Keepsake box for a new baby

There’s a new baby in our family. My cousin’s daughter has had a little girl, which confused me at first. What relation is the new baby to me? Apparently she’s my first cousin, twice removed and third cousin to my two sons. I feel better for finally knowing that (although it seems the wrong way round to me).

Anyway, I love this East of India new baby gift box. Perfect for keeping all those little things you don’t want to throw out, but are not quite sure what to do with – like the hospital ID bracelet.

Last minute gifts for kids

No matter how organised a shopper you are, there will almost always be someone you’ve forgotten. Adults generally understand, but kids? Not so much. So make sure you have a few extras in, just in case.

I’m always going on about this tube of pencils, but I just love them. I would have been delighted to have been given them as a gift when I was a child.

Similarly, I can’t imagine any child not loving this Moulin Roty Amedee Duck, which is not only suitable from birth, but also comes in a gift bag – no wrapping required. Even better.

Happy Hedgehog Gifts

Everyone loves hedgehogs, don’t they? And children will love these hedgehog gifts, I’m sure.

This Lanka Kade educational wooden counting jigsaw is recommended for children of 18 months and above. Lanka Kade products are handmade by small craft enterprises in Sri Lanka and approved by BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade Shops) since 2001 as a fair trade supplier.

This Moulin Roty Emile Hedgehog Marionette is a lovely, soft plush toy suitable from birth. (If hedgehogs aren’t your thing, check out the other Moulin Roty puppets, like the lovely mouse and cow.)

I do love this Woodland pencil set. So cute. It contains 36 assorted coloured pencils and costs just £3.50 so would make a great party bag gift as well as a Christmas present.

Snap up these stocking fillers

I still haven’t started my Christmas shopping even though – thanks to my son’s Christmas countdown calendar – I know it’s only 67 days away. I figured I’d ease myself into it, by starting with a few small stocking fillers.

These new Tap A Shape boxes are great for gifts and perfect for party bags. A cute colourful tin with painted wooden pieces that can be made into pirate or fairy themed shapes. Like a jigsaw with added imagination.

My younger son will love this elephant shaker toy. You pull the trunk and it shakes and makes a noise. It can be hung up or attached to a pram, but I imagine he’ll just carry it with him. You can also get a ladybird (you pull the tail).

I love Bobbypin, even though I’m way (way) out of the target market. This purse from Disaster Designs features the inscription ‘bobbypin is totally groovy!’. And it is.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Let us know in the comments.

What do you buy for a naming ceremony?

Kitted Out Baby Girl Photo Album

In a couple of weeks I’m going to a naming ceremony for the daughter of two really good friends. I’ve never been to a naming ceremony before and I’m not entirely sure what to expect. I’m guessing it’s going to be like a religion-free Christening, but I don’t really know. What I do know is that I want to buy a really lovely present.

I find presents for Christenings/naming ceremonies really tricky. I want to buy something unique and individual and meaningful, but unique/individual/meaningful presents are (unsurprisingly) the hardest to buy. And of course I’ve left it rather late… So if anyone has any ideas I’d be very grateful.

Lovely duck baby gift

My youngest is obsessed with ducks – we walk the eldest to school alongside a canal and Joe starts quacking about five minutes before we get there. So I know he’d love this Moulin Roty Amedee Duck.

Suitable from birth, the duck can be dressed and undressed and it’s machine washable, making it a perfect baby gift. And if your baby’s not as much of a fan of ducks as mine is, there’s a great choice of alternative animals, including a cow, dog and a hedgehog.

Gifts for new mums

In the last three weeks, four friends of mine have had babies. Three girls and one boy. (It’s not making me broody at all. Not at all. Okay, maybe just a little…) I always try to buy gifts for the mums rather than the babies – it’s the mums who’ve done the majority of the work, after all!

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a candle and this boxed cupcake candle, by East of India, is particularly gorgeous. The inscription on the box says: “Live life in the moment and make it so beautiful that it is worth remembering.” A perfect reminder that one day you will indeed sleep again!

When I was pregnant with my first son, the books all told me to buy muslin squares. I had no idea what I was going to use them for, but the answer turned out to be “everything”. That’s how I feel about a wide cotton scarf. Perfect for making you look like you’ve put a bit of effort in when you’re actually still wearing a maternity sweatshirt and pyjama bottoms, they also work as a breastfeeding cover-up and hide the lingering “baby” bump… And if you did want to use a corner to discretely wipe your baby’s mouth (or, for that matter, your own), I wouldn’t judge…

I love this Petits Enfants frame. It’s so, you know, French! Perfectly shabby chic. And, if the new baby isn’t a first baby, it’s a great way of including older siblings in your gift.

