toys

macarena bilbao dollsbed

Paul & Paula loves long lasting high quality toys.

Toys that the whole family plays with and after years and years are still in use. We share our favourites as well as new finds from the toys world.

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20 really cool Christmas Gifts for big and small!

paul paula christmas gifts 2022

Hello! Bonjour! Guten Tag! Hej! Ola! How are you? Are you in the holiday spirit yet? I came back from a short work trip last week and woke up to my children asking for the Christmas decorations to be put up, cookies to be baked, and Christmas songs. I have to admit, I needed a good tea and breakfast, but since then…

‘Have a holly jolly Christmas, It’s the best time of the year…’

And the wish lists have landed on my desk as well, all of them. That means I started looking for gifts, browsing stores, bookmarking… and there is a lot to choose from now.Personally, I like to find personal gifts that are a bit different. And before you wonder, my children are normal children and ask for headphones, markers they saw on YouTube, or football shirts too. And I am more than happy to wrap their wishes and put them under the tree.

Nonetheless, I am also sending gifts to friends and family, people I love and love to send a little something to.

Most of the ideas below come from finding cute gifts for best friends. And I hope I can inspire you a bit.

boho striped knit sweater

A super soft mohair blend makes this sweater the prettiest and cosiest sweater you could dream off . Each piece is hand knitted specially for you. Stripes and fabulous colours included.

 

velvet christmas stocking personalised

Personalised luxury velvet Christmas stocking in 5 gorgeous colours! Select your favourite colour and optional name these will last for years to come.

 

origami christmas stars scandinavian

These minimalist and stylish Scandinavian-style paper stars are perfect for any room in your home. Use them to decorate for the holidays, give them as a gift or simply enjoy them in your own home as a unique and beautiful pieces of art.

 

natural greenery christmas wreath

Combining a selection of fragrant and festive fauna with Spruce, Conifer and Pine, complimented by eucalyptus boule and ferns for a truly glorious perfumed welcome wreath. Each wreath is hand-made to order!

 

big and bright christmas wreath

Or do you want to go all out this year and put this extra large super chunky candy cane Christmas wreath on your front door? (other designs available)

 

personalised christmas baubles portrait

I love these so much and I think they make the best gift. A true heirloom item that will get out of the box every year and put a smile on a face. Personalised christmas baubles!

 

toy from drawing handmade

You  send them your favourite kids drawing and they will turn it into a fun toy! Toys from drawings

 

your house personalised drawing

One of my favourites and I am sure everyone would really love to receive this as a gift! An original hand made painting of your own home or of someone you love. Of course, it can also be a favourite place, vacation house or a treasured memory. Every painting is painstakingly detailed and intricate and takes many hours to complete.

 

birch scandinavian design christmas tree

We have a similar tree in our house that I bought when we lived in Sweden. Yes, it is different… but I like it so much. We do get a real tree as well every year and it is more an addition to the Christmas decorations for us. Branch is an elegant hand crafted Christmas tree made from sustainably sourced maple. It provides a unique contemporary decoration without any mess.

 

personalised wooden rainbow toy

A beautiful wooden rainbow made from solid European beech wood and painted in your choice of colours. Each rainbow contains six arches in varying sizes to create a rainbow shape. You can choose to add a name to the smallest arch for an added personal touch.

 

space kids room wall hanging

Organic cotton wall hanging of the solar system. A beautiful addition to any kids room.

 

christmas jumper embroidery

Do you live in a place where Christmas Sweater are a thing? I have something for you, because they can be nice. Like this sweet Merry and Bright Sweatshirt made with premium materials for a soft and comfortable feel.

 

christmas eve box personal

Oh, this is so pretty. And you can fill this gorgeous wooden Christmas eve box with treats and surprises to keep the little ones entertained this Christmas Eve. Each solid Christmas Eve box features a metal clasp and hinges and is crafted from natural wood.

 

wooden moon lamp kids room

This beautiful lamp is made of sustainable maple wood and comes in the shape of a moon. Sweet dreams are guaranteed!

 

embroidered christmas tree ornaments

These vintage-inspired ornaments will make a great addition to your holiday decor. Can be hung on your tree or displayed on a wall/shelf to add warmth and cheer to any space in your home.

