Bambino Goodies » Grown Ups http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk The shopping guide for baby clothing, toys, products, furniture, gear etc Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:49:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Emily Evans Mother Stretch Mark Cream http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/emily-evans-mother-stretch-mark-cream/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/emily-evans-mother-stretch-mark-cream/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=44497

Much like the rest of me at the moment, my ever-expanding bump is is in dire need of pampering, so I was excited to try out the extremely luxe-looking Super-Stretch Mark Cream from Emily Evans, the lady behind stylish maternity boutique 9London. At £38 it’s by no means cheap, but the texture is silky smooth and a little goes a long way. Seaweed, shea butter and vitamin E may not sound like the most appealing combination, but the addition of lavender and geranium ensure the cream smells as good as it looks – loving the matryoshka cardboard tube and weighty glass bottle packaging. I’ll have to report back on its efficacy at a later date, but so far so good – skin feels soft and hydrated and definitely less itchy (hurrah!). Now to book that pedicure…

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/emily-evans-mother-stretch-mark-cream/feed/ 0 Cool Mama: Poppy’s 1950s Inspired Dresses http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/cool-mama-poppys-1950s-inspired-dresses/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/cool-mama-poppys-1950s-inspired-dresses/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:43 +0000 Natalie http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=44427 Beatrice women's dress Aunt Eva by Poppy Grace women's dress Tea Party, navy

When Lu and I were at Bubble, the fashion trade show for kids wear, we ended up getting rather excitable over the big people’s versions of the collection of story inspired dresses by Northern label Poppy. The designer Byrony designs the prints which feature Poppy and her dog Fred off on a variety of countryside adventures each season, with each dress accompanied by a little book. Although I don’t normally go for the 1950s look, these are stunning on and off the rack. Made from high quality cotton, these are classic pieces designed to last, with a V in the back which means it can be worn either way plus a tie around the waist that can be worn either to the front or back. Beatrice (left) and Grace are £98 each and available in sizes 10-16.

Random Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/cool-mama-poppys-1950s-inspired-dresses/feed/ 0 Isabella Oliver Spring/Summer Collection http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/isabella-oliver-springsummer-collection/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/isabella-oliver-springsummer-collection/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000 Natalie http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=44238 The Everyday Maternity Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver

The Print Halter Maxi Isabella Oliver View Larger<p>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver<br/>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver<br/>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver<br/>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver<br/>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver<br/>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress | Dresses | Isabella Oliver</p><p>Gathered Detail Maxi Dress by Isabella Oliver

Isabella Oliver has long been a goto for luxe maternity wear that’s ideal for work and going out. They’re infamous wrap and ruche pieces are effortlessly flattering. New buys include very flattering maxi dresses that will certainly see you through a special occasion or few and relaxed every day pieces that can be dressed up and down (belts seem to be their goto in their lookbook which is an easy style fix you can nick for yourself). Prices range from £32-£229

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/isabella-oliver-springsummer-collection/feed/ 0 Very Cool Buy: Barielle 60 Second Mani-Pedi http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/very-cool-buy-barielle-60-second-mani-pedi/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/very-cool-buy-barielle-60-second-mani-pedi/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000 Natalie http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=43781 Barielle 60 Second Mani-Pedi

Last week as I lay in bed at 2am having an internal groan that Nia seemed reluctant to settle back to sleep , I rubbed my feet together absent-mindedly and promptly forgot her for a few moments as I marvelled at how soft and smooth my feet felt. The boyf gave me Barielle 60 Second Mani-Pedi for Christmas after spotting it in Stylist magazine.

Made from a blend of Dead Sea salts which exfoliate, and lubricating essential oils including jojoba, avocado, peppermint and sweet almond, it has a gentle orange scent and is pleasant to touch. Despite the oils, it’s actually quite easy to wash off (shower/bath will need a quick wipe down) but at the same time leaves enough to continue moisturising your feet or hands. It says to use morning and night for the first week, but I’ve been remembering to do it every few days and my feet still great.

I’ve been telling myself that I should go for pedicures more often as I hate that ‘hammertime’, dry foot feeling but I rarely get around to it – I’ve been twice in the almost five years since I’ve had kids… At £15 for a decent sized 340g jar, my feet are getting some well deserved attention for a fraction of the price of regular salon visits. Snap up yours at Salon Skincare where its currently £13.50.

