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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21 delightful things for your December!

21 delightful things for your December!

This could be a great opportunity to share Black Friday deals. But I won’t. Ha! And I guess that I do not need to do a whole speech on why not because in the end… either you go get those (questionable) discounts or you don’t.

I am still here to share some of my favourite things I came across over the last weeks. And that I believe you will enjoy too. And in the end you may be treated with a lovely deal, because it is Black Friday after all.

However, and most importantly, I want you to have a smooth start into the last month of the year. A slow weekend to enjoy with some good articles, inspiring interiors, and delightful things for small and big.

Enjoy my December edit, a little bit festive, but not too much:

 

love letter blanket
OMG! The best! A Love Letter Blanket*. Write your own custom letter to a loved one so they can wrap themselves up in love. Make it extra personal by using your own handwriting, or keep it simple by using a font! The blanket will be custom made for you. Such a sweet present!
And have a look, the other blankets* are pretty ace too.

 

Really cute Christmas DIY ideas. Already saved to my Pinterest.

 

macrame plant hanger
Cool plant hanger*!

 

Lots of gorgeous jewelry*.

 

girls linen dress
Adorable dresses for girls* and matching hair bows!

 

Pimp your Christmas outfit with these cool earrings*.

 

vintage children room
Great vintage children’s room. Via Entrance.

 

Since I watched ‘A Star is Born’ – I am a Lady Gaga fan. Before I never really cared and thus did not know much about her. But her story should be shared. Because there is a lot of inspiration that can help others. This interview with Oprah is good!

 

gestalten_book_garbage dog
New book: Tells the tale of Garbage Dog surviving the streets of a big city and discovering the true meaning of family and friendship.

 

Do you know the co-op on Park Slope?

 

watercolour abc print
I could buy everything from this shop*, and actually have this print* in my kitchen. Perfect for my coffee loving husband and the tea lover – me.

 

Very interesting article about food in Berlin with facts, background, and history!

 

boy girl christmas baubles
Awwww… so cute these hand painted boy and girl star baubles*.

 

Great gifts for grown ups!

 

Soft+Neutral+Tones+in+Nina+Persson's+Malmö+Home
From our old home town, Malmo. The stunning place of Nina Persson! (The singer from The Cardigans!)

 

Book bin DIY. (to fill your holidays with projects!)

 

christmas pattern rolling pin cookies
Cookie Season made so much more fun with these great rolling pins*. Many cute designs to choose from…

 

Is blogging dead? 9 different opinions.

 


The children, the message (even more important these hectic social media filled days), and just everything!

 

Healthy chocolate and play advent calendar.

 

 

london calendar
London illustrated. Especially loving the calendar!

 

This Sunday Antoine does not have a football match so I am planning a visit to Daunts in Marylebone (you gotta love a great bookshop) and see the festive decorations. And then we will light the Christmas Lights in our little corner of London. A lot of neighbourhoods organise their own events to kick off the festive season. And this Sunday it is our turn. Street food, choirs, dancing, friends, and of course the lights that will be switched on…

Enjoy your first of Advent weekend and see you back here on Monday!

 

 

*affiliate links

Gift Guides 2019 – baby

gifts for baby

Small, tiny, petit, mini… today we are talking about the best gifts for babies.

I remember that when my children were very little, finding a great Christmas gift was not that easy. Especially when it is a sibling. Therefore I hope that I can inspire you with my selection today. Because I know that the grandparents are also waiting to receive recommendations…

Or do you have a newborn and it will be his or her first Christmas? Awwww… make sure to take lots of pictures and little videos. Because they will be the best gifts in a couple of years time.

Here are my favourite gifts for baby:

1. Gorgeous rainbow play mat*. It is perfect for playtime, tummy time, a picnic, photo background, and as a gorgeous statement piece in the nursery.

2. Openwork baby bonnet* knitted with super soft alpaca.

3. Christmas forever with these wooden stacking characters.

4. Super fun and specifically designed to fit in with parent’s décor tastes. These ball pools* are made from Oeko Tex-certified, BPA-free materials and completely recyclable. It is impossible not to have fun in one of these. (various colours available)

5. These beautiful dolls* are dressed in clothes made from upcycled fabric off-cuts generously provided by well known children’s brands. And it is certain that you will find a doll that pleases you and your child among this thoughtful collection! Bonus: 10% of profits from the sale of this collection will be donated to Un Enfant par la Main, a French charity, that works to protect children and defend their rights.

6. Christmas Eve puzzle*!

7. Extra warm baby snow suit* for a snug winter time. (various colours available)

8. Cutest pull-along bumblebee* that makes a fun buzzing hum sound, as it is pulled along the floor. And the faster you go, the faster the wings spin, and the happier the buzzing will sound.

9. Entertaining baby toy* with two musical settings. This is an educational toy ​that introduce shapes, colours, the alphabet, numbers and much more.

10. Fair Isle alpaca cardigan*. Luxurious, beautiful, and therefore a perfect heirloom gift. (you could even hang it up as decoration when not worn, it is that lovely!)

11. This wooden Safari puzzle and play set* can be stacked, assembled, and played with! Great quality and beautiful enough to be decor or toys.

12. This little rainbow love sign* is engraved with a painted rainbow detail! Lovely decor for a nursery or toddler room.

 

 

Gift Guides 2019 overview:

* Stocking Fillers

* Mum & Dad aka grown ups

* Christmas Decor

* Baby

* Kids

* Family Games

* Books

* Teens

 

*affiliate links

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

With a tween in the house who absolutely adores anything crafty, a great DIY kit is definitely a winning gift.

When the kids are small I find that it is difficult to have them follow instructions because they just want to have fun and make a mess.

