Boris on your babys' bottom

Love the Political Pants @ twistedtwee. 

It brings a whole new meaning to 'whiff whaff'. 
Boris's popularity knows no limit - nappy covers with his face on will cost you £5 more than David Cameron. Clearly this is where the leadership contest will be won. 

Dalahäst trusers

Confirmed scandi fans the family 'dot' are just back from the frozen lakes of Hagfors in snowy Sweden. The British weather gave us a quick dummy run before we left. That's when we discovered that little un's all in one snow suit was a bit snug and more importantly a bit short in the leg. Still with feet too small for proper shoes I needed to find some waterproof boots to help her pad around in the snow and fill the gap around her ankles. Nordic Kids had just the thing. These spotty snow boots and matching mittens on string jazzed up the plain pink (yes pink) all in one. And when they were delivered they came with little moomin lollies. What's not too like?

With outdoor clothing sorted 'dot' needed some lounge trousers for chillin by the fire. I found these Dala horse organic trousers, by Kitschy coo @ monkey and bo. They are great fun and look fab with a red vest and wrap around cardy. 

Scandi Style - Hello Moose

The redforgirls household is a slightly Scandinavian mad. Way before Lund and her jumpers or Lisabeth Salander and her tattoos we've been into all things Scandinavian with a particular thing for the Swedish side of things. And I don't just mean the meatballs at Ikea. 

Scandi kids clothes strike the perfect balance of being colorful,  practical and fun.  I can't get enough of them but more often than not you can only find then in independent stores in random parts of the UK.'Next to Nothing' in the Oxford covered market (but it's long way to go for a 74cms of material) or nearer to home Cowboys 'n' Angels in West Kirby. So once again I turn to the tinternet. 

Contrary to popular belief there has been some growing going on in the redforgirls household and I don't mean my waistline. Our 'dot' has increasingly found her feet round her ears when 
popper-ed into her sleep suits, so I went hunting for something a bit more interesting than the supermarket pack or three suits we have a draw full of. You know the 'nice suit' you take away with you to a friends when you are make an effort. 'This old thing'?! 

'Forget traditional -Think Unisex' - with that slogan I was always going to LOVE Hei Moose. Their funky nordic clothes for babies and toddler can't fail to make you smile. I couldn't resist this Duns Sweden Garden Romper in their sale. It arrived in just two days and even came with a moomin sticker (Don't get me started - I'm so easily pleased). No one is going to miss my girl in this. 

For more scandi inspiration check out some more of my favourites: 

Polarnopyret - provides practical clothing that lets kids be kids.  I'm coveting the anti slip tights and the jelly monster all in one. Sale now on. And there's a free pair of moccasins on orders over £40. 

Love it Love it Love it- You can't fail to love Love it especially with free UK delivery on all orders.They stock all my favourites; Duns, Smafolk, Sture & Lisa.   It's fun, functional and funky baby, toddler and kids clothes that offer British cool, Danish design and Swedish humour.....I

Name it. I always stock up on Name it clothes when in Stockholm. They are super affordable especially with 20% off your first online purchase.  I confess Mr Redforgirls brought the Ellis knit cardy at the weekend at Cowboys 'n' Angels and now I'm working on the stripy sleepsuits........

Jumping in Puddles

Yellow mac from the 'boys' section at Tesco. 

I picked up this fab yellow mac at Tesco today whilst doing the 'Big Shop'. Once again I found it in the boys section - but I see no reason why girls can't rock the Atlantic fisherman look. 

It's a bargain @ £10. Especially when you consider that Jo Jo Maman Bebe is knocking a similar one out @ £32.00. I nearly brought one in two sizes but remembered our dot doesn't do growing!

Perfect for splashing around in puddles. It's just a shame they don't do wellies in size 1.5. 

P.S They've also got stacks of 5 x multicoloured long sleeved bodysuits packs - green, red, grey, navy and YELLOW! these are fab to go under dungarees  denim dresses  - but to find them head to the boys section once again. Anyone for Unisex? 

4 Top Tips For Raising Girls.

Hadley Freeman’s article  How to parent girls caught my eye. Was this the panacea I’d been looking for? Er No. It wasn't.  Vegetarianism and eating disorders aside, and the oh so short list of just three top tips for raising happy girls including – limiting rom com exposure? The piece does pick up on our paranoia on raising girls. Is it because we are f**ked up and don’t want to pass it onto our daughters or is it because we are control freaks?

