10 Best: Foxy Finds

Foxes are fast becoming the new owls, loved by parents and little ones alike  (Alfie adores his Tootsa Macginty fox sweater), so I thought I’d round up some the foxiest finds for kids. My love for Maileg toys knows no bounds and this little fella is no exception. In fact, I’ve decided he’s going to [...]

Hot shop: Niddle Noddle

When I spied Kat’s mention of Niddle Noddle on her marvellous snow boots post I simply had to go and check it out. And what a treasure trove I uncovered. Established by London mamas Eilidh and Katrine, both on a quest to find something a little bit different for their children, the boutique’s ethos is to [...]

BG Christmas gift guide 2011: stocking filler ideas under £1

Welcome to the BG Christmas Gift Guide 2011. Austerity measures may be in place for Christmas this year, but that doesn’t mean you need to forgo the traditional stocking. And cheap needn’t mean nasty. We’ve trawled the web to find a myriad of mini treasures for less than a pound. Bookmark and refer back when [...]

Finger Puppets from Ikea

I’m not a big one for party bags as so often they either cost a fortune, are filled with rubbish… or both. When Monty had a woodland party for his birthday earlier this year I picked up one of these finger puppets to send away with each of the guests. Far more substantial than the [...]

New goodness at Zid Zid Kids

Zid Zid Kids is one of my all-time favourite children’s design companies as you can tell from my Label Love post last year. I’ve been hanging out and checking back for new products ever since I discovered them. Marrakech-based due Julie and Moulay have been super-busy, decking out the kids’ space in the city’s new Four Seasons [...]

Terri Leahy soft toys

Sometimes the simplest shapes can have the most incredible amount of character – that’s what embroiderer extraordinaire Terri Leahy somehow pulls off. Her “Best in Show” range of soft toys depicts typical British pets, from hamsters to doggies, and apparently they are inspired, in part, by celebrity culture – which explains, I guess, the names [...]

Hot Shop: Mes Habits Chéris

Happy to bring you another shopping opportunity from across the Channel. Mes Habits Chéris is an emporium of delights stocked with familiar French brands Le Toy Van, Lalé and Mimilou, plus BG Euro faves Kidsonroof, Bakker Made with Love, Isak and Sukie. There is a lot of extremely covetable stuff on this site – I’d recommend [...]

Hot shop: Burp!

Hurrah for another online boutique and yay for it being British. Burp! is the Hampshire (Farnborough, to be exact)-based brainchild of Kate & James Hayden-Ellis who, like so many parents these days, were bored with the traditional baby offerings and took matters into their own hands. The result is a small but lovely selection of goodies [...]

Hot Shop: Little Home

I do so love discovering a new online shopping destination and Geneva-based boutique Little Home is one such place. Featuring furniture, toys and accessories for small people, there are goodies from big brands such as Vilac, Moulin Roty and Momoll, labels we love (think Atsuyo et Akiko, Donna Wilson, Famille Summerbelle) and new names like [...]

Hot shop: Cool in Cloth

Barnstaple-based boutique Cool in Cloth was founded by Elizabeth Mason with the intention of giving ‘children children a better planet to inherit’. Consequently, you’ll find eco, organic and ethical clothing brands such as Aravore, Organics For Kids, Pili Pala, Frugi and PEA (Pure English Alpaca) stocked on the (virtual) shelves, plus Aden & Anais muslins [...]

Sisters Guild flash sale

No, it’s not an April fool. The lovely Carla and Bekka of Sisters Guild have gone a bit giddy and reduced a load of their unfailingly gorgeous stock to frankly foolish prices for four days only. The main discount (40%) is on Rice, one of our favourite brands – loving this raffia storage basket for [...]

10 Best: Ideas for underwater-themed rooms

If you’ve got a mini fan of the life aquatic at home then read on. I’ve hunted down ten cool deep-sea goodies for children’s rooms. Firstly, you’ll be wanting wall decoration. I love the work of London-based South African designer, Luzelle van der Westhuizen’s Mengsel Design – her bicolour silkscreen prints are simple and stylish. This [...]

Fairtrade Fortnight: 5 cool ethical toys

We’re still in Fairtrade Fortnight, so what better excuse to hunt down a few toys with a conscience. First of all, I’ve featured them before, but I make no apologies for revisiting Bholu Bubalahs. These gorgeous wool-felt creatures are made by Gujarati women, from designs by local children (bholus), whose education part of the profits [...]

Little Scout – shop for boys

I must admit to being slightly baffled by the concept behind new online shop Little Scout, which only stocks ‘toys for boys’ – think robots, planes and pirates. To me, this seems like a bit of an outdated idea – many little girls I know enjoy playing with trains and cars as much as my [...]

Fairtrade Fortnight: Weaving Hope

As we’re in the midst of Fairtrade Fortnight, I thought I’d share one of my favourite ethical children’s companies. Sri Lanka-based Weaving Hope is a community of women producing handwoven, hand-dyed cotton toys and accessories in an array of cheerful colours. Toys are largely animal-themed, and range from a baby turtle, £8.50, to this, frankly [...]

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