Reviews
Autumn reviews: ideas for exploration and play
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Vicki Hunt, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Sophie May and Stuart Taylor Organic Cotton Kite Flying Skort with Pockets This bright bold skort is a big hit with my 3-year-old. She will always choose either a dress or a skirt, so this item really appeals to her, but hidden shorts mean it’s also practical for climbing and adventures. It’s a high-quality piece, made with beautifully thick organic cotton and AZO-free dyes. It has a wide, comfortable waistband in a contrasting colour, and two deep pockets, perfect for collecting treasure. Ducky Zebra designs are all about confidence and kindness, and this skort really captures the brand’s values. The print has elephants, zebras and puffins flying kites amid rainbows, which is joyful. AE £24.50 duckyzebra.co.uk Happy Squares Rude Medium Set Happy Squares have collaborated with Rude Studio to create this fabulously colourful and vibrