Playmobil Jet Plane Competition

We are delighted to have a Playmobil Jet Plane 4310 (worth £29.99) to give away from Early Years Resources. Click on the link or image for details of how to enter.

Good luck!

COMPETITION - Win one of FIVE Steady Table Sets from Steadyco

New competition is up online (yes, we know, it's been a while, but fret not, lots of new ones lined up with some great prizes).The latest one is from Steadyco, the company who brought us the multi-award winning Steadycup® (see Fionas review here)

We have FIVE Steady Table Sets from Steadyco to give away - simply click on the title to go to the comp page. Closing date is Friday 18th July - and don't forget to specify which colour you would prefer., or your Dinosaur-mad boy will end up with a pink plate!

Happy Birthday Myriad!

Myriad, one of our very favourite traditional toy stores is TEN years old! Happy Birthday!!! We reviewed their little red sailing boats for them (still absolutely family picnic and holiday essentials), but to celebrate their birthday in style they are offering 10% discount on all orders placed during June!
(To receive your 10% discount quote the code "Happy Birthday" at time of ordering)

They specialise in top quality traditional toys - environmentally friendly, supporting imaginative play and creativity... honestly do visit and browse. I dare you to leave without at least one oooh!, and getting something for the smalls!

SALE at Happy Tiny Babies!

Happy Tiny Babies have a Sale on! They are running special offers for June - up to 30% off HOTMILK and Emily B Maternity Lingerie and Sarah Louise Summer 2008 Baby clothes.

Order today and wear it tomorrow!

Happy Tiny Babies are your online shop for your Premature Baby up to Toddler. They stock a wide range of items, including organic toiletries, feeding equipment and maternity lingerie. Most especially they are one of the best places online who stock a wide range of premature and specialist neo-natal care clothing.

They also offer Free Postage on all orders over £50.00

Dr Brown's Bottles & Training Cups Review

Our review of the Dr Brown's baby feeding bottles and toddler training cups is now available here. Thank you to Kelly, Lily and Jake and to Alex and Anna for their help.

Stellina Baby 100% Cashmere Ballet Wrap

Well, the arduous task of reviewing the cashmere cardigan ballet wrap for Stellina Baby is done. It was a tricky one this - small, utterly soft, perfectly formed, lusciously coloured, go-with-anything ballet wrap for Ella. How does she manage? ;)
Full review is on the site, but here's a few pics of her in action this very morning:

Three Bags Full Merino Childrenswear Review...

Katy and I (well, Ella & Jacob) have been reviewing the merino wool childrenswear range from Three Bags Full. You can see the full review over on LittleStuff , but thought we'd share a few pics of the tops in action - this is Ella on a walk recently, enjoying the flowers (SUCH a girl!)


and earlier this year at the Eden project:

Mamas & Papas Duette Pushchair Review

has been covered by one of our crack team of Mums, Kathryn - with the aid of Lucy (5), Erin (2) and baby Joe (3mths). The Mamas & Papas Duette Toffee is a limited edition tandem pushchair, only available on their website. Kathryn doesn't have twins, but with Erin only just being two, she still likes to ride and was fighting baby Joe for buggy space - read what Kathryn though of the Duette tandem buggy in her main review.

HOTMilk Bras on Review!

I have been hard at work reviewing the HOTmilk bra sent by Happy Tiny Babies a while back. The review is now live online - go read if you're looking for maternity lingerie or a feeding bra that still lets you feel like a hot mama. And no, you may NOT have pictures of me reviewing the product! Here's a gorgoeus model doing the job far better than I could...

BabyPlus Prenatal Education System Competition

Congratulations to Alex Fower in Essex for being the lucky winner in our recent BabyPlus Prenatal Education System competition. Alex was the first name, with the correct answer, to be chosen at random. We hope Alex is able to make good use of the system and we look forward to hearing about it.

Click on the link for more information about the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System and keep checking LittleStuff for more fabulous competitions!