What are your favourite new mum gifts? Or did you receive any howlers (support tights?)? Let us know in the comments!

Prima Baby loves our dinner sets

Prima Baby magazine loves our Disaster Designs Dinner Sets!

Not that we’re surprised because the cute melamine sets are dishwasher safe and feature a compartmented and inscribed (‘I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream’) plate, bowl, cup, fork and spoon, presented in a box. They’re available in Monkey or Elephant designs.

“Great for a gift, or to brighten up toddler mealtimes,” said Prima. We couldn’t agree more.

Introducing Fellow Business Owner, Kim from www.hatsmybaby.co.uk

Hats my Baby was launched in January 2010.  The inspiration for my business came whilst on maternity leave after the birth of our first, beautiful child Lily who was born in April 2009.  In the summer of last year we found ourselves with a number of invitations to summer weddings.  Finding gorgeous dressses and outfits for little one was not a problem, but when it came to buying baby hats we were really surprised by the lack of variety on the high street.

From there an idea was born. I wanted a website which offered cute and funky baby hats for all occasions and seasons.  Its early days but we’re continually adding to our range to make sure we can bring our customers just that.

What have been the main obstacles you have faced so far?

I have been on a very steep learning curve when it comes to web design and getting the website noticed on the World Wide Web, but with a lot of hard work and determination I’m over the moon with how things are going.  I’ve also had to face the challenge of launching and running my business in my spare time whilst also juggling motherhood and a part time job.  When things seem tough the passion I have for my business gives me the motivation and drive I need to keep going.

What are your plans for the future?

My early vision for the business was to provide customers with a fantastic range of baby hats in all shapes, styles and colours and for all occasions and seasons and I’m continuing to work towards that.  At the moment I’m working hard to find new suppliers and I’ve got a few in the pipeline which I’m very excited about.  I’m looking forward to offering a gift wrapping service in the near future and also to watching my idea continue to grow into a successful business.

What makes your business stand out?

 The website is fresh and simple and I aim to offer customers a lovely shopping experience.  A lot of heart and soul has gone into building my website to give it that personal touch and I hope the website shows how motherhood has inspired me.

To see our range of gorgeous baby hats click here http://www.hatsmybaby.co.uk

Introducing fellow business owner Lisa from www.babynotincluded.co.uk

www.babynotincluded.co.uk was launched in May 2007 after much deliberating whether or not to take the plunge into self employment or not. I wanted more flexibility to work around our son and also expand our family.

 I wanted a website that would offer customers practical but fun clothing for their baby or toddler, but also a range for that special occasion.  Baby Not Included offers a great selection of bibs, hats, onesies, t-shirts and dresses and all the other bits and pieces that you need to dress your baby.

 What have been the main obstacles you have faced so far?

 My main obstacle is time. I’m what’s classed as a 5 to 9’er in that I work full time and work on my business in the evenings and at weekends.  I love what I do, but it is extremely time consuming having to do all of the jobs yourself. I have also had to learn a lot of things that I knew little or nothing about before, such as web design. I recently had my site redesigned so that it’s more user friendly and has a fresh look. Getting your website noticed is also a very arduous task as the competition is rife, but when it’s something that you love or believe in it doesn’t seem that bad. 

Zutano Hat

 What are your plans for the future?

 I am looking forward in particular to the next few months. Our second child is due in September, and this also marks the end to my full-time career. This is going to be the turning point that I’ve been waiting for to enable me to dedicate more time to the business (new baby permitting). I intend to add a gift-wrap service to the site alongside made to order gift boxes. I have also yet to get involved with any baby fairs/shows, and this is something that I would love to do. I’m constantly on the look for new products, and have been fortunate to meet some fabulous stockists through the various networking sites that I frequent.

 What makes your business stand out?

 I love my business and I hope this shows in the products and the customer service we provide. Many customers that have found us have visited and purchased several times following their first visit. I love sourcing new products, and would have to say that this is my favourite job. This means that we can offer our customers new products to browse on each visit, and offer special offers to our newsletter readers.

 If you’re thinking of setting up your own business, I would suggest that you do your research, and also chose something that you are passionate about, it makes all the difference!

Visit www.babynotincluded.co.uk to see all products 

Corsage Baby Blue Shoes