Browsing Tag

baby

Family Life TLM Monthly Edit

What’s New: Lucinda’s Top Discoveries For January

A new feature I’m keen to introduce for 2021 is my monthly discoveries, a round-up of the best things I’ve come across in the past few weeks and wanted to share with you. Hopefully, you’ll find something that will inspire, entertain or simply brighten up your day.

Fresh baby food for busy parents, delivered

I am blown away by Sweet Pea Spoons. It’s a subscription service that parents can sign up to and receive handmade, fresh baby meals right to their door. The small business recently announced delivery is now possible nationwide! Sweet Pea Spoons recognised a gap in the market in wanting to support time-poor parents who want to feed their child nutritious and tasty meals but don’t want to resort to store-bought pouches. Every flavour has been expertly developed with a nutritionist using seasonal ingredients to familiarise your baby with diverse flavours from an early age. I’m sure we all know some new parents who could do with this helping hand!

Baby food subscription service, Sweet Pea Spoons

Find out more


Give a laptop

Pass on old laptops and computers to school children in need of them. Did your kids get a phone or tablet upgrade at Christmas? If you’ve got old devices lying around, it will make a huge difference if it’s possible to donate them. Many children shared learning devices during the last lockdown, so having their own computer or tablet this time would make the world of difference to their education. Charities across the UK are working to facilitate getting computers out to children, so check out the list by following the link below to find your nearest charity.

Find out more


Discover a hidden world with geocaching

Dive into the world of geocaching to discover new places around you. This is a brilliant app that the whole family can get involved with. It’s an excuse to get outside (when the restrictions are lifted) and let the app lead you to new places you would never have visited otherwise.

Find out more


Online mentoring sessions with Brain Labs

Oppidan Education is a fantastic online learning platform that connects children with mentors. The platform doesn’t offer tutors to help your kids through GCSEs and A-Levels but rather mentors who can help your child prepare for the world. As well as education, children need to be equipped with resilience, empathy and independence and these are precisely the skills in personal development Oppidan Education aims to teach.

Find out more


A tasty new tipple

New Town Lemon & Basil Gin, Wharf Distillery Gin

From £20

This lemon and basil gin is just delicious! If you’re a lover of flavoured gins or wanting to give a twist to your classic London dry gin, Wharf Distillery has a lovely selection to choose from – other flavours are Mango & Cucumber and Orange & Pomegranate. The independent distillery, located on a farm in South Northamptonshire, also offers a gin school where you can learn about making your own gin and the distillment process. (If you’re in the midst of Dry January, this is certainly one to earmark for later.)

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Ghosts, Dolly Alderton’s latest novel

I loved reading Dolly’s Everything I Know About Love, so was keen to pick up a copy of Ghosts which was released late last year. It tells the tale of Nina Dean as she enters her thirties, a time where friendships become more distant, ex-boyfriends have moved on and everyone is leaving the city. Similar to Everything I Know, Dolly examines the themes of relationships, friendships and family.

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Empowering activewear from Oliver Bonas

Say hello to OB Active, a wicked new collection that Oliver Bonas has launched, inspired by the first lockdown — a lifetime ago, right? We all know that sitting in our pyjamas all day isn’t good for us, so switching into some comfortable activewear at the starting of the WFH day makes a lot of sense. Plus, what could be better to inspire you to actually go for your morning jog (or brisk walk) than a lovely new sports top and leggings?

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A hilarious guide to middle age

Amongst all of the rubbish that lands in my inbox, the Midult is a refreshing newsletter I love to read. Packed with anecdotes, conversations and useful tidbits, Midulthood, aimed at women from 35 to 55, is redefining the boundaries of middle age. Perhaps we’ve all been in the house too long but the Sounds of Madness article seemed to ring a little too true…

Find out more


100% vegan bath and body indulgences

I can’t get enough of Miss Patisserie’s bath slabs. Throw a couple of chunks into your bath for a decadent soak and watch them fizzle and shimmer in brilliant pinks and blues. Wash and unwind with a bath melt bar, a luxurious blend of cocoa and shea butter. Bath-time has never looked (or smelt) so good.

