We thought you'd like to know about life here at MadeForMums - what hot products we see, sneak previews of press shows we go to and the wild, wonderful and sometimes just plain weird things that come into the office (like a giant bunny - see below).
You'll hear from me as ed, Cassandra our product reviews ed, Kimberley our writer/communities star and Kyrsty our expert on gorgeous baby stuff, fashion & celebrity parents!
We'll be picking out some of our favourite things, plus commenting on stuff that's been getting us talking - whether it's some nutty parenting story, a 'you couldn't make it up' moment or a discussion about the latest parenting scare story.
We'd like to hear what you think too - so don't hold back - come and share your comments.
To kick off, we wanted to tell you about the press shows we've been going to for the past few weeks, celebrating Christmas!
It's called Christmas in July, when journos get a sneak preview of all the lovely stuff that's going to be in the shops later this year (probably next month!).
From big name supermarkets to value stores, John Lewis to Wilkinsons (lovely new range of nice-price toys), to the king of the toy stores, Hamleys, they've all been opening their doors to display their Chrissie stuff.
So while it's sort of sunny outside, we're peering at Christmas baubles, mince pies and stocking fillers. We'll let you know our MFM Insider hit lists over the next few weeks...
MFM favourites
So over the past few days, we've been loving...
1 The Giant Bunny
The strangest things appear in our office - last week it was a six foot bunny (that had to remove its head to get through the front door). Not a lost member of the Giant Bunny club, it was in fact here to tell us about Philips Avent's delightful new feeding set (featuring lots of little bunnies, carrots, pears, etc). Best known for its bottles and sterilisers, Avent has branched out into feeding too, producing a lovely plate, bowl and cutlery which can get your little one counting while trying to pop those peas in.
2 Childcare.co.uk
We've recently moved out of London to a new home and needed to find a part-time nanny. A great help was www.childcare.co.uk, which had lots of people offering childcare, from childminders to nannies to babysitters, in our area. Rather than just a straight 'find a nanny' type site, what I really liked is the fact I got an alert every time someone looked at my profile, tipping me off on who might be interested. It's free to browse (which is great) or you can pay an ongoing monthly fee to become a Gold member (to get private email addresses).
3 Toy Story 3
Thank hev for children's movies that are as entertaining for adults as they are for the little ones - and they think they're getting a treat! Am I the only one who embarrasses their children by laughing too loudly? Watch out for pester power though as the shops are full of film-related toys and we're hear that lots of Toy Story 3 must-haves are already sold out!
4 Baby Brightminds
We love Brightminds, the site for fun toys that also give your child's brain a workout. Now the same people have launched Baby Brightminds, featuring gifts, games and gear that help your baby develop little skills. From stimulating soft blocks to a gorgeous wooden pull-along giraffe, there's lots for every budget.
5 Junior Magazine's new site
Recently relaunched and looking gorgeous, our sister website Junior has been given a new look and now features daily fashion news, ideas for cooking with children, insights from children's authors and beautiful nursery interiors. Have a look around...
