EASTER WISH LIST SPECIAL

We take down our Christmas trees only to be given 4 days grace before shopping malls try and shove caramel crème eggs and chocolate bunnies of all shapes and sizes down our throats and into our shopping trolleys. It’s not just my eternal New Year’s Resolution of “Thou shalt loose weight” holding me back, but year after year I see children collect impressive amounts of poor quality chocolate that they do not appreciate or even eat.

Look no further than Metromum for Easter gift ideas that will last longer than an hour! Here’s what’s in my shopping cart so far to get the little people in my life suited and booted for the Easter break.

"Quackie" Duck luggage set by BusyBee Friends.
This adorable collection is perfect for little jetsetters; stylish, practical, durable and fun. BusyBee have “quacked” the market with a travel set for children that is fun without compromising on important internal features. The set includes a lunch bag, backpack, day bag and trundle bag that can be purchased separately or you can save by opting for the value set!

Just hatched?
Shopping for brand new bubs can be difficult during a season rife with more of the same. Lilibird have some adorable pieces that make perfect Easter gifts for junior. Choose the Egg design for a classic Easter gift or my all time favourite... the Ruffle Bottom! No ugly ducklings in this nest!


Timeless Toys
Trends come and go, but classic old-school toys are precious. The only toys my mother kept for my sister and I were our cloth rag dolls – there is something nostalgic that comes hand in hand with these timeless keepsakes. Alimrose has released a beautiful collection of soft rattles, dolls, bunnies and mobiles that would be treasured in the years to come as a fond childhood memory for both boys and girls.


What about Mother Duck?
Willow continue to take my breath away with their emotionally charged carved wooden pieces. The Tree Figurine is a must-see and essential for your shopping list this Easter. Perfect for girls and boys of all vintages... even yourself!


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Nursery Inspiration: A few of my favourite things!

Metromum has all the gear, now you need a bright idea!These are a few of my favourite things

Adding some texture to a neutral room, changes the mood dramatically. We love Tokujin yoshioka's Bouquet Swivel Chair.

Dark tones and pale shades are classic, but a splash of green brings a space to life. Subtle circular wall features and various textures would be the perfect canvas for your pistachio-pillowed "Nathi" change table in this amazing nursery.

I've spent a lot of time finding inspirtion for the perfect setting to house my Bloom furniture pieces. Share your own DIY nuresry projects with Metromum!l

Vintage Glam


Urban Chic

MiniMi’s All ‘Round

I love,love,love the new MiniMi's! Capture the date the world became richer with the birth of your precious little one, or someone else’s!
MiniMi make a gorgeous addition to any nursery, bedroom or playroom, personalising these special spaces as features.
Versatile and transferable, MiniMis make great personalised gifts for your baby and friends, as funky keepsakes.

Changing Wall Art

As with most things Swiss, “Nathi” is a stunner. An innovative wall mounted timber change table that free up floor space without excluding this nursery essential. For years we’ve struggled to find a change table that is practical, stylish and comfortable for baby and not a spatial eye-sore.

The Nathi is a perfect match to the Leander Bed or Cradle – same curves, same colours (whitewash, white or walnut). Weighing in at just 6kgs, Nathi can hold 50kg so you can use it for as long as you need to. In fact, it made an excellent perch for a much needed, eye-level “chat” with my 3 year old little miss recently.

It gets better… there are 2 handy shelves inside to hold your nappy-changing toolkit and hide those creams and wipes after use as you close the unit. No mess exposed. Rumour has it that a matching nappy holder will be available later in the year, so watch this space!

BLOOMing Marvellous!

No Tools? No Space? No lace? No problem! Bloom baby furniture is leaving the Metromum warehouse faster than it arrives. Gone are the days of compromising the urban style of your home to accommodate a new addition to your family. The minimalist outlook & sophisticated lines of the beautifully designed Bloom range make them the perfect pieces for a contemporary styled nursery. I think about these Bloom bits take urban nursery chic to a new level with a design that is practical, functional and avant-garde.

Bubs to Tots (0-2 years)
Meet Alma, a beautifully designed folding dark wooden crib, with stainless steel detailing without a hint of pastel, lace or such other repeat offenders. Designed for urban spaces, elevated living an alternative sleeping arrangements, Alma's unique and simple patented fold makes for easy storage for portable, functional style with two mattress heights combining the benefits of a newborn bassinet or cradle with a cot/crib.

