When you’re a mother of three daughters, having a closet full of children’s dresses becomes almost inevitable. Some dresses will be passed on from one sister to the next. Some will be passed on to friends and some proves to be so popular that they’ll stay with the first owner for years. Saying goodbye to a favorite dress, or maybe even worse, having to pass down your favorite dress to your little sister, can be a heartbreaking affair and so I like to try and find dresses for my girls which in some way can grow together with them.
12 school days left before the calendar says summer vacation, and my to-do list of things I need to do before spending my next two and a half months with my daughters, just keeps getting longer and longer. Work projects which need to be finished, deadlines that need to be held, birthday parties that need to be arranged, playdates and sleepovers just waiting to be coordinated and wardrobes that have to be sorted. A few days after school is out my daughters and I leave for a very long vacation in our home country and before going, I always try and sort out both mine and their wardrobe.
We moved to New York with four suitcases and a two small boxes. Our favorite clothes, the children’s most beloved toys, teddy bears and books, jackets and a few pair of shoes. That was it. Everything else, our Danish design furniture, our books and art, a lot of clothes and boxes and boxes of stuff that I no longer remember what is, was left behind in the attic of our old apartment.
For a long time, we kept our decor in our Brooklyn apartment to a minimum and I guess in many ways, we still do. But as we’ve slowly realized that we won’t be moving back to Europe any time soon, we have felt the urge to settle in a bit more, surround ourselves with a few furnitures and lot of green plants. All things that we truly love and which make all the rooms in our apartment functional and places we enjoy to hang out.
Last year I met a woman called Justine. We first connected through Instagram, and soon thereafter we met in real life and I guess you can say we both felt an instant and very honest connection to each other. We care for a lot of the same things, share the same perspective on many subjects and are both women who are trying to find our way through motherhood as well as life in general.
Justine is the mother of two children, Hunter who’s 7 and Vivienne who’s 5. They live in Connecticut from where she runs her online children’s shop, CLOTH which she founded 18 months ago. Here she carries a small selection of children’s clothing, all handpicked with a lots of thought and love by Justine herself.
One of the things we share a big interest in, is children’s clothing. Not just any children’s clothing, but clothes that are produced under sustainable conditions, let the child move, be itself and play and items that are of such good quality that they can be worn over several seasons and passed down to siblings. Last time I wrote a post about a sustainable children’s wardrobe a lot of you readers responded very positive and asked for more information on the subject (you can read the post right here) and so I decided to ask Justine a few questions about her view on children’s clothing and on how you as a parent can focus on building a capsule wardrobe for your child, which in the end will mean buying lesser pieces that are all being used.
My 5-year-old daughter has dresses and sweaters in her closet, that she has had since she was 3. They still fit her and she gladly uses them. Where they used to be long and roomy when she first got them, they’re now shorter and with 3/4 length sleeves, but the wear hardly shows and the fit is still perfect. I’m often asked why I bother spending more money on my children’s clothes than just necessary, and this exactly is a big part of it.
Do you know those days where your child is too ill to go to school but too good to be sleeping all day? My eldest is having one of those days today and instead of just handing her the iPad we decided to do some crafting together. My 5-year-old loves to wear hair bows at the moment and since she’s the only one who didn’t get to stay home today, we decided to surprise her with a few new ones. And since we were at it, we did a little DIY hair bow tutorial for you, dear readers, as well.
After a week of frozen streets, arctic winds and temperatures so low that I’m sure my feet are left with permanent damage, followed by a Friday with rain and an ill and teething baby, all I want to do is stay inside and spend as much time as possible on the couch hibernating under a blanket with my littlest one. And I wouldn’t mind these things to keep me warm and cozy.
I like my Sunday mornings to be long and slow. With simple luxuries like a well made cup of coffee, a perfectly boiled egg, a warm and cozy sweater in the softest wool, a blank page in my notebook and a newly sharpened pencil or a well written article in my favorite magazine or newspaper. Not the electronic version, but the kind that is printed on paper and allows you to hold it in your hand.
I had promised them one last fall picnic before saying our goodbyes to my favorite season and hello to a cold and quiet winter. One last outing to the park, eating treats on a blanket, playing in the fallen leaves, going to the playground and staying out until bedtime.
We moved to New York on the night before Halloween, from a country who, at that time, didn’t celebrate Halloween with more than a single pumpkin in the window. In the beginning I stuck to my resilient thoughts and chose to see this special American holiday as yet another commercial day made special by the retail industry in another attempt to make more money. But then I participated in the amazing celebrations
Mocks / mini mocks Bonnet / Briar Handmade Romper / Caramel Shirt / Babe & Tess
Today, on this last day of our vacation, it rained. It rained and we walked out, them in bare legs and rubber boots and me with a silent smile on my face and a little hand in each of mine.
Yesterday morning as I stepped out on our stoop, I felt it. I guess, I didn’t noticed it before, busy as I was with other things. That crispness in the air, the cold breeze blowing in my face, telling me, that changes are coming. There are leafs laying on the ground now, in the most beautiful fall tones and I take notice of all the little nuances, as I walk down our street with my baby girl strapped to my stomach, to the little café, to buy croissants and coffee. Hot coffee for me and croissants with chocolate for her sisters. She’s still not asking for anything else than what’s under my shirt, a taste of porridge and some mashed vegetables now and then.
Although I still have a bit of time left before my due date, the other night I felt a large number of Braxton Hicks contractions. With my first two children being late, I’ve never really considered a baby arriving early a realistic option, but suddenly I realized that I’m not at all ready to leave for the hospital. So the following day was all about getting that hospital bag packed and ready for a possible departure.
While the leaves are slowly turning red all over New York, autumn always have me dreaming of a countryside getaway. When we still lived in Denmark we would escape to our tiny summerhouse, but since moving to New York a rented cottage Upstate will have to do the trick.
