No, Miffy is not Japanese.

If you have kids, you'll probably recognize this cute rabbit character made popular through a well--known children's book series from the 50's. Her "English name" is Miffy, but according to casual conversation, it seems like a lot of people think that this little rabbit is from Japan. Perhaps it's the simplistic yet very cutesy illustration style similar to the likes of Hello Kitty, one of the icons of Japanese cute culture. And maybe a bit of Japan's talent for importing and then re-exporting cute character merchandise. 

Whatever the reason, I wanted to clear up this popular fallacy and bring credit back to where credit is due. Miffy's real name is not Miffy at all, but "Nijntje"[ˈnɛɪ̯ncə]- just don't ask me to try and say that name out loud. Nijntje is the creation of Dutch artist and illustrator Dick Bruna. Having lived in the Netherlands for nearly 4 years, I've found that the Dutch don't have a whole lot of claims to fame. So here's another one to add to the list! You can still visit the "Dick Bruna's house", permanently on display at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Holland to see a selection of original Miffy items.

Dutch Design of the Day: STEK kids furniture

I first came across Dutch kids furniture brand Stek on one of my favorite Mommy blogs Babyccino kids.
Dutch design is similar to that of the Dutch personality: simple, stoic and robust. All of their pieces look like they could withstand nearly any form of child abuse.

Chairs start at 99€ so they're not cheap, but they will probably last a lifetime. Available through the Stek webshop.

Best toy stores in the Hague (Den Haag)

In this era of junky Made in China plastic toys, I love buying nice sturdy wooden or good-quality things. Not only do they last longer, they are just so much nicer to look at. Here are my top 5 favorite places to shop for cute, durable and unique toys in the Hague:

1. Matrushka

Anna Paulownaplein 11

2518 BK Den Haag
Great little wooden toy store on the Anna Paulownaplein circle. Fairly small selection but with a nice focus on eco-friendly products.

2. De Kikkerkoning 

Aert Van der Goesstraat 48

2582 AL, Den Haag
I can easily spend an hour in the Kikkerkoning looking at all of the various art sets, puzzles and of course one of my favorites: Rice melamine cups and tupperware. Great place to pick up gifts.

3. De Houtworm 

Oude Haagweg 301 

2552 EP Den Haag
Translates literally to "The Wood Worm". All of the wooden toys and brands you can imagine.

4. Sterre + Tijl

Annastraat 8-11-24

2513 AT  Den Haag

This is probably one of the more poorly run stores I've ever encountered over all of my years of shopping. Nevertheless, they have a pretty good selection of brands...if you can manage to find what you're looking for.

5. Pro Special Winkel

Herengracht 38

Den Haag

Nice selection of trusted European wooden toys near Den Haag Centraal Station. Good pit stop if you're about to get on the train!

There are also a ton of European online shops that I regularly spend way too much money on. But that will be for another post. Where do you like to buy toys for your kids in the Netherlands?

Choosing a Bakfiets (box-bike)

It would be impossible to blog about life in the Netherlands and not write about the Bakfiets - the ubiquitous box-bike . It is, in my humble opinion, one of the coolest if not THE coolest thing about living in Holland. Wikipedia, as always, sums it up quite nicely in their definition of what a Bakfiets is: "Human Powered Vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting large loads". 

Large loads indeed. It is not unusual to see these bad boys going by with 4+ children, large amounts of groceries and a partridge and a pear tree. I myself have managed to transport my 2 kids and a live animal

to various destinations on more than several occasions. But back to the topic. 

In my 8th month of pregnancy with my 2nd child, I decided that I absolutely had to get a Bakfiets, at that very moment. Without a car or any other practical form of transportation, I began to have nightmares of being housebound with a 1.5 year old and newborn during the eternal Dutch winter. 

And so my Bakfiets research began. For starters, a good Bakfiets is not cheap. A bare-bones model from one of the good quality brands will easily set you back 1,500€ to start. You can try and find one second-hand, but they are quite hard to come by and can still cost you anywhere from 600€ to over 1,000€. Though I am by no means a Bakfiets expert, I spent a good amount of time talking to people, shopping around and testing out different sets of wheels. Here were a few of my learnings that might be helpful to those of you on the market for a Bakfiets:

The Best Bakfiets Brands: De Fietsfabriek, Christiania, Bakfiets, Gazelle

I won't evaluate any particular models because this is more of a personal choice. Expats in general seem to prefer the 3-wheelers, simply because you have less risk of tipping (or at least feel that way when you're on). But those who gone fully Dutch and advanced to the 2-wheeler also sing their praises, particularly about how light they are. Whichever model you decide suits you best, here are the brands that I would trust with transporting around my kids:

