In the UK, we had a week of beautiful Spring weather in March but since then it’s gone really cold again this month. I’ll never get used to the weather here

My little girl is nearly 1year old and I’m slowly getting used to juggling two kids, helping my hubby’s business and launching the new Cocoro Spring Collection!

This year I have bought two gorgeous Rinzu fabrics from my trusted supplier in Japan. One is a light green moegi and the other is a white yuki. Rinzu fabric is a traditional Japanese textile which is not only gorgeous looking but also feels absolutely divine to the touch.

It is now available as a ‘Luxury Baby Kimono Gift Set‘ which is available from today - 16 April.

I hope you like them too!

Luxury Rinzu Gift Set

Yuna enjoying the spring sunshine

Tomono x

The baby t-shirts are nickel free and have no bulky seams or itchy labels - just like Cocoro’s baby kimonos!

I might just go shopping on their site for a items for my 4year old son!

They were exhibiting at Bubble London, so I paid a visit to see them and also got some inspiration for my ‘Summer Collection’ from some other children clothing brands.

There were more than a hundred lovely shops for baby clothes and accessories.

It took place at the Business Design Centre in the heart of fashionable Islington.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to have a peek at the Spring/Summer Collections of some leading brands for babies and children.

I will post some blogs about the brand I really loved at the show starting from next week - till then have a lovely week!

Tomono x

When Oscar was at Japanese kindergarten, he was provided with a hot lunch twice a week, bread and milk once a week then had to bring his own Obento lunch box twice a week. Because Oscar loves taking his Obento lunch box, but he can not do that at English nursery, I decided to ask at the Japanese Kindergarten (also know as ‘Yochien’) if Oscar can take Obento everyday. It was OK, but I never knew what kind of pressure I was putting myself under at that time.

Oscar was just happy to open Obento box and no matter what he finds in it, he ate it up everyday!  He normally had left overs from the previous night’s dinner also maybe with some fresh fruit.  The other kids, on the other hand, had amazing themed Obentos - some had Pokemon or Mickey mouse shape rice balls!

I felt pressure, but I just didn’t have the energy to make such an effort!  I’m not an artist…. but I really look up to other mums who made this effort though. I really loved the Harrison Ford Obento shown in this BBC video - it is a masterpiece!

Check it out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16069217

Tomono x

This is a normal training in Japan and we are always taught not to evacuate straight away, but to hide under chairs.  Then we have to listen very carefully to the person in charge of your room.

Oscar was taught a very easy way to remember what to do -  “O HA SHI” which means “Osanai* no pushing, HAshiranai* no running, SHIyaberanai*no talking”.

They were so good and once they finished the simulation training, they were allowed to have a little fun on the fire engine.

Hide under your chair!

Don't inhale the smoke!

Fun with the fire engine

Tomono x

According to Wikipedia, Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated in the Heian Period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood. The ages three, five and seven are consistent with East Asian numerology, which claims that odd numbers are lucky. The practice was set to the fifteenth of the month during the Kamakura Period

Over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of rituals. Children—who up until the age of three were required by custom to have shaven heads—were allowed to grow out their hair. Boys of age five could wear hakama for the first time, while girls of age seven replaced the simple cords they used to tie their kimono with the traditional obi.

By the Meiji Period, the practice was adopted amongst commoners as well, and included the modern ritual of visiting a shrine to drive out  evil spirits and wish for a long healthy life.

Do you have such tradition in your country?

Oscar dressing in his Hakama

Oscar and I at the shrine

Making a wish

T x

This kind of thing can make you feel that big companies are not completely honest with consumers about the true origin of the food they sell to us. My mother loves shopping at the supermarket, but she still prefers market places. This is because the market stall holders in Japan can tell you exactly where the food was from. In many cases in Japan they produced the food themselves on small lots hear their home.

It really is a huge responsibility to correctly inform people where food is from and how it was made.

How about in your country, do you have any of these concerns?

Japanese Food With Label

Tomono x

Recently I’ve found this marvellous Uniqlo baby romper.

It’s in an obvious position, and even looks like it is inside out.  I personally love this idea, but what do you think?

Yuna in Uniqlo

Unique positioning of tag on the romper

Tomono x

Have you already started your Xmas shopping?  I have asked my hubby to get some Xmas card and my mother-in-law has already baked her gorgeous Xmas cake.  I’m still in Kochi, the warm part of Japan, so it’s weird talking about Xmas but it’s already less than 2months away!

My daughter became 6months a few weeks ago, so she has started weaning.  She loved baby rice and mashed potatoes, carrots and some apple juice!  She tried to hold her spoon and didn’t want to let me feed her, so she gets so messy every time!  She’s definitely my girl!

My 3years old son Oscar somehow gets upset if Yuna is messy, and the other day I caught him cleaning her nose.  I’m not sure if Yuna liked it…..  I’m sure I would have been freaking out if I had seen that sight when I only had Oscar, but now I understand why second children are tougher!

If you are a mother/father of more than one child, I would like to know your tips about entertaining two kids at the same time!

I’m struggling!

Oscar cleans Yuna's nose

Yuna is now 6 months old

Tomono x

On Saturday we went on a day trip to London to see some sights together.

We drove into Acton, parked and then got the tube to Green Park. After that we strolled along the Mall towards parliament square. It’s funny, I’ve lived in the UK for 8 years in total, but I had never paid a visit to St James’s Park.  I guess Green Park is more obvious for non-Londoners?

I personally prefer St James’ Park to Green Park.  My 3 year old boy was fascinated by different kinds of birds.  Did you know there is a cute little cottage which was used exclusively for bird keepers?

We kept walking towards Big Ben.  Hundreds of tourist were wow-ing the huge clock structure Big Ben, on the other hand my son was very impressed by all diggers and cement mixers that were working in the road, he did not care about the World Heritage site.  Bless him.

We tried to go on a London Duck Tour but it was fully-booked!  Ouch, I should have reserved in advance… so we kept walking to Tate Modern and had a little cultural time before walking over the Millennium Bridge back to St Paul’s Tube Station.

On the way back home, the Sun was going down, the sky was beautiful pink just like sleeping kids’ cheek and my hubby’s sun-burnt forehead!

Pretty St James' Park

Oscar fascinated by the ducks

The bird master's house

Big Ben

Tomono x