Masters in training

The World Cup is inspiration to kids globally as they look to their favorite teams and athletes competing in the pinnacle of football. Unfortunately many of those same kids are facing life consuming struggles that don't provide them the luxury of playing their favorite sport. Young footballers in Soweto, South Africa get to partake in something special with the opening of a world class training facility created by Nike. Every year 20,000 kids will have the opportunity to develop and hone their skills here. INCREDIBLE! As well, they will also be granted access to expert training by internationally renowned South African footballers. The centre also aims to educate young people about HIV/AIDS through life skills programmes. In conjunction with that, a permanent blood testing clinic has been set up at the premises, which follows Nike’s partnership with (RED) through the “Lace Up, Save Lives” campaign. Read the amazing interview as Dazed Digital sat down with Nike Inc’s President and CEO, Mark Parker, about the facility and Nike’s relationship with global communities.

Stencil it in

If your in the LA area it would be a great idea to swap your farmer's market plans so that you can craft, create and chill with the whole family at the Splendid Kimmel Kids workshop event this Saturday June 5th from 11am - 2pm. The event will be held at the Splendid boutique on Robertson Blvd. Oh, and there will be gelato from Ciao Bella.... perfect! Make sure to RSVP to splendid@tractenberg.com if you and the gang are headed, space is limited.

You'll also be able to scope out and receive 10% off all day in-store including adorable gear for toddlers and tweens from Splendid!! Check out some of the new arrivals

Art + fun + shopping = Happy Saturday! So go and let us know how it went!

Little Citizens

It's amazing to be able to expose your kids to new cultures and nurture a love for worldly experiences. It's also amazing if you can brave an international flight with a 14 month old. Kuddos to those of you who have proved it's possible. For those of you exploring beyond the idea of a summer staycation and fellow HWKs travelers looking for some tips, follow our friend Katlen as she heads to Brazil from Seattle with her wee one Mimi in tow, who is recieving her very first passport stamp!

Day 1

The airport is full of them - mini travelers off to see new places. In our case, it's Brazil and our little citizen is traveling for the first time. This is the start of a series of travel vignettes detailing Emilia's (nicknamed Mimi) trip to see an amazing land; it's where half of her family calls home.

As a new Mom, this is the initiation into the adventures of traveling with children. So for now it's going good: She is sleeping and the flight left on time.

Things that are working:

1. Chico Capri Umbrella Stroller. It's cheap, chic, and uber practical.

2. Faux Le Sport Sac Duffle Bag. I bought it for $15 on Canal street in NYC 4 years ago. It fits all her stuff: toys, books, change of clothes and diapers. Plus a change of clothes and a few other necessities for me. I like that it has a whimsical pattern perfect for a voyage.

3. Jujube Diaper Bag. All her food stuff and her personal changing pad is neatly packed. It converts into a backpack for easy carrying.

4. Exploring the airport tired her out so she slipped into a nap during takeoff. We lifted the binky moratorium so she has her soother and an aid for eliminating ear pressure.

Where We Are Off To

Porto Alegre is our final destination. It's the fourth largest city in Brazil with a progressive streak, has a thriving little film, music and arts scene - lots of cool people giving parenting a go.

Mimi now joins the club of little citizens making their way around the globe. Next stop Houston where we will catch our almost ten hour flight to São Paulo. Plus one more connection till we arrive at our destination. Her adventures begin!

Day 2

Sunday Stroll

Today was a true Sunday in all sense of the word. Porto Alegre slows  
its pace and most everyone spends it with family.

Mimi had a good night sleep. We are staying in a french hotel chain  
that specializes in modern flats with kitchenettes. It is perfect if  
you are traveling with a baby; they have clean playpens for little  
ones to sleep in and you can prepare small meals.

In the afternoon we went for a stroll and had lunch in a small  
homestyle cooking restaurant. We are so fortunate that Mimi is a fan  
of black beans and rice since it's the staple for brazilian cuisine.  
We had a great meal with collard greens, aipim (which is cooked yuca),  
and Brazilian-style grilled meats. And all the staff were coming over  
to say hi to Mimi. Brazilians love babies and children; they are  
welcomed everywhere.

While we were there a character came in and sat behind us to drink a  
beer. He had long hair, a beige coat and leather pants - he was  
probably about sixty. He turned around and saw Mimi: he told us he was  
a circus clown. He recited a poem to her, finished his beer and left.

We finished our stroll to my cousin's flat and had café da tarde. It  
was a perfect Sunday stroll.

Stay tuned!

- K

To be or not to be

Cool?

On occasion when HWKs comes up in discussion, some variation of this question is presented, "what qualifies [a parent as] a 'hipster'"? There are many, um, interesting definitions of hipster, but one of my favorites is the Wikipedia definition "Hipster (contemporary subculture) is a slang term that first appeared in the 1940s, and was revived in the 1990s and 2000s often to describe types of young, *recently-settled urban middle class adults* [I like to call special attention to this] and older teenagers with interests in non-mainstream fashion and culture, particularly alternative music, independent rock...". I interpret this as hipsters are responsibile for a majority of trend forecasting and a good measure for adaptation. Which reminded me of this video, (hipsters generally love history and vintage films btw, so combine the two, winning combo), in which designers in the 1930's were challenged to design for the future (2000's) of  'cool' in fashion, watch it and wait for it "oooh swish!"

For HWKs, the namesake is a positive dedication to an indie, urban, creative and style conscious demographic of individuals coming together, ahem, to make beautiful families. We believe what makes you people most 'hip' is that you are familiarizing your children with acute values and aesthetics for fasion, music, art, architecture, and associated forging-new-paths culture. And all the while preserving a sense of self identity. Using the word hipster, a word with often negative connotations, was intentional to call attention to this amazing societal movement and amplify the spirit of 'hipster' which is, at it's core, cool. And because coolcreativeparentswhovalueartandculturewithrefinedaesthetictaste.com was too long and not as catchy. And in case you are feeling like you might need to inject more cool into your life, take heed from the list below which we found on one of our fav sources Wunderbuzz, who found it on another blog, which in and of itself is a cool thing to do. 

Please feel free to comment on your 'cool' tips. It is cool to share.

Hunter Gathererer

A guest post by our friend Ashley....

In San Francisco visiting my friend Molly and family, they just got baby chicks!They are just the sweetest things you have ever seen.... not to mention yummy fresh eggs soon!

keep watch for more ocular delights from Ashley's adventures, oh the places you'll go!