Posts filed under 'For Ourselves'
Don’t you love these wall decals? I mean, even if you don’t live in Amsterdam, you surely must like them!?!
These supercool stickers are made by Zuuz, and besides the fact that I really like the images of the typical Dutch canal houses, I love the fact that they are so big — my daughter can draw on them even when she’s standing up! We have a long hallway in our current apartment so we could fit both the crayon sticker set and the outlined houses set next to each other, and it really looks fantastic.
I never knew crayon stickers were so much fun for the kids — my daughter really loves drawing in the windows, the doors, and the people… Brilliant!
These (and other) fun wall decals are available through Dutch webshop Zuuz. (BTW, I love the combination of these wall decals and the pendant lampshade I wrote about earlier!)
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
January 13th, 2010
Look how lovely this pendant lampshade is… It’s very typical Amsterdam with its cute canal houses! The scene you see on this lamp is called ‘Jordaan’, named after the picturesque neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam with its narrow streets, small houses and cute bridges.
Hylkia, the creative brain behind ‘Hartendief‘, originally studied fashion design but after the birth of her daughter started creating accessories for children’s rooms, eventually resulting in a series of these wonderful silhouette lamps. They are very stylish in their simplicity — plain when switched off, but when switched on the silver (or gold) silhouette on the inside of the shade creates a magical shadow world on the outside…
You can order these lamps through the Hartendief store, but if your Dutch is not so polished these days you can just email Hylkia with your questions and wishes in English.
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
November 10th, 2009
In one of Amsterdam’s hottest neighbourhoods, de Pijp, you can find Bazar, a restaurant serving Arabic dishes in a middle Eastern atmosphere. I really like Bazar, mostly for it’s relaxed atmosphere. No dressing up, no big prices, nothing fancy but on the other hand super relaxed and kid-friendly. Mini picnic tables are put next to the grown-up’s table so the little ones can eat in style. Highchairs are available, colouring plates and crayons free to use and a little corner with television is present. A kid’s menu is available and the ice-cream is a favourite! Great to meet up with friends with kids, the staff really doesn’t mind the little ones running around. They even like to play ball!
xxx Esther
Bazar Amsterdam
Albert Cuypstraat 182
1073 BL Amsterdam
Telephone 020-675 05 44
*Map*
Open seven days a week, check website for exact hours.
Esther in Amsterdam
September 19th, 2009
I’ve had my eyes on a pair for years now and since they were on sale AND available in my size and in an amazing colour… Hey, what can a girl do.
Shabbies were originally designed in the seventies by Dutch shoe designer Fred de la Bretoniere and are comfortable, fashionable, beautiful, and the perfect mix between nonchalant and chic. Shabby chic!
The colours of the natural leather are seriously amazing, and I really like the fact that they look equally cool with skinny trousers, a skirt or a mini dress. And of course they are much easier to chase kids with than 3 inch high heels!
If you’re interested in a pair of Shabbies, I suggest emailing this shop to ask if they would ship to your country. Or, of course, come to visit the Netherlands soon!
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
June 30th, 2009
If you happen to be in Amsterdam and have a few hours to spare for some coffee and shopping, Utrechtsestraat is a good place to go.
The Koffiesalon, a lovely coffee-shop (in the true meaning of the word), has good seating, great espresso, yummy cakes and sandwiches and you can help yourself to as much water as you like. I brought my daughter here for some mummy and daughter time before and we both greatly enjoyed it. It’s also a good place to meet friends or even have an informal meeting (there’s free wireless).
Not far up the road, at number 74, you’ll find one of my favourite shops in Amsterdam, Jan. The shop owner, Janna, who obviously has great taste, has gathered a fantastic selection of products. Lamps, cushions, dinnerware and cutlery are amongst the stock, but the shop also features fashion accessories such as bags, belts, jewelery and watches, and some lovely toys and kiddie books. If you need a present or want to treat your own family (= yourself), don’t miss it.
