What have they got in common? Nothing you’d think. But they successfully coalesce in the new Coffee Design here in Milan, which reopened in full swing this April.
The place has just been refurbished by Michele De Lucchi, and it is now more sleek and airy. The kitchen is now behind a huge glass wall and chefs can been seen working from the main bar counter. The menu is the fruit of the cooperation of Carlo Cracco — a Michelin starred chef, and the Autogrill group, already present in more than 50 locations where food and culture mix, like the Prado museum, the Jardin de Versailles or the Empire State Building. 
The menu is a balanced mix between delicious sandwiches, healthy salads, selections of cheese and cold cuts and a few warm traditional Italian dishes presented in a very modern way. There is also an impressive wine list!
So where do the kids fit in? You can get every dish in a child’s portion for about 2/3 of the price! So civilized, and so rare in Milan…
-Michela
Michela in Milan
May 18, 2008
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Could these dolls be any cuter? Don’t you just love that girl with the scarf? And the darling little bunny…
Le Train Fantome is a small line of endearing creations, all handmade by Fanja — a French woman living here in England. All her creatures are either unique or available only in limited editions, and are made with great attention to details and fabrics.
She also has a small selection of paper goods and very cute stickers!
I just love the old-world charm and very French look of all her designs. Makes me wish I had daughters to appreciate them!
-Courtney
Courtney in London
May 17, 2008
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…not a Playboy Bunny, of course (although…?), but this überly cute, rich and fashionable bunny called Fifi Lapin…
xxx Esther
P.S. Thanks to Kirby for the tip!
Esther in Amsterdam
May 16, 2008
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I read on the WSJ about the new trend of mums in the U.S. taking up temporary executive jobs, and I think this concept is so cool!
Many women — highly educated and with secure career paths — leave work to be stay-at-home-mums. They realize that the rhythm and demands of their careers cannot be easily reconciled with raising a family first hand, and so they quit their jobs when their careers are on the ascent…. Which often means that they end up missing some of the (different) challenges of a professional life, and would still like the feeling of being able to use their hard-earned skills. SWAT mum teams are being hired by corporations to fill the skills gap, or to complete a particular project. (more…)
Michela in Milan
May 16, 2008
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I just recently spent a couple weeks in New York City with my husband and two children, and apart from gaining great respect for mums in that city (it was tough with two kids), I was reminded, as I always am when we go back to the States, how different the culture is in America compared to here in Europe, especially when it comes to politics. Everywhere we turned we were faced with the 2008 presidential campaign. It was the topic of every news station and every conversation. It’s great to see a country so enthused.
I love the idea of letting your bag do the talking, which is why I think this lovely tote from Poem Crown is perfect (if donkeys are your thing, I suppose). It’s made from 100% organic cotton and sends the message beautifully! (more…)
Courtney in London
May 15, 2008
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We just came back from visiting my parents in the South of France. It’s about a 12 hour drive from Amsterdam and, with two toddlers in the back, we decided to divide our journey into two stretches. On the way to, we stayed in a chateau near Orléans and on the way back we stayed in a budget hotel south of Paris (unfortunately Emilie was out of town). It was a big price difference between the two, but I actually liked both!
You might be able to imagine what my car looks like now that we’re back. Yes… A battlefield! The car-seat of my one-year-old is completely covered in banana (I said completely)! In fact, I think the whole car is covered in banana: my son tends to throw his banana away with force when he decides he has had enough thankyouverymuch.
And at some point, the only thing I could do to keep the children quiet - after they slept, read books, listened to audio CD’s and sang songs - is to feed them snacks. (Does that make me a bad mum?)
Of course I tried to maintain order in the small space by removing chunks of banana from windows and other places and by gathering empty water bottles, juice cartoons, biscuit wrappings, pieces of sandwich etc. as well as possible. But at some point the litter bags were overflowing and all the small trash unavoidably ended up on the floor.
My next road trip with kids will definitely have to be more organized.
