Happy Mum, Happy Baby

Today I had a lovely chat with a friend about the latest ingenious inventions in baby gear and, out of that, I want to pull together some gift ideas for new mummies as I seem to be beset by them at the moment. When you have a baby, you are spoiled rotten with presents. It's a lovely time and people are very generous. Ever since I became a mum, I have discovered that the best presents are often those that have some benefit the mum as well as the baby. This is because, as you soon discover, there are things that you NEED to make your life infinitely easier but you don't actually KNOW you need them until you have charge of your child. Likewise, during pregnancy, there are about a billion things you become convinced you do need and actually have little use for at all. Using those hoodie towels with my daughter, for example, was like trying to wrap a blancmange in an envelope - frustrating and chilly. So get a load of these amazing ideas now currently on the market. Some are practical, some are pretty, some are both. All are a flippin' Godsent! So next time you have to buy a new baby present, give something different and clever and leave the flowers and layette sets to the amateurs:

1. Totseat from £18.00

The brilliance of this lovely sling as a gift is that new parents very rarely think about where their baby will sit when out and about and they want to be out of the carseat. I gave one of these to a good friend last month and she was delighted with it. They roll down into a pouch you can keep in the baby bag and fit almost any chair. The comforting softness of a sling keeps the little ones happy and supported long before they can go into a highchair.

2. BuggyTug £3.99 & TugTrio £9.99

Here's something rather wonderful that wasn't around when I was looking for new baby gadgets for my daughter but I really could have done with. The Buggytug is a wrist strap that securely attaches your wrist to your pram. It brings fantastic peace of mind for you when you temporarily really do need that second hand. Similarly, the Tugtrio is an ingenious extension of the same idea. A lovely gift that comprises the Buggytug plus a Toddletug which is a strap for an older child to hold onto that is also attached to the pram and finally and (so crucially) the Teddytug designed to counter that sense of mild bereavement you get when a much loved toy gets jettisoned out and lost when out and about. I know it well. Sniff! 

3. Wondercubes by My Wondercube from £14.99 

Nobody tells you in NCT classes how much babies and toddlers like to empty things. It has to be something to do with the repetition or the urge to discover. Whatever it is, it is a real pain to discover tissue boxes and wipe packs have been decimated while you're back was turned for half a minute. Someone's been paying attention though because they went and invented Wondercubes. Lovely, colourful box-shaped toys containing a string of multi-coloured swatches for the little darlings to empty to their heart's content over and over again. Check out the website because there are different styles and extra accessories you can buy to mix things up a bit. Wonder-ful!

4. Crayon Rings by Timothy Liles from £3.50 for six

For those who like the added dimension of a bit of genuine art. These lovely diamond rings are made of child-safe wax crayon and come in six different colours and are derived from a concept by artist Timothy Liles. Little fingers can slide through them easily for hours and hours of rampant scribbling fun.  They only seem to be available from America at present but you can order them through Ebay. You may think they're gimmicky but talk to me again after an afternoon of picking crayons up every ten seconds! It's a great idea.

3. Car Tidy from The Mod Mobile on Etsy £12.34

Fact: Babies create crap. At the end of each day, your car will be strewn with a fresh layer of used wipes, tissues, snack packets and food remnants. And once you've got said child and all their paraphernalia out of the car and into the house, it's understandably tempting to avoid venturing out again with a plastic bag to clean up. I love these funky waste collectors from The Mod Mobile's Etsy shop. The strap fits around gear sticks, suit hooks and headrests. I reckon I need at least six for my car but one would be a great starter for ten and makes a very original and thoughtful pressie for the new parent who "has everything".

6. Ma Petite Princesse by Maileg at Sister's Guild £5.50

When I announced I was pregnant, a group of older ladies from work very thoughtfully gave me a set of pretty satin baby hangers which I still treasure. Then, when my daughter was born, another friend gave me a lovely set of Maileg wooden hangers very similar to this lovely one, above, from online boutique Sister's Guild. Now I finally realise their true value because baby girls only live in babygros, t-shirts and leggings for a very short time before you want to buy them about a million pretty dresses...dresses which need hanging up! Now, I have started a small collection for her to keep for her own children one day. I bought her this one last year. It's a near obsession.  

