shak-shuka

Kitty Critter Crayons

As many of you know, retailers (guilty! us too) have already been pushing holiday gift ideas on us/you. Part of me really dislikes that the holiday season starts so early, as it seems to drag on until the moment it's really here, all you want to do is holiday bash and get it over with. Alas, I will not get in the Scrooge spirit yet and instead stay upbeat and share some fresh holiday picks!

Lil'Miss Shuka is currently obsessed (putting it mildly) with drawing. With anything. On anything. We have the full selection of markers, crayons, scissors (kid-friendly, don't worry!) and paper in every size and shape imaginable. Sometimes though, you just crave something a bit special - case in point: Kitty Baby Love's upcycled crayons in the most vibrant colors, with a face even a dog-lover could grow to love (that's me). The size is chunky which is great for young artistes like Lil'Miss, and they really do last much longer than your average crayon. As a gift, I personally love this set of 4 nestled in their little egg crates ready to get some artsy-fartsy fun started! Non-toxic, upcycled, and long-lasting, these crayons get a serious thumbs-up from the Shuka family. For the mamas+papas, there are even equally adorable beeswax candles which just might have to make an appearance at the new Casa Shuka!

Kid+Eco Friendly Hair Accessories

For a mother, it's a funny time in life with your child when they start asking to have their hair "done". I was feeling super lucky for such a long time that I was able to get away with Amelie/Coco Chanel-bobbing my daughter's hair, but now that she's starting going to pre-school, she eyes the clips and hairbands in the other girls hair and wants them. Now. Like yesterday. Gimme!

I have to be honest that the hair accessories out there for kids is generally quite awful. Glitter, bows, dangly things, colors that don't match anything. Yikes. Don't even get me started on their carbon footprint, un-eco-friendly practices, and the labor used to make them. Alas, you can always rely on us to find the solution! Our favorite brand Franck & Fischer, who has supplied us with wonderful toys and children's bedding made from organic and sustainable materials using only fair trade labor, now has a line of hair accessories just in time for our little "hair episodes". Monkey clips, cat hairbands, stripes - pick your fun accessory and go! Not only are they adorable, but they're made from 100% organic cotton yarn and made in women's homes in rural China under fair trade working conditions. Usually I am not a sucker for hair-wear, but I have to say Franck & Fischer has once again outdone themselves, and now Lil'Miss Shuka will be rockin' some eco-sweet hair accessories.

Go Green this Halloween!

Ok, the holiday are upon us. There's no avoiding it people: first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Sinterklaas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Year's Eve - you know the drill. Let's get you prepared for the first, and possibly the most fun, or at least the "training wheels" for all the other holidays - Halloween! Don't fret, we've got you covered for last-minute Halloween outfits.

Loving the idea of a kiddo running around in this as a caterpillar

Or what about a super cute bumble bee in this cute-as-a-bee dress? Easily does double duty after Halloween!

Put on the hat, then the suit, and you've got a moose loose in the house!

Doesn't get much simpler than this: just add baby and you've got a hissingly cute rattlesnake

Add this, a few feathers in her hair or make a set of feathered "wings" to have one struttin' peacock

One of Lil'Miss Shuka's faves can easily be tweaked with some fancy face paint to have the Pink Panther

For the ultimate costume: become a cowboy, fairy, superhero or princess, then after the candy-sugar rush wears off, they can just pass out in these and already be in their pyjamas!

Go with a classic: masks that are so stunning you need very little else to make this bird, giraffe, elephant or lion come to life!

Tapikid: An Organic Play Space

I don't know about you, but our play space (I use the term "space" loosely) for our daughter looks like a toy bomb exploded. No matter how much I clean, they seem to multiply over night, and (in)conveniently, I end up stepping on them on my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Ouch.

Not only is it a mess, there is also no nice play space for the toys to be collected on and for us to designate a real "play" zone. Think borders. Think containing the mess. Think fun for the child. Think Tapikid. I'm literally doing flips as these playmats that are brand new to the market (aka and to us!), and are the best thing that I have ever seen. Quite literally- the colors are stunning, and they are done using fair trade labor, non-toxic dyes, and printed on 100% organic canvas - and did I mention how cool they are for playing? With different Tapikid colors to choose from, and different "terrains", these printed playmats are some serious fun for kids of all ages. Another great aspect of these Tapikid playmats are that they can be laid next to each other so that there can be added fun! One of my personal favorites about the Tapikids are that once the playtime is over, I simply center all the toys in the middle of the mat, fold up the corners like a package, and place it all in the toy bin. Bida-bada-boom. Toy bombs no more - Tapikid has my back in keeping the peace on playtime and giving the kids a creative space to play on.

