Summer essentials guide

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Published on Sunday, 07 July 2013 09:00

Last Updated on 06 August 2013

Monica Costa

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Summer is on its way and there’s no better time to look for your summer essentials, all kind of items you may need either for your Stayacation or Holiday away. After the amazing Jubilympic summer of 2012 what do we need to spice up this ‘quite’ London summer 2013? Check out the latest fashion trends in summer essentials recommended by London Mums. Are we ready to go on holiday? After checking this guide you will want to pack your luggage immediately 🙂

FASHION

Angel Cashmere Baby Blanket

Super soft high quality blanket that you can use both in winter and summer. Top quality blanket, also great to cover your kids during a PicNic in the park if they are taking an afternoon nap in the light breeze. Wow! Your kids will look really smart wrapped up in this blanket. RRP £15-£125. You can get it from www.angelcashmere.com.

SUNGLASSES

KAREN MILLEN at SPECSAVERS

Recently I visited a Specsavers shop in Putney (after many years of using the same sunglasses) and had an amazing experience. Staff was amazing and they not only gave me a full eye sight test, but they patiently showed me all designer glasses and helped me finding what I really wanted. Well I went for a British designer, I love this pair of Karen Millen sunglasses. I even ordered prescription lenses so I can say goodbye to contact lenses this summer and relax my eyes too beneath these spectacular glasses. They also had amazing new range of Gok Wan glasses which I almost bought. Fantastic cat eyes shape which are quite unusual and in funky colours. I’ll go for a second trip in a few weeks time 🙂 www.specsavers.co.uk

Ray-Ban Junior 9035

Ray-Ban introduce their Wayfarer Junior frames. Guaranteed to keep your kids eyes protected whilst wearing the coolest eyewear brand out there, these sleek classic black frames with silver detailing are also available in Scarlet red. RRP £47

SXUC Junior Taz

These multicoloured printed SXUC Wayfarer frames are the perfect summer accessory for your little ones. These unisex frames take inspiration from the catwalks with this must-have frame shape. RRP £12

BABY & TODDLER SUNGLASSES

Ki ET LA sunglasses are literally UNBREAKABLE and 100% safe hence perfect for babies and toddlers. They offer category 4 eye protection (the maximum available) and come with an adjustable head strap. The presentation is also lovely as the glasses come in an organic cotton pouch. There are 3 sizes available (0-18 months), (1 – 2.5 years) and (2 – 4 years). http://www.minisocial.co.uk/indestructible-childrens-sunglasses.html

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

INFOBAND

I won’t leave for the holiday without one. Over the years I put my business cards in my son’s pockets every time I was among crowds of people and when he was going on school trips (just in case).

But on the beach I was always worried I would loose it so on holiday I always act as a guard dog… This summer I will feel a bit more relaxed with this new product which I totally love (and my son too). ‘infoband™’ is a cool and unique ID wristband for children. This smart product helps children who wander off or get lost to reunite with their parents. The product is easy to use. The text becomes water resistant in a second when you write with a regular ball point-pen. The buckle makes the infoband™ impossible for small children to remove the band – a two-hand grip is needed. Parents and other adults can open the buckle easily and the infoband™ can be used over and over again. The infobands come in 18 different designs. They are reuseable. They offer a fun way to give parents that little extra peace of mind when out in public places. They can be used, on the beach, in the park, walking to school, when out shopping, in zoos, theme parks, music concerts etc. The uses are endless! These are a brand new product to the UK and the only stockists at the moment are Igloo Kids Kings Road and Igloo Kids St Johns Wood. Alternatively order it online at http://trade.everdell.co.uk/brands/INFOBAND.html RRP is £3.50

PARIS IN YOUR POCKET

If you are heading to Paris with the family and a light luggage you can just bring Paris en famille, an illustrated guide to Paris in a poster-size format which really includes all you need to know about the French Capital to entertain your kids and partner. This handy new guide comprises 40 spots that all family members will enjoy: places to eat, museums, shops, parks and other sights. Paris en famille is written by Yolanda Edwards, based on many trips in the company of her daughter and husband, which are documented
on her site Travels With Clara, along with other jaunts far and wide. These entries are tried, tested and guaranteed both adult and child-friendly.

Diono See Me Too™ This practical mirror is a great gadget to keep an eye on the kids while travelling by car this summer.
Adjustable mirror which allows you to monitor the entire backseat of the car while you are driving. The See Me Too easily attaches to your existing rear view mirror using a unique clip and offers a crystal clear view of the children in the back of the vehicle.

OUTDOORS

Summer PicNic essentials

We love pancakes and we have chosen this hamper with pancakes’ recipe ideas and ingredients to have a unique and a bit different PicNic. Pancake brand Abra-ca-Debora Dutch pancakes have come up with some really lovely ‘No bake cake’ recipes. Perfect for the less confident baker – allowing anyone to create something delicious and personal – without the risk of soggy bottoms, or sunken middles. www.abra-ca-debora.co.uk

PICNIC RECIPES

Here is a selection of No-Bake recipe ideas which are easy and unusual that you can make for parties or picnics. Your guests and kids will be surprised!

Zesty No-bake Cheesecake

Happy birthday cake

Banoffee pie

Chocolate and salted caramel stacked pudding

PicNic Hampers

A British picnic would not be the same without vintage Cheddar and blue Stilton and onion marmalade crackers. Recent research conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation among over 27,500 children across the UK shows that nearly a third of primary school children think that cheese comes from plants.
 

Don’t panic if the weather this summer isn’t perfect for al fresco eating – a new trend is on its way and you can get foods for all eventualities – indoor and outdoor.  We won’t let the weather dampen our spirits; we’ll just do what we did outside, indoors instead.

