Cartoons for Toddlers

Don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware that cartoons and TV do not substitute a mother’s love and attention, but Cartoons have helped me out of a tight scrape more than once!

Stuffy noses

Believe it or not, my 2.5-year-old son cannot blow his nose! Whenever he has a stuffy nose he inhales instead of blowing out, making things even worse. And often, when he is down with a cold,  I’m woken up at night by a very loud “I cannot breathe!”

It’s for this reason that I’m very grateful to the inventor of a very smart piece of equipment: the Narhinel nasal aspirator.  It’s a tube which has a mouthpiece at one end (for mummy) and a disposable mucus reservoir with an anatomic tip to put in the nose (with a filter that prevents mucus from going up the tube) at the other. My son does not love it, but it does the job brilliantly!

And we can all go back to sleep!

-Michela in Milan

If Paris does not come to the mountain…

……the mountain will come to Paris.
This is exactly what has happened in front of the Hotel de Ville in the 4th.  An ice skating rink and sledge lane have been erected in front of the town hall, and taking into account the sub-zero temperatures here in Paris, you might as well be in Chamonix. The sledges (or sled lanes) are only for kids under 12 and everyone gets a 10 min turn. Kids under 6 need to be accompanied, (but watching the parents going down the lane, it really did not seem like a chore). There is also a merry-go-round which my daughter loved even more than the sledge.
And the best thing of all: It’s free.

This alpine entertainment will be around ’til the 9th of March, so there is plenty of time to go and enjoy yourself.

Happy sledding!

– Emilie in Paris

Miffy’s House

Who doesn’t love Miffy? My daughter surely adores her! Dick Bruna created this little rabbit in 1955 and by now her stories have been translated to more than 40 languages! Did you know Miffy has her own website? It’s great to explore with children: there is an audio book, animation, music, games, and more! There are also links to a variety of webshops: the books are great and I can also recommend the DVDs!

Last weekend we decided to treat our children to a little trip to ‘Miffy’s House’ (a.k.a. the Dick Bruna House).

Learning French without French Class

Ever since that blasted day at French Class when my wallet was stolen, we have stopped going to class. (I hate that mall).  Sadly, my son really misses it.  And the few French words he knows are not doing much for him these days (unless, of course, he wants to ask for a raisin…)

Thankfully, as I was surfing one of my favorite sites, Cool Mom Picks, I came across the perfect solution:  foreign language DVDs for your kids!   The Little Pim videos are designed for babies and toddlers. (Apparently kids under the age of 6 are most capable of soaking up different languages).   Their unique method combines immersion and repetition with animation (a cute little panda named Pim), and images of children engaged in everyday activities.  The videos are now available in French, Spanish and Mandarin, but nine additional languages are soon to be released (including Enlgish- which, I thought, would be good for your Italian, Dutch and French-speaking children)!

I just bought the Little Pim: Playtime DVD in French, which promises to teach my son more than 60 new French words!
Much easier than dragging my 2 children to French class every Wednesday, (and cheaper too)!

Oh- and it’s an American company (think $$$s), but they ship worldwide! 

-Courtney in London

thanks Cool Moms!

A destination very far away

I married my husband out of love, not because of the country he comes from, as it is possibly the most unpractical country to travel to from Europe: New Zealand.
New Zealand certainly has a lot of advantages, namely it is 30 degrees there at the moment (not 2 degrees as in Paris), and the New Zealanders were the original inventor of the Ugg boot!  They also host important cultural events like the international gum boot throwing competition and the world famous golden shears championship!
I am actually really looking forward to being in New Zealand. It is the getting there with the 2-year-old toddler that fills me with dread. How do you keep a 2-year-old happy and quiet for a 24-hour flight there and back??

More beanbags!

Well, this proves that there is a lot to write about beanbags. (The third post already)! Though these ones aren’t for sitting on…

I bought these 12 tiny beanbags in NY about two years ago and they are a favourite in my family. The baby loves the different colors, texture and feel of them (they are filled with little rice grains). My 2-year-old loves stacking them (and tumbling them down, of course). I like making funny little guys or animals out of them. And we really like the way they look too! They are called Kushies Zolo Beanstax, and easily available in the US (unfortunately difficult to find in Europe, but this  American store, Babesta, ships to Europe – and stocks more of the cute Zolo range)!

-Esther in Amsterdam

London’s Transport Museum has reopened!

Living in London BC (before children), I was able to visit the many museums this city has to offer.  (Aaaahhh… free time!  I have almost forgotten the meaning of the term). 

