Natalie writes…

I was totally planning to run a different post about some hot buys for creativity gear for bambino’s when I stumbled across this unbelievable bargain!

I’m a huge fan of Bloom who are renowned for their super desirable, modern furniture for children, such as their seriously popular and expensive highchairs.

The fact that their Otto Bloom Toddler Play Table and Chairs are now reduced from £240 to a fantastic £99.99 at Kiddicare has got me all in a flutter! If I hadn’t sworn up and down to the boyf that I will behave and restrain myself, I would be all over this quicker than you can say ‘please enter your card number’…

If you’re on the lookout for a cool, contemporary table and chair set for your bambino that will look right at home in your no doubt lovely living space, look no further.

This ergonomic design is made from cultivated stylewood (patented) and is wipe clean. Its space saving design means that the chairs slot in neatly at either end and the table’s also got these two little slide out trays at each end for keeping their creative gear like crayons and pencils.

I love it!

They don’t have it in the light coloured option that I mentioned several months back so it’s only in this dark mocha but I say pounce now whilst you can!

Was £240, now £99.99 at Kiddicare

Natalie writes…

When I went through a phase of being in central London once or twice a week, I was amazed, not only at the number of these that I saw being pushed around, but also by the fact that many of them were being pushed onto buses!

The Silver Cross Sleepover comes in two versions: the classic (pictured left) which has got a very traditional chassis and comes in weighing a whopping 17.8kg or the linear (pictured below) which has a lighter chassis which clocks in at 13.6kg.

The concept of the sleepover is it’s a pram by day, a pull over dressing transforms it into a moses basket at night, and the carrycot eventually converts into a reversible pushchair seat.

What’s the difference between the two models besides a lot of weight? Well it’s amazing what a chassis can do because style wise, the classic comes off the far more traditional one because of the spokes and traditional basket. The trouble though with the very traditional and hefty classic is that it’s not very easy to manoeuvre even if you do feel a bit Mary Poppins strolling through the park with your pram. The deluxe loses the overall traditional effect with a more mainstream frame but you can move with a lot more ease.

As it is Silver Cross, the actual carrycot is very well made with detailed stitching and ventilated for overnight use. It comes with a handcrafted rocking stand, a deep padded footmuff, and a ventilated cover. You can also use it with the Ventura Car Seat. Silver Cross do luxury and quality very well, no matter which price point they work in.

I saw so many different RRP’s it was rather confusing so I phoned up Silver Cross who advise that it’s £530 without a car seat. The car seats RRP is £100.

Kiddicare sell a number of the range such as the Deluxe Marina Classic Chassis for £449.97.

Ideal for: Traditionalists. For the classic, people that aren’t reliant on public transport. Also someone who wants the posh brand sans the hefty price tag associated with their prams at the top of the range.

Bang for your style buck: This is good bang for your understated, classic style buck.

Weight range: Heavy.

Don’t forget that you can see other pushchairs and prams we’ve featured in our new feature The Pushchair Track.

Kat and I do love a height chart and I think I’ve found a new favourite with this Animal Tower by Ferm Living.

It’s a set of removable wall stickers featuring an elephant, horse, dog, and rooster that all stand on each other to create the height chart with the measurements at the side.

Totally unusual and the perfect set for transforming a blank wall and giving it a purpose too.

The set comes in a triangular box with a scraper for application.

Dimensions: 152 H X 56 W cm

£55 from Scandi Living

I’m a big fan of Italian designers NUME who do a highly desirable range of toys, home accessories, and furniture.

What immediately drew my eye with this cradle was the shrugging off of the usual crib or moses basket form and going for an ergonomic oval.

It’s hand woven and has a delicate, stylish appearance with a definite olden times feel - LFG suggest 19th century - and it sits on a sturdy base.

Dimensions 87 X 62 X 68 cm

Like a lot of cribs, they’re really only suitable for the first few months when your baby doesn’t do much else in there other than sleep or lie there kicking their legs and eating their fingers.

£392 from Little Fashion Gallery - some serious designer investment!

Natalie writes…

If you’re a fan of Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost Armchair, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a scaled down version, the Lou Lou Ghost which was launched at the 2008 Milan Furniture Fair.

Made from polycarbonate, there are transparent and glossy options and these minis of the original classic chairs will look fab taking pride of place in their bedroom or bang at home in your no doubt design led sitting room. They’re

stackable too which is handy if you’re planning to buy more than one for your lucky tot!

The Conran Shop sells the transparent, green, pink, and yellow for £58 plus £4.95 delivery.

You can get the glossy chairs in red, black, or white for £58 plus £6.95 delivery from Panik Design.

I actually did a double take when I saw these 2-packs of multi-purpose 100% certified organic cotton flannel blankets as at £11, these are really fab value

They’re made by Sweden based ImseVimse, which was founded 10 years ago, and was the first company in Sweden to create certified for the environment cloth nappies.

Measuring 67 X 90 cm, these can be used as swaddling, nursing, or crib blankets, or as handy burp cloths. They have contrasting red stitching for the trim and the ImseVimse logo in the corner.

£11 from Fill Your Pants

Kat writes…

For me, Christmas doesn’t feel right without the Raymond Briggs classic The Snowman. So I am really excited to be announcing this fabulous prize from Green Eyed Monster. They have very kindly offered two sets to give away, one in pink and one in blue.

