shak-shuka

DIY Mini Kitchen Kit

Just as I was about to say spring is finally here (we've been experiencing super-warm temps around here), the weather does a 360º. And naturally, our family holiday we've been waiting months (nearly a year!) comes and it starts pouring rain! Oh well, I suppose at this point we've lived with the rain for so long that I've become water-resistant! We'll be away til next week, so I'm sharing with you a family project we've been working on that could be fun for you too.

I wanted to share with you our little "DIY" project that we have going on. Like many of you, we live in a small apartment, so we have to be very careful and manage our space well. For instance, my daughter loves to play chef when I cook dinner, but we don't have a lot of room for a full-on play kitchen (which in turn actually costs a lot of money too). So, being the thrifty goose that I am, I did a bit of poking around Etsy, and found this delightful instruction kit on how to make your own kitchen from cardboard!!! Naturally since we have an online shop we have PLENTY of sturdy cardboard boxes to rip apart, and I love the idea of re-using materials we already have to build a kitchen for my daughter that she will love. And even when she stops loving it, we can give it to another lucky little chef, or simply recycle it! We're off to a slow start, but I think we can master the cutting, covering with contact paper, and sliding joints into one another. If all goes well, and the kitchen is a hit, I'll be back to shop at FortyTwo Roads (the makers of these instructional kits) to whip up the laundry machine and dryer! Too cute.....it does involve a little work, but don't all the things that we love require a bit of love, sweat, and tears?!

For the Love of Wooli

I don't know if it's clear yet, but I have a serious love affair with felt. Whether it be a bag (think Carga's sexy bags), slippers (our post on that here) - I've gone ba-ba-ba-nanas for wool felt. I just love the way it looks: natural, but not *too* natural, a la hemp or burlap - sturdy, but not rigid......now my love affair is well documented.

When I set eyes on Wooli storage boxes, I knew it was something that would help feed my felt-y obsession. Combining the beauty of wool felt, with some beautiful designs, Wooli is a Canadian company with heart who makes the most beautiful storage, toy and diaper boxes I've ever seen. And as any parent will know, the last thing you need is one more corner to worry about your Speedy Gonzalez toddler to run into, and thankfully Wooli storage boxes will keep you bump and bruise-free! I personally love the Snow Mountain Toy Box, which currently isn't available on their Etsy shop, but there are plenty of other options that will leave you drooling (you, not your child!) for some wooly goodness!

Slow Green Beans

You may cringe, but I love green beans. Not the disgusting pale-army green kind you used to eat at school, but fresh, plucked from mother nature bright green beans. Yum. Even though this recipe doesn't highlight green beans in all their firm and slender glory, this is undoubtedly one of the best green bean dishes I've ever learned to make.

Taking a cue from le nonne who taught me everything I know about Italian cooking, this green bean recipe will convert even the most steadfast green-bean-hater. Smothered in tomato sauce and limp from a nice long cook, this is some serious slow food cooking that is great for warm weather days.

Slow Cooked Green Beans

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

500-600g (about 1/2 lb) fresh green beans, trimmed and rinsed

sprinkle of red pepper chili flakes (called peperoncino)

1/2 jar of passata di pomodoro (smooth tomato paste (not concentrate))

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, drizzle olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic just begins to brown. Add the peperoncino and saute for 1 minute. Next add the green beans, passata di pomodoro and about 1/4 cup of water. Stir to coat all the green beans in the tomato mixture, cover, and bring to a simmer. Slowly cook for about 30 minutes, making sure to stir and add a bit of water to the pot if it starts to dry up.

It usually depends on the freshness of the green beans how long it will take them to cook, and to be honest, I like mine done WAY overcooked. It usually takes about an hour til I'm happy. Maybe for you it takes less time. The mixture should be limp green beans in a light tomato sauce. Feel free to add a glug of extra virgin olive oil on top before serving. Buonissimo!

(Beyond) Simple Shoes

Clearly I am a bit shoe-obsessed at the moment. It seems like nearly every one of my Tuesday posts revolve around shoes. Oh well, if it ain't broke, you know what they say!

In actuality it makes sense that I'm shoe-obsessing, as May is official "closet swapping" time at our house. I rummage through all my winter clothes to see if there is anything that needs mending or donating, and then I put it all in boxes and switch it out for my spring/summer clothing. Yes, I am spoiled, and yes, I am super organized when it comes to my clothing. Although it's not warm enough to sport open-toed shoes yet, I have been seen rocking flats without socks which made me feel nearly naked!

