New Beach Factory Voucher Code – free shipping!
We know you’re all starting think about the summer now the sun has decided to shine – and our pals at The Beach Factory would like to help it on it’s way to your house.
So we think you should rush right over there and stock up on all your summer essentials. But don’t buy that hat up there please – I need it for me…
Read MoreThe Squirrel Point Hoodie from Lucas Frank
You know how buying stuff for older boys is just… tricky?
The style is never what you AND they agree on.
The fabric is never soft/smooth enough (or is that just mine that insist on the Soft test before they will wear anything?).
The quality is never good enough to withstand the Boy Thing.
Well. Here’s your answer.
Lucas Frank haven’t been around for long, but they’re making quite a splash as they have spotted what needs doing – and are getting it right. By focussing on making good quality basics (there’s just polo shirts, tees and hoodies in their range currently) you just can’t help but love the styling. It’s classic, simple – and yet contemporary enough to be wearable by certain young men. They also go up to age 10.
We’ve had the above Squirrel Point hoodie on review, and it’s a total favourite – one of those items that you have to sneak in and steal to get it in the wash as it is worn consistently.
I love the off-centre wooden buttons, and I know that the subtle quilting makes it the top he reaches for at all times, sliding it in with a sigh of contentment when he’s tired or chilly.
The quality is such that it’ll have years of hand-me-down wear in it, and for under £30, you really can’t go wrong.
Read MoreSpotted! Perfect Car rug.
One of the things I’ve learned as a parent is that a blanket of one’s own is invaluable.
You drag them downstairs with you on a chilly morning, you use them in bed for a little extra snuggability, you curl under them in the corner of your room when you read (or are in trouble…), you lay on top of them when you’re sorting out your soldiers, you take them in the car for sleep-comfort on long journeys, you take them when you visit anywhere overnight for a little feel of home…
Invaluable.
And this rather lovely one from John Lewis is great – soft, big enough, and not too babyish to still be in use when they’re 9.
We love it.
The Here, There and Everywhere Cars Throw is £20 from John Lewis.
Read MoreThe MOST perfect child’s lamp – The Bunny Rabbit
Oh how I love this lamp!
And oh how my daughter loves this lamp too!
What a darling little rabbit he is – though at nearly a foot tall he’s not really in the ‘little’ rabbit class.
(and yes, he is a ‘he’. Wully, actually, is how he’s known around here. Just in case you were wondering)
Just a gorgeous gorgeous lamp.
Bright enough to read by, and yet dim enough to not make you yelp with eye-burny-pain if you turn him on during a 2a.m. emergency. And perfectly safe to leave him on all night as a night light for those small people who are afeared of the dark.
Really – what more do you want in a child’s bedroom lamp?
The fabulous Heico Rabbit Lamp can be found at Petit Home for just £35. I can’t imagine your home is complete without one, to be honest.
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Must-Have Baby Clothing
When it comes to dressing your baby, the most important thing to remember is that simplicity is essential. Whatever it is you are buying, whether every day or for a special occasion, look for easy access wear that is soft and comfortable. Select easy to slip-on bottoms and for tops and one-piece items worn next to the skin, look for snaps rather than buttons and zips. This not only simplifies the nappy changing process, it also prevents baby from accidentally being injured by the zip during a hurried or awkward positioned moment. Everyday items should be purchased in sets; generally five to seven is sufficient; babies are messy and changes will be frequent, so having plenty of day wear on hand means fewer trips to the laundry.
It is also important to remember that babies grow quickly. Whatever you buy now will need to be replaced within a few weeks! While it may be tempting to buy higher ticket items, doing so can result in needless expenditure. Having cool baby clothes does not mean you have to go broke; select quality basics and save the splurge for special occasions.
Here are a few of the essentials you will need:
Image courtesy of Vertbaudet
Bodysuits and T-shirts
Bodysuits and T-shirts are the staple of the baby-clothing world; the perfect thing to have on hand when baby is brought home for the first time. Usually sold in packs of three and up, bodysuits are snap on one-piece items available in long sleeved, short sleeved and sleeveless varieties. Selecting basic white bodysuits make getting stains out easier and because they are inexpensive, once they become too stained or threadbare, they can be easily replaced with new ones.
Image courtesy of Vertbaudet
Sleepwear
Babies sleep a lot, typically 18 hours a day on average, so sleepwear is an important part of the baby’s wardrobe. During warmer seasons, one-piece cotton sleepers with closed bottoms are an excellent choice. In winter months, choose heavier weight sleep suits, which have footed legs.
