Mimi the Sardine

I have known about Mimi the Sardine pretty much since we had Little L, but I never knew it had a Swedish connection. The founder of the company is a Swedish mom now living in the US. The products are manufactured in San Fransico and the fabric is designed in Sweden. They make earth friendly eating accessories for children. I purchased a few bibs for Little L about a year ago and they got plenty of use. I have been trying to find some cute place mats for Little L ever since we got a new table, maybe Mimi the Sardine's is it.

I think it is very exciting to find Scandinavian products for my kids here in the US and am happy to add Mimi the Sardine to my list of Scandinavian brands to keep an eye on.

Teaching Swedish

I have been much better about speaking Swedish to my girls the past few weeks and it is starting to feel more natural. I got a little reminder from a reader that this is the best time for the kids to learn. I haven’t done much research on what the best approach is but what feels most comfortable for me is to say things in English and then follow up with saying it in Swedish and repeat a few times. 

If Little L is in a good mood she gladly repeats every word I say so that’s very encouraging. If she’s in a bad mood she’ll say – “No, I don’t want to say that!” She still does not say things in Swedish to me, but that will probably come when I speak mostly Swedish to her instead of mostly English like we do now. 

The few words she does say in Swedish are: mjolk (milk), ost (cheese), bar mig (carry me), mer (more). The best thing would ofcourse be to speak only Swedish with her, and that’s what I was planning on doing but it just felt so wrong and instead of talking to her I would just say nothing since I first had to translate in my head. Yes – I have to translate English to Swedish first, even though it is the first language I learned and spoke primarily for 20 years. With this approach I just keep talking, it is so much fun and motivating to hear her say the words.

Soft and Sweet Geggamoja for the fall

Geggamoja has quickly become one of my favorite brands to dress my kids in. When Little L arrived a cousin sent some things by Geggamoja for me and I just fell in love with how soft the clothes are. The name is a play on Goo or Mudd, and is mostly just fun to say. Their fall/witer collection is sure to keep your little once comfortable and warm. Even though it is still a long time before it will get cold here, I'm excited to see what will be available at the US vendor.

Geggamoja had a contest for fall/winter hat colors, and the winning hat was a blue and yellow hat. What Swedish American could not use a soft warm blue and yellow hat for their kids and them selves (do they make them for adults?)

Fun and Crazy prints by Maxomorra

We got this pink tunic with cats and flowers by Maxomorra from a recent sale @ The Mini Social. I absolutely love it, and so does Little L. She is wearing it as a dress right now so we can get a little extra use out of it.

Here are some images of Maxomorra's fall/winter collection. The penguins is a clear favorite of mine.

VYSSAN LULL REVIEW: Röda Hund Heart Onsie

I gave you a review of the DUNS flowers & daises dress last week that we got from Vyssan Lull. We also received a Röda Hund Heart Onsie for baby L. Vyssan Lull is a boutique that sells eco-friendly Scandinavian clothes for kids and babies.  In addition to being eco-friendly the clothes that Vyssan Lull carries are very fun and colorful with excellent quality. I have already tried several of the brands they carry but there is still a lot of them for us to try.

I am not going to comment too much about the fit since it is still a little large for baby L. The fabric is very soft and nice for the littlest member of our family. The colors are nice and bright and the heart is sown on the front of the onesie. It feels very well made and does not have any annoying tags in the neck. Röda Hund is a brand that I had not tried yet and I am very glad we got  this opportunity to do it. It is a brand I would purchase again because of their soft eco-friendly clothing. Baby L seems happy about wearing it too.

Röda Hund means red dog in Swedish (or rubella, but I don't think that's what they are going for).

Mini Rodini for the fall

There is just way too much fun from Mini Rodini this fall so you will have to check out their website. It will be interesting to see what will be available at US retailers.

DUNS Fall Collection

I really like the pears and mushrooms from DUNS upcoming fall collection. I hope that some of the vendors here in the US will carry some of these fabulously fun and eco friendly prints.

Best socks for baby that stay on

It has been really difficult to find cute socks for babies that actually stay on. I have tried several different socks now and wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

1. Polarn O Pyret

These are by far the best and not because they are Scandinavian (although that might have been why I purchased them in the first place). They are a little tighter right above the foot so they stay on without any problems or without being too tight. The terry socks are really soft and warm so they will keep your little baby's foot warm in an airconditioned room or during the colder months. These socks have never fallen of Baby L's feet.

2. Robeez

The second best has to be Robeez. These are also a tighter right above the foot to help them stay on and there are some really cute patterns to choose between. Baby L grew out of the 0-6 month socks already (at 2 months) so I think the sizing is a little off and the foot of the sock is a little wide for her feet. But they  never fell off her feet even though she loves to kick around a lot. Another thing I like about the Robeez socks is that they are made with organic cotton.

3. Puma

I discovered the Puma socks when we had Little L. They don't go as far up the leg as the Robeez or Polarn O Pyret socks, but still stay on without a problem. Both the tall cuff and short cuff stays on pretty good but they have fallen off her feet occasionally. You can often find them at discount stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx.

Baby L is 3 month already

And a super cutie just like her sister.

Stokke Bounce 'n' Sleep

I found the Stokke Bounce 'n' Sleep on Stokke's international website. It's a bouncer and a daybed that can be combined to the Bounce 'n' Sleep. The design is amazingly modern and absolutely beautiful. The daybed can be used from birth until 6 months and provides a soft rocking motion for your baby. The bottom is perforated for a healthy sleep environment. The bouncy seat can recline fully and has handles so that you can carry it with the baby in (it has a 5 point harness).

Baby L would just look so cute using this but unfortunately it will not be available in the US until November this year.

VYSSAN LULL REVIEW: DUNS Dasies & Apples Dress

I was so excited to get some clothes from Vyssan Lull to review. Vyssan Lull is a boutique that sells eco-friendly Scandinavian clothes for kids and babies. “Vyssan Lull” is actually a nursery song that I sing to my kids from time to time. I think I started signing it because I had found the boutique online soon after we had Little L and it reminded me of the song. In addition to being eco-friendly the clothes that Vyssan Lull carries are very fun and colorful with excellent quality. I have already tried several of the brands they carry but there is still a lot of them for us to try.

I really love the fun retro-inspired prints by DUNS and the apples and daisies dress that we got for Little L is no exception. She’s been very picky about her clothes lately and I had no problem getting her to wear this dress. I have only washed it a couple of times so far and it has held up great. DUNS uses all eco-friendly dyes and organic cotton. I love that most of their prints are very gender neutral, a dress might not be for boys – but the print can absolutely be worn by both boys and girls.

I don't think the picture does it justice. The colors are a lot brighter to me - or maybe I just think Little L is glowing when she wears it. Vyssan Lull's front page is a bunch of "buzz" words that describes the clothing they sell and I think there are a lot that describes this dress:

Vyssan Lull @ Totsy

For the next two days you can get Vyssan Lull at Totsy. They have some really fabulous finds from Geggamoja, Green Cotton, DUNS, Maxomorra and Plastosock for both buys and girls.

bObles @ Gilt

Today you can find a bObles tumbling animal sale at Gilt. These are great for your kids playroom! bObles is a Danish company.

Marimekko US shopping site is now live

Marimekko has finally opened an online shopping site in the US. You can find a lot of kids feeding items and bibs at Crate & Barrels Marimekko shop, you can find clothes at the online store.