NettoCollection Blog

Mother's Day 9AM

Breakfast in Bed, Mary Cassatt.  She looks a bit wary and weary but that’s because she hasn’t had her coffee yet.

What better way to celebrate mom than to give her a luxurious delicious breakfast in bed. These Daniel Boulud eggs are amazing but beware grateful dads and kids, they are labor intensive. On the other hand, so is being a mom 364 mornings a year.

Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffles – Daniel Boulud
Makes 2 servings
Buy truffles online (fresh & preserved): http://www.chefswarehouse.com

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Fine sea salt to taste
7 eggs
2 ounces black truffles, cleaned of dirt, 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
4 slices buttered toast, to garnish

Sacked Out?

It's dark, you hear screams, you enter and there she is…straddling the railing of her crib, clinging for dear life, neither in nor out, all 20 months of her balanced on a Netto oak side rail.  It’s a nasty drop.

So you rescue her, take her into bed and lie there thinking, What am I going to do now?

How to Take Your Father to the Museum, Part 3

Here are some highlights of a 5-year-old's recent visits to the Met. Walk with us to...

The Astor Court

Now we go upstairs to what turns out, somewhat surprisingly, to have been Kate's favorite stop on the Metropolitan Museum grown-ups/kids equal-rights tour. Climb the big staircase and walk back toward Fifth Avenue, then travel north along the second-floor Asian galleries. You will walk through many rooms full of mysterious and exotic things, with your 5-year-old just starting to get bored, to a Chinese courtyard, which is like entering another world. This is the Astor Court, a reconstruction of a 16th-century Ming garden. There is a koi pond with enormous fish that kids are drawn to, but I think it's the surprise of finding this impressive, serene, skylit, and seemingly secret outdoor space after trudging through gallery after gallery that elates them. And of course, the unexpected sound of water. But after all the fun stuff -- angels, knights -- things you think a child would relate to better because of their familiarity, this was Kate's favorite. She told me this long after I thought she had forgotten about it. In other words, a child will like it for the same reason we do -- the strangeness and sense of magical peace, all by surprise. The Met is full of those moments.

How to Take Your Father to the Museum, Part 2

Here are some highlights of a 5-year-old's recent visits to the Met. Walk with us to...

Arms and Armor (or as Kate calls it, "Knights")

After this incredible experience, walk over to the Arms and Armor galleries, on the ground floor very close to where the Christmas tree is. This is a good one for a rainy day for some reason. Maybe because it makes the empty suits look spookier. I am hardly the first parent to discover his child's interest in medieval knights and armor, but I was a little surprised at how quickly Kate got into the very adult displays in the gallery and looked at the details as much as the big idea. Velvet pants ("Knights wore underwear?"). Lots of intricate gold tooling on armor for a young king ("How was it made?"). The realization that people were much smaller in the Middle Ages than now, which a 5-year-old might even notice before you do. This is one of those places that are perfect for a child once a certain interest in knights and castles has taken root. While she's busy playing with toy ones, you might say, "Want to go see a real Black Knight?" and surprise her.

By David
Originally published on CHILD.com
Photos courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art

How to Take Your Father to the Museum, Part 1

The Wonders Within

Last year Child voted New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art the second most kid-friendly museum in the country. Not only does it have family guides for the galleries designed to make the content understandable to kids, but it offers classes where children can make things of their own and discover the riches of art history.

But here's why I think the Met should be number one. Unlike many museums, it's a wonderful place for small children even if you don't get into all the programming designed for them. Parents may not know this at first. But the research for my survey was done by my 5-year-old daughter, Kate, and while I did bring her and walk her around with a little guidance, the opinions are hers. You may be surprised that none of her favorites are part of the Met's efforts specifically to reach out to kids -- we haven't even done any of that yet. They are just things in the museum itself that have always been there that make the Met more kid-friendly than maybe it knows. Wander around and you will find them. The point of my story is that we saw things my daughter would enjoy because I stopped thinking like a parent and just walked in with her so she found them. Here are some highlights of a 5-year-old's recent visits to the Met. Since it's the right time of year, walk with us to...

The Timeless Charm of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

With talents like Ronald Dahl and Ian Fleming contributing to this magical Hollywood classic, it's no wonder it still resonates with adults and kids.

Cribs to California

This week NettoCollection participated in the K.I.D.S. San Diego Fire Relief effort, with a donation of cribs for immediate shipment to the San Diego area. Here’s is the JPMA’s call for support:

“Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.), a longstanding partner of JPMA, is already hard at work to make this incredibly difficult time easier for the families and children.  K.I.D.S. is soliciting product to aid the victims, and juvenile products are in high demand.  Everything from clothes to cribs, pacifiers, bottles, bibs, blankets and more are being collected.  With the help of global charity World Vision, K.I.D.S. will distribute the product to families in need, particularly in San Diego.  JPMA is asking you to consider donating to the relief efforts through K.I.D.S.  Although it is too early to know the full extent of the damage, the impact of the wildfires will be felt for many years.  During this traumatic time, JPMA is hoping members will provide products to families and children who so desperately need it.”

For more information on California fire relief efforts, visit the K.I.D.S. website. 

By Alex

Foldschool

We happen to be partial to Rufus, our own Polar Bear Rocker.  But here is a cool alternative.  Much gratitude to our friend at If the Birds Knew for this spot.

By Claude

Choochee: A Story of an Eskimo Boy

A very special children's book--a story of friendship and rescue, brought to life with simple, arresting drawings--continues to work its magic.

Art Trip

Taking your kids to a museum should be fun, even if it's to a “grown-up” one.  The key is to start taking them at an early age – before the sentence “This is boring” or the words “Gift Shop!”  have entered their vocabulary.

Modern and contemporary art is great for infants and small children.   You can mesmerize a 7 month old with any big gestures of color, think Rothko’s Red and Orange at the MoMA.  And baby eyes love Takashi Murakami’s trippy mushrooms and strange forms.   Plus, infants like the people-watching just as much as you do.

Recently my 18 month old could not resist the Bill Viola video piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, all moody light, trees, and sky.  And for Kate, who is almost six, the best thing to do is bring some paper and pencils.  Her recent rendering of Picasso’s Tete de Femme sculpture was pretty cool.

See Takashi Murakami at MOCA, Los Angeles thru February 11th, 2008. If you’re far from the big city and still want a kid friendly tour check these out:

MOMA Destination Modern Art

Cézanne’s Astonishing Apples

Or search images by abstract or animal at:

SFMOMA Collections

By Liz