Image courtesy of Vertbaudet
An assortment of hats, socks and shoes
When taking baby on an outing, you will need a hat and socks and/or shoes to protect their heads and feet. During warmer weather, cool baby clothes include sun hats, light cotton hats and soft baby baseball caps that are perfect for keeping their heads protected. For Winter, select warm beanies and hats with earflaps and ties or buttons to ensure they stay put. Shoes should be selected for comfort rather than purely for style.
Outerwear
Selecting outerwear can be something of a challenge; uncomfortably hot or cold babies can get mightily frustrated and will soon let you know about it. When selecting outerwear, think in layers; that way, minor adjustments can be made to ensure baby is comfortable. Zip-up hoodies and light cotton jackets are good warm weather choices, while easy to get on and off heavier Winter jackets are essential for the colder months. Snowsuits are also a practical idea; they generally come with attached feet and sewn-on mittens.
Vertbaudet offers a range of baby clothes, children’s clothes, maternity wear and home collections for you and your little one’s and with their Mid Season Sale is now on, there’s various items reduced by up to 50% off. Visit Vertbaudet now at www.vertbaudet.co.uk
Read MoreOh oh OH! I want a baby again, just so I can use one of these nappies…
Just LOOOOOOK!
How much do you want that little bottom of awesomeness peeking out from under a skirt or over the top of a pair of trousers? Or bimbling around a shady garden this summer with just a sun hat for accessorising?
Isn’t it brilliant?
And at £9.25 including the inserts it’s a fab price too. Grab yours now from the rather-fab Baba and Boo
Read MoreBabaslings – gorgeous new prints!
Love love LOVE the new limited edition floral prints from Babasling. – perfect for summer (don’t laugh. the sun wil shine. One day).
Available in three colours, but only for a limited time so get in quick. We liek the Dahlia best, but go see because the other two are a bit gorgeous as well…
the BabaSling®- Print is available now from www.thebabasling.com and is priced at £44.99.
Read MoreTOOTSIE & FUDGE FLASH CLEARANCE SALE!
Fabulous and fun online children’s retailer Tootsie and Fudge are having a flash clearance sale this weekend to make way for new summer stock.
Sale starts at noon on Friday 11th May, with 50% off many items it’s well worth a look to grab yourself a bargain!
Read MoreHello to Bumblebee Kids!
A gorgeous new site has joined our shopping directory today; Bumblebee Kids – fabulous children’s clothing and gifts from ages 0-6 years. They stock some of the funkiest children’s clothing brands; Frugi, Bob & Blossom, Olive & Moss, Toby Tiger and more. Alongside a selection of toys, gifts, luxury natural skincare from Boo Boo and designer changing bags from Skip-Hop.
I spotted this little fella in their sale….
Spook Toys Nono Dog at Bumblebee Kids - £25.00 (was £35.00)
And I also spotted these wonderfully appropriate-for-the-weather-we’re-having Toby Tiger wellies…
Toby Tiger Wellies at Bumblebee Kids - £18.00 (was £22.00)
We have also been given a 10% Discount Code to share with you….
Spotted! An Absolute Classic – The Yellow Macintosh.
It can be tricky sometimes, finding a decent raincoat that is acceptable to a ‘tween’ – that tricky age where they’re too old for dinosaurs on their coats, but too young for the dullness of older coats.
And this is exactly where the fabulous Yellow Macintosh steps right in.
The fact that it is a design that hasn’t changed much in a hundred years speaks volumes, I think.
And (more importantly) I LOVE it.
Who wouldn’t?
And this Hatley version of the perennially popular raincoat has it all – just the right classic yellow colour, a comfy cotton terry lining, zipper opening to the front with additional velcro fastening, detachable hood, front pockets… just what’s needed for this delicious weather.
Available from the brilliant Bubbahubb in ages 6-12yrs for £37.50 (and being Hatley it will probably last two seasons with their generous cuts)
Read MoreSpotted! Totally *want* This Tea Tumbler
I don’t know about you but I rarely hold my mugs by the handle – I much prefer wrapping my hand around the comforting warmth, creating a multi-sensory enjoyment of a cup of the Good Stuff.
I also have a secret love of all things wonky and odd-shaped (oh, hush).
So how much do I LOVE this tea tumbler?
A LOT, that’s how much.
(and yes, it’s dishwasher safe too. Genius.)
(I'm also rather yearning for the birch cups...) £28.16
All available from Josies Pot Shop on Etsy, the Tea Tumbler is £22.13
Read MoreFabulous Art Box Tin – mais oui!
