Monday, 18 November 2013

WELCOME TO DINOVEMBER


This weekend a message on friend/blogger Joachim Baans Facebook caught my eye. What a brilliant idea to trigger your kids their imagination. I can also imagine how much fun it must be to sneek around with your partner at night to set up a new scenery for the next morning... Thanks Refe Tuma, for sharing…


A month-long imagination invasion.


Every year, my wife and I devote the month of November to convincing our children that, while they sleep, their plastic dinosaur figures come to life.
It began modestly enough. The kids woke up to discover that the dinosaurs had gotten into a box of cereal and made a mess on the kitchen table.

  The next morning, the dinos had climbed onto the kitchen counter to raid the fruit bowl.

The morning after that, they had managed to breach the refrigerator and help themselves to a carton of eggs. “Uh-oh,” we heard our girls whisper. “Mom and Dad are not going to like this.”

Things quickly escalated from there. More often than not, the dinos’ antics were less than tidy. They are dinosaurs, after all.



To be fair, they did clean up after themselves from time to time.

Usually, though, the dinosaurs are just like anybody else—looking to have a good time.





Why do we do this? Because in the age of iPads and Netflix, we don’t want our kids to lose their sense of wonder and imagination. In a time when the answers to all the world’s questions are a web-search away, we want our kids to experience a little mystery. All it takes is some time and energy, creativity, and a few plastic dinosaurs.

Childhood is fleeting, so let’s make sure it’s fun while it lasts.

If you’d like to follow along with Dinovember 2013, join their Facebook Page.

Thursday, 14 November 2013

TETRA | SUSTAINABLE BABY BEDDING



This is news for the real fans of Eco Friendly! Tetra is a truly unique brand that produces what is widely regarded as the most sustainable baby bedding in the world.

Their Mattresses, Pillows and Snuggle Beds are filled with 100% natural and chemical-free Tea Tree Flakes that are grown outdoors on Australia’s North East Coast...
They are naturally breathable, anti-bacterial, anti-allergy and thermally regulated (cool in summer and warm in winter).

So, I was a total organic lover already...now my kids sleep (very comfy!) on natural products as well. How about yours?





Monday, 11 November 2013

WHAT ABOUT?

Once in a while we have a little chat with someone with a special job, an inspiring life, a remarkable character or an out of the box vision. 

This time we spoke with Mandy Meuwese, mother of Loui-Lee. 

What about her?













Name: Mandy Meuwese 
Age: 36
Child: Loui-Lee 

Age: 1,5 

Business: Co-owner of Ganbaroo PR in Amsterdam

(foto by Paul Bellaart)



What’s keeping your head up during Momma-Hood?

The unconditional love and purity of my son Loui.

What’s made you (almost) crazy?

Before he went through the nights definitely the sleep deprivation and my time management: dividing my time between work, friends and family.

What / who brings the fun?

Loui brings all the fun, he's a real social animal and loves to surround himself with good people.

What’s the story your baby should not hear when he/she is a teenager?

That I  secretly left the house to go out all night without my parents knowing….

What advice do you wish you had ignored?

It's not really a specific advise but more the fact that when you need medical advise don't go on the internet! There you'll find the most stupid advises of ignorant people.

What advice do you wish to pass on?

Stay close to yourself and your gut feeling, you know best what your child needs and don't listen too much to all these different advises of other mums.




Any advise for mums starting up their own businesses?

Follow your dream and try to enjoy the freedom which comes with your own business.


Thursday, 7 November 2013

ARTIST IN LA LA LAND





Los Angeles based illustrator Melissa Kojima is the master mind behind the online store 'Artist in LA LA Land'. Her shop has a large selection of vintage inspired articulated paper dolls and fun cards, some of which are pop up, moveable cards.

The artist behind the shop believes in play - she believes play helps us let go of fear, express ourselves and communicate our feelings - so she has sought out fun ways to spark imagination with DIY paper play goods.

All you'll need is heavy card stock paper, glue, fasteners and scissors and you can print and play till you drop!




Monday, 4 November 2013

LA DE DAH | NURSERY DECORS & TOYS






Sometimes, all the childrens' room needs is a couple of unique pieces that give that "finished" look. Things as simple as a special toy on a shelf or a rug, can change the atmosphere completely.








Australia's La De Dah Kids shares this vision. Their range consists of an amazing range of ethically handmades. Actually, we think La De Dah Kids is pretty much the centre of the universe when it comes to finding such finishing touches. Go and find a little treasure on their website..


Thursday, 31 October 2013

BOOOOOOO.... IT'S HALLOWEEN!

In need of some more Halloween inspiration? We found some funny and original things to create, use, look at or taste. All to experience the full Halloween atmosphere at home!



Printable Halloween Party Pack comes with options for garlands, cup cake toppers, soda bottle covers and my favourite the batty invite! 

Ghost Milk Bottles (including a few pacman-inspired ones :-)) 

(including a few pac-man inspired ones)
(including a few pac-man inspired ones)
Scaaaary Shadow Puppets

 Pacman Halloween Garland

 Use these decorative bags to transform your homemade treats into spooky gifts or party favors

Bat Origami 
by Repiny
              
Adorable black cat cookies

Charmingly cute Mummy Candle

Wish you all the fun on Halloween!

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

KID & COE, AMAZING FAMILY FRIENDLY RENTALS


This is really our kind of heaven: Kid & Coe. A website dedicated to beautiful spaces for rent that are specifically designed for families.





Traveling with a little one just doesn’t mean your aesthetic sensibilities have to be left behind! All homes featured on the site are kid-friendly. Many come with toys or playrooms and you don't have to fret about things being fragile for energetic young guests.



Here’s how it works. First you choose your destination from the menu of fabulous places. Do you want to visit New York City or upstate? There’s plenty to look at! But you also might want to head to the Cotswolds for a cozy English countryside getaway. Or perhaps to a stone cottage in the South of France...

Once you find a place you like, you can use the site to contact the owner and check the availability. Note: It’s not too early to start planning for next year! Many of the featured homes aren’t available until spring or summer 2014.

Regardless, you can’t help wanting to look through the offerings at Kid & Coe and dream...