One smart sun canopy by bugaboo

I'm a convinced fan of all things bugaboo and my husband's find is my new favorite bugaboo item. May I present the ultimate summer essential:

bugaboo cameleon³ breezy sun canopy

This canopy has an SPF 50 protection, sides ventilation which Margaux loves for peeking through, is water and oil repellent and has an integrated mosquito net. What's not to love? Perfection again bugaboo!

For more info click here

Her very own cross-stitched bibs

Handmade cross-stitched bibs I made while pregnant from Margaux. Makes every meal a little bit more special!

One really "Happy Meal"

I hate junk food with a passion and hope Margaux will grow up with the same dislike. I have to be realistic though: one day, she will learn about the evil McDonald's. What's a mum to do? Counteract! Rebel! Fight! Or simply outsmart the devil with a cuter - and healthy- version. This is where a friend of mine comes in. She regularly posts the loveliest photos and notes on her adventures with her niece. You can easily see she is an amazing Aunt and loves her to pieces - but what I love most is that her quality time with her niece is truly "quality". It is pure happy, healthy fun. One day they are doing yoga together, the little one mimicking her aunt, the next day my friends makes her the best Happy Meal possible. She shared with me the best Happy Meal invented.

Introducing: The FRUIT Happy Meal

Fries, cheeseburger and 4 piece nuggets. The whole works!

For the cheeseburger she used mango for the cheese, strawberries for the ketchup, kiwi for lettuce.
Nuggets out of mango. Apple fries.

Smart and healthy. Now that's a Happy Meal I could make Margaux with a smile.

Party time! Or 'How to win Mother of the Year Award"

This is the first of a new category called "Kiddie fun" as I am blessed to have incredibly talented friends with older little ones around. Just too tempting not to start a collaborating piece.

Margaux's future husband (hopefully - it's free to dream right?) just turned 2. We attended his first birthday last year (Margaux too, in my belly!) and it was simply the cutest baby birthday party I had ever seen, with darling details throughout the whole event. Needless to say, I was expecting great things for his second one...but his gorgeous mum outdid herself. When seeing the photos of the event (it was in Paris I'm afraid, could not attend this year sadly) I was immediately curious to know who helped her accomplish this. My little one is turning one in three months and I'm already starting to gather some ideas. The answer was simple: she did it all my friends!
I'll let you on a secret though, she's also a stylist and event planner, so those things come naturally to her I guess and she has an amazing eye for details and, well, anything pretty! (Check out her website here for more info).



Party Theme: Her little boy is a big fan of Mickey Mouse© so the theme came easily. I'm sure many children would appreciate this one.

Here is the magical result:

Below are a few photos of it all and my dear friend shares a few of her secrets with you:


" The Mickey Mouse©Wall feature:
Needed:
- x2 packets of crepe paper or  tissue paper (In black or white stripe or polka dot - or plain black)
- needle and thread
- x2 poster wall hanging stickers

• Cut the paper to the length of 40cm long for the large circle and x2 20cm for the two smaller circles
• Create three circles by folding paper back and forth at approx 3cm each way to achieve a fan effect.
• Once paper is folded hold at one end and fan out to create the circle (you may need to cut off excess paper if it is too full) stitch together at the center  Do the same for the two smaller circles then attach the two smaller circles at the top of the large circle, stitch at connecting point to hold in place.
• Place a poster wall sticker on both small circles and attach to wall.

The table was decorated with a red with white spot table cloth as we stuck with a red black and white theme but a stripe would work just as well to set the scene.
Red paper plates and napkins

Mickey Mouse© Wall:

I painted Mickey onto a large board and cut out his face for all of the little ones to have a photo as Mickey..... it worked well to add to the decoration of the room and was great for the children and adults alike to have a go and have a bit of fun!
You need yellow, white, red and black paints as well as a black marker for the finer details

Party favors:

Red paper bags
Mickey Mouse©e ears (available from ETSY or AMAZON)
Smarties packets
balloon
fun pencil
cake
Mickey Mouse© lolly pop

I simply filled the bags and wrote each child's name across the front, folded down the top of the bags and placed the ears on top. There were two girls attending so I found some cute little stick on bows to create Minnie ears for them!

Cake - three tiered Mickey Mouse© cake:

Top tier:
Chocolate cake covered in black marzipan fondant

2nd tier:
x2 Banana cakes with butter cream icing and white fondant with black Mickey cut outs 

Bottom tier:
CHEAT LAYER

a round cake tin covered in red fondant and black stripes to look like a cake! ;)

Cupcakes birthday cake

For the little ones I did little sugar free, butter free healthy cupcakes with an edible Mickey cake topper (available from ETSY or AMAZON)
Recipe:
Children's healthy blueberry and banana cupcakes

1 cup of rolled oats
11/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
21/2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 ripe bananas
1/2 cup of blueberries chopped
4 eggs beaten well
3/4 cup of unsweetened apple juice or apple puree
1/2 cup of butter melted (you can leave this out which I do)

Directions:
 Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (175 deg C).
Put the first seven ingredients into a large bowl and mix them together.
Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir well until thoroughly combined.
Grease a 9 inch cake tin or cupcake molds and pour in the mixture.
Bake for around 50 mins to one hour, until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the tin or cupcake molds for 20 mins, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing: cream cheese and a splash of icing sugar and vanilla essence
Add a Mickey Mouse© cake topper

Mickey Mouse© fairy bread:
Using a mickey mouse cookie cutter, white bread, soft butter and hundreds and thousands (multicolored sprinkles)

Mickey Mouse© lolly pops
(purchased from Disneyland Paris©)

Mickey Mouse© cookies
Red lollies
Fruit squeezy packets "


Now, do we all agree? She just won Mother of the Year Award. And the happiest little two year old.

Don't steal! If you want to share this, please credit Jasmine Uhrikova for A La Maud.

3 course meal, baby's way

Margaux has definitely left the "baby" stage and now wants everything like a big girl. She's standing up, holds her spoon on her own, plays peekaboo with her towel and said her first two words.
Time to upgrade her meals, I say.

3 courses, Margaux's way:

Italian beef stew served with baby guacamole, followed by a yogurt topped with apple, cherry & vanilla compote.

For babies 6 months and up

Italian beef stew recipe: from the amazing Jenny Carenco's book "Recettes pour bébé".

I just changed the cooking method to work with my Babycook.

For 5 portions:
100g/3.5 oz beef (I used sirloin but you can use a cheaper cut, something good for stews)
3 carrots
6 tomatoes
2 zucchinis
1 celery stalk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme


Wash and peel all vegetables. Cut them and the beef into cubes.
Put everything in your steamer basket (water level 3 if using the Babycook). When steamed, add the cooking water and olive oil and mix.


Baby guacamole:
Half an avocado mashed up with a fork and a few drops of lemon juice.


Yogurt with apple-cherry compote:
I used an organic plain yogurt for babies and topped it with a compote using half apples, half cherries.
Peel and cut into cubes the apples, put them in a saucepan and sprinkle with water.
Add cherries (I used frozen cherries which saves you time as you don't have to remove the pits this way) and cook slowly until very tender.
Scrape the inside of an inch of vanilla pod, add a teaspoon of agave and mix to a smooth purée.


I used the same ingredients to make a stew for ourselves and cooked it with a bit of water on medium heat in a Le Creuset Doufeu©. Served it with a Parmesan polenta.
Who said baby food cannot be fancy?
Margaux was thrilled, ate just like an adult and we saved time as groceries were the same for everyone. Everyone's happy.