 

gift wrap cloths reusable

The perfect alternative to wrapping paper: These eco friendly Furoshiki wrapping cloths, sewn with love and care, can be used and reused for wrapping presents, groceries, and wine bottles.

 

leather bucket bag

A classic yet contemporary bucket bag, is THE accessory to put under the tree. Made from Belgium vegetan leather with an  adjustable shoulder strap. It has a handy card sized inside pocket. (available in black as well)

 

chevron throw

Herringbone patterned and beautifully handwoven cotton throw blanket. Soft, cosy and gorgeous!

 

designer throw

LOVE! Take it to the beach, use it for a picnic at the park, hang it as art on your wall, or use it to cosy up on the couch. The possibilities are endless with this versatile throw blanket! Feature fun original artwork. They’re 100 percent cotton and easily washable.

 

embroidered christmas stocking

Make your Christmas even more special with a hand embroidered Christmas Stocking! Each stocking is embroidered entirely by hand and as such makes each one entirely unique. Beautifully framed by a circle of stars, tiny golden stitches, fir tree branches and mistletoe.

 

More gifting inspiration:

My Etsy finds for everyone

Embroidered knits with a twist

Too many good things

The best Family board games

Delightful Rainbow Wall Hangings

 

All product links are affiliate links!

Open-ended wooden toys that encourage free play, experiments and discovery!

grapat-wooden toys

Yesterday I went through my bookmarks for things I wanted to share with you here. And I ‘re-discovered’ Grapat. A Spanish, family-run business, and they design and make beautiful wooden toys.

And then I thought that I really should share about them soon. Because if you are not going away this summer again this might be something fabulous to keep the kids entertained during their long break.

These wooden toys are so fantastic, versatile and will be enjoyed by children of all ages… and adults too I would say.  Casiana and Jordi create open-ended toys that encourage children to freely play, experiment and discover. Further, Grapat toys are made using local, sustainable wood found around their Catalonian home.

The whole ethos behind Grapat toys is free play, loose parts, open and unstructured materials which transform into what children decide, and which are the expressions of their imaginations at any moment in time. Children will explore colour, shape, design, size – working small motor skills and firing their imaginations as they go.

The Waldorf-inspired wooden toy sets will entrance and entertain from 0 to 100 years, here is some inspiration:

grapat-wooden toys

grapat-wooden toys

grapat-wooden toys

Grapat’s wooden toys are inspired by nature and the idea that children only need a few things to create their own games and imaginary worlds. These simple figurines, little cups and bowls, as well as shapes in lovely shades initiate a natural gateway to play for young and old.

 

grapat-wooden toys

All these parts create the possibility their for moving, sorting, stacking, arranging and hiding. What’s more, the colours and shapes of the loose parts, in particular the mandalas, make them beautiful to see and have around.

 

grapat-wooden toys

grapat-wooden toys

grapat-wooden toys
Grapat also really cares about the environment and sutainability of their products.

Almost all our collaborators are of proximity, because we believe that we must take care of the local producer. Our production is friendly with the people involved. We care about people. And they take care of us and they have a lot of patience! The wood we use comes from sustainable forests.

Happy playing everyone!

 

More wooden toys?

17 cheery things for your May!

momoni

Ola everyone! How are you?

We are heading into a long weekend here in London and on Sunday I will get my first Covid Vaccine. Now all we need are some milder temperatures to get the BBQ rolling and the picnic blanket out.

In May we are also expecting another step into some more normality. Things like having another family over for diner, mini events with up to 30 people can happen and the last businesses can re-open too.

However I am aware that a lot of countries are still hugely struggling and I am sending over the brightest of vibes.

Maybe today’s Friday list can lift your mood as well:

momoni clothing
Distinctive style!

Loving the evercalm series. So soothing and relaxing.

 

ceramic fruit bowl with woman figurine
Ceramic fruit bowl* with woman figurine! So poetic!

11 books that are loved!

 

be kind sweater
Be kind! It will go a long way….

Hopefully the picnic season can start very soon. I am planning to bring this pretty hand embroidered picnic blanket*every time!

 

handmade Coffee Pour Over Tumbler SET
Fantastic gift for coffee lovers – a hand thrown ceramic pour over* in speckled dune with a matching hand thrown tumbler.

Meet the middle-aged millennial.

 

rylee and cru
Another gorgeous collection

Have you seen this happy summer collection that just launched?