Each gift set contains a scarf, hat and gloves. The print is the very same as the scarf given to James in The Snowman by Father Christmas himself. They are made from high quality alpaca wool which is soft and warm. It all comes beautifully packaged in a Green Eyed Monster box with a postcard featuring James opening the scarf.

Not only can you win with Bambino Goodies but if you head over to The Green Familia later today there is another chance to win a set.

Green Eyed Monster are also offering an exclusive discount to Bambino Goodies readers. Enter BAMBAW091110AT at the checkout to receive 10% off your order. This offer can not be used in conjunction with any other offer and does not apply to The Snowman licensed products.

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question:

Who gives the scarf to James in The Snowman?

Please email your colour choice (pink or blue), name, address, the answer to competitions at bambinogoodies.co.uk by 9am Friday 4th December. Don’t forget to add the @ sign.

Please note that as of 7/11/08, there is no longer the option for ‘no mailout’ and competitions are only open to members of either Bambino Goodies email newsletter or the daily update of posts list.

By entering the competition, you will be automatically entered on to the email newsletter list - this email now goes out on a monthly basis and the next is due 5th December). If you would prefer to get the daily update, please put ‘add daily update’ in your email.

Terms and conditions:

1. Prize draw is open to UK & Ireland residents only.

2. Competition prize is one of two Complete Snowman Giftsets of scarf, hat and gloves one in pink and one in blue. You will be notified by email if you have won and your details will be passed to Green Eyed Monster so they can arrange for you to receive your prize.

3. By entering this competition you agree to be added to the Bambino Goodies email newsletter mailing list. Your details will not be shared with others. To enter this competition, you need to be a member of the mailing list. Do not enter this competition if you do not wish to subscribe.

4. The winner will be drawn at random on 4th December, 2008. Please ensure that all of the requested information is included in your email otherwise it may be exempt from the draw.

5. No cash alternative will be offered for any prize.

Full terms and conditions apply.

In our latest addition to our Hot Toy List for Christmas 2008, I’ve rounded up some great buys for art materials for your toddler. I’m sure many of you don’t want to wait till your bambino is 3 for them to unleash their creativity and almost all of the finds here are non toxic and can be used by under 3’s. Eco friendly and safe for your child! All of these are great for stocking fillers too.

Stockmar Beeswax Block Crayon Tin

I have been looking for chunky, eco friendly, pre-school child friendly crayons for months and it is definitely something that seems to be more popular in the US.

This tin features 8 block wedge shaped crayons made from pure beeswax and non toxic pigments to give lovely bright rainbow colours. These are food quality standard so super safe. Includes a scraper.

£7.25 from Green Eyed Frog

Colour Cones Childrens Crayons

These unique shaped crayons are great with small hands and super sturdy with no smear. 6 colours.

£6.25 from Spirit of Nature

Budget Friendly - Chubby Stumps

Hard to break, non toxic, non melt crayons in a pack of 8 chubbi’s. 3+

£1.30 from Mini Scribblers

Eco-Friendly Felt Tip Pens

These fab felt tips have been made with food colouring and are totally safe for preschoolers. The dyes are washable and the pens have ventilated caps for extra safety. 9 colouring pens plus 1 eraser pen.

£4.95 from Spirit of Nature

Artemis Modelling Beeswax

If you’ve been hankering to get your toddler playing with something similar to Play Dough, check out this set of 8 sheets of eco friendly modelling wax. £10.99 from Green Eyed Frog

Also check out soft modelling clay-dough from Spirit of Nature £8.90

Coloured Modelling Plasticine

I’ve also managed to track down a wallet friendly option with this eco friendly soft modelling plasticine which is in 10 different colours. It’s non toxic, washable and won’t dry out. It has a 3+ marking so supervise for younger.

£3.50 from Myriad Natural Toys Crafts

Fingerpaints, box of 4

Do you like the sound of non-toxic, non-drip, creamy paints that are water soluble and can be used on paper, wood, or glass? Bambino’s under 3 should be supervised - can be used with brush or fingers.

£12.50 from Spirit of Nature

Children’s Paint Brush

These cool little wood brushes have been specially designed for little hands.

£4.95 each at Spirit of Nature

The bambino loves having breakfast in bed with us at the weekends and hogging the tray. Getting her one of her own is seeming increasingly likely…

Over at Cloudberry Living they have these really cool trays by Isak, which is the creation of Swedish illustrator Sandra Isaksson. If you’re wondering where you might have heard the name before, they have the Blossom and Bill Tray which has a happy looking topless 70s couple on it…

They’re made from seven layers of birch wood from Scandinavian sustainable forests with a laminate coating for protection.

Dimensions: 20 X 27

£14 from Cloudberry Living.

I’ve just discovered a very cool website Just Dolls - which, as the name gives away, stocks only dolls. No more clicking from toy site to toy site to find one with a good enough range of dolls to choose from. They are all here including Kath Kruse, Corolle dolls, rag dolls, and my favourite, Baby Stella Dolls.

“Baby Stella”- is a soft doll so she’s great as a first baby doll for your toddler. I’ve got one tucked away for Xmas for my little one.

What makes “Baby Stella” stand out is the attention to detail - particularly the features - she even has fluffy newborn hair.

Your toddler can dress and undress Baby Stella, including her nappy. She even has a “dummy” which thanks to a child-safe magnet fits perfectly on her face.

There are also lots of accessories available including a bath set, carrier and buggy.

Clothes include a party outfit, outdoor wear and a ballerina costume.

Baby Stella is approximately 38cm high, is suitable from 18 months and is £19.95