Teeth Relief

June 15, 2015 by Karen Kim

The teething process is not pretty, marked by a constant river of drool and tears as those little sharp adorable baby teeth start to pop through your baby's gummy smile. But there are a few nice teether options out there that can soothe the mouth while being easy on the eyes.

Little baby teeth sprouting up, claiming W's mouth in the name of Incisor... or Bicuspid?  Sophie to the rescue! — Little baby teeth sprouting up, claiming W's mouth in the name of Incisor... or Bicuspid? Sophie to the rescue!

The most famous of all is Sophie La Giraffe, the soft 100% natural rubber giraffe that hails from the French Alps and squeaks when lightly squeezed or gnawed on. She somehow taps into an primal response, inspiring a fervent following that has made the wide-eyed giraffe the top-selling baby toy on Amazon. The reasons for Sophie's success have been discussed on many a forum: the softness of her skin, the smell of natural Hevea tree rubber from which she is made, her soft focus easy to see spots, even the exact pitch of her squeak. We were skeptical at first, but brought one home and can report that the hype is real - from the first squeak, our little one was mesmerized, and she and Sophie became best friends (a best friend that one gnaws, squeezes and drools on and who in turn squeaks in response).

Other teethers that we like are the Danish designed Hevea Panda Teether, made of beautifully translucent natural rubber. And in the silicone world, the Comotomo Silicone Baby Teether is a nice piece of simple design, priced well at $6.99. We also like the Baby Banana Teething Toohtbrush, which as the name suggests, does double duty, cleaning and soothing. Then there are some teethers for mama to wear - although we prefer our jewelry and baby toys to not be one and the same. There is an ultra minimal one called the Teething Bling, a simple silicone ring that is meant to be worn as a bangle (although not necessary to if that's not your jam).

From Left: VULLI Sophie the Giraffe, $24.99, amazon.com, HEVEA Panda Teether, $9.99, amazon.com, COMOTOMO Teething Ring, $6.99, buybuybaby.com, BABY BANANA Baby Toothbrush, $5.99, babybananabrush.com, SMART MAMA Teething Bling in Clear, $12.99, smartmomjewelry.com.

Here Comes the Sun: Park Life, Summer Edition

June 06, 2015 by Karen Kim in PARK LIFE

Summer is here and the public fountains are in full effect, spraying cooling water from the mouths of turtles, seals, and other concrete animals in parks across New York city. While children are busy frolicking in the sun, enjoying a splash in the water, for our little one the onset of summer highlights certain seasonal challenges. The “fear of water on the face” (which has us seriously considering this contraption for the bath and beyond) makes the fountain a no-go zone. At a recent visit to the iconic fountain at Washington Square Park, the fine mist in the vicinity of the waterworks was more than enough.

Little W, cool and collected in a sand-free, fountain-free, air conditioned zone, sipping on a cup of imaginary tiger lemonade — *Little W, cool and collected in a sand-free, fountain-free, air conditioned zone, sipping on a cup of imaginary tiger lemonade*

The sandbox also is a potential pitfall, thanks to our little one's "Sand Terrors" which we discovered on last year's Mexican beach holiday. Excited to introduce her to the joys of la playa, we placed her tiny shoe-clad feet onto the white sandy beach for the first time and ended up with our baby soundlessly shrieking, clamoring up into our arms to escape the unknown horror happening underfoot. Not what we expected, although a supposedly common reaction in babies. Now, at any park with a sandbox, the detection of even the smallest amount of grit on the ground causes her whole body to seize up, eyes and arms reaching upwards to mama to airlift her out of the situation.

There are a few other hot weather considerations: little W has inherited mom's "extreme head sweats", which occurs when the temperature passes 73 degrees (23 Celsius) and is coupled with any kind of exertion. On a particularly warm day last week at the park, with our daughter's hair plastered to her sweat-drenched head, another mom exclaimed, "What happened? Did she get wet?" to which I answered "No..." slowly realizing that perhaps not everyone's child has a head like a faucet. I quickly whisked her away to an air-conditioned apartment.

As if the heat wasn't bad enough, the sun's burning rays are a constant concern. Our daughter is half red-head (from papa) so a large part of our vacation/summer time is spent with me slathering on sunscreen on the exposed skin of the whole family. We apply liberally, and often, as directed and then some. We are the Econo-jug customer.

