Anki Overdrive

There’s a lot you can buy for your baby. And there’s a lot you really don’t need! Admittedly, I have made my share of useless purchases in the past (for example, a nappy trash can which produces giant nappy sausages). Now, expecting our fifth baby, I think I have more of an idea of what I really need. And, I had given away most of my new baby essentials after baby Casper, so now I have to get them all over again. Taking money and space into account, I’m more picky of what I really need… So here’s my list of new baby essentials that I think are crucial (or at least very handy) to have the first weeks. Remembering: less is more, and simple is best! : )

New baby essentials: CLOTHES

White envelope onesies (size 1 month). The envelope opening is the easiest when babies are curled up and tiny.

Baby hats, a few different thicknesses, styles and sizes

For winter: a warm, all-over suit for taking baby outside.

Long knitted socks and/or booties, newborn size.

White pyjamas (Size NB and 1 month). The simple white style is so sweet. All my babies have worn these the first 2 years of their lives!

A few little outfits, size NB and/or 1 month. I like these cute little overalls with feet for the first weeks! A little knitted baby cardigan is handy too.

Note: My babies typically are not big (they were all between 3200 to 3500 grams so far), so I know size newborn or 1 month will be ok. But some of my friends have had huge babies, so they needed size 3 months straight away!

New baby essentials: CARE

Newborn nappies and wipes (I’m trying Naty and Lilydoo)

A cosy receiving blanket to keep baby warm

Baby shampoo and body wash, baby ointment, baby cream bath (I like this one from Weleda), and a nice baby massage oil

Baby nail clippers, saline water and a simple nose sucker to clear up a stuffed nose. And a soft baby hair brush if you expect your baby to have hair (I don’t!).

A few cosy hooded bath capes, hooded towel or blankets to wrap baby in after a bath

A (natural rubber) dummy (so far, all of my babies have used dummies!)

Muslin squares, XL muslin squares and muslin wash gloves. Also: burp cloths.

A Tummy Tub. So cute and my babies have all loved bathing in them! (They are also quite compact, compared to a regular baby bath.) I also use the sink, the first few weeks. (When baby gets bigger I like the folded Flexi Bath until they are sitting up confidently and can go into the ‘big bath’.)

Note: If you’re planning to bottle feed, you obviously need formula, bottles and bottle cleaners.

New baby essentials: NURSERY

A swaddle blanket (I only started using a sleeping bag after the first weeks.)

A changing table (I like using a vintage chest of drawers — handy for storage of the baby essentials!) with a wedge shaped changing mat and one or two washable covers. Plus a cute basket for little tidbits!

Crib sheets and blankets (cotton and/or wool). And a hot water bottle with cover — a very Dutch thing and used to warm up the baby bed the first weeks. In the UK, when I had Sara and Pim, this was unheard of!

A crib or bassinet. (I actually have a crib set up in our bedroom, and a sweet woven bassinet downstairs in the living room for daily naps.)

Note: if your changing table doesn’t offer enough storage, you will also need a cabinet or something else for storing baby clothes etc.

New baby essentials: GEAR

A pushchair with rain cover and carseat attachment so you can click the carseat straight onto your pushchair. I have a Bugaboo Cameleon, but the new Bugaboo Fox looks cool too. I’ve heard great things about the BabyZen YoYo as well — so compact!

A baby carrier. I like the soft style wraps (slings) for newborns, initially.

Carseat with isofix base (so you can click it straight into the car — not an absolute necessity but SO fuss-free and handy!)

Bouncing chair with a cosy sheepskin cover (there are special sheepskins available fir this purpose, but you can also just buy a natural, non-bleached sheepskin and cut holes in it).

A cosy, washable cover or footmuff for the carseat.

Of course, as always, I’m curious to hear if you feel there are any new baby essentials I have missed, that you feel are essential for the first weeks!

xxx Esther

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Having met in Desigual (Spains multinational Fashion brand) Ana and Xavi quickly became friends when they realised each other’s passion for a better and healthier world. They wanted to create a space where you knew that everything they offered was a collection of carefully curated products that were organic and eco-friendly. The result is Aúpa Organics. Here you can find everything from beautiful wooden toys, organic cotton jerseys, and eco-friendly cereal. Although neither have kids, they have a great capacity to curate their collection not only thinking about materials, and faire trade but also thinking about education, and learning through play.

You can find an entire shelf dedicated to sensory play for the little ones, where you can fill a basket with objects of your picking like natural sponges, bean maracas, cinnamon chimes, wooden balls, shells ect. A great gift for first time mothers, since as we know it can be a little difficult to know what to do with your first baby and how to keep them entertained. The basket of different textures and sounds will give you at least enough time to sit and have a cup of tea without a baby in your arms…

Located in the area of Poblenou, the shop, although not in the center of town, is easy to get to by public transport. This is an area of Barcelona that is very family orientated, and so the shop is a perfect fit.

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Cheerful by Palmer Brown is one of those charming stories which reminds you how gentle childhood is. Each page is filled with romantic pencil drawings which pull you in to a totally endearing world.

A little church mouse, Cheerful, lives with his family and longs to live up to his name. He dreams of a life in the countryside where he can enjoy the life in which he believes is as good as his mother’s stories of her childhood. Cheerful’s siblings are all so happy in the city but he feels there’s something he is missing. One day Cheerful decides to leave the church and he jumps on a passing fruit and vegetable cart. Through many adventures Cheerful finds himself packed up in an Easter Egg and sure enough he discovers a wonderful world in which he is plenty happy.

We’ve loved Cheerful so much. It’s a short, sweet, read-aloud to Florence and the illustrations are ones the whole family enjoys. Having searched for more books by Palmer Brown I’m loving all of his work. Hickory and The Silver Nutmeg also look divine. I think we have a new author love!