I LOVE this little tin!
Actually – it’s not so little; at over 20cm long it’s perfect for holding brushes as well as paints or piles of collage scraps or a gazillion colouring pencils or a family of Sylvanian Rabbits or the entire collection of hair bands/clips/ribbons…
That’s the trouble with useful Pots to put things in. You never know what to put i them when you’re 5.
I had this tin neatly placed in the cupboard with all the brushes and pots of poster paint in it, stacked perfectly away. Foolishly, I let the girl help me stack them. Therfore she knew where the tin was, and just what a great and sturdy thing it is.
Consequently, it’s never where I expect it to be, and when I do come across it (on the stairs, under a bed, behind an armchair…) I’m never quite sure what i’ll find inside.
Ah well – life’s an adventure, yes?
The Art Box tin is from the rather fabulous Wise House, and is £21.50. There’s a whole range of the French tins – I’m rather tempted to go complete my set…
Read MoreFunky Moose 10% Discount Code
Have you met the Funky Moose yet? Oh you should. It’s a fabulous place for stuff for the kids; clothes, wooden toys, gifts, baby changing bags and more, much more.
As a way of encouraging you to go and check them out, they’ve given us a discount code to share with you;
So go, and say Hi to the Funky Moose from us!
Read MoreSpotted! Simply fabulous wall art. There’s Penguins and Whales and Balloons!
This was genius spot by Katy – how much do you LOVE these prints?
The Showler & Showler site is crammed full of sheets of brilliance, and we want them. All of them.
Mr Penguin above is wonderful, but so is this piece of Happy...
Or maybe being a big fish is more your thing?
All prints come in various sizes, ready for you to frame. Prices start at £12.99 for an 18 x 24cm print, and there’s about a gazillion fantastic styles to choose from over at Showler & Showler.
Read MoreWee Gooseberry Sale – 70% off!
oh yes, we love a good sale, don’t we?
How about this Geox Tech Jacket Anthracite, reduced from £125 to £50?
Or this gorgeous Geox Rope Cardigan, reduced from £65 to £35?
Maybe this Darcy Brown Peony Pink & Mocha Tartan Dress is more your thing? Esecially when it is reduced from £55 down to £20!
Go, have a wander with one of our oldest and best-loved friends, The Wee Gooseberry. Show them some love, and snap up a bargain!
Read MoreThe Bird Pocket Dress. *happy*
CQQCP6M6Q5SH I asked the daughter to pose for a few pictures so that I can show you the beauty that is the Bird Pocket Dundelina Dress we were sent by Mayamin. She didn’t quite get the point at first…
Then she started to take it very seriously...
And rather bossily insisted that I show you the very best thing about the whole dress
Yes! Bird pockets! SWEE-E-EET!
The Apple Bloom blouse was very popular too - tops with flowers on are ALWAYS a hit
Then Model's-Bored-ism started to set in... (can you tell?)
Eventually we decided to just sit (on a rather chilly bench) and listen to the evening blackbird - who was OBVIOUSLY chatting to her own bird pockets.
We LOVE this Norwegian Dundelina dress and blouse. The quality is excellent, the fit is roomy and the weight is very light which means that it will carry Pink right through the summer.
The blouse has a pretty ruched collar (carefully hidden by my daughter’s spectacular modelling), and loose-fitting bloused sleeves over a nicely-long body (perfect for my own daughter-long-back).
The pinafore dress is fully lined in the Apple Bloom fabric, and is cut to a circle so it has the most fabulous swinging movement (that she finds very difficult not to make the most of whenever she’s wearing it). It’s pretty enough for ‘going out’, but practical enough to cope with running and jumping and spinning. Just the way a dress should be.
And those bird pockets? I’d buy a grown-up sized version, just for those.
Bird Pocket Dress is available from the incredibly fabulous Mayamin for £40.50, in ages 2-6yrs, and the Apple Bloom Blouse is £29, also ages 2-6yrs.
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Gorgeously Practical Maternity Coat from Vertbaudet
REDUCED! Down from £99 to £74!
When I first found I was pregnant with baby #2 and my regular clothes started to nip in places they hadn’t before, my first stop was to search out my “pregnant” clothes from last time round. I despaired! Have styles and fashions (and my tastes!) REALLY changed that much in just 3 short years?! Er, yes. They have. So, it was back to the drawing board for my 9 month stretch in maternity wear. This is where the lovely Laura steps in and asks if I could possibly review some maternity wear from Vertbaudet. YAY! Lifesaver! (My bank manager also applauds you my dear!)