1. De Fietsfabriek: Top of the line iconic Dutch brand and with a price tag to match. Starting price for the Bakfiets Classic is €1,895. 
2. Christiania Bikes: The Christiania bakfiets hails from Denmark. We love this one for its light aluminum frame. Starting price for a Christiania Cargo Basic is €1,549.
3. Bakfiets.nl: The original Dutch "Bakfiets" brand. Starting price for the Bakfiets Cargo Trike  is €1,785.
4. Gazelle Cabby: Gazelle only makes a 2-wheeler bakfiets as far as I know, but quite a few friends rave about this bike. You usually can't go too wrong with a Gazelle, in general, they also make great bikes of very good quality. Starting price for the Gazelle Cabby is €1,699.

*The Nihola is another brand that I've seen around quite a bit. I have a couple of friends that have really taken to this bike. Unfortunately I don't know a thing about it so can't speak for it one way or another.

The Bakfiets Brands to avoid: Babboe, Boxbike.nl, Cangoo, Tuk Tuk

If the Bakfiets comes to your house in a big box ready to be assembled, as any of the above brands likely will: SEND IT BACK. There is a good chance that box came straight from China and that your Bakfiets, which is a cheap knock-off, will fall apart soon after assembly. I've heard horror stories about some of the cheaper Bakfiets copies losing their wheels while transporting children etc...You don't want this to happen to you. Just remember that the good ones come in one piece. 

Where to buy a Bakfiets: 

A new Bakfiets from one of the top brands is a considerable investment. If you don't feel like you can drop €1,500+ to transport your large load, the next best option is to get one 2nd hand. There are not easy to come by because good used Bakfiets get snatched up like hot cakes. The overall mechanics and frame of a good Bakfiets generally hold up quite well. With regular maintenance and tune-ups, you can get a lot of years out of your boxbike. 

The best place to buy a 2nd hand Bakfiets is Marktplaats.nl. Owned by Ebay, Marktplaats is the biggest second-hand online market place in the Netherlands. It's entirely in Dutch, but if you do any online shopping at all, you can quickly pick up on how the website works. If I managed to do it, you can do it. Search for the above brands using keywords like "De Fietsfabriek bakfiets" etc...

Beware that transporting a Bakfiets is not easy. If you find a good 2nd hand Bakfiets at a considerable distance (i.e. you cannot bike it back to your house), you will need to hire a little trailer or a truck to get it back to your place. As mentioned above, the good ones cannot be dismantled (trust me, we tried).

Another place to try for 2nd hand bakfiets are directly through the retailers or big bicycle shops. They occasionally carry used models still in good condition. 

Where to maintain your Bakfiets:

The Beer Transportfietsen in the Hague is THE place to get your Bakfiets in tip-top condition. These guys know everything there is to know about the Boxbike and you can often go and try a bunch of different models out. If you live in the Hague, it's a good place to start for feeling out the Bakfiets scene. They also have a whole slew of accessories for your Bakfiets and can customize your Bakfiets in the configuration you need (Installing an additional bench, Maxi Cosi adaptors etc...).

If I missed anything or if you feel otherwise, please feel free to tack on your experiences and advice.

In the meantime, good luck finding the best way to lug around your big load!

Best cat-sitter service in the Hague: Kattenzorg

Are you looking for a cat-sitter in the Hague/Den Haag?
Look no further than Kattenzorg, a volunteer-run cat-lovers organization!

{#2 and our cat, Fuzz}

As an expat, many of us toil with the dilemma of getting a pet. There are those who believe they must wait until they are firmly implanted in North American suburbia complete with white picket fence before taking on the responsibility of a furry friend. An understandable choice. But then there are others who don't know if and when they will ever stay on one continent long enough to call it "home" and thus must seize the day and live now how you would want to live in 10 years.

As you might have gathered, I fall into the latter category. I grew up with a cat (my parent's compromise to a dog) and feel like pets were an integral part of my childhood. A good soft introduction to the fun things in life like responsibility, communal living, illness etc...Thus I have been nagging and nagging to get a kitten to complete our happy little family.

My husband questioned and re-questioned this decision with understandable concerns: "Who will take care of it when we travel?", "Don't you have enough shit to clean up already at home" etc...But the answer was "No, I don't have enough shit to clean up, I want more more! And preferably of a small feline variety". So there you have it, be careful what you wish for.

