RIP: Hans Beck (the 'father' of Playmobil)

Hans Beck

News sometimes gets to us very slow. But in case you missed it a few months ago somebody instrumental in the children's toy world passed away. Hans Beck, the inventor (or 'The father of Playmobil' as he is called) of Playmobil, died at the age of 79 in his native Germany at the end of January.

Once our children reached a slightly older age - or the age where they acquired the reasoning to cease from putting anything small in their little mouths - Playmobil became instrumental in their playroom imaginations. I'm sure most households now have at least one item of Playmobil.

So, it isn't surprising that it took a few years for Mr Beck to develop the idea of Playmobil (I just love that name) - but it is surprising that he was originally trained as a cabinetmaker. His first venture into producing toys came when he approached a company called Geobra Brandstatter to make his model airplanes. Instead, he was asked to develop toy figures. Not initially recognised as viable by the owner of the company, Beck continued development. Apparently, it was the oil crisis of 1973 that prompted a closer look at manufacturing these little plastic environments. It is interesting to note that Geobra Brandstatter had been producing HoolaHoops and Large Plastic Dolls.The first series was basic, only including Native Americans ('Indians'), Knights, and Construction Worker sets, and was a bit slow to gain any traction. You can imagine why perhaps, since most children were accustomed to either tin figurines or rigid plastic ones or larger dolls at that time. Playmobil figurines were designed to be fairly adaptable and changeable, incorporating all sorts of appendages and objects. Today, many enthusiasts have taken to cusomizing their own version of the figurines - which doesn't always result in the best of taste.

Playmobil Set Circa 1974

But, it didn't take long for the idea to start 'snow-balling' and now today, some 4 decades later, you have a wide variety of scenarios and figures to choose from. There's almost a whole world of scenarios - Our household favorites are the castles and the airport/airplane. Funnily enough, Beck for some reason stated that Jumbo Jets, Space Aliens, and Dinosaurs should never be made. Of course, that isn't the case now. Another thing that has changed, you might have noticed, is that in the beginning it seems the boxes did not have the standard blue/white design they now have. The detailing seems also to have been more intent and the color coding relevant to each series: Knights=Green Packaging, Native Americans ('Indians')=Red, and the Construction Workers=Blue ..... hmmm, I wonder why?

Playmobil Figurines Circa 1974

My only real complaint with Playmobil is that the many pieces, though fun to construct in the beginning with your son or daughter, gradually start to disappear. Our Airport Scenario has altered so many times to compensate for this fact that the Airport Terminal now resembles something out of a disaster zone with signage hanging off unintended 'walls' and a baggage claim area bereft of baggage, and a roofing system patched together of whatever odds and ends will attach! It's quite a sight. Nonetheless, the kids still love dragging it out and playing with it, much as Mr Beck suggested they would when he stated "... they invented little scenarios for them. They never grew tired of playing with them." And, for that, we should thank Hans Beck for being one of the first to start revolutionizing children's figurines and subsequently expanding in all directions the potential for imaginative play!

more images to see on Nonchalant Mom

We have added a new function to the Nonchalant Mom website to help you see more of each of the products and more images to help you make better decisions. I hope that this is helpful and I would be interested to hear from everyone on whether or not this is helpful!

The following collections have the new picture show function:
antik batik
baby version rock
bellerose
kit+lili
lucky fish
tuss

So here is how it works -- roll over the top bar of images and it will ask you to click anywhere to see a picture show, this will bring you to more images that you can click through as a slidehow or you can click on the image that you want to see closer.

We are working on making Nonchalant Mom easier and more fun for you to visit and shop and well... make just looking around better! So if you have any ideas please let us know!
(please also tell me things that drive you crazy about my website... you can hold back your comments on my spelling and grammar though.. I don't think it's going to get any better any time soon... I'm sorry about that!)

Thank you!!

recipe - beet stew (or something like that!?)

I'm not really sure what to call this dish that we made but let's say Beet Stew. We have a friend that comes up to visit from New York quite a bit and he always brings beets! He loves them and luckily, I love them, but besides the normal beet recipes (and I will have to toss in there beet pasta which isn't so normal) we came up with this recipe last week. The recipe turned out so good! The kids loved it, we loved it... so I figured we should share it with you. I have to say that we were both just tossing things into the stew so I'm not really certain that this is the complete recipe, so if you make it please let us know what you think!