Boost-able Backpack

Even though we've been a packing mess around here, I am already secretly plotting a vacation. It may only be back to the US to visit family, but nevertheless, it's a journey! Any parent will agree that traveling with children is one of the most trying times, and anything that eases that stress is a must-have in my book.

Although Little Miss Shuka is still in a car seat, soon enough she will need a "booster seat" when she travels. The problem is with traveling by plane and then into a car is - how do you schlep a car seat with you? Maybe for those who travel first class that's a no-brainer, but for those of us squished into the sardine-Economy class, we have to find another solution: look no further than the BoostApak from the makers of the Trunki suitcase. Clearly the folks at Trunki have done enough traveling with kiddos to know the Achiles tendon of most parents: carrying them around, excess baggage, and how to make traveling fun again! The BoostApak is a great solution as it is hand-luggage approved size and your child can even carry it on their backs! My favorite part of it has to be the storage section for the kids to store some goodies to play with once you're in the car. Anything that lightens the load of the parents (whether it's mentally or physically) I think it's a wise solution for all parties involved!

(PS: I've even found that the Trunki video which shows the Boostapak and how to use it is a great video that children are oddly attracted to watching over and over!)

Potty Time (Caca)Cabane

It's with great delight and a touch of sadness that our daughter is now potty trained (on her biodegradable BecoPotty of course ;-). Pride and liberation for her from the confines of bulky, uncomfortable diapers, and a bit of sadness for her mama who now has to accept one of the first stages that her baby is, well, not a baby anymore. Attempting to swallow my pain, when I look at her beaming with pride on her potty I feel nothing but pride and happiness for her. And then, I am told (that's the nice way of saying "yelled at") to look away as she does her "business".

Imagine my delight when I was breezing through Minor Details, and saw the Ma Cacabane, one of the funniest, and most appropriate things for our daughter. Meant to be a stylish porta-potty/mini-toilet/bit-of-privacy for the little ones when using the "facilities", I couldn't imagine a child who wouldn't love this idea. I can also imagine after the child graduates to a "big" potty, that they can use this (recycled cardboard) Ma Cacabane as a tent for adventures, or recycle it as something else (a surfboard when flat? a painting canvas?). Of course the logistics of modern life mean that this great invention wouldn't make it into most homes because of the space factor. But let me tell you, I love this concept so much I'm thinking it would fit our new house perfectly, and who knows, maybe even being stocked at Shak-Shuka?!

Eucalyptus Bedding for Your Sleeping Nook

We are undergoing a transformation in the sleep and bedding department here at Casa Shak-Shuka: Baby Shak-Shuka now is "over" with napping (even though her trance-like state come 6pm says otherwise) and has progressed from a crib to a low toddler bed. Exciting, sad and frightening all in one. Another rite of passage that we're learning to adjust to, and gasping at how fast time is going and how much progression happens for children in such a short period of time.

Along with this change of bed/ding, I've begun to research options for eco-friendly bedding again. I stumbled upon something so lovely that I just had to share: the Nook Sleep Systems website. The photography is stunning, plus the materials are eco-friendly, so it was me who was in the trance-like state when I discovered the site. Take for instance the Pebble Mattress, that has a unique air layer that allows oxygen to flow through the mattress (ooh! fancy!), and the mattress itself is made from a combination of eucalyptus leaves, organic cotton, organic wool and latex. Not a scary flame-retardant-toxic name in sight. Phew. Add to the fact that the Pebble Mattress comes in a slew of colors, it doesn't help my obsession. Of course it's not a cheap buy, but considering how much time your little one spends sleeping (or should be...) then it's a wise buy if you're thinking of more than one child! Even if the Mattress is a bit out of the financial reach of most of us, there is the Toddler Pillow which I think would make a wonderful gift for the child making the transition to the "big boy/girl" bed. The Toddler Pillow is also made with eucalyptus, organic cotton and filled with more eucalyptus and recycled polyester. Nook Sleep Systems has me dreaming about their eucalyptus-laden sleeping goodies in all their eco-friendly-loveliness.

