Three beautiful new books from Thames & Hudson

I’m a big, big, huge fan of Thames & Hudson. I’ve done a review for their I can Make my own Accessories crafting book for kids already but just recently I received three new super children’s books that you need to know about. We absolutely adore them.

The first one is my favorite because a few months ago when I was first introduced to silhouetting in the City Museum in Ulm, Germany I immediately fell in love with it.

Mary Poppins Up, Up and Away is the follow-up to their prize-winning Paris Up, Up and Away both by the same author, Hélène Druvert, a successful paper and textile designer and an illustrator. The book is based on the classic novel by Pamela Lyndon Travers and is about a thrilling adventure of Michael and Jane Banks through London’s most beautiful places with their famous nanny as a guide. Although the book is straight magical just by going through the monochrome lasercut pages you’ll also love and quickly learn by heart the short and sweet rhymes that accompany every page.

The second book the kids are crazy about and love to explore is their What’s Hidden in the Sea by Aina Bestard, an amazing illustrator (do check out the rest of her work here). It comes with a three coloured glasses, each colour enabling the reader to discover more of the undersea scenery treasures that appears to offer at the first glance.

Last, but most certainly not least is A Sea Voyage, the most amazing pop-up book I’ve ever seen and it’s about boats. Different kinds. All kinds. So there’s really no need to tell that it’s an absolute boy-magnet! Just by opening the first page I could notice that it’s a work of art, a masterpiece. And no wonder because its author is only the world’s most renowned paper engineer Gérard Lo Monaco!

– Polona

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

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Whimsical felted fairies from Dorimu

Živa and Saša from Dorimu are a sweet couple from Australia who together create the most whimsical little works of art — tiny (tiny!) little needle-felted fairies. Made from wire, thread and wool and with details made of pears, the little fairies are so stunningly beautiful. They sit on little pieces of driftwood, and have a clever hanging system involving a self-adhesive magnet, which will allow the fairy to be hung in any space it is desired, where it will gently swing away.

Živa and Saša made Ava her own little fairy, and when it arrived (beautifully presented in a gorgeous gift box),  the level of care and detailing with which these fairies are created became even more apparent. We all were marvelling over the perfection of everything! We hung Ava’s fairy next to her bed, so she can listen to her stories and keep her company when she is sleeping.

I think these little fairies make perfect presents, for birthdays, or births. They also make beautiful bedroom decoration. (I think I have to order another fairy from Dorimu, because Sara really loves them too!)

xxx Esther

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Little Dish — sponsors of our London ShopUp event

A while ago, I was sent a cook book by the lovely Little Dish Team. Honestly, it is still one of my main go-to books for when I need inspiration for a well-balanced, easy to make meal (you know the way you sometimes get into a rut of always cooking the same thing? It happens to me regularly)!

Little Dish was founded about 10 years ago by Hillary, a young mom, who realised that it was difficult to find healthy, fresh meals in the shops for children. So she started creating meals for toddlers, for the moments when you need something fast, but do not want to compromise on taste and nutritional value.  She wanted to make sure that the meals where not only healthy but also tasty, so she promoted her two toddlers to be chef tasters, making sure she had their seal of approval before meals left her kitchen.

The success has been huge, Little Dish is now is available in most supermarkets in the UK and testing to be launched in the US very soon. It stays a family run company headed up by Hillary and her husband Dean.

We are super proud to have Little Dish as one of our sponsors at the ShopUp in London on the 4th and the 5th of December. Do come by and meet the team and sample a little bite. They will be giving away their award winning go-go snacks — delicious mini oat biscuits.

Emilie

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A Christmas Box of YAY! from ShortStitch

We have written about the great convenience of the ShortStich private shopping service before. The idea is that you fill out the (very straightforward) questionnaire to indicate what sort of occasion or activity your child needs clothes for (for example school, sports, or party), and a personal stylist will put together a box of clothes, taking into account their size, lifestyle and personality. They can include options for shoes, coats, sleepwear and accessories too, if needed. The ‘Box of YAY!’ is then delivered by courier to your house, and will contain options for a few different outfits. The children can try on everything in the comfort of your own house (how easy!), and then you decide together which pieces you love most and would like to keep. The rest can simply be put back into the box, which will be picked up by a courier at a time of your convenience. You only pay (regular retail prices) for those clothes you decide to keep — the service itself and courier costs are free!

I’ve been so impressed with the great outfits ShortStitch have suggested when we tested their service for Ava and Casper. Their service actually feels a bit like shopping in a really good boutique — where the shopping assistant looks at your body, style and personality, and then grabs a few outfits from the racks which you wouldn’t have laid eyes on yourself. But once you have put them on, you know they are just perfect: slightly pushing the boundaries of your own style, but so fitting for your shape and personality. ShortStitch have always come up with original choices for my children — not ones I would necessarily have made myself, but surprisingly fresh and fitting.