Until that happens, I’ll be dreaming about these pretty things for girls and boys, babies and mummies, that all would fit perfectly into my imaginary get-a-way suitcase.
Ever since I gave birth to my eldest daughter I’ve been dreaming about home knitted sweaters and jumpsuits for my little ones, and more than once have I shopped for yarn, needles and the perfect pattern, only to get stuck on the first few rows of needles. I now know that all I needed was a little bit of help and support and a lot of inspiration.
· My version of a comfortable and practical autumn wardrobe for kids ·
Yesterday both my girls started school after a long and wonderful summer holiday, and even though temperatures are still high, we are slowly getting our minds set on autumn. The first yellow leaves have already started falling on our street, and before we know it summer will officially be over.
It’s not even 2 weeks ago that we returned from 2 month of traveling, which of course meant a lot of unpacking. Both my children has grown a lot over the summer, so instead of just putting their clothes back in their closet, I used the opportunity to go through their wardrobe, get rid of a lot of stuff and do a bit of updating to a cozy autumn wardrobe.
· A selection of my favorite summer sale finds ·
Just as we’re getting into the habit of really enjoying the warm summer evenings and have started looking forward to spending a long summer vacation in Denmark, running around in nothing else than relaxing summer dresses and soft sandals, the summer sale has begun. And since I still haven’t gotten around to updating my daughters summer wardrobe, I have been through some of my favorite children’s shops and found a little selection of great items, that can both be used now and in many seasons to come.
· About flower masks and some lovely cosy clothes ·
Last Sunday we planned a family excursion for the whole day. But then life happened and for different reasons I found myself with a head full of thoughts. I know better than trying to do too much with two kids and a half-distracted mother, so a quick change of plans was necessary.
We decided to put some of the flowers we had bought on sale the day before to good use, and make flower masks.
• A roundup of 10 children’s trends I believe in now (and in years to come) •
A few weeks back I posted a small list of some current trends in children’s fashion that I personally believe in, on Enfants Terribles Mag’s blog. Having the title as their Trend Editor, a bi-annual trend report seemed to make sense. But the truth is, that I much prefer to talk about further-reaching trends and ways we can make the children’s consumer market into a more thoughtful, longer living and more sustainable one. And still be able to buy new things and have kids who look adorable of course.
• About Fashion Revolution day and my my favorite selection of ethically produced children’s clothes •
Because people shouldn’t suffer, live in poverty or even die producing cheap clothes for us or our children, Fashion Revolution was started to raise awareness of the true cost of a cheap fashion production.
• A selection of Spring dresses for little girls from our favorite children’s brands •
I sometimes feel that both my daughters are growing so fast, that they seem taller when I pick them up in the afternoon than they did when I dropped them off in the morning.
• A sales shopping guide to my favorite conscious finds •
I see myself as a pretty conscious consumer. Working in the fashion industry for more than 10 years gave me some knowledge of how clothes are being produced. I try to support small businesses, I choose organic if the option is there, and I’m okay with buying less but better, if this means good quality and a longer life for my purchases. I don’t do a whole lot of high street shopping, but like most mothers, I’ll go there to buy cheap stockings, T-shirts and maybe a dress or a pair of pants.
• A personal shopping guide to the most adorable Christmas dresses •
When I was a child, my grandmother would make me a new dress every christmas. It was always made in a heavy fabric like velvet or wool, had a classic but beautiful cut and was kept in red, pink or purple colors. 20 people from my closets family would be gathered on christmas evening, and dressed up in our nicest clothes we would celebrate the magical evening and later on all of us would go to sleep in my grandparent’s big house.
Yesterday felt like a spring day in May. I walked around wearing nothing but a jumper and regretted that I had packed away my sandals last week. With blue sky and a sun that warmed up my daughters cheeks and hands and made her not want to go home from the playground before the hunger finally kicked in, I find it hard to believe, that winter is just around the corner. But remembering back on last winters snowstorms and days with extreme temperatures, I know it is just in my mind, that these beautiful autumn days will last forever. Last year the winter took me by surprise. Having lived in a nordic country my whole life I thought, I knew, what a real winter day feels like, but it turned out I didn’t.
This year I have decided to be prepared, at least when it comes to my children and so I have started to pile up on anything warm and made out of wool for the girl’s woolly winter wardrobe.
Here are some of my favorite items for a warm and woolly winter wardrobe :
1. Sweater + scarf + vest / Nieva 2. Scarf / Misha and Puff 3. Merino jacket / Disana 4. Vest / Nieva 5. Pants / Nieva 6. Knitted dress / Poppy Rose 7. Spencer dress / Waddler 8. String hat / Esencia 9. Pop-corn sweater / Shirley Bredal 10. Mittens / Misha and Puff
11. Hat / Shirley Bredal 12. Cardigan / Pierrot La Lune 13. Animal hoodie / Waddler 14. Pants / Oeuf NYC 15. Sweater / Esencia 16. Neck warmer / FUB 17. Dress / Waddler 18. Dungarees / Disana 19. Jacket / Engel
Looking through my instagram feed last night, I realized that my preferred color palette changes according to seasons. While Spring was light pink inspired by the beautiful cherry blossoms and the glooming spring sky, Summer was white, light and natural. So far Autumn has been full of blue sky, hot coffee and falling leaves, and to no surprise the color palette has now changed to mustard, cinnamon, beige, grey and brown.
1. Jumpsuit / Oeuf New York 2. Blouse / Mabo Kids 3. Socks / Mabo Kids 4. Dress / Soor Ploom 5. Scarf / Tocoto Vintage 6. Pants / Caramel Baby And Child 7. Scarf / Nieva Knitwear 8. Sweater / Nieva Knitwear 9. Dress / Oeuf New York 10. Dress / As We Grow 11. Jumpsuit / Nico Nico 12. Crown head ban / Oeuf New York
We’re 2 weeks into the new school year and autumn has arrived in New York. Light and breezy summer dresses and sandals are no longer enough to keep the kids warm. In my opinion, school clothes have to be comfortable and suitable for both sitting still in class and running around in the school yard, and for artistic expressions and paint splashes in art class. According to Eleanor, they just have to be cool and comfortable.
