Magazine
Spring 2017 • Spring Must-Haves • Egg-cellent Tips • Japanese arts with Alice • Spring Fashion Staples
F
lower bulbs popping up from the ground, fewer layers of clothing, spring vegetables like asparagus in the market.... these are a few of our favorite signs of Spring! If you
are an allergy sufferer, perhaps you’d like to speed right through this season, but we are going to try and savor it as much as we can (easy to say if you’re not feeling the ACHOOO! allergy sneeze). Hopefully you will enjoy our spring magazine and all of the inspirational tips and items to keep you living the most sustainable and healthy life possible - benefitting our planet and those of us who inhabit it!
WHAT’S NEW
Hop into Spring The start of something fresh, something new - and that all begins with our newest products! Feast your eyes on some of our favorite new arrivals that you’ll love well beyond springtime…
BATH
Natural rubber toys We all know that children, in particular babies put everything in their mouths: Oli & Carol calms those nerves with their wide selection of all-natural rubber toys. Perfect for the bath, but also for old fashioned teething time, it’s impossible not to fall for their classic and novelty designs.
PLAY
Olli Ella
ARTS + CRAFTS
Kitpas Coloring products that you could only dream about: imagine being able to draw on glass and windows, turn crayons into watercolors and the list goes on. Made in Japan, the award-winning Kitpas Crayon Markers are now joined by the bath Kitpas, dustless chalks and their newest product: ASOBody Face Paints! These products will turn any child into an artist in no time.
A tisket, a tasket, feast your eyes on the PIKI basket! Ideal for Easter hunts and filling with chocolates and fun spring treats, these multitasking beauties make ideal shopping baskets for kids when they are playing play supermarket. Available in 5 colors, and like all of Olli Ella’s products, they are fair trade, one-of-akind and gorgeous.
BABY
Fabelab Denmark is infamous for creative design, and part of it could be explained in Fabelab’s creations. Colorful but not too bright, innovative but useful, all of Fabelab’s products are built to last and made from only the finest organic materials. The newest collection from Fabelab is no exception with thoughtful products for baby and child.
DECOR
Muskhane OUT + ABOUT
Carry all bags When kids are out and about, they want the feeling of independence, and having their own bag does just that. Find the perfect bag to match their style and mood, from backpacks to rucksacks, to purses and even necklaces with a hidden compartment. Lighten your load and make the kids happy at the same time!
We all know the beauty of wool to wear, but Muskhane shows us the beauty of wool when it is welcomed into our home as part of our decor. Ethically manufactured in Asia, these handmade woolen rugs, pillows, dreamcatchers and cushions turn a room into a place of tranquility. That even goes for adding these beautiful pieces to the baby nursery or child’s room (tranquility not guaranteed, but likely!).
SPRINGTIME
CREATURES Beyond the flowers bulbs, the sweetest of all animals start to pop up everywhere in Spring
Wooden Rabbit Toy Holztiger €7
Sand Rabbit Felt Slippers Sew Heart Felt €36
Rabbit Animal Hat Oeuf NYC €55
Rabbit Bento Box Hanablomst €24 Bunny Recycled Backpack Apple Park €45
Blush Activity Rabbit Konges Slojd €28 Violet Boho Rabbit Doll Boramiri €75
BUNNY Bunny Love Tooth Fairy Cushion Coral & Tusk €50
Peach Blublu Bunny Shoes Easy Peasy €45
Birds+Flowers Romper Winter Water Factory €42
Stitch-It Wooly Chick Kit The Little Experience €20
Duckbunny Print Coral & Tusk €27
Belle Bird Donna Wilson €67
BIRDIE Duck Tooth Fairy Cushion Coral & Tusk €50
Wooden Chick Toy Holztiger €8
Stone Bird Nest Storage Muskhane €47 Duck Square Plate Hanablomst €18
Blue Duck Rattle Global Affairs €14
Sheep Animal Hat Oeuf NYC €55
Wooden Sheep Toy Holztiger €10
Blixem Sheep Esthex €32
LAMBY
Sheep Grasper Grimms €14
Blixem Sheep Backpack Esthex €40
Sheryl Sheep Dingaring OB Designs €16 Cocoa Sheep Knitting Game Les Jouets Libres €24
Wooden White Sheep Holztiger €10
Sheep Animal Booties Oeuf NYC €55
Spring Fashion Special Shed those winter layers for clothing that hints at warmer weather ahead
FASHION
❶ Dancing Kites Blouse. €36. ❷ 1968 AO Tee. €31. ❸ Slide Tee. €31. ❹ Peaceful Green Chic Tee. €25. ❺ Shark Pool Tee. €36.