**Updated** Jaysus BG readers are quick off the mark and have pounced on all of the stock. I went digging though and discovered that you can snap it up for a tenner from Barielle!

Random Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/very-cool-buy-barielle-60-second-mani-pedi/feed/ 3 New Shop Crush: Pipii http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/new-shop-crush-pipii/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/new-shop-crush-pipii/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=43434

It shouldn’t surprise you that I can get a little, erm a lot, obsessive in my googling. Last night I got it into my head that I simply must find some paper snowflake decorations to hang. During my little frenzy of snowflake searching I came across my new shop crush: Pipii.

With Monty and Betsy’s birthdays a mere two months away I’ve found this cute party shop in the nick of time. Packed full of decorations, accessories, eco-serveware, baking accessories and more. I’ve been through this store like a strung out Mama searching for chocolate and I reckon you’ll struggle not to buy a whole heap of goodness. I’ve hit the festive and gift wrapping supplies but will be back for paper straws, striped bags and more come party season.

Be the envy of your party rivals: Pipii.

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/new-shop-crush-pipii/feed/ 2 BG Christmas Gift Guide: Big People http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-big-people/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-big-people/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000 Natalie http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=41116

Welcome to the Bambino Goodies Christmas Gift Guide 2011! If like us, you’ve spent spent oodles of time investigating gift ideas for children but have forgotten about yourself or another ‘big kid’ in your life, we’re here with more than fifty ideas for everything from stocking fillers to a few splurge items starting from under a fiver. All of them are of course cool and there’s plenty of inspiration to go around for both mama’s and papa’s.



Gadgets & Technology

Eye Scope for iPhone. Ideal for the iPhoneographer and capable of 8x optical zoom, we love this! £35 Science Museum Shop (there’s also an iPhone 3 version).

Kindle. Wonderful for sleepless nights, impromptu access to a digital library of your favourite reads, commuting, rediscovering your love of reading, and leaving plenty of room for all the kid paraphernalia that tends to fill up your bag, the latest Kindle is the lightest and smallest yet – the boyf loves his! £89 Amazon. There’s also a 3G version.

Moshi Moshi retro handsets. Plug one into your iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, or certain Macbooks, and kick back on your phonecall old style. Will also appeal to those of you cautious about radiation from your phone. £24.99 HMV. The limited edition gold-tone phone is £59.95 at Harrods where there’s also bluetooth versions of the handsets available for £99.95-£119.

Orla Kiely stem print Pure Evoke Mio and Roberts Solar DAB radios plus a cardboard radio. One year on, we’re still gaga for Orla’s deliciously retro offering, £149 John Lewis. For block colour and energy efficiency, Roberts solar offering is available in red, green, white, and black, £71.03 (RRP £80) Amazon. For pared down eco friendly chic at a great price, look no further than the cardboard cool, £20 John Lewis.

iPad2. A splurge gift, you could pitch this as an investment piece that the whole family will use. And yes, really, don’t say we didn’t warn you that about tech savvy preschoolers monopolising it! RRP £399 Apple plus a gazillion stores. Failing that, upgrade to an iPhone 4s (camera’s great by the way) and lose your patience with Siri, your new Weakest Link voiced personal assistant.

Foodies

Belkin chef stand. Prop this universal tablet stand on your worktop and use the included stylus to tap through your recipes instead of having to keep washing your hands. Love it. £31.99 Expansys.

Jolly Christmas Mixture Bag. Perfect for the big kid that gets nostalgic for the sweeties of yesteryear. £5.49 Hope and Greenwood plus they’re in stockists such as John Lewis.

Le Creuset petite casserole dishes. Great things also come in small packages. Versatile enough to be used beyond individual portions of casserole, they’re 9cm in diameter and .25l capacity in a great selection of colours. RRP £15. Try John Lewis, Amazon, and House of Fraser.

Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate. A tasty stocking filler for a cocoa lover, think notes of caramel, chilli, and malt. Nom. £10 each.

Kitchen Sticky Notes: Helpful Notes for the Home Cook. We do love sticky notepad and this double-sided portfolio contains 21 kitchen themed stickies of various sizes for marking recipes, making shopping lists etc. £6.48 Book Depository. Also check out the divine recipe cards at Papermash, £8.95 for a set of 12 in two designs.

The Great Food Box Set. A collection of the finest food writing from the past 400 years, this is definitely one for the passionate foodie. £140 Penguin.