The first night we served it with french bread, roasted garlic and brown rice on the side, but for the kids I just mixed it together, the second night we made it with polenta and that was super good too so there are many variations.

Beet Stew
4-6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
2 turnips - peeled and chopped
2 - 3 beets - peeled and chopped
2 - 3 carrots - chopped
2 - 3 parsnips - chopped
fresh oregano and sage (we both are not totally sure of this because we had a bunch of fresh herbs and I think that anything tastes good!)
salt & pepper

saute onion, garlic in olive oil (we used walnut oil but either is fine!)
add chopped root vegetables and saute for a bit with herbs
add 2-3 cups of water and cook on low heat for about 1 hour (check to see that root vegetables are cooked through)
either use an immersion blender or spoon some into a blender, but don't make it all a puree leave some chunks and you are done!

We used Gomasio as a condiment and that added a nice nutty flavor
(gomasio is when you roast sesame seeds and salt and then crush them in a suribachis (click here to buy one) or a mortar and pestol-this helps you to use less salt in your food and it tastes much better!)

If you are concerned about protein you could add tofu or have some cheese on the side, it would be delicious with sharp or hard cheese, or goat cheese.

Delicious!!

let us know how yours comes out!!

lucky fish moon & stars t-shirt BACK IN STOCK!

There were so many of you that loved this t-shirt and so we asked Jann to make it again and she did... just for us!

So the Moon & Stars t-shirt is back in stock! available in sizes 2 - 10 year, I only have a couple in size 8 year and ONE in size 10 year so if you want them just write me an email or write in the comments section of your order to add this item (sorry for the extra work... I will have it online later this week if any are left).

But you can order sizes 2-4-6 as normal online--click here!

Thank you Jann for making some extra for us! -- we love MOON & STARS!

The Nonchalantdad: the Mini Brings Back Some Memories

Austin Morris Mini Cooper 1963

I remember travelling to England with my mother. We were living near Los Angeles at the time and, of course, were used to moving around in cars that resembled small boats more than they did a car. It was the later 70's. A trip from California to England, with 3 out of 5 of her young children in tow, was not an easy thing for my mother in those days especially. By the time we arrived in London the next day, the kids were beyond tired, and my mother.... well, you can imagine where her mind was at. Anyway, I remember very clearly all 4 of us showing up at the car rental place, with tons of luggage in tow. Somehow, my mother - typically English - decided that it would be 'adorable' to rent a Mini during out stay. So, there we all were, sheepishly staring at this thing that resembled a lawn mower with a roof. To this day, I don't know how she did it. But, within about 20 minutes we piled all that luggage and ourselves in the car and off we went down the motorway. It was obviously memorable. I'm not sure you would think of doing the same thing with the kids now, but it certainly didn't hurt us then!

I think that is the way with many things 'Mini'. It is why, since 1959, the Mini has maintained a unique and surprisingly formidable presence in the auto world. It is a simple car, what many consider a 'classless' car because of its ability to transcend the class system - both rich and poor have loved it, both sporty and practical, both stylish and miserly. It suited everyones needs. So, I was looking at a segment in the Guardian Newspaper and came across a series of photos of this classy little vehicle and just thought it would be nice to share. If you have any stories about your own Mini, or riding in one, that would be great. Moreso, if anyone out there has ever actually used the Camper Van version - I'd certainly love to hear how that worked out?

Classic Custom Designed Mini from 1972h

The Italian Job with Michael Caine, Noel Coward, and Benny Hill

Mini Camper Version 1960's

Mini Moke 1966

For more pictures visit the Guardian here

Mini Pick-Up Van 1961-1982

Mini Enters the Police Service 1968

Twiggy Passes her driving test in 1968 while behind the wheel of a Mini

Happy Mother's Day

Hello Mommy.... we snuck onto your blog to wish you a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
We also wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to Nana and MorMor....!!!
(and Daddy wanted us to wish all the other Mother's out there a lovely and wonderfully
restful Mother's Day too!)

Much Love - Sander and Franny xxx

Working the Lunchbox

It is no secret that Blair at WiseCraft has a keen interest in making things with an accent on easy and interesting style. She has found alot of inspiration in a selection of Japanese Craft books she has collected and we asked her to share some thoughts on a particular project she is working on. Here is what she has to say:


I love the separate snack bag attached over the handle in the pictures above. Doesn't everybody need a cute little bag to make lunch more exciting? I was originally thinking these would be fun to experiment with as handbags, but a lunch box might be fun too.