Here’s a small selection of cool, comfortable and practical school clothes for boys and girls.
1. Skirt / Christina Rohde & Socks / Popupshop 2. Dress / Zara 3. T-shirt / Popupshop 4. Jumpsuit / April Showers 5. Cap / Zara 6. Dress / ByClara 7. Scarf / Zara 8. Skirt / Tocoto vintage 9. Pants / Zara 10. Knit / Fub
Summer is officially over, and though the days are still hot, the nights are slowly starting to get chilly. It’s as if you can smell Autumn approaching closer every day. Eleanor is starting school tomorrow and in an attempt to get us all back into school-mode, I’ve been on a hunt for great back to school stuff, that will make the transition from holiday-life to getting-up-and-going-to-school a little easier.
1. T-shirt / Popupshop 2. Dress / Bobo Choses 3. Boots / Dr. Martens 4. Backpack / Fjällräven 5. Lunch box / Blafre 6. Lunch bag / Annabel Kern 7. Scarf / Bobo Choses 8.Keyring / Oyoy 9. Cardigan / FUB 10. Socks / Tiny Cottons 11. Skirt / Christina Rohde
Like most other young girls, my daughters love to dress up in pretty dresses. And, like so many other mothers that I know, I really don’t like all the synthetic and uncomfortable princess dresses that most girls (mine included) have a good selection of hanging in their wardrobe. Both my daughters love to put them on, but after just a few minutes they’ll get so annoyed with them itching and scratching their skin, that they’ll want them off.
When we moved to New York I decided to leave all the synthetic princess dresses behind, and let the girls have two new pretty dresses instead, but this time we would go for the well made and comfortable kind, that would actually end up being used more than just a few minutes a month.
A few days before we left for our summer vacation in Denmark, a package arrived from the American brand Flora and Henri. Flora and Henri is one of my favourite brands (I have spent way to many hours looking at their inspiring Pinterest page) and obviously I’m not the only one who has fallen in love with the classic kidswear and womenswear. When Gwyneth Paltrow selected which brands should join her at the Goop Pop up-shop in Chicago a few month back, Flora and Henri was amongst the exclusive crowd.
When we decided which dresses to go for, it turned out, Eleanor would rather go for a vintage inspired wrap dress (she’s kind of over her princess stage) while Alma fell in love with a peach and white hand embroidered beauty, which because it’s a fully lined skirt, gives the maximum joy of a twirl.
Hand embroidered cotton and lined skirts aren’t cheap, but after being part of my daughters wardrobe for less than 2 weeks, the new pretty dresses have already been used more than any of our princess dresses ever have, and when Eleanor asked if we could take some pictures wearing them in front of a flower wall she was planning to make, I saw a good opportunity to tell you all a bit about our new investments.
My eldest daughter doesn’t wear a lot of pink (she says, her favorite color is black). The one day she did wear pink, we walked down a road where we’ve never been before, and suddenly we saw a wall the exact same color as my daughters top. That of course called for a few pictures.
for me, the most important thing about pink clothes is, to find the perfect shade of the color (not too neon and not too bright). Right now there’s a lot of beautiful pink girls’ clothes on sale and so I thought I would put my favorite pink sales items together in a quick collage.
1. Shirt / Caramel Baby and Child 2. Tunic / Marmar 3. Knitted dress / Oeuf Nyc 4. Bag / Louis Louise 5. Dress / MarMar 6. Moccs / ByClara 7. Top / Stella McCartney 8. Shorts / Stella McCartney 9. Slippers / Petit Nord 10. Top / Marmar 11. Boots / Angulus 12. Baby pants / Oeuf NYC
In celebration of the upcoming end of the school year, Eleanor’s school has dedicated each day of the remaining 2 weeks to a crazy-day theme. Monday was backwards shirts day, Tuesday was bring you favorite teddy, and Wednesday was PJ day. Before moving here, I had never heard about a PJ day (at least not one, where you leave your house) and at pick-up on Tuesday afternoon, I had to check twice that the kids were supposed to turn up to school the next day wearing their PJ’s.
Eleanor doesn’t use a pyjama. She’s the sleep in an old t-shirt type, but this wouldn’t work for school. Instead she remembered that I once promised to make her a night gown similar to one that she saw in an old swedish children’s film. Not even the promise of a new Frozen or My Little Pony pyjama could change her mind.
Luckily I recently discovered that we live close to one of the nicest fabric stores I’ve ever been to. The selection is small, but they stock the most amazing selection of Japanese cottons, Liberty fabrics and organic linens. Eleanor fell in love with a light Japanese cotton with a thin red line, perfect for warm summer nights and slow sunday mornings.
Since I had less than a few hours to make the dress, and my sewing skills are really basic, I had to go for the most simple version of a night gown. It turned out really nice, and if you’re in possession of a sewing machine you can easily make a similar dress in less than 2 hours. I have plans to make a few more for both girls, as they also look and feel great for hot summer days.
Here’s how I did the simple girls dress:
Find an old dress or even an oversized t-shirt that fits loosely over your child and lay it on top of your choice of fabric. It will be the base for your pattern. Draw around one side of the dress, avoiding the neckline. This dress is made from two pieces (one back and one front). Make the sleeves wide and keep them quite short. Add extra width to the neckline.
Fold the fabric around the middle of the dress (to make the left and right side similar). Cut out one front part and one back part.
