Colouring Bath Books from Wee Gallery

Wee Gallery has just come out with two of the most genius bath books I have ever seen. I am not even kidding when I tell you I’m the one playing with them the most in our house. They are just so.much.fun! So much fun.

What’s so special about them is that they look like normal bath books with uncolored images inside but when they get wet they magically colour themselves! They are so fun, I’m telling you. We like to use a paintbrush and colour every page individually, part by part.

And they even come in a beautiful box ready for gift-giving. I think it’s a perfect gift for 1 to 3-year olds, don’t you think?

Isn’t it amazing? You can get it from Wee Gallery directly or from my tiny humble online shop called Baby Jungle shop

Ps. In order to avoid the mold to creep in like it loves to with just about every single bath toy, I always let the book to dry in the upward position with pages spread apart and this does the trick!

**

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/2rmsfyc via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2qBIfZO

Biology and Beauty — Hatching Butterflies at Home

While on holiday last month, we received the most exciting parcel in the mail. On the box, it said ‘LIVE INSECTS, OPEN IMMEDIATELY!’ And sparked a lot of curiosity and excitement. We opened up the box, a gift sent from our very clever friends, and inside was a cup of caterpillars waiting to become butterflies! How very cool.

The Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Box (available here on Amazon UK and US and the EU) contains a mesh house, and some other cute surprises like seeds for growing butterfly flowers— so sweet! And the instructions contained a lot of interesting facts that we all found fascinating. But first, we had to place the cup in a quiet and cool corner for five days (out of the reach of the littles)… then we had to wait. Having patience was tricky, but we visited the cup frequently to check on progress, and let nature do its thing.

When the time came, we watched the metamorphosis: the caterpillars turned into chrysalis, and it was then time to move them to their mesh house and feed them. We chose to feed them pink grapefruit and blood oranges —native fruit to Florida since we were on holiday. Then we carefully placed all the chrysalis into the mesh house and then… more waiting.

The next day, the waiting turned into entertainment at our breakfast. We could see the papery chrysalis wriggle, and then, out would hatch the beautiful butterfly leaving behind the papery shell. I must say, we were all fascinated — three generations in one house, dropping everything and rushing across the room to see the butterflies come to life! We documented their progress by drawing and noting each time the butterfly hatched. It was a good way to keep us busy while we waited. Four butterflies hatched in on one day, but one remained a chrysalis. Two days went by, and still nothing. And then we woke up on the last full day before we were about to pack our suitcases, and there it was our last one to hatch — the fifth and final butterfly… hurrah… and phew!

 

To transition them to the natural environment, and to prepare us for soon releasing them, we brought them outside to the porch for a day. This is when we really enjoyed watching and studying them. They were especially active, and loved the feast of citrus fruits. Then, as the day began to set, we brought them outdoors to set them free. When we unzipped the mesh house, we didn’t know if they would all fly away at once or not. Surprisingly they didn’t. But as Joseph watched in awe, Beatrice set them free, and they fluttered away from her hand. It was a really beautiful moment, and one that we really were all touched by. It was sad to see them go, but thrilling as well.

The very next morning, we went outdoors to said goodbye to the lake, and when we looked up, there it was, one butterfly sitting outside of the porch. We are pretty sure it was one of our butterfly friends coming back to say a final farewell!  We said, goodbye, and the butterfly suddenly flew away.  A goosebumps moment. Magical!

This is a fabulous interactive, educational, fun, fascinating, and perfect present for kids, and adults, of any age. We hope somewhere this summer or beyond, you enjoy this set of Painted Butterflies. A bit of biology, a bit of beauty.

Enjoy

Lara

xx

ps They also sell educational school kits with 33 butterflies. And we were happy to find out that Beatrice’s nursery is doing this activity in a few weeks time too… how lucky to do this again!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2s8NDoC via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2si1OXF

‘Say Bonjour to the Lady: Parenting from Paris to New York’

One of the things I love most about this blog and our community of readers is being able to share and discover the cultural differences in parenting styles. For example, when I wrote a post asking how often you bathe your children, I found the responses to be so interesting on a cultural level. Same with the post about which foods to avoid during pregnancy. The way we parent our children and the decisions we make are often the result of where we live and how we’ve been raised ourselves.

This is why I love the new book, Say Bonjour to the Lady: Parenting from Paris to New York  — because it playfully points out the intricate differences between French and American parenting styles. For example, where French children are well-behaved and stylish, American children are self-confident and creative. The authors argue that neither one is better, both have their advantages, and the differences are displayed with sweet illustrations and simple, engaging text.