Next door you’ll find Bellerose (they have good kids’ clothes). Funky ladies fashion can be found at Jan Lensen, beautiful French and Italian ceramics at Kom, great interior pieces at Mobilia, and there are many, many more great shops and restaurants. Maybe you’ll need more than a few hours!
xxx Esther
Utrechtsestraat
Amsterdam
*map*
Esther in Amsterdam
May 20th, 2009
HEMA is one of those shops (or concepts really), that is almost impossible to describe. If you’ve ever set foot in a HEMA, you understand. In fact, you get the concept immediately, and you’re a fan instantly – no denial possible! And you just understand why we, Dutchmen, are all raving about it, and why this chain of shops is what we miss most when we move abroad…
So, what is HEMA?
HEMA is a Dutch chain of shops that only sells HEMA-brand products. No luxury products, but products that are meant for daily use and that are functional yet fun. The assortment is wide and prices are low (we like that in the Netherlands), designs are trendy and fresh, simple and colourful. The quality is good, and overall the products are seriously so much fun that you can’t help bringing home yet another cool tea-towel, notebook or cute cookie-cutter set for the kids!
The baby and kid’s products of HEMA are seriously adorable. Great onesies, lovely toys, fun towels, wonderful sheets and pajamas (with matching pajama for the doll), perfect party products (from garlands to cakes), great craft projects… I can go on and on, and I didn’t even start about the Jip and Janneke range yet!
If you happen to travel to the Netherlands, MAKE SURE to step into a HEMA. You will like it, I am sure! Just ask a random person on the streets for the nearest HEMA and he/she will direct you…
If you’re in Belgium, Luxembourg or Germany you probably already know what I’m talking about, and when you’re in Paris, you’ll be able to find out soon, because HEMA will open it’s first shop in the shopping mall of Créteil-Soleil in mid January!
xxx Esther
P.S. The real online HEMA shop unfortunately only ships within the Netherlands…
P.P.S. This un-official online HEMA shop is as cool as everything else HEMA!
Esther in Amsterdam
January 21st, 2009
I’m sure I’m telling the food-concious Amsterdam inhabitant nothing new when I say the word ‘Marqt‘. Because Marqt came and conquered, almost a year ago!
The concept behind Marqt (not a supermarket but a ‘fresh market’) is fresh food, mostly organic, coming from local farms in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam and of very high quality. Everything is presented in a sublime and spacious interior (think wood, brick and stainless steel).
For people living in NY or London, where fancy food experiences (we don’t call them supermarkets any more) such as Whole Foods are around your corner, this concept might be nothing new. But to us here in provincial Amsterdam, organic shopping used to be limited to a couple of over-prized, sexless bio-shops where the shop assistants were as slow and un-enthusiastic as the food they were selling. But with Marqt in town, Amsterdam is back on the organic map!
xxx Esther
P.S. When you go shopping at Marqt (BTW the bread is divine), you can leave your cash at home, because they only accept cards.
Esther in Amsterdam
December 20th, 2008
I love soap. And, much to my husband’s chagrin, I love soap shops! A beautiful soap shop here in Amsterdam is La Savonnerie, where soap is being made by hand, the traditional way — all with natural ingredients and all hand-stamped!
Many, many, many beautiful bars of soap can be found here, in the most gorgeous shapes, colours and scents. And, if you are you looking for a cute give-away for a birthday or other festive occasion — La Savonnerie can stamp any soap with your own special text!
A visit to this lovely shop is totally worth it (and it is very close to one of my favourite shopping areas in Amsterdam, the Nine Streets). Next to the soaps they also carry a nice selection of lovely bathroom articles and… they have a small collection of the cutest toys imaginable!
xxx Esther
La Savonnerie
Prinsengracht 294
1016 HJ Amsterdam
Nederland
Telephone 020-4281139
*map*
Opening hours
Mon – Sat 10:00 -18:00
Esther in Amsterdam
December 2nd, 2008
The Dutch are pretty famous for their cheeses. The ‘normal’ Gouda cheese is well known internationally, and also the plain Edam cheese is pretty much available in better cheese shops all over the world.
A cheese I have never found abroad though is ‘komijnekaas’ (’cumin cheese’) — basically a Gouda or Edam cheese with cumin seeds in it, and a cheese we love in the Netherlands (at least I do)!
The cumin seeds give the cheese a mild, nutty flavour and it is very good on a slice of fresh bread or just as is on a cheese platter.