Fair enough. A bit later, when the fine motor skills have developed, they are more keen but patience is often a tricky one. Still! And very often the result just does not look as seen on the box without mum doing everything. Tricky!

Therefore the time for some great DIY kits started now in our house. And when I saw that one of my favourite interior brands – Numero 74 – added kits to their line I had to find out more.

The new range*  has evolved out of the love of all things handmade and the wish to share creativity. And the kits are made from an array of materials. For example, cotton hand spun in Burma, weaving looms made of wood coming from old Thai houses, and embroidery fabric with patterns that are pre-printed using the ancient “silk-screen” process.

And there is no distinction between different levels of proficiency: beginners, intermediate or advanced. Instead, the photo tutorials are designed to show, if necessary, that anyone is able to do it.

Let’s have a look at the DIY kits:

 

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

There are various kits with different techniques. For example the flower kit* is a complete creative set to create floral cotton decorations that you can use for various things. You can make a mobile, or hang them on a canopy, or a wall…

Or the beautiful macrame craft kit*, where you can learn the ancient art of knotting cord with your hands and create wall decorations, a plant hanger, a keychain and a cable cover. Macramé will bring a touch of bohemian elegance to your world

 

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

Really loving the embroidery kits* where the result is one of these amazing wall hangings!

 

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74

Creative DIY kits by Numero 74
Altogether, the creative kits include all the tools you need to create your poster, a weaving, a macrame wall hanging, or some beautiful cotton flowers. Making something yourself that will decorate your room brings great joy!

And the kits make amazing gifts too…

*affiliate links

Gift Guides 2019 – Stocking Fillers for the whole family

Stocking Fillers

Hello new week. With sunshine and a beautiful crisp morning! I am ready continue my gift guides and today it is all about stocking fillers for the whole family!

Which is quite a multi-functional guide actually. And somehow the word ‘stocking filler’ implements small gifts, advent calendar gifts, a little treat for somebody special, or indeed when shopping around for stocking fillers.

I grew up in Germany and Christmas Stockings were not a thing. But we would celebrate Nikolaus on the 6th of December. A tradition where children clean their shoes on the night of the 5th and put them in front of the door. The next morning we would find a small gift or some chocolates inside the shoes. Therefore, if you are a Nikolaus person, this guide is good for you.

At the end of the post you can find a list of all Gift Guides that will be published for this year and I will update the links once they go live.

Ho Ho Ho and some lovely festive weeks until Christmas from me to you!

Please find now my Gift Guide for Stocking Fillers for the whole family:

 

1. Socks can be a boring present. But not these and their brothers and sisters. Cool socks* are a thing!

2. Wooden toy camera*. Adorable and simply beautiful.

3. Beautiful hand made and hand painted wooden figurines* for endless play!

4. So fun! Apple teething ring*. Hand made, ecological and biodegradable. And it can be can be used for teething, as a bath toy or a decorative object.

5. A must-have for environmental conscious friends. These reusable straws* can be used with hot or cold drinks. The set contains 6 straws and a straw cleaning brush.

6. 100% pure Rosehip Seed Oil* that is both cold-pressed and organic.

7. Great little box of shapes* that is easy to bring along when out and about or on a holiday.

8. Cute mouse in a baby moses basket. Too adorable.

9. Cute cross stitch kit* with everything to get started right away.

10. These fun animal wash clothes* will make bath time endlessly fun. So cute!

11. The healthy Kinder Surprise in a Christmas Format! The PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc Box contains 2 x 10g individually wrapped, deliciously creamy, organic dairy free chocolates and a delightful Christmas card toy to assemble

12. These crayons* are double-sided. On one-side you can find block colours and on the other a multi-coloured pattern. Giving your little ones twice as many options!

 

Happy gifting and stay tuned for more gift ideas over the following days…

 

Gift Guides 2019 overview:

* Stocking Fillers

* Mum & Dad aka grown ups

* Christmas Decor

* Baby

* Kids

* Family Games

* Books

* Teens

 

 

 

*affiliate links

Wooden alphabet blocks with corresponding characters

Wooden alphabet blocks

My heart really skipped a beat when I stumbled upon these amazing wooden alphabet blocks.

Designed by Yoo Hye-rim and language expert, Yu Hye-jin, these alphabet blocks* are a wonderful way to combine learning with creative play.

Because the wooden letters are combined with corresponding characters, including a busy bee, cute koala bear and a slithery snake. So wonderful and so cute! The Korean brand, aims to develop ‘design thinking’ by way of imaginative stories and object making. The blocks are crafted from a combination of beech and walnut wood.

This alphabet block set includes 60 pieces and will provide endless fun for your little one, while bringing an educative touch to creative play:

Wooden alphabet blocks

Wooden alphabet blocks

The set includes the complete alphabet games in all forms, and each letter has corresponding shapes that children can find and match together in different ways and themes. Therefore making it a wonderful set for storytelling and/ or decoration in the home. Some pieces even have magnets inside, allowing kids to build them up easily. The perfect way to mix learning and play!

A truly innovative and irresistibly sweet alphabet block set!,

Bonus: It comes with a picture book, storage bag, and a sturdy drawer box.

 

Wooden alphabet blocks

Wooden alphabet blocks
I find this such a wonderful toy, perfect gift (Hello Christmas!), heirloom set, and original design. It is one of those things where you thought that you have seen all possible variations.

Let your children form their favourite words, animals or foods and display them on a wooden shelf as a unique decoration, or use them to spark imaginative storytelling with these beautiful and educational alphabet blocks*.

In case you missed it, you totally need to check out these magical wooden toys as well!

*affiliate links

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