Cheerful is available online from Amazon (UK) and (US).

Vanessa x

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One week to go to my due date now…! As I said before in my post about packing my hospital bag, I’m not sure yet if I will stay home or go to the hospital for the birth. But in any case, I am preparing to give birth naturally for the fifth time! Following the un-ignorable nesting instinct, I’ve made sure my house is in order and our bedroom looks the way I like it. Cosy and tidy with a nice candle next to my bed and the nursery corner sweet and inviting. I’ve listened to TED talks and read blogs about giving birth naturally and coping with stress and pain. Of course I’ve read the bible of giving birth naturally — Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth. I make sure to walk daily and eat healthily, try to sleep well, stay relaxed and positive. I feel ready!

In the hospital, walking though contractions. And sending messages to my girlfriends! Check the clock: Casper was born at 18:35.

In case you’re curious — here are some thoughts and notes that I have gathered about giving birth naturally. It’s really all quite simple — most important is to feel safe and relaxed, and to actually believe that YOU CAN DO THIS.

Giving birth naturally

Last year, at our local manage (where Sara, Pim, Ava and I ride), a foal was about to be born. I remember how big the mother mare was, and how everyone was waiting anxiously for the birth. The owners of the manage knew what they were dealing with. As prey animals, mares instinctively look for a quiet, safe place to deliver their foals. So they zoned off the part of the stables where the mare’s stable was, to give her privacy, peace and quiet and to make her feel secure. They also knew, that even though they could do their utmost best to shield the mare and give her as much privacy as possible, she would probably give birth the moment everyone was least expecting it. (Mares are known to hide signs that foaling is near, even pretend to be asleep — only to give birth the moment the caretaker runs to the house for a quick cup of coffee!)

Even though humans partly are predators themselves, they are also very much prey. We still have strong instinctual responses to predators. Just like a mare, we need a safe and secure place where we can give birth. It really is MOST important to feel safe, cared for and positive while giving birth! If your body and mind do not feel safe and relaxed, birth will be stagnated…

Here are my tips for giving birth naturally:

Take charge of the birth with a positive mindset. Trust in your body and in nature. You have to believe that you can do it! Women were made to do this, and have been doing so since the beginning of time. You’re surrounded by all of the women of the world, your mothers, your daughters, your sisters… they have done this before, and they will do this after you.

Make sure your environment is calm and relaxed, so your mind can calm down and relax as well. Dim the lights, maybe light a candle… Play music if you like! Don’t have anyone in the room with you who you don’t feel 100% comfortable with. Be free of fear (fear will make your body tense which will stagnate the birth and can make it more painful). Remember: this is natural, and you can do it!

Be active. Walk for as long as you can! The pressure of your baby on your pelvis will stimulate it to open up faster. I personally also feel that walking around, and chatting to my husband, works distracting and relaxing. In the beginning of my labours I walked outside, after that I tried to keep walking up and down the delivery room. If you eventually feel the need to be inactive or lay down, try to change positions regularly. Remember that gravity is your friend — you may try squatting. (I never liked squatting myself, but I know it works for lots of women!) Drink sips of water regularly, have something to eat if you can. Try to keep smiling (remember the positive mindset!)! A warm bath or shower can help to keep you relaxed and cope with contractions as well.

Breathe! Try deep belly breathing in the first stages. Focus on long exhalations. Later in labour, during the difficult stage of transition, there are techniques like the so-called horse lips (deep belly breath in — long breathe out while flapping your lips like a horse). Here in the Netherlands, we are told to ‘puff’ breathe — breath in through the nose, then exhale through the mouth, with loose lips ‘pffffff’. In the last stage, just before pushing, you can try ‘hahaha’ breathing — a short breath in, breathe out in three times: ‘ha-ha-ha’. Whichever technique works best for you — don’t hold your breath! Keep breathing as rhythmically as possible.

Open up. Literally! Make sure to keep your mouth and throat relaxed and open. Keep your jaw loose and your hands relaxed. And focus your energy! An open and relaxed mouth, throat and jaw will help directly to open your cervix. So open your mouth and relax your throat during a contraction and when birthing your baby! When it’s time to push, try to relax and open up your vagina. A good way to practise this in advance is when you do your Kegel exercises: lift up in three times, let go in three times, but then go one extra level ‘down’ (to the ‘basement’). Focus on the feeling of relaxing and opening up your vagina. This techniques has worked well for me after my first birth, where I was told at my first urge to push, to hold back (to prevent tearing). Thus, when it was time to start pushing with full force, I unconsciously had trouble surrendering and it took over two hours to push Sara out! With later births, this ‘lift to the basement’ technique has worked really well for me (Pim, Ava and Casper were pushed out quickly in two to three contractions!).

Surrender to your contractions. Don’t fight them! Go with the flow of the wave of energy. Visualise your baby going down, see yourself opening up like a flower. Remember that every contraction will bring you closer to meeting your baby! Try to make low moaning or humming sounds, putting your energy in riding the ‘wave’ instead of fighting it with yelling or screaming.

Instruct your birthing partners to affirm your awesomeness with loving and positive words. They can massage or push down on your lower back and upper legs, tightly hold your left ankle. Tell them to remind you to keep breathing and to relax your hands, jaw and mouth. Tell them to keep telling you that you are a wonderful and strong woman and that you can do this!

Of course, giving birth the natural way is just one way. If you prefer (or are scheduled in) for a medical birth, that is perfect as well. Or, if you were aiming to give birth naturally and end up having a medicated birth — just remember that the most important thing is to deliver a healthy baby to a healthy mother! We all make our own choices, and we all sometimes have to follow a different direction in life than we first envisioned. Remember: stay calm and relaxed, give in to the flow of giving birth — you can do this! Whatever way : ).

xxx Esther

PS My first two children were born in London. Home birthing at that time and place was basically impossible (especially since I was following the NHS system), so instead I chose to go to a birthing centre — a midwife led unit within the hospital. Both Sara and Pim were born naturally this way.

