Optimist

What would we do without Ikea?

After a week of doing absolutely nothing, I have problems to getting used to the daily routine...
Just before our holiday I went to Ikea to buy a few things for  the baby room. My parents, who stayed at our place and looked after Jort last week, have been so kind to assemble a few things and to help with the curtains. There was already an Ikea curtain rail system in the room, but I wanted to have different fabrics to brighten up this relatively dark room. The red curtain can be bought ready-made. I bought the fabric with the birds also at Ikea and my mom has cut it into the right size. This adorable fabric has set the theme of the room, so in the coming weeks you will see more sneak previews in this style. 

Etsy's Friday

Sarah Jane Studios: She just opened her etsy shop and offers the 50 customers a free Happy Halloween card. She creates these wonderful drawings based on her own childhood memories and day-to-day experiences of her little ones. Also have a look at her blog.

Mamax2: Another mom who recently started. She makes these prints based on her original art which are all displayed in her baby's nursery.
I am going to enjoy one week of son, sea and sleep on the island of Sicily next week. Just my husband and me (my parents are so kind to take care of our son), so no posts next week. Will be back on Monday 22nd.

Barts: to cheer up your outfit

When I picked up my son from daycare around noon today, most other kids were wearing a hat. I was surprised because it is 15 degrees and sunny... maybe it is a German thing. Anyhow, I felt a need to buy at least one and I just checked if the brand Barts is sold in Germany and yes it is! Barts is a Dutch brand with a beautiful range of accessories for summer and winter. Of course I also have a special feeling for Barts because my husband's name is Bart and he had a Barts cap a long time ago... Barts is sold in most European countries, all shops are listed on their website.

My son's favorite toys

Maybe you noticed that I do not write often about toys. The main reason is that I only want to highlight things that children really enjoy, not just adults. E.g. most adults like me love wooden toys, but my personal experience is that it does not apply for most children. I would love to get feedback about wooden toys that your kids love and have endless fun with. I think it is good to share experiences with other parents, because there is so much out there!

At the moment my son (2,5 years) is mostly playing with his Lego Duplo toys. It is amazing  how long and intense he can play with it. He likes the fact that all cars (police, fire truck, tractor) can be attached to eachother and the attributes can be used for different events (a hose to put out a fire or to fill up gas). I think Lego Duplo is great too because it's sturdy, it is not too easy nor too difficult to play with and it stimulates creativity.

Ozo Bone

I also found these unique kids' chairs at Kidsfactory. Ozo Bone is multi functional chair for children in the age of 3-7 years. The Dutch designer, Eric  Wijffelaars, studied at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. He designed the chair in such a way that it can be used from all sides. Because the Ozo Bone is super light, children can carry it around themselves! Retail locations can be found on the website. For locations outside Holland, send Atelier Ozo an email.

Babouche Design

When I visited Holland a few weeks ago, I went to Kidsfactory in Amsterdam, a huge store where you will find 30 example rooms, in different styles and colors. It was one big source of inspiration for me and of course, I found some brands I did not know about.

One of them is Babouche Design from Holland. They have a wide collection of decoration items and textiles. Unfortunately Babouche is only being sold in Holland, but maybe one of the Dutch online shops listed on their website ships abroad.

Etsy's Friday

AdorableMe Boutique: With one of these AdorableMe dresses every girl will look like a little princess!

Geppetto: Ever seen a wooden golf cart?! Beautifully crafted items by a mystery person from the US.

Inkshop: Miniposters and cards by Ink designer.

Transform your shower into a bath

Bibabath from the Netherlands offers the unique possibility to transform your shower into a full bath for children. For children up to 7 years old, Bibabath is a wonderful alternative to a bath tub. Bibabath can be set up in almost every type of shower, is easy to install, easy to fill and empty, easy to store and can also be taken on holiday. At this moment Bibabath is only being sold in Europe, but send them an email if you desperately want to have one!

JETsit XL

Today was a public holiday in Germany and we just came back from dinner with friends in a German 'bierstube' where we enjoyed a typical German meal. Potatoes, sauerkraut and all kinds of meat...We even had 'apfelstrudel' for desert, so after this post I can only think of lying on the couch...

I posted about JET4Kids before. Now they have a new edition: a high chair in the same colorful and flexible format. The JETsit XL can be easily transformed from baby seat into a toddler seat. Of course also this chair can be personalized with a photo or picture.

These handmade cushions are imported from Colombia.  It is also possible to buy a table which can be easily attached to the high chair. You can buy the JETsit XL at this Dutch webshop.

ApplePie Design

In my search for wall decoration for our new baby room, I came across ApplePie Design from Belgium. You will be amazed by the amount of choice they have. Not only for children's rooms but for any room in your house. In any color or size that you want. I think the little boy (reminds me of my grandmother's old children books) and the children pulling the rope are adorable. The ordering process is a bit clumsy (via a word file) but I am sure that when you send an email, ApplePie Design will take good care of your order.