This year, for the first time, ShortStitch has put together a ‘Christmas Box of YAY!’. The concept is that the stylist selects outfits for your children to wear on Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day, and then for Boxing Day as well. I love the idea of this — how nice for parents to be able to tick one box of our giant to-do list in this tremendously busy time of year! I decided to test the Christmas box for Ava and Pim, and I couldn’t wait to see where Niamh, our ShortStitch stylist, would come up with!

The (by now well-recognised) ShortStitch box was delivered this weekend, and together with Ava and Pim we had such fun discovering the contents. Niamh put in fun letter-prints and a festive candy cane for each of them (she was so thoughtful to include one for both Casper and Sara as well). There was a nice letter, and a sweet Christmas card as well. The care with which the ShortStitch boxes are put together says something about the care with which the team selects clothes, I think. All beautiful choices, from great, high quality brands.

For Christmas Eve there were some sweet pyjamas, and then there were fabulous outfit choices for Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well — all neatly folded and carefully labeled per day and per child. A few fun details like hair clips and a cute bag for Ava, and fun face gloves for Pim were included as well.

The pyjamas Niamh included for Christmas Eve are so cosy and cute. Both Pim as Ava loved their choices, and putting on their new pj’s immediately brought them in the Christmas spirit! (A good time to bring out our stack of Christmas books!)

We loved the more proper styles for Christmas Day — the kids enjoyed trying the different options, and settled on an outfit they especially loved — perfect for the holidays but also for many more occasions to come. Ava felt like a princess in her outfit (I guess you can tell?)!

And then there were the relaxed, but still festive, outfits for Boxing Day — smart choices, but sturdy. Perfect for a walk in the woods, endless play, and school days. And how fun are those gloves?

Receiving this Christmas Box of YAY! has been such fun — Ava and Pim loved the selections ShortStitch made for them. And for busy parents, this service again proves to be a huge help. So fun, and so easy!

xxx Esther

This post is sponsored by ShortStitch, a personal shopping service we love and a member of our shopping portal.

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5 Questions with Katrina Campbell of Katrina Campbell Photography

Gorgeous family photographs must be one of the very best gifts you can give yourself — and your children too. London-based Katrina Campbell specialises in capturing your family just as it is – your children being themselves, your daily life as you spend it, the beauty and love in your everyday interactions – meaning you’ll have a genuine moment in time, beautifully recorded, to treasure forever. We’ve enjoyed sharing our families with Katrina (aren’t these pictures of Esther’s family just divine!), so we thought it was about time to find out a little more about Katrina. She kindly answered our 5 questions.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and about your family.

As a child I was brought up around the world, moving country every four years as my father worked for the EU. I started school in Trinidad, West Indies at age 4 and was singing the Zambian national anthem at school every morning in Lusaka before I was even 10. We were a big family, 4 children in total, so setting up home in new places was always a great adventure. That said, we did all come to boarding school in England so this country has always been home.

Home for my children is quite different, as I’ve settled in a secluded, leafy pocket of North London where I live with my husband Sam, who works from home, and our three boys: Charlie 11, William 9 and Ned 5. Suburban life suits us all as the children can walk to school (not on their own yet, but that will come!) and there are plenty of parks on the doorstep, yet with a train station at the end of the road we still feel connected to central London.

2. Tell us a little bit about your service. Have you always worked as an independent photographer?

I worked in advertising before kids came along, but when they did I wanted to find something that would allow me to slow down and be more creative, not only in what I did but with my time. Photography had always been a great passion of mine, so it was a good time to rediscover it; firstly by photographing my own babies as well as those of NCT friends, and then in setting up business and developing my skills as a professional photographer.

My true love is family photography where I really engage with the children and parents to create beautiful images that capture their character. I work closely with the family right from the point of booking, through the shoot and to the important part of choosing images and working out what to do with them.

3. How would you describe your style?

Playful. I keep everything simple, use natural light, and prefer to work in whatever the environment presents me with – whether window light or hazy afternoon sun. The last thing I want to hear on a shoot, is ‘Smile for the camera’ … suddenly the children stand stock still and grimace and all is lost… Whether quietly or boisterously, the best family photographs happen when they are lost in the moment. It becomes less about posing for the camera and more about me capturing them at their most natural. I encourage children to play, and adults to either leave them to it or join in the fun!

4. What do you love most about your job?

Really, when I’m in that moment. The moment when everything comes together – the child, the setting, the light – and I feel that I am creating something beautiful. The second moment, which I love almost as much, is when I share the images with the parents and they realise it too. That’s a great feeling.

5. How do you juggle motherhood and your career?

It’s a constant juggling act, especially on the weekends which is of course when most families like to book their sessions, but with plenty of patience (from my husband) and a little bit of forward planning around kids’ activities, we generally manage to pull it off. That said, I am always so relieved when someone books a weekday session while the children are at school. I am now also spending more time taking headshots for individuals or small independent businesses, which as it turns out, I’m finding just as rewarding as the playful family sessions.

p.s. Katrina is currently offering an exclusive Babyccino discount – book a portrait session in 2016 & enjoy 15% off your total bill with code ‘BABYC5016’ – how perfect!

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