Entries Tagged as 'Toys'

Handmade pretties…

February 26, 2013

"hand made rag dolls"I’m a bit of a hoarder.  I’m just not very good at throwing out stuff and tend to get (unnecessarily) attached to things.  But this year I decided that I have to change and get better at divesting.  I started by pulling out a whole load of my daughters clothes and toys that I have been saving from when she was born 4 years ago… I think I kept nearly everything she ever owned!  Going through this stuff I kept picturing her playing with each toy or wearing each outfit and ended up with a massive ‘to keep’ pile and a tiny ‘to giveaway’ pile.  So I started again but with one strict rule… I could keep 21 things and the rest had to go. While I adore some of the stuff I’ve bought her over the years, I found that the majority of the stuff I kept was her handmade things.  Cardigans, sweaters, soft toys and even little dolls house furniture, some loving handmade by her grandmother, some by her father and others bought from independent little designers who make their wares by hand.  There is something so special about handmade even if it’s bought.  I’m always on the look out for new designers that make things by hand so when I stumbled across this Spanish store full of handmade goodies I fell for it.

"hand made rag dolls"Minina Loves makes cute rag dolls, adorable little beds and bedding for them and also some mobiles, cloud cushions and jewellery for kids.  I absolutely love the little beds and bedding for the dolls and the way that each dolls room is decorated.  The rooms are so pretty that I wouldn’t mind having a similar life-size one for my daughter!  The cloud cushions with the little gold polka dots are really sweet too and the bird and cat necklaces are so adorable for little girls.  There’s lots of little details in every piece making each one unique.  Minina Loves’ creations are all limited edition and are all made with great care and love which shines through each piece.

mama & baby…

February 14, 2013

"wooden toy camera"This week’s pick for mama & baby… let mama stay warm with this 2 tone scarf while baby plays with that wooden toy camera.

"wooden toy animals"When I watch my daughter Anya play, it’s always the simplest of toys that encourage her to use her imagination and create little make-believe situations.  She talks to the toys or she talks on their behalf and together they have tea parties, they have sleepovers, they adopt imaginary pets… the list is endless.  The other day I found that she had stuck a plaster on the edge of our coffee table and was pretending that it was a diving board.  She had managed to make a game out of a humble plaster!  So I’m all for simple toys that don’t do much but instead allow the child to imagine what they will and these beautiful animals and cars are a perfect example.  No batteries, noise or shiny buttons here, just a piece of smooth wood in the shape of an animal or car and the rest is up to the child. 

"wooden toy cars"These gorgeous toys are made to order by a London based design house.  They have their workshop in Brick Lane and all the toys are made at the back of their shop.  It reminds me of how things used to be done when our parents were kids and sometimes I wish we could go back to more of those ways.  But before I get all nostalgic, I’ll stop myself there and go back to admiring these beauties made by Unto this last.

A vintage tricycle…

January 28, 2013

"vintage tricylce kids"

I’m finally back from my wonderful holidays but have had a rather hectic Monday morning.  So I thought I would do a quick Monday post and share this charming vintage tricycle with you.   As you know, I do love a good vintage find and fell for this tricycle the minute I saw it.  It’s from the 1920’s and looks beautifully made.  I’m sure it would be as much of a  joy to ride as it is to look at. 

A perfect hideout…

January 25, 2013

"kids play tent"

Every time we have a play date, the one thing my daughter and her friends always ask to play with is her circus tent.  I set it up and in they disappear.  They often have tea parties in the tent and I supply biscuits as it pleases them no end.  But otherwise they just stay in there with a few select toys and all I hear is squeals of delight.  I think it’s the whole idea of having a hideout, a place where the adults are unlikely to come that really appeals to them.  All children love this kind of play and I even remember loving it as a kid where me and my brother would make tents out of sheets and chairs and play under there for hours.  I still think the best way to play ‘tents’ is to make your own hideout but if you want a ready made hideout then I love these ones by Such Great Heights.

"kids play tent"

From Australia, these Wonder Tents are covered in lovely geometric fabrics, plain fabrics or in some retro inspired ones which are my favourites.  They fold up and come with their own carry case so can be stored and moved around easily.  Which kid wouldn’t delight in owning one of these?  Such Great Heights also make some adventure capes which would add to the whole pretend play fun but I think it’s these tents that are the stars of the show. 

"princess and the pea doll set"You might be wondering what exactly the picture above is… I wondered the same when I saw it but I knew that I had to find out more.  It’s a Princess and the Pea playset.  How cute is that?  Seven handmade mattresses have been covered in vintage fabrics and topped with a wool felt pea.  They all come packaged in a muslin bag with an embroidered quote from the story.  Any kid who knows the fairytale will delight in playing with this.  This is the creation of 2 mums who were armed with little more than a sewing machine, bags of unwanted wool and fabrics when they decided to start a little boutique called Seven Smooches.