As you can see, summer has it's challenges. Hence, the summer uniform to address some of these concerns:

Sun Hat: We love the Original Flap Happy Hat, with ties or without (for infants, since ties can be a choking hazard). These look like those Legionnaire caps worn by the French Foreign Legion, desert-dwellers, and outdoors aficionados. Shrunken down to baby size, they look functionally adorable. UPF 50+. Keeps the sun off the face and neck. Bonus: absorbs head sweat.
Sunscreen: Of all of the formulations available, we prefer Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, Baby. Chemical free, paraben free, fragrance free. Smooths on and rubs in nicely. We trust that Australians know a thing or two about the sun. California Baby also makes a good, natural sunscreen stick that we throw into our bag for touch ups.
Sandals: Salt Water Sandals by Hoy. A sandal that just looks like a classic sandal. So summery. Made from salt-water friendly leather for swimming (or catching some fountain mist). We like the ones with the rubber bottoms.
Sunglasses: Teen Tiny Optics. We came across these in a little shop on the Sunshine Coast last summer. Baby Elton John meets Prada, for infants/small toddlers. Soft, bendy arms won't poke your baby's eyes and make them comfortable. Inexpensive so if they go overboard in the stroller, it's no big deal. We also are very into Sons and Daughters' assortment - a higher end, nicely designed eyewear brand for kids. Achingly cute look book. We will upgrade once she passes the fling-them-out-the-stroller phase.
Swimsuit: For swimming, hopefully with face getting wet soon. P opupshop makes the most insanely cute one-pieces with photographic animals screened on them. Tigers, leopards, panda bears, parrots, horses - so many amazing options for your water baby. We also like a rash guard style top to keep the sun off. Crewcuts makes nice ones. We paired it with a plain white swim diaper, found on Amazon.

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From Left: FLAP HAPPY Original Flap Happy Hat $18.95, flaphappy.com, POPUPSHOP Swimsuit Tiger, 25.71, popupshop.net, SONS + DAUGHTERS EYEWEAR Pixie Sunglasses $75.00, wearesonsanddaughters.com, J. CREW CREWCUTS Baby Rashguard, $36.00, jcrew.com, TEENY TINY OPTICS Alyssa Sunglasses, $12.00, kiddventory.com, HOY Salt Water Sandal, $34.95, zappos.com, BLUE LIZARD AUSTRALIAN SUNSCREEN Baby Sunscreen SPF 30+ 5oz, $18.99, bluelizard.net, IPLAY Baby Swim Diaper, $10.23, amazon.com.

Mother and Daughter

June 01, 2015 by Karen Kim in READING MATERIAL

Awhile ago I posted a video from Korean graphic artist Jin Sol called "Babies," all about baby hopes and dreams. Now, I've just received her book, Mother and Daughter in the mail and wanted to share it too.

The mother/daughter relationship is complex beyond words but starts out from a simple beginning. This book illustrates the bond between a mother and her baby through drawings that celebrate the everyday, simple moments that happen in a way that is tender, engaging, and instantly recognizable.

Pick up a copy here at zeroperzero.com!

To Sleep Like a Baby

May 18, 2015 by Karen Kim in NURSERY NOTES

Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass vitrine, "The Maybe" by Cornelia Parker, Serpentine Gallery.  Although beautiful, probably would not pass the AAP's safety inspection for infant use. — Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass vitrine, "The Maybe" by Cornelia Parker, Serpentine Gallery. Although beautiful, probably would not pass the AAP's safety inspection for infant use.

At around week 28 of pregnancy, we started to put together the nursery for our impending bun. In our partition-less NYC apartment, there was no nursery to speak of, rather, a designated "baby area" for the crib, and changing station. As with everything else in the apartment, it was located just feet away from our bed. This turned out to be very conducive to new baby night life. We knew we did not want to co-sleep (I am a night traveler, roaming all 4 corners of the bed throughout sleep) so the proximity of the crib was the closest thing to co-sleeping during those first few months of round the clock feedings. Bonus: no baby monitor required.