Either way my own more far more comprehensive list (4 items)  after 1 year of experience and having a daughter who can’t yet talk and therefore can’t contradict me…. would be;

1.   Cough – my mother’s feminist indoctrination went no further than making me cough. Every time I got over excited, squeally and high pitched she made me stop and cough. The result being I have a deep voice. No doubt she was convinced that would make people take me more seriously. Alas I think she pictured me using my dulcet tones on BBC Radio Four.

2.   Read the Paper Bag Princess to her - Not just because it’s a welcome alternative to Barbie hyped world of pretty princesses or because it challenges the happy ever after ending but because its unexpected and funny.

3.   Don’t ban tea sets - Having just survived a December of 1^st Birthdays and Christmas and all the presents which went with it I’m all too conscious that all the other little girls we know have new shiny pink scooters, tea sets and other assorted pink paraphernalia. Meanwhile our house is littered with spinning tops, boats, squeaking eggs, a singing snail, a pull along snail, a pull along elephant……But I won’t be wrestling the tea set out of her hands next time we go to play at a friend’s house. I like any mum just want her to know as she grows up that she has choices. If its a pink tea set so be it. 

4.  Try the 70s way -  If all else fails dress her in brown and orange (or maybe RED?), cut her hair at home using a bowl and don’t let her shave her legs till she’s 16. It worked for my mum………..

Lovely Dolly

In a week or so my little girl will be 1. And so planning for a teddy bear's tea party for 3 has started in earnest. We keep saying ' we won't go mad', 'we will just get a few things', 'she'll be more interested in the wrapping paper and the boxes' but still we seem to be buying more and more stuff. A ladybird wheelie bug has led to ladybird cupcakes and spotty balloons and on morphing into a woodland, red riding hood random indoor picnic.... The real star of the show however, I hope, will be this beautiful handmade dolly. I may not be a fan of pink and as a child I thought Barbie had an eye look in her eye..(I still do) but I couldn't resist this soft dolly. 

Handmade by Lovely Pop in Guernsey, the lovely Hannah will make you a dolly, a dragon, a pirate or even a bunny. You can buy online or commission your very own creation using your own bits of material. This was the perfect solution for a little dress I simply couldn't part with. The first dress I'd brought my daughter from little shrimp was doing nothing other than gathering dust in a box under my bed. Now its been brought life and transformed into a beautiful lovelypop dolly. 

No one else will have one like this. Its a very special gift for my girl's 1st big day. And she'll look great being towed around the house in the back of the wooden toy tractor! 

A Friend. An Owl Cupcake. And a Drawstring Quilt.

If, like me your creative side isn't as artistic as it could be, it pays to have friends who are. Take the Owl Cakes I wanted to make for my little girl's Naming Day do. I found a recipe but all too aware of my limitations I asked a school friend of mine if she would 'help' me. A good friend, she immediately sees through my code and realises it'll be her as chief baker and me in the role of bottle wash/sous chef. So, from my point of view it's straight forward. We make cupcakes, ice them and then tahdah! Hmm, not so. Days later the emails start and it seems as usual I have under estimated the task and perhaps over hyped my friends skills. What shall we use for the eyes?, can I get mint matchsticks for the branches? can you even buy them outside of the 12 days of Christmas, what kind of wafers for the wings, and on and on. Needless after reigning me in and lots of hard work, baking with a 2 yr old and a 9 month old (not to be recommended) the result are amazing. 

So, continuing in this vein and with a eye on my little girl's first birthday I started a hunt for something a bit different for her big day, something we could keep and something personal to us. I'm a big fan of Tickle & Hide but given that they are literally on the other side of the world and their beautiful creations are a bit pricey once delivery is added I haven't yet brought anything. Instead simply pressed my nose up against the Etsy online shop window. Its not just the funky reversible dresses which have caught my eye but the stunning Drawstring quilts. If you want to buy one ready made they are just over £100. Gulp! But, you can download a pdf of the pattern for just £7. Then theoretically you can knock one together at home with bits and bobs of material you have lying around. Or, like me, you find a capable friend and commission her at less than half the price to make one for you. Mine, on a woodland theme (we are trying to escape the omnipresent owls) has just been finished. And I love it. Its beautifully made and perfect for scooping up all the toys and heading out the door. Now all I need to do is persuade 'little un' to sit still and play on it. Big kisses and thanks to Vicky Crosby for all her hard work, I know it was much more complicated than I thought (quelle surprise) including the teasing through of the handles with forceps! (Don't panic she's a midwife).