I do try hard to make the "bag" lunches I pack my kids take to school as interesting as time allows. Some days this may mean something as simple as a note saying, "Feed your brain, eat your lunch! I love you." or maybe a surprise thermos of hot cocoa on an blustery day. I have made one of these with a detachable snack bag, using a plastic lining fabric to protect the inside (I would love to use greener alternatives for the next one). Its a favorite book of mine because it perfectly illustrates what the Japanese way of taking simple, every day things and making these so pretty and fun to own and carry, which I love. The idea of cloth versus plastic and less waste appeals to me, and I want to pass this on as a way of life to my kids. Pack one of these with some healthy food and a pretty cloth napkin to spread out on the table or on your lap and you have a lunch worth eating, no?

The Tote-Style Lunch Box

This is a tote-style, small lunch box, lined inside with clear iron-on vinyl (be warned this takes a little practice to work with). The snack bag is one of those pre-made small canvas craft bags that I bought, then replaced the handle to match the lunch box, its part of the same airplane curtain panel I've used before in other projects (I like it very much). The idea is that the snack bag loops over one (or both) of the handles of the lunch bag.

Snack Bag

Slow Schooling: Can A Child's Development Be Sped Up?

Forget about toilet training, or foregoing the sippy-cup, or ridding your child of a pacifier. There are many other concerns once your child starts walking and talking!

Should a child be reading fluently by the age of 4 years? Should a kindergartener have homework? Will your 6 year old enter first grade, or be moved into 2nd? Should your 5 year old be able to consider fairly complex mathematics, let alone spell their own name? And what about tests for the youngest grades? Better yet, will any of it really matter in the long term?

Whether home schooling, or public/private schooling, these ideas are a concern in the education of our youngsters. There are many parents who would say YES, it does make a difference and helps the child excel later. Others say that 'Slow Schooling' is the way to go - that good ol' fashioned method of letting children basically be children until they just can't any more. And, does a child get more development out of testing, reading, writing, etc at a young age - or moreso from being allowed to play and pretend and create?

There's an interesting article in this last Weekend's NY Times that I'd like to share with you. It is written by Peggy Orenstein. For those of you out there who believe that the idea of progressiveness lays in urging kids to learn the basics (and more), then this might not be for you. But, if you believe, like I do a bit, that 'Slow Schooling' might be more considerate in the long term, then you will find it interesting. Either way, I'm sure we'll hear comments on both sides....
what do you think?

garden project

I wanted to share with you the progress on our garden project... it's going very slow or let's just say that we are being kind of nonchalant about the whole thing! It took us a long time to figure out where it was going to go... and everyone I talked to said that I should put it somewhere nearby so that I would use it, take care of it, and water it frequently. So down on the far end of the property wasn't an option.. we finally decided to put it right off our deck at the front (or back... it's hard to tell!) of the house. So in the picture above, the garden will go in the 2 1/2 feet between the deck and the rock (that sander is jumping on), and then it will be 24 feet long... so it's really long and skinny.

We decided this would make the garden fun, easy and accessible so that the kids would use it too. Another problem is animals, we have everything; deer, birds, squirrels, etc... and if the garden is right off the front of the house we hope we won't get too many animals chomping at it.

It's still a work in progress but by this time next week I hope that you will finally see a photo of our tiny sprouts planted... to be continued!!

The Nonchalantdad: The Fine Art of Fast Food...

You know the situation. You're far enough from home, your provisions for the day are inadequate, you're late, and your choice of meal options are limited - I mean limited. You've got two hungry and tired kids on your hand. You're not going to be a friend of anyone if you decide to tackle fast food or you don't. Your moral hand, your sense of goodness, are pretty much going out the window. All the things you know about how the food is processed, how wasteful the packaging is, and how bad for the environment your idling car is, just goes out the window. You choose the least of all evils and decide against anything that might be deep fried or attached to a golden arch (you learned the hard way about that one). But, you aren't doing much better when the fast food joint you pull into has a little girl with red hair as their logo. Just because the burger is square doesn't make it better, right?

Anyway, you've made your decision. You know your wife is going to give you hell, but what's a guy to do when the kids are going hungry and you still have a few hours drive ahead of you. You play it by ear..... in other words, you hope for the best and think to yourself: does this qualify as Nonchalant?

