momstory

Meet Australian Mom Kellie living in Sydney...

My name is Kellie and I live in Sydney’s vibrant inner-west with my lovely husband Kenn and our two children – 3 year old Poppy and 8 month old Oscar. Our home is within walking distance of some of the most beautiful little cafes, the gorgeous surrounds of the bay and only 10 mins from the city. We are very lucky in that it is so central to all the places we love to go. For the last 10 years I have worked as a teacher however after Poppy was born I developed a passion for kid’s style and design and am now writing a blog called Mini Must Have – ‘style for the small’. I feature lots of amazing designers, products and retailers, from street-style cool through to divine handmade pieces. There’s also a little bit of my life as a Mum mixed in there as well.

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
We live in a two bedroom unit in a small complex and absolutely love it! We bought our place just before my husband and I were married almost 8 years ago and although it’s definitely more cosy now that we have 2 children we simply can’t imagine living anywhere else. At times I often wish we had our own backyard but the fact that we have a communal garden area and are within short walking distances to nearby parks and the waterfront more than makes up for the lack of outside space.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
I love to spend time decorating and re-organising our home. We recently installed a brand new kitchen after living with our old retro ‘70’s style one for the last 8 years and it has definitely been the biggest project we’ve undertaken in a while. Renovating with kids is a challenge and my son actually arrived half-way through the remodel (he was a few weeks early). I came home from hospital with a newborn baby, no functioning kitchen and a living-room filled with appliances and work tools. It was definitely a chaotic time but my husband managed to pull it all together.

 

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
I am inspired by so many things. I have a very long list of blogs that I follow so there’s always something there that sparks my imagination. I also love Australia’s Real Living magazine, Home Beautiful and Vogue Living.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?
Funnily enough it’s an Ikea footstool! Poppy loves standing on it to watch or help out in the kitchen and will often just take a seat on it at the counter and chat with me while I’m cooking. It’s also used as a seat for her dolls and any other imaginative thing she can think of. Oscar’s favourite thing at the moment however seems to be our British short-hair cat. His face lights up everytime he sees it and he’s always trying to grab at it.

What's it like to raise a child in your town?
My little part of Sydney is the perfect place to raise children. Although only 10 mins from the bustle of the city our neighbourhood is lovely and leafy. It has a wonderful village atmosphere to it and there are lots of other young families in the area.

What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?
A perfect day with my children is one filled with lots of laughter and cuddles. Just strolling down to the park or our local café is a great way to spend an afternoon but it doesn’t really matter what we are doing. Those unexpected, unplanned moments when we are just hanging out at home as a family are some of my favourite times in the world.

Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?
I read lots of parenting books the first time around but haven’t looked at any of them since having Oscar. I think that parents should really learn to trust their instincts more and realize that they are the most qualified people to decide on what is best for their own children.

Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
I always make sure that any type of craft project we do is done at the kitchen table or outside on the balcony, away from the carpet and upholstered furniture! Having said that though, craft is often a messy business but that’s half the fun.
 

Are you a crafter or DIY person?
Any craft I tend to do is with my daughter Poppy and as for DIY, let’s just say that I give it a go but my husband often ends up finishing what I’ve started!

What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?

I have a few storage boxes where I keep Poppy’s craft projects. Not all of them obviously but the ones that show what she was like at a certain age or a new skill she learned. I also make sure I date them just to make it easier to remember how old she was when I look back on them in years to come.

What are favorite games in your home?
Having an almost-4 year old means that there’s lots of imaginative play going on in our house. Poppy also loves memory games, snakes and ladders and puzzles of any kind.

What kind of sports do your children like to do and are you very involved?
Poppy attends ballet and swimming lessons once a week. She absolutely loves dancing (as most 3 year olds seem to do) and her favourite thing to wear at home is her ballet tutu. Swimming is such an important life skill that we continue lessons all-year round, even during the winter months.

How do they prefer to spend their leisure time?

Poppy loves nothing more than to get out her colouring books, crayons and textas and spend her time making colourful little creations.

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
My husband and I are both foodies. He also loves cooking and is quite a whiz in the kitchen whereas I have slowly grown to enjoy it. Poppy is a fabulous eater and we always involve her as much as we can in the kitchen.

What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?

Before having children my husband and I traveled overseas at least once a year and when the children are a bit older we would love to take them on a 6 month round-the-world trip. We absolutely love New Zealand and have family over there so we try and make the trip over as often as we can. Poppy has already been twice and Oscar just recently went to Auckland with me for a few days.

How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?

Lots of list making! When packing for the children I always make sure that I bring some things that remind them of home such as their favourite toys and comforters.

What place do your children love to go to?

Poppy loves New Zealand as that’s where her cousins live and she is old enough to remember the last time we visited. She is always asking me when our next trip will be!

..MiniMustHave..

