear. Once constructed and tested to its fullest in the factory, the three intrepid inventors set out for a night beneath the stars!

Indulge your creativity over on Petit Bateau’s Instagram by entering here. The contest ends on Monday the 30th of November 2015 and entries must be no longer than five sentences.

Good luck everyone!

xx

The post has been sponsored by Petit Bateau, a brand we have loved for as long as we can remember. We were thrilled to be asked to help promote this beautiful new film. 

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Bringing Autumn into the home

Having lived overseas in places where the sun shines warmly every day (sigh) and there are only two seasons to live in, there were times when I really missed seeing the four seasons. Here in Scotland the seasonal changes seem so beautifully apparent. Perhaps it’s because the countryside is so breathtakingly stunning here or maybe it’s because we’re living closer to nature. We certainly enjoy the slower pace of life where we can watch the leaves change colour, where the light is golden and the air is crisp.

We’re loving autumn and I’ve noticed that the girls have really embraced the season here so I wanted to share with you some of the ways we’ve brought autumn into our home through the books we read, the food we bake and the crafts we’ve made from some of our forest foraging collections.

I discovered the book Nature’s Day at The ShopUp last year and was thrilled to see a book which captures the magic of the seasons so well. The intricate bright sketchings by Danielle Kroll and the gentle writing by Kay Maguire encourages children of all ages to enjoy nature everywhere. We’ve been enjoying cosy days reading this book together pointing to the mushrooms in the book which we spotted on our walks.

One Sunday we made a special cake and chose autumn fruits and edible flowers to decorate it. The smell of pumkpin, cinnamon and cloves drifted through the house and it was super delicious. The recipe was adapted from Amy-Beth Ellice’s spiced pumpkin bundt cake found here.

I love foraging with the girls and although it’s on a very simple level we manage to gather some pretty collections. One of my favourite books is The Wreath Recipe and it was there I found the inspiration to make a sweet woodland garland with the girls. It was so super simple to make; just with a needle and some thin twine we threaded through leaves, mushrooms and moss and hung it in our living room using washi tape. It was so effective and has lasted a while. With the rest of our findings I made a small bouqet for the fireplace.

With these small and quick crafts we brought autumn into our home and continue to enjoy those cosy slower days.

Vanessa xx

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Thursday Thoughts: When do you give your child a cellphone?

For a while now we’ve been writing regular Tuesday Tips posts — posts in which we share little parenting insights, tips and things that we’ve learned or picked up over the years. We enjoy these posts a lot, both writing them and reading them, and especially the tips and tricks that our readers leave in the comments section (or sent by email).

But sometimes we just want to share a thought, a question, or an insecurity. Something we don’t know the answer to, but something we want to talk about and hear your thoughts on. So we’re going to start a new series called ‘Thursday Thoughts’, and we hope you will enjoy and join in (and we hope we will learn and grow from it)!

***

Sara is now 10 years old, and the inevitable question has come up — when does she get a cell phone? Some of her friends (including her best friend) have been given a cell phone for their 10th birthday, and apparently about a third of the children in her class now have of a phone of their own.

We are not big screen-users in our family. It seems that there are roughly two routes to take when you are raising children — you are either relaxed or restrictive about screens — we lean toward the latter. Our kids do not have an Ipad or Ipod, and hardly watch television (they do watch the occasional dvd though). But, when we are having dinner and one of the kids has an interesting question or insight that we can’t respond to accurately, we tell them to search for the Ipad and look up the answer. And, now that it’s getting colder and wetter and it’s dark early, we sometimes like to cosy up in the living room and watch a fun film together. So I guess we don’t ban out screens completely, we’re relaxed restrictive about them.

With that in mind, I always thought the age of 12 would be a good age to give my children a mobile phone. They are then in the last year of primary school, and they will have started to cycle to their school, their friends and their after-school activities by themselves. An age, I imagine, when they will need (and get) more independence, and a mobile phone might make sense. They are hopefully responsible enough by then, plus, it could come in handy at times.

As a child, I had to cycle 8 kilometers to secondary school every morning, and back every afternoon. ‘Through rain and wind’, as we say here in the Netherlands. On a few occasions, cycling was impossible — a lot of snow on the way, or a flat tyre, for example — and I would have to find a house on the way, ring the bell, and ask kindly if I could make a phone call to my mum so she could come and pick me up. I sometimes wonder, do children nowadays have a chance to develop the (social) skills to deal with these sorts of little problems in life, when they get a mobile phone at such an early age?

A friend of mine has 3 children, 2 teenage boys and a tween girl. His wife passed away a few years ago, so he has the tough job to raise his kids all alone. He has always been extremely relaxed about screens; he feels that they are such an integral part of our lives, that it’s only natural to let children grow up with them. He gave his daughter a cell phone (no smart phone though) when she was seven, so they could reach each other on the days that he was working outside the city. When she was ten she got a smart phone, and he says it’s all good.

I was talking with Courtney about this (who has even stricter views on electronics) and she nearly fainted (half joking) when I mentioned it might be time to give Sara a phone. She said that this is a parenting decision that is still so far away for her, that she hasn’t really even thought about it yet, but she guessed it would definitely not happen before her kids were 16, and then certainly no smart phone!

So many parents, so many opinions.

But I think I might have to reconsider mine. I wonder if maybe the age of 12 is a bit late in our Amsterdam way-of-life. If, next year, most if not all of the children in Sara’s class have a phone, should I still keep her from getting one? Even if we wouldn’t allow her to bring her phone to school yet, she could still join the class WhatsApp group, and send messages to her friends, and use it on occasions after school?

