Sweet Collections from The Book Jar Company

Last summer I discovered The Book Jar Company through a really sweet image posted on instagram. That’s what I love about Instagram – how it connects me to small companies who deserve success. When I looked further into their website I loved everything they do. Owned by husband and wife duo, Jeff and Juliana, their passion for creating imagination through play and activities shines through their products. They also give all of their net profits to the charity, Love 21 Foundation.

The Book Jar Company has so many wonderful collections for children. From the wUnderFUN collection of activity books, to Lila the doll and her sweet little carry case to the fabulous set of Phenella the elephant story and colouring books. Written by Jeff Rotmeyer, a primary school teacher who has a knack for story-telling and Rosie Blair, the Phenella stories are by far a set of favourites of my girls.

Phenella the elephant goes on a number of adventures with her good friend Riley Rabbit. They explore the mountains, play hide and seek and even learn how to hop. These short story books are a perfect introduction to teaching young children life skills, numbers and above all friendship.

The colouring books to match are perfect for the cosy autumnal nights about to set in and I love how they form an early direction for older children to encourage sketching their own drawings.

And don’t you think Lila the doll is the perfect little friend for Florence?

Discover The Book Jar Company’s products online and follow their instagram account to see a ton of cute images.

Vanessa x

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2deqU5C via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2dx6TJL

Teething — with two sweet brands

We have a drooly, constantly sticking his hands (plural) in his mouth, six-month-old babe. He’s been teething for half of his life now, and still no teeth! Poor bubba. The teething began one day after we flew overseas for the start of our summer holiday. (What timing!) But there was no denying it, teeth are on the way and we needed to comfort him quickly.

Since he isn’t eating solid foods yet, the trick with frozen carrots or other foods to ‘naw’ on wouldn’t work. But we discovered two smart solutions that were especially great for summer travelling: lightweight, little, easy to keep clean… and stylish (a bonus). And these two teething companies (from my favourite two home cities) were the answer. Meet LexyPexy and Lara & Ollie.

These adorable and very whimsical wooden teethers from the NYC brand Lexy Pexy are great. Perfect to travel with (and safe for babies) while they are lying down, sitting in bouncers, or in car seats. And I especially love the Sullivan pretzel teether because he can get his little fingers into the cut-out twists of the pretzel while he chews away. And wood is naturally antibacterial so you just wipe it to keep them clean. It’s also non-splintering, which we put to the test daily since it is dropped often. I love the novel designs, great for new baby presents. And wherever we went, the pretzel went, attracting lots of attention as he nibbled away.

And this London brand, Lara & Ollie (run by two mums who have children with the same names as my husband and I) make adorable teething jewellery with all BPA free plastics. Soft to nibble on, stylish, with numerous colours to choose from. I love the Flora necklace which is great for wearing while the baby is in a carrier or you are holding him. And this Mint bangle, which looks cool when you wear several at once. My daughter loves to wear the jewellery as well. And the good news is that its easy to keep clean (after toddlers have played with it, in my case), since you just pop it in the dishwasher after a few wears.

Other teething tricks? I didn’t have to deal with this until my eldest was 9 months and it all seemed a bit kinder… teeth can be so cruel! What did you use to keep your little ones happy?

Lara xx

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2dsRNQc via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2cGZMrL

The new Autumn/Winter Collection at Marie Puce

Marie Puce is a Paris-based brand we have loved and worked with for years and years. Their wide collection offers beautiful, timeless clothing for babies up to teens — and in true French style, they also have a beautiful collection of coordinating accessories to compliment the clothing (from cute mouse wallets to pretty scarves & bandanas to the sweetest baby shoes!).

What I love about Marie Puce is that, while each season offers new colours and contemporary styles, you can always be assured that the pieces will be timeless not trendy — you can rely on a classic collection for kids of all ages with easy-to-wear pieces at reasonable prices. And most of the products are made in France. What’s not to love, right?

This season, the owners, Anne and Camille, kindly offered an outfit for each of my girls. We played dress-up earlier this week and I snapped the photos above. After a year of travel and a more barefoot, bohemian style, it was fun to see them looking a bit more sophisticated in their little French dresses. I think they felt pretty special too.

Courtney x

In the photos above, Marlow is wearing the rose Paquerette Dress and Ivy is wearing the Gloria Dress. This post was sponsored by Marie Puce, a longtime member of our portal and a brand we love. 

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2dqka6E via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2dbkQe6

Roosevelt Island Tram

Judging by my daughter’s joyous reaction to most of New York City’s public transportation options, our journey to a particular destination is often nearly as much fun as the destination itself. We sometimes opt for the subway or bus when a cab or Uber would be far more efficient simply because we know she loves them, and ferry rides are certain to make her day. It was with a certain amount of excitement of our own, then, that on a recent sunny Saturday morning we traveled to the East Side of Manhattan to introduce her one of New York’s more unique transit options: the Roosevelt Island Tram. The verdict? Kid approved!

