News Edition
New Collection: Mini Rodini SS20 Chapter 1 - Diana
Mini Rodini, Diana - Chapter one of FIVE (oh yes!!) that will be released between now and the end of March, dropped last Thursday 30th January. Paying homage to the style icon that is Princess Diana, it is a gorgeously preppy, sporty-chic collection with very British roots.
One of our favourite items from the collection HAS to be the country jacket, it is such a great transitional piece for Winter to Spring. Perfect for layering with fleece or warm knits in this colder weather and brilliant on its own as the temperatures improve. Made in recycled polyester and organic cotton it combines functionality with a very classic heritage style. Water-repellent with BIONIC-FINISH® ECO coating and breathable, it has foldable corduroy cuffs that means it can grow with your child. Wish, wish, wish they did this in grown-up sizes!!
If you are more sports pitch than country field minded, you are going to LOVE the rugby shirts which we are stocking in four beautiful colours including this pretty pink. Made from organic cotton and produced in a factory that is part of MIni Rodini's living wage project. This product is GOTS certified – the strictest certification for organic materials on the market today, which involves rigid controls throughout the entire manufacturing process, including chemical use and working conditions.
Mini Rodini's commitment to sustainability is well documented, it is one of the most sustainable childrenswear collections around. The (out-of-this-world) panther jacket for example, is made in 100% recycled polyestar from recycled PET plastic bottles, discarded fishing nets and used clothes making it GRS certified. What's not to love!?!
With four more beautiful chapters yet to be revealed, make sure you stay tuned for lots more exciting products and prints. Chapter 2 lands on Thursday 13th February and we can't wait to show you what we have!
Check out the full collection online here, it also includes some fabulous baby pieces in brilliant prints including tiger stripes and unicorns!
Stocking Fillers
As a child, the most exciting part of Christmas was to wake up (at about 3am naturally) and find a stocking filled with little gifts at the bottom of my bed, “He’s been!” I would squeal before spending the next hour excitedly picking through the treasures Santa had left for me.
Fast forward to 2019 and the traditional tangerine in the toe of the stocking remains. The stocking itself is a fair bit smaller in size but filled with beautiful gifts that will last for years rather than the day.
In truth I could fill a stocking ten times over just from the bits we sell in-store! The final contents are still a work a progress but some of my absolute must-haves follow…
French toymakers Vilac have been producing heirloom toys for well over 100 years and their kaleidoscopes, telescopes and twisting acrobats are the perfect shape and size for stockings, for the more musically inclined the sweet animal maracas would make a wonderful addition.
Sonny Angel dolls are a hit with children and adult collectors alike and in the 2019 limited edition Christmas series they are wearing the cutest woolly jumpers, hats and mittens! We also have the Flower, Vegetable, Fruit, Animal, Caribbean and New York series as well as the Birthday special edition. Blind boxed, you could receive any one of the designs in any given series or, if you’re really lucky, one of the special secret versions!
We have been collecting Schleich figures for several years now and they get played with most days. Founded in 1935 Schleich is one of the most prolific toy manufacturers in Germany, famed for their realistic animal figures. We have a huge collection of farm and wild animals at home already already so all eyes are on the hand painted fantasy Bayala collection this Christmas and their beautiful unicorns and Pegasi.
Meri Meri make the most adorable hair slides, necklaces, stickers and temporary tattoos, both Christmas themed and beyond. They make for a fun and really inexpensive stocking addition. 
A more recent tradition here is to include a Christmas tree decoration in the stocking, Felt So Good and Amica make the most gorgeous hanging decs, Fairtrade and handmade in Nepal. The Felt So Good Seagull is predictably one of the best-sellers at our Brighton store but it will be the Sloth in a Santa hat wending its way to our house this Christmas.
I do of course have to include the one thing stocking sized that found its way into the letter to Santa. Maileg is a Danish brand of charming characters with the most beautiful attention to detail. The pocket size mice are particularly beautiful and amongst our expansive collection of characters and accessories you can find some Christmas themed cuties including the Fairy Little Sister Mouse with detachable wings, available in assorted colours and priced at just £15.
All of these gorgeous items (and many more besides) can be found both online and in our Brighton store, nestled amongst lots of beautiful independent retailers in Brighton’s North Laine. Well worth a Christmas shopping visit if you can find the time.