It is however, warm enough for some people to bust out the flip flops and Birkenstock sandals. Don't get me wrong, Birkenstock's are some of the most comfortable shoe on the planet, but not always the hippest. So lately I've been looking for a pair of stylish, but yet comfortable sandals that will help me welcome in the warm weather. I don't know if they're in style, or if it's just me, but I L-O-V-E gladiator sandals. My old pair that I got in Greece (no joke, gladiator sandals from Greece!) are nearly falling apart so I need to find a new pair, and this time I'd like them to be more eco-friendly. Leave it to Simple shoes, one of the first companies to make eco-friendly kicks from hemp, organic cotton and recycled materials, to create a gladiator style (called the TanTan) that I would willingly fight for. Plus I know that Simple shoes are renowned not only for their eco-friendliness, but also for their comfort, making that one less battle my feet have to fight. So bring on the warm weather, I'm ready to go like a gladiator!

Honeycomb Napping Bliss

I officially know the seasons have changed when I fall asleep on the couch after lunch using our usual wool blanket and wake up sweating like I'm at a sweat lodge under all that wool. Yuck! Looks like spring is here and I get to put away my winter wardrobe (although never all of it because this is low-land-grey-skies Holland) and break out the cotton-y goodness of my spring/summer clothes. But alas, what do I do when I'm napping on the couch in the midday sun but still want to feel a bit cozy and wrapped up? What's a girl to do.....

Go shopping online I say! Searching high and low, I stumbled upon one of the pioneers of organic bedding, Coyuchi. Famous for their to-die-for sheets and bedding sets (with equally to-die-for prices), they have a blanket that serves my napping in the springtime sun perfectly: their organic jacquard (I mean, even if you don't know what that means, it just sounds good and chic-y) blanket has a beautiful honeycomb pattern which coincidentally makes me feel very "of the season" since the bees are out hunting down all the spring flowers! Best of all, three of Coyuchi's honeycomb blankets are on sale now, so move fast before someone else snatches up your napping bargain! I personally am loving the lavender color, but not sure if the whole family will feel the same. I guess it doesn't really matter since I'll be sleeping most of the time I'll be using it anyways.....

Vegan Baby Shoe Goodness

I feel like I'm repeating myself when I say this (because I love all the things in our shop), but when I saw this new brand, it was like someone read my mind. I've been back and forth about carrying any kind of vegan baby shoes, because most of them are so hideous and bright, with unnecessary bells and whistles that no sort of footwear should carry. So imagine what a relief it was for me to be introduced to Dimmalimm Kids' gentle-to-the-eyes baby shoes: not only are the easy on the eyes (no fluorescent colors in sight), but they are also stunningly beautiful.

It is not easy to create a vegan shoe - you could perhaps go with a super hard vegan material, but that would be nearly impossible for a child to wear. Dimmalimm Kids managed to get everything right with their buttery soft (100% vegan) ultrasuede which feels even better than real suede (no guilt needed!). A mother and daughter team originally from Iceland but transported to sunny California, Dimmalimm Kids definitely has sure footing with us at Shak-Shuka with their undeniably cute baby shoes in styles reminiscent of adults: Loafers, Mary Janes, and T-Straps. All beautifully packaged in a linen-esque bag making them perfect for a gift or a keepsake item to pass down from generation to generation. I personally expect to see a baby boom in about 9 months so that parents will have a little baby to put into these shoes!

Earth Day Beauty

There are a few things in life that just seem like natural partners: peanut butter+jelly, ebony+ivory, skinny pants+boots. Of course these are just a few of the bosom buddies that come to mind, but they definitely are two things that fit together so perfectly we wonder how they would have survived without each other.

Take for instance this new collaboration made exclusively for Earth Day 2010 between Edun organic clothing maker (we posted about them ages ago) and Sephora the beauty store giant. I love them both separately, but together, it's like eco-laden bliss. Thanks to the folks at Ecouterre I read about this partnership to create limited edition Baobob oil enriched makeup palettes for eyes and cheeks. Each Edun for Sephora palette comes attractively packaged in a natural wood case and a handy organic cotton pouch - and oh yes! the mix-and-match makeup comes in a variety of colors and includes six powder eyeshadows and one powder blush. To top it off for Earth Day, $3 of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society that supports an initiative in Uganda that is encourages farmers to use organic cotton in their farming. Not only is this match made in heaven for Earth Day, but also for me too as I recently looked at the expiration date of my makeup and it's pretty scary the dates on some of them! Time to brush up on my makeup stash for a great cause.....