Nougat Bath Slab, Miss Patisserie

£7.50

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Glam rock decor

Gold Lightning Bolt Mirror, Bride & Wolfe, Antipodream

£65

I always have my eye out for statement decor and this mirror makes a striking impression. It comes in a vibrant selection of colours and you can also pick up a rainbow-shaped one too!

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Looking to update your wardrobe, buy a gift or treat yourself?

You will find a gorgeous range of jewellery, accessories and clothes on TLM Edit, all hand-picked by The London Mummy.

Gift Guides

28 Thoughtful Gift Ideas For New Mums & Babies

If anyone is ever in need of pampering and showering in gifts, it’s a new mum. ‘Is it something they’ll actually use?’ and ‘Will they already have been gifted a hundred of these?’ are the two key things to consider when looking for a baby gift. You won’t go wrong with blankets, muslins, toys and very cute outfits, so I’ve dug out the best of the best from those categories. As for mum, I recommend leaning towards pampering, self-care and comfort.

Looking for something else? I’ve got a homeware fix for the interior-lover and some self-care gifts for the women constantly on-the-go. Now, it’s time to find something extra special for a new mama and baby.

BABY

My Little Star Baby Filled Christmas Stocking, Liberty London

£80

Ring in baby’s first Christmas with this Liberty baby stocking packed with delights from Cam Cam Copenhagen, Liewood, Sebra and others.

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Dohar Baby Blanket, Wila and the Bear

£45

Made with hand-blocked fabric, you will not get two of the same blankets from Wila and The Bear. Perfect for use all-year-round, this gift will without a doubt come in handy.

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Rainbow White Splash Mat, The Gilded Bird

£17

Few people are blessed with a tidy baby, so it’s wise to arm all new parents with a splash mat. Waterproof and wipeable, these PVC mats are ideal for dinner time, bath time and messy play time.

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Merino Sheepskin Baby & Toddler Mittens, hug hug

£20

Little hands will be forever cosy and warm in these adorable sheepskin mittens. Suitable for up to 24 months, you can turn the cuffs up or down to resize them.

Get 10% off everything on hughug.co.uk
 with code LondonMummyHug.

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Muslin Sheets Gift Set, Wila & The Bear

£65

A beautiful fitted sheet and changing pad cover make up this lovely gift set. They’re both made from soft muslin and come packed in a delightful gift box.

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Orange Print Baby Leggings, The Little Art Collection

£16.50

Add a brilliant colour pop of orange to baby’s wardrobe with these super-cute baby leggings. There’s an equally sweet hat and dribble bib to match.

 

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Duck Chime, Jellycat (Indian Summer)

£13

Let the little one snuggle up with this squidgy and stripy Duck Chime that, when turned upside down, makes soothing chime noises.

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Peekaboo Fox Merino Baby Blanket Grey, Woolish

£49

Made from silky-soft merino wool, this Peekaboo blanket ranks very highly on the comfort scale for any baby or toddler. It comes with a cool accordion-style book — a good incentive for baby to raise their head during tummy time.

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Woodland Friends Gift Set, Little Aurelia

£150

This wonderful suitcase is packed with luxurious Little Aurelia goodies to care for baby’s skin, alongside a calming pillow mist and relaxing massage oil to send them off soundly into dreamland.

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Baby Bubble Pants, Little London Bloomers

£24

Super-soft and super-comfortable, these delightful bubble pants come in a range of colours and are available for kids up to three years.

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Baby & Kids Set, Dr Barbara Sturm

£205

Barbara Sturm wants to protect baby’s skin right from the start with a focus on nourishing and soothing delicate skin. This gift set, filled with shampoo, body cream, face cream, bathing milk and bum cream, is an all-round starter kit in baby skincare.