7. Think King Mighty Buggy Hooks (2 pack) from Huggle.co.uk £15.00

At first, I turned my nose up at these hooks because I thought they were too expensive. Two years later and thirty quid down on cheap plastic alternatives and I realise I was wrong. There has been a lot of criticism about buggy hooks because of the risk of the weight of the shopping tipping the pram but, what I say is, you've got to be a real idiot to let that happen and sadly stupidity is not a crime in this country. Honestly, there is only so much you can carry on your shoulder or in the under-basket of a buggy and it is a good place to keep your handbag accessible and in sight. We should give mother's the benefit of the doubt and assume that they won't attempt to hang a £90 Tesco shop from them. Actually, I often hang my keys on mine so I don't have to lose my mind searching for them in car parks. 

8. Unisex Baby Blankets by Lily+Sid £35.00

You can never have enough baby blankets. I knitted three small ones for my baby before she was born and received two further handmade ones as gifts after she was born. They are invaluable and it's good to have a few as they quickly get coated in all manner of crud and need endless washing. Advantages? They are comforting, they keep babies cosy warm, they can lie on them on grass and cover the pram on a sunny day at nap time and about a million other things. Never underestimate the usefulness of a beautiful knitted blanket. I love the range at Lily+Sid because they have that lovely vintage handmade look and are unisex so they make a great present for a girl or a boy. Prepare to be popular!

No Brainer of The Month

I just found this and it is, hands down, my new absolute ultimate recommendation for a new baby gift. Available now in a whole rainbow of colours from the completely edible baby boutique Tuppence & Crumble for £19.95. It's completely out of this world! 

Enough said.

Babies Who Lunch & Birds Who Fly

I just bought one of these Totseats £24.00 for a friend who is expecting her baby early next month. It's the sort of invaluable thing whose use you can only really appreciate AFTER you've had a baby which is why it is such a vital gift. Available in a range of lively fabrics and fitting almost any chair, this portable pack away highchair just slots into your baby bag. Put down that layette set and cuddly toy! This is the sort of thing a new mum really needs. And I was particularly pleased that I got this little beauty for a complete bargain through a half price offer on family deal site LittleBird. I've only been a subscriber for a couple of months and I've already used them twice. This is twice more than I've used a similar (discretion, valour etc.) site in the past two years! (I mean - how many electrolysis sessions and eyelash extensions does a girl really need!) A lot of their deals are confined geographically to the London region but not all - such as subscriptions and shopping offers. Anyway, I'm a fan and heartily recommend checking them out. Bon appetit!

Special Event. Special Baby

In two weeks we're off to the smoke again for the Christening of my oldest friend's daughter; the gorgeous Georgina.  Little G (as she is affectionately known) is almost two years old and I now find myself charged with the task of finding an original and meaningful gift for this very special little girl on this most special of events. Practical is (almost) totally out of the window on this one but I must confess that 'keepsakes' in the traditional sense of the word does leave me a little cold. Somewhere in between is the answer. Here are my findings...

1. Hunter First Wellies in Yellow £25.00

I recently bought a pair of these for my own daughter (now 16 months). They appeal to me not just because they are insanely cool but also because they have a timelessness about them that means that at some stage in the future they will no doubt end up in some keepsake frame of her early clothing that I will feel obliged to create for her bedroom. 

2. Cooking Play Set by Weaving Hope Fair Trade Gifts £39.50

It's not just because she's a girl! The fun kids get out of mimicry would make this lovely set of toys appeal to any child and I particularly love the fact that you can spread it out on a table top for extra authenticity.

3. Extending Ivory Pearl Bracelet by Highland Angel £22.00

I can't tell you how much I love this company's stuff. It's just out of this this world and what I particularly love about this bracelet is that it is suitable for a little girl but can become a piece of jewellery for a young lady too. Timeless genius! 

4. Dorcas The Duck Wooden Chair from The Little Ark £79.00

There are a number of different styles of this chair from The Little Ark but I've have a real obsession for egg yolk yellow at the moment. It maybe a bit of rebellion against girly pink. Choose from labradors, chickens, elephants and rabbits in a rainbow of colours and the parents will thank you because it will look classic and chic in the nursery amongst the forest of plastic. 

5. Personalised Framed Papercut by Kayleigh's Papercuts at FromTheWilde.com £45.00  

Girls names are so pretty. What better way to celebrate a new life than something that simply records the important facts. Intricate and elegant. Say no more! 

