(Happy) Summer holidays

We have noticed from chatting to customers in the shop that people's thoughts are starting to turn to holidays.

From our personal experience, we know that the travel experience changes drastically when children come along. Our priorities change, spontaneity goes out the window to be replaced by travel cots and highchairs!

So we were wondering if anyone out there has any great tips for travel with kids? Any products that you will just not leave home without? Any great locations that you will re-visit for their family friendly feel? We don't like going to new places without our BushBaby Mini-pack simply because I have recurring nightmares about losing a toddler in a busy foreign airport! Lots of our customers swear by the Minui Handysitt because it packs flat and makes lazy holiday mealtimes more likely (if your child is comfortable they are far more likely to sit still for longer) and we always see an increase in sales in the Grobag Gro Anywhere Blind during the holiday season (great for helping young children adjust in different time zones).

Please share with us so that we can pass your tips on the next time we are asked!

Thirsty Work

Yesterday we took delivery of our new Klean Kanteen drinks bottles. It was chaos for a while as Bev struggled to find space for them all, but now they are in we are really excited to have them in store!

These bottles were designed to give people a practical alternative to plastic or lined aluminium bottles. They are sustainably produced and free of BPA and other toxins.

Klean Kanteen chose 18/8 food-grade stainless steel because the metal itself is safe and toxin- free. This means there is no need to coat the inside of the bottle with a plastic or epoxy lining (the main difference between Klean Kanteen and aluminium bottles).

No matter how many times you refill it, no matter what you put into it, your Klean Kanteen® will keep your drinks fresh, crisp and clean tasting. All the caps are BPA-free polypropylene (pp#5) too!

With a range of teats, Sippy spouts and Built insulated bottle totes, you can now buy one bottle to last from birth to adult!

Now that has to be better for everyone?!

Lizzie Shirt has landed!

We have just taken delivery of our Spring/Summer Lizzie Shirt stock and the shop is looking very colourful! Lizzie Shirt is one of our best selling clothing brands. We love it because they are really fun clothes designed with the kids in mind.

Lizzie Shirt produce colourful, contemporary, fun clothing for boys & girls aged 0-9 years.

The designs are all original, using a variety of fabrics including polar fleece, cotton jersey and hand dyed bold cotton prints. The other unique design element is the use of surface decoration, applying distinctive trimmings and also printed and stitched motifs. Quality is important, they endeavour to produce clothing that is practical to wear and wash, with a high standard of finish.

Sarah Bond, owner and designer, established the Lizzie Shirt label in 1992. The business currently operates from her work premises along Falmouth's Harbour front. The entire range is designed and produced in Cornwall.

The name 'Lizzie Shirt' originates from an eccentric local character who lived in the Falmouth area towards to the end of the 19th century. 'Lizzie Shirtie', a pedlar, was popular with local children, selling sweets and treats from her big basket at the town's fairs and festivals.

With a full range of trousers, skirts, t-shirts, shorts, hats and the very popular fleeces, there is something for everyone.

Take a look!

We like our bike!

We have had a great day out in the sun today. Our youngest (two and a half) really enjoyed racing around on her LIKEaBIKE. It still amazes me that so few parents are aware of the benefits of balance bikes, even though there are now so many available.

Basically, balance bikes are small bikes with no pedals that enable the child to find balance within themselves. They discover how the bike works, how to keep equilibrium and how to propel themselves faster. It is their first taste of independence, something ours have all enjoyed, and will never forget!

We bought our LIKEaBIKE for our eldest (now nearly 12) and it has done all three of our kids plus one of a friend's. I can honestly say that it is one of the best things we have bought our kids. They have all ridden it from their second birthday onwards. Within weeks they are whizzing around on it, totally confident with balancing, corners, curbs, hills, gravel... anything the terrain throws at them really! Wherever we go people stop and look, amazed that a child so small can ride so confidently.