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Dinosaur Blue Hooded Towel, Em & Lu

£26

With bath time a daily occurrence, a towel is a handy gift choice. Em & Lu has a luxurious selection of cotton towels to choose from, all available to buy with matching wash mitts and change mats.

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Beatrix Potter Bookends, Sarah Sherrington

£50

No doubt they’ll amass loads of books in the coming years, so pick up these beautiful hand-printed bookends to keep those stacks of kids books tidy.

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Baby Safe Fragrance-Free Hand & Body Cream, Queen Organics

£18

Suitable for use from one month old, this organic hand and body cream is great for mum and baby to use. Made from organic shea butter, sunflower, olive, hemp and coconut oil, it’s suitable for vegans and not tested on animals.

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The Baby Book of You, Colour Chronicles

From £25

Record all the memories and moments from the first year of baby’s life in this vibrant keepsake book. Fill out prompts including ‘The things that have made you laugh’ and ‘Our favourite way to spend a day’.

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Organic Cotton Padded Rainbow Blanket, Fabelab (Little Baby Co.)

£60

This one caught my eye because it works as a play mat, blanket and wall decoration, so you can decide what you want it to be based on baby’s needs. It’s made from 100% organic cotton and is soft and padded.

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Swaddle & Peacock Rattle, Cam Cam Copenhagen (Scandiborn)

£33

A beautifully packaged rattle and swaddle gift set, I’m sure any baby would be delighted to play with this sweet peacock rattle.

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NEW MUM

Post Partum Nutrition: An Expert’s Guide To Eating After A Baby, Dr Harriet Home

£16 paperback, £10 Kindle edition

Postpartum Nutrition combines nutrition and health information with practical advice for new mums to make the best choices for their own health and their baby’s.

 

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Breastfeeding Mama Gift Set, Hot Tea Mama

£24

Gift a new mama some soothing teas and a KeepCup to prevent any splashing on baby as she breastfeeds. The Milk’s Up blend can naturally support breastfeeding, while Night Owl can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

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Sea Salt Bath, Buff Mama

£30

A soak in the tub is just what the doctor ordered, so make it count with some luxury bath salts. This natal blend, designed with mum in mind, is a luscious blend of lavender, mandarin and frankincense.

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Dainty Mama Necklace, Caitlyn Minimalist

£22.30

Keep things simple and elegant with this dainty ‘mama’ necklace. Available in 18k gold, rose gold or silver, this is a really thoughtful gift for anyone new to the parenting world.

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Mama Bee Belly Butter, Burt’s Bees

£14

A rich and nourishing belly butter packed with cocoa, shea and jojoba butters will help a new mum keep her skin supple and help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks post-baby.

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Memory Case In Grey, Meminio

£145

Go chic with this gorgeous grey memory case to fill with keepsakes, photos and baby bits. You can also personalise it with a name and date.

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Aromatherapy Liberty Print Eye Pillow, Spritz Wellness

£25

A good one for soothing tired eyes: warm in the microwave or chill in the freezer, depending on your preference. Spare five minutes when baby is sleeping? Pop this over your eyes and relax…

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Cream Animal Print Hoody, TLM Edit

£59

Every mum needs a slouchy hoody to cosy up on the sofa in or wrap up in when they’re out and about. I promise this one is super-comfortable!

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Healing Spirit Bath Soak, Wilder Botanics

£32

Nurture the mind, body and spirit with this heavenly blend of Vetiver & Rose Geranium, Calendula infused oil and pink Himalayan salts.

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Send Your Love Letterbox Chocolate & Truffles Bundle, Love Cocoa

£19

Mamas of any age will appreciate the gift of chocolate. If you’re not able to see friends this winter, send off a lovely letterbox chocolate and truffles bundle.

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Hey There Mama Bear! Message Mug, Gilbert & Stone Ceramics

£20

A sweet and thoughtful ceramic mug, I love the reassuring ‘You’re doing great’ message at the bottom. There is a Papa Bear one too, check out this one a new pop!

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For more gift guides, click here.