Little W, just days old in her no-frills crib set-up — Little W, just days old in her no-frills crib set-up

It doesn't take much to create a calm, beautiful "baby area" (or nursery, if you have), anchored by an unobtrusive crib. We chose the Ikea Sniglar since we knew it would be safe after going through the type of rigorous testing necessary of a crib that has sold in the millions, and aesthetically it was nicer looking than anything else out there. The solid beech wood gives a soft, neutral warmth to the nursery, and the spare design isn't trying to be anything but a crib. It also converts to a toddler bed when the time calls for that. And it comes at the impossible price of $69.99. The mattress we like is the Vyssa Sloa, and plain white jersey Len fitted sheets, also from Ikea. A little spartan perhaps, but kept with our apartment's white decor. Adding to the all white theme, we added white noise by way of a Marpac "sound conditioner," a necessity for followers of Harvey Karp and want to have a machine to do their "shusshing" for them. This godsend allowed mama and papa to watch Game of Thrones on full-throttle volume while the little one slept contentedly close by with the Marpac also on full-throttle.

Add a few sleep sacks (we like the plain, organic cotton ones from Giggle for Halo in both the swaddle-a-ble version and the regular one after the first few months have passed), and baby is set to sleep, all for about $200.

From Top Left: IKEA Sniglar crib, $69.99, ikea.com, GIGGLE Better Basics Halo Sleepsack Swaddle, $29.00, giggle.com. GIGGLE Better Basics Halo Sleepsack Wearable Blanket, $29.00, giggle.com. IKEA Vyssa Sloa Matrress for Crib, ikea.com, IKEA Len Fitted Sheet, $9.99/2pk, ikea.com, MARPAC Dohm-SS Sound Conditioner, $44.95 drugstore.com

Mamas

May 10, 2015 by Karen Kim in LIBRARY

Happy Mother's Day, to all mamas!

Here's a cute video that I wanted to share called "Babies" by illustrator Jin Soru. I just placed an order for her book from Korea based graphic design studio Zero Per Zero, called "Mother and Daughter" with some amazing illustrations about the mother-baby bond. Can't wait to get it in the mail and take a closer look!

Brown Bag It

May 06, 2015 by Karen Kim in FURNITURE, PLAY

A third generation hand-me-down Paddington Bear peeking out of the ESSENT-IAL Large Bag, essent-ial.com — A third generation hand-me-down Paddington Bear peeking out of the ESSENT-IAL Large Bag, essent-ial.com

In babies, the curious phase of compulsively putting things into containers is known as "Container Play." It usually presents itself from 6-12 months but can sometimes persist into adulthood, at which point it is no longer called "Container Play" and is no longer considered "cute" but rather an addiction which manifests itself in a obsession with the bin aisle at Muji.

I love containers, and now with my 18 month old similarly afflicted, it's a family affair. For her, everything within reach is put to the container test and falls under one of two categories: either it "fits" (expressed with a smile of supreme satisfaction) or is too "big" (expressed with a look of utmost contempt).

In effort to harness the power of her fascination with order, I am trying to teach her to put her things away into their proper place by having appealing things to put them into.

Of all the containers out there, we prefer reuseable paper ones. They are soft, can be folded away flat, are beautiful but not so precious that they can't be touched, can be easily replaced, and repurposed. They are available in tons of sizes, and can also be rolled down to make them fit anything you can think of. They look great placed anywhere, tucked in cubby squares, lined up in uniform multiples or placed in groupings of various sizes.

We've put together a roundup of the best reuseable paper bags, which among myriad other things, make excellent toy bins. There is the ultra indestructible ones by Siwa designed by Naoto Fukasawa, ones from Italian brand Essent-ial that come in an array of colors (we are partial to the pretty cement grey, and black versions). There are also nice printed ones from Swedish company Tellkiddo, and of course the ubiquitous original, Le Sac en Papier available from Be Poles or from Merci, in Paris.

From Left: TELL KIDDO, Dotted Large Paper Bag $20.25, tellkiddo.com, ESSENT-IAL bag, €28,79, essent-ial.com, SIWA by NAOTA FUKASAWA bag, ￥JPY3,400, japanstore.jp, BE POLES Le Sac en Papier, €4.00, merci-merci.com.

Color Blocks

April 29, 2015 by Karen Kim in PLAY

On the great Stick-vs-Block crayon debate, we side with team Block for the following reasons:

STOCKMAR Beeswax Block Crayon, in 16 White, from set of 16, $24.72, amazon.com

They are easier to grasp for tiny hands (a Waldorf school of thought that makes sense to us)
They have no paper wrappers that can be peeled off and eaten
They do not roll off tables
They are unbreakable - won't snap in half like sticks do when thrown from a high chair
Can be stacked, a top baby hobby

We chose Stockmar block crayons for our baby, a set of 16 that comes in a nice tin with a scraper. German manufactured with excellent quality, they are non-toxic and made with beeswax that imparts them with a subtly sweet, natural scent. The beeswax also makes them glide smoothly across paper without smudging and gives the colors a nice balance between opacity and translucency.