Meet American mom Chelsea living on the island of Dominica

Hello, I'm Chelsea. Wife to Wyatt, and mother to three year old Tate Scarlet. We're living adventurously on the very remote, very beautiful island of Dominica while my husband attends medical school. I am orignially from the US, Utah actually.

Besides being an island girl, I'm also the owner/creator of Tatertot hairclips, and love to blog about motherhood, design, and our life adventures at Yours Truly.

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
Oh boy:) We currently live in a 1 bedroom (already furnished) apartment. Truth be told, the small space isn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. With that said, I still terribly miss having a house of our own where we can put our own style into it, and of course the space. In our Utah home we have a beautiful 50 foot Catalpa tree in the front yard that hold's Tate's swing, and I still miss that every day.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
Does anyone answer no to this question? Yes, so much! My first love really is being a mom, but designing is a close second. Since we're not in a place we can really decorate I'm doing lots of online dream designing. Olio Board is my newest obsession, and I've got my whole Utah home re-designed on there! My favorite part about pregnancy with Tate was being able to design her nursery. When she came unexpectedly a month early I was in tears about her room not being finished. I think my exact quote to my husband was, "but her room is not magical yet".
Here in Dominica it's the little things that make it feel like home. Tate's watercolors taped on the wall, our wooden doll family, a silhouette of Tate, and of course photos.

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?

I have a list of blogs that I check daily and they always seem to inspire. I love Decor 8, Caitlin Wilson's Style Files, and La Dolce Vita. I'm a new convert to the online magazine, thanks to Lonny. But I still love to buy Elle Decor and House Beautiful every month. I also get a lot of inspiration from my family. Both my mom and mother in law have fabulous taste and wonderful homes. It's really fun to come back from Dominica and stay with them because they've always added something new, or changed things around.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?

Tate has really become a lover of books down here, so she's usually found on our bed going through her collection on the shelf above. Like every child, she also loves the walls and doors where we hang her art. One of my favorite things about living down here is how she's learned to appreciate the simple things. Besides story telling, her books have also served as forts, trails for walking, babies... what ever she needs them to be, really!

What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?

In Dominica there really isn't anywhere to shop just for fun. No charming streets lined in boutiques or anything like that. Boo. The only shopping anyone here does is for food. About a five minute walk from our place, just outside the school's campus, is a place called "the shacks". It is what it says, a row of wooden shacks lining an alley, all selling local delicacies. You can find things such as mango, canips, passion fruit, chicken lentil wraps, fresh squeezed papaya juice, crepes, and plantains. There is also a local market every Saturday morning down on the waterfront. When you hear the fisherman blow his conch shell you know fresh fish, maybe red snapper or tuna, has just arrived. You buy it whole, right off the boat, and carry it home. When we feel like something more American I head next door, to a place called Rituals. Essentially a Starbucks, only not quite as nice.

What's it like to raise a child in your town?
As far as just raising a child, I have actually loved it. Learning to love and appreciate the simple life is something that would have been hard to teach her in America. I love that she is content just staying home on rainy days reading, painting, or baking. If it's rainy, and it is a lot here, you can guarantee we're doing one of those activities, and it's made our family really close. She's also learned about the wonders of the outdoors, and loves nothing more than going on hikes. I think it's great. I'd be lying though if I said I don't miss having a car, a children's museum, a public library, and some errands to run though. I'm still learning the lesson of appreciating the simple life:)

Who do you consider is a good example for your children?

My husband, as cheesy as that sounds. He's just one of those calm, cool, and collected types of people and has an endless amount of love and patience that is so wonderful for children to see. I would feel successful if she ended up just like him. Just good to the core.

What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?
A day spent with Wyatt at the beach. We'd pack a lunch, catch a transport, and hike down to somewhere secluded. Tate and Wyatt pretend they are airplanes and fly up and down the beach, we all run from waves, and collect seashells. We stay until we're sun drenched, and then go home to take a late afternoon nap. Completely dreamy.

Can you tell us a funny story, quote or remark one of your children recently made or happened?
When we visit our family in Utah we usually borrow my dad's old car to drive. Last time we drove it Tate was wondering why it shakes so bad when we stop at a red light, and then answered her own question with...
"Probably Debi (my mom) took the wrapper off, so then they had to buy it broken"

Can you mention some of your ‘how-to-raise-your-kid’ values?
I think more than anything you can never love too much. I try to keep that idea close in mind. I'm always willing to spoil Tate with my time and affection, and I hope I always will, unconditionally. I believe children just want you. I never want any of my children to feel like they need to compete with anything for my love or attention.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?
Right now Tate is into paper crafts. Painting, cutting, and paperdolls are keeping her happy. I didn't bring any paperdolls down here, so I've just made some for her. She's very into "cool" clothes, which means they have to be striped or plaid, and have no girly details. So I cut out the clothes and she makes them "cool", and then glues them where she thinks they belong on the paper doll. It's so simple, but fun! We both love all forms of painting too, her favorite is mixing all the colors and painting with her fingers.

