ideas – one modern mom blog

‘Minimi Atelier finds its essence in Spain, a land where tradition, craftsmanship and innovation merge to create beautiful, timeless garments that are one of a kind. A land where children dream big and have little adventures… while looking and dressing like children.

At Minimi Atelier, we believe in smart, quality clothing. We enjoy “classics with a twist”, in other words chic garments but also casual pieces for an elegant-relaxed-contemporary style. Finally, we source and design with comfort in mind, so that the only limit to having fun is the exhaustion that comes after hours of play!’

Angela and myself were each sent one of the new Play2Learn Overalls for our boys (aged 2.5 years) and we are so excited to share our views on them!

My thoughts (Lisa):

Why toddlers don’t come with some sort of manual or ‘care kit’ is beyond me. If we could only use a couple of hashtags for kids my sons age, it would be #destruction or #mess. Thing is, if we just knew that an activity such as painting could be made easier with one simple product, we’d be funding the art stores for supplies because we know it’s something our kids love doing so much, and it’s so great for their development!

I often find myself with a throbbing headache when taking on messy tasks with Olly. Being a work from home mom, the couple days Olly is at school, or when he naps during the day, I frantically rush around the house vacuuming, picking up and doing laundry. So the thought of encouraging a task that is just going to create more mess stresses me out. It leaves me feeling anxious, and constantly on edge which always seems to start the activity on a bad note for both of us.

When Marina from Minimi Atelier contacted me with information on her brand new Play2Learn Overalls, I instantly felt a sense of relief. Olly has a little apron that covers the front of him and his shoulders, but it just doesn’t cover ENOUGH, and because it is plastic, it’s super uncomfortable. He fights me when I try to get him to wear it, and I feel irritated before we’ve even begun.

These beautiful overalls make so much sense in my life! Since receiving ours, we do a messy activity every single day! It has made such a difference in so many developmental areas for Olly. Being slightly sensory, Olly needed to be doing messy play. Shaving cream, different textured feels in bowls (jelly, rice, cereal, sand, seaweed, etc), and finger painting. He is all of a sudden doing so much better, and it makes my mama heart so happy. Apart from the fact that he’s clearly improving, I’m enjoying watching him enjoy these activities so much, but also because my mind is at ease knowing that his overall can get messy, and I can simply toss it in the wash without worrying about his clothing beneath getting stained and ruined! It also means I don’t have to wash him down in the bath after every messy activity (even more YAY because of our water crisis).

Made from 100% cotton with natural fibers, the kids are kept cool while covered. And I love the fact that they don’t have buttons, not only due to choking hazards but also because it makes it super easy for your child to dress themselves. These Play2Learn overalls were inspired by Spanish Pre-schools. Marina, owner of Minimi Atelier, being Spanish herself has really seen how these have impacted the schools in Spain!

The other amazing thing is that 1 size fits all: 2Y – 5Y which means that these are such wonderful and necessary investments for your home. They make a wonderful gift for a child who loves doing art or baking. The quality is phenomenal, and I struggle to get my son out of it when he’s finished painting because they are just so comfy! Funny, as boys aren’t used to wearing dresses which I thought would possibly frustrate him with his legs being limited, but I was wrong!
Two styles for girls (check out the review by Following The Bean: http://www.followingthebean.com/activity-overall/2017/2/12/activity-overall-minimi-atelier), and two for boys, they have all been designed and manufactured with so much love right here in South Africa. So, here’s to having enjoyable, mess-free art and baking sessions with your kids, thanks to Minimi Atelier.

Angela’s Thoughts:

Elijah is quite a whirlwind. His teachers have warned me that I must watch him all of the time as he is into everything and wants to try everything out! This includes seeing what a slimy green paint colour will look like smeared over his shorts and sticking his craft glue all over his new (I shouldn’t tell you, but designer) t-shirt.

Which is where this awesome Minimi Atelier Play2Learn overall comes in. I just love it! It is ideal for crafts, painting, baking (we do a lot of baking in this house) and even for when you are about to give your little one something messy to eat and don’t feel like having to change their clothes afterwards.

They are made from a cotton blend, exceptionally comfortable garments designed to be thrown over whatever your darling is wearing. Or over just a nappy when you don’t want to have to hose your child down outside after eating a messy treat like an ice lolly.

Elijah has the pale blue overall which I really adore him in. He looks so sweet in his overall that I just want to eat him up. Plus, it;s so easy to pull on and off that never has he once complained about me putting it on him. And, we all know how toddlers can be, right? If you are looking for an overall for your child, I would definitely consider this one.

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You can shop them here: https://minimiatelier.com/collections/play2learn and make sure that you check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinimiAtelier/ and Instagram feed @minimiatelier to be the first to find out about all of the exciting products they will be launching before long!

You can also follow us on our social media handles:

Lisa: @onemodernmom / https://www.facebook.com/onemodernmom/
Angela: @angievictoriarea

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Trying to get your kids to reach for natural food rather than junk is no easy task. Luckily, I have come up with a creative way to get your kids to eat better!

It seems that, in the past few years, children have started becoming increasingly picky with food – healthier foods in particular. In fact, we bet many of the parents reading this are nodding their heads furiously. If you are one of these head-nodders, we know you’re probably wondering how you could change this situation on a daily basis – right?

Well, for starters, we want to encourage you not to cave in. Don’t give your kids the food they think they want just because it is easier than many of the tantrums that can flare up with their ‘dislike’ of the meal that was freshly prepared for them.

Any child will opt for the junk if they have the choice – the processed foods, biscuits and snacks covered in sugar. Nodding again? We thought so. The kind of food that gives them a sudden burst of energy yet has the end result of them crashing out of exhaustion soon after. This isn’t going to keep them going for the remainder of the day.

This is a frightening truth as we are already living in a world that is becoming increasingly obese (children included!). From a young age, a child’s diet impacts their behaviour, brain and health choices as an adult and the first two years of their life set the building blocks for their future.

So, how do we get kids to eat good food? Well, we’ve got the answer and it comes from tapping into your creativity! Each of the health- and kid-friendly meals we’re about to show you took us a maximum of eight minutes to prepare – that’s no time at all! Your kids are bound to love these creations.

A great idea is to recreate their favourite animal or character with food. “What about the waste?” you might ask. We took care of it – we ate all of the scraps. Let’s face it, when else does a parent find the time to eat? We would have once looked at photos like the ones in this article and pushed them aside thinking they were far too much of a mission but, to be perfectly honest, we had the time of our life creating these. Your older kids can even take a few bites and then recreate their own artwork out of their lunch. See, sometimes playing with your food is actually a good thing.

Before you get started, be sure to have a combination of fruit, protein (nuts, beans, grains, hard-boiled egg, meat, cheese, etc.) and greens at hand, and know that you cannot go wrong with colour and fun. Go wild!

P.S. If your young child doesn’t like something on one day, don’t force it – just wait a couple days and try again. Force feeding of particular foods can put a child off for life. But offer again a few days later and you may be surprised as a chid’s tolerance for textures and tastes change in a matter of days!

I would love to hear your feedback below!

— One Modern Mom x

Tag: ideas

Let Them Get Messy.

Play With Your Food!