Cut the neckline on the front part a bit deeper than the neckline on the back part, pin the shoulders together and make sure the child’s head will fit through the hole.
Cut out 2 pieces of bias tape for the neckline. This could be a small piece of fabric the same shape as your neckline, but slightly longer (see picture)
Sew the dress together (shoulders + sides) and fold over the bottom of the dress and the end of the sleeves, iron out and use a straight stitch to attach the folded edge, to make a nice hem.
Attach the bias tape to the neckline to create a drawstring to pull the elastic through. This is the most tricky part. The bias tape will be on the inside of the night gown. Start by attaching the front side of the bias tape to the front side of the dress. Fold the bias tape inside the dress, fold in the end and attached the bias tape to the dress using a straight stitch. Make sure it’s nice and straight as this stitch will be visible.
All there’s left to do, is to iron the dress, run an elastic through the drawstring and maybe add a trim to the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. We chose to add a simple lace trim to add a feel of a night gown, but this is not necessary.
Et voila, a simple girls dress made in less than 2 hours.
My children love to dress up in pretty dresses, twirl around and look like princesses… But what they love even more is to run around in comfortable clothes that can withstand anything from rolling around on grass and climbing rocks to melting chocolate ice cream stains. Eleanor’s favorite go to outfit is her denim jumpsuit. After she got it, I realized what a perfect material denim is for kid’s clothes.
Which is why I have been on the lookout for the best denim clothes for kids:
1. shirt / Wolf and Rita 2. Apron / Odette Williams 3. Dress / Motoreta 4. Dungarees / Zara 5. Sunhat / Little Creative Factory 6. Overalls / Mabo Kids 7. Blouse / Wolf and Rita 8. Ruffle bloomers / Emile and Ida 9. Pants / Wolf and Rita 10. Bear rattle / Polka Dot Club 11. Shorts with belt / Little Creative Factory
Though only a month has passed since we had our last snow fall in New York, the temperatures are hitting 30 ºC / 86 ºF and the sun is shining all day. While I turn red faster than most people can say the sun is shining, it turns out that my youngest daughter is allergic to the sun. If she flashes any skin without being covered in sunscreen she will not just turn red, but get a really bad and itchy rash that won’t disappear for days. So we apply sun block, wear sun hats and cover up in light cotton fabrics all day long to avoid ending up looking like cooked lobsters.
Here are a few recommended guidelines regarding sun protection for kids that were recommended to me by a Danish dermatologist specializing in skin cancer.
- If possible, keep you children out of the sun from 12 pm – 15 am. Otherwise try and stay in the shade as much as possible.
- Wear white cotton clothes or uv clothes.
- Use a sunhat with a shade.
- Apply a sun lotion 30 minutes before going out into the sun
- Since all sun blocks and lotions contain chemical ingredients that can cause a allergic reaction, do only apply sunblock to the part’s of skin not covered by clothes.
- Reapply sun lotion every time your child has been in the water.
- Be generous with the amount. A good rule is to use one hand full of lotion for one person. The number of the factor is only to be trusted if you apply the right amount of sun lotion.
- Children under the age of 1 should be kept out of the sun at all times.
1. Shirt / Tocoto 2. Kids Sun Lotion / Rudolph Care (my absolute favorite, and the only one that my youngest isn’t allergic to) 3. UV jumpsuit / Petite Crabe 4. UV jumpsuit / Petite Crabe 5. Cotton summer suit / Grey label 6. Sun hat / Oeuf NYC 7. Cotton dress / Pierrot La Lune 8. Sun hat / Atsuyo et Akiko 9. Pocket tee / Grey Label 10. Sunglasses / Sons and Daughters 11. Sun stick / Rudolph Care 12. Hat / Zara 13. Dress / Popup Shop
Soleil-illustration / Nice Mice For You
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As a child of an architect and a Danish design lover, I grew up with the simple Scandinavian style and modernism as an essential part of my life. I still prefer the Scandinavian simplicity when it comes to my wardrobe, our apartment , our way of living and my children’s wardrobe.
But minimalism and good quality is not always easy to explain to a six-year-old, who goes to school with kids dressed in pretty pink dresses, and sparkly shoes. Eleanor calls it dressing fancy and even though she thinks it looks pretty, she feels much more comfortable in a simple outfit. She’s starting to recognize that a simple dress with nice details can be just as pretty. I love, that she has the confidence to dress differently than the rest of the girls in her class, and I love that she’s aware that if feels different to wear a dress made out of organic cotton and one made from a synthetic material that doesn’t allow your body to breath.
It means a lot to me, that I can pass a bit of my Scandinavian influence on to her. And hopefully she will end up as a great mix between Scandinavian simplicity and New York coolness when she grows up.
Here’s a small selection of simple kid’s clothes that I really like and she will love to wear.
1. Dress / COS 2. Dress / Crew Cuts 3. Dress / Christina Rohde 4. Bag / Fawn Shoppe 5. Top / Christina Rohde 6. Dress / COS 7. Sandals / Salt Water Sandals 8. Dress / Wolfechild 9. Skirt / COS 10. Shoes / Zuzii 11. Top / Mabo Kids 12. Skirt / Mabo Kids
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Som barn af en arkitekt og en dansk design enthusiast, har den simple, skandinaviske stil altid været en del af min opvækst. Jeg foretrækker stadig skandinavisk minimalisme både når det gælder min garderobe, vores hjem, vores valg af livsstil og den måde hvorpå min børn går klædt.