Kitchenaid artisan stand food mixer. A serious splurge gift. One can only dream…hint hint. £419.99 Currys.

The SuperJam Cookbook by Fraser Doherty. Packed full of recipes for jams, marmalades, chutneys and jellies plus recipes for what to make out of them. £10 Liberty and other booksellers.


Stationery Freaks

Oh My Motex embossing label maker. Perfect for the stationary freak that likes to leave their mark. £5.99 Etsy and pimp them up with some neon tape, £5.99 per pack.

Mini Penguin notebooks. Ideal for design and literary lovers, this set of four lined and plain notebooks based on original classic covers make great stocking fillers. £6.95 Penguin.

P&C office in a jar. Full of vintage geekery including a Kodak case filled with pins and paper clips, a tag book made from found paper, labels, a wooden peg and a notebook. £16.95, Present&Correct.

Pie chart stickies. Organisational, visual and cool, £4.85 Present&Correct. For more sticky coolness, try Papermash’s leaf post-its, £3.


R&R

Liberty eye masks by Otis Batterbee. Talk about luxe sleep gear, these handmade eye masks feature a hint of lavender hidden within and velvet backing to caress your face. £45 Liberty in three beautiful prints.

The Yoga Deck by Olivia H. Miller. A pack of cards for tips and inspiration for stress relief, and promoting energy, strength and relaxation, this is a great stocking filler for a weary parent.

Tapestry kits by Emily Peacock. Greetings long, cold winter with plenty of indoor time, hello cool stitching project. Emily Peacock is where it’s at for contemporary tapestry with lots of kits to choose from, including a Rob Ryan collab. From around £36.

Vivienne Westwood flannel. Whoever thought I’d be saying that something was the hotness in flannels? Perfect for a decadent bathtime. £15 Vivienne Westwood.

Barielle 60 Second Mani-Pedi. I’m sure I’m not the only mama who hasn’t the time nor the money to be traipsing in and out beauty salons each week – cue, a shortcut in the form of a tub full of fast acting Dead Sea salts that will cure you of a hammertime. £15 Salon Skincare.

Murdock Pre-Shave Oil. I hear great things about this oil – packed with Wheat Germ, Bergamot, Sweet Almond and Orange to moisturise the skin for changing, this a luxe bit of shave gear that will be greatly appreciated. £20.43 Murdoch London.

Gin & tonic bathing foam. Great for having a cocktail soak without the hangover, £7.95 Handpicked Collection.

A cool pair of slippers. Hearting Toast’s Fair Isle bootie slippers which come in mustard, oatmeal, and washed black, £39, and I’m actually wearing the striped Moccis as I type this (they’re so good I’ve worn another pair all the way into theatre to have our second child), £28.99, and Muji are the goto for cool, understated slippers for both men and women, starting from around £8.95. Also check out Plumo’s satin and embroidered slippers, £18, plus although they won’t be delivered until after Christmas, do check out Glerups felt shoes at Cloudberry Living, £59.95 in orange, pink, black and grey.

Mollie Makes magazine subscription. I’m a big fan of this lifestyle and craft magazine which I was originally tipped off about by another mama at the school gate. Stuffed full of tutorials and inspiration (I’m currently knitting mustard coloured mug cosy’s – very easy by the way), £48.49 for a years subscription.


Homebirds

Fuzzy Felt fridge magnets. Containing over ninety magnets, this is a serious dose of nostalgia heaven! £7.99 Hunkydory Home.

Scrabble mugs. Available in all 26 letters with the letter score plus the letter distribution chart on the back. £6.95 Colloco. We also have the Scrabble fridge magnets set which many a house guest has been unable to resist.

Blossom & Bill mug. Perfect for a cheeky cuppa featuring ISAK’s retro Scandi couple. £10 Hunkydory Home.

Decorate: 1000 Professional Design Ideas for Every Room in the House and Design Sponge at Home books. I know it’s not just me that likes to drool over pages and pages of interior inspiration – these must-haves are by two of the most popular interiors bloggers around. RRP £30 and £20 respectively and available at all good booksellers.

Bakelite style clocks. Hit the oversized snooze button in retro style. £10 Berry Red. Also try Dotcomgiftshop.

Tala 1960′s range of vintage bottles. I gave a couple of these to my aunt a few months back rather grudgingly – they look fabu in kitchens and are by one of the oldest British cookware brands around. £5.95 for 500ml and £7.95 for 1L Kitchens.

