Coquette Maman

Chili Dog: The Passport Pup

Chloe's favorite Christmas gift is her little Chili Dog. She actually received this a week or so before Christmas and he has been a loyal companion by her side while she has been sick with a bad cold. (Yes Lulu's been by her side too but a little suspicious of this new little dog!) Chili Dog is The Passport Pup perfect for little travelers or ones who like to travel with their imagination. I like the Complete Travel Pack ($32.95) where you can get the six inch plush Chili Dog, adventure passport and sticker sheet that comes in the most adorable keepsake suitcase. The little dog is the perfect size for kids to carry and they can tote him in the suitcase along with any other toys they need to bring.

Chili Dog is the brainchild of my friend KC Hoppe who travels around the world and snaps photos of her Chili Dog in action. This little pup has seen the world! You can read more in Chili's Adventures and see his photos but my favorite travel stop is this sweet little pup along the Seine in France. Bien sur!

As well as running along the Great Wall of China.

But most of all you'll love the way your child will nurture and love little Chili Dog. Chloe can't get enough of him!

Visit the Pet Shop to adopt your own Chili Dog today!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are enjoying some cozy time with your family and friends this weekend! Here's Lulu with her BFF dachshunds Lucy and Gello dressed up in holiday fun and a sweet holiday pose with Chloe and Lulu (pictured below). Thanks for being a loyal reader of Coquette Maman. Here's to a fabulous 2012!

xo,
Natalie

Kids Crafts: Cardboard Christmas Tree Ornaments

An awesome book is one that you turn to again and again for reference and inspiration. I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas by Anna Getty (published by Chronicle Books) is just that kind of book for me for the upcoming holidays. (Don't miss that Truffled Mac n' Cheese recipe!) I initially received this book during Christmas 2009 to review for CRAFT. It's a staple now in my craft library and I turn to it constantly during the holidays for recipes as well as craft projects to do with my three year old Chloe. Now that she is on vacation from preschool, I love spending these last few days before Christmas doing crafts or baking. This project is perfect for kids to make with all those online shipping boxes filling up your recycling bin. It's also a wonderful way for them to be creative and to start creating new holiday ornaments you can look back on each year as they grow up.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More
By Anna Getty ($9.98 on Amazon)

Cardboard Christmas Tree Ornaments

Why send that cardboard box to the recycling bin when it can be transformed into a beautiful ornament for the tree or holiday window? This is a wonderful project to do with kids on a cold winter day (just help the younger kids with the needle and thread). The customized results are sturdy enough to survive storage for many years and many trees to come.

Gather

• Pencil
• Christmas-themed cookie cutters
• Scraps of cardboard
• Scissors
• Water-based paints
• Paintbrushes
• Nontoxic glue
• Vintage beads, buttons, glitter, and other found objects
• Yarn, ribbon, or cotton thread
• Needle

Create

1. Using the pencil, trace the cookie cutter shapes onto the cardboard pieces.


2. Cut out the shapes and paint designs on them. Allow the paint to dry.


3. Glue the beads, buttons, glitter, and found objects to the ornaments.


4. For each ornament, cut a 6- to 7-inch (15- to 17-cm) piece of yarn, thin piece of ribbon, or thread.


5. Poke a hole in the top of the ornament with the needle and string the thread through the hole to hang it.

Gilt City SF Event: Kiki & Coco in Paris Afternoon Tea + Book Signing 12/9

If your little girl has a special friend and loves tea parties you won't want to miss this special afternoon tea & book signing at Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon in SF. This event is being run by Gilt City SF where you can purchase tickets for this exclusive event. (Sign up to be a member of Gilt City if you aren't a member yet!) Photographed by Stephanie Rausser, the book Kiki & Coco in Paris chronicles her daughter Kiki’s trip to Paris with her beloved doll Coco. Stephanie will be there for the signing, Nina Gruener (who wrote the book) will do a reading, and Jess Brown, owner of the children’s shop Maude in Petaluma and who designed the doll will also be on hand selling dolls. Tea, champagne, crumpets, scones, tea sandwiches and sweet treats will be served and little girls will be able to have their faces painted.

Tickets for the exclusive Gilt City SF event are available now and will be limited 60 people. Tickets are $48 for adults (which includes a copy of the book and gift bag), $10 for children. Each ticket includes a selection of tea sandwiches, sweet treats and hot pots of tea—plus clotted cream and jam to spread on housemade scones.

Kiki & Coco in Paris Afternoon Tea and Book Signing
Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon
207 Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point
San Francisco, CA 94109
Friday, December 9, 2011
4pm-6pm

See more photos from this adorable book, Kiki & Coco in Paris.