First Birthday Present - Bobby Car

The Swiss Missy just celebrated her first birthday and this is what she got:

It is such a success that we have to do rounds with it from the very first moment she wakes up and more or less most of the day! It has to come with us everywhere!

Finally some sunshine! - Baby Sun Protection

You may have wondered where I have been hiding the last couple of months. I have gone back to work and suddenly my days just seem far too short to fit in all the things I should and would like to achieve! Anyway, summer holidays are coming up soon so there should be more time for blogging. On that note, here is what I shall pack for the Swiss Missy so she does not get burnt by the sun:

(1) A UV protective top from Sunuva (http://www.sunuva.com) and a sun hat from Petit Bateau (http://www.petit-bateau.co.uk)...

(2) Pink "Baby Banz" sun glasses (http://www.babybanz.com/UK/index.htm). They do look a bit wired..., however, they apparently offer 100% UV protection and have a band which wraps them around the baby's head so that they stay in place!

(3) A pop-up UV tent so that she can have some shade to play or for a nap (Safetots has a good selection: http://www.safetots.co.uk/Travelling-Sun-Care-&-Swimming/Sun-Tents/UV-Tents/c124_923_147/index.html).

The beautiful Suffolk coast

Just got back from the beautiful Suffolk coast which is about 2 1/2 hours by car from London so a great seaside weekend getaway! We stayed at the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh, a nice hotel right on the sea front with a very good restaurant (http://www.brudenellhotel.co.uk/default.aspx). They have a sister hotel, the White Lion (http://www.whitelion.co.uk/), a couple of meters further down the seaside promenade, which is maybe more cozy but has smaller rooms so not so great if you have to share the room with a baby...

Hailo!

I have always been a big fan of black cabs (which I tend to refer to jokingly as the "black bus") but have become even more so since having a baby with pram in tow. There is no need for a car seat. You can simply push the pram into the cab, fix the break and off it goes. The only problem until recently was that very often when I wanted a black cab there was none to be found. This was until I had downloaded the Hailo app.

Christian Louboutin at the London Design Museum

The Baby and I went to the Christian Louboutin exhibition at the London Design Museum today. After some queueing in the rain (unfortunately others had the same idea on this rainy bank holiday), we finally made it into the exhibition. The exhibition is set up like a big Louboutin boutique with a main centre stage display of Louboutin's beautiful theatrical red-soled designs. My favourite shoe was "Black Tie", a black sandal with a Swarovski-studded black tie down the instep of the foot. The exhibition tells Louboutin's journey from an actor to a garden landscape designer and finally to a world famous shoe designer and explores Louboutin's inspiration (mainly through his travels), the design process and the construction and production of the shoe. Apparently Louboutin's fascination with high heels was awoken when he saw in a museum a sign of a red crossed-out stiletto, forbidding access in high heels.

New Baby Gift Idea - Personalised Petit Bateau

I have just discovered that Petit Bateau allows you to personalise with embroidery their newborn baby products (http://www.petit-bateau.co.uk/e-shop/sp-3/na-f4/personalising-with-petit-bateau.html)! Comforters, sleeping bags, blankets, bath towels, bodies etc. can all be personalised with the baby's name or a special message (max. 16 characters). You can chose between 3 colours - blue, pink or grey. This is such a lovely gift for a new baby! I cannot wait for the next baby shower!

Afternoon tea at the British Museum

My maternity leave is coming to an end and I am trying to fit into my remaining time all the things I had planned but never got round to do. So yesterday, the Baby and I plus friend and baby went to the British Museum. We looked at the Parthenon Temple (447-438 BC in case you are interested in this kind of stuff) and the Egyptian section. After all this culture we were in desperate need of a drink and something to eat.

Pink!

I am rather pleased with my new shockingly pink ballerinas...

They are certainly brightening up my outfits and are a quite easy way to wear the neon trend!

They are by belle, the sister collection from luxury US shoe label Sigerson Morrison. I got mine from matches.com but net-a-porter.com stocks them too.

Lake District - the perfect baby-free weekend away!

I just got back from an amazing baby-free (the Baby was with the grandparents...) weekend in the Lake District.

Buggies

While I love my Bugaboo Cameleon, it is not great on the tube or for travelling. I have therefore looked at different light weight buggies.