Looking for something else? Take a peek at my ultimate directory for the parenting, style and business recommendations.

Family Life Services Spotlight

Business Spotlight: Apparently Kids – Services & Support For New Parents

Apparently Kids is something I wish was around when I was a new parent. It’s a network of parenting professionals who can help you wherever you need support on your family journey. Of course, it’s easy enough to Google whatever service you’re looking for and get hundreds (even millions) of results but then you worry (1) can they be trusted?, (2) are they certified?, and (3) are they recommended by other parents? So, that’s where Apparently Kids steps in. I spoke to its founder, Lara Russell-Jones, to find out more.

What is your business and what makes it unique?

Apparently Kids is your new parent support system and we’re here to help you find the trusted, professional support you need from pregnancy through to the toddler years.

There are a huge and diverse range of services available from private midwives and breastfeeding support to pregnancy massage, mental health support and baby first aid. Now, parents can find them all in one place and book online support, or search by postcode for in-person professionals local to them.

We invest time to background check all our professionals to make sure they are:

  • Fully certified and accredited with relevant organisations
  • Experienced for advice you can trust
  • Recommended by other parents

How did it all begin?

I started Apparently after my own experience of becoming a mum. Like many new parents, my son and I had birth complications and, combined with a few weeks of sleep deprivation, it became a toxic mix physically, emotionally and mentally.

I looked for support but didn’t know where to turn and was overwhelmed by conflicting advice I read online. I was lucky to find some amazing women who helped me through stitches, tongue-ties, reflux and pelvic floor issues all through tears and lots of laughter.

On my maternity leave, I met so many new mums in the same position and realised that everyone had their own story. Many had not been so lucky and still hadn’t found help. It seemed deeply unfair to me that women, new parents and their babies were struggling just because they didn’t know help was out there or who to trust.

Read also: Business Spotlight: Slow Fashion With the seen collective

I knew that I wanted to help. New parents deserved a place where they could easily see and understand the full breadth of support available to them and find experienced and trusted professionals. I couldn’t find an online source that did this, so I decided to give it a go – Apparently was born!

What is the meaning behind the business name?

We’re starting as a website right now, however, we aim to be the go-to app for all parents….hence Apparently!

Who is your ideal client/customer?

All new parents or parents-to-be. I love meeting people who are recently pregnant and opening their eyes to this whole new world!

Which services do you strongly recommend?

Each family is unique in the services that they may need to best support them, however, I always recommend three things:

  • Baby First Aid Course. If you do one thing, this course could honestly save a very important little life.
  • Women’s Pelvic Health Physio. Incontinence and pelvic pain is not a normal part of giving birth. I can’t stress this enough and no woman should ever be dismissed if they suffer from it.
  • Lactation (breastfeeding) consultant. Breastfeeding can actually be quite challenging! Lactation consultants have done years of training and can support you in all of your feeding choices.

How do you manage a work/life balance?

Planning. I left a career in strategy consulting to start Apparently and now really value being able to control my own time. When you say you’re going to stop, stop.

 

What is your top parenting tip?

Stock up your freezer with as much food as possible before a new baby comes long. COOK parent bundles were the best present I ever received!

Interviewee’s favourites

Shop: The White Company. I always find the perfect gift in The White Company no matter who I’m shopping for.

Website: Etsy. We’re decorating our son’s room at the moment and getting all the most gorgeous and personal things from Etsy.

Holiday destination: In the UK, Salcombe in Devon. It’s the scene of all my favourite childhood memories and also where my husband proposed! Abroad, you can’t beat the coral reefs, wildlife and beaches of Indonesia.

Read also: New Business Spotlight: Sustainable Cleaning Essentials From Seep

Restaurant: Murano – a real treat and special occasion destination

Hotel: Whatley Manor in the Cotswolds. Gorgeous hotel, stunning countryside, lovely spa and one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had!

Anything else you’d like to add?