It’s a difficult decision to make, and I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about it to help me shape my own!

xxx Esther

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Classic & cosy clothes from Pepa & Co

Pepa & Co is a London based online boutique, offering a collection of beautifully designed fashion, all sustainably made in, and sourced from Spain. The collection is handpicked by Pepa, the lovely owner, who has an eye for selecting a nice mix of classic and contemporary pieces — all so stylish and charming!

A highlight in Pepa & Co’s winter collection this year are the long-sleeved, organic shirts and onesies with darling Liberty collars. They are available from size 3 months to 8 years, and are so sweet, soft and cosy — and so effortlessly stylish! Baby Orla is wearing a onesie with a basic blue collar, isn’t she just divine?

I love how sweet and simple they are, and it is such a great layering piece — perfect combined with that adorable knitted all-in-one piece!

Last but not least, how sweet are those moccasins? Keeping tiny feet warm and adding the most adorable touch to little baby legs in teeny tiny tights… So cute!

xxx Esther

PS This post is sponsored by Pepa & Co, a company we love and respect and a long-time member of our shopping portal.

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Our Advent Activity Calendar

I loved Esther’s post last year about an Advent Activity Calendar! We have done a similar idea for a few years now (unfortunately not so beautifully designed!). I bought a Maileg Advent garland (a little bit like this one) and in every pocket the children find a sweet treat and an Advent activity for us to do. Lots of our activities are similar to Esther’s – designed to enjoy this preparation time leading up to Christmas: gathering pine-cones, sticking cloves into oranges, baking, making decorations, thinking of those less fortunate, making (and eating) gingerbread, watching a Christmas movie together, etc. But I also try and book a couple of seasonal activities to enjoy with the kids during these days. For some of them you need to book early (in October!) but some you can still do – most are in or around London.

• The National Trust: The National Trust usually have great festive activities at their sites leading up to Christmas – We’ve been to see Father Christmas and the Christmas animals at Hatchlands Park, we’ve listened to Christmas Jazz at Ham House, we’ve done Christmas trails, Christmas crafts and visited Christmas markets and fairs – all of which have left us with that warm festive glow. This year we’re planning to visit a Georgian Christmas at Osterley House & Park.
• Christmas at Kew: We’re fortunate enough to live close to Kew and so have always made sure we visit – it gets better and better each year – especially as now there is the Christmas illuminations trail and market. The lights lighting up the magnificent trees and plants around the garden is spectacular – the walk takes about 45 minutes but there are stopping points throughout to warm up with a hot chocolate or mulled wine.
• Christmas theatre: I always look out for a Christmas show to go and see with the kids – I particularly like small theatre productions – We saw a wonderful adaption of Father Christmas (Raymond Briggs) last year at The Lyric in Hammersmith (which is back this year if you are nearby) and I always check the children’s theatres for their Christmas program: The Polka in Wimbledon and The Unicorn on Southbank. We have also watched the fabulous adaption of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stickman (which is back on stage this year at The Leicester Square Theatre). This year we are going to see Slava’s Snow Show – which sounds pretty fab.
• Christmas Carols: My absolute favourite place for singing carols is Hampton Court – the singers meet at the door to the palace at 6pm and then walk around the courtyards stopping to sing along with a brass band – it is literally my favourite Christmas Activity – we have done it for the last 6 years and every year it gets better organised; now there is a stopping point for a mince pie and a mulled wine (I think you are getting an impression of what good organisation means to me – food and drink!!). But despite having the ticket-opening date in my diary I missed tickets this year – you really need to book as soon as they go on sale. So I’m looking for a fun Christmas Caroling event, do you know any? We will take the kids to the family carol service at St. Paul’s, which is also lovely (but no mince pies or mulled wine …)

I’d love to know what Christmas activities you try and fit in during Advent time.

Mo. x

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The Little Things: Making Fall Leaf Lanterns

It’s autumn and the streets are lined with the most beautiful leaves. They’re just too pretty not to be picked up! So for this The Little Things post, we decided to make use of what is so readily available in nature: we’re making beautiful leaf lanterns with Casper and his friend Mees.

Look how excited those cute three-year-old buddies are to get started!

For this project, we need semi-dry leaves (just put leaves in a heavy book and leave for a few days to keep them from curling — it’s best to use paper kitchen towel sheets if you want to avoid stains on the pages of the book). It’s fun to use leaves in different shapes, colours and sizes (don’t forget to collect some tiny ones too). You also need a few clean glass jars, and decoupage glue like Décopatch or Mod Podge.

First step is to paint a layer of glue on the jars. Then, paint the leaves, stick on the jar, and paint over again.

It is ok if the leaves overlap, but you can also choose to use them more individually.

Some leaves can be a bit stiff — cutting the petiole of the leaf can help. Also, once the glue is bit drier, you can push stubborn leaves down quite easily.

Done! Now we just have to wait a few hours for the paint to dry, and to get completely translucent.

In the meantime, we took the boys out to the park for a run and to look for more leaves!

Autumn is such a pretty season. And we have been so lucky with the weather so far here in Amsterdam!

Do you remember one of our first The Little Things shoots, where we were wrapping and unwrapping presents with Casper and Mees? They’ve grown so much! (But are still sooo little.)

What a fun little project — so easy with such pretty results. Now that the evenings are getting darker and colder, we love lighting candles in our homes to bring in warmth… And our little boys are super proud to see their creations on the table of course!

xxx Esther

PS – This is the newest post in a series which is called ‘The Little Things’. Thank you Maud Fontein for taking these beautiful photos and for letting us use your beautiful new house! Casper’s reversible vest is from Nieva, his pants are from Macarons and the shirt is from Mabo Kids.

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