Men minimalisme og god kvalitet er ikke altid er ikke altid let at forklare en 6-årige pige, der går i skole med børn der møder op i syntetiske pink kjoler og glimtende sko. Eleanor kalder det fancy tøj og selvom hun synes det er flot, føler hun sig meget bedre tilpas i en mere simpel påklædning. Indtil for kort tid siden gik hun slet ikke op i hvad hun havde på, og var allermest glad i en hættebluse og et par leggings. Idag betyder det noget for hende, hvad hun har på, en hun siger selv, at en enkel kjole med en fin lille detalje som et smukt broderi eller en guld lynlås er finere end de fancy kjoler. Jeg elsker, at hun har modet til at klæde sig anderledes, end de andre piger i hendes skole, og jeg elsker, at hun ligger mærke til, at der er en forskel på at gå klædt i en kjole af økologisk bomuld og en af et syntetisk materiale, som kroppen ikke kan ånde i.
Her er et lille udvalg af børnetøj, som både Eleanor og jeg ville være glad for at have hængende i hendes garderobe.
1. Kjole / COS 2. Kjole / Crew Cuts 3. Kjole / Christina Rohde 4. Taske / Fawn Shoppe 5. Top / Christina Rohde 6. Kjole / COS 7. Sandaler / Salt Water Sandals 8. Kjole / Wolfechild 9. Nederdel / COS 10. Sko / Zuzii 11. Top / Mabo Kids 12. Nederdel / Mabo Kids
Spring has finally arrived in New York, and the city is heating up faster than I’m used to in Denmark. Two weeks ago my daughter was still wearing her winter jacket to school (ok, maybe it was because she didn’t have anything else to wear) and now she is suddenly walking home in just a t-shirt or a short sleeved dress. We moved here in October and back then I didn’t have warmer weather on my mind, when I packed down my children’s wardrobe. That, and the fact that they have both outgrown most of their spring clothes from last year means, that I’ll have to do a bit of spring clothes shopping for them both. Here you have some of my favorites for a basic kids spring wardrobe.
1. Cameo / Marmar Copenhagen 2. Shirt / Marmar Copenhagen 3. Jumpsuit / Grey Label 4. Vest / Bobo Chooses 5. Sneakers / Adidas 6. Dress / Pierrot La Lune 7. Scarf / Atsuyo et Akiko 8. Baggy jeans / Zara 9. Pants / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Cardigan / FUB 11. Shoes / Angulus
White dress from GAP
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Foråret er endelig ankommet til New York, og pludselig bliver byen varm med et tempo som jeg slet ikke er vant til fra København. For to uger siden, gik min datter stadig til skole i vinterjakke (ok, måske var det fordi hun ikke havde andet at tage på) og nu er hun kun i en t-shirt eller en kortærmet kjole når vi går hjem om eftermiddagen. Vi flyttede herover i Oktober, og på det tidspunkt havde jeg ikke varme dage og bare tæer i tankerne, og det var derfor primært vintertøj der kom med. Derfor, og så det faktum at begge mine piger er vokset helt vildt gør, at jeg bliver nødt til at investere i lidt nyt forårstøj til dem begge. Her er mine favoritter til en simple forårsgarderobe til børnene.
1. Cameo / Marmar Copenhagen 2. Skjorte / Marmar Copenhagen 3. Heldragt / Grey Label 4. Vest / Bobo Chooses 5. Sneakers / Adidas 6. Kjole / Pierrot La Lune 7. Tørklæde / Atsuyo et Akiko 8. Baggy jeans / Zara 9. Bukser / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Cardigan / FUB 11. Shoes / Angulus
1. Mobile / Greenberry Kids 2. Poster / Mini Willa 3. Bag / Roxy Marj 4. Bib / Oeuf Nyc 5. Romper / Stella McCartney 6. Jumpsuit / Gap 7. Hook / Ferm Living 8. Rabbits / Acorn shop 9. Bunny / Yume 10. Shoes / Pom D’api 11. Pyjamas / Gap 12. Hoodie / Oeuf Nyc 13. Tank top / Oeuf Nyc 14. Lamp / Miffy
A few days back we said our goodbyes to the month of March. Today is the first day of spring break and I’m going a little easter crazy with a cute selection of my favorite easter bunny items. Easter morning is going to be spent hanging out with bunny rabbits, drinking coffee in bed and waiting for good friends to arrive. Nothing better than slow days spend with my family (and cute kids dressed up in rabbit ears).
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For et par dage siden sagde vi farvel til marts og er det så første dag af påskeferien her i New York. Og siden begge mine børn er vilde med kaniner (bare i den lille bamsesamling vi har her, er der 6 styk) står den på bunny rabbits her på bloggen. Vores Påske morgener skal vi bruge på at lege med påskekaniner, drikke kaffe i sengen og vente på gode venners besøg. Der er ikke noget bedre, end langsomme dage spenderet med min familie (og nuttede børn klædt ud i kaninører).
1. Sunglasses / Mini Rodini 2. Jacket / Mini Rodini 3. Fox / Jellycat 4. Dungarees / Zara 5. Book / This is New York 6. Bagpack / Fjallraven 7. T-shirt / Norfolk 8. boots / Angulus 9. Jumper / Pierrot La Lune 10. Water bottle / Klean Kanteen 11. Not all who wander are lust-hat / Prjona Plym Beanie
Some people think that small people and big cities is a definite no-go. I think it is all about doing it on the child’s premise and exploring New York with small kids can actually be a lot of fun. In the last few month it has become one of our favorite things to do, though we wouldn’t be able to do it without a practical wardrobe, some great accessories and a few child-friendly rules:
- Exploring has to be fun for both adult and child. For us that means no shops unless they are kid friendly (Or Whole Foods, where Alma will jump out of her stroller and start stuffing melon, red pepper, grapes, crackers, milk and raisins into my shopping basket).
- Be aware that exploring a big city can be much more tiring than hanging out at the playground. Walking around, or even sitting in the stroller and taking in the big city makes my soon to be 3-year-old daughter really tired, so I always make sure to bring her blanket, dummy and her teddy, in case she needs to take a rest in her stroller.
- Good things come from good research. Most big cities have a great selection of places that can be fun for both kids and adults. Museums, parks and libraries are among our all time New York favorites.