Are you a crafter or DIY person?

I've always had an appreciation for crafts, but am loving doing them even more since having Tate. I also never would have guessed I would start up my own small business, one that involved sewing especially. But now, I can't imagine not doing something creative/crafty with my spare time. It's such a fun way to make a little extra money.

What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?

I have a hard time throwing away anything Tate makes, so I just hang them up around the house. We have them collage style covering a door, strung from a clothesline, and taped up above my workspace. Her stuff is really the only form of art we have on our walls down here.

Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?

I have some neat watercolors and canvas's that Tate has painted that I plan to frame and hang around our house. I like the idea of an unexpected, silly piece of art hung in a family room or kitchen. A good way to use some of the hundreds of colored pictures is to use them as wrapping paper for grandparents or friends presents.

What are favorite games in your home?
Definitely dancing and making home videos. Lately it seems we do that almost every night. That's something Tate especially loves to do with Wyatt, so I just laugh and hit record.

What are all time favorite books for the children?
My two favorite baby books are Counting with Wayne Thiebaud, and Bear and Kite. They are both very simple, with such beautiful illustrations. I think we now own all of the Mo Willems Pigeon books and they make us all laugh.

What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting? 
If anyone is planning on or wants to visit Dominica plan to be outdoors. There are several beautiful secluded beaches to spend the day on, along with endless hikes to waterfalls, hot springs, and cliff jumping.   Tate's favorite thing is probably hiking to waterfalls, where as I will never say no to a day at Batibou Bay beach. It's nicknamed the Nature Isle, so if you're not a nature lover, it probably isn't the place for you.

What movies do your children like to watch, is there one from your childhood you would love to show them too?

I always just assumed Tate would be most interested in princess movies, but she's actually not at all. She's a tomboy, and her all time favorite show is Tom & Jerry. When I tell her she is funny, she usually says "no, Tom & Jerry are funny". I can't wait to show her Annie and Adventures in Babysitting!

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
Food lover all the way. That is what my husband and I like to spend any extra money on. We both love to eat out, and really appreciate good food. The cooking thing is a work in progress:) When we were first married I loathed cooking, but now I'm starting to get more into it, and I think maybe in 10 years I might actually enjoy it. I do think it's really important for families to eat together though, so despite my insecurities in the kitchen I still try to cook every weekday night.



What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?
When we lived in the United States we loved taking Tate to California, usually staying somewhere along the southern coast- my favorite is Laguna Beach. It's a great summer vacation spot.  Sun Valley, Idaho  is another family favorite. It's such a laid back relaxing place to hike, horse back ride, bike ride, and hang at the pool. From Dominica it's a cheap, one hour flight to a lot of wonderful neighboring islands. In May we headed over to Barbados and had such a great family vacation! It's a spot we for sure want to visit again with just the two of us. I'm sad to admit Wyatt and I have yet to take a trip without Tate since she's been born, but we plan on celebrating his graduation with a trip to Europe, no kids of course.

Do you keep some sort of travel journal with the children?

No, but that's a really good idea. I may have to start one.

How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?

Overpacking is my secret, much to my husbands chagrin. I don't mind checking an extra suitcase, or lugging a heavy one around for a bit if it means I'll have options and backups just in case. Most times I'm more grateful than not for the plethora of stuff I bring along:)

Tips for traveling with a plane or a long-time trip on the road with children?

We travel a lot with Tate since living in Dominica. Tate and I will usually come back to the US and spend a month or so until Wyatt can come back and meet us for his break. Traveling with your child on a 2 day flight is challenging, and although I've done it 6 times now to and from Utah- Dominica, it still makes me nervous. I couldn't make it without her DVD player & noise reducing headphones. I learned the hard way that if you don't get noise reducing, the plane is too loud and they won't be able to hear the movie. Also, I have Tate sleep with them on too, to drown out all the noise and it works great! This last flight I brought tiny tubs of playdough and my flip video camera and that kept her happy for over an hour! She'll play with anything for a long time if we can make a movie out of it. Of course, select seats near the bathroom too.

..Chelsea's blog..

..Tatertot hairclips..

Meet French mom Marie Berte living in Paris

We are living in Paris (14e). We are typically Parisians. Living here since 2 generations. We have two children : Hercule (2,5 years old : « deuzanmi moi » like he says) and Colette (9 months). I’m a free lance stylist and I have set up the brand marieBerte  since 2005. marieBerte is a bags and accessories brand, and since few months accessories for children (cushions, doudous…). For the little story this new part of my work started when I manufactured a lovely heart (little cushion) for my daughter, it became immediately « Colette’s doudou », I was really touched because she have so many doudous and stuffed animals, and she choose the little heart. marieBerte is diffused in multi-brands shops in France, Europe, Japan.