DVF and Baby Gap

I was very excited about Diane von Furstenberg's collaboration with Baby Gap so immediately hit the shops when the collection was released last week!

L'Odyssee de Cartier

When I went to the cinema the other day (to see "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" which is excellent!), they showed the latest advertisement for Cartier. It is a beautifully made 3 minute short film which shows the Cartier panther travelling through Paris, St Petersburg, China and India where he faces snow, dragons and elephants before returning to Place Vendome. The full film can be found under http://www.odyssee.cartier.fr/#/home where you can also find an interesting short film about the making of the advertisement.

Babbo

Last weekend I went back to one of my favourite Italian restaurants in London and was once more not disappointed. Babbo (which means "daddy" in Italian) on Albermale Street in Mayfair (http://www.babborestaurant.co.uk/) does delicious authentic Italian food. The menu features many Italian classics such as calamari fritti, prosciutto San Daniele with funghi porcini, lasagna (according to a more than 100 year old family recipe), gnocchi, Ossobuco alla Milanese (which, according to my mother, was one of the best she ever tasted), quite a few dishes with the trendy burrata cheese (a tastier version of mozzarella from Puglia) and great ice creams and an amazing tiramisu. The interior is very cosy - bistro style with beautiful chandeliers and a great bar - and the service is very friendly. Just a great place!

Petit Bateau Vintage Collection

How pretty is the new Petit Bateau vintage collection!

The design is based on motifs from the Petit Bateau 1972 archives.

Playnest

The Baby would like to sit but cannot quite manage it on her own so I got her the Galt playnest (available on Amazon).

The playnest is a fabric covered inflatable ring (which is useful for storage purposes!), decorated in bright colours and with different textures and patterns for the Baby to explore. The Baby loves sitting in it. It gives her the necessary support but she can move freely. Furthermore, the playnest is big enough to fit the Baby plus the Baby's favourite toys!

French children don't throw food

I am currently reading "French children don't throw food" by Pamela Druckerman. Druckerman is an American journalist married to an English guy. They have 3 young children (two of which are twins!) and live in Paris. "French children don't throw food" contains her first-hand observations about the difference in dealing with pregnancy and bringing up children between Anglophone and French parents. In a nutshell, she claims that...

London in snow

 Overnight the snow finally also arrived in London...

When next in Switzerland or France...

Check out the beautiful baby and children clothes at Jacadi (http://www.jacadi.com/en). They have an online shop but unfortunately only for France and the US. The Swiss boutiques are in Basel, Lausanne and Geneva. I particularly love their cardigans:

 

Toy of the week: Sofie the Giraffe for the Bath

Sofie the Giraffe has been a long time favourite with the Baby:

I therefore also had to get Sofie the Giraffe for the bath (available on Amazon):

The Baby's only disappointment with the bath version is that the legs are too short to properly chew on them!

Weaning accessories

The Baby is slowly developing an interest in the food I am offering her. She liked so far pear, parsnip and peas but more or less completely rejected sweet potato and carrot. It is a slow process... In the meantime, I got slightly obsessed with the different weaning accessories out there.

I love the Beaba silicone spoons (http://www.beabausa.com/product-spoons.cfm). They are very soft and therefore should not hurt the Baby's gum.

Once the Baby can hold the spoon herself, I shall switch to the Beaba 360 degree spoon. It apparently makes sure that whichever way up the Baby holds her spoon, the food will stay level, minimising spilling and mess (see the review on Which? http://www.which.co.uk/baby-and-child/nursery-and-feeding/reviews-ns/baby-feeding-first-look-reviews/beaba-360-spoon/). 

For freezing individual portions of the veg and fruit, I have been using the "Happy Mummy Baby Cubes Food Portioners (Stage 1)". They are available on Amazon.

Great for mixing and serving the food are the Beaba food containers (http://www.beabausa.com/product-portions-set.cfm).

Finally, being slightly fed up with having to change and wash the Baby's outfit after each feed, I have just ordered some Bibetta bibs which are made out of neoprene (i.e. waterproof and easy to wipe) and come with long sleeves (http://www.bibetta.com/acatalog/Bibs_Ultrabibs_Neoprene.html).

Toy of the week: Skwish

A friend gave the baby the "Skwish":

She absolutely loves it. She can chew it, rattle it and watch the coloured balls move. It is from Manhatten Toy who do great toys for different ages (http://www.manhattantoy.com/).