Back in the Netherlands, Ava and Casper were also born naturally in a hospital here in Amsterdam. Not specifically in a midwife led unit, but because in the Netherlands birthing is not regarded as a medical ‘problem’, there was just one or two midwives present in the birthing room. (Although a team of doctors was obviously standing by in case a medical intervention would be needed.) The birthing rooms are nice and spacious here in Amsterdam and have their own lovely bathroom. All good!

After-birth care is provided for at home in the Netherlands. A home maternity nurse will come to your house for at least 8 days after the birth, to take care of the usual tasks of the household, help care for baby, and to make sure the new mother can rest and recover. So most women who choose to birthe at the hospital and have gone through an uncomplicated delivery, leave the hospital within a few hours after giving birth.

Our ‘kraamverzorgster’ (Dutch home maternity nurse) with baby Ava

But there is still a large percentage of women who choose for a home birth. A few months before the due date, all women receive the ‘(home) birth box‘ from their insurance, with all the necessities needed for a home birth or for the after-birth care at home. This keeps the options open to choose at the last moment — stay home, or go to the hospital!

When contractions start and have been regular for a while, your midwife will come over to your house and assist with the birth. (The home maternity nurse will also come over and she will assist as well.) The midwife coaches the mother through the birth. She makes sure the environment is safe and relaxed, and helps with coping with pain or anxiety.

Of course the wellbeing of the mother and baby is closely monitored during the process and if there are any signs of trouble or distress, an ambulance will be standing standby. The midwife also brings oxygen and other first-aid care just in case, so she can administer the same immediate care as in the birthing room in the hospital. All in all, it feels safe and normal to give birth at home in the Netherlands. (But it is totally normal and accepted as well to choose to give birth at the hospital). I feel lucky to be in this country where birthing is considered a natural, uncomplicated process with free choices!

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The waiting game has began! I’m nearly 39 weeks pregnant and it can be really any day now… or not! I always find these weeks around the due date so strange. All is quiet and calm, everything is more or less prepared for the arrival of the baby. And no one knows when or how it all will happen! It’s once again a matter of accepting that some things in life can not be foreseen…

My first baby was 10 days late, my last one 5 days early. This new baby can be born any day between now and the next three weeks!

In the meantime I have set up the nursery (meaning, the little baby corner in our bedroom). The beautiful, handcrafted little baby bed is from Nesta’s Nest (made from 100% wool felt). I love the simplicity of the bassinet, and the fact that is so low. (It will move next to our bed once the baby is born, so we can easily pick him up and put him back in the middle of the night.)

We’ve used the changing table for our other babies too. We originally found it in the attic of my husband’s parents — he was changed on it as a baby as well! I love the shabby chic, vintage look of it.

I made the bed with the baby sheets my grandmother embroidered when she was pregnant with my mum, in the winter of 1941/42. Both my grandmother and my mother have passed away, so I feel very connected to them this way.

The shelves (by String) were already hanging in our bedroom. I put some of my old Beatrix Potter books on there, as well as my birth announcement from the ’70s. The little sculpture of me as a baby was made by my mum.

The two samplers were also made by my mum. The bottom one is celebrating my parents’ wedding, the top one my birth. I like the way the colours work with the rest of the decoration and feel they make a surprisingly lovely nursery wall decor!

xxx Esther

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My belly is big and round now and I just feel the skin stretching around it. So tight! Also, the itching is terrible, and comes in waves. My legs, my arms, my back (especially there where I can not reach)… All so itchy! It’s part of the pregnancy deal, of course, and thankfully temporary (almost done!).

Every morning I religiously rub my belly with oil, and it helps to soothe the skin so much. I am a total fan of the Eve & Rose products — their Precious Body Oil is beautifully dry and has such a gentle, soft and soothing scent. I also use the Eve & Rose Nourishing Body Lotion on my legs and arms, and I swear it helps with the itching.

Eve & Rose products are made of 100% natural ingredients, using blends of fine oils such as organ and academia, and other ingredients like aloe vera, shea, white lily flower and tocepherol (natural vitamin E). There is no use of essential oils, alcohol, parabens, phtalates, SLS, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances or colours.

Another great thing about Eve & Rose is that 50% (!!) of the profit is used to support the charity ‘Children of the Mekong’. Thus helping the poorest children and their communities in remote areas and slums. What a great initiative!

xxx Esther

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The last few weeks before giving birth is all about preparing for baby. I’ve been reading books and trying to practise my breathing for during delivery, and I have set up the little crib and changing table in our bedroom. Of course I’ve washed all those little baby clothes as well! Part of the fun, for sure. And considering that I’m keeping my options open (home birth or hospital birth), I did pack my hospital bag. So I’m ready either way!

Here’s what’s in my hospital bag:

A wash bag with lip balm, some samples of face wash, face lotion, shampoo and shower gel, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, hair brush, hand cream, and a case (plus solution) for my contact lenses. Also, elastic bands for my hair!

Some basic make-up (my two favourite tinted moisturisers, from Laura Mercier and Estee Lauder (which in winter I mix), my favourite cream blush stick and simple black mascara)

Warm socks and slippers (I packed a pair of disposable slippers that I brought from a hotel room. Handy, I thought!)

A cute night shirt / nursing gown and a cosy robe

Cotton grandma briefs!