Hello Baby!

Congratulations to two sets of our good friends who welcomed new little people into the world this month - a boy AND a girl! Phew! It's been quite a while since I bought anything for a newborn. I never realised until I had my own baby quite how much stuff you don't realise you need and, more pertinently, how much stuff you don't realise you don't need. Baby towels are a good example? Pourquoi? It's a small towel. Most people have an airing cupboard full of them already. And frequently, they are too small. Cuddling her up in one of these was like trying to wrap a jelly with a postage stamp. After a couple of weeks I was reaching for a big fluffy bath sheet and I have done ever since. The most practical present for a new baby, in my view, is clothing...preferably clothing that is a size 6 to 12 months beyond the size that fits them at the time. But SIDN isn't about being practical. Not exclusively anyway. It's about thrilling, stunning, "I never knew I needed that"-style gifts that really have the wow factor. Here are some firm favourites that are guaranteed to delight.

1. Odd Socks £15.00 from Sprogbox

I was given these by my mum and they are just wonderful. As well as being the most delicious combination of vibrant sherbet colours, you don't need to worry about pairing them up. You just grab a couple and go. Gorgeous!

2. Cupcake Baby Leggings £10.00 from Blade & Rose at NotOnTheHighStreet.com

My sister-in-law found these (and the red and white strawberry pair) for my daughter this past Christmas and they are every bit as gorgeous and good quality as they look. They look great alone or under dresses. I love the fact that the more she needs changing the bigger the cupcake gets! 

3. Jellykitten Busy Bug Squeaker from Baby-e £5.99

A brilliant handbag toy. These colourful bugs are the approximate length of a mobile and a baby will be  transfixed by the squeaky noise before having a really good chew on the antenna. I was given the black and white one in the centre by a friend whose son is four months older than my daughter with instructions to keep it handy and she was absolutely right. A compact hit!. 

4. Baby Blooms Baby Clothes Bouquet from £26.50

Such a beautiful and inspired gift and a great opportunity to add some colour to the wardrobe of a new baby who was an 'it' until the birth announcement was sent out. I received a massive pink version of this bouquet (and I've sent a few too). Her first pinks! The thing is, at first glance, you really do believe that it's a big posh bunch of flowers but closer inspection reveals scratch mits, babygros, vests, hats and socks all rolled up ready to be discovered. I think it took about an hour to unwrap them all and I then re-arranged the remaining foliage into a small bundle that now sits on the windowsill of my daughter's bedroom. Expect a phone call! 

5. Silhouette Print Romper from Organics For Kids £18.20

There's nothing quite as luxurious as a really posh romper suit. New babies live in cheap, white babygros for the first few months of their lives so every now and then it's nice to show them off in something a bit fancy and achingly cute. I was given a version similar to this with pink butterflies on it by a family friend and she looked absolutely adorable in it. There's a range to choose from for both boys and girls in lovely, bold colours. They make wonderful, luxury gifts. 

6. Letter Curtain Tiebacks £31.50 by Jonny's Sister

I love these. So simple and pretty and a good way to personalise a room if you are unwilling (or aren't allowed) to defile the walls. Do note that the cost is per tieback not for a set of two so you have the freedom to have more than one initial if you want or even an "&". And for those who like to go waaaaay above and beyond, matching fabric is also available if you're feeling crafty and want to run up a cushion or bolster pillow to match. 

On the 19th Day of Christmas...

It is astounding how quickly children grow up and once they are standing, it's fun to keep track of their progress. My dad used to mark the height of my brother and I on the doorway to the kitchen with a biro. They've just had a refit but those little scratchy marks and dates are still there - a little piece of family history. This Davy Dragon Height Chart £31.00 from Kid's Rooms is a beautifully conceived decoration for the nursery or playroom to help chart their progress. It is made from fabric, attaches like a hanging to the wall and has little fabric picture frames that mark the latest height of each child that you can put a photograph in. Perfect as a christmas, birthday or new baby gift that will last for years. 