"fox elephant finger puppet"

Everything is hand made at Seven Smooches who also make clothes, hats, blankets and other cute little things for kids.  But it’s their play things that really got my attention like these adorable finger puppets each of which come with a little accessory.  It’s the imagination and the level of detail that go in to their creations that really make them special.  Seven Smooches don’t seem to have updated their site recently as there are only collections from 2011, but you can go here for the Princess and Pea set and here for the finger puppets.

"French toys for kids"

Today’s Christmas gift guide is a selection by French Blossom, my sponsors.  French Blossom is a kids store started by husband and wife team Nicholas and Meriem.  Even though they don’t have kids (yet), having met and lived in Paris for many years, Nicholas and Meriem were ‘inspired by the exquisite elegance and style devoted to children’s clothing, toys and decoration in France’.  As Nicholas explains, ‘the idea behind French Blossom is to – ‘Celebrate French Fashion for Children,’ and to exclusively showcase chic and stylish independent French children’s designers’.  So I thought this Christmas, it would be fun to ask them to choose their favourite gift ideas from their store and I also wanted to find out a bit more about how they spend their Christmas.  Here’s what they said:

Let’s talk Christmas! What do you love most about it?

Family time! Its great to all gather together, have fun and relax.

What’s a typical Christmas day for you?

We wake up and see if Father Christmas has been kind to us 🙂 ! We all then sit in the living room in front of the fire and Christmas tree, opening the presents as the lovely smells of the Christmas dinner wafts in from the kitchen.  After lunch we wrap up nice and warm and go for a walk to watch the annual swim in the sea.  There are hundreds of brave people, many dressed up in fancy dress costumes who swim in the freezing water.  Then there is a nice warm drink for everyone.  We haven’t done this swim yet but maybe this year!

Is your Christmas more French or more English?

Our Christmas is British; Meriem and I always go back to the UK for Christmas.  The only thing French is the wine on the table.

Anything you dislike about Christmas?

I don’t like when I have finished opening the last present, finished the wonderful turkey dinner or saying goodbye to relatives who have come over for the day

Lastly, your top 10 Christmas gifts for kids this year?

1. Circus themed baby dinner set by Mimi’Lou

2. Soft toy characters by My name is simone

3. Vintage 3D story box by Tiphaine Mangan

4.  Little duck on wheels by Trousselier

5.  Dreamy kids mouse mobile by Rose Miniscule

6.  Pirate and treasure puzzle by Janod

7.  Colourful decorative ball lights by La case de cousin paul

8.  Children’s accordean by Vilac

9.  Retro classic blue pedal car by Baghera

10.  Story express circus by Janod

Thank you Nicholas and Meriem for sharing your Christmas traditions and gift ideas with us and I’m really curious to find out if Nicholas will do that swim this year!  You’ll find all these toys and more over at French Blossom and don’t forget, my readers can still get 10% off anything that’s not on offer by using the codes EBABEES. 

A house in the clouds…

November 21, 2012

"dolls house shelves"When it comes to kids decor, all manner of animals have adorned so many different objects.  The fox, owl and elephant have been some of the most popular but I have even come across some unexpected animals like anteaters and bulls.  But now, these {lovely} beasts have got competition in the form of the humble cloud.  I mean how many wonderful versions of cloud pillows have there been?  While I love the whole animal thing, I think I may just love the cloud a teeny bit more.  There’s something quite cuddly and comforting about the shape with it’s soft curves and ageless appeal.  So when I saw this cloud shelf and felt cloud mobile, I had to find out more.

I discovered Coccoli home, a new Spanish shop that makes not only these cloudy creations but also those fun house shelves that double up as dolls houses.  There are also some adorable raindrop wall hooks and lots of colourful wall stickers on offer.  I love the idea of lining up some of these dolls houses with the cloud mobiles hanging above them.  It would {almost} be like having a house in the clouds!  And when your childs grown out of playing with dolls houses, the shelves can be moved to any room in the house as cute storage shelves.  The Coccoli home collection is sold through their own site and also exclusively through the lovely My Little Square.

"wooden skipping ropes"

Once in a while a toy comes along that makes my heart skip a beat.  This is one of those times.  I mean how gorgeous are these skipping ropes?  They seriously look good enough to eat… think raspberry ice-cream or lemon sorbet!  As a kid, skipping was one of my favourite activities and I remember devising all kinds of random skipping games and competitions.  Seeing these ropes, I’m tempted to get back in to it but since my energy levels won’t be quite what they were, it might have to be my daughter instead.

There is a wonderful store in Barcelona called Nobodinoz and they have just started making their own line of wooden toys which include a beautiful bowling set and these ropes.  Both are made of 100% birch wood and use non-toxic paints and varnishes.  There are more toys to come in this range but these 2 will be available at the end of November.  I can’t wait to see what else Nobodinoz will create and in the meantime I’m adding this rope (pink or teal… can’t decide!) to my daughter’s Christmas gift list.

mama & baby…

October 25, 2012

"lion play blanket"

This week’s picks for mama and baby… let mama wear these beautiful graphic capri pants while baby plays with that lion blanket which doubles as peek-a-boo sheet too.

P.S. Have you entered out Halloween giveaway?

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