Childhood Artwork Delight

My husband and I have a laugh at how different our families were in almost every sense. One of the funniest has to be the apparent difference between our families hoarding or purging of nostalgic childhood items like paintings, works of "art", and even homework. My family's tactic was PURGE as soon as the kids hit the door or entered into a new phase of pubescence, while my husband's family saved every single note that they had ever written, homework assignments, and every award, art sculpture and school photo. It's obvious there has to be some sort of happy middle between Purge City and Hoarder's Delight.

Now my own daughter is starting to bring home things that she had at pre-school, and I am torn about what to do with it. My own upbringing makes me want to keep everything, but then I flash back to my mother-in-law bringing cases and cases full of childhood junk for my husband to thumb through....to save or let it go? Perhaps I found a middle ground with these beautiful prints from Jan Eleni that capture your little Picasso's artwork. Capturing up to 112 images of your child's artwork, Eleni works her magic into creating a one of a kind masterpiece from your own child's masterpieces! I love the idea that when my daughter grows up, she could have a beautiful (think handmade, not homemade-looking) collage of her own evolution as an artist. Not to mention how much space and headache it saves thinking about what to do with every piece of art children make!

English Muffin Decor Giveaway

The power of social media is beyond belief in my opinion - things like Twitter and Facebook have enabled me to connect with people and businesses I would have otherwise missed out on. English Muffin is one of those wonderful "Twitmet" (that's a new term that I've coined: combination of kismet (fate or destiny) + Twitter) experiences: one follower leads to another which then blossoms into a business rapport! English Muffin is the brainchild of a Canadian living in Austria, creating recycled eye-catching prints. Naturally when I saw English Muffin's prints and eco-cred, I knew we had to have them in our shop. Low and behold, a few emails and postal stamps later, we have English Muffin in the house!

And since it's giveaway Friday, we thought we would share the love for English Muffin by offering one of their gorgeous prints up for grabs. The lucky winner can choose which print they prefer (are you wanting to brush up on your language skills with the Bicycle Trio, have a sweet tooth with the Ice Cream treats, or need help enticing the kids to eat their veggies?). To win, simply sign up for our newsletter here, or drop us a comment below if you're already subscribed. Giveaway ends midnight (GMT) 22nd April, so get hoppin'!

She (Cuts) Bangs, She Bangs!

This post is a bit different than the usual "pretty, fluffy" stuff I write about (but it's all eco, so it's got an edge to real "fluff", right?!). This one is strictly for the parents out there, like myself, who are struggling with certain tasks that you have to do with/to your children that the kids don't necessarily enjoy. Hair cutting (along with trimming nails) is one of those parental duties that you'd rather leave to a Nanny 911 expert, but unfortunately the responsibility usually falls on your shoulders.

I am NO expert. Being a parent is a learn-on-the-job type experience, and many times we have successes as well as many, many, many failures. I think that as long as you face things with diligence to get the job done, as well as a light heart that is quick to laugh when your child throws spaghetti on your face, you'll be a stellar parent! Ok, now back to hair cutting: my daughter HATES HATES HATES to have her hair cut. I don't think she really minds that her hair is being cut, but it's the combination of scissors frighteningly close to her face with the tickling feeling of hair trickling on her face/neck. I thought there had to be a better solution as I was tired of having to practically pin her down to just cut her bangs. Then the other day in an act of desperation I grabbed the closest piece of stiff paper next to me (it was actually a card that I was going to send - sorry!) and slipped it under her bangs and VOILA! I cut her bangs. Needless to say it was a bit tricky holding the card and cutting, but it worked 100x better than my usual method. Best of all she didn't have any hairs falling on her which prevented the tickles, and the card was big enough that it shielded her from the scissors that I was wielding in front of her face. MAGIC! Of course I had to go back and do a few touch-ups here and there, but I have to say the "stiff paper" method (you can use a page folded from a magazine too) works!