Monthly Archives: February 2015

Feb 24 2015

Children’s clothes with character: Olive & Moss

Posted on by

Heidi has a ton of vintage prints in her drawers (frilly rompers, tea dresses, and daisy print tees) and often looks like she’s stepped from a Hovis advert. Although we’re fiercely proud of our little fashionista, I do miss the swatches of bold colour that you’ll find in Dexter’s wardrobe.

When I stumbled upon Olive & Moss, the pops of vibrant colour and too-cute-for-school characters instantly appealed. Capitalising on children’s love for animals, they’ve created a number of cool characters including Tobias the Toucan, Otto the Owl, Douglas the Dog, Colette the Cow and Tarquin the Tiger, all of which feature on staple pieces in the Olive & Moss collection.

Owner & creative director, Nina Gowan, is a textile designer and it shows. Each garment is lovingly developed in the brightest of plaettes, featuring unique prints, character, stripes or florals, appliques, trims, buttons and badges. You have to see the brand up close to really appreciate all the sensory details - the mix of textiles make the clothes a delight for children to touch and wear.

For little girlies aged 0-4

GriliesLeft to right: Tallulah the Tabby Cat Appliqué Playsuit £23 / Dotty and Delilah Bib £10.00 / Gilly the Giraffe Appliqué Dress £25.00 / Margot & Mo Newborn Playsuit and Hat Set £30.00 / Betty the Bunny Hooded Sweatshirt £26 / Margot & Mo Appliqué Playsuit and Hat Set was £30, now £15 / Gilly the Giraffe Appliqué Playsuit £11.50 / Sheila the Sheep Playsuit was £20, now£10 / Tallulah the Tabby Cat Appliqué Dress £25.00

For girls, Olive & Moss mixes bold pinks, yellows and pale blues to create a fun, engaging and easily recognisable collection. With everything made from 100% cotton, they’re the sort of clothes that wear well and last well beyond the size stated on the label.

Highlights for me include the adorable playsuits with hats (some of which are now on sale at under £15) which look lovely and warm for playing and slumbering around the house, or indeed, arriving home in from hospital for the very first time. The dresses also look perfect for the upcoming spring / summer months, in a traditional style and cut that will flatter little girls of all sizes.

For mini men aged 0-4

BoysLeft to right: Michael the Monkey Bib £10.00 / Michael the Monkey Stripe Appliqué Playsuit and Hat Set £30.00 / Crispin the Crab Appliqué Romper £22.00 / Unisex Newborn Louis the Lion Bodysuit £14.00 / Michael the Monkey Red Appliqué Playsuit and Hat Set £30.00 / Tobias the Toucan Appliqué T-Shirt £20.00 / Michael the Monkey Sweatshirt £25.00 / Crispin the Crab Hooded Sweatshirt was £26.00, now £13.00 / Michael the Monkey Fleece Hooded Sweatshirt was £30.00, now £15.00

For little men, there’s a mix of striking rich reds, purples and blues. Of course, girls can wear any of these too and I suspect parents will be less concerned with colour, and more about their child’s favourite animals. I also really love all the applique detailing with flappy ears, satin and fleece trims and buttons, all of which help bring the characters to life and give the clothes an extra sensory element to enthuse curious fingers.

Up close and personal…

Heidi was sent a Sheila the Sheep sweatshirt and we’re really impressed with it. As mentioned above, these look perfectly adorable on the website, yet even better up close. In fact, this would be my only criticism of the website which could use a hover-to-zoom-in function so you can better appreciate all the little details.

Hieid1

The mainstay of the clothes is 100% cotton with all applique details kept well away from Heidi’s sensitive skin. It’s super warm, is well proportioned yet roomy & stretchy to accommodate her growing body, and is a truly fabulous fit on her.

The colour is loud and vivacious (exactly what I hoped for) and has remained so despite several gory accidents and high temperature washes. Heidi is forever fiddling with Sheila too and no seams have loosened or sucuumbed to her death-defying grip.

Heidi1

It looks fabulous paired with jeans or leggings and is perfect in this chilly weather, yet would be equally appropriate on a summers evening when the sun goes in.

This particular design is £25, which is top end for a sweatshirt, but there are other designs currently down to £13-15 bringing them firmly back into bargain territory. In fact, I have to give Olive and Moss props for a great sale where much of their winter collection is now half price - so well worth a look.

To find out more, head to OliveandMoss.com or say hello on Twitter or Facebook. to be the first to meet new characters, and get all the latest news from O&M HQ.

 

Feb 24 2015

REVIEW: My Little Duckling Pilot Hats

Posted on by

MLD

I feel like a proud mum bringing you this review. I stumbled on My Little Duckling Pilot Hats the very day they unveiled their uber cool collection at a local Baby Show here in Reading. A husband and wife team, I met husband Mathew as he stood behind the stall and remember his bemused smile as he watched us mums frantically pulling them onto our sweaty toddlers to marvel at how cute they looked!

Hats

This is what makes My Little Duckling hats so popular - they are undeniably CUTE. A really simple idea, they’re pilot themed hats (complete with applique goggles) for children aged 0-3years.

Capture

Heidi was very kindly provided with the most adorable sun hat (the newest additions to the collection) and I’ve fallen absolutely in love with it - as have my friends who have all, without fail, asked me where it’s from. Not just limited to us mums and dads, it would make an seriously cool gift for a mini aviator-in-the-making from aunties, uncles and grandparents who want their pressies to stand out from the crowd.

