It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Mothercare and The Early Learning Centre and it’s certainly no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of the Little Bird range of clothes designed by Jools Oliver! Both my children have practically been wearing nothing else for the whole of the summer and today, at their press day for Christmas 2013, I got to meet the designer in person! I gushed a bit and was definitely not as ‘cool’ as I was in my head thinking about the prospect before the event but I don’t think I made too much of an idiot of myself. She was lovely and explained that her visions for the range come from desires for children’s clothes to be traditional and like the ones we used to wear when we were little. She seems to like everything that I like in ideas for children’s clothes and she was very passionate about and proud of her designs, as she should be!

She was really very normal. I mean she looked like a model I’ll give you that, she’s super slim and totally beautiful but in a very normal way and she just looked like someone I would have drinks with, watch a movie with and have a laugh with. She looked like my friends look and I liked that. Mylene Klass came in later, I have to say I’m not hugely keen on her range, and she was much more starry! Glammed up to the nines and posing for the cameras. She arrived to much excitement and while she looked amazing, I liked that Jools was wearing something comfy looking instead. Jools was fashionable but easy looking, just like her range and when she left she was very sweet and just said goodbye really nicely and left. Mylene was a lot more like being in the presence of a ‘celeb’ as I imagine it to be. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing like I’m not saying her range is bad, there’s certainly a place for it and it’s massively popular, but it’s just not for me.

The new Little Bird range however, IS! Very much so! I almost didn’t want to look because I just know I’m going to have to have a lot of it and will probably spend far too much money again this winter but it’s just SO adorable! Still with the rainbow theme and pretty floral patterns it has a darker more wintery vibe and I really loved the cot bedding and blankets which I’d not really paid much attention to before. It feels similar to the clothes and makes me think of my own childhood, patchwork quilts and home-made looking cot tidy pockets, knitted blankets and a satisfyingly chunky mushroom door stop. The wellies and boys Y fronts probably stole it for me today if I had to pick favourite items!

We also spent ages playing with all the toys and there’s a new range called Toy Box which is superb for 12 months plus! Jimmy loved the little soldier and at £4 each I can see them becoming stocking fillers – I’ll have to have a word with Father Christmas! We liked lots of the toys and indeed more clothes from other ranges with some beautiful shoes from the Nomad collection. I don’t want to wish summer away but Mothercare and ELC have made me think that winter won’t look so bleak when it’s coming up! Here are some of our favourites from the day!

I was not paid to write this post.

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