AM Jewellery Review

These gorgeous, silver, one-of-a-kind cufflinks were my Christmas gift to Peter last year. Those quirky and oh-so-cute smiley faces on them were drawn by the hand of our son, Jacob, who was four when he drew them. Fabulous, aren't they!

Avril Manderson of AM Jewellery made them for me and I wrote a review about them for LittleStuff. Avril is a talented silversmith who can turn your child's drawings into stunning pieces of jewellery; necklace pendants, bracelet charms, cufflinks and brooches to name some of the ideas. Go read the review and take a look at Avril's website and blog to find out more.

Heirlooms in the making.

Sun Awareness Week With the Beach Factory

We're pleased to welcome Beach Factory to the LittleStuff fold - just in time for Sun Awareness week (Sun Awareness is the British Association of Dermatologists' annual drive to promote sun safety messages).
From 5th-12th May all sun protection products on the Beach Factory site will be reduced by 10% - tents, UV swimwear, kids banz glasses and sun hats...

We have some of their items on review, and the sun was so warm last weekend that my Joe was proudly sporting his 'Tiger Joe' top in the garden!

Eden Project Review is Online

The review is now live online in our Family Friendly Holidays review section (stay tuned, we have Centre Parcs and Featherdown farms coming over the next couple of months). We had such a great day with the children at the Eden Project - go read all about it over on LittleStuff. Here's a few more images fomr our trip (just in case you were vaguely interested...)

All the boys on the hill in the Mediterranean biome:
Ella enjoying her lunch!
This is a VERY hot Cam in the 'jungle' biome - he's just found a humidifying spray and is loving it!


And this is what happens to your camera when you enter the jungle biome... tis a little steamy in there!

The WEEE man - one persons lifetime of waste. to give you some perspective, that orange splash in the middle is a large lawnmower...

Welcome Carla Daly!

We're pleased to announce that Carla Daly has joined the LittleStuff family, bringing her wonderful collection of children's art.
We've housed her in the Gifts > General section, as she has the most gorgeous gift items for new babies (watch the reviews section, we have one coming very soon!), but keep her in mind when you're decorating your nursery. Personally I simply adore the zebras and the sheep!

Now come on...

We know you're there. We do. We have the stats to prove it. And yet no one comments. We LOVE to get emails, but comments are very nice too - we can share them with others!
So. If you see us doing something good, bad, dull or fun - PLEASE tell us! We love to get requests for reviews, comments on what we've done, questions on what we can do... even if you're just having trouble finding something for your baby, we can often help with that too! Just ask Paula, the Mum who asked us if we knew of a good pushchair - she is blind and needs one she can pull behind her. She ended up reviewing a Phil & Teds Smart buggy which has worked out brilliantly for her. You'll never know unless you ask us. Go on, we're professionals at this y'know...

And all you lurkers. Be brave - say hello! It's not hard to do... and all it takes is one to get the ball rolling. Come on - who's first???

Welcome Ethical Babe!

We're happy to say hello to Ethical Babe, an organic and fairtrade site full of yummy stuff - committed to bringing the very best Organic, Eco-Friendly and Fair Trade products for you and your family. They hand pick all their products, use them themselves and recommend them to their friends. We like their delicious things, and we like Claudia and Claire too (once Claire got over her embarrassment at sending me a mail she meant for Claudia - talking about us - she was lovely :D) so we really hope you'll like them too. Make sure you go have a good long browse around their store, we dare you to leave without saying 'ooh' at least twice!

The Sands Resort Review!

Our very first review in the new 'family friendly holidays' category is now live online. This is a new section for us, but one we were getting requests for - as always, we try and be nice and do what we're asked!
Family travel with a baby or pre-schoolers can be tricky, and its nice to be able to confidently recommend a few hotels/holidays that we are sure will live up to your expectations.
The Sands Resort just outside Newquay in Cornwall were willing to let us loose on them first (us being the entire Laura family, all 6 of us) - which i thought was brave of them, seeing as we don't yet have the same reputation in family holiday reviews that we do with baby stuff.
Anyhoo, go have a look at the LittleStuff site, and see what you think. I know, I know, its a bit long - but it had to be, there was so much to talk about. It's worth it, honest!