Peach Chic Tee. €25.
FASHION
nts. €50.
Grey Heather Straight Pa
❶ Mist Striped Knit Trousers. €36. ❷ Blue Heather Straight Pants. €50. ❸ Red Berries Leggings. €32. ❹ Mango Striped Chino Pants. €45. ❺ Pirate Ships Leggings. €32.
FASHION
❶ Sienna Hippi Cardigan. €40. ❷ Golden Dots Kimono Wrap. €42. ❸ Blue Legend Padded Jacket. €98. ❹ Light Grey Sweater Cardigan. €56. ❺ Mist Rice Stitch Cardigan. €50.
B.C. Team Zip Sweatshirt (Baby). €52.
TIPS FASHION
Alice in Sushi-land Bringing the art of bento+origami making to London
HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN JAPANESE COOKING AND ARTS?
I lived in Japan for just under two years. When I arrived it was right before the cherry blossom season and I loved the way that many restaurants, cafes and even convenience stores focused on seasonal variations in food.
Everything was so colourful, beautiful, intricate and so much smaller than what I was used to! There’s such a strong focus on the presentation of food, and I was most interested in sushi. I started making origami to enhance the look of my sushi or bento pictures but
soon wanted to learn more and more! I first made small flowers to attach to gift bags for children’s parties but now have an online Etsy shop. FOR SOMEONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH BENTO BOXES, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME INSIGHT?
There are two different types of bento, or lunch boxes – traditional bento or character bento. Character bento, known as ‘charaben’ tend to be children’s lunchboxes and include a lot of cute faces! They contain anything from a favourite character, popular anime, to animals and flowers.
Children often compete to see who has the best box. Traditional bento originated as a means of getting all nutrients in one meal so they include rice, fish/meat, a few Japanese salads, pickles and fruits. YOU OFFER WORKSHOPS, WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR WITH KIDS:
I quickly learnt that there’s a high demand for children’s sushi, bento and origami making in London. They’re all perfect activities for them to get creative with and enjoy with friends or parents. For kids 5+ we offer private birthday parties and group workshops based on their favourite theme.
Kids love to make their favourite character so I’ve experimented with ingredients to change the colour of rice. I use purple cabbage to make a light pink rice, turmeric for yellow rice, soy sauce for brown rice...and the list goes on! The most popular characters to make have been Hello Kitty, Star Wars characters, Pokémon, emoji themed bento, and anime characters.
FOR A BEGINNER/NOVICE ORIGAMI/BENTO MAKER, WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE “GO TO” DESIGNS?
One of the first sushi types that I teach in bento or sushi workshops is ‘temari’ sushi. These are very small sushi balls that originate from Kyoto, where geisha would traditionally eat them as they are made slightly smaller than other sushi types. They are very simple to make, all you need is a piece of cling film, rice and a small amount of ingredients. The best part is decorating them or turning them into your favourite character if using coloured rice! For origami I always start simple, either a heart or an animal such as a rabbit, cat or dog. Kids love to decorate so I always allow lots of time for this. ANYTHING NEW AND EXCITING COMING UP?
Once it’s a little warmer I’ll be holding ‘frushi’ (fruit sushi) workshops which I’m really looking forward to. I add coconut milk to the rice and replace savoury ingredients with lots of fruits and sometimes even chocolate!
To find out more about Alice’s work, check out our blog or:
TIPS FASHION
Miffy 4VR Celebrating the wonderful world of Dick Bruna
A
simple line that creates bunny ears, two dots for eyes and an “x” for a nose are recognizable worldwide as Miffy, the icon of Dick Bruna’s illustrations. This year Dick Bruna sadly passed away, but his work lives on in all of his charming characters that grace the pages of his 200+ children’s books. To honor the man behind the bunny ears, we are celebrating all things Miffy (called “Nijntje” in Dutch) to pay tribute to the great man who brought children of the world so much joy.
TIPS FASHION
Egg-cellent Ideas Our top egg tips + gifts
1
2
Place eggs in a pot with enough water to cover them completely.
3
Bring water to a boil.
Turn off heat and leave eggs in boiled water for 10 minutes.
4 Drain eggs from the water, and place in a cold ice water for 5 minutes.
5 Enjoy your freshly hard boiled eggs easily by rolling them to crack the shell.
Egg Petanque Eperfa €36 Market Dairy & Eggs Le Toy Van €20
Egg Sandwich Set Erzi €13
Girl Sunrise Bordfolk Lucie Kaas €15
Eggs are the easiest way to add spring to your table
Brown Eggs in Carton Erzi â‚Ź8 Stitch-it Breakfast and Lunch Kit The Little Experience â‚Ź20