Beautiful dresses from Joules

Ok so I may a tad biased about these dresses - as my girls are modeling them in the shot but they are fab.

My girls have been looking forward to them coming into store since the shoot nearly a year ago and when they finally arrived they were so excited. we got them just in time for our holiday and they traveled really well.

They are lined with satin and as my little one has a bit of a thing for all things silky, the dress is a piece of heaven to her.

They wash well, no need to iron if you hang it straight from the machine and they look fabulous on - especially with one of their cotton cardigans.

Jnr Foxtrot dress in sizes from 3 to 12 years £29

Jnr Lily Cardigan 3 to 12 years £24

www.joulesclothing.com

Cutie Cuski

I guess that this should really have been one of my first posts - as cuski has been a part of our family for nearly nine years.

I came across it at a trade show. My baby had a real thing for towelling Ikea bibs and I was desperate to get him off them. Then i spotted Cuski. the answer that i had been looking for - a towelling comforter. I bought one and took it home. It was an instant hit - and over the years the collection has grown. my baby is now nearly nine - and he still wouldn't part with Cussi (as he calls him) for the world.

Cuski is now available in a range of colours and in a bamboo option. 

If you are stuck for a gift idea for a new baby - you cannot go wrong with this.

Retro heaven from Ladybird

I have been collecting Ladybird books for a few years now after my mother in law donated her collection to me. I have at least 300 books and my children love them as much as I do. 

They are a real piece of childhood nostalgia - with illustrations changing through the generations.

Ladybird have just launched a new site www.ladybirdprints.com where you can get hold of a little bit of history to hang in your home.

The site has around 4000 images from the whole range of books that can be ordered as prints or canvases. 

My fav's are the classic Three Little Pigs and The elves and the Shoemaker - which I loved when I was little.

Prices from £15 for an A4 print.

New Family Cookbook from Annabel Karmel

If like me you have been a big fan of Annabel Karmel's books since you started to think about weaning - then her new Family Cookbook is really worth a look.

It has some great meal ideas - and not just for kids but for the whole family. There is a fantastic no cook train cake that my kids had a go at making. OK so ours didn't look quite as good as hers did but they had good fun making it.

It's in a magazine format and available from supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco and all good newsagents.

£7.99

www.annabelkarmel.com

How cute are these?

Not often that I come across something that I think is as cute as these. They would make a great gift for any family member and are the perfect way to immortalise those precious kids first scrawlings. The templates for the jewellery can be downloaded from the Smallprint website so the whole thing can be done by post. Prices vary but for a single charm on a necklace it is about £75.

No need to restrict it to the kids though - they also do a range called Love Letters, that make a very original gift for that special someone.

www.smallp.com

Funky retro gifts - not just for kids

If you're ever stuck for a gift for a special little girl then have a look at Wu & Wu. They make a range of retro, oriental inspired gift tins that are to die for! For little girls they don't get any better than the Pigtail Kit. 

The beautiful tin contains a comb and mirror set and a range of vintage inspired hair accessories including bows and pom poms.

Of course they're not just for kids - I know that my hubby would be delighted with one of the fabulous boys Explorer kits to help him channel his inner adventurer!

£15

www.wuandwu.com

Is this the best looking pushchair ever?

I know that I have historically suffered from an addiction to pushchairs and now that my youngest no longer requires me to push her around (all be it in state of the art wheels) it is with deep sadness that I don't get to own one of these fantastic new Stokke Xplory's.

Looking firmly ahead to spring - they have launched two new accessories kits in the aptly named Forest patterns. I saw pics of them a couple of weeks ago but I was lucky enough to see one in the flesh yesterday and they are quite simply stunning.

The kits are a great idea. You can give your Xplory an update without breaking the bank. For around  £100 you get a hood, diaper wallet, bottle bag and footmuff. Can't decide which colour? Buy them both! If you want to have a bit of a play around with how the colours look, check out their new Xplory moods page and customise to your hearts content!

www.stokke-stroller.com/en/stokke-xplory-stroller/configurator.aspx

Who am i?

As a mum of a few children (four at the last count!) and someone who loves fashion, shopping and searching out goodies - I thought that it was about time that I shared all these fab tips and things with all you other parents out there.

I have a great job and I come across new and exciting stuff all of the time. So welcome to mummytips. Please feel free to get in touch - or pop by and catch me on twitter.com/mummytips