This characteristic is moot in our case, as our tiny artist has ended up showing more interest in the crayons as sculptural objects rather than drawing tools. The crayons are only sometimes used for scribbling, and are most frequently subject to obsessive packing up in their tin case before being dumped out again (a process that repeats itself until the next distraction occurs). Stacking them into a Jenga-like rainbow tower is another favored use that has nothing to do with drawing.

We too think they are pretty to look at. Stockmar has the most gorgeous assortment of richly pigmented colors. They are sold these in sets of a predetermined palette, but there are also complementary palettes and singles available so that you can assemble your own custom color library. Here, we've put together some of our favorite color combinations, in sculptural form, inspired by the Jacquemus collection La Femme Enfant. a favorite of ours for its pure expression of child-like enthusiasm through shape and color.

From top:  06 Yellow Green, 12 Purple, 05 Lemon Yellow, 09 Blue, 15 Black, 16 White, all from Stockmar — From top: 06 Yellow Green, 12 Purple, 05 Lemon Yellow, 09 Blue, 15 Black, 16 White, all from Stockmar

A look from Jacquemus' "La Femme Enfant" collection, jacquemus.com — A look from Jacquemus' "La Femme Enfant" collection, jacquemus.com

From top:  16 White, 15 Black, 03 Orange, all from Stockmar — From top: 16 White, 15 Black, 03 Orange, all from Stockmar

From top:  03 Orange, 01 Carmine Red, 11 Blue Violet, 05 Lemon Yellow, 10 Ultramarine, 16 White, all from Stockmar — From top: 03 Orange, 01 Carmine Red, 11 Blue Violet, 05 Lemon Yellow, 10 Ultramarine, 16 White, all from Stockmar

WHERE TO BUY: STOCKMAR Set of 16 Beeswax Block Crayons, $24.72 at amazon.com

Floating Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease

April 25, 2015 by Karen Kim in NURSERY NOTES

Selecting a mobile, the centerpiece of the nursery, is not really about your baby's preference of what they want to set their blurry-eyed gaze upon. After all, yours are the eyes that are focused and discerning.

Here, we take notes from the runway through the lens of the nursery. For the Céline F/W15 show, there were several child-like motifs to draw upon that we think would be right at home in the baby's room, including the hand-drawn prints inspired by children's book illustrations, and the oversized fur pom-poms dangling from the shoulders of the models like plush Calder mobiles. The shocks of electric blue and crimson applied with a graphic touch throughout the collection are just what is suggested for baby's developing vision. Also on the Calder tip - the models' metal earrings - tiny wire sculptures - and the animal drawings and prints bring to mind the Cirque Calder mini circus. Same goes for the duvet draped over a model's shoulders, like a luxe lion tamer's cape.

If a Calder is not an option for the baby's room, we think a DIY version can be rewarding and beautiful too for those with ambition. We also like the delicately minimal mobile from Atelier D'Exercices (bonus: very little assembly required). Also part of our selection of nursery picks, is a black Icelandic sheepskin; hand-drawn wallpaper from the legendary Florence Broadhurst, depicting a stampede of wild horses; a beautifully illustrated alphabet book of animals by Celestino Piatti; a drumming teddy from our favorite German plush toy maker Steiff, and baby quilt that picks up on the rosy checkerboard runway floor.

From top left:
1. CÉLINE F/W 2015, Look 23. 2. ALEXANDER CALDER-inspired DIY Mobile, from salamanderart.wordpress.com . 3. CÉLINE F/W 2015, Look 18. 4. STEIFF Lukas Teddy Bear, $198, steiff.com. 5. NOBODINOZ Baby Quilt, smalleable.com. 6. CELESTINO PIATTI's Animal ABC, $19.99, amazon.com. 7. CÉLINE F/W 2015, Look 19. 8. ALEXANDER CALDER Cirque Calder. 9. Black Sheep (White Light), Natural Black Icelandic Sheepskin, $220, theline.com. 10. FLORENCE BROADHURST Horse Stampede Wallpaper. 11. ATELIER D'EXERCICES Feather Mobile, $65, atelierdexercices.com.

