Things do not get much cuter than these new veggie inspired hand knitted clothes from Oeuf. While your fussy eaters may not eat their veggies, you’ll have no trouble convincing your kids to wear them! All knitted in 100% baby alpaca wool, this adorable clothing collection couldn’t be more delicious! There are also some gorgeous matching veggie pillows in case you can’t get enough of your greens. But if it’s the proteins you’re missing, the fried egg hat is the one for you! Just too cute – I mean look at that aubergine baby – so cute it hurts!
I’ve decided to take a few days off to spend in the sunshine with my family and of course my little one so I will see you back here next week. In the meantime, if you feel like more reading here are some past popular posts of mine that you might enjoy:
Can’t think of what to cook tonight? This yummy chicken is a firm family favourite here. Or for something quicker, these healthy soba noodles are my go to dish for a last minute dinner.
If you’re still to take your family Summer holiday, these long haul travel tips might help.
Looking for ways to keep the kids busy? Here are some of the best fruity Summer crafts. For even more fruit inspiration, here are some fun and fruity party decoration ideas.
We adore our books here and I often recommend our best finds. This is probably one of the most popular of all the books I’ve recommended – a must have in any kids library.
Confession time. My 6.5 year old can’t tie her shoelaces. How bad is that? I’ve just let that little life skill slip and I’ve forgotten to teach her. It doesn’t help that nearly all kids shoes come with buckles or velcro fasteners so the need to tie shoelaces hasn’t really arisen. But that’s no excuse, every kid should be able to tie their shoelaces right? Hands up who else is in the same boat – I’m not the only slacking parent, am I? I did a bit of a google search to make sure I wasn’t the only one and I found that many children learn to tie their shoe laces a lot later these days. There is no set age but kids should be able to tie their shoelaces by around age 5.
A little while ago Anya got a pair of shoes with laces and I had tried to teach her on those but it was proving too tricky to learn on the shoes themselves even though she tried quite hard. Anya ended up getting really frustrated that she couldn’t do it so we kind of gave up and forgot about it for a while but it recently dawned on me that she should really be able to tie her laces. So instead of learning on the shoes, together we made this very simple cardboard shoe cutout for her to learn on. Using a board like this is a much easier way to teach children how to tie their shoelaces.
Anya’s only had a handful of goes at tying and she has already nearly learned how to do it. She too says it much easier learning on this board than on actual shoes. Once she has perfected it on here, we will move back on to the shoes. I’m haven’t given you any step by step instructions on how to make this board as it’s pretty obvious form the pictures. But if you do want some instructions there are loads of tutorials out there like this one that inspired me to make my own. I will add that let the kids make this shoelace board themselves and they’ll enjoy learning on it even more.
Can your kids tie their shoelaces? Do you have an easy method to teach children how to tie their shoelaces? Please do share in the comments.
P.S. Here’s a short video on a very easy method of tying shoelaces, not the two ears method. A good idea to make it even easier for younger kids.
When I was a kid, I remember visiting London for a holiday and my parents took me and my brother to Hamley’s toy store for the first time. It was like a dream come true. We were small, wide-eyed kids who couldn’t quite believe a shop like this existed. We had only ever been to small toy shops before, so to see this kind of scale was almost too much for us. Everywhere I turned, there were toys and games that went from floor to ceiling or so it seemed to me. Toys that I could touch and feel and smell! We weren’t allowed to buy much – we were each given a small budget but that didn’t matter. It was the looking, the exploring, the touching and the just being there that was the best part. I also think it would have been quite boring if we had unlimited budgets because where’s the fun in being able to buy everything.
Sometimes I think back on that experience and wish that all the brands I love for kids would be under one roof. These days I am much more in to the non-mainstream stuff which can sometimes be hard to find and almost impossible to find under one roof. While I keep dreaming about this fantasy shop that will probably never exist, I’ve discovered a virtual place that comes pretty close. It’s called Little Flea and it’s a one-stop place to discover some of the best boutiques for babies and kids.
If, like me, you like to look beyond the mainstream and seek out something that little bit more beautiful or unique for your kids then Little Flea is the place to go to. You’ll find familiar favourites like Bobo Choses and of course my very own ebabee shop too 😉 but you’ll also discover some very cool new lines like Little Indians (love them) and Magnus & Mouse. Little Flea isn’t a shop but the owner Anna carefully hand-picks and features gorgeous stuff for babies and kids which otherwise would be very hard to find. So it’s a great place to browse, discover and get inspired.
A little business tip – if you have a stylish small business or shop for kids then you too can get in touch with Anna and ask to be featured on her site. Anna is very helpful and approachable and loves the brands and products she features.