Wrap-n-Go Mat

The weather lately has been unbelievably good, which means we've been eating al fresco a lot. I personally love eating outdoors, when the sun is just starting to go down and casts a gentle glow (which happens to be my favorite lighting as it's super flattering!). I could do without the occasional mosquito, but if it's the only price I have to pay for beautiful weather, I'll take the bad with the good.

This weekend in particular we spent a lot of time outdoors, and even for lunchtime when we were at the "beach" (it's man-made so not sure it really counts). The problem that I'm sure most of you have is transporting sandwiches to an outdoor location. Most of the sandwiches that I make to take with us are on large sandwich rolls, and not on that perfectly sliced bread. I cringe at the thought of using plastic wrap, and aluminum foil is also not my best friend. It's wonderful to discover that there's an outdoor-eating-alternative for transporting your homemade food, thanks to the Wrap-n-Mat. It does exactly what it says: it wraps the food, seals it with a strip of velcro, and when you're ready to eat, you unfold it and it becomes a handy mat to eat your food on. Brilliant! Clearly thought out by people on the go like us. Best of all, it's BPA and lead free, and unfolds completely flat for easy washing. Wrap-n-Mat is now on my "warm weather" shopping list, and thankfully you can find it in many corners of the world for easy global dining!

Carry on Mee A Bee Bags

Ever since my daughter was about one year old, she was obsessed with bags, and anything to hang around her neck. The handbag thing I could deal with, but there was a brief stint of putting underwear around her neck which was obviously hilarious and disgusting at the same time. Gladly she's only into bags now, although now she's watching my every move, trying to do just what "mama does", including what bags I'm carrying.

I'm personally not a big "bag girl", as I'm more of a "shoe obsessed" type. So, when we head out, my bag of choice is usually a messenger style bag because I can't stand having a bag perched on my shoulder that I have to keep checking is still there. Naturally my "Mini Me" also wants to do the same, so she's taken to putting a tiny purse I gave her and squeezing her head into it and the bag rests around her neck like a choker-style-messenger bag. Well, no longer. Luckily I found Mee A Bee messenger style bags that are just perfect for kids (age 3-7) who want a messenger style bag when they're out and about. Made from eco-friendly fabrics (Oeko-tex approved) and formaldehyde-free straps, these bags are as safe as they are super cute. My daughter's favorite is currently the Ballerina, but she bounces back and forth between that and the Red Riding Hood. What's a girl to do - too many choices! Mee A Bee bags are made in Japan and you can tell with the attention to detail and adorable never-seen-before fabrics. Now when we're out and about, my daughter is more likely to get asked where she got her bag than I am! Hilarious!

Exclusive for our readers, today only, Mee A Bee bags are on *SALE* for €28 instead of €32.95! Enter code "MEE" at checkout: offer ends June 25th.

Eco Drinkware for Kids

If you are at the same toddler phase that we are, you'll hear my pain. Our daughter is well beyond a bottle, a bit tired of the sippy cup, and therefore wants to drink from glasses any chance possible. Although it's great to see her be so independent and tipping her head back from a real glass, it's the glass part that makes me nervous! Clearly I can't let her run around with it, and I find myself spotting her like a cheerleader every time she shuffles around with it in her hand.

There has to be a better solution for the sippy cup+ers like us! There is, and it's thanks to an Australian company, EcoCocoon, who just happened to make some of the coolest stainless steel cups with children (and especially the phase we're at) in mind. For boys there are skateboarders, rockets and knights, and for girls there are fairies, butterflies and mermaids. Clearly my daughter is obsessed. Best of all, we don't have to worry that she's going to shatter or break a glass, or that it's made of plastic and is harmful to the environment and her. What I love about these cups is that they cup in packs of 6, and in a handy Neoprene (think wetsuit material) sleeve if you're on the go. EcoCocoon's cups are so great, I find myself using them more often than a regular glass in case I have a "butterfingers" kind of day!