Johnston Type Double oven glove. Perfect for the typography geek that’s handy in the kitchen. £12.99 London Transport Museum.

Jewellery & Accessories

Maria Allen personalised love letter necklaces. Ticking our quirky, handmade, delightfully purse friendly, cool, and personalised boxes, nab one in silver or brass and put your message of choice on the wooden insert which goes inside the envelope. £30 and there’s also some other far too tempting creations starting from a tenner!
Liberty print knot watches. Absolutely loving these watches available in a selection of some of Liberty’s most swoonsome prints. £59, Liberty.

Marc Jacobs earrings. For fun, standout earrings, these are the hotness! £25-£50 Harvey Nichols

G-shock watches. Billed as ‘mens’ watches but definitely suitable for both sexes, these chunky buys popping with colour (you can get black and white too) are robust and packed full of features – my yellow delight is one of my all time favourite possessions. RRP £90-£125 Selfridges. I also spotted the red shown at The Watch Hut for £70.

Kris Color Stripes necklaces. We’re a big fan of these here at BG (you can even get Mama & Me sets with a mini version of yours included) and they’re made from beads from renewable forest plantations in scrumptious colours. €28-€52 Shak Shuka


Out & About

Converse for winter. Converse have toughened up for the winter weather with a range of boots – yay! £45-£90 Converse – be warned that the flash site is a bit bonkers (go to the search page and put in ‘winter’) in Firefox but they do have sale on currently so worth checking out or check their stockists.

Kristin tote. A roomy, sexy bag that you can toss everything including kid gear into in style, it’s also a steal in the sale. Oh and check in store for the orange one which seems to be unavailable online! Was £79.50, now £39.99 Banana Republic. For bolder colour and contrast strap, but with a bigger pricetag, try the Mary Portas for Radley London shopper, £189 House of Fraser.

Anorak Kissing Animals bags and purses. We’re still hardcore fans of all things Anorak – the canvas shoppers, purses, and toiletry bags are fantastic. £7.50 – £25 in various sizes and prints at Anorak.

Stylish travel cups. A cool alternative to the flask and eco friendly too. Floral cup, £12.50 Oliver Bonas and Sagaform’s leaf and striped cups, £12.50 The Pod Company.

Clutch fantastic. Seriously loving Zid Zid’s roomy clutches that can be used for kid paraphernalia, your paperwork for toting in style, £22 Sisters Guild in metallic elephant, as well as orange and green. ASOS is great for large clutches including their leather and metallic envelope buy, £35. Then there’s Topshop, which is a hotspot for chic clutches that don’t bust the bank including the yellow leopard print faux ponyskin joy (also available in other popping colourways), £35 and the seriously hubba tan leather clutch, £30.

Covers and cases. You know you need something fabulous to stow your tech pride and joy. The Marc by Marc Jacobs range of cases are great including the Havana shown from £60, Selfridges. Cote et Ciel sleeves made from diver fabric, £35-£40, plus they also do some very cool totes and rucksacks, Selfridges - if you want to go swish there, check out the Mulberry cases. Let us not forget Orla Kiely’s range of cases, from £70. Moleskine Kindle (for version 2 not the latest), £34.99 and iPad covers.

Bits & Bobs

Rice DK glasses cases. Ever weak for a bit of granny boho chic from the Danish superbrand, these come in three different designs. £18 Nelly Pepper.

Chase Marmalade Vodka. I tasted this a few months ago at their Christmas in July event – it’s made from all of the leftover potatoes from making my favourite crisps, Tyrrells. £34 John Lewis

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our gift guides.

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-big-people/feed/ 0 Dutch Bikes http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/dutch-bikes/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/dutch-bikes/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=40117

Ever since seeing Lianne of The Pippa and Ike Show flying down the Gloucester Road on her fabulous Dutch Cargobike I have been intrigued by them. With the rising cost of petrol I’m looking for ways to ditch the car permanently.

The Cargobike seems to be a perfect solution: a bike which has enough space to transport your weekly shop or your children (perhaps even both!). They come in various sizes and with a range of extras including rain tent and can even be electrically assisted (for an extra £999). I like that the children are up high and have proper harnesses. I’m less sure about my ability to pedal it around empty let alone loaded up. Lianne manages it on the hills of Bristol and it is definitely a way to get some decent exercise regularly.