I will have a washable cover for the car seat, I will possibly (depending on finances) have portable DVD players on both head rests, and I will DEFINITELY have a Car Litter Bag by Bitsy Blossoms. (more…)
Esther in Amsterdam
May 15, 2008
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The 13th flower show of the Orticultural Association of Lombardy “Orticola” took place last weekend in Milan in the nice surroundings of Giardini Pubblici. It was obviously nice to look at all the flowers, plants and garden furniture on show, but what I thought was surprising was the effort made to make children feel welcomed! For the three days of the show, children (who enter free until they are 12) could attend all sorts of labs, where activities were designed to put them in touch with nature… and I believe city kids need all the contact they can get. (more…)
Michela in Milan
May 14, 2008
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I’ve always been a huge fan of Jonathan Adler’s. His stylish range of pottery, bedding, lighting, furniture, etc. is funky and retro. There’s something very mid-century modern about his style and it fits perfectly in our home. (We have the bird bowl, and we love it!)
While in New York this past week, strolling the top floor of Barneys, I discovered that Jonathan Adler makes the coolest-looking piggy banks! They are just beautiful. So if you’re in the market for a great piggy bank for your kid’s room, look no further! Saving pennies has never looked so cool!
(more…)
Courtney in London
May 14, 2008
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A while ago I wrote about the super cute Jip and Janneke. Their stories are famous here in the Netherlands, not only because of the simple way they are written but also because of the adorable illustrations - all Dutch kids LOVE Jip and Janneke (and their parents too)!
And now - here comes the exciting news - ‘Jip and Janneke’ has finally been translated to English!!!
I am SO excited — finally something I’ve wished for has come true!
This coming year I will have the perfect birthday present for all my daughter’s English-speaking little friends…
You can buy the book here — the site is in Dutch but they ship internationally, so if you’re interested and can’t figure out the language, I suggest sending them an email…
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
May 13, 2008
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Last winter I was looking for a nice turtle-neck shirt for my baby girl, and it had to be a muted colour to go with some gorgeous purple wool trousers I received from Esther. As I’ve written before, here in Italy baby clothes are still mostly in pink, baby blue and classic pastel colours. It was with great surprise and pleasure, that I discovered the DouDou line of clothing. They do mostly jersey pieces of very high quality and extremely cute, simple designs. Their stated mission is to design comfy, great looking clothes for everyday use. (more…)
Michela in Milan
May 13, 2008
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This nifty little gadget is one of those things in my (small) kitchen that I use every day and LOVE!
This ‘magical’ wand by Danish designer, Jakob Wagner, unfolds (like a fan) into a trivet, protecting your table or counter-tops from heat, cold or liquids. And when you’re finished, it folds back effortlessly into a small stick that fits into your cutlery drawer!
It’s small, space-saving, and like most Danish designs – cool looking. You can buy it online from Scandinavian Design Center, or you can pay a visit to Skandium on Marylebone High Street here in London, where you’ll find loads of other Scandinavian design goods!
-Courtney
Courtney in London
May 12, 2008
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I know Courtney and Esther have both sung its praises… I am talking about the Phil and Teds double stroller — a sort of stroller equivalent to a skyscraper, cleverly designed to get as many kids comfortably into as small a space as possible.
Now that my kid ratio has doubled to two, I also have a Phil & Teds, and proudly cart it around Paris. My favourite part of the buggy is the Cocoon — a sort of sports bag you put your baby into so that you can easily lift the baby out of the buggy and carry her around without waking her up. (more…)
Emilie in Paris
May 12, 2008
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To all our mum readers in the US, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Malaysia, Switzerland, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand, Colombia, Finland, Japan… and many many more!
Michela in Milan
May 11, 2008
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….but she is 40!! I am talking about the Sacco chair by Zanotta.
It was designed in 1968 by three architects: Gatti, Paolini and Teodoro, and it hasn’t gone out of fashion since. The cover can be leather, leather-like, heavy cloth or plastic, and it is filled with highly resistant polystyrene pellets. Over the years it has been produced in every possible colour! In 1972 it went on display at the MoMA and now a total of 26 museums have included Sacco in their permanent collection of contemporary or applied art. (more…)
Michela in Milan
May 11, 2008
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When I was living in New York City, about 5 years ago (gosh, time flies), I considered myself reasonably tall (I’m 1.76m, or 5′-9″) compared to the average American gal. And my husband, with his 1.91 m (6′-4″) literally stood out of the average crowd…
Until we would go to the monthly NL borrels gathering, where we would meet our Dutch friends and get drunk on Heineken beer instead of cocktails :-). Surrounded by fellow Dutchmen, I would immediately shrink to the size of a midget and my husband would definitely become one of the shorter guys around!