Stocking Fillers 18

Only a week left until the big day. So exciting! I took my daughter to her first birthday party yesterday and to save a lot of aggro, we all drew names in a Secret Santa style arrangement so that each child got one present from another child. So simple. So sensible. I drew my friend's son Oscar and we chose two Rubber Ducks £5.00 each from John Lewis for him; the two blue ones at the top in fact because I love the little rubber ring they have 'boy' written all over them. Also a great stocking filler idea for some seriously stylish splashing. 

Stocking Fillers 17

How cute? Why not stuff a stocking with this Blue & Red Rose Coathanger £4.20 from This Is Pretty. I met someone once who (quite vehemently) believed that padded hangers were the work of the devil and I could never understand why. Obviously some are nicer than others (pastel yellow, crocheted and smelling of mothballs are a no-no of course) but who could say that this child-size hanger isn't cute as a button and wouldn't look so smart with a pretty dress hanging from it in a wardrobe or on the back of the nursery door. It would also make a lovely present for a 1st birthday or new baby. 

Stocking Fillers 15

Completely scrumptious. This Breakfast Menu Tray £12.00 from Jelly & Blancmange is a lovely toy for a small child. I'm a big fan of traditional wooden toys and there's something about the smoothness and roundness of these pieces that is particularly eye-catching - I love the cheese! The Jelly & Blancmange site is choc-full of good quality festive accessories, tradional toys and magic party bag fillers so go and have a wander around. I know twelve quid might be a bit steep for the stocking but I reckon individually wrapped they'd take up quite a bit of room and it'll kickstart the training for when the little darlings are old enough to start serving you breakfast in bed (which is when...roughly...by the way?)

On the 15th Day of Christmas...

So cute. My daughter was given this little Owl Holdall £13.75 by my aunt for her first birthday. It's great because she is getting interested in everything and she simply loves the opportunity to empty my handbag. Now I just fill it full of interesting things from the nursery, kitchen and bathroom and watch her go. I've trawled the internet for them and most places seem to be sold out but I found some available at Bazaar Barnstaple and Amazon do them as well but at almost twice the price and even they are running low on stock so they must be very popular. I particularly love the design of the holdall because the neck of the bag is narrower than the rest of it so even if it gets up-ended, you won't end up with absolutely everything on the floor in Tesco. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Stocking fillers 10

Here's a nice thing to find in your stocking. This pretty "Little Star" Children's Mug £7.50 is from a collection by Jamie Oliver at lovely online gift emporium It's Darling. I have something like this in mind for my little 12-month old who is currently 'practising' drinking out of a cup. Who knew? She has rejected almost every sippy cup on the market and prefers good old porcelain china like her mamma. She also seems to be really getting into tea (very weak and decaff, of course!) Altogether, she's a chip off the old-ish block. All she has to do now is figure out how to drink without waterboarding herself and, for this, perhaps a smaller mug will help. Baby steps! 

Showcase: Manchester Christmas Market

For my daughter's first birthday, we took her into Manchester for some Christmas shopping, pretty lights and gluwein (for mummy of course) at The Christmas Market. This is our second year visiting and it really really is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in town. Here's some of our finds. 

We found some lovely gift shopping at Quite Contrary Designs just outside the Town Hall. I bought these two fabric covered mirrors £6.00 each as small gifts for friends. I love the contrasting fabric and the soft punched leather pouches they come in. Artist Mary Shears hand makes all her products working with vintage inspired fabrics, buttons, leather, tweeds and wool fabrics to make seriously gorgeous bags, scarves, keyrings, brooches and cushions. Her business is resident at the Manchester Craft & Design Centre in the Northern Quarter if you don't make it down to the market this Christmas.                                                                     

It has become a custom to find a new Christmas decoration for my daughter every year. It's a really nice thing to do for a baby (her godmother does it as well) and it means that eventually, our tree will be covered in unique and unusual baubles that will hold a lot of meanings and memories (for us more than for her I imagine but nobody says gifting has to be selfless!) Yesterday, I added this small nativity £3.50 to our current collection from one of the traditional German stalls. It is made from wood with tiny figures exquisitely painted. It was the little sheep on the right that sold it to me though. So cute!  

Speaking of sheep, we found this lovely Sheepey Scarf £10.00 as an additional birthday present for Her Majesty. I particularly liked it because, at the moment, she refuses to wear hats and it comes right up around her ears thereby giving her head at least some coverage. It's by a company called Jomanda and they make a whole range of soft toys and children's accessories that are suitable from birth. They are definitely a business to add to my Fantasy High Street. I don't know any parent who wouldn't be thrilled to receive something like this for their baby. 

