Traditional Gifts | My Mills Baby

I can’t believe how quickly Dex is growing up. Sometimes I have to double-take when I catch sight of his legs dangling from his highchair, or see him having a stretch in his cot. He’s going to be tall. Much taller than I, and maybe even Craig. His shoulders are broadening and he now has a little milk belly. He’s regularly taking little steps now and seems to have grown out of his first stage toys.

So I’ve packed away all his soft bricks and musical rattles for his little brother or sister to enjoy, and hunted down some ‘bigger boy’ toys for him to play with. Now he’s a little older we’d like to provide toys that will challenge him, improve his hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity, and get him thinking logically about how things fit together. It’s going to be very interesting to see how he gets on with the smaller pieces and if he can figure out how to approach each new toy.

From left to right: Melissa & Doug Scoop & Stack Ice Cream Cone Playset £20, Melissa & Doug Jumble Numbers puzzle £14, Melissa & Doug Shape Sequence Sorting Set £10, Melissa & Doug Swivel bridge train set £40, Melissa & Doug Plane and Carrier Set £17

Next up we have some crafty toys to encourage him to get creative. I’ve always been wary of introducing messy play and art & crafts too early just in case he draws some Picasso-style art on the walls, or mistakes a crayola for a biscotti, but he’s definitely taking an interest when he sees me scribbling in my blog planner.

Given our sole contribution to arts and crafts so far has been to plonk his hands in paint and onto a canvas. Secretly I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to introduce a few new art supplies - I can’t wait to Blu Tack his first pictures on the fridge.

So I’ve bought him a plastic picnic bench and table for the garden (I don’t quite trust him experimenting inside the house yet), and I’m going to see how he gets on with some pastels and crayons. I’ve also found some lovely Melissa & Doug craft supplies on Alex & Alexa for us both to get stuck into when he’s got the hang of it.

From left to right: Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Art Easel £70, Melissa & Doug Dinosaur stamp and pencil set £10, Melissa & Doug Decorate Your Own Race Car £4, Melissa & Doug Wooden Cupcake Set £15, Melissa & Doug Decorate Your Own Dinosaur Set £7

So there you have it. I can’t wait to see how we get on over the coming months. Hopefully we’ll have a few pictures of mummy’s growing belly on the fridge as he begins to better observe what is going on around him.

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Laying in bed today with suspected appendicitis and an energetic baby boy who is misreading mummy rubbing her abdomen as a signal to play the drums on her belly, it’s all too easy to forget what a lovely and relaxing night I had on Saturday. Sensing I’d partied a bit too much on Friday, Craig ran me a lovely bath with candles and rose petals and whisked Dexie off to his mums to let me recover - He even put paracetamol in a little jewellery sack on my pillow. It’s these little touches that remind me just why I can’t wait to officially become Mrs Mills.

0021 GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Bluestripes Luxury Handmade Soaps and Baby Octopus Rattle (CD 28/06/2013)

Such a peaceful and relaxing environment was the ideal opportunity to try out the most gorgeous handmade soaps sent to me by Bluestripes. This was the most generous of gifts from my favourite bridal gift boutique on the web. Hearing that Dexter was poorly last week, they bent over backwards to send me something for both him and I to de-stress. Mummy was treated to organic handmade Strawberry and Champagne and Citrus Nectar, and Dexter was sent some Castille (unfragranced) soap for really delicate skin. For just a moment, I forgot the fact I had a mountain of washing to do, a nursery to tidy, and a raging headache. They were divine. The smell was so beautiful and my skin felt as soft as Dexter’s when I finally emerged from my sanctuary.

Bluestripes specialise in gifts for the discerning bride and babies-of-the bride. Everything is handpicked (and in some instances made) by Bluestripes themselves, and everything exudes that ultimate dream wedding vibe - it’s all so pretty and intricate. Add to this a genuine and heartfelt desire to keep everything ethically manufactured, organic and environmentally friendly and you have a luxury online boutique with a conscience. The site really is a labour of love and provenance is really important to them with most products coming from Britain. Bluestripes were keen to point out to me that my delectable soaps were made in France by a Welsh soapmaker - there’s something very quaint about that!

index6 GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Bluestripes Luxury Handmade Soaps and Baby Octopus Rattle (CD 28/06/2013)

For the little ones, Bluestripes have created a collection of clothes and accessories that are so impossibly cute and timeless. All of these exclusive mini-collections are designed and hand crafted in England and Wales from quality materials and fabrics such as cashmere and silk. Moreover the gorgeous baby knits are created exclusively for Bluestripes by a baby knitwear designer (no less!) so you know that your child will be wearing something unique and special. There’s also a selection of soft toys that could be presented to baby on your big day so they have their very own keepsake.

I never usually direct people to social media channels with any real ferocity, but in this instance, you simply have to follow Bluestripes on Pinterest. If you are getting married and are looking for inspiration and ideas - they have such beautiful boards I think I’ve repinned just about everything to my own! The Bluestripes Facebook page is also a visual feast with lots of wedding related tit bits.

Fancy winning some beautiful gifts of your own?

Well Bluestripes have offered me the most gorgeous prize to offer to one of you - I’ve been resisting the urge to open this beautiful gift box since it arrived! Inside you’ll find a gift for mum, and a gift for baby. There’s a cute baby octopus rattle (manufactured in Fair trade handmade cotton in a safe and ethical factory in Bangladesh), and 5 luxury handmade soaps from the same soapmaker I adhered to earlier in this post. The fragrances are Amber, Blackcurrant Passion, Tomato and Basil, Olive and Lemon Scrub, and Parsley and Nettles - I’m assured they are very colourful and 100% natural. Based on my review of the soaps above, you are in for such a treat.

Entry is via Rafflecopter!

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T&C’s – a.k.a – the boring bit!

- Only 1 option is mandatory (leave me a comment) – the rest only improve your chances of winning so just complete as many as you feel like

- UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)

- The winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 1 week of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn

- When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winner completely at random

- The winners name will be published on this site

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