Time to Eat

Today it just hit me that my little baby boy who just came in to this world will start to eat real food very soon. It is about 2, 5 month left until he is six month old and will get his first spoon of baby cereal or tasteless mashed potatoes, but still it feels very soon. I really hope his first encounter with solids will be a positive one. I never had any problems feeding my older boy, he ate everything and he still does. He eats everything from curries, risotto with truffle oil to seafood pasta and octopus. The only thing he doesn’t like is beetroot and so be it. So, I have my fingers crossed that baby brother will follow his footsteps. Anyhow, I thought about buying him a new set of dinnerware. As all smaller siblings he has mostly hand me downs so I thought to get him something new. Here are some I really like! 

Gense, Design by Karin Mannerstål

 

Svensk Tenn, Design by: Ingegerd Råman

 

Isak, Design by Sandra Isaksson

Cool and Comfortable with Shampoodle

Swedish label Shampoodle makes clothes for kids that are out of the ordinary. They do not only have that flare of exceptionality that makes you fall in love with them, but they are also organic and most of the garments are unisex. As I looked at their Spring/Summer collection 2011 I caught myself picturing my sons in the clothes and I imagined them having fun in them. They look so easy and breezy and incredible cute. I always try to not post more than four pictures for each post but this time I couldn’t chose, so, here are six. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Drooling with Style

My baby boy has started drooling a great deal these last couple of days and I’m glad that I managed to get a couple of scarf inspired drool bibs from Sweden. These bib-scarves are both very practical as the backside is made of water repellent fleece that keeps the baby dry, and they look so much cooler than traditional drool bibs. When my oldest son started to drool about 3, 5 years ago it was very hard to find these bib-scarves, but now they are everywhere; from small design labels to big stores like H&M and Lindex. These bibs have become more than drool collectors. Now days they are part of most Swedish babies daily outfits, so it great that there are plenty to chose from. I have selected  a couple that I think are very cute.

Smultron

 

Florin

"Brush My Teeth!"

Something weird happen this evening. About 20 minutes after I put the 4-year old to bed I was at the baby’s cot trying to make him go back to sleep and heard small feet in the hallway. My husband heard it too and saw our son entering the bathroom. “You forgot to brush my teeth.” Even if he in the moment was somewhat sad that we forgot this important night routine, it is a good thing. He is getting older and wiser as it seem. Tomorrow I have to celebrate by getting him a new toothbrush! I hope I can find those lovely ones from TePe with cute animal prints. By the way, I heard they were designed by Swedish Isa Form so there is another reason to take the kids out tomorrow and walk that extra kilometer to find them. 

Hide and Seek and a Long Eared Rabbit

This day turned out to be better than I imagined waking up in the morning. Last night I came down with a cold and within an hour I had a shivers and fever. As I lay in bed shaking I cursed that it would be a tomorrow alone with two kids and no time to rest. The day started good with a sleeping baby, cuddling boy and no fever. The day went by and we did okay. No tantrums, no very loud crying and still no fever. But after lunch my body shut down. With no words it shouted: “Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep!”. I knew I had to wish for a miracle in order to be able to make my 4-year old take a nap. So, in that moment when I sat on the floor with a Buzz Lightyear doll in my hand and mashed potatoes in my brain I turned my back to perfect parenting and instead I turned to bribing. I fed the baby and put him sleeping in his cot and then gently asked my little boy take a nap with me. He refused. I then gave him my counter argument. “If you take a nap I will play as much hide and seek with you as you want…and you can sleep with baby brother’s toy rabbit.” That made the trick and all three of us enjoyed two hours of magical and healing sleep.

This toy rabbit by the way is a piece of heaven in it self; so soft and cuddly and the perfect shape for a perfect hug. My baby boy got it from my aunt and uncle when he was born and I will definitely get one for my big son for his 4rth birthday in a month. You can check them out at TEDDYKOMPANIET and if you just have to have one you can order it online from LEKMER.

Mr. Muffin Teach Children about Death

When my oldest son just turned three he find a dead bird in his favorite playground. The weeks that followed he had many questions about death. I tried to answer but find it very hard to not complicate things or make him frighten. When we a month later visited Sweden we borrowed a book from the library, “Adjö herr Muffin” written by Ulf Nilsson and Anna-Clara Tidholm, that told a beautiful story about the death of a guinea pig. It was brilliant! Now I discovered that there has been an English translation of the book that in English is called “Goodbye Mr. Muffin” and that it is available at SWEDEN BOOK SHOP. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with curious little children at home. For you to get the gist of the story I quote the description from SWEDEN BOOK SHOP website:

“In his youth, Mr. Muffin was a strong guinea pig who could carry a whole cucumber on his back. Now old, grey and tired, he looks back on his life. Then one Wednesday morning, he feels a sharp pain in his stomach...

This picture book is for ages three and up. It tells the touching story about the death of a much-loved pet. Growing old, death rites, the question of the afterlife, all handled with warmth and gentle humor.

The story also shows that the final stages of life need not be a 'difficult' subject. A beautiful book that children love - it is one of Sweden's bestselling and most borrowed children's books in 2007 - Goodbye Mr Muffinwon the 2002 Swedish August Prize. Voted book of the year by a children's poll in both the Swedish Book Jury Prize (2002) and the French Chronos Prize for Youth Literature (2008-2009).”

A Cap for the Spring Anyone?

I just looked out the window and considered to take the kids out today despite of the oldest boys cold. The first thing that came to my mind was; if he just had a cap suitable for this weather. Today it is typical Greek spring day with 16 degrees Celsius and somewhat chilly winds and a cap in thin cotton would be perfect. So, in my web search for the perfect cap I stumbled on this small Swedish brand dreggel that specializes in just cotton caps. The caps are so cute and available in many cool fabrics. Just pick your favorite!