Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Hey hey hey, it’s no secret that I really love to shop, so that means I really like making gift guides as it’s like shopping without spending! I’m breaking it’s down into a few categories and price brackets so hopefully there is something for everyone! I’ve also made a very conscious choice to support small businesses  and shop local for these ideas. Particularly in a time when the economic climate is unsure, this can make a huge difference to people.

Sporty Mum

Save It’s no secret that I like things that are personalised, I’m basic, ok! As someone who is just getting into exercise I would say one of the few legitimately essential  things is a water bottle and I don’t know why my son cannot resist stealing my water! The solution is to get it personalised so there is a legit answer to it hasn’t got your name on it..!’
Spend This bag is perfect for taking your gym gear wherever you need to go whilst letting the world know how awesome you are!
Splurge Now, the price or these leggings isn’t crazy, but you’d be mad to not get matching for your little one! And how cool would you look at your mumma baby workout class... or more like chasing them across the park!

Homey Mum

Save I love these! The possibilities are endless in how you could personalise them and then use them in different areas of your home for styling! A big one with blankets in the lounge labeled SNUG, or a smaller on in the bedroom by the bed with mums essentials? I love it!
Spend I have two Pebble Art pictures in my home, they are timeless and the wording can be customised to perfectly reflect your family! I would highly recommend them!
Splurge If your lady is a bit of a Hincher then some labelled homeware may be right up her ally! I bought my bathroom bottles from this Etsy site and they are lasting well and really smarten up my bathroom!

Arty Mum

Save If your arty mum is looking to try something different then ‘By Charlie’s Hand’ do digital downloads for paper cutting! They may be a labour of love but when complete they will make a stunning piece of decor!
Spend I love the idea of a fun family portrait that will reflect this moment in time forever! I’ve been a long time admirer of ‘Winding The Bobbin Up’s’ style on Instagram as it feels young and fun which is very appropriate for young families!
Splurge I think any art lover would appreciate the work that would go into these customised Russian dolls! They would make awesome decor!

Feminist Mum

Save Everything Sweet uses iconic logos and mixes them with a feminist message and these badges are a great way of getting a taste of the brand but there is LOADS on the website I love and currently it’s all on sale!
Spend Lioness Not Princess is a great brand, the quality of the clothes are great and the designer is amazing! I’m in love with the new limited edition designs!
Splurge I’ve bought a few things from Black & Beech and they have always been great quality, if you are looking for feminist  merch to suit all budgets then I would urge you to check them out!

Pamper mum

Save I saw this and thought it looked very luxe, a lovely leather look personalised make up bag. I often have a little pouch in my bags for the essentials as mums end up carrying the world around with them! At least this way it’s done in style!
Spend A local afternoon tea can be a nice treat for the mum that wants to be pampered. Time to get away and relax, or time to spend with the each other! Try and find a nice local place and enjoy a cheeky slice of cake
Splurge I fantasise about having a makeover day! Get my haircut, check my nails! Maybe a facial, wack on some eyelashes and my god I could take over the world. If you got some dollar and some organisational skills I think that could be the ultimate treat, a day away from the kids in which you know they are going to comeback feeling invincible!

New Mum

Save When you have a baby it really is like joining an elite club where suddenly you have a new gang, and this pin embodies that! Mere Soeur is a really cool brand and there is lots to pick from for the insta mum!
Spend A few of my new mummy friends have requested this personalised silver teething ring for their Mothers Day gift. It’s stylish and when they are through with it, would be a nice addition for the babies memory box!
Splurge I am OBSESSED with this gift box! For £50 you get a great selection of products and any new mum will certainly be a member of the Tired Mums Club!

Ooh New Shoes? Baby's First Shoes

Tom has been walking more and more and we knew that getting him some shoes was on the horizon so today we did exactly that!

We went to the Clarks shop in Bluewater, because first shoes should always come from Clarks! I didn't realise it was such a formal affair! We took our number, and had to wait for around 10 minutes, during this time Tom took great pleasure in trying to eat the shoes on the shelf, and took a liking to a pink pair of desert boots. 

When it was our turn I held Tom on my lap whilst his feet were measured individually, he didn't really want to sit still as there were so many shoes left to eat, so I gave him the dribble of bottle we had in the pram which kept him just still enough! We found out that Tom is a 5.5 and that one foot is slightly wider than the other. The woman advised us that some children have to wear cruisers as they haven't worn shoes and they aren't used to them so they are too heavy to walk in, but they don't have those in Tom's size so he was going straight into shoes. 

