Gifts

Brenda writes…

Here are a few suggestions of stocking fillers for your children from Lula Sapphire, a favourite of our sister site Bambino Goodies.

Sweet Pea

This gorgeous little Sweet Pea will make a little baby very happy, as it can be tucked in beside them while they nap. The little sleepy princess is tucked up in her silk lined pea pod. Suitable from 6 months. £9.95.

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Brenda writes…

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting budget Christmas toys under £10. Here are my first few finds:

56 Piece Train Set

This is a fantastically budget priced train set. It includes a wooden track, toy train, multi coloured carriages, and lots of other fab accessories, to ensure hours of fun, all for a very reasonable £10 from Tesco Direct. Suitable from age 3 years.

Wooden Activity Cube

Again this is a great bargain buy from Tesco Direct. Suitable from 18 months. Measurements for the cube are 35.8 x 20.1 x 20.1 cm. It has many different activities to keep your toddler amused. All this for £10.

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Brenda writes…

We are big lovers of all things Dwell Studio whether it be bedding or toys, so I was very excited to see their toys reduced at BBG favourite Blooming Marvellous.

The toys available in this special offer include:

Mind Blocks

These are suitable from birth and dimensions are 13 x 13cm. They encourage stimulation of your baby’s developing senses with their lovely soft fabric and bright colours. Price £16.99. Was £25.

Baby Finger Puppets

These colourful finger puppets come in a set of 5 different animals and they come with their own carrying pouch. Price £9.99 was £15.99.

Sue writes…

This Santa Claus Hand Squeeze Torch is absolutely wonderful and would make the perfect stocking filler for any child (or adult!). The Santa Claus face is very friendly and the whole torch is delightful to look at.

The torch is quite small, so it’s ideal for children as it’s very easy for them to hold. It’s ideal for Christmas Day as no batteries are required to use the torch. Sliding a small switch on the side releases a large squeeze handle on the opposite side of the torch. Squeezing this repeatedly with your hand will charge the torch up. It is easy to squeeze the handle and just a few squeezes is enough to get the torch working. Children will be fascinated by this and I think it’s a brilliant way of teaching them about renewable energy and energy consumption. I have used a few hand-squeeze torches before and they can feel a bit ‘flimsy’. However, I found that the Santa torch feels really solid and I am sure it would last for many years, even when regularly handled by an enthusiastic child!

The beam from the torch is small but bright and ideal for children to explore the garden with their parents or just play under the bed clothes or in their darkened bedroom! By far the best bit for me though is the fact that Santa’s red nose flashes when the torch is switched on - guaranteed to get your child laughing!

The Santa Hand Squeeze Torch can be purchased from Ethical Superstore for just £4.99. I think this is a fantastic bargain. As well as being a perfect stocking filler for children, it would also make a brilliant Secret Santa present for adults!

Brenda writes…

Books are a passion of mine, I love them!  I have tried to get my children to feel the same way and am always on the look out for a book which I think will interest and educate them, as such The Book People is one of my favourite websites, as they offer the most fabulous discounts on leading books and book sets.

Here are a couple of my favourites, which will be winging themselves to my friends children, this christmas.

Peter Rabbit Collection

A collection of 4 wooden board books that are great starter books for a toddlers introduction to colours, animals, shapes and numbers.  Suitable from 12 months.  Price is £4.99.  RRP is £15.96.

Thomas The Tank Engine Collection

Now this is a possible for an upcoming christening I have.  This is the complete collection of all Thomas the Tank Engine stories - a cool 50 books!  suitable from 2 years.  Price is £30.  RRP is £125.

Sue writes…

The Bop-a-Lots are three very cute computer-animated characters created by Stephen Fossati and Philip Vaughan - two dads from Hollywood who wanted to create something that would entertain their young children and help nourish their growing minds.

The idea behind this DVD is very simple, but very effective. The DVD contains four songs: If You’re Happy and You Know It, Old MacDonald, Pop Goes the Weasel, and Rock-A-Bye Baby. Each song has it’s own section, which begins with the song being sung in the traditional way by a group of dancing children.  Then the little computer-animated Bop-a-Lots join in! Four different instrumental versions of the song are played, each time in a different musical style. The musical styles are very varied and range from marching bands and celtic, to Arabian and Aboriginal! The three little Bop-a-Lots join in with the fun by dancing and playing along with the music. The idea is that by the time you have watched the DVD, your child will have danced and played away from the familiar tune and into an understanding of how to look at the traditional from multiple and vastly different perspectives. Continued

Brenda writes…

Coming from gift specialists Osborn and William, is this bright comfort blanket from Egmont Toys.

The blanket has a soft little bee which can be taken out and used as a soft toy on its own or re-attached to the blanket.  It can also be machine washed which is always a huge plus when dealing with newborns.

It comes in its own corrugated cube shaped gift box, which has a peek-a-boo hole in the front.

Available from Osborn and William for £9. This has just gone on my newborn gift list. 

Brenda writes

Here are two great toys for your bambino from our Amazon store that are great value for money and also help with your bambinos mental stimulation.

Lamaze Gardenbug Wrist Rattle & Footfinder Set

This great set helps develop the key skills needed by your bambino from an early age.  It helps stimulate, their sight, hearing, touch and imagination.  Suitable from 3 months+.  Price £7.59.

Leapfrog Hug & Learn Animal Globe

This cute little ball, will give hours of fun to your little one, it is another that I have added to my xmas list of pressie to give.  It has 2 modes, one for day and one for night.  It has songs and instrumental music, with a volume control and an auto shut down.  Suitable from age 6 months+.  Price is £9.49.  RRP is £9.99.

Brenda writes…

Following on from last month when I had a look through The Baby Catalogue’s website, here are a few more hot picks to help save you some money.

Muslin Nursing Pack

You get a pack of two mini muslins (50 x 40cm in size), which are cutely tied with a ribbon.  Great idea if you want to make a gift box for a friend.  Available in three colour choices.  Perfect for so many uses.  Price was £4.99 now £1.

Swing Tray Portable Booster Seat

Suitable for use from 6 months through to about 2 years old.  This seat adjusts easily into 3 seat positions and has a 3 point harness.  Price was £28.95 now £15.

The Baby & Child Question & Answer Book

This is a great book which covers the first five years of your bambinos life.  It is easy to find with its colour coded chapters and offers a comforting blend of practical and commonsense advice.  Price was £12.95 now £7.99.

Brenda writes…

Now as you know we are not major baby pink/blue fans here at BBG, but NUK have these First choice starter sets in these colours, at half price, so I thought it was worth a mention.

NUK orthodontic shape and NUK Air system have both been approved by the British Dental Foundation, which is a glowing reference to the products.

The starter set includes:  1 x 150ml wide neck bottle, 1 x 300ml wide neck bottle, the teat on the bottles is a size 1(suitable for age 0-6 months), 2 x silicone size 1 NUK orthodontic soothers with protective covers and a butterfly toy rattle.

Available from NUK for £9.99.  RRP is £19.99.