Retro A-Go-Go!
Is there anything quite as satisfying as a trip down memory lane? Reminiscing about the good old days in rose tinted glasses?
I was fortunate enough to have been passed some of my favourite old toys by parents who had diligently stashed them in the loft for decades (and decades!) and it was such a thrill to bring them out again for my own kids and see them being enjoyed all over again.
If you weren't lucky enough to have parents with hoarding tendencies fear not because we have an amazing haul of re-issued vintage toys ready to be loved by a whole new generation and absolutely perfect for Christmas this year!
Fisher Price have reprised some of their most popular classics, we have a fantastic range which includes the classic chatter telephone and little snoopy pull-along dog from the 60’s and the record player and cash register from the 70’s, suitable from as young as 12 months.
My Little Ponies are also back! Who could resist these beautifully colourful little ponies with their long, flowing, comb-able manes and tails in the 80’s? We have ponies from the Classic, Rainbow, Pegasus and Unicorn collections as well as the Pretty Parlour Play-set for pony owners that want to get really serious with their grooming!
And who can resist the lure of a new puppy? Santa will be bringing a Pound Puppy down our chimney on the 25th and I couldn’t resist getting the exact same colour-way I had as a child! They also come as a newborn version complete with nappy. Super cute!
Strawberry Shortcake was another 80's must-have, originally launched at a time when everything had to smell of something! From scratch n sniff stickers to scented rubbers (erasers for the avoidance of doubt for our American friends!), Strawberry Shortcake was, and still is, infused with the most delicious sweet strawberry smell with the 40th Anniversary doll boasting sparkly gold glitter shoes and a metallic red dress.
All of these wonderfully fun retro toys are available online or in-store at our beautiful shop in the heart of the North Laine in Brighton but be quick! These are absolutely flying off the shelves this Christmas.
New Year - New Baby
A slightly belated, but hopefully not dreadfully late, Happy New Year!
There's something so exciting about new beginnings, a chance to wipe the slate clean and embrace something fresh. In our case this meant hot-footing it to the gym on January 2nd where we signed up for a WHOLE YEAR and embracing dry January for the first time ever!
The most special of all new beginnings of course though is the birth of a baby. As they enter the world for the first time, that wide-eyed innocence and promise of great things is intoxicating (especially helpful during dry January!).
We've introduced several new brands recently, both of which have some simply beautiful baby accessories.
Liewood are Copenhagen based and their collection is deeply rooted in the Nordic design tradition. They have an uncompromising and ethical approach to manufacturing and create conceptually strong products in irresistible designs for the modern family.
Their series of animal themed musical mobiles are exceptionally cute and play the classic tune 'Brahms Lullaby'.
We are huge fans of their lovely bamboo tableware sets, available in a range of animal designs and hugely popular with the little ones at mealtimes. We also have bibs in beautifully soft organic terry to catch the inevitable spills.
The animal theme continues across the most adorable face clothes, hooded towels, bathrobes, socks, tights and hats as well as muslins and swaddles which also come in a more traditional dot print coloured mustard, white, rose, dark and dumbo grey.
Also hailing from Danish shores is Konges Slöjd which was founded in 2014 by Emilie Konge Breindal who also designs the entire product range. Their design philosophy is to make tasteful children’s interior design and items that bring the little ones joy and are visually pleasing to the parent. Again ethical and environmentally friendly production is of utmost importance to the brand, as indeed it to us here.
As with Liewood they offer some stunning musical mobiles and we adore their gorgeous range of knitted rattles, especially the hammer!
They have an exceptional range of mobiles for baby's nursery. We have the swan up here in the shop and he looks wonderful in flight! The clouds are also truly beautiful and come in a range of sizes.
With tiny ones who so often have a habit of launching things out of the pram we have always found clip on anythings a real life saver! Konges Slöjd do some beautiful pram toys with a gentle bell in fruit designs and some super useful knitted pacifier clips.
Who ever knew that changing mats could be so stylish?! We have two gorgeous designs for the home as well as this lovely travel version with handy storage pockets.
Indulge yourself further with a look at our complete collection here or come visit our beautiful store in the heart of Brighton's North Laine area.