Baby Jungle

So here it is, finally – a new give-away! VUP baby is being generous again and this time the prize is meant for mummies (not judging if some daddies want it also) and it can also sort of be shared with babies. This lovely silver necklace from Tales From the Earth is based on Mayan Music Ball used for relaxation and mediation because of a chiming sound it makes when gently shaken. It is also known that that same sound can amazingly calm babies. Every single pendant is handmade following a tradition of several centuries so each is unique and no two will sound the same.
Don’t you love it? And it could make one heck of a gift for a new mommy don’t you think? Or you could just keep it for yourself – I’d love to have one just because it looks gorgeous and sometimes I’m the one in need for some chiming if you know what I mean…

What to do this time:

In order to enter this give-away simply find this necklace on VUP baby’s site and check out it’s price. Then write an email with a subject ‘Baby Jungle Competition’ to competitions@vupbaby.co.uk and write down the price of the necklace. Simple as that.
You have time until May 7th 2012 and the winner will be drawn at random.

Open Worldwide!
 

How often do you have pizza at home? I could eat pizza literally every single day – it’s one of my favourite foods since my childhood. But I prefer home made because it kind of feels like a healthier choice as we always put on a whole bunch of different vegetables, mozzarella and/or low-fat cheese instead of regular one and I also usually make a whole wheat dough – when papa bear is not watching! *wink, wink*
But I never make the dough by hand or even with a mixer, instead I use the breadmaker! As a matter of fact I only bought this thing to make pizza dough. I have never even tried making bread, only dough. Believe it or not breadmaker makes the best pizza dough you could imagine and all you do is throw ingredients in the bread pan, press the “do the magic” button and you’ll get one perfectly risen pizza dough in 1.5 hour! It’s my dream machine.

My recipe (put into breadmaker’s pan in same order):

300ml Warm Water
1.5 Tea Spoon of Salt (I use Himalayan Salt)
2-3 Spoons of Olive Oil
500g of flour (either white, whole wheat or a mix of both)
20g Fresh Yeast (NOT dry!)
1 Tea spoon of Sugar

Just one tip. Ok, two: Set the oven to highest temperature and bake the pizza for about 20 minutes in order to get the perfect, soft bread and also remember that fresh yeast makes ALL the difference!
 

I never find the right words to start a post about outrageously cute stuff like this handmade pottery from Tasha McKelvey so I usually just go with “oh my dear/geez/God”, “are you serious” etc. But what else is here to say other than maybe “cooomeee oooon!”? Seriously, did you ever see cuter bowls? Or a teapot? I want to have the ring tray without even having any to put on! If only my hands had the magic skills to make stuff like this… or if at least my imagination could reach this far… Pure magic!

The Teapot costs €66, Bowls between €23-€50 (depending on the size) and Ring Trays are about €12. Shipping to EU depends on the weight; from €4 to €20
 

I’m looking for an indoor play tent/teepee for Tila and I want something that looks great and has an affordable price tag at the same time. I have narrowed down my selection to five teepees that are now going through a thorough evaluation. What do you think? Which one do you like the most?

1. Vilac’s Petitcollin Teepee €91 plus shipping from €15 outside France at Smallable
2. Vilac’s Natlie Lete Teepee £99 (€120) plus shipping within EU around €10 for EU (free for UK) from Amazon
3. Wigwam Play Tent £55 plus shipping £4.95 from When I Was a Kid but they only send within UK
4. La Tente from Caroline Gomez €95 plus shipping within EU €32
5. Ikea’s CIRKUSTÄLT tent around €20

Or maybe I should just make it myself? Look at this masterpiece made of Ikea’s fabric!
 

Samantha Morris is seriously starting to grow on me. I have to admit I wasn’t her biggest fan at first but I did suspect that that might only be a matter of time – and I was so right! I just love her short but funny messages and simple but noticeable looks of her products. Just like this pillow I got in mail a while ago. I love it! It looks so good on every single chair and sofa and you can see that print is silkscreened on this super fluffy cushion! Seriously I didn’t expect anything like it of a cushion meant as a decoration but it’s one of the first things I noticed. And if anyone wants to know the answer to the question click HERE! Who else?

£32 (about €39) plus shipping
 

I always liked fish but never loved. My boyfriend hated it and Tila always needed some persuading. Until two days ago when our last (the hating one) member tried it made this way, roasted in salt and now we all officially adore fish and have even decided to have it at least once a week. But only if made this way – it seriously makes all the difference and you cannot even compare the taste with the common, pan or oven cooked ones. It’s just incredibly tasty, moist and always perfectly salted.
Also, I don’t think I have ever cooked anything that made any less mess – if the foil doesn’t break you don’t even need to clean the baking dish! And there’s NO fish odour – seriously, none!!! Plus it’s super healthy. And simple. Ok, I’ll stop now. The recipe:

I usually buy a sea bream just because I like it the most but you can use any other white fish. Clean it but DO NOT remove the scales!