A comfy nursing bra and nursing tank

A bar of chocolate, some little bags of nuts and a bottle of champagne

A little notebook and a pen

Breast pads (washable) and sanitary pads

A pair of maternity leggings, a long sleeved T-shirt which allows for nursing and a cute oversized blouse to wear when going back home

I also packed a phone charger and left a note to remind myself to stick my phone in the bag, as well as my glasses. And to not forget our (charged!) camera and the baby car seat.

And here’s what I packed for baby:

Layette essentials (two envelope onesies, two cosy white sleepsuits, a cashmere receiving blanket, a swaddle blanket, two muslin squares and a hat)

One tiny baby outfit (overalls and hat which I knit for Casper!) and minuscule socks

A few organic nappies and wipes

xxx Esther

PS Some women love to bring a little bluetooth speaker to the hospital so they can listen to music. Some bring candles so they can dim the light. Some even like to bring a pillow from home. I personally don ‘t need any of this in the hospital, but I’m curious to hear what you did bring and loved having with you?

Boob is a Stockholm-based maternity label offering an extensive collection of clothes for all stages of motherhood. With clever solutions for double use (being pregnancy and breastfeeding friendly), the fashion goes way beyond 9 months. The great quality even makes them last so long they can be used for other pregnancies or be passed on to friends! I love clothes with a long lifecycle like that.

I have found the Boob basics to be staples in my pregnancy wardrobe. In my posts about first and second trimester essentials, I mentioned Boob pregnancy and breastfeeding friendly fashion already. The styles are so cute and comfortable, they easily cover the belly in all different stages and are flattering as well. (I’m wearing the Flatter me long-sleeve top as we speak!)

Boob just launched their Spring Summer collection and I wanted to show you some pieces I am so excited about. This Air dress — how beautiful is it? I just love the elegance of the cut and the prettiness of the colour. It works for pregnancy (see the photo below where I’m wearing it with an 8 months bump!). After birth, all of the flowing fabric will lovingly disguise the after-birth belly, while offering a clever breastfeeding solution. Just by pushing aside the fabric pleats, nursing access is revealed! When your waist allows, I love the belted version as in the photo above too. (I’m far from that option, of course!) Also, it is made from 100% organic cotton.

Another item I think is so fun is the Amelia Jumpsuit. I wear it so much now that I am cocooning and nesting around the house! Again, it is super comfy to wear and offers easy and discreet breastfeeding access. I love the fun style with the cropped legs, and the tied top. I’m excited to be able to keep wearing this piece after I’ve had the baby, as I think this will become one of my favourite pieces for the summer, like the Air dress.

I’m also very excited to announce a give-away we’re hosting over on our Instagram together with Boob! They are giving away a 250 euro voucher to one lucky winner (and will ship your prize all over the world)! For details, head over to our Instagram page now. Good luck!

But that’s not all, Boob is also offering a whopping 20% off their entire collection for all Babyccino readers, from today ’til the 24th of February. Just enter code BABYCCINO20BOOB at check-out! Enjoy!

xxx Esther

PS This post has been sponsored by Boob, a longtime member of our portal and a brand I personally love and endorse.

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The new spring/summer collection at Louise Misha launched last week and it is simply beautiful! With stunning, bohemian dresses and accessories for little girls, and a larger-than-ever selection for women, this is my favourite collection yet. There is honestly not a single piece in the women’s collection that I wouldn’t love to have in my closet: pretty blouses, flowing silk dresses, and easy-to-wear-anywhere dresses like this one (honestly, how pretty is it?!!!). I just love the effortless feel of each and every piece.

The girls collection is equally stunning with lots of flowy shapes, ruffles and beautiful embroidery. And what I think I love most about the Louise Misha dresses is that while they are delicate enough to wear for special occasions, they are durable enough to wear day-to-day, thrown over a swimsuit and worn to the beach, for example.

Louise Misha is a French brand created in 2014 by two friends, Aurélie Remetter and Marie Pidancet, who were inspired by their travels to India. They initially launched with a collection of jewellery, which later expanded to a collection of clothing for girls and then, lucky for us mamas, a collection for women, which they launched last year.

In the photos above, Marlow is wearing the beautiful saffron-coloured Nouchka Dress with bright pink detailing on the side tassels, and the embroidered Hindaka Dress in white. I am wearing the floral Aster Tropical dress, which I love because it’s so lightweight — perfect for this hot, humid weather.

Check out the full collection here.

Courtney x

This post has been sponsored by Louise Misha, a longtime member of our portal. All words, images and opinions are entirely my own.

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For true urban play, Superkilen is an inventively rendered park and community space that is deservedly held in high esteem by the design and architecture press. With diversity celebrated through its design and its use, it occupies a huge wedge-shaped piece of land between apartment buildings and busy streets around and between Nørrebrogade and Tagensvej.

Often a feature of Instagram, it’s carved up into three distinct zones that gather around the long cycleway coiling through the park, and is peppered with references to, and inspiration from, the 57 cultures that live in the area, and who have been active in shaping it.

Working from Nørrebrogade – serviced by a multitude of buses from the city centre – the first area is the Red Zone, which is punctuated by neon signage set high up on stilts, whose graphics references Russian and Chinese iconography. The skater-populated ground is coloured red and so is the play equipment, the highlight of which are circle swings embedded with benches that are reminiscent of vintage seaside resorts. The Red Zone is also home to Nørrebrohallen, a community centre with what looks like a great café (and toilets!) and an indoor football hall, at one end of which are accessible climbing walls for kids.

On from the Red Zone and crossing a street, the monochromatic, much-photographed Black Market’s charcoal ground is laced with white stripes – uniform where they start at the top of a small hill in the distance, and splaying out and heading in different directions as they hit ground level. This is naturally a favourite spot for kids who love scooters and biking.