Do you have a momform? By that I mean a mom uniform! I certainly do. For the school run at least I think I am almost always in skinny jeans and a tee/top in Summer paired with ballet pumps and in Winter it’s back to those skinnies but with boots and chunky knits. I love my denim but I seem to stick to jeans only and I’ve kind of fallen in to the same trap when it comes to Anya. The only denim in her wardrobe is a pair of skinny jeans. But there are so many more denim styles out there to love for women and especially for kids – from denim dungarees to skirts and even denim dresses. This Summer I want to get out of our jean rut and explore other denim styles. To start with I went looking for some cute denim looks for babies kids and I found some gorgeous stuff.
How cute are those denim cat dungarees? Or for older kids I’m loving that faded vintage denim dungaree. Denim is so comfy and easy to wear and it goes with anything and everything so even if the kids insist on choosing their clothes, they can’t go wrong. And those frilly little denim bloomers – so adorable! The best news of all is that a lot of these clothes are on sale at the moment and as denim can be worn year round, you don’t have to worry about the seasons changing. Have you seen any fab denim clothes for kids and or women? I’m looking for a light denim jumpsuit kind of like that kids mechanic style one pictured at the top – so cool, no? Here is where you will find the looks I’ve picked:
Are you a bag lady or a shoe lady? Bags or shoes, shoes or bags? I’m very much a shoe lady as my ever growing shoe collection will reveal. And since I’ve been blessed with a little girl, well my shoe obsession has trickled down to mini shoes too. But with mini shoes I usually have to hold back because kids feet grow so quickly; that is until I discovered Pisamonas who make the cutest and most affordable shoes for kids.
If you’ve been following my blog you’ll know that I’m a fan of Pisamonas shoes so much so that I’m proud to say I often work with them too. Pisamonas are all about Spanish made shoes for boys and girls at incredible prices which means you can indulge in a few pairs for the kids every season and not have to restrict yourself to just one or two pairs like I used to. Now Pisamonas are offering even better value with a sale. Their already unbeatable prices are reduced further but just for a few days. Because their prices are normally so low, their sales don’t last long – usually no more than a week or 10 days at most. Here are a few of my favourites from the sale – all for under £20 (yes, under £20!). Aren’t they pretty? I’m loving the softer colours for Summer so that’s what I’ve picked but there are loads more styles so do check out their sale before it’s over.
Do you know Kids on the Moon? It has to be one of the coolest kids brands ever! The clothes all tell a story, it’s about art meeting fashion but beyond that the clothes are always so practical and comfy for kids to wear. Anya has clothes by Kids on the Moon so I know how easy they are for a kid to wear and still do what kids do. The fabrics too are always practical and designed for repeated wash and wear. I have featured their collections here in the past and now they’ve launched a brand new line of clothing for modern mums called By the Moon. Instead of just sharing both the collections with you I thought it would be fun to chat with Magda, the amazingly talented designer behind both the kids and mums range.
Tell us about Kids on the Moon? Kids on the Moon is a brand that uses dreams and magic to make children’s clothes. Natural materials and colours are mixed with a lot of imagination, storytelling and fantasy. The brand is created by three women who also happen to be mothers and who spend their days traveling between the moon, the earth and planet Venus. Kids on the moon was created three years ago by Magda Rams, the brand’s designer who designs every collection and whose sense of style defines Kids on the Moon.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? That’s easy – I always wanted to make clothes. Also as a kid I used to dream a lot and still do. I find children very inspiring and designing clothes for them is a true pleasure. On one hand there are no limits to the imagination and fantasies come to life, on the other you have to be sincere and true to yourself as kids naturally shun fads and fake hypes. That’s why at Kids on the Moon we use natural colours and comfortable but original styles. The brand is about lightness manifested in a beautiful, well designed manner. Our motto is no gravity – there are no limits to our creativity. Kids on the Moon is where fantasy meets good design and quality. Our collections tell stories from dreams. The brand’s name and concept give us unlimited possibilities – just like space or a kid’s imagination.
What led you to start Kids on the Moon? Kids on the Moon is a natural almost organic outcome of an art education, a career in the fashion industry and being inspired by my own kids. I’ve always looked for professional independence and wanted to enjoy what I do. One of the objects that has always been with me is my great-grandmother’s sewing machine. Ever since I remember I was always trying to sew something on it. Kids on the Moon must have been written in the stars for me.
You create incredible collection after collection. How do you do it? At the very beginning, there is a world in which our collection will be set. This world is a mixture of children’s fantasy and the world of nature with a dose of a grown-up imagination and of course the world of fashion, literature, film and art. A careful eye will notice quotes from Kubrick’s films, from Mad Max, David Bowie and more. As a brand inspired by the moonlight and space in general there is a lot of cosmic themes but we are not limiting ourselves to it. Our current summer collection OCEANIA puts together oceans, lunar seas and …grunge. In autumn we will get inspired by the TOTAL ECLIPSE and see what happens when the moon takes over making the sun vanish for a while. So the upcoming collection will be, as always full of mystery, magic and of course – moonlight.