You need:

Sea Bream (or any other fish)
1kg Coarse Salt
Rosemary Spring (I usually forget this though)
Aluminium Foil

Preheat the oven to 200°C. After you rinsed the fish tap it with paper towel to dry and stuff it with the rosemary spring. Line baking pan with foil and spread about one third of salt. Place the fish on top, pour the rest of the salt over and sprinkle with water (this will help form a crust). Cook for about 25 – 30 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and gently break the crust with a kitchen hammer or palette knife. Take it off, remove the rest of the salt from the surface of the fish (brush helps a lot) and carefully remove the fish from the salt and place it on another plate. Don’t eat the skin and bones, enjoy the rest!

Ps. If you only cook one fish tuck a few pieces of foil on each side of the fish (on the outside of the foil) in order to prevent salt from going in the tummy of the fish.

Bon appétit! Let me know what you think…
 

What an awesome idea! Need a great gift for grandparents, aunt, uncle or someone close to your children? You only have to send your kid’s art to Alina and she can transfer it on mugs! I know each and every single member of our family (and our closest friends) would be thrilled to get something like that from Tila. We just need to wait for her tooshie to decide and stay still long enough so Tila can finish one single drawing…

A set of two mugs costs about €65 plus €8 delivery but you can also order only one from Alina’s Etsy boutique PaintMyName
 

I saw these on Babyccino Kids Blog and instantly fell in love with the gorgeous mix of bright and pastel colours. NiHaMa Teething Toys and Nursing Necklaces are made of natural wood and organic cotton yarn so you can be carefree when your little one turns the chewing mode on.

You can get the teething toys for €11.72 – €15.63 and necklaces for €6.25 – €21.10 (plus €3.90 shipping across EU) from NiHaMa Etsy boutique
 

You have to know I absolutely adore Leila Lindholm by now, right? Not just for her crazy recipes but also for her most gorgeous cake-decorating taste. I was always wondering where she gets the sweetest little roses that end up on top of her cakes and cupcakes so many times. Or the most adorable carrots she put on her Carrot Cake. And now I finally got my answer – it’s all from Jane Asher! I am sooo getting both, the Roses and the Carrots for Tila’s soon-to-come birthday!

They send Worldwide and shipping across Europe starts at only £2.50. Perfect!
 

How madly cute is this knitted range from Blabla Kids? I absolutely need either the Cloud or the Moustache cushion for Tila and the Pebbles have to meet our couch ASAP! And thank God there’s no baby close by ‘cause I know we wouldn’t be able to survive without the gorgeous Hat and Booties, Mobile, Bird Rattle and possibly even the Blanket.
Whole knitted Blabla’s collection is hand made by a group of Peruvian artisans under Fair Trade conditions and materials used are of natural fibres (also grown in Peru) known by it’s extreme softness so you can only imagine how cuddly their toys and cushions must be.

You can find a beautiful selection of Blabla Kids’ items at Noeuf or visit their own online shop. Shipping to Europe costs about €18

PS. I think I’m falling for this guy! Seriously – how cool is he? And he is almost 1 meter tall! But please don’t say anything to my hubby as he will hunt him down!
 

I’m so glad I happened across La Cerise Sur le Gâteau (literal translation is Cherry on the Cake but has the meaning of the Icing on the Cake or Cherry on the top expression) – it’s super fresh, funky, fun and extremely adorable all at the same time. Just what I was looking for. Tila needs new bedding and I think I’ve found it. And guess what – she LOVES elephants, lions and deer (aka Bambies) and I love polka dots! This must be a sign as they have all three! And don’t you just love the security blankets (doudous) with moustaches? Oh who am I kidding here – one of each please, I love every single thing!

Bed sets cost €60/€95, a set of three muslin security blankets is €36 and cushions are €39. Shipping across Europe goes from €7.38
 

Just went to take a peek at ZARA Home Kids’ webpage and ended up finding a few most adorable pieces of nightwear, shoes and beachwear made from Liberty Art Fabrics! Who knew…
Don’t you just love it?
 

Four years ago three Swedish engineers (two of technical design and one mechanical) came together with a genius idea to create products from waste produced in Swedish production industries and called it Creatables. Their goal is to produce beautiful products from waste only without creating new surplus materials.
For instance, the blocks are made of odd bits and pieces from bath toys production and the Newspaper Holder is made of excess felt from indoor tennis courts production.
Such cool ideas and gorgeous products! All four thumbs up guys!

Hooks cost €19, Soft Blocks €35 and the Newspaper Holder is €55. Shipping across Europe goes from €5
 

I know Petit Bateau for a while now, even from before I had Tila and for a really long time I have only liked it. But since I have her it has been seriously starting to grow on me more and more each season and now I simply adore it! Not only because of its incredible quality but also because I think their cuts and prints are getting cuter with each and every single collection! Don’t you think so? Are you also their fan?
You surely know your nearest Petit Beteau boutique but in case you don’t – you can find out where it is right here
 

It’s My Little Square’s Birthday and they are celebrating it with us! So it’s 25% off on everything for four whole days – until the end of this Saturday! Just use code BDAYS12 and enjoy…

And happy Birthday My Little Square!