For Christmas, we finally received a sweet little Chartreux kitten whom we named "Fuzz" (all pedigree Cats born in 2010 had to have a name beginning with the letter "F", I say this as if it is a totally normal thing). Fuzz comes from a fine line of pure-breed Chartreux cats - so pure, in fact, that his great-parents were all somehow related, but let's not get stuck on that detail. Anyway, the kids loved him - or pulling his tail, at least - and I was vindicated. I knew having a cat was a great idea!

But then came our annual winter vacation, a long-weekend in France etc...and all of a sudden the striking realization of: what the hell to do with Fuzz?! I needed a cat-sitter and quick. I couldn't unload him on any of my friends because they all have kids and there is that unspoken agreement not to add to the already considerable burden of child-care. I tried befriending my previously ignored neighbors but despite all of my best subtle efforts couldn't quite manage to get out that: "Hi nice to meet you, oh by the way, can you clean up my cat's crap for a week while I'm in Italy. He will catch mice in exchange."

All of a sudden, the cat was starting to feel like a royal pain in the ass.

In the end I found two solutions:

1/A quirky but genuinely nice couple of Canadians (are there any not-nice Canadians?) were offering their cat-sitting services for free on the ASH classifieds. No, they don't own a Chinese restaurant. And no, they don't take cats in and then stow them away forever (my Husband's theory). They simply love cats but feel they travel too much to justify keeping a cat of their own. Thank you Canada for making these kinds of people! The only very minor draw-back is that they go on quite a few Curling trips (yes, curling) so are not always disposed to take the Fuzz-ball for kitty holidays. well, one can hardly complain considering the circumstances, can we?

2/The second option is perhaps a bit more viable one for everyone and it's called the Kattenzorg. It's purely run by Cat-lovers and volunteers. There are services located in Den Haag, Dordrecht and Nijmegen. If you become a member for some paltry annual fee of 10€, you can have access to their "cat holiday" services. This means that they will help you find a kitty-friendly person in your neighborhood to come and cat-sit while you are away. It's 2.50€ per cat per day which I consider a pretty damn reasonable price to pay for having one less thing to worry about before departing on a trip.

Rip off of the day: Innocent Smoothies at Coffee Company

Which of the below receptacles do you think would be the cheapest?

{Photo courtesy of Innocent Smoothies}

You'd probably guess one of the two little sizes, right? Well not if you've bought one in a Coffee Company shop lately! While idling around waiting to pick up my daughter at pre-school, I popped into a Coffee Company (the Dutch equivalent of Starbucks) for a pick-me-up. While perusing the baked goods, I noticed that they stock Innocent Smoothies, one of our household favorites. However, what I also noticed was that they were selling the so called "Little Bottles" (250mls) for a mind-boggling 3€ per plastified bottle of crushed fruits (that's almost $5 as of today!).

To put that in perspective, the big middle carton (750mls) retails at 2.99€ at the Albert Heijn.

So, 250mls for 3€ or 750mls for 2.99€? I'd hate to think how much the big carton would cost at the Coffee Company. That place smells more like a rip-off than coffee if you ask me.

The cutest Dutch baby-toddler brands

If you live in the Hague with tots, you will most likely nod in agreement when I say that there just isn't a whole lot of cute gear for the kinderen here. So when you start going into Baby Gap withdrawal, check out these 5 cool Dutch brands for your kids.

1. Le Big Leggings & Tights.
You can't live without layering in the Netherlands. Le Big has a great assortment of tights and leggings. Mine have several pairs of these classic tights. For your little guy, the leggings work well as long johns and no one has to know. Another fave are these cute socks that actually stay on. Available in lots of different colors too.

2. Shoesme Babies and Toddler shoes.
I am the first one to complain about how ugly and expensive children's shoes are in the Hague. From between 50-90 Euros, Shoesmes are by no means cheap, but they're a good fit, decent quality and normally a pretty good design. At least they're not an eye-sore like the Lelli Kellies. Available through Sterre + Tijl, and Albert Nolten Kids.

3. Bugaboo strollers

If you're new to the Netherlands, you might be wondering why there is such an abundance of this super expensive but trendy stroller in the land of the cheap. Invented by a Dutch chap, the Bugaboo is the Dutch baby industry's one claim to fame. And with good reason, after several years on the market, the Bugaboo is still one of the trendiest rides around. Available in Sterre + Tijl and Baby Park.

4. Imps & Elfs clothing line

I&E may be my all time favorite Dutch children's brand. My kids practically lived in their super-soft leggings and cute t-shirts for the first months of their lives. Available in de Bijenkorf, Cotton Candy, and Zwanger & Co.

5. Kids Case clothing line
Kids Case is another environmentally friendly Dutch children's brand. Lots of organic cotton and great every day designs. Available online through the Orange Bag online shop.