Do you experience creative block? How do you deal with it? Creative blocks happen to everyone. They are a sign that you need to rest and relax, do things you enjoy, run bare feet with your children, read a book and listen to music. So creative blocks are like little vacations – they pass as soon as you start enjoy them 🙂 (I love this quote – it’s something I’m going to remember and use!)
Aside from your own, which kids clothing line really inspires you? Featherdrum – for that holiday feeling all year round.
And lastly, if you weren’t a kids clothing designer, what would you be? I have always been attracted to fashion – so I am sure if it hadn’t been for Kids on the Moon I would design adult clothes. In fact this is happening already as we have just launched Kids on the Moon’s older sister – a brand called BY THE MOON. It has been created for all mums and grown up women who live by the sun and dream by the moon, who value comfort, lightness and a little bit of magic every day.
Thank you Magda for your inspiring words. I am loving the new modern mum collection just as much as the kids collection. And remember the next time you experience creative block, treat it as a vacation and it’ll fly by!
Colour blocking is a trend that’s been around for ages and it’s thankfully not going nowhere. It’s such a simple way to add so much style to a look. Especially if you’re more of a minimalist and don’t want busy prints and patterns, a simple colour block dress or skirt is the answer. Just like that blue and white shirt dress that pops so much more than if it was plain blue or plain white. You can create your own look too by pairing two solid colours together. I’m loving the colour block look for mums and babies and definitely will be wearing something similar over the Summer (if it ever comes!).
Have you checked out our ebabee shop recently? We have a selection of some of the cutest fashion for Summer including this versatile bear tee. This white bear t-shirt is quirky and cool, much like a lot of the Korean fashion we have on offer. It can be mixed and matched with skirts, trousers, shorts and even bloomers. Here are three looks we are loving with the bear tee:
First up, for a striking look pair the bear t-shirt with our feather print skirt and how about adding those fun fried egg knee socks to complete the look?
Next, we’re loving these cute green bloomers with the tee and those mustache knee socks just complete the look. A sweet Summer look!
Last is the bear tee with our gorgeous peachy-pink tutu. The subtle gold band of the tutu skirt perfectly compliments the gold crown on the t-shirt. A stylish party look for any little girl.
I’ve been waiting patiently for the British Summer to arrive (ok not so patiently) but it seems to be coming finally! And someone has been tormenting me for a pair of sandals. I thought this kind of torment only started when they were 16, not six! But I’d much rather Anya ask me for something like sandals that she really wants and will use rather than for something she wants simply because her friends have it. I’ve had my eye on a pair that I spotted months ago but have been waiting for the right weather. Now that it’s here I’m ordering!
The sandals I’ve been coveting are the Spanish Avarcas by Pisamonas – they are so gorgeous! Anya has already had a pair of Pisamonas shoes before and they have been worn a fair amount and still look great. So I know the sandals will be just as good and they are so reasonably priced that I can even splurge on two pairs – once you see the colours you’ll know why it’s hard to choose just one. Besides those sandals they have loads more styles and another that caught my eye is a very pretty pair of flip-flop style sandals in similar colours as the Avarcas but with a bit of gold trim. Perfect for a Summer party!
I tend to favour European shoes for Anya because I find that they fit her narrow feet better and they offer such fun styles too. I’m so glad to have discovered Pisamonas who’s shoes are all made in Spain and they are some of the most reasonably priced kids shoes I have ever come across and the prices even include free delivery. There is lots of fun stuff for boys too including the Avarcas sandals which are regularly worn by little boys in Spain and I think they look so cool. For the boys I also love the canvas plimsolls which come is some fresh colours for Summer and those soft suede loafers are so fun too. So if you want some stylish European shoes for your kids this Summer then check out Pisamonas and you won’t be disappointed with the range, the colours and the incredible prices.
Here’s a short video to give you a better flavour for the shoes:
This post is brought to you in partnership with Pisamonas. All ideas, content and words are my own. Thank you for supporting my work with carefully selected partners that support this blog.
Do you do knitwear in Summer? I am so in love with this Spanish range of handmade knitwear for kids. These bright and colourful cotton knit sweaters are perfect especially for those cooler Summer days. Aren’t the colours just gorgeous? All of these sweaters are unisex and handmade to last so they can be passed down from one sibling to another. In addition to the sweaters, there are cardigans too and like the sweaters, many have contrasting coloured pockets which are so cute. The sweaters even come in larger sizes for women. While I am not in to wearing matching clothes with Anya, I think I would have to make an exception for these cotton sweaters. Perhaps navy for me and yellow for her.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