I pull the car in and approach the drive-thru. Now, let me make it clear - I feel sorry for anyone who is not familiar with these things, because the ordering system is designed for people who must eat this crap all the time and know exactly what the lingo is. I'm not one of them, as I find out quickly. I roll my window down and a very distant sounding, muffled voice, rapidly fires out something that sounds like 'WilcomtowentighowcanIhilfdu.' There's a brief pause because I don't know what to say and the machine voice repeats itself more emphatically:

'WILCOMtowentighowcanIHILFDU.'

Sensing urgency I just blurt out 'Yes, OK' hoping that will suffice. It doesn't. the machine barks out in a bored sounding tone 'WhatWouldYouLIKE?' Only it sounds like 'Hey Idiot, Can't you speak English?' So, trying to pretend I'm a regular at this I start ordering simple things. Of course, these things have a life all their own, and my simple requests are immediately met with something deeper and more mysterious:

I say "Can I please have two regular chicken burgers?". The machine barks incredulously back at me "Did you just say CHICKEN BURGERS" as if I ordered something from another planet. "I'm sorry" I say. "I really would just like to have two chicken burgers, or sandwiches, or whatever you call them," I say sort of looking for some minor mercy. The machine seems to take some pity on me and says something like "You want a Chicken Special Deluxe Mother of Pearl Surprise" or something like that. "What's in that?" I ask. "It's a Chicken BURGER with lettuce, tomato, and mayo" says the machine. "OK, I'll take two of those, hold the MAYO please." Silence greets me for what seems like several minutes, but is probably only a few seconds, while the machine (or whoever is behind it) tries to compute what I just said. "DoYOUwantaSuperValueMeal?" the machine spits out. I know enough to know that means you get a few extras without having to order the lot a la carte. I need all the shortcuts I can get. So, I say "these are for kids, right?" More brief silence and then increduously the machine says "YouSHOULDhavetoldme." Obviously the machine is taking the higher ground here. Fair enough, I think. Just get me something to eat. I keep my focus and say "umm.... Sorry."

"So you want two kids value meals with Chicken Delux no mayo, right?" I say "YES."
"Do you want to super size these?" the machine asks.
SUPER SIZE I want to say. These are small kids for god sakes - not hippos!!!!! Instead, I say a simple "NO." More silence for a few seconds before I'm asked by the machine "WHATtodrink?"
"Do you have any juice?" I ask. Stranger period of silence before the machine asks "Juice?..... NO." You'd think I asked for a double martini with two olives for each kid. "OK" I say before I go for the easiest option I can think of and say "Two Waters....OK?" The machine repeats what I say and seems to let me have my wish.

By the time I pull up to the second window, because I did not hear the machine clearly when it finished our conversation by stating "PlizPuluptotheFirzWintos' I am greeted by two large individuals looking down at me like I'm from another planet. "You Passed the Pay Window" one of them says as if my mistake will require a special operations unit to help figure out what to do now. I try to remedy the situation by stating flatly "Can you just ask the cashier how much I owe and I'll give you the money?" I'm pretty sure that I can now see firsthand the person who was speaking through the machine earlier because I'm met with a blank sort of look, some silence, and then a slight "humpfff" and a nod of the head. The window closes and I can see up to three people conversing. I assume they are trying to figure out how one of them can take my money and bring it around the wall to the other person without breaking all sorts of complex and unwritten rules. Nonetheless, the window opens shortly after and a hand reaches out and tells me how much I owe.

As I pull my car away from the drive thru window, I'm thinking that it might be helpful to have someone in the travel industry write up a kind of guide, like you get to foreign cities, to help figure out the strange process of ordering food and drink from a fast food joint. There could even be helpful pictures and clues to the secret language that is used to describe basic things. There could also be a page that warns against things like using the wrong language or misinterpreting symbols. But, most fun of all could be the chapter that deals with deciphering the complex mysteries of how a basic meal could become, over a period of about 50 years, this elaborate and unnecessarily complicated! But, I want to end on a bright point. If you can manage to work your way through the ordering process and the kids haven't yet fallen asleep, you get a couple of plastic toys designed to get your kids to pester you every time you pass any place resembling it in the future! How's that for marketing?