I would love to say our kids are exceptional (they all are in their own way!) but having also observed our friends' kids, I have concluded it is the bike that is exceptional! Lightweight, manoeuvrable, built to last with in built steering limiters (to prevent Jack knife incidents), the design is genius.

Because our daughter is so happy to ride it we can go further and faster than on foot, get exercise at the same time and avoid buggy conflict.

Thank you LIKEaBIKE!

We love to support local creative energy at heybaby* and have several suppliers who live and work in Dorset.

Minimojos is a business run by a husband and wife team who live less than ten miles from the shop. Using their own children and their friends as inspiration, they have designed and produced a range of greetings cards and personalised prints that are eye catching and really appeal to young kids.

We stock the cards and have examples of the personalised prints in store for you to look and before placing an order. One of the perks of working with local talent (there are many!) is the turn around times. If you are looking for a special gift, Minimojos can deliver a personalised print, fully framed and ready to hang, to us in just 2 working days! Where else could you find that?!

Take a look at their range and let us know if you would like to place an order.

Well, Spring has well and truly sprung here! We have noticed a real surge in our sales of baby carriers as everybody wants to get out and about to make the most of the beautiful weather.

I know from my own experience that a good baby carrier can be a mum's (or dad's!) best friend. Having carried all three of mine in a selection of carriers I have some very fond memories of them at all ages and stages. I still regularly carry my youngest (now 2 and a half) in my trusty ERGObaby carrier.

We have had quite a few customers in the shop asking about the latest safety advice concerning baby carriers so thought now would be a good time to reassure you all. Remember that carrying your baby has lots of benefits for you both. It leaves you hands free (very useful if you also have an active toddler to deal with), a baby carrier can go places a buggy can't, and babies love it! (Babies who are carried have been shown to cry less, have increased IQ, sleep better and feed better). So now seems like a good time to get out there and enjoy some fresh air with all the family. Don your baby and go!

Click here for the latest from the UK Sling Manufacturers and Retailers Consortium.

Itsus here!

We are really excited to have a new clothing label in store this season. We were looking for something practical (easy to launder, comfy for babies to wear) but it had to look good too. As ever, we wanted a brand with good eco-credentials. Itsus Eco System Green ticks all the boxes!

The commitment to developing the ITSUS ECO SYSTEM GREEN ^TM production model came from the recognition that certain traditional textile manufacturing methods have an extremely negative impact on our global environment.

Much research has gone into the study of traditionally grown cotton vs organically grown cotton…and once understood the choice was clear. However, the raw material is only the first stage of the production process. The industrial dyeing and finishing of fabrics also offers options that are more eco-friendly.

Thanks to the efforts of ‘Global Organic Textile Standard’ (GOTS), choices now exist at each and every stage of the manufacturing cycle that improves our environment.

ITSUS ECO SYSTEM GREEN ^_TM also has a strong social compliance mandate which improves the working conditions along with the health and well being of the people who contribute their talents to the creation of the Itsus Eco products.

These clothes are stunning to look at. Beautiful colours and truly original prints inspired by the wonders of our natural world. Clothes you can genuinely feel good about! To browse the collection click here

It is all go in the shop today. The sun is shining (hooray!) and we are just waiting for a big Stokke delivery. Did you know that the best selling, award winning Tripp Trapp is now suitable from birth? Stokke have recently launched a Newborn set that attaches onto the Tripp Trapp chair so that your newborn can now join you at mealtimes! The Newborn set can also be used on the floor and has a rocking base. Take a look!

http://www.heybabyshop.co.uk/1118/Stokke--Tripp-Trapp--Newborn-Set.html

We have Sarah from Eternal Impressions with us this afternoon.

She makes a beautiful range of castings, jewelry and gifts all personalised with your child's hand and/or footprints, names and messages.

She is fully booked today but is back on Thursday 28th April.

www.eternalimpressions.co.uk

Call us on 01305 259929 to make an appointment!