The book is written by Pauline Lévêgue and my gorgeous friend, Florence Mars, who, in addition to writing books is also the vice president of Bonpoint in the US.  Both women are French, both are mums and both now live in New York — the perfect people to write such a book.

Interestingly, although I am originally American, I found myself relating more to the French parenting styles, though I can so easily recognise the American ones. In either case, it’s an interesting dissection of the two different cultures portrayed with humour and warmth.

Which side of the scale would you fall? French or American?

Courtney x

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2rweYUP via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rdo5GP

Soft, organic baby sleep essentials from MORI

I met with Akim, one of the co-founders of MORI, in London a couple years ago — back before they had launched their business, when they were seeking advice about their idea. He asked me if I thought there was a need for organic baby essentials. Yes! He asked what I thought about the designs. I loved them! And we talked a bit about how new mums shop for their babies. Often, because they grow so quickly!

It’s wonderful to see how far the business has come since those early days, and I’m so happy I’ve gotten the chance to truly test-run their products with Wilkie. The MORI sleepsuits are, without a doubt, my favourite. Not only are they super soft (made from organic cotton and bamboo), but they have clever features that many other pyjamas don’t have: fold-over mitts to keep hands warm and prevent scratching, a zip feature for easy dressing and access (forget snaps or buttons!), and no itchy tag at the back.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve always been a hopeless swaddler.  Instead, I’ve relied on a baby sleeping bag to keep my babies warm and snug. The baby sleeping bag from MORI has so many clever features (illustrated above), and is the best one I’ve ever tried. Wilkie is still sleeping with me in my bed, so it’s less important for him to wear the sleeping bag for warmth, but I’ve always found that if you start putting them in the sleeping bag at this early stage, they soon associate the sleeping bag with sleep and it encourages them to fall asleep more easily as they get older and transition to their own bed.

I also love the MORI essentials. This organic envelope neck bodysuit is one of our favourite onesies (how cute is the striped style?!), and this everyday tee is great too!

From bodysuits to blankets, sleeping bags to pyjamas, MORI is truly a one-stop shop for all the sleepwear essentials you need for your baby.

Courtney x

P.S. Here is a previous post with my thoughts about co-sleeping.

This post was sponsored by MORI, a member of our shopping portal and a personal favourite. All words are entirely my own. 

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2rFIaYT via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2r5Kvfh

A delicious and easy white fish dish

This is one of our children’s favourite recipes (and mine too!) — it is easy to make and delicious! I tend to make it when I’m not majorly inspired to cook, or when I have my mind on other things, but when I still feel like something light and healthy.

Here’s what I do (feeds our family of 6):

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F . Put around 800 to 1000 g of fresh white fish fillets in an oven dish. Sprinkle with olive oil and turn the fillets around a few times so that they are coated in the oil. Add some fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Rinse two heads of broccoli and cut of the flowerets (cut bigger flowerets in half) and divide over the fish. (I don’t use the stem of the broccoli, but I peel it and cut it into sticks for the kids (and me) to eat raw while I’m cooking. It is super tasty!) Then, rinse around 20 to 25 cherry tomatoes and divide them over the dish. Sprinkle with a bit more olive oil and salt and pepper, and put in the oven for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cook some rice, grains or pasta to eat with the fish. When the fish is done, divide some lemon wedges over the dish and serve. Done! There will be plenty of delicious juice of the fish and the veggies in the bottom of the dish so you might want to eat it with bread as well.

Enjoy!

xxx Esther

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2rjHfxI via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rTYzWS

Hotel Roemer

I mostly recommend Hotel Roemer for its convenient location, right next to the Vondelpark and only a short walk away from the centre of town. The hotel is located in a quiet residential street, lined with trees and with beautiful examples of late 19th century architecture. For families, it is a suitable base to explore Amsterdam — either by foot, by boat, by bike or by tram — and with the park so close by there’s always room for a walk, a run, or a visit to one of the many playgrounds the park has to offer.

Family rooms are available (with two king sized beds) and there’s no problem if you want to squeeze more than two children into one bed (like, in our case, 4 ;)). Room decoration is simple and sturdy but pleasant — a pro if you have destructive  little ones in tow. Restaurant JOOST can be found just around the corner and is part of the same independent hotel chain. It opens early and offers a tasty menu with quintessential Dutch dishes (including a children’s menu with the much desired Dutch pancakes). There’s a pretty garden in the back so you can eat outside if the weather allows.