‘It takes a village to raise a child – we are your village’ – Apparently Kids

Visit ApparentlyKids.co.uk

And don’t forget to follow Apparently on social media:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter


You might also like:

22 Christmas Decorations To Get Your House Ready For The Big Day

21 Christmas Gift Ideas For The Man Who’s Hard To Buy For

23 Christmas Gifts The Kids Would Love To Get From Santa This Year


Looking for something else? Take a peek at my ultimate directory for the best parent, style and business recommendations.

Content in partnership with Apparently Kids
Fashion Little

Holiday Style : Let’s Kit The Boys Out

Thank goodness the selection of boys clothes in the shops has grown over the last few years. It used to be pretty basic but now if you know where to look the boys can give the girls a run for their money in the cuteness and originality stakes. There also more individual and dedicated websites just for the boys (more on that soon!)

However, I am pretty trad in how I dress the boys so high street shopping works for me.  There is a lot of blue. A lot of stripes. Nothing too way out. So if this is a little safe for you, I won’t be offended if you quietly move on. If you are in the running for some timeless basics, stick with me and let’s head to trusty M and S.

Younger boys : 0-5

Riptape Trainers from £16

Seeing as below the age of 10 they race through their shoes at  very high speed, best to go cheap and cheerful. These are very sweet too.

Riptape Young Boys Trainers

Dino Top from £5 

Love the two tone endnote too overtly appliqué.

Young Boys Dino Long Sleeve T Shirt

Blue Cotton Star Print Top from £5

Same look as above but it wouldn’t be a TLM post without a star or two in it!

Boys Long Sleeve Star Top

Dude Long Sleeve Top from £5 

I don’t love the motif on this but I do love the slightly different green if you are eating something a bit different to ‘safe’ blue.

Dude Long Sleeve Top

Textured Jumper from £12 

I love how M and S have focussed on this subtle texture. It keeps the clothes simple enough but adds little bit of much needed detail on kids clothes.

Textured Boys Jumper

Pure Cotton Striped Jumper £12 

This only goes up to 1 yr. Wish it went older.

Baby Blue & White Stripe Jumper

 

Older boys : 3-16

Driving Shoes : Grey from £26 

Alot of the more popular coloured boys driving shoes have sold out but this practical grey which would go with everything is still in every size.

Boys Grey Suede Driving Shoes

‘Clogs’ from £9 

Who would know these weren’t.. umm.. cough.. the original ones. I wouldn’t.

Boys Beach Shoes

Printed Swim Shorts from £10 

These are really fun and I am a massive fan of slightly longer looking board shorts than shorter trunks that can look a bit ‘Copacabana beach’ in them if you get what I mean.

Electric Blue Boys Swimming Trunks

Dark Blue Swimmers from £10 

These are really smart and would love them in a mens sizes.

Dark Blue Boys Swimmers

Striped Rash Vest from £8 

Fresh and easily spotted from the other side of the swimming pool.

Striped Rash Vest

Footy PJs from £19 

There is no avoiding the football obsession (lucky if you are) and a good way to avoid them wanting team pjs is to put these across their path.

Football PJ's

Checked Shirt from £12 

Roll the sleeves up, unbutton a couple of the top buttons, which on some shorts and a great al fresco look.

Boys Check Shirt

Cotton Trunks from £8 

Why are these called trunks? Anyway, there comes a time in every boys life when the briefs have to go and these have to enter. I would say from age 4 at the LATEST.

Cotton Pants

Green Colour Block Sunglasses £6 

A bit of fun. Until they lose them!

Green Sunglasses

Hope this has helped and will emerald you to fill in any holiday clothing gaps for your little chap.

This post was written in collaboration with Marks and Spencer however all products chosen are handpicked by me. This post also contains affiliate links!

Fashion Little

Dress The (little) Kids This Autumn…

Hope you have all had a cracking summer. After a little blogcation, I am champing at the bit to share my new kids clothing discoveries with you.  One gem that I have to start with are the gorgeous new brands that John Lewis are selling AS OF TODAY.