- Pack a big lunch box and a lot of smaller snacks. For some reason kids always gets hungry when you are on the go, and you can’t always be sure that you can buy something where you end up.
- Time is of little importance. One of the great things about exploring a new city with a small child is, that you will end up doing it at a different pace than if it was just you and a friend. Don’t expect to do more than one thing a day, and never rely on a tight time schedule.
- Wear comfortable shoes. If your child is in a stroller, it will often be easier for you to walk than to take the subway or a cab. My children have always found it really entertaining to watch the city go by from their stroller.
- Be open to sudden change of plans. If the mood isn’t right for a visit to a big museum (a lot of them have great kids areas) then avoid a big confrontation, and find a nearby playground instead
- Download the free app Playground Finder, that will point you to some of the nearest playgrounds.
- Download the free app Coffee(in)Touch, that will pinpoint you to the nearest coffee shop. It has often saved my day.
- Be practical. Make sure your stroller folds easily, and pack all your stuff in a back pack. You will need to have both hands free if you decide to take the subway with small children.
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Nogle mennesker mener, at små børn og store byer er en kombination der for alt i verden skal undgåes. For mig, handler det blot om, at opdage og udforske på børnenes præmisser. I løbet af de sidste par måneder er det blevet en af mine døtres og min yndlingsbeskæftigelser at udforske New York. Vi kunne dog ikke gøre det uden praktisk påklædning, et par gode accessories og nogle børnevenlige opdagelses-regler:
- At gå på opdagelse i en storby skal være sjovt for både børn og voksne. For os betyder det ingen butikker, med mindre det er af den virkeligt børnevenlige slags.
- Vær opmærksom på, at det at gå på opdagelse i en storby kan være meget mere udmattende end for eksempel at hænge ud på en legeplads. Også selvom dit barn bruger en masse tid i sin klapvogn. Min næsten tre årige datter bliver altid træt af de mange indtry, og jeg har derfor altid både dyne, sut og bamse med, hvis hun vil tage en lur i klapvognen.
- God research gør dagene sjovere. De fleste storbyer har mange steder der er spændende for både børn og voksne. Nogle af vores yndlingssteder i New York er museer, parker og biblioteker.
- Pak en stor madpakke og flere mindre snacks. Mine børn bliver altid sultne når vi går på opdagelse. Og det holder ikke, hvis jeg først skal til at finde et sted at købe mad.
- Drop de stramme tidsplaner. Noget at det gode ved at opdage en storby med små børn er netop, at du kommer til at tage det hele ind i et helt andet tempo end hvis det bare havde været dig og en veninde. Og forvent ikke at nå mere end en ting på en dag.
- Hop i de komfortable sko. Hvis dit barn sidder i en klapvogn, kan det ofte være lettere for dig at gå end at tage undergrunden eller en taxa. Begge mine børn har altid elsket at sidde i deres klapvogn og se storbyen suse forbi.
- Vær åben for pludselige ændringer i planerne. Hvis humøret ikke lige er til museumsbesøg, så drop det og tag i stedet på legepladsen. Du vil ikke stå på Guggenheim med en 3 årig der får et hysterianfald.
- Download den gratis app Playground Finder. Den kan lede dig til den nærmeste legeplads. og kan ende med at redde din dag.
- Download den gratis app Coffee(in)Touch, der vil oplyse dig om den nærmeste kaffebar. Den har reddet mig fra nedsmeltning (eller forfrysninger) flere gange.
- Tænk praktisk. Jeg elsker min Marni skuldertaske og et par pæne sko. Men når jeg skal gå på opdagelse med mine børn er det i praktiske sko, med en let sammenklappelig klapvogn og en rygsæk på ryggen. Du får brug for begge hænder når du tager subway’en med små børn.
My version of a a simple (and unisex) baby spring wardrobe
No, I’m not having another baby. But I seem to be surrounded by pregnant woman these days, and for a lot of them, this is their first time around as a mother. A few of them have been shopping baby clothes from before they actually knew they were pregnant, but most of them have no clue when it comes to the essential baby clothes that you will need for the first few months. If you ask me (and a lot of them already have) a good selection of soft and comfortable bodies (I normally go for organic cotton for summer and wool for winter), a soft wooly cardigan, a hat and some comfortable pants will get you and your baby a long way.
1. Hats / Flora and Henri 2. Body / Grey Label 3. Cardigan / Fub 4. Knitted pants / Poppy Rose 5. Hat / Oeuf NYC 6. Jumper / Soft Gallery 7. Body / Oeuf NYC 8.Hat / Gro Company 9. Body / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Knitted cardigan / mormor.nu 11. Jumper / Marmar Copenhagen 12. Jumpsuit / Gro Company 13. Knitted booties / Poppy Rose 14. Jumper / Oeuf NYC
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Min version af en simpel og unisex forårsgarderobe til baby
Nej, jeg skal ikke have et barn mere. Men af en eller grund er jeg omringet af gravide kvinder for tiden, og for fleres vedkommende er det endda første gang de kan tilføje titlen mor til deres visitkort. Et par af dem begyndte at shoppe babytøj længe inden de overhovedet vidste, at de var gravide. Men de fleste er faktisk fuldkommen lost når det gælder om at finde ud af hvad der skal til for at de kan have en en essentiel og simpel babygarderobe klar. Hvis du spørger mig ( og der er der mange af dem der allerede har gjort) så kommer man rigtigt langt med et godt udvalg af bløde og behagelige bodier (Jeg går altid efter økologisk bomuld om sommeren og ren uld om vinteren) en lille hue, en varm ulden cardigan, et par heldragter og nogle behagelige bukser.