Did you know that the Dutch are the tallest people in the world? And did you know that until the 1950s, the American people held this position, but that since then they actually shrank a little while the Dutch (and other Northern European people) started shooting up? And did you know that this has more to do with an equal distribution of income and less with the fact that we drink a lot of milk?
If you want to know more about it, I suggest reading this article; it’s really interesting…
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
May 10, 2008
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British author, Julia Donaldson, is hugely famous for her clever rhyming tales. (Just who hasn’t heard of The Gruffalo, or Monkey Puzzle)?! Her books are very popular in our house — I’m a sucker for rhyming books — and my boys love them too!
One of our favorites is the less-known Tyrannosaurus Drip
, because Donaldson collaborates with award-winning artist, David Roberts, and the illustrations are very cool. Robert’s linear style, cooky characters, and distinct design make Tyrannosaurus Drip a beautiful-looking book.
This clever tale about a peaceful duckbill dinosaur’s egg that accidentally ends up in a tyrannosaurus nest, is — like all her other books — fun to read aloud, with it’s rhyming poetic verses and repetitive refrains.
And what little boy doesn’t like a story about dinosaurs?
-Courtney
Courtney in London
May 09, 2008
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When I had my first daughter I had not even the slightest clue on how to raise a child or what accessories where necessary. My learning curve was huge and I reckon part of the reason I had a second child is because I did not want this hard acquired knowledge to go to waste! But now with number two I am learning even more, so following my former logic this would mean that I never stop having kids….
One of the things that completely passed me by first time around was the use of an electric breast pump. It has totally revolutionised breast pumping for me! I plop myself down with a good book in hand, start up the pump and voilà — a few minutes later I am finished! A friend lent me her mini electric Medela pump, but here in France you can rent electric breast pumps from the pharmacy for about 12 euros a week, of which you get about 11 euros reimbursed by social security.
- Emilie
Emilie in Paris
May 09, 2008
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I first used a Tummy Tub with my son, and now I’m using it again for my 5-month-old daughter, and each night when giving her a bath I’m so delighted with my choice.
The advantages are many. First of all it takes away some of the stressful moments of those first baths — babies float in it and you only need one hand to hold them. You can (almost) relax and enjoy the funny expressions of your little one exploring the surroundings. I also think it’s great for winter babies, because they have water up to their chin so they stay much warmer than in traditional baby tubs. It is also supposed to remind babies of the comfort of their mums’ womb.
It is really easy to use because the tub is graduated so you know how much water to put in depending on your baby’s weight. It was conceived for newborn babies up to 6 months of age, but I have some friends that used it for much longer.
(more…)
Michela in Milan
May 08, 2008
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This wooden click-clack-track is another gift my son received for his first birthday, and yet another thing that my two boys are fighting over! (Is it just my children, or do yours do this too? Or maybe it’s because they’re boys…)
Anyway, while I had seen these around at friend’s houses before, it is new to us, and certainly a hit!
It’s simple: put the cars at the top, and watch them race back and forth down the track. It’s amazing how enthralled my children are. They sit there for hours (okay, let’s be honest — minutes) and watch the cars race down.
A very good idea for a first birthday! Thank you, Carrie & co.
-Courtney
Courtney in London
May 08, 2008
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The other day, at my daughter’s playgroup, I was talking to the other moms about careers and kids. Something very interesting transpired — at least half of the group were starting up their own businesses from home, just like Courtney, Esther, Michela and me.
The dilemma is something a lot of us have felt: how do we juggle motherhood while continuing down the career path? There is no easy answer. But there seems to be a growing trend towards woman not wanting to compromise career or their family. One solution is to start your own business, so that you are in charge of your own hours and your own destiny and there is even now a term for us: Mumpreneurs!!!
See the following article in the Times.
- Emilie
Emilie in Paris
May 07, 2008
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