We love the The Truckle Cheese Company’s hamper including a range of lovingly crafted handmade cheese truckles and chutneys are perfect for picnics, whether you’re eating inside or out.  The cheeses come in their own protective wax jackets and, while easy to share, are not your run-off-the-mill picnic foods. 

FESTIVALS ESSENTIALS

The Animal Onesie Trend

I saw Onesie first on Britain’s Got Talent contestant Gabz Gardiner who wore it as a cool outfit. I would have never thought this was cool but then I realised that increasingly celebrities are showing off their tailored made animal onesies. Well, it is easier than I thought to get one done with the specs you want. And they are also a British product, ethically handmade with love in the UK and delivered worldwide. The company that is specialised in cool onesies for festivals and beyond (including as a PJ) is the All-in-One Company started by Kate Dawson in October 2008 after she was unable to find sleepsuits for her own children on the High Street. Hugely successful the company is now making all-in-ones for people of all ages and sizes all over the world. As all of our all-in-ones are made to order we can accommodate nearly all special requirements. The best quality of these sleepsuits that can be worn outside too in my opinion is that they are very soft, comfortable and fun. And they can be totally customised including adding your own name to it. The ‘Create your Own’ all-in-ones are unique in that you can choose different fabric colours for the body panels, sleeves and the add-ons such as hoods, pockets, feet or mittens from our huge ever changing range, to make your very own special all-in-one that no one else will have. You can choose from a large selection of polar, micro and cuddle fleece along with some 100% cotton terry towelling fabrics that are easy to wash and dry at low temperatures and are warm and comfortable to wear. They are currently made in childrens 13-14 years, womens small and medium. I love the fact that they are proudly Made in Northumberland, UK. Here is the link if you one done in a couple of days www.the-all-in-one-company.co.uk

INDOORS

Get your children to write their summer diary they can show to their teachers when they come back to school in September. Love the new colourful Filofax organisers for this. Seizing on this season’s fashion for bold contrasting colours, Filofax has created the fabulous Springboard organiser with a vibrant raspberry grain textured cover and bold lime strap closure. The attention-grabbing style statement will raise money for children who are struggling with literacy in the UK. £1.50 from the sale of every Springboard organiser will go to the charity Springboard for Children which aims to raise aspiration and attainment of children who are, for whatever reason, left behind in the education system. The organiser comes with extra pages full of inspiring ideas which make reading, writing, spelling and language development fun and rewarding.
Springboard Pocket Organiser, £30
Springboard Personal, £35

Filofax stockist details: 08705 143 702, www.filofax.co.uk

Noteletts Scribble Sunglasses A6 Diary

And here is the notebook diary for mums to jot down all their thoughts and memories. We absolutely love the retro summery cover. It will look stylish when you’ll walk down the beach with that 🙂 RRP £5.99 Letts stockist details: 0131 654 7695, www.letts.co.uk

INDOOR ACTIVITIES – IDEAS

Little scientists’ experiments

Check out our little scientist’s experiments – great FREE entertainment over the Summer for both indoor or outdoor. Take a look at all our videos where our little scientist six year old Diego attempts to make his very first volcano inspired by the history how Mount Vesuvius destroyed the Italian city of Pompeii as well as making raisins dance and turn dull pennies into shiny ones.

TRENDY TOYS

AWESOMELY HORRIBLE ART

Horrible Histories Art Set is the new Awesome Art Set based on Scholastics’s bestselling Horrible Histories books written by Terry Deary. Suitable for children aged six and above, the cool art set contains over 100 pieces to help create some really awesome artwork. With stencils created by Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown, children will soon be able to paint and draw their favourite fiendish characters featured in the books. Retailing at £14.99 the Awesome Art Set is available from www.galttoys.com The Art set contains four metallic paints, five marker pens, six paint pens, shield shaped watercolour tray, an art pad, 10 postcards, 60 stickers, three stencil sheets and 60 wiggly eyes.

MONSTERS UNI PLAYDOH FUN

Perfect for indoor if the weather is not great this Summer. Your little monsters can monster-ize their creations, and the Scare Chair Playset is just great. They can create wacky hair and spooky features for their beastly creations with the playset’s chair extruder. The fun is going to be hair-raising with this super-fun Play-Doh monster factory! The Scare Chair Playset is monster fun! Press out wacky hair. Make spooky shapes. Cut the hair with the scissors and start over! Includes 4 cans of Play-Doh modeling compound.
Playset includes base, 2-piece chair extruder, 2 character thimble figures, scissors and 4 cans of Play-Doh modeling compound.

HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS FOR THE SUMMER

For any itchy, dry or irritated summer or holiday skin woes, we love Cardiospermum Gel to help combat itchy, dry skin problems as well as summer eczema flare ups both for adults and children. Cardiospermum is an Indian plant extract known for it’s potent anti inflammatory actions on itchy and dry skin conditions, namely eczema. Several previous studies have confirmed it’s ability to reduce itching and inflammation of the skin. Cardiospermum Gel is FREE from perfume, parabens and SLS and can be used on adults and children. RRP £9.95 for 100ml from www.skinshop.co.uk

Sweating, sun and sun creams all help bacteria breed on the skin, leading to summer acne. But it’s a misconception that ALL skin bacteria are bad for acne. The skin has both bad AND good bacteria living on its surface. It’s the bad bacteria that leads to acne, but the good skin flora is essential for healthy and youthful skin.

New Silver Serum from Skin Shop is the first ‘good flora’ promoting anti-acne skin treatment that contains a patented form of silver called MicroSilver that specifically seeks out and kills bad skin bacteria while letting good skin flora flourish and multiply. Silver Serum helps reduce infection and inflammation of blocked pores, small surface pimples & blackheads. It can also help reduce acne symptoms associated with acne rosacea.

RRP £12.95 (75ml) is available from www.skinshop.co.uk