Back in those (more cultural) days, I visited the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, which gives a very detailed history of London’s public transportation.  On display is an original steam locomotive from the 1800s,  horse-drawn trams, London’s first motor bus, and an electric trolley bus from the 1930s. 

What it really is… is a kid’s heaven! (They have a variety of hands-on exhibits for kids, and allow children to climb aboard the vehicles and even sit in the driver’s seats).

Respect!

Mums deserve respect, wherever, whenever and whatever!

BUT… I must admit that being a new mother of two, (who benefits from her own mother’s help at different moments during the day), I now have the utmost respect for expat moms who have neither family around nor hired help. This job is tough!

Pancakes!

What exactly are pancakes? In America they are thick and small and eaten for breakfast in stacks – the higher the stack the cooler the cowboy! In France they are called crêpes and are very large, thin and delicate and eaten for lunch or a snack from one of the little street stands. (This makes me wonder… Michela, is there such a thing as an Italian pancake)??

In Holland, ’pannekoeken’ are the size of an average frying pan, and are a bit thicker than a crêpe but thinner than American pancakes. Traditionally they are eaten for dinner, usually after the traditional Dutch pea soup called ’snert’, with a variety of savoury (bacon&syrup, cheese&paprika) or sweet (apple, banana, icing sugar, sugar syrup, confiture) toppings. It’s a children’s favourite. 

We just discovered a restaurant called Pancakes!, which serves, well, pancakes (in all different varieties) and is conveniently located in the center of the ‘nine streets’ in Amsterdam (a little shopping delight for the ones who don’t know it yet)! They have highchairs (I counted at least three) and a children’s menu that comes with a little surprise. Might your little one get bored after all, a toy-box filled with books, toys and games is present, or the staff can provide crayons and paper. There’s a microwave for warming up milk. And they also cater children’s (birthday)parties – age 4 years and up!

-Esther in Amsterdam

Plan City

In this tiny flat I share with my three boys (one husband and two sons), space is a scarce commodity.  That’s why it’s a huge wonder that we have an entire room (and a good-sized one, in London terms) devoted to toys!  What used to be a semi-respectable reception room, has been converted to a playroom paradise.  Those boys have more toys than they know what to do with.  (It’s actually a bit ridiculous).

It’s ridiculous because of all his many toys, my 2-year-old really only plays with a few favorites, and the rest lie around collecting dust (and taking up precious space).

So I’ve decided, (since it’s holiday time and you’re sure to fill your houses with silly toys), to tell you all about my son’s most favorite toy: Plan City.

 

Fun for kids in Paris

So you are visiting Paris and decide that shopping is not enough and it is time to do something cultural. Or alternatively, you are living in Paris and have decided it is time to finally do something cultural. You drag the whole family to the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay and after approx. 45 minutes your toddler decides she has seen enough art, thank you very much, and it is time to answer her needs.
I have just discovered a solution.

Babyccino

My daughter has known the meaning of a good babyccino since she was able to hold a spoon. I have known the meaning of a good babyccino since I discovered that it could keep a toddler entertained for at least 10 minutes at a lunch table. If one orders a second one (disregarding the occasional babyccino spilled all over the table) that’s 20 minutes of valuable, uninterrupted mummy time! What a great invention is that?!

While our children were happily messing about with their babyccinos, I think my girlfriends and I spent hours discussing topics like: the best baby/toddler products, fashion, recipes, films, websites, beauty products, shopping, expositions, restaurants, travel, practical matters, the occasional gossip (think Sienna Miller & Jude Law, Kate Moss & Pete Doherty), raising our kids, raising our husbands -and anything else that would interest us, (urban mothers).

Elias and Grace is on-line!

My husband calls it a “money pit”- (he’s the one who reviews the bills), but I just can’t resist it. If I even stroll past the shop window, I’m hooked in. They quite possibly have the cutest range of children and baby clothes in London. (Well at least this shopping expert thinks so)!

Elias and Grace is located on the main strip in Primrose Hill.  They stock all my favorite brands: Simple Kids, Quincy, Maan, Album di Famiglia, Petit Bateau, kid’s Levis, Pepe Shoes, etc. etc. 

H&M School Uniform

When my toddler started nursery school this fall (and came home covered in paint, glue, mud, food, etc.), I decided that his wardrobe needed a redress. Cashmere jumpers are just not ideal- (who has time to hand-wash anymore)??  Actually, let’s face it- anything even slightly expensive is NOT a good idea.  The cheaper, the better.

So I went on a search: I wanted cheap, but not cheaply made.

And I found it at H&M!  You have to be really selective- (avoid the ubiquitous tacky slogans and flashy logos), but H&M sells a few items that have now become staples in BOTH my boys’ closets!