Bubs to Kindy (0-6 years)
The Luxo sleep baby bed is more like a cocoon, intelligently designed with health and safety as paramount. Gently curved ends promote air flow which is extremely important for sleeping safety while a body-fit spring mattress has dual side progressive firmness to accommodate baby’s increasing weight. Patented adjustable side rail allows easy access to baby, protecting the backs of mum’s and dad’s… and, as I’ve learned, make for an excellent obstacle for little ones amidst escape attempts.

A little something on the side…
An elegant companion to Bloom’s bedding solutions, the Luxo dresser is a sleek choice as a stand-alone dresser/changing station for a more unique nursery space. Boasting four drawers of storage capacity the dresser converts to a changing station when used with the Bloom universal change tray.

It get’s better...
The incentives to add some Bloom to your shopping trolley continue. You (and the environment) will be pleased to know that Bloom wooden products originate from certified sustainable beech and birch wood forests. Free of wood PCP and other toxic wood preservatives, Bloom bits are as kind to baby’s health as they are to the ecosystem.

And finally... my personal favourite, these gems are “no-tools-required hassle-free assembly” D.I.Y projects, complemented by lockable castor-wheels for effortless mobility and the signature stow-away fold. Blooming marvellous, I say!

Storytelling Exercises for the Family

Encouraging storytelling is something we’ve spent a good deal of time talking about here at Classic Play. There are so many reasons to encourage your child’s love of storytelling as well as flex your own literary prowess. Not only will you stimulate the right section of your brain, your children will learn a little something about you and in turn you’ll learn more about them. Creativity, empathy, ability to convey ideas to others—these are a just a few of the qualities of a great storyteller.

So tonight as you’re gathered around the dinner table or tucking the kids in for bed, try one of these exercises. You may find you have your very own Mark Twain living in your house:

Story Improv: assigned each family member a section of story (beginning, middle, end). The first person starts the story and passes it to the next. That person gives it to the next person and so on until the last person is reached and needs to wrap up the tale.

Character/Setting/Problem/Solution: Each person is assigned to come up with one of the follow: character(s), setting, problem or solution. The list is compiled and one or more family members craft a story incorporating all of the elements generated. You use this one as a frame work for the story improv exercise above.

What Happens Next: This is one in which you choose a common story (e.g. Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, etc) and you ask what happens next? Each person gets a turn to tell what they think happens after the original story ends. Another option is to have everyone come up with new endings for a chosen story.

Mad Libs: For those of you looking for more direction here’s a link for free printable Spring themed Mad Libs. It’s a great tool for learning about parts of speech. Plus you don’t have to face the scary thought of starting a story from scratch. While I personally find that part rather thrilling, I understand the need to wade before going all in.

A Few Notes:
-If the kids get stuck, ask them a few questions to get them started again.
-Have a signal for when a story should start wrapping up. I find that sometimes one can get so engrossed that they forget to keep the story on track for an ending.
-Don’t be afraid to be silly!

I’ve shared a few of the things our family does for storytime. Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite storytelling activities?

by Jennifer Cooper, posted on March 9th, 2010 in Ideas and Inspiration

Ellie Bellie Kids Storybook Crown for Stories on Your Mind

The very talented artist and illustrator Linda Olliver has produced a completely unique take on playwear. This iconic Storybook Crown features classic illustrations, elements of a story printed right there on the Crown. All that's missing to complete the tale is your child's imagination.

There is nothing I love more than to hear my child's imagination go wild. Im often treated to stories of his pirate and dinosaur adventures and love hearing every detail of what he wore and found.

With the newest addition to the Ellie Bellie Kids family—The Storybook Crown- his stories have become even more detailed. They have also become more structured as he works his way through the illustrations on the crown. This simple and thoughtful toy has delighted our entire family almost every evening. We not only have fantastic storytelling adventures we get to spend quality time with each other.

The Ellie Bellie Kids soft crown is made from cotton twill and features a velcro closure that adjusts to fit the little king or queen in your life. It also has its own cotton bag with drawstring closure to keep your liege's crown clean and tidy when not adorning their royal noggin.

We implore you to consider this gift for a special child in your life. The storybook crown creates lasting memories for the whole family.

Available in black or white.

Congratulations Mojo Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MINI MOJO WINNERS!

Carla Jablonski

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Justine Richardson

Thanks to everyone who entered our competition.