The Black Market also hosts chess tables and barbecue grills for people to gather together around, and its multi-cultural elements include a fountain from Morocco, palm trees from China and – adored by my boys – a glossy black play structure inspired by a Japanese toy octopus that looks like Darth Vadar’s mask. On two corners that face the Black Market are cafés – useful for snacks or pitstops.

Over the Black Market’s lined hillock, grass suddenly appears, and you’re in the Green Zone, a more traditional picnic-and-play area with a kind of circus-style red-and-white structure at its heart. We only head here for the incredibly long swings, but otherwise my kids have never felt there’s much to write home about in this part of the wedge.

Superkilen’s total area amounts to 30,000 square metres – yet it’s every corner and detail is thought through and tells of life elsewhere, from the benches to the rubbish bins and everything in between. Playing here among the colour-coded graffiti and cultural references makes for an easy half-day – and one that’s always well spent.

Address

Nørrebrogade 208 2200 København N

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The third trimester is when you will start to feel BIG and heavy and perhaps physically uncomfortable. But you will also be excitedly preparing yourself for the birth of your baby… This is such a fun and special time!

In addition to my lists of first and second trimester essentials, here’s a few things you might need in the third trimester:

Bath: by now my body is so big and heavy, my back is sore and my belly crampy. Having a bath brings so much relief! These lavender bath salts from Neal’s Yard are so relaxing. I tried them at Emilie’s place recently and loved them. (I just ordered a jar for myself; they will be great to use after the birth as well!)

Prepare: Regardless of whether you’re preparing for a home birth, a hospital birth, a natural birth or a c-section, it is good to know what childbirth is all about. There’s no need to dread giving birth — instead, it is important to feel powerful, ready and relaxed! I personally still don’t know if I will stay home for the birth or head over to the hospital. Here in the Netherlands you can decide pretty much last minute! But I do think it will be a natural birth, like my 4 previous ones. In any case, I feel it is good to understand what will happen during birth. And learn (or at least, know about!) techniques to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. I find that Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth  can be a helpful read (especially so if you’re hoping to give birth naturally). Also, it’s good to practise hypno-birth breathing techniques, or the sort of breathing and relaxation techniques you learn at pregnancy yoga.

Tea: Drinking Raspberry Leaf tea is said to help prepare the womb for childbirth.

Massage: A massage brings relief and relaxation (and helps with a sore back or restless legs!). I love this belly oil from Tubby Tods.

Robe: This cashmere robe is so luxuriously comfortable and fits the biggest of bumps!

Announcements: In the Netherlands, it is the custom to send out birth announcements to all friends and family. Selecting a card and gathering all of the addresses is definitely a third trimester activity.

xxx Esther

PS  Yesterday I made a big pot full of pasta sauce that I froze in batches. I’m trying to stock up our pantry and freezer so we don’t have to think about food too much later!

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A bowl of warm, homemade soup is a bowl of happiness. It just feels good for the soul to have yummy and healthy soup simmering away. Especially if you are serving it to a family filled with colds or fighting flus! But really, there is never a reason to need soup, just because is reason enough.

Our Babyccino team have collected their favourite soups to share with you. Enjoy our fourteen soups (in the gallery) and a ‘bonus’ Chicken Soup recipe from Polona’s mother in law in Slovenia that was too yummy to resist sharing (with dumplings as the ‘icing on the cake’ moment). We love sharing our tested and tried favourites with you… even the family secret ones!

  Carrot and Cardamon — The combination of cardamon with carrot is divine! I love the smell of this soup warming on the stove. Delicious! — Vanessa

Tomato Soup — A lovely tomato soup- this recipe is for the slow cooker, but you could do it on the stove top as well. — Rebecca

Dreamy Cauliflower & Thyme Soup — Such a healthy way to start the year, full of goodness! And for a little indulgence I add a bit of grated cheese and crunchy kale. Just because we don’t want to feel too austere Love this recipe from my friend Sara! — Lara

Fast White Bean Stew — My go-to for a very quick and hearty winter soup. I use whatever greens I have on hand, add one or two parmesan rinds from the bag I always have in the freezer, and let it simmer for a little longer than recommended to let the flavors come together. — Shannon

Bulgar and Red Lentil Soup — A family (and Babyccino!) favourite. Easy to make and simple ingredients on hand to make impromptu dinners. — Esther and Courtney

Chicken Stock — We make a chicken stock weekly in our home. Because we love roasting meat, we also save those bones in a box on the bottom shelf of our freezer. Then we add off cuts and leftover ends of carrots, celery, onion skins, etc so that we have a base of frozen items, and then add fresh vegetable items when it is time to make the stock. It means we have a constant supply of stock, which is the base of all good soups and gravy! — Lara

Vegetable Bean Soup — Perhaps this is the easy and fast version of the minestrone (in number 8)? Quick to make, helathy and delicious! — Esther

Minestrone — Delicious and so full of healthiness! I make a big pot of this soup regularly and everybody always loves it! — Esther

Cauliflower Cheese — I just absolutely love this soup, and my kids do too (though they’re not the biggest fans of cauliflower, otherwise). It also freezes really well. — Helen

Pumpkin Soup — This is a recipe we ‘inherited’ from Courtney’s grandma, Soobie. There are many variations of pumpkin soup, but this one is warm and hearty and brings out the flavour of the pumpkin so beautifully. — Esther

Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup — A soup recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi – of course it’s perfect! We made this three times over the holidays and loved how quickly it came together and how much flavor it had considering the short list of ingredients. — Shannon

Puy Lentil and Spinach Soup — This healthy soup relies on pantry staples (substitute in dried herbs). Such a great option for when you’ve not much in the house! — Helen

Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup — A soup recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi – of course it’s perfect! We made this three times over the holidays and loved how quickly it came together and how much flavor it had considering the short list of ingredients. — Shannon

Celeriac Soup — One of my favourite soups, with a beautiful velvety taste. As good for easy weekly dinners as to serve at a fancy dinner party! — Esther 

  And the Slovenian Chicken Stew:

Chicken stew or “obara” is a very popular lunch in Slovenia. I have made a decent one a few times, my mother makes a very delicious one but the best one is by my mother in law. So finally I asked her to tell me her recipe so I can share it with you of course  We usually add dumplings to the stew too!