The baby of another friend of mine for example loves the "Winkel" (not sure about the names of these toys...):

And the "Whoozit" (another random name...) continues to be a favourite of the Baby:

Beaba Babycook

I am spending a lot of time these days steaming and mashing fruit and vegetables for the Baby. However, it is all quite fun with the Beaba Babycook (http://www.beabausa.com/product-babycook.cfm) which does most of the work for me. I do not need any pans and have hardly any washing up to do. Apart from steaming and blending it also defrosts and heats previously prepared food portions. And, its lime green colour even matches our new kitchen!

Sicily

A friend has asked me to send her the itinerary for our Sicily trip last spring. As there may be others who find that the only way of getting over the sad fact that the Christmas holidays are over is booking a nice holiday in a sunny place, I set it out below:

January fashion fix

One of my fashion spies in Switzerland has just told me that H&M is currently selling this cute Chanel style cardigan:

Grab it while they have it!

The end of travelling light

Luggage of 2 adults and one baby for one week of skiing: 7 bags!!! (2 big suit cases, snowboard bag, ski bag, bugaboo bag, 2 cary-ons and car seat)

We were worried that we would not fit all of this into a cab so tried Heathrow valet parking. This was a really good idea had there not been an accident on the M25... Almost missed our plane!

Top ten baby products

You buy and are given a lot of stuff for the baby which is maybe fun but not really necessary or useful. However, these ten products (in no particular order) I have used/referred to almost daily and they have certainly mad life in the first couple of months a lot easier:

(1) Baby Björn Baby Carrier (http://www.babybjorn.com/products/baby-carriers/) - The first couple of weeks, this was the only place where the Baby would sleep in the early evenings. Still now, she loves being carried around in this (now outward facing). It is great on public transport and when travelling.

(2) Play Mat (http://www.skiphop.com/product/treetopactivitygym.html) - The Baby can spend hours playing on her play mat, giving me time to have a shower, cook etc.

(3) Stokke High Chair with Newborn Set (http://www.stokke.com/en-gb/highchair/stokke-tripp-trapp-newborn-set.aspx) - The Baby loves sitting in this chair and having breakfast with us.

(4) Sleep Sheep - see my post on this: http://diaryofaswissmiss.blogspot.com/2011/11/sleep-sheep.html

(5) Baby Bjoern Bouncer (http://www.babybjorn.com/products/bouncers/) - The Baby loves watching me drying my hair, cooking etc. from this bouncer.

(6) Bibi Dummies - see my post on this: http://diaryofaswissmiss.blogspot.com/2011/11/dummies.html

(7) Weleda Baby Shampoo and Creams (http://www.weleda.co.uk/baby/icat/baby/) - These natural and organic products are great for the bath and afterwards. Weleda also does a great stretch mark massage oil.

(8) Adan & Anais Swaddles - see my post on this: http://diaryofaswissmiss.blogspot.com/2011/11/muslins.html

(9) Baby Bath - The Baby loves her bath time. So far I have been using the Flexibath baby bath (which is foldable and therefore easily storeable) (http://www.flexibath.co.uk/flexibath.html) at home and the Beaba folding baby bath (http://www.beaba.com/flash/#/en_GB/products/details/73-122-Folding+Baby+bath) when travelling. However, the Baby is starting to outgrow them. Following a friend's suggestion, I have therefore ordered the Aqua Pod (http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Aqua-Pod/dp/B0011EZ9WS?extid=gs) which seems perfect for the next stage - giving the Baby the necessary support without restraining her too much. Review to follow...

(10) Gina Ford's Contended Little Baby Book - Having a routine has saved me from going insane!

Clutch for Christmas/New Year's Eve Party

Still keen on the star trend, this is my Christmas/New Year's Eve party clutch:

I got it from Asos (http://www.asos.com). Another good site to check out if you are looking for a festive clutch is Wilbur & Gussie (http://www.wilburandgussie.com/).

Baby monitors

I have got the BT Baby Monitor Pacifier (http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-baby-monitor-pacifier-7HGG.html?src=2) which does a light show and plays various lullabies which is great for using at home. However, its not really ideal for travelling.