When children are tired enough after dinner but parents still would like to go out for drinks, then a sitter can be booked (in the language of your choice!) through Holiday Sitters, and the lively area of central Amsterdam with its many bars and cafés is only a few minutes walk away.

xxx Esther

PS Booking made with code ‘roemerbabyccino’ will be offered a free breakfast for children. Enjoy!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2qfOYwr via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rl1A5V

Emily Hogarth’s beautiful papercuts

I have followed Emily Hogarth and her adorable family on Instagram for the past couple years and have always loved the snippets I’ve seen of her beautiful papercut creations in her feed.  So I was so excited when she got in touch last year and offered to create a custom papercut piece for us based on our travels. What a perfect way to document that special year in our lives and all the wonderful places we visited.

We received our custom papercut a couple months ago and after staring at it for a good hour with the kids (finding new details and sweet reminders of our travels as we worked our way counter-clockwise around the circle), I took it to the framer to have it framed. It’s now back in our home and is one of our most treasured possessions. How AMAZING is it?!!

Along with the papercut, Emily sent a letter explaining all the details in the piece. Just reading her letter makes me super emotional remembering all the beautiful moments of that magical year.  She managed to include all of our favourite places starting with California at the top, going counter-clockwise and ending back in London. If you look closely, you can find each of the children’s initials integrated into the designs. She also included some of the names of new friends we made along the way, like Martin who’s ranch we visited in Uruguay, and the Prowie family who we met in New Zealand, and Jaya our tuk-tuk driver in Sri Lanka. There are also initials of friends we spent time with, like Tahnee and Simon (T&S) — our friends in Sydney, Kate and Joel and their kids in Cornwall, Marta and Manuel (M&M) in Portugal, Vanessa and Ceki (V&C) in France, etc.  The level of detail is extraordinary. I honestly discover something new every time I look at it!

Emily takes commissions to capture special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, new babies, and any other special life events, and she’ll work with you to include names, dates, special places and relevant illustrations for each piece, which she hand cuts into the paper. It is such a special gift to give (and to receive)!

We will certainly treasure our papercut forever. What a beautiful memento of our travels.

Courtney x

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2qfIz4u via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rU7vM1

Tips from a local: Maï in the 17th arrondissement (Batignolles)

Maï de Colnet is the happy, vibrant mompreneur behind the jewelry brand The Marceline. She lives in the part of Paris’ 17th arrondissement called Les Batignolles with her husband and their three beautiful boys. She shares with us her favorite spots of this lively district of the French capital:

1. Best date night restaurant: Gare aux Gorilles (68 rue des Dames, 17th arrondissement): Curated minimalist decor with great attention to detail, a mouth-watering menu with small dishes to share, inventive French cuisine!

2. Favourite family-friendly dinner spot: Mamma Primi (71 rue des Dames , 17th arrondissement): I love the italian vibe of this restaurant, the pizzas are to die for! All staff members are italian which makes you instantly travel to Italy for the evening!

3. Cosiest local cafe (or best place to grab a take-away!): Dose – Dealer de Café (82, place du Docteur Félix Lobligeois): right next to Square des Batignolles, healthy menu, minimalist decor. Perfect for a quick lunch with girlfriends.

4. Trusted children’s shop: Plumeti Boutique, it’s actually an online only concept store but their office is 91 rue de la Condamine. It has a beautiful window display where you can spot the perfect newborn gift (designer clothes, wooden toys, linens…) and if you are lucky, the girls will let you in!

5. Favourite women’s shop: when going to the park, I often stop at Des Petits Hauts (65 rue Legendre, 17th arrondissement)… pastels hues, cozy knits, perfect cuts, I’m always tempted by something!

6. Coolest local playground: My kids love Square des Batignolles (144bis Rue Cardinet, 17th arrondissement), it’s a small, quite confidential, park. There is a pond with ducks and a playground, and of course a sandbox! My sons play there for hours with their trucks and trailers!

7. Favourite food shop: Le Garde Manger des Dames (26 Rue Des dames, 17th arrondissement) : an organic gorcery shop with great fresh produce for the local food lover.

8. Best shop for homewares, fun finds, or special gifts: French Touche (90 rue Legendre, 17th arrondissement) It’s hard to leave the store empty-handed, there’s always a cute notebook, a vinyl, a new candle from Alix D. Reynis or a cute toy to be found!

9. Local activity center or museum: La Grande Galerie de l’Évolution at Jardin des Plantes is wonderful for kids from 3 years on. It’s a natural history museum with stuffed animals, my son was totally amazed!