Another lovely find was the ceramic stall by Interlude Ceramics. Based in the heart of the lake district, they product a simply stunning range of wheel-thrown stoneware crockery, mugs, jugs, bowls and one-off pieces. They also receive commissions. A few days ago, I posted an Engagement Album featuring gift inspiration for couples and this (above) makes a lovely addition. Last night, I bought this delightful little stoneware Christmas Pudding £1.00 to put on the mantlepiece in our sitting room for the festive season. Yummy.

Finally, no journey home from a Christmas market would be complete without having to share the passenger seat with the top half of a seven foot fir tree £15.00. We picked up ours in the main square outside the town hall for an unbelieveably reasonable price. The vendors there said that they have plenty in stock but they're going fast and the prices will most probably go up as demand intensifies and supply begins to dwindle so get down there fast. Completely in the mood for Christmas now. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly...Fa-la-la-la-lah.............

I Heart MCR!

What's it going to be?

It's my baby girl's first birthday next week so it's a pretty happy time. I've just finished putting the finishing touches on her cake and I'm thinking about presents. I did, by the way, buy the 'Ma Little Princesse' hanger I mentioned in my post Scandi Baby Chic and it's gorgeous.  This time last year I was going slowly bonkers wondering if she was ever going to arrive. We didn't know she would be a girl so we didn't really buy her any clothes other than white babygro's before she was born. I did want her to have an outfit to travel home in style in though - very important for that all important 'home from the hospital' shot. I found this gorgeous Cashmere Pullover & Bootees Set £32.00 from Little Hooligan who sell their beautiful range of baby clothes on NotOnTheHighStreet.com. This was my first present to my own beautiful (and as it turns out not so) little hooligan and, since she arrived in the middle of a snowdrift, most appropriate for braving the icy temperatures outside the sweltering maternity ward. Here she is in all her 3-day old glory wearing the pullover and stripey trousers by Olive & Moss. I can't see the same trousers amongst their range anymore but there are lots of lovely similar designs on their website. Hat, snood and rose brooch by me. If you are handy with the needles and want to buy this for a new baby, you could do what I did and make a little corsage suitable for either a boy or a girl (I had a little knitted bee ready for a boy) so that the mum can attach the appropriate one when she puts it on the baby. I made the attachment out of sticky velcro to avoid having any pins in the nursery. Happy Birthday, little A. 

Scandi Baby Chic

A couple of days ago I mentioned one of my favourite gifts from when I had my baby last year and the good news is that I've finally tracked them down. That's the good news. The bad news is that the Danish company that makes them, Maileg, doesn't have an online store and, at this time, no retail outlets in the UK. I can only locate their shops in Scandinavia and North America. This makes sense now because Catherine's husband is in fact half-Danish and they make frequent trips to the country. Anyway, I thought it would be nice so put these wooden hangers on the blog because they really are exquisite. I've never found anything that comes close to their design or shape. According to their website, it looks as though Maileg products may shortly be available on a new website called Scandi Chic which is currently under construction. However, I notice that some of their lovely range of toys and accessories are currently available at Sister's Guild including this similar one (£5.50) below which is equally lovely. 

I look forward to seeing what other products will become available when Scandi Chic goes live and will keep this page posted with updates.

Hang It Small

Next week I'm heading down to London to visit an old friend who's just had a baby. She's already got two girls so she already has all the essentials (an non essentials) but having a big family has meant that she hasn't had a lot of time to prepare a new room for the new arrival; a little boy called Leo. When I had my daughter we prepared a colourful but gender neutral room for her. I've never been one for pink and I figure that women don't go around dressed head to foot in the colour so why should children. One of the most lovely presents I received for A when she was born was a set of three hand-painted wooden coat hangers in blue, peach and cream decked out with ribbons  and painted beads and I was searching (unsuccessfully) for something similar when I came across this lovely little gem. The Rainbow Coat Rack £18.99 from the Great Little Trading Company. Perfect for a boy or a girl's nursery with it's lovely retro style bobble hooks, this would make an original and much appreciated present for any new mother. Mount it at toddler height to make 'tidying' fun.