What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?

We are living in an old flat, fifth floor without elevator (grrrrr). I fall in love with this place (even if it was really dirt, when we visit it) because it was really shiny and because of the big dressing room. (a girl’s dream). Nothing in this apartment is straight, it’s funny.  May be one day we would have a garden… Anyway, in our area there are a lot of beautiful public gardens.


Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?

Yes, my husband is a fine handyman. We have the chance of choosing everything for our home because there was everything to do : paintings, floors…(we are living here since February so we still have many things to do).


Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
For magazines : AD, Milk. We really love design, so everywhere : in friends house, in websites, in blogs, (yes : Bloesem is really a beautiful blog for ideas, design, decoration…) we antique a lot (bric a brac trade, flea market). Vintage design.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?

I think the favorite items of my son are his father’s tools, and everything that he can transformed to become a motorcycle, and for my daughter her little cushion heart and balloons.


What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?

We are living very closed from the Vanves flea market. It can be a great walk during the week-end. We are also living near a street with a lot of stock shops of famous brands (Cacharel, Sonia Rykiel…)





What's it like to raise a child in your town?

We have the chance to share a studio at ten minutes from home, with my husband and two other artists. And the children’s nurse work just the flat above our studio. Then we don’t loose time in subway like other Parisians, so we have much time for our family, it’s very important for us.

As I said, we have the chance to live nearby several gardens. It is very pleasant in summer and every children needs to run. In winter it is more difficult because the night come very early.
In Paris it’s very difficult for a woman to work and be at home for the family. There are very few nurses, and state or private day nursery. So we are very lucky to work near home and have a nurse. I am at home at 6:30 which is very early for Paris, and my husband try to do it as much as he can. (he is film director).





What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?

To go away for the week-end : my mother have a little countryside house, at 70 kms from Paris.

And if we are in Paris, going to the museum with kids (Centre Georges Pompidou, Galerie de l’évolution du jardin des plantes, cité des sciences…)

Can you tell us a funny story, quote or remark one of your children recently made or happened?


Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?

Two books which present the baby, and the child like a machine, very funny! Mode d'emploi de mon bébé by Louis Borgenicht and Joé Borgeniche and the other one by the smae authors; Mode d'emploi de mon enfant.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?

- I think my son is very happy when we are builting huts (yes sure at home !) with everything : cushions, cardboard, blanket…
- « gomettes » i don’t know the name in English. And if possible my son prefer to stick them everywhere except on a paper… he is young but he started to draw and paint a little.
- to plant seeds on our balcony (French beans, radish, carots)


Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
DEFINITELY NO TIPS ! after a week-end at home, it looks like after a storm.

Are you a crafter or DIY person?

Yes. My husband and me have met in ECOLE DES ARTS DECORATIFS DE PARIS (the state school of design in Paris), I sew, I draw, I paint, but my husband is very better than me ! I prefer inventing stories and songs.
- something I have manufactured and that I really love for the children’s room : two little “mobile” in wood, metallic wire and cotton canvas : H (with an heart), C (with an heart), for Hercule and Colette. (see photos);

Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get tips and ideas for kids crafting?

Le 104 in Pantin and La galerie des enfants in Beaubourg Museum



How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?
For now there are too young.


What are favorite games in your home?

For my son, playing with his little vintage house (little people) from Fisher Price.


Are there musical instruments in your house?

Yes : maracas, one tambourrine, whistles, and a sort of… making so much ugly noise like storm or thunder (from Indonesia : a good friend offer it to my son, grrrrrr)

What are all time favorite books for the children?

The books from the French edition : l’école des loisirs


What movies do your children like to watch, is there one from your childhood you would love to show them too?

We don’t have TV so our son watch DVDs : old classical Walt Disney films (le livre de la jungle is the preferred), but barbapapa is really loved…

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?

Cook (a little) and « food » lover ! so both. (thank you to my grand mother. My husband is cooking very often, I prefer cooking desserts.

What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?

Every years we are going on a French island in Brittany with no cars… provide us a pleasant change of scenery, as much as traveling very far…


Do you keep some sort of travel journal with the children?

Not for now because there are too young, but we have done it a lot before.


How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?

« Two bags not more » (for 4 persons) ! everywhere you are going all over the world you would find some places to wash… One of the best travel memory is the smell of our clean clothes drying in front of our room in a guest house in the north of Thailand…


What place do your children love to go to?


Tips for traveling with a plane or a long-time trip on the road with children?

Have you any advises because we are going to make a long travel by car this summer, and Hercule hate long travels!
(we have a fake plastic wheel which can be attached to the children auto-seat, so Hercule can drive the car…, after ten minutes this game is often over!)

..marieBerte..
..marieBerte.kingeshop..