Aurélie @superheroesdiary_
Can you tell us a little about your family?
My name is Aurélie, and Vincent and I met 13 years ago. We moved to London almost 10 years ago, and Lucien, 9, Marcel, 6 and a half, and Alfred, 2, came along to expand the family. We only thought we'd stay for 2 or 3 years (I was pregnant with Lucien when we moved here for work, and we had said we'd go back "at the latest for him to start nursery school in France"). We're still here and I really don't see myself going back any time soon. The children speak French with the same accent as Jane Birkin, but they still dare to make fun of our English accent! I love our London life and the kindness that surrounds children's nursery and primary school years here.
Lucien is a big dreamer, with a scientific bent. He devours everything he can get his hands on, loves facts, and enjoys reigning over his little world (especially his brothers). Marcel loves to create, dance, and everything that sparkles. He's also the one with the unruly personality... sensitive souls, beware 😊 Alfred is a mini clown, rocked since birth by our ambient chaos, and accustomed to the constant attention of the four pairs of eyes in the family.
What are your favorite daily activities or small family rituals?
The evening routine, or how to get through the end-of-day rush – the kids still enjoy (though probably not for much longer) taking a bath together. They usually choose music, one song each in turn, with very different tastes – at the moment, we're alternating between Soda Pop, Highway to Hell, and Baby Shark. If they can't agree, I choose; generally, the prospect of listening to ABBA helps them make up their minds 😉
I love coffee (flat white please), and the kids are now used to having a babyccino and a croissant / pain au chocolat on weekends, no matter where we are. It's really a weekend tradition. We've just recently started sitting down and enjoying a moment all together rather than getting takeout. It's hit or miss, it's rare to have 3 children willing to sit still for 10 minutes at the same time, but I like the idea that they'll remember these little moments when they're older.
If your family were a season, which one would it be and why?
A summer in the Basque Country! 4 seasons (x 3 children) in the same day. We go from beautiful weather to a thunderstorm in no time at all!
What made you want to join the ambassador family?
First of all, you, Amandine! Our discussions and your passion for what you create. And then the discovery of our first collection, the Human Body, and the fact that all three boys found it interesting, each in their own way. They don't necessarily play together with Ma Cabane À Rêves, but rather side-by-side, but I thought it was cool to watch them.
Is there a value of Ma Cabane À Rêves that particularly resonates with you (free play, creativity, imagination, poetry, transmission…)?
What did you think when you first discovered your first Ma Cabane À Rêves products?
"Wow!" when we unboxed the human body. The quality of the magnets is incredible and stands up to impatient little hands (and easy to clean, when those little hands are dirty). I really like the pop but soft colors and the illustrations. Special mention for the poster that comes with the set, which extended the game in a completely different way. I thought that if I could find them more easily here, they would totally be the kind of gifts we'd love to give for friends' (many) birthdays.
We discovered other collections afterwards, and I'm super excited about the colors and designs – the older kids are at an age where the games that interest them are not aesthetically the ones that excite me the most. Ma Cabane À Rêves gets everything right: the children appreciate the play possibilities and I don't grumble if the magnets aren't put away at the end of each day 😉
What games or collections do your children like the most?
Lulu and Marcel prefer the human body, and Alfred prefers "woof woof doggies." I have the little hearts and frames on the fridge, and I recently realized that the hearts were disappearing one by one, only to find them later in one of Marcel's drawers, on his little slate...
Do you like to hijack magnets and create your own stories/scenes?
In what atmosphere or time of day do you most often use our creations (free play, quiet time, travel, creative activity, etc.)?
We have magnets in different places around the house – Alfred has a lot of fun with the ones on the fridge while I prepare meals. We have several metal furniture pieces, and I often find magnets on them, moved around during their games (and I love the photo frames and little hearts for sticking up my daily reminders).
If you had to choose 3 words to describe Ma Cabane À Rêves, what would they be?
What emotion would you like your children to remember feeling when they play with our creations?
The freedom to create, the fact that nothing is set in stone and that stories can be reinvented as moods change.
And finally… Do you have a little word of love to share with us to conclude this questionnaire?
Long live Ma Cabane à rêves, and may it have even more success in England! And thank you for this great opportunity!!
Aurélie's Top Picks
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Magnetic anatomy game — human body, organs, skeleton
Regular price €32,00Regular priceUnit price per -
Magnetic Alphabet — 104 capital letters + illustrated bilingual alphabet chart
Regular price €29,00Regular priceUnit price per -
Magnetic Game The Professions — 13 professions to explore
Regular price €29,00Regular priceUnit price per -
OH MY DOG! Magnetic Stickers
Regular price €16,00Regular priceUnit price per