Margherita Kids designed by Ms Missoni herself, is exclusive to John Lewis for girls up to 8.  The Exclusive Brands Baby Edit  are 4 new brands –  Serendipity, Wheat and Mini La Mode for babies up to 2 and Michelle Carslund are lovely posters for a nursery.

Now, where to begin…

Margherita Kids Geisha Quilted Jacket, £43

Buy Margherita Kids Girls' Geisha Quilted Jacket, Angel Falls, 3 years Online at johnlewis.com

Margherita Kids Embroidered Bodysuit, £34

Buy Margherita Kids Girls' Embroidered Jumpsuit, Eclipse/Multi, 3 years Online at johnlewis.com

Margherita Daisy Collar Blouse, £28

Buy Margherita Kids Girls' Daisy Collar Blouse, White, 3 years Online at johnlewis.com

Wheat Natural Print Trousers, £33

Buy Wheat Baby Natural Print Trousers, Natural, 18 months Online at johnlewis.com

Wheat Baby Eila Print Dress, £34

Buy Wheat Baby Eila Print Dress, Natural, 18 months Online at johnlewis.com

 

Serendipity Llama Wool Print Jumper, Berry £56

Buy Serendipity Baby Llama Wool Print Jumper, Berry, 1 months Online at johnlewis.com

Serendipity Baby Trapper Al Paca Hat Wool Hat, Yellow £34

Buy Serendipity Baby Trapper Alpaca Wool Hat, Yellow, S Online at johnlewis.com

Mini La Mode Toy Soldier Sleepsuit, £43

Buy Mini La Mode Baby Toy Soldier Footsie Sleepsuit, White, 3 months Online at johnlewis.com

Mini La Mode Pink Sleepsuit, £43

Buy Mini La Mode Baby Velour Footsie Sleepsuit, Pink, 3 months Online at johnlewis.com

Michelle Carslund Elephant Love Poster £20

Buy Michelle Carlslund Illustration Elephant Love Poster, 30 x 40cm Online at johnlewis.com

Michelle Carslund Circus Poster £20

Buy Michelle Carlslund Illustration Circus Print Poster, 30 x 40cm Online at johnlewis.com

johnlewis.com

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Fashion Little Products Spotlight

Interview with Pepa & Co : Spanish Children’s Clothes

Whenever I ask a mother what their child is wearing, more often than not, it is from Spain.  Spanish clothes are becoming more and more popular in the UK as some people veer towards a more traditional way of dressing their sprogs.  The Royals have strongly influenced this trend and Pepa & Co is now one of Kate Middleton’s trusted boutique for her children.

Sign up to hear more about life as a London Mummy!

Gorgeous Page Boys & Bridesmaids for Pippa Middletons glamorous country wedding.

Wedding

See Prince George and Princess Charlotte on their recent tour to Canada.

Image result for princess charlotte canada

After 5 years living in London,  working closely with lovely mums and their children, Pepa Gonzalez decided to start up Pepa & Company. Her aim was to bring back smart and quality clothes to a new generation of children.
pepagonzalez

TLM Edit

www.tlmedit.com

The inspiration for Pepa & Company comes from her large Spanish family. Her mother (a mother of 5) used to be told

 

Your boys look like little princes.

 

The sentiment stuck with her. She liked to see children dress as children. The range are handpicked, quality and smart Spanish clothing, in both classic and contemporary styles. There’s a high attention to detail at affordable prices.

image

Body Suit with Ruffle Collar

Annafie Smock Dress

Annafie Smock Dress

 

 

Pepa’s Favourites

Shop: Summerbox

Website: www.notonthehighstreet.com

Restaurant: Megan’s in Chelsea, London

Hotel: HILTON in Mayfair, London

Place: Serpentine in Hyde Park, London

Discover their latest collections.

ss17-web-7

www.pepaandcompany.com

 

Interiors Products Spotlight

A Hip Kid: Glass Accessories

After producing a crunched and leaking Evian bottle at an after school picnic yesterday, I realised that this means of water consumption for the next 5 warm (!) months was not going to suffice. What to do?  I think I have a chic and practical answer.