Anyhoo, here's some extra pics from our short break to Cornwall:

Ellabellalouloubelle in the maze

Big boys on the adventure playground



In our room
Breakfast time!



Ella checking out the boys in the creche...

Phil & Ted's Smart Buggy Review

Toot toot! The clever little Smart Buggy by Phil & Ted has been reviewed for us by Paula. It really is a unique looking thing that has been designed for urban life and is known for being great on beaches, too. Paula, who is Mum to 5 year old Bethany and blind, needed a better buggy solution for when she takes Bethany to school with her 14 month old niece Amelia. Click on the link to read how Paula, Bethany, Amelia and guide dog Jemma got on with the Smart Buggy.

Welcome to Stellina Baby!

We're pleased to welcome Stellina Baby to the House of LittleStuff. They are all about cashmere - and have a collection that is special and luxurious yet affordable, contemporary and vibrant but above all practical.
Ella is to be trying out one of their ballet wraps for review purposes... she gets all the tough jobs...

New Review for SteadyCo

One of our crack team of reviewers, 2 year old Amy, is reviewing the new range of child crockery/cutlery from Steady Co. Fiona, Amy's Mum, emailed me this morning with the first impressions;

"Amy's so impressed; "IT'S PINK !!!!!" is all I've had for the last five minutes; that and "can I have tea now ???"

A good start so far - the cup has already been christened - without christening the floor.

Better go, she's found the snack pot and has arrived at my desk with it and the strawberries from the fridge!!!"

Featured in Pregnancy, Baby & You!!

I was really pleased to be asked by Pregnancy, Baby & You magazine to contribute to a feature in their Spring issue about setting up a new businesses. Of course, 'mumpreneurs' are nothing new these days - it's seen by many to be a perfect solution to the whole back-to-work dilemma after you've had your baby. This feature was my story about the birth of LittleStuff, and some tips about running your own business.

The Eden Project

During our trip to Cornwall we spent a day with the children at the Eden Project. It's just the best place to go with small people! Full review to come on the site, but here's a sneak preview of some pics. Note how hot they get in the 'Jungle Dome'... and Ella modelling her Three Bags Full top she's currently reviewing :)

Sophie the Giraffe Review is in!

One of our new testers, 6mth old Ollie, has been testing Sophie the Giraffe for Sophies Boutique.
Sophie has been around for 40 years, and every baby in France has one. She hasn't crossed the sea much, but Laurence at Sophies Boutique is trying to change all that, and help a whole generation of UK babies through teething with the gorgeously stylish Sophie, who just happens to still be made from her original materials - in other words, 100% natural, safe and eco-friendly!

Apart from Sophie herself, there a whole range of Sophie products you might like to see to. Read Ollies review here (Mum Mel helped with the typing), and you can see the Sophie range here.

Tomy Walkabout Platinum Digital monitor review

The full review is up online! We've had both the Walkabout Classic Advance and the Walkabout Platinum Digital on test for a while now. Katy volunteered herself for the task of writing them up - you can read her full review over in our reviews pages (or click the link of this post if you're feeling lazy)

a room with a view - The Sands Resort, Newquay

Okay, just back from Cornwall - what a great few days we've had! This is for our new 'family friendly holidays' reviews section on LittleStuff.

The hotel was great (full review to follow), the activities for the kids went down a storm, the food was excellent - we even managed an adults-only dinner thanks to the child listening service. The weather was not so kind - lots and lots of grey damp fog - but on the first evening I was alone in our room with Ella, and the sun ju-u-ust peeked out for me. Got my favourite image of the whole break. Talk about a room with a view!