My kids were satisfied. I learned a new language. And I vowed that fast food, even if it is decent in some areas and cases, is best to be avoided whenever possible. But, if it is ever unavoidable, then my suggestion is try to skip the machine and go for the counter instead. You stand a better chance when you can gesticulate. And if all else fails - just point..... it's already a no-win situation!

nonchalant mom - flea market

Many of you have been asking for me to add some things to the flea market page and I finally got around to some of the antique shops around here, this is one of my favorite jobs. When I got around to it I realized how much I missed it. I happened to find a really nice collection of baby spoons and forks! (among other wonderful things...) I really love all of them and I am having a hard time parting with them but I know that they are going to happy homes!

Next week is the Brimfield Flea Market, I think that it's the largest one in the world May 12 - 17th. If you are into this kind of thing you will love it! I usually only make it for one day and that is just about enough to make it through ONE lot, I think there are 8 lots or something like that... it's so much fun, but it's HUGE! (it makes a fun Mothers Day trip!)


So you will be seeing more flea market items very soon I hope but in the meantime check out the baby/kids spoon collection and few more nice things!

visit flea market page here

veja sneakers are here, they are new and ppssst... there's VELCRO! and we're doing a short sale!

We just got the new sneakers from Veja today and they are super cute... white VELCRO, yello for summer color, fair trade, organic cotton... what more could you ask for!!!!

We are doing a small SALE for a week, just to get you warmed up to the love that is VEJA! I can tell you all about the good work that they do, but visit their website and you can find more information about all of that... All that I want to tell you is that it's a well designed shoe, it's fair trade and they feel great on kids feet (I know because my kids LOVE them!).


So here are the two new styles and then we have put them all on sale for a week so visit nonchalant mom until Sunday (5/10/09) and get your kids a sweet pair of shoes for summer on SALE!

visit veja here...
visit sale at nonchalant mom here...

8 Things to Consider (Maybe More?)

a new pillow in the works!

Our friend Blair at Wise Craft has a few ideas how to brighten up your family life/home life. We wanted to share them with you! Of course, this is an open-ended list, so if you want to share an idea to add to the list - please do so! Here is what Blair suggests:

1. Every room needs a bit of patchwork.

2. Put a child's artwork in a nice frame and hang it where its seen by all because it will always look good.

Blair's daughter Emma created this!

3. Buy secondhand furniture pieces and redo them. It gives you something to talk about when you have people over.

4. Everything you decorate your house with should have a story behind it. Think about what I mean here and go with it, I promise you won't regret it.

goodnight moon quilt

5. A dreary day can always be made better with good tea, a handmade quilt to lay under, and a decorating magazine.

6. If you want your home to smell wonderful, bake bread or make cookies with your kids.

homemade cookies!

a Tour de France 'King of the Mountain Jersey' re-invented!

7. Sew up your brightest, happiest fabrics into pillow covers and scatter them all over the furniture.

8. Use all the good stuff you have (china, silver, bed linens) everyday.

mothers day ideas

I thought I would toss out some mothers day ideas, I'm sorry it's kind of late but it's been really busy around here!! garden, cooking, new recipes, oh, yes and Nonchalant Mom has been really busy! yay! I am very glad that you seem to have really liked the collections, I love all of them too! But back to our subject... MOTHERS DAY!

We try not to buy into the Mothers Day hype, but personally I think that Mothers day and Fathers day are two of the best 'holidays' ever. We like to treat it like a very special day and I get to choose what we do! Which, due to it's date in early May usually entails putting the screens on the windows, washing windows, working in the yard, or this year it will be working in our garden! These tasks may seem like work to you but my favorite is that technically it's "My Day" so everyone has to be really nice to me while they are working... it's great! Everyone works like dogs and then someone, besides me, makes dinner (my husband is a terrific cook!) and a foot massage (between my kids and my husband I would have to say that my husband is better at this too, although my three year old daughter is pretty good too, just kidding!). Oh, and breakfast in bed is essential... right!?

If you happen to be a gift kind of person, hey I have nothing against you... I am just jealous! Here are some of my favorites:


1) Anything from Matta (available on my website!)


2) Bea Bag by Rosenberg from Denmark (okay this is on my website too!)
3) Robin Mollicone tiny, tiny, tiny bead necklaces! (also on nonchalant mom)
4) the new Neko Case CD - middle cyclone
5) lisa bengtsson familjen wallpaper


6) cement and flocked flowerpot by robert haslbeck


7) silver clogs!


8) tie dye stripe t-shirt
9) and last but not least anything from Tortoise in Venice Beach, CA (image at top)

there you have it!! some fun things for mommy!

happy mothers day (I'll say it again on the day I promise!)