 

support your local farmer shirt
Eco-conscious apparel* and goods made with nature in mind.

‘We found a baby on the subway – now he’s our son.’ BBC

 

kemi telford
New fashion find.

Traveling after getting the COVID vaccine.

 

baby muslins gift box
Gorgeous shop* with the most enchanting illustrations. Perfect for newborn gifts!

The Lack of Small Talk Is Breaking Our Brains. The Walrus.

 

banwood-tricycle
Cute tricycle*.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

 

*affiliate links

All about Easter Bunnies!

easter for kids

 

To finish this week, I would like send you into the Easter Mood. With rabbits, eggs, lots of mellow yellow, and Spring inspiration.

And since Easter will be very early this year, in fact it is only 4 weeks away, you may want to start getting your Easter Eggs in a row…

Do you have any plans? Sounds like a stupid question with the pandemic, but here in the UK we might be able to see another family by then. Outside that is! Which is cool, and I am crossing everything I have for brilliant weather and lots of delicious picnics. Little things to look forward to.

And why not getting the kids a quirky bunny print shirt or even funky socks? A super soft knitted rabbit will be a friend forever and that pencil drawing too.

Hopefully the Easter Bunny will not be too cold. Here is some inspiration for a fun Easter week end:

1. Rabbit swaddle. (various colours available)

2. Bunny ears beanie in mint or rose.

3. Beautiful pencil drawing of a little rabbit.

4. Baby alpaca knitted bunny.

5. Bunny teether.

6. Funky socks.

7. Quirky and organic bunny print tee.

8. Cool leggings. Will make for a cool Easter Egg Hunt!

9. Mellow Yellow. Super soft muslin cotton jumpsuit! I love it and there are other beautiful colours available too.

10. Wooden figurine.

 

Happy Easter and have a look for some Spring Vibes for big and for small!

 

All links are affiliate!

 

23 happy things for your March!

23 happy things for your March!
Hello Hello… we are going straight into March and with my children going back to school in a week, I can (again) finally focus more on my projects again. Phew…

One quote that, for me personally, really hits the nail on the head these days is: ‘You grow with your challenges!’
And we do. And therefore, we are still able to keep going, to see the positive side effects, and to be resilient.

But let’s not get to spiritual because that is not really my area. However I am very aware that by now the UK is doing quite well when it comes to vaccines and planning. And we were presented with a plan that shows a light at the end of the tunnel. Such a relief. And I know that maybe in your home country the situation can be very different.
Stay Strong! Stay Healthy!

And enjoy my 23 happy things for your March:

modern quilt
Modern quilts*, inspired by nature, made in London.

Thinking about cutting down on sugar? Maybe these tricks can help to get you started…

 

twill hill wall decor weaving(2)
Handwoven wall decor*!

Friendships during Covid.

 

Home Morag Myerscough
Fun and colourful London home of artist Morag Myerscough! So much inspiration and so much to see…

‘The One After the Superbowl’ – I am a huge FRIENDS fan and found this article about the story of this iconic episode just splendid.

 

linen overall kids
Perfect for Spring – a cute linen overall*. (available in lots of different colours)

Talking about Spring clothes, here are some of my favourite pieces from the current collections.

 

wooden rainbow toy
Blending the beauty of art with the power of play – Min Min CPH.

ROAR! Lions for the kids room!

 

Home Swedish Lapland
Swedish interior at its best.

Colourful wall hangings for the kids room and/or any space that needs a bit of sunshine.

 

easter embroidered collar
Oh my! This shop has literally the cutest hand embroidered collars, pins, and other accessories. Including the sweetest Easter themed ones. L O V E!

2021 and public transportation. And no, nothing to do with Covid.

 

petit piao
Petit Piao.

Baby alert.

 

morley for kids dress
Cool prints, beautiful silhouettes… just perfect the new collection (again) from one of my favourite Belgian brands!

Wuhan – after a year!

 

lem lem dress
A dream of a summer dress*. Went straight on my wish list!

Rock? 90’s? Who is the most hated rock band? Find out!

 

wool-rainbow-rug kids room

Gorgeous rainbow rug. Not only for the kids room I think…

How are you dealing with the loss of hugs?

 

Have a beautiful weekend everyone and fingers crossed for a sunny and mild month of March. xoxo

 

PS: Do you know what Grape Nuts are?

 

 

*affiliate links

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