If in Amsterdam, make sure to step in to one of the many cheese shops (don’t worry — although they are certainly ‘cheesy’, they are not at all ‘just for tourists’)! They will gladly let you taste cumin cheese – and any other cheese you would like to try (and there are many)!
Esther in Amsterdam
October 26th, 2008
These days we just love meeting friends for breakfast or brunch on a weekend morning. Breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day to start with, but besides that, early in the day my kids are still well rested and thus more enjoyable (as opposed to overall crankiness at dinner time)! Also, like every other parent with little children, we’re awake early anyways, so we might as well start our social schedule before noon! (Of course the friends we are meeting have kids too – the friends without kids would be crazy to leave their beds before noon on a weekend morning! In fact, it should be forbidden – what a waste!)
My favourite breakfast place is ‘De Bakkerswinkel’ (The Bakers’ Shop). Not only can you buy yummy breads, cakes and scones at the counter of ‘The Bakkerswinkel’, they also serve a wonderful (Dutch style) breakfast, lunch or tea in the restaurant area, which always has a very cozy and homey feel to it! Think jars of honey and home-made jams on the table, big cups of cappuccinos (small cups of babyccinos for the little ones of course), baskets filled with delicious breads, scones, etc. The menu is big enough to have something yummy for everyone’s taste!
My favourite ‘Bakkerswinkel’ in Amsterdam (there are three of them) is the one in the Warmoesstraat (near Amsterdam’s Central Station). They have a cute little setup in the back for children (some toys, books and crayons on a cute little table), and my children always end up making friends up there (and leave us grown-ups alone for a bit)! They also have a couple of highchairs handy for smaller kids. And the staff is always very friendly!
What a great way to start a weekend day!
xxx Esther
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De Bakkerswinkel
Warmoesstraat 69
1012 HX Amsterdam
Tel 020-489 8000
*Map*
Opening hours
For breakfast: Tue-fri 8.00 -12.00, Sat 8.00 – 12.00, Sun 10.00 – 12.00
Lunch: Tue – Sun 12.00 – 16.00
High tea: Tue – Sun 14.00 – 16.00
(Closed on Mondays)
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Esther in Amsterdam
October 14th, 2008
This past Saturday morning my ♥ husband treated me, our daughter and my hangover to a lie-in, and took our toddler son out for an early-morning stroll toward one of our neighbourhood treasures: Le Fournil.
Le Fournil is the first original French bakery in the Netherlands, and it is immensely popular. Getting fresh bread on a weekend morning means standing in line here, but it is worth it! The most delicious baguettes, croissants, brioches, madeleines… Yum!
Sébastien, the owner, comes from a family of many generations of bakers located in the Vendée (France). Together with his Dutch wife he owned a bakery in France for over 10 years, but when they were visiting family in the Netherlands the idea of starting a French bakery in Amsterdam slowly took form. An excellent idea, if you ask me!
Thankfully, the promise of a foamy cappucino (babyccino for my daughter, naturalmente), a basket of ultra fresh French bread and a hard-boiled egg made getting up that morning not such a punishment in the end…
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
September 18th, 2008
Once a year, a magical event hits the city of Amsterdam… De Parade!
Although ‘De Parade’ does translate into ‘The Parade’, it is nothing like a parade – it is in fact a theater festival, disguised in an old-fashioned looking fair ground!
‘De Parade’ offers a mix of art, theater, film, magic, comedy and music, together with a good supply of food and drinks. The atmosphere is arty, bohemian, easygoing and trendy – every single hip person in Amsterdam seemed to be at the opening night last Friday! It’s a great place for people-watching and having drinks by itself, but the shows are really worth paying a visit. The theater makers now have an outlet for ideas that are hard to find an audience for the rest of the year, so you can see some really special performances here!
One ‘idea’ I saw and thought to be supercool, was a silent disco. About fifty people in an open air disco, all wearing headphones and dancing the stars of the sky, and occasionally all singing along with the lyrics. Such fun! I will definitely go next time!
Every afternoon, beginning at 3pm, there is a special children’s program, with theater, dance, film and workshops. It’s aimed at kids aged 4 to 12, but it’s really a great place to bring younger children too – there is so much to see and experience! There are also some carnival rides that children will love!