1. Hatte / Flora and Henri 2. Body / Grey Label 3. Cardigan / Fub 4. Strikkede bukser / Poppy Rose 5. Hat / Oeuf NYC 6. Heldragt / Soft Gallery 7. Body / Oeuf NYC 8.Hat / Gro Company 9. Body / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Strikket cardigan / mormor.nu 11. Heldragt / Marmar Copenhagen 12. Dragt / Gro Company 13. Strikkede støvler / Poppy Rose 14. Heldragt / Oeuf NYC
In Denmark we say March equals spring. So despite the falling snow and the freezing cold, I will pretend that warmer weather is just around the corner, and take a look at some of the spring seasons cutest kids’ outerwear.
Here you have some of my favorites:
1. Bobo Choses 2. Marmar Copenhagen 3. Anais and I 4. Louise Misha 5. Bonpoint 6. Louise Misha 7. Nununu 8. Louis Louise 9. Little Remix 10. Wheat
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Godt nok falder der i skrivende stund falder sne udenfor mit vindue. Men jeg vil alligevel holde fast i lidt dansk tradition og påstå, at marts er lige med forår. Og med foråret kommer forhåbentlig varmere dage, og dermed endelige tiden til at smide vinterovertøjet og byde det lettere forårsjakker indenfor i garderoben.
Her er et lille udvalg af den nye sæsonens fineste overtøj til børnene:
1. Bobo Choses 2. Marmar Copenhagen 3. Anais and I 4. Louise Misha 5. Bonpoint 6. Louise Misha 7. Nununu 8. Louis Louise 9. Little Remix 10. Wheat
(scroll ned for dansk version)
1. Mini Mocks 2. Hubble and Duke 3. Hubble and Duke 4. Petite Louise 5. Freshly Picked 6. Amy and Ivor 7. Little Lambo 8. By ClaRa 9. The Coral Pear 10. Hubble and Duke 11. Amy and Ivor 12. Wild Explorer 13. Mini Mocks 14. Wild Exploreres
Alma needs to add a new pair of slippers to her very limited shoe collection. And since we use her slippers all the time and bring them to all kind of events like playgroup, music class and gym time I have decided to invest in a pair handmade moccasins. At this time of year they will keep her feet warm when we are indoor, and when summer comes they will even be perfect for small trips to the playground and park. Now the only problem is to decide which ones to go for…
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Alma har brug for et par nye indendørs sko, da de gamle er blevet for små. Og fordi hun bruger dem konstant og vi slæber dem med os til alle mulige aktiviteter som legestue, rytmik og gymnastisk, har jeg besluttet mig for, at investere i et par lækre håndsyede læder mokkasiner. De er rigtigt gode at gå i for små bløde fødder (kloge hoveder siger faktisk at de er de bedste pre-walker sko), de holder fødderne varme men er stadig åndebare fordi de er i 100% læder og så er de pæne at se på. Om vinteren er de perfekte som hjemmesko, men om sommeren kan de faktisk også sagtens bruges til en tur på legepladsen eller i parken. Så nu skal jeg bare bestemme mig mellem alle de mange pæne par, der lige nu er på markedet…
1. Lille Lova Knits 2. Flora & Henri 3. Waddler 4. Gudrun & Gudrun 5. Lille Lova Knits 6. Mormor.nu 7. Waddler 8. Mormor.nu 9. Aperie 10. Selana 11. Mormor.nu 12. Mormor.nu
Just like any other scandinavian mother, I’m a bit obsessed with woolly clothes for my kids. Even though New York is a bit warmer today, they are still wearing their woolly sweaters, woolly hats and woolen underwear under their jackets and they probably will for month to come. Wool is comfortable, it keeps them warm and dry, it lasts for ages and it looks really cute. My youngest daughter loves to wear dresses even in really cold weather, and to make sure she doesn’t get cold she will wear woolen leggings on top of her stockings.During spring and summer both my kids prefer to wear a heavy wool sweater on top of a hoody instead of a thin summer jacket.
That’s way I’m always on the look out for the perfect woolly pieces, and these are some of my favorites at the moment.
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Som de fleste andre skandinaviske mødre, er jeg en smule besat af klæde mine børn i uld, og det er absolut ikke aftaget bare fordi vi er flyttet om på den anden side af jorden. Februar i New York har været afskyelig kold men ekstrem smuk med sne, blå himmel, solskin og lyse dage. Og derfor har vi trodset kulden og kæmpet os ud hver eneste dag, iklædt flere lag uld, flyverdragter og vinterjakker.
Det er svært at finde en lækker og tyk ulden sweater her i byen, da meget børnetøj er fremstillet i fleece eller kunstmaterialer og derfor har jeg været på jagt efter et par nye investeringer blandt nogle af mine europæiske favoritmærker. Og overvejer så nu at begynde at strikke.
1. Flora Henri 2. Poppy Rose 3. Cam Cam 4. Little Cloud 5. Poppy Rose 6. Woodstock 7. Poppy Rose 8. Charley Mouse 9. Jelly Cat 10. Poppy Rose
I have never been a big fan of bold prints, on either my daughters or my own clothes. Since most girls seem to think that anything plastered in Hello Kitty, Frozen or My Little Pony is the most beautiful thing in the word, needless to say, this has caused a few discussions at our home. I allow cute cats, princesses and flying unicorns on their underclothes. This means that I don’t have to look and my kids still get to wear their it. It is my way of compromising, and so fare it has made all of us happy.
But there is actually one print that we all can agree on. The beautiful and quirky flower printed Tana Lawn cotton fabrics from the renowned english company Liberty London hits the nail on the head when it comes to combining classic, cute, understated and wearable. For years the Liberty prints have been our choice when it came to kids pillows, bed linens, summer skirts and teddy bears. And no doubt that this spring will bring a few new flower power printed styles to my kids’ wardrobes.