10. Favourite park or outdoor space: Parc Monceau (35 Boulevard de Courcelles, 8th arrondissement) is a beautiful park where my kids like to take a tour on the lovely carousel. There is also a nice closed play area, perfect for all ages!

Thanks Maï for all the great tips!

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2qfVsvj via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rkQmhC

Make your own Mouthwash

I was talking to Esther a few weeks ago and she asked me if I ever made a mouthwash myself and it was kind of funny because I was just thinking about trying to. Sadly most store-bought mouthwashes contain all sorts of toxins and chemicals that you don’t really need in order to fight bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

Do you know the tea tree essential oil? This liquid gold is something I always keep close to me. It works like a charm fighting bacteria (it kills herpes in a day!). So, after a short research I made a mouthwash with only three ingredients and my husband and I love it!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

-2 cups filtered water
-5 drops peppermint essential oil
-5 drops tea tree essential oil

Pour all the above into a bottle and shake well. Simple or what?

Polona x

**

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/2qZz2fb via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2rTS6LJ

Team Favourites : Family Games

Games are one of the best ways to put aside all the distractions of modern day life, and just have some fun together as a family… and perhaps even get a bit competitive! We have chosen these games because most of them can be played from three years old, which means everyone can join in and bond as a family. And we love that games are also a great shared experience for siblings, like the photos of Kate’s children playing with dominos (in her beautiful new home!).

We’ve listed some of our favourite games below. Hopefully these tips will come in handy for upcoming rainy days.

Eight favourite Family Games :

1. Bingo – An easy version of Bingo (fill up your puzzle) that even really young kids can play. Lovely illustrations too! – Courtney 
2. Double – This is a great game for the whole family, and everyone has an equal chance of winning. Even Marlow played this at age 3! And I love that it’s small enough to fit in your handbag for games on the go. – Courtney and Vicky
3. Suspend – A fun balancing game that Emilie gave us for Christmas, and our children love. Perhaps it’s the architect’s genes, they love to build tall towers to see who can make it to the top – Esther
4. Ludo – This is a common game in most European homes but strangely, none of my American friends and family have heard of it! It is a big hit now in our house, and we love Hedgehog’s retro version. – Lara in London
5. Jenga – Stack ’em high game, and test both patience and skill. – Esther
6. Animal Upon Animal – Another fun stacking game using beautiful little wooden animals that you must stack onto a crocodile. It’s great for creativity and coordination and can be just as fun for children to play alone or with parents. – Vanessa
7. Memory – A great game for the whole family, for concentration and …memory!  We especially love these pretty German illustrations on the Selecta memory sets. – Lara in London
8. Orchard – You all play as a team to try to beat the greedy raven. You either win or lose as team, which takes away the competetive nature. – Courtney

What are your family’s favourite games? We would love to know so we can add some new ones to our repertoire.

Lara xx

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2qG0YWS via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2q9Zj9o

Notabag, a foldable bag AND backpack in one!

Here in the Netherlands, like in many other countries, shops are not allowed to hand out plastic carrying bags for free. Because of this, most people will bring re-useable carrying bags when (grocery) shopping — a great effort to reduce some of the plastic waste which we already have way too much of in our environment.

The last few months I’ve been trying out the Notabag — a clever, foldable bag that not only can be carried as a shopper but also very simply can be transformed into a super handy backpack. I’ve had a Notabag in my handbag (it folds neatly into a little, flat pouch) and have brought it along on my travels as well. I use it all the time! The fact that it’s a bag that you can just sling on your back if needed is simple but brilliant — it means that you’re now having your hands free to hold those of your children, the handles of your bike or even of a pushchair. I can’t believe nobody has thought of this before!

The Notabag is made from a matte cotton and nylon mix making it lightweight and strong. The designs and colours are pretty and the look of the bag is cool and modern, making them also look really good on guys. (Tamar used my Notabag a lot when we were traveling in the North of England recently and he really liked it too.) It would make a fun Father’s Day present! The shape of the bag (more square than round) is functional — it fits books for example, and sits quite comfortably on your back even with a lot of stuff in it.

Next to the standard Notabag bags there are clever editions with reflector stripes both in adult as in adorable mini-me kids sizes. I love the idea of this for bike or scooter rides. So safe!

xxx Esther

This post is sponsored by Notabag, a valued member of our Shopping Portal. All posts on Babyccino reflect our own honest views and opinions.

 

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2pRxHJO via kid games toys
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/2ryjPR4