Bugaboo Snow Wheels

We are off to the Swiss Alps in a couple of days. I have therefore snow-proofed my Bugaboo with these snow wheels:

They replace the small front wheels of the Bugaboo Cameleon, turning it into a real 4WD! They are available on the Bugaboo website (http://www.bugaboo.com/product?id=6827) but I got mine from Lesters Nurseryworld (http://www.lesters-nurseryworld.co.uk/) who delivered them within 2 days.

Baby SPA

If you are looking for some cute photos of your baby paddling away on her own in a swimming pool, book a place at the Baby SPA off Kensington High Street (http://www.yourbabyspa.com/). On our visit, the Baby was put into a swimming nappy and fitted a purple ploystyrene ring around her neck. She was then lowered into a very warm big bath tub with her parents watching proudly from the side. As evidenced by her happy gurgling, she absolutely loved being able to paddle around on her own and check out the funny plastic toys which were floating in the tub. Following the bath, the Baby was given a full body massage which she again clearly enjoyed. The water flotation and the massage are apparently very beneficial for little babies. In any event, whether or not this is true, the babies seem to have fun and the parents get a great photo opportunity!

Baby bundler - easy night time nappy changes

This (unisex) baby bundler has made night time nappy changes so much easier! I only very recently discovered it because a friend of mine told me about it but I wish I had had it right from the beginning. The elasticated opening at the bottom avoids having to fiddle with millions of buttons - which is particularly tricky when the baby is not in the mood for nappy changing and kicks her legs like crazy. Basic white ones are available from John Lewis (http://www.johnlewis.com/230591844/Product.aspx?source=63258). If you are looking for ones with a cute pattern, check out Frugi (http://www.welovefrugi.com/baby/unisex/babygrows-bodies/happy-garden-gown/?gclid=CKiqnsjs-qwCFdQhtAodoke8Sg).

Richard Juhlin Champagne Glasses

A Swedish friend of mine has just started importing Champagne glasses designed by Champagne expert Richard Juhlin into the UK (http://www.reijmyre.co.uk/). Having tasted to date 6,500 different Champagnes, he was in a pretty good position to design the perfect Champagne glass which is not just aesthetically pleasing but also ensures that the Champagne's aroma fully develops and hits the tongue in the right place. I had the chance of meeting Richard Juhlin personally and was so impressed by his glasses that I got my Swedish friend to bring a couple back with her from Sweden. With the glasses now being sold directly in England, getting your hands on these beautiful glasses has just become a lot easier!

Sheepskin cocoon (footmuff) for Bugaboo

With the temperatures dropping, I was keen to get a warm cocoon for the Baby's Bugaboo. There are different models out there: Bugaboo's own cocoon which is made out of bamboo charcoal (which apparently is a eco-friendly and sustainable fibre extracted from wild bamboo) (http://www.bugaboo.com/winter-accessories), cocoons made out of down (see for example the one from 7 A.M. ENFANT (http://www.7amenfant.com/b212e.html) and those made out of sheep skin. Sheep skin is what I ultimately went for as they just look so warm and snug! The German company Kaiser has a vast selection for the Bugaboo Cameleon as well as the Bugaboo Bee (available from Baa Baby (http://www.baababy.co.uk/footmuffs.html) as well as Amazon).

Dribble Bibs

The Baby has reached the teething age when everything I put her in gets covered in dribble. I have therefore invested in some dribble bibs:

These are from drybib (www.drybib.com). However, Dribblebuster also does very cute ones, particularly the ones with Liberty Prints (www.dribblebuster.co.uk).

Chalet chic

I am currently working on my outfit for this skiing season. The fact that "chalet chic" seems to be the height of fashion helps. I already got the bubble hat...

(Moncler)

Now I am looking for the perfect Nordic style jumper. I love Jil Sander's red and light blue Azure jumper (www.jilsander.com) but at over £1,000 it costs more than the ski pass for the week... Asos and Topshop have some much better priced alternatives. And I love the ones from Aubin & Wills (check www.net-a-poter.com).

The Baby is also ready to hit the snow with these cute mini Ugg Boots:

and fury gloves from Silvana Ost, a Swiss designer (www.silvana-ost.ch):

I am still looking for a cute hat for her. Brora does very nice cashmere ones (www.brora.co.uk) and mini Boden (www.boden.co.uk) has some cute options:

I have not decided yet. Let me know if you find anything else warm and cute for the snow!