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Jeg har aldrig været til store eller voldsomme prints på hverken mine døtres eller mit eget tøj. Et print er i mine øjne først vellykket, når det nærmere tager form af et mønster, og ikke overdøver alt andet. Men eftersom de fleste små piger er af den mening, at alt der er plasteret til i Hello Kitty, Frozen eller My Little Pony er det smukkeste i hele verden, har min afsky for prints affødt et par diskussioner i vores hjem igennem tiden. Derfor har vi indgået et kompromis. Jeg tillader alle former for søde katte, flyvende enhjørninger og Disney prinsesser på mine børns undertøj. Det betyder nemlig at jeg ikke behøver at se på det, men børnene stadig får lov til at udleve deres glimmer-prinsesse-hello kitty-unicorns fase. Og det fungerer faktisk ret godt.
Der er dog en slags prints, som vi faktisk alle kan blive enige om er ret pænt. Selvom min mand lader til at synes om det. For det berømmede engelske mærke Liberty London har om nogen forstået hvordan man kombinerer klassiske, fint, personligt, skævt og brugbart når det kommer til prints. Deres smukke blomster har i flere år været vores foretrukne motiv når det drejede sig om børnesengetøj, ammepuder, nederdele og kanin ørerer. Og der er ingen tvivl om, at dette forår vil bringe et par smukke nye flower power prints til mine døtres garderobe.
1. Oeuf nyc 2. Talc 3. Waddler 4. Mini Rodini 5. Mini Rodini 6. Smallable 7. Babe & Tess 8. Mini Rodini 9. Ouef nyc
We are spending a few days in London, visiting my husbands family. And while we are here, we have to catch the new Paddington film. My youngest daughter loves bears (when she didn’t want to have new shoes the only option was to buy her a pair of bear-trainers) but unfortunately she’s still to young to go. But I’m sure my 5 year old will love the story about the cute bear from the jungles of Peru that ends up in London. Then the small one will just have to do with a bit of bear dressing up instead.
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Vi er i London et par dage for at besøge mine mand familie. Og mens vi er her, har vi planlagt at se den nye Paddington film i biografen. Min yngste datter elsker bjørne (da hun ikke ville have nye sko, var den eneste løsning af finde et par bjørne-sneakers til hende, som hun stadig elsker) men hun er desværre alt for lille til at komme med. Helt sikkert er det dog, at min fem årige vil elske historien om den lille søde bjørn fra Perus jungle, der ender i London da dens hjem bliver destrueret i et jordskælv. Og så må min mindste bare nøjes med at klæde sig ud som en lille bjørn imens.
1. gro 2. stella mccartney 3. waddler 4. djeco 5. pierrot la lune 6. bonheur du jour 7. waddler 8. soft gallery 9. popup shop 10. kanel 11. sofie schnoor
My two year old daughter has fallen in love with her sister’s ballet outfit. And as I don’t feel like going to play group, rhythmic class and super markets with her dressed in tutu and stockings, I have been on the look out for girls clothes with a bit of a ballet feel to them.
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Min to-årige datter har forelsket sig i sin storesøsters balletkjole. Og for at jeg ikke skal have hende med til legestue, rytmik og i supermarkedet iklædt tutu og lyserøde leggings, har jeg været på udkig efter pigetøj med en lille snert af ballet over sig.
1. Stella McCartney 2. Stella McCartney 3. Stella McCartney 4. Kind by Nature 5. Stella McCartney 6. Acne 7. Bobo Choses 8. Bobo Choses 9. Whale
When it comes to learning new skills my youngest daughter is a bit upside down. Maybe it is because she has an older sister who is so excited about learning to read, write and calculate but the fact is that my 2 year old knows the name of a lot of letters, can count to 20 but still doesn’t know the names of any colors. So now I have decided that she is going to learn them one by one. And today we started out with the color yellow.
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Min yngste datter er lidt omvendt normalen når det kommer til indlæring. Måske er det fordi hun har en ældre søster som lige nu er vildt entusiastisk omkring at lære at skrive, læse og regne, men faktum er, at min 2-årige datter kender navnene på mange bogstaver, kan tælle perfekt til 20, er godt i gang med at lære at snakke to sprog, men stadig ikke kender navnene på nogle farver. Så det har jeg nu besluttet mig at gøre noget ved. En farve ad gangen. Og idag startede vi med farven gul.
Everything has a beginning. And this is yet another one. But for me this one has a meaning. It is the beginning of a new relationship between me and some words and pictures on a blog in cyberspace, and it is the beginning of a new life for my daughters, my husband and me.
In the end of 2014 we packed down our apartment in Copenhagen and said our goodbyes to friends, designer furnitures, summer house, teddy bears, day care, family and favorite shoes. And then we moved half way around the world to a new and very old apartment in Brooklyn, New York. To a life that in so many ways seems completely new and in just as many ways is exactly the same as the life we used to live. We don’t know if we will be staying 12 months or 5 years. But for now we love it. Because in just a few month it has become life as we know it.
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Alt har en begyndelse, og dette er bare endnu en. Men for mig betyder den noget. Det er begyndelsen på en ny relation mellem my og nogle ord og billeder på en lille blog i cyberspace, og det er begyndelsen på et nyt liv for mine døtre, min mand og mig selv.
I slutningen af 2014 pakkede vi vores københavnerlejlighed sammen og sagde farvel til venner, designer møbler, sommerhus, bamser, børnehave, familie og skosamling. Og så flyttede vi halvvejs rundt om jorden, til en ny og meget gammel lejlighed i Brooklyn, New York. Over til et liv, der på mange måder er noget helt nyt og ukendt og på lige så mange måder er præcis det samme som det vi liv vi kendte til inden vi flyttede. Vi ved ikke om vi bliver i 12 måneder eller 5 år. Men lige nu elsker vi livet lige her. for på bare to måneder er det blevet det liv som vi kender til.