Noukie heads to Newquay (well the Sands Resort)

Laura and family are heading off to Cornwall for a couple of days to review the family friendly hotel just outside Newquay, the Sands Resort in Porth.
As baby friendly holidays go, its supposed to be a good one, with kids clubs, creche, child listening service, well equipped family rooms, adaptable dining options... I'm looking forward to it :)
While we're there, we've been invited to review Newquay Zoo and the Eden Project too. Keep an eye on the reviews section to see what we think of them as family destinations.

Mamas & Papas Duette Toffee pushchair has arrived!

The Duette is a limited edition pushchair, only available from the Mamas & Papas website. They were keen for us to test it, and happily our tester Kath has brand new baby Joe all set and ready to try it. I had a mail from Kath;
"buggy arrived today and is now assembled and taking up most of our hall! ...It looks like a lovely buggy - haven't actually used it yet but might even venture to toddler group with it tomorrow!"

Keep an eye on the reviews section to see how Kath gets on with it.

Amadeus 360° Junior Cup

The review is now live! I have to say I love these cups. Not so much for Ella - she's still a little young for the 360 Junior Cup, and has only just started to use it. But for the older boys they've been fab. They have been used on poorly boys in bed and in front of the tv wrapped in a duvet, they have been used on 'film night' so that Sir Clumsalot Toby is allowed a drink in the lounge, secure in the knowledge that the cream carpet will be safe - Joe even took it to school in a packed lunch on occasion, with no 6 yr old ribbing from class mates takingn place as they do NOT look like a baby cup.
Well done Amadeus - another winner, I'm thinking, that has a much broader age-range than the anywayup cup, with the same high design standards. And all British-made too, doncha know :D.

Welcome to Three Bags Full childrenswear!

Three Bags Full are new to LittleStuff - and new in the UK.

Practicality, function and style are three words that summarise Three Bags Full children's clothing. We love merino wool - its such a practical textile for children's clothing. We reviewed the sleeping bag from Bambino Merino which Katy and I both adore, and we're currently testing their merino pyjamas.

But Three Bags Full do very funky tops - gorgeous designs, fab colours, and oh-so-practical too. Plus they go up to age 6, so we're not talking just for the babies here. Have a look at their site, and keep your eye on our reviews section - we'll be posting a review on their tops soon.

Hauck Babycenter Travel cot review is done!

Well, two weeks ago a perfectly written, concise and amusing review was lost by t'internet, and its replacement was similarly sweated over, spellchecked and then lost by Cyber Evilness, I threw my hands up in disgust and left it alone.
This morning i was feeling ready to tackle it for a third time. And this time I did the sensible thing and composed it off line and saved it before uploading it (duh).
Of course, this time it uploaded perfectly.
So it's there. The Hauck Babycenter Travel Cot Review. In all its very very long glory (Katys ichat actually said

oh
my
word
HOW
LONG
IS
THAT
DARN
REVIEW?????

So I'm thinking it was a tad too long).
But it was worth it. And if you don't read the whole thing (which you should, after all the effort I put in), the conclusion is;

'Go Buy One. It's FAB!'

Congratulations Kathryn!!!

Kath is one of our Crack Team of Testers, and we're pleased to say that she gave birth to baby Joe today! Isn't he beautiful (well, what we can see of him!).
HUGE congratulations Kath from us all - and welcome baby Joe. he can have a couple of weeks to settle in before he starts work test driving the new M&P Duette pushchair... :D

Hot Milk!

I'm so pleased! One of our new advertisers Happy Tiny Babies has asked us to review the absolutely brilliant New Zealand maternity lingerie company Hot Milk. They specialise in maternity lingerie that is 'a little daring and a little naughty'.
Sexy feeding bras, at last - I can't wait!

Maclaren Beginning Review

Lis has reported back with her first-impressions of the Maclaren Beginning gift packs she received before Christmas.

"The Maclaren range is really lovely! I will write you the full review asap but my absolute faves are the baby balm (soooo handy for my change bag) and the lovely cocooning massage oil...Matthew loves it!"

That's looking like a big thumbs up from Lis for Maclaren - keep your eye on our reviews section to see the full version, just as soon as the still-very-poorly Lis gets it to us.