I did feel frustrated that the advice I had seen on the NHS website is that babies shouldn't wear any shoes at all until they have walked for around a month, but then I felt we were being told that we should have put him in cruising shoes. I still am not sure what the right answer is.

 

The sales assistant was really friendly and helpful and brought us a few styles to try, we started with the lightest shoe, which is called Softly Liam First Shoes priced at £32, and we were so happy with them so we didn't look at anymore! The shoe fitted well and after a few Forest Gump steps, he was off! The shoe is a navy, brogue shaped front with a small plane on the side. It looks like it will be versatile for smart/casual and should be hard wearing. It has an orange sole and some other orange details to break up the blue. 

Clarks offer to take a photo and email it to you to document the moment, for free! I think that the touches like this and the superb service are why people go to Clarks. I am really happy with the service we received and even got a £10 online voucher for our next order, which is handy! They had a lovely selection and I am looking forward to choosing his next pair, I have a feeling it will be the blue desert boots as I was seriously swooning over them! 

If I had any advice I would say to go at a quiet time such as early on a weekday as the children's section can get pretty manic, especially with pushchairs, which can't be helped but it is difficult to navigate. I also saw a sale last week with great prices but it was too busy to get him measured which was a shame. I will be first in queue for the next sale as the prices were fantastic! Clarks have a great first shoes service and I would really recommend them! 

Gorgeous Little George : My new brand love

After a post on Twitter by @thedadnetworkuk I have found my new addiction, and thy name is Gorgeous Little George! GLG is a website run by mumtrapenur Laura Lynch based t'up North. GLG sells a variety of brands of baby and toy clothes and gifts by selected brands and its homegrown brand GLG (which is super cool!). 

The brand and the company is flipping great, after discovering them an hour ago I am totally besotted, I like the familier approach of the website, I like they style of clothing and best of all? They actually have a decent (if not better) boys section!!! It's not all catered for wee fillies! If you have a boy then you will understand that this is rare! Liking a song by Justin Bieber rare! I'm so happy!

I have put together a clothes wish list and a gist wish list of items I am coveting until payday! Mwhahaha

Clothing

1 & 3 : GLG brand T-shirts : £13.50 : Both are beyond adorable. Obviously the blogger one would be a hit but 'bobby dazzler'? Genius! I generally like the style and font and use of monochrome, simple but effective, and a pleasant break from all the bright character clothing you see (and buy and love)

2 : Weasel & Stoat Bodysuit : £13 : In truth, £13 is more than I would generally pay for in essence a vest but I am really drawn to this. I like the simplicity of the screen print style and it fills the void of me wanting a little Boston dog!

4 : Little Green Radicals Teepee T-shirt : £14 : Thomas' 1st birthday has a cowboy and Indian theme and I just like that this matches! The teal is a really nice unusual colour and the general style is such a sweet little boy look

5 : Busy People PJs : £19 : I just absolutely love the colourful Aztec print. I haven't seen anything like this on the high street and I think it's so happy and bright. I kind of want a pair in me size

6 & 7 : Baobab Jade Mobile Print T-shirt & Joggers : £22 each : I love these as separates, together I think Tom might look like a stick of spearmint gum? And yet, I still would try it. It is really unusual for a boy to use a mint colour, I find it really refreshing.

Gifts

1 : Wooden Ice Cream Sundae : £6.45 : Ok, so it's a tad girly, but it's nice to see something a bit different up in here. A different way to practice the motor skills of stacking and adorable to boot!

2 : My First Hong Kong Buddha : £18.50 : We are a catholic family, however I really want Tom to have an open mind about other cultures and faiths and I want him to be surrounded by this from a young age. It's just a lovely gift to give or receive.

3 : Boys Storage Trunks : £29.99 : I have no clue where I would put these, but come on, slugs and snails and puppy dog tails!

4 : Knitted T-Rex Dinosaur: £12 : Little boys and dinosaurs are a fabulous mix. I like that it's knitted as textural stimulation can be really relaxing, plus it looks pretty

5 : Baby Milestone Cards : £12.99 : Tom is coming up to one, so really we would get no use out of these BUT when we decide on baby #2 then I will defiantly get them. The idea is really nice and you could end up with a lovely photo log of each milestone too!

I strongly urge you to take a ganders if you want to see something different or if you wanted to find a funky gift for a wee one!