Don’t worry about cooking dinner – next to a variety of bars and terraces (all special and cool), you will also find a huge choice of cuisines on the festival terrain: Portuguese, Algerian, Surinamese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Cajun, soul food, French, pizza, to name a couple… All serving small portions, so great for kids (and for us, as we can try out many)!
Now, let’s hope for some good festival weather the next few weeks!
xxx Esther
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De Parade takes place in summer in the Martin Luther Kingpark (about 4 kilometers south of the city centre).
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Esther in Amsterdam
August 2nd, 2008
Last week we finally had a nice and warm, summery day in the Netherlands, so a girlfriend and I took our children to one of the hip & cool city beaches here in Amsterdam: Strand Zuid (South Beach).
Behind the (big & ugly) congress centre, ‘Amsterdam Rai’, and on the border of the Beatrix Park pond, a lovely treasure is hidden: a beach in the middle of Amsterdam!
There are 2,000 square meters of sand, chill-out areas, bars & terraces with good food, sun-loungers, a beach volleyball field and showers. It’s great to bring your children here on a warm summer day; they can enjoy themselves in the sand and play with all the other kids, while you can relax a bit with a rosé and pretend to be in the Mediterranean…
It’s also not a bad place to come without children – for a stylish dinner on a nice summer evening… It’s open until midnight on weekends.
xxx Esther
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STRANDZUID
Between Amsterdam RAI and Beatrixpark
Europaplein 22
1078 GZ AMSTERDAM
*Map*
Open daily 10.00-23.00, in weekends untill midnight
Only in summer!
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Esther in Amsterdam
July 28th, 2008
Yesterday morning I took my little family for a treat: we went to ‘De Taart van m’n Tante‘ (Cakes of my Aunt) for coffee and cake. ‘De Taart van m’n Tante’ is not just an ordinary tearoom with your everyday kind of cake — in fact, it might be the most kitschy tearoom of Amsterdam, with the most spectacular cakes!
The men behind ‘De Taart van m’n Tante’, Siemon and Noam, strive to make everybody (young and old, conservative and hip, Sikhs and nuns) at home in their cake parlour, and in my opinion they have succeeded. I especially love the grandma-style sofa and coffee-table in the back!
The cakes are yummy (my daughter was very happy to find out that they serve a super sweet strawberry cake entirely covered in pink marzipan – exactly to her taste!) and the owners really easygoing. They didn’t seam to mind at all that my little boy was screaming for cookies – in fact, they just gave him a plate full of them!
If you want to order a cool cake for a birthday, baptism or Bar Mitzvah, they will happily custom design any sort of cake (I mean ANY sort). But make sure you order well in advance! (Cakes from their regular assortment can be ordered 24 hours beforehand).
xxx Esther
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De Taart van mijn Tante
Ferdinand Bolstraat 10
1072 LJ Amsterdam
+31 (0) 20 776 4600
*Map*
open daily from 10.00 to 18.00
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Esther in Amsterdam
July 20th, 2008
Every now and then, when I really don’t feel like cooking and it is still early in the evening, we take the kids to Issa, a little Japanese restaurant around the corner from us here in Amsterdam. This restaurant is particularly popular in our family because not only do we all love Japanese food (even the baby does), it also has a tiny private area in the back with traditional Japanese low tables. Such fun! My daughter loves taking her shoes off and sits at the table as if she is twelve years old instead of three; the baby likes playing the ‘climb onto the table’-game until we finally get enough of it and strap him into his Phil&Teds Me Too chair.
Last night at Issa we tried a new dish: Okonomiyaki, or Japanese Pancake. A true discovery! Initially, the dish almost looked alive — it’s presented on a hot plate and because of the heat, the bonito flakes on top were moving around like wiggly worms! Intriguing! The taste of it was wonderful, and the kids loved it!
We chose the variety with sliced pork belly, but it also comes with seafood, which we are definitely going to try next time as this dish proved to be an instant hit. I will also maybe try to make it myself sometime. This seems like a good recipe…
xxx Esther
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Issa
Stadionkade 249
1076 NX Amsterdam
+31 (0) 20 6628224
*Map*
Closed on Mondays
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Esther in Amsterdam
July 8th, 2008