Rub a dub tubs

April 18, 2015 by Karen Kim in BATHING

We had only a few rules when we found out we were going to have a baby - no aesthetic concessions being one of them. This meant making a conscious effort to find things that were beautiful to look at, had a minimal imprint, and could be repurposed post-infancy. By this rule, the question of how to bathe your baby becomes hard to answer, especially in the first months where a bathtub is too big to contain a newborn, or if you only have a shower stall as we did. If you're lucky enough to have a beautiful large porcelain sink with a nozzle tap, the answer is simple. Our extra-deep industrial style stainless steel sink, which always seemed to have a few dirty dishes in it didn't fit the bill, nor did our tiny bathroom sink which allowed for hand washing and not much more.

From Mirai Chan by photographer Kawashima Kotori, available from amazon.com.

The selection of plastic baby tubs in the market was dismal, so we decided to bathe our baby in a no-frills gardening bucket à la Mirai Chan and found it to be the best solution. We recommend the Large Shallow Tub by Tubtrugs from their Gorilla line of all-black, recycled tubs for their utilitarian-chic appeal. For those of you who also believe that a color palette may also include shades other than black, there are 10 bright colors to choose from too. The manufacturer describes the Large Shallow style as being "designed large and low for mixing projects (like grout), parts washing, project assembly, a container garden, and car trunk organizer." To that we'd like to suggest it also read "designed large and low for bathing babies in shallow water, and flexible with no hard sides to hit their heads upon" and when they've outgrown it, "a discreet toy bin that slips under the bed when not in use".

TUBTRUGS Large Shallow Gorilla Tub, $16.99 at tubtrugs.com

See the gallery for some of Mother Material's other bath time favorites:

From Left: MUSTELA Baby Shampoo, $11, mustela-usa.com. BATH BUDDIES Natural Bath Sponge, $10, giggle.com. TOYSMITH wooden paddle boat, $4.99, retroplanet.com. SCHYLLING Classic Rubber Duck, $2.99, schylling.com. JAPONESQUE Hippo Hair Brush, $9, amazon.com. MASON PEARSON Child's Brush, $65.98, sempleandsemple.com.

Seating Arrangement

April 13, 2015 by Karen Kim in FURNITURE

176 TG Child Stool by Truck Furniture — 176 TG Child Stool by Truck Furniture

A vintage inspired assortment of small seating, lovely for teddy bears and tiny people.

From Left: TRUCK FURNITURE 176 TG Child Stool, Truck Furniture. ALVAR AALTO FOR ARTEK Children's Stool NE60, $360 at aalto.com. ALVAR AALTO FOR ARTEK Children's Chair N65, $405 at aalto.com. DONALD JUDD A Good Chair is a Good Chair, from $34.30 at amazon.com. IKEA LÄTT table and chairs, $19.99 ikea.com. RIKI WATANABE Riki Stool 1965, $45 at Moma Store momastore.org. FOLDSCHOOL Cardboard stool, download free pattern at foldschool.com.

Animal Collective

April 09, 2015 by Karen Kim in PLAY

Holtztiger “Dalmation Papa” — Holtztiger “Dalmation Papa”

Our appreciation of wooden toys has us obsessed with the animal kingdom of Holtztiger, the German toymaker whose endearing motto “from large forests to small hands” sums up what they are about.

The folkish style of their animals in their naive rendering and bright, translucent water color palette reminds us of what you’d see in a Henry Darger painting. We like how the simple characterization and modest materials are instinctive and beautiful. The toys are made entirely of hand-carved and painted solid wood, with some varieties having the addition of a tail made from simple, sturdy waxed cotton cord.

You can collect from hundreds of styles, representing the conventional to the fantastic, to eventually create an entire world of play. A nod to their German origin, they have an enthusiastic variety of farm animals (I have counted 23 styles of cows alone). We are keen on their fairytale collection which features a mix of characters from Hans Christian Anderson stories, to generic fantasy characters like the “Dwarf with Bread" series).

The “Dalmation Papa” pictured here is a constant breakfast table companion to its owner, and as such has developed a patina from daily contact with a tiny mouth and hands (without worry, as all Holtztiger animals are painted with non-toxic paint and water-based lacquer).

WHERE TO BUY:
Padlilly.com seems to have a very comprehensive selection, but a good assortment is also available at Sweet William in New York.

Welcome to Mother Material

April 09, 2015 by Karen Kim

Mother Material is a place devoted to the topic of style, with child. It offers a fresh perspective on motherhood that celebrates all things modern, practical, and beautiful.