Stew Ingredients:

500 g chicken, any part will do (I use boneless breast and both legs, no skin)

1/3 of leek, thinly sliced

½ small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bunch of parsley

2-3 big carrots, diced

a few cauliflower florets (3 or more), chopped

¼ of red and yellow peppers, sliced

1 medium ripe tomato, chopped

Salt & Pepper

In a dutch oven or a large skillet heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat and sauté leek and onion.

Add the garlic and carrots and sauté again for another 2 minutes. Then add the meat, salt and sauté some more – for about 5 minutes.

Pour in about 1.5 liters of warm water and the rest of the vegetables, except for the cauliflower (so: peppers, tomato and parsley).

Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add cauliflower and drop dumplings*.

Drop dumpling ingredients:

2 eggs

Flour

Pinch of salt

In a small bowl beat the eggs and using a fork mix in enough flour to make a thick paste, season with salt. Now drop by teaspoons into a boiling stew, dipping the spoon in the stew first, every time! Next, add the cauliflower, cover and simmer for about 10 -15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Finally it is time to serve the family. Yum!

Although we have a lot of favourites, we would love to know what delicious family favourite soups you love too. After all, great soups are meant to be shared.

Enjoy!

ps Also, have you ever tried this Cream of Corguette Soup? It is one of Emilie’s favourites. Great with our 5 Minute Bread.

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We love bringing small celebrations to life with homemade decorations, which add a special and festive touch! Chinese New Year is today, and we’ve spent the week making these super simple DIY paper lanterns. We’re hoping to hang them up while we feast on Chinese food (yum for Dim Sum), eating our dinner with chopsticks (which the children love to eat with!) and ending our meal with fortune cookies with clever little messages. What is not to love about Chinese New Year at home?

These lanterns would be amazing in multiples, hung on a long string or wire. I could imagine the paper lanterns could work for many other celebrations as well, all you need to do is change the paper colour to best fit the event. Whenever and however you use them, I think you will enjoy them.

Materials :

Paper — I used A3 sized red paper

Glitter — optional, but I love Eco Glitter Fun (safe, biodegradable glitter)

Glue and paintbrush or a glue stick

Gold paper scraps — I used doilies cut up, but any paper would work

Gold and bronze sticker stars

Chopsticks — great for holding the lanterns, and the paper can be used to decorate them

Ric-a-rac or ribbon

Brass paper fasteners or staples or hot glue gun

Scissors

There are two styles of lanterns:

Steps to make the Tall Lantern : 

Glue on paper scraps, then add glitter if using.

Let paper dry.

Fold the paper lengthwise in half.

Cut the paper from the folded end to the paper edge into numerous strips, avoiding the top inch and a half of the paper. (Basically you are cutting perforations.) These do not need to be even or perfect, children can do this to make it more fun, this is a forgiving step as long as you don’t cut to the top of the paper.

Add sticker stars if you are using them.

Then create the lantern by bringing the paper around to itself, creating a hollow column, with the top corner and bottom corner overlapping slightly so the paper ‘fans’ out (like above).

Add brass paper fasteners, (or staple, or hot glue), to fasten it securely.

Then from the inside of the lantern, add a little ric-a-rac or ribbon to create a handle.

See, simple! Next, the round lantern…

Steps to make the Round Lantern :

Fold the paper into 8 long pieces. You will use these paper folds as a guide later for cutting.

Decorate the paper with gold paper cuttings and glitter using glue.

Let the paper dry.

Use the paper folds as guides and cut into strips.

Overlap the strips to create a radial design, with all the ends meeting in the middle point.

Use a brass paper fastener (or stapler) to secure the lantern in the centre point.

Then bring all the opposite ends together and secure with another brass fastener.

Add a ribbon handle and you are good to go!

I used chopsticks, still attached together to make handles, just push the ribbon between the chopsticks.

So super easy! And while you are waiting for the paper to dry, in between steps, why not read these fabulous books The Magic Paintbrush, by Julia Donaldson. Or, The Great Race, by Christoper Corr. We also enjoyed The Great Race, by Emily Hiles for slightly younger children/toddlers. They are all fabulous books!

And if you need a trick to introduce children to chopsticks for the true Chinese New Year experience, try our Trainer Chopsticks DIY or Kitasticks.

Enjoy!

Lara x

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After school activities can be great for keeping your kids active and entertained beyond the school day. They can encourage your children to hone skills they might not necessarily have the chance to practice in school, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends outside of their classroom. However, having too many after school commitments can become tiresome and stressful, it can get in the way of quality family time, and can even do more harm than good!

We recently received the following question from a reader, a mother of three in California…

In the States, the after-school routine can be all-consuming especially with multiple children. I have taken a more relaxed approach than many in my community but am constantly struggling with how to provide an enriching and confidence building environment for my kids, while being sensitive to over scheduling and the stress it causes for the entire family. I would love to know your approach as well as any cultural differences that stand out.

I thought it was such an interesting question, and it really did make me wonder what sort of cultural differences there are surrounding this topic.