IMG_3036 (2)

The attention to detail is there for all to see - with adorable faux flaps over the ears, contrasting material on the inside, and (of course) those goggles. Despite all this detailing, there’s no pesky rough seams on the inside, and the quality of the stitching and the material is superior to many high street hats I’ve snapped up in haste before holidaying. Given babies and small children are notorious for pulling off their hats and leaving them on park benches, buses, in restaurants… this is also the only hat that Heidi will happily play around in and not attempt to shrug off. With this in mind, it more than justifies the £14.99 price tag.

IMG_3063

The fit is absolutely spot on. We did deliberately pick one that is slightly too big (1-2 years) as it’s not quite sun hat weather yet, but even with room to grow, it won’t fall off. The fabric has just the right amount of stretch and isn’t too deep that it can fall across your babies eyes. The applique goggles also serve to give the hat a sense of structure that is missing from more traditional baby hats, as does a lightly elasticated back. I read another review recently in which a mum described it as the “most sensible hat shape” she’s come across, and I have to agree. I’ve been in this parenting game for nearly 3 years now, and can honestly say it’s the only hat that truly fits properly.

IMG_3090

Practicality-wise, they cover your little ones ears entirely. For the winter hats, this is ideal as it means you aren’t constantly tugging at your little ones collar or accidentally pulling their beanie hat over their eyes. In Heidi’s case this is actually great from a safety perspective as ears are so often the first things to burn under the hot summer sun. Given both my babies are prone to ear infections, this could save me many sleepless nights administering Calpol!

IMG_3037 (2)

Who knows what’s next as Karina is a fabulous designer. Maybe we’ll see deerstalker hats given the Karina-treatment, or she’ll work out a way to finally add a snood to a child’s hat - either-way I know it will be good, and I know I’ll be buying it.

To find out more, head over to mylittleduckling.co.uk or say hello on Twitter or Facebook. Finally, as if Heidi isn’t cute enough for you, you can see so many more baby models doing their thing in their pilot hats on Instagram.

 

Feb 24 2015

Some parenting wins worthy of a little Moet darling!

Posted on by

Becoming a mum is hard. So much so that you might imagine there will never be a time you’ll get around to drinking the champagne that some well-meaning, but totally clueless, pal bought you to celebrate the fact your baby emerged blue, covered in gunk and blinking into the world.

Even when breastfeeding gives way to bottles and mission of pumping and dumping is long gone, there are still plenty of familiar baby dramas to prevent you enjoying a glass of chilled bubbles of an evening; there’s the split moment when transferring from bath to nappy that they’ll pick to offload their dinner; the never-ending rounds of Buzz Lightyear Goes to Nursery that your child insists on you reading before you dare switch on their nightlight; or maybe you have a baby that actively hates their nursery and will rattle the bars of their cot for hours until you sandwich them in between mummy and daddy.

Yet as you acclimatise to your new role, you’ll find there are excuses aplenty for cracking open a bottle of Moet and Chandon Champagne. In fact, if you don’t, you’re apt to go a bit crazy.

Here are my little parenting wins this month:

Heidi now naps!

Heidi Jumperoo

Unbelievably, after months of trying, my daughter is finally beginning to yawn after a frantic session on her Jumperoo. Better yet, when we pop her in her cot for a rest, she actually plays with, and coos at her dollies before her little head hits the pillow. Trust me this is major progress. Heidi used to rattle the bars as fervently as a prisoner suffering from claustrophobia.

sleeping 2

Even better still - sometimes the two will nap at the same time! It’s then, and only then, you realise you’ve really cracked this parenting game.

sleeping

The Postman Obsession has given way to Toy Story

I don’t want to judge Postman Pat too harshly. The 2014 movie was actually pretty watchable with Ronan Keating, Stephen Mangan, Rupert Grint, and Jim Broadbent among those providing the voice-overs. Yet when you’re being pestered to put it on every single day, three times a day, you begin to fantasise about putting your head in the freezer.

At least there are three Toy Story movies, and there’s plenty of adult humour to keep me from regressing to a three-year-old by the time Craig comes home from work. Better yet, we actually bought Dexter several Toy Story toys for Christmas. At the time my sweet well-mannered two-year-old gave them a cursory nod then threw them behind the sofa. Now we’re gradually introducing them as bribes for fuss-free tooth-brushing. Result!

Heidi is giving as good as she gets

Dex and Heidi

My 10-month-old daughter is now standing up to her big brother and demanding he share his toys. She used to get a whack around the head with a chunk of Duplo for her troubles and fall to the floor wailing. Now she’ll sidle in next to him and shoulder barge into whatever game he’s playing. I guess she’s now immune to concussion and has worked out that a bash or two is worth it if you can get your hands on Fireman Sam’s fire station. photo 2-20

The lump on my breast turned out to be nothing

Joking aside, I’ve had a pretty naff month. I found a lump on my breast earlier this week and sadly it wasn’t result of superb aim from my toddler whilst eating his cereal. I couldn’t book my own doctors appointment because I was scared, so Craig had to do it for me. He booked a little time off work to be there with me and hold my hand and I’m eternally grateful I had him there to support me.

I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be at the doctors surgery. Before she’d even asked what was wrong, I was removing my bra! In fact, she even tried to stop me for fear of interruption by a colleague, gesturing I might be more comfortable if I park my bum on a seat behind her curtain, but she quickly stopped when she saw the pleading look in my eyes - it said, just get on with it.

I’ve now been reassured the lump is within my skin, and not my breast tissue. This doesn’t mean we’re completely out of the woods and I’m still scheduled for further tests, but to my mind, it does mean they can lop it off (if needs be) without there being too much cosmetic damage to my breast.

The main threat is gone, and that means a glass of bubbly.

So what are you celebrating this month?

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...