So, what did I get to review? Some bootcut jeans, a long-line cardi and a winter coat. Now, I’ve had them for some time, and they formed my core wardrobe for the duration of my pregnancy, so my thoughts are based on washing and wearing repeatedly, not just occasional wear.
When I opened my parcel, I was like a child on Christmas morning. Seriously, I’m sure if you had been a fly on the wall you would have laughed at my squeaks of glee at the selection I received from my wishlist. I was particularly pleased to have been blessed with the addition of the wool-cloth coat to keep me and the bump warm in the colder months. I can confirm now – it did its job well! I am a fuss-pot when it comes to coats. I admit it. I am desperately hard to please in that department (same as with jeans, but we’ll get to that later!) so when I say the coat was great, it really must have been. At first viewing, I thought it might be a bit lightweight should the weather be VERY cold, but despite the lack of weight, it was cosy and comfortable. A roomy fit around the bump, with plenty of room for expansion (even at the very end) but nicely fitted at the top to give some definition to the shape of the wearer – none of this waddling around looking like a blob thank you very much! The style and cut impressed me further by having “moveable arms”. Yes, I KNOW that seems like a small ask, but am I the only one who has a pet hate for these stylish but non-functional coats and jackets that you have to take off before getting in the car to drive? Grrrrr! Vertbaudet have it all worked out though – I happily drove around wearing the coat with no restrictions on my movement. Well done designers! So, for all the good things I have to say, I will add a small negative – it has no hood. I may not actually use a hood that often, but I do like a nice winter coat to have the option to keep my head dry should I need it. Take this coat and add a hood and I would be a VERY happy lady indeed.
Maternity Wool Coat now reduced from £99.99 down to £74.25 (that’s 25% off!). Bargain.
Read MoreMothers Day Gifts. Ugg Boots. Like you’ve never seen them before… *seriously pretty things*
So.
If I say ‘Ugg Boots’ to you, what springs to mind, huh?
Come on, you can say it.
Ugly slouchy scuffy slipper boots.
Warm, cosy – but oh-so UGG-ly.
*nods*
But.
Just hold your horses there, young missy.
I have a surprise for you.
Just you climb down off your high horse and cast your eyes over this little lot…
Lucianna Silk platform wedge £140
Not quite so Ugg-ly now, huh?
But of course, platform wedges may not be your thing. So how about some fabulous canvas kicks?
Womens Evera Canvas Kicks £110
Or maybe the most perfect of summer Totes?
Womens Straw Tote £255
There. Told you I’d surprise you…
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WOMEN’S UGG BOOTS
UGGÆ sheepskin boots are a must-have in any womanís wardrobe. Once you try them on, you wonít want to take them off. Tall or short, thereís a pair for you.
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MEN’S UGG BOOTS
Get your hands on a pair of men’s boots from UGGÆ for men – the hottest look for men this winter. Using only the finest materials, they give you a comfort that is like nothing else.
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MEN’S SLIPPERS
Relax in style with a luxurious pair of menís sheepskin slippers from UGGÆ. With the legendary warmth and feel of UGG, you wear them in and out of the house.
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ACCESSORIES
Slip on the luxurious feel of UGGÆ leather gloves this winter. With its famous sheepskin lining, itís the only way to keep your hands toasty and stylish.
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ABOUT UGGÆ
Make sure your UGGÆ Boots are genuine. Be wary of any websites selling discount UGGÆ boots. Visit the official UGGÆ Australia website for authentic UGG products.
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Mother’s Day Gifts – Delicious Helter Skelter Cuff Bracelet
Oh.
Oh oh OH!
I love this bracelet!
Inspired by the swirls of a helter skelter – I can think of nothing more cheerful to wear on your wrist.
Helter Skelter Wrap Cuff Bracelet, designed by Lynda Hayes and available from her Etsy Shop for £62.
Read MoreMothers Day Gifts – Beautiful Handcrafted Recycled Glass Pintie Kellogs Jug
*swoon*
When I’m a grown up, I’m going to have time in the mornings to sit at a beautifully laid table (with a cloth and flowers and coffeepot and everything) and eat my breakfast in peace and tranquillity. And when I do, I intend to have the milk on the table in this.
In the meantime, I might just keep it on the kitchen windowsill with daffodils in.
You know, just to remind me.
The Handcrafted Recycled Glass Pintie Milk Jug is a drop under £20 from our pals at Gifted Penguin.
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