For example, when we lived in London, after school activities were very common. (I always felt like our family had way fewer activities compared to our friends and the children’s classmates.) I had several friends whose children had a lesson or scheduled activity literally every single day after school. It was even more noticeable in the winter when the days were short and cold — parents would organise all sorts of indoor activities for fear of keeping their kids cooped up at home every afternoon (which I totally understand).  While here in Australia where the weather is milder, scheduled activities are much less common.  It seems like kids tend to have one or two scheduled activities each week, and then more free time to head to the beach. So perhaps weather plays a part?  I also think maybe it’s a difference between living in a city, where there are more options and therefore more hype and pressure, than living in smaller towns?

Another interesting aspect is the age of the children. My three eldest children (12, 10 and 8) play tennis on Mondays after school, and on Wednesdays they have a drama class after school, which they love. Thankfully we live in town and the kids can just walk home after their drama class, so it doesn’t require any extra driving or coordinating on my part. Marlow, who is 5, doesn’t currently have any extra curricular activities, as I think school is already tiring for her, and I think it’s important for her to be able to have unstructured time at home in the afternoons.  She’s lucky she has plenty of siblings to play with, so she is very rarely alone or bored.

But this is the thing, I guess: boredom! It seems parents nowadays are trying to do everything they can to keep their kids from becoming too bored. But boredom is actually a good thing. It’s always when my kids are home, feeling bored, with nothing to do that they end up playing in the most imaginative, creative ways. Giving our kids unstructured time can be so beneficial for their imaginations and also for their sibling relationships. I really feel like my kids are so close because we give them plenty of time to play together, which of course is more important to me than anything else.

So let’s talk after school activities. How old are your kids and how many structured activities do they have? Do you feel the pressure to have more or less? Please share below.

Courtney x

p.s. A past post about preventing sibling rivalry, and my thoughts on electronics.

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Ask ten New Yorkers where to find the best pizza and you’re likely to receive ten different responses. New York is a serious pizza town, and opinions, like the styles of the pizzas themselves, vary. It might surprise some, then, that one of my very favorite pizza places isn’t focused only on pizza, and may not come to mind as quickly as Joe’s, or John’s of Bleeker Street, or Co., or Motorino (all of which are certainly part of the ‘very good New York City pizza’ club!). It’s true that Roberta’s excels at many things, and one of those happens to be turning out exceptional Neapolitan-inspired pies from their wood-burning oven.

Located in the once solely industrial neighborhood of Bushwick Brooklyn, Roberta’s minimal curb appeal belies the wonder of the experience within. An entire complex is tucked away behind its graffitied cinder block walls and the adjoining corrugated metal fencing, including the aforementioned pizza oven, several dining rooms, a bakery, a take-out window, a garden, an army-style tent to accommodate diners waiting for a table, a radio station, and a very serious high-end sister restaurant with two Michelin stars serving a set tasting menu at its chef’s counter. Though the restaurant is perpetually-buzzing, we lucked into a free table as soon we arrived one recent weekend, benefiting from the cold weather that must have been keeping many people home. Roberta’s doesn’t do much to dispel its reputation as a one of Brooklyn’s original hipster hangouts, but the staff are friendly and welcoming to children, and high chairs are available.

In the main dining room worn wooden picnic-style tables line the poured concrete floor. Once settled we perused the menu, and I remembered what I love so much about the restaurant – pretty much everything (no, seriously, everything!). The menu, filled with casual food prepared with precision and serious attention to ingredients, makes it very hard not to over order. Most of the pizzas employ topping combinations that skew toward the creative end of the spectrum, but classics like the Rosso and Margherita are always available. For our family of two adults, a nearly 4-year-old, and an 11-month old, we settled on a salad, a main, three pizzas (!), and a sticky bun to tide us over until the food arrived. We wanted to order a few more dishes but tried to our best to be reasonable. That said, if you’re there at dinner, the pastas are consistently excellent, as are the calzones. It’s impossible to order badly!

By the time the pizzas arrived we’d already eaten the sticky bun, plus a cucumber salad with with garlic and chili and a tonkatsu-style piece of pork over kale, stracciatella cheese, avocado, and chipotle. The pizzas feature house-made mozzarella, locally-milled flour in the crust, and vegetables from the restaurant’s garden when the season permits. Our picks for the day, the Four Emperors, with arrabbiata, mozzarella, ricotta, capra con pepe, asiago, and sesame seeds; the Guanciale & Egg; and the Fennel Countdown with mozzarella, pecorino, pancetta, fennel, and lemon were uniformly excellent, with well-blistered crusts that managed to stay pleasingly chewy. We fed little bites of each to the baby as we devoured them, slice after slice disappearing from the trays and happy smiles spreading across our faces. Don’t you love when kid-friendly comes hand-in-hand with adult-approved?

A few additional details:

The closest subway station is the Morgan Avenue stop on the L train.

Takeout and delivery, including excellent breads and pastries from their bakery, are available from 10am-12am daily.

The restaurant accepts walk-ins only, but does offer group dining packages for parties of 10-16 people.

If you can’t make it to the original Roberta’s in Brooklyn, the outpost at Urbanspace Vanderbilt close to Grand Central is a great alternative.

Blanca, the tasting menu-only restaurant with two Michelin stars behind Roberta’s makes an excellent special occasion or date night restaurant, but does require planning ahead (bookings are accepted 30 days in advance).

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  There is lots of love in the air, with Valentine’s Day nearly here, so I wanted to create a craft with simple items we had on hand in our home. Naturally, a classic potato print project came to mind. After all aren’t potato prints a right of passage? Good for all ages, this craft entertained my nearly two year old and almost five year old, as well as my mother in law. So definitely great for all ages! And you can choose how much time and concentration you have — the first bunting consisted of 5 pages of paper, and the next one had 13 pages  — both looked super cute, so you modify this craft to suit you.