A Hip Kid, a lifestyle brand, as featured in the May/June Edition of Vogue, was started by two friends, Camilla Hicks, based in Clapham, and Avery Kaufman-Benemache, an American currently living in Paris.

Camilla and Avery

Avery and Camilla

Over Avery’s kitchen table in Paris, they had an idea for glass baby bottles which are more hygienic, with non slip (and non smash!) silicon sleeves.

Baby bottles

Baby bottles

They proved so popular, they ventured into other areas and now have a large number of products. On my wish list are the stemless wine glasses – perfect for slippery sun creamed hands at the beach.

Stemless Wine Glasses

Stemless Wine Glasses

The water bottles are also very cool, a great replacement for my plastic bottle and they would even spur the laziest person to exercise. All the gear no idea…

image

Their ‘5 favourite’s’ are –

Restaurant: The Wolseley, London
Hotel: Scallywags – Indonesia and Hotel L’Abbaye – Paris
Website: www.delicouslyella.com & www.calgaryavansino.com
Shop: Labour and Wait, Babylist
Place to go with Children: London Wetlands Centre

To order –

www.ahipkid.com

If you would like to receive posts similar to this one, please Follow in the ‘About The London Mummy’ page.

Family Life People

What I Wish I Had Known Before Babies

Don’t we all wish we had the beauty of hindsight especially when it comes to our children and how to bring them up. Here is my list of ‘What I wish my mother had told me about…babies’

  1. You won’t find a buggy that does everything but make sure you find one that folds easily!
  2. Never discuss your baby names unless you are telling your chosen name. Everyone knows a bully at school/a great Aunt that had bad breath etc with that name and you don’t need to hear it
  3. Prenatal baby group friends are great. There is nothing better than having a baby at the same time to compel a friendship and hopefully it will last past the baby phase
  4. To establish breastfeeding, if possible get that baby latched on ASAP. Frequency frequency frequency
  5. Check for tongue tie. Impossible to breastfeed successfully if they are even slightly tongue tied
  6. Fairy liquid is an adequate substitute to sterilising when it comes to cleaning baby bottles
  7. They aren’t distressed when they are crying unless it’s a prolonged and sustained period of time
  8. Short sharp cries = hungry
  9. Long low wail = tired
  10. If your baby has reflux, hang on in there – it does get better with time
  11. Teething pain is worse before the teeth cut through so be sympathetic from as early as 3 months
  12. If your baby is doing explosions up the back – go up a nappy size
  13. Cheap nappies are a false economy
  14. If your baby is sucky you need a dummy. Go cold turkey by 1 year so you don’t have to get into dunmy fairy territory
  15. Take videos even if you think the gurgling is dull at the time. Often better than a photo down the line
  16. Don’t compare your baby. Your baby is the most advanced and beautiful so don’t worry if it seems others can’t see it
  17. Monitors might seem slightly neurotic but oh it is so much easier than questioning your ears every few minutes
  18. A baby sleeps in cycles of 45 minutes, therefore be quiet/keep car moving 45 minutes in to their 2 hour lunch time sleep
  19. Babies will stay sleeping in the car if you stop within the first 15 minutes of sleep but touch and go nearing the half hour mark
  20. Trying to get your child into a routine too quickly is futile as they will change as soon as you have told someone they are in a routine
  21. Ditto to ‘sleeping through the night’
  22. That I only just realised that ‘smug’ mother wasn’t saying baby slept 7-7 at 4 weeks – the definition increases with each week!
  23. Don’t spend too much money on baby clothes as they grow so quickly. Invest more when they slow down.
  24. The more you try and keep your old life as is the harder it will be
  25. Embrace it and don’t wish it away as it is such a short phase of your life

On that note, do what works for you as deep down you knew what you were going to do anyway!