Linking Manhattan to Roosevelt Island in the East River, the 3-minute tram ride provides a commuting option for the island’s 11,000 or so residents, and a very scenic way to access the island for those coming for a visit. One of only three commuter trams in the country, the two cars cross the river heading in opposite directions at 15-minute intervals (more frequent service is available during the morning and evening rush hour). The tram runs parallel to the north side of the Queensboro Bridge as it crosses the East River, offering excellent views of Manhattan, the bridge, and the East River. A definite highlight is the moment you’re approached by the tram car headed the opposite direction: waving and smiles ensue on both sides!

Riding the tram over the river and back in quick succession is one option, but beyond the tram station, Roosevelt Island offers several options for exploring should you choose to spend an hour or two there. I’ll confess that we’ve only ever turned and walked south, along the western edge of the island toward Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. The walk along the river is lovely, with panoramic views of Manhattan, cherry trees shading the path, and a front-row seat to all manner of boat traffic traveling up and down river (that said, it’s impossible to miss the major construction underway on your left on a new Tech Campus for Cornell University) A ten-minute stroll from the tram station brings you to Southpoint Park, with lovely gardens and New York City’s only landmarked ruins – the photogenic remains of a smallpox hospital.

Beyond Southpoint Park and occupying the southern tip of the island, the recently-opened Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park memorializes the 32nd President of the United States. With its name taken from one of Roosevelt’s most famous speeches, plans for the park were first set in motion back in 1973 after the island was renamed in his honor. Finally opened to the public in 2012, it’s a pristine and beautiful public space.

A few further details:

• The tram costs $2.75 per person (3 children under 44 inches ride free with each adult). You pay your fare with the same Metrocard you use to ride the subway and the bus.
• A visitor center is located on the grassy plaza outside of the tram station on Roosevelt Island.
• The island’s approachable size makes it easy to explore on foot, but a free bus circles the island, stopping at all major points of interest.
• In addition to the tram, you can access the island from the F subway line (Roosevelt Island stop) and by the Roosevelt Island Bridge from Queens (the Queensboro Bridge travels over the island but doesn’t offer access)
• Options for purchasing food on the island are relatively scarce. We found a food truck just outside of Four Freedoms Park, but bringing snacks or a picnic to enjoy wouldn’t be a bad idea.

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2dAawgG via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2dq7Yyq

Waldorf Window Star

I’m not very sure about where I first saw the Waldorf Star but I liked it so much (and it looked easy to make that I decided to give it a try. But after the first one I was obsessed! It’s truly one of the simplest things I have ever made and it looks so beautiful on the window – the way the light shines through is just magical! I decided to make a few miniature ones to put on the ceiling above Tila’s bed and she loved the idea.

Here’s how it’s made:

First you’ll need eight pieces of square-shaped kite paper (transparent paper). I used eight different colors but you can only use one or two or as many as you wish.

Now lay one on the table

Fold it in half lengthwise

Unfold and fold it again crosswise

Unfold and now you see creases forming four smaller equal squares

Pull and fold each point of the outer edge of the paper toward the center

Now turn the paper so one of the edges is pointing up

Fold one point towards the center line

And repeat the same with the other point forming a sharp point. That is it! This is your first star point!

Now repeat the same with other seven papers

The following step is to glue them together into a star, right? Put a little amount of glue into the lower right side of one point and put another one on the top so its bottom edge is lined with the center fold of the bottom point.

Now simply continue this process with the rest of the pieces until a star is born!

You can glue this beauty either with glue or tape right in the center window of your living room or children’s room. Or even better – on every window in your house!

Ps. Not that I made or shared this craft because of the fact that Tila just started going to the Waldorf school but I’m curious if and how many parents here have kids in Waldorf schools or kindergartens and what are your favorite crafts? I absolutely love Kirsten Rickert – she’s a Waldorf Guru with lots of inspiration on her Instagram feed.

– Polona

You can read more from Polona on her blog Baby Jungle or visit her online boutique Baby Jungle shop!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2cxYH5H via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2d4Zykx

Final Recap of the NY ShopUp!

I know we say this about each event, but last week’s ShopUp in NYC was most definitely our best one yet! It is such a joy to watch this event grow in popularity every year and to witness the coming together of so much talent and inspiration in one place. We are so proud of our gorgeous shops and brands and all the beautiful products on offer. We were also so excited to be working with such a great selection of sponsors and collaborators and then… of course… so humbled by the turnout of families and shoppers!

We’ve posted lots of photos above and we’ll let these fun photos do the talking. But we wanted to quickly mention how thankful we are to all the bloggers and press who turned up (in the pouring rain!) to our press breakfast on Monday morning. We had croissants and treats from Eric Kayser, coffee from Blue Bottle, tasty teas from Teapigs and delicious donuts from The Doughnut Project (beet & ricotta! yummmm). We also had pretty bouquets from BloomThat making everything extra beautiful. It was so fun to catch up with everyone before all the shopping resumed for day two.

We’re now looking forward to our next one — in London on December 4th & 5th. Mark your diaries!

One last (and most important) thank you… is to Miraya Berke, our super efficient, organised, wonder woman of an event manager who goes above and beyond to make our ShopUp events look pretty, run smoothly and be as successful as they are. If we could only clone her, we’d be hosting these in more and more cities around the world. ; )

Courtney x

PS – Thanks again to Shannon Roddy for the great photos!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2djb2Az via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2cFZrsL