The origin of this idea was from the talented Artbarblog— an artist and Babyccino friend, with an endless wealth of knowledge and a pocketful of creative tricks. Her ideas are so inspiring, and she aspires to raise creative thinkers (yes!). I fell in love with this potato print garland idea (thank you Bar!), then I modified it to fit our needs — fewer steps, simplified, quick to make, toddler approved, and very last minute friendly!

Materials :

Paper — we used what we had on hand which were pages from a recycled restaurant guide. But newsprint, graph paper, old maps, or even newspaper could all work nicely. Think texture from type, it adds a really lovely dimension.

Potatoes — we got ‘slightly imperfect ones’ so they cost less and were funny looking! I would suggest one potato heart per colour.

Heart shaped cookie cutter

Paint, brush, and tray or plate for paint

Hole puncher and / or washi tape

Red & white striped twine

Steps :

Lay out the paper in a row — doing a few pages at the same time is more efficient so you can use one stamp numerous times.

Mix the paint to your preferred colours — we loved orange, salmon pink, red, white, and fuchsia.

Cut the potatoes in half, then press the heart cookie cutter into the cut half about a 1/4 inch deep. Then with a pairing knife, cut away the potato around the heart, and you have a perfect love heart! I love this trick. So simple and quick.

Use a brush to apply the paint to the heart stamp — it is much more even and less blotchy this way. Then stamp away.

Let each individual experiment with the colours, patterns, and direction of their hearts. And fill in the heart with paint from the brush if the heart isn’t totally clear.

After everything has dried, punch holes at the top corners or tape the twine on. We loved the finished look of the punched holes.

Thread thru the twine, hang up, and add a few hand drawn outlines and a pop of colour to really bring out a few of the hearts!

  Yes! A homemade Valentine’s bunting for all to enjoy. Colourful, cute, hand made. It will add happiness to any home. And save it for future Valentine’s Days by simply storing it in a cardboard envelope and saving it for future Valentine’s Day — maybe even add to it each year?

Last but not least, we also wanted to share some other inspiring craft ideas using some of the same materials with potatoes and cookie cutters and bunting.

Thank you again Bar! And happy potato love heart day.

Lara x

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Tammy Flinos met her husband at the young age of eighteen. On their second date they decided they were going to adopt a child. After two biological children, they moved to Dubai where they began the adoption process. Here Tammy met Jodie Hampshire and Selina Smyth, two other women who were going through the adoption process at the same time. The three became close friends as they went through the emotional highs and lows together — from the death of a child to the welcoming of children, they went through the trials and tribulations that come with adoptive parenting.

Between the three women, they now have twelve children — six adopted and six biological, and after a decade of being adoptive parents, the three decided to write a book to offer support and answers to other parents going through the adoption process. They wrote down their individual experiences and personal stories, and share their learnings in a new book called Lionheart — the real life guide to adoptive parenting.

“Writing this book was an incredible experience for each of us. It was so emotional writing down all of our stories and remembering all of the challenging experiences we have had. The three of us met in Singapore to finish the writing and it was like a few days of incredible group therapy! We laughed and cried and wrote and wrote and wrote. So the end product is a book that lets you know that you are not alone — that some of the things you are experiencing that seem strange, are normal to us. It makes you laugh and cry and gives you tips on how to deal with common issues and also how to take care of yourself.”

Lionheart is helpful to any parent of adopted or fostered children, or anyone parenting a child who has experienced trauma of any kind. And 100% of the proceeds from the book sales go to Big Love Family Projects, a charity they set up to support projects in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cambodia – their children’s birth countries.

Here are five helpful tips for adoptive parents:

1. Accept your child for who they are. This is a very hard one for all parents, but fully accepting the child that we have, their likes and dislikes, their style, their talents or lack thereof, allows our children to feel free. It allows them to feel proud of who they are and gives us as parents, a sense of freedom —  freedom from expectations and disappointment. That is unconditional love and everyone will benefit from it.

2. Be aware of, and knowledgable about trauma. Your child, no matter how old they were when you adopted them, will have experienced trauma. Being separated from your biological mother at any age and under any circumstances, brings with it a whole host of trauma related issues. The older the child was when adopted, the more trauma they will have experienced in their life before you. Finding out as much as you can about trauma, how it effects brain development, behavior and emotional maturity will help both you and your child immensely.

3. Children that have spent any time in an institution (orphanage, children’s home etc) will more than likely have some sensory issues. Consulting an occupational therapist and do some research. Simple activities can be life changing and will allow your child to experience the pleasure of sensory input without the stress.

4. Allow your child to express their emotions fully. This is a huge one. Adopted children have a whole host of difficult emotions to deal with, and as small children, they have no understanding of these emotions. Sitting with them calmly, while explaining that they are safe to express themselves is an incredible tool for you as a parent. Telling the child that it is ok to feel scared, angry, confused, frustrated, hurt, whatever it may be, will allow them to move through these emotions in a healthy way and hopefully help them release these feelings. It helps them to understand that these feelings aren’t “negative” emotions, they are just emotions. Everyone has them and it is ok to feel it, experience it, then let go of it. This process may take years in adopted children, but as long as they understand that it is healthy to feel things and that it is all part of being human and processing things, then hopefully they can grow into emotionally mature adults who have learned to recognize and deal with feelings when they arise.

5. Self care. We cannot stress this enough! Any parent needs to take care of themselves, but it is never as important as when you are dealing with a child that has issues of their own. Often we get so caught up in trying to be there for our children and help them get through their own things, that we forget about ourselves. Place the oxygen mask on yourself first, then help others. This is the most sensible thing to do. You have to take good care of your own physical, mental and emotional health, so that you can be the best parent possible to your child. This is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity.

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