Monkey Music

The baby's (and my!) favourite new class is "Monkey Music" (www.monkeymusic.co.uk), a music class for babies from 3 months old. The baby is completely mesmerised by the music she gets to hear and play and the soap bubbles, twinkling stars, autumn leaves and other beautiful things which the Monkey Music teacher creates for her. In fact, the 30 minute class is so exhausting that she falls asleep the minute we leave the class!

Cool Baby

For slightly funkier than usual baby clothes and toys (especially for presents), I love these 3 websites:

(1) www.noaddedsugar.com - particularly cute are the baby girl dresses and tights

(2) www.ohbabylondon.com - how cool are the pink and light blue Vespa rocking scooters?

(3) www.psychobabyonline.com - great selection of baby socks and tights, funky hats (particularly the "headphone" hats from Trompette) and seriously cool toys!

Sleep Sheep

This little sheep has been helpful every single night in getting the baby to sleep. It hides a sound machine which produces "white noise". The options are: the mother's heartbeat, spring showers, ocean waves and whale songs, apparently replicating womb sounds. It really works! They sell it on amazon or at the Baby Sleep Shop which is generally a great place for anything sleep related, i.e. sleeping bags, comforters, swaddling etc. (http://www.babysleepshop.com/).

Limewood Hotel

I have just come back from a weekend at the Limewood Hotel (www.limewoodhotel.co.uk) and I loved it so much I cannot wait to go back!

 

The hotel is in the New Forest national park, about an hour and a half drive from central London. The setting is beautiful - a Georgian style manor house surrounded by a park and forest for walking and cycling (the hotel provides wellies and mountain bikes).

Another great piece of furniture for the nursery: the Eames Rocking Chair

The standard baby "feeding" chair, looks something like this...

There was no way I was going to have one of these in the house.  Luckily, there is a stylish solution! The Eames Rocking Chair (http://www.vitra.com/en-gb/home/products/eames-plastic-armchair-rar/overview/ - available in lots of different colours), is not just a design classic but also perfect for feeding the baby and rocking it to sleep!

Muslins

If Heidi Klum, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey and Co suddenly wear muslins as a fashion accessory, the mulins must be nice! They are all fans of Adan & Anais' beautiful collection of patterned muslins (http://www.adenandanais.com/). My favourites are the swaddles (I wish they did them for grown ups...;-)), the sleeping bag (in particular the one with the giraffes) and the security blankets.

Bird cage

I have just found the most beautiful lamp for a nursery:

It is by Mathieu Challières and available in 3 different sizes (http://www.challieres.com/produit.php?famille=18; also available from The Conran Shop http://www.conranshop.co.uk/391405/LA-VOLIERE-PENDANT-LAMP/Product).

Dummies

Prior to having the baby, I had no idea how helpful a dummy could be, especially at the beginning when the baby wants to feed non-stop...! However, a lot of the standard dummies are rejected by newborns because they are too big for them. I found the Swiss made bibi dummies really good, in particular the cherry shaped ones (http://www.bibi-uk.com/products/soothers.htm; also available on amazon). They come in fun designs. My favourite is the "Tiger":

Help! I need some inspiration!

This is how I generally feel when I stand in the supermarket and have to come up with a menu for dinner. However, this has now all changed since a friend told me about this amazing BBC Good Food i-phone app. There are different versions: healthy recipes, quick recipes, cake recipes etc. The app gives you a daily choice of recipes but also a whole database full of tasty and easy to prepare recipes which you can narrow done into your favourites. Most helpfully, each recipe comes with its own shopping list so that you can simply refer to your i-phone when picking the ingredients in the supermarket!

Only 6 weeks to Christmas!

I went to Selfridges yesterday - allegedly to do some early Christmas shopping (we are being very organised this year!) but really just to see what new shoes they had in the shoe gallery... - and discovered that they have the most beautiful Christmas decoration: silver and white origami paper birds.

If feeling very creative, I might try the same at home...

Baby swimming

I took the baby to her first swimming class which she absolutely loved! While I had imagined putting her into a cute baby bikini, the reality is that you need to keep the baby warm and make sure no poo gets into the water... The outfit we went for in the end is therefore this neoprene "Happy Nappy" and "Body Wrap" from Splash About (http://www.splashabout.net/). Not a bikini but also looks quite cute!