Prices are from £1,660 which is probably the cost of a small old car without the maintenance and petrol costs.

Random Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/dutch-bikes/feed/ 6 The Great Autumn Winter Maternity Coat Hunt http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-great-autumn-winter-maternity-coat-hunt/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-great-autumn-winter-maternity-coat-hunt/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=41103

Baby it’s cold outside and with a hard Winter predicted this is not the year to forgo the maternity coat. We have scoured the shops to find the hottest maternity coats and jackets. We are very excited to see some bright colours this season and the stand out trends seem to be double-breasted, duffel and capes.

You can find all the coats pictured in the links below and for the whole maternity coat department click the store names.

(Pictured top) Maternity Swing Coat £44.99, Mama.Licious Anouka Padded Jacket £54.99 and Maternity Military Duffel Coat £49.99.

New Look

Pleated Swing Coat £75 and Hooded A-Line Coat £80.

ASOS

Maternity Borg Collar Parka £95 and Maternity Duffel Coat £75.

Topshop

Belted Wrap Jacket £125

Isabella Oliver

Noppies Cube Trench Coat £119.95 and Noppies Kuzi Coat £99.95.

Crave

Wrap Coat £115 and Cape Coat £75.

Seraphine

Blackcurrant Swing Maternity Coat £69 and Wool Mix Classic Coat £79.

Jojo Maman Bebe

Military Stone Dolly Coat £69

Dorothy Perkins

Wool Belted Maternity Coat £39.95 and Maternity Duffel Coat £39.95

(available in sizes up to 30 – largest plus size maternity I’ve found).

Bon Prix


Funnel Neck Flared Coat £49.99 and Double Breasted Cape £29.99.

H&M

Duffel Maternity Cape £65 and Black Ruffled Collar Maternity Jacket £69.

Debenhams

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/the-great-autumn-winter-maternity-coat-hunt/feed/ 0 Lillipops http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lillipops/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lillipops/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000 Kat http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=39881

Lillipops are little ice pops made from spring water and natural flavours designed to ease nausea, heatburn and dry mouth in pregnancy. There are five flavours: ginger, grapefruit & tangerine, lime & vanilla, camomile & orange and lemon & mint and they come in multi-boxes of 20.

When we heard about these iced soothies we wanted to find out if they actually helped. As none of us are pregnant we put a call out on our Facebook page for some willing volunteers. The feedback was mixed: some people raved about them calming down those terrible waves of sickness while others said they taste nice but didn’t do much for them. I think it comes down to a case of suck it and see – they might work for you but if they don’t at least they’re tasty.

Having tried one or two myself for research I can say they taste good and are a little more crumbly in texture than solid ice. They would have worked really well for me when I was pregnant as I loved sucking ice. The flavours are light but I do think they would benefit from selling single flavour packs too as you’re bound to like some more than others.

RRP £9.99 currently on sale at Amazon for £9.06 for a box of 20.

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/lillipops/feed/ 0 Ladybird Classic Me Books app http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/ladybird-classic-me-books-app/ http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/ladybird-classic-me-books-app/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:00:00 +0000 Lucy http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/?p=39781

I’m more than a little obsessed with Ladybird books. I have a few saved from my own childhood that I’ve topped up with eBay and junk shop finds, a mix of practical learning tomes and nursery stories (although not The Three Billy-Goats Gruff – that troll still gives me nightmares!) So it was encouraging to discover that the hugely creative team behind The Land of Me had the same love of nostalgia. So much so, in fact, that they decided to team up with Penguin Books to launch an app which renders these classic books truly interactive.

You buy the app for 69p and this gives you access to one title The Zoo (one of my favourites) and then you have the opportunity to purchase a further ten titles for £1.99 each, from Animals and Dinosaurs to Jack and the Beanstalk and Chicken Licken. Each book has hidden hotspots that you tap to reveal sounds (lions  roaring etc) and narration from well-known names, including Adam “Adam and Joe” Buxton and Josie Lawrence.

 

Alternatively, you can record your own readings of the book – Alfie is going to love hearing his grandma’s retelling of The Three Little Pigs even when she’s not visiting – or, if they’re a little bit older, your child’s. Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch at the App Store, this is a great way of bringing the frankly rather wonderful Ladybird series to a new generation.

 

Related Posts

]]> http://www.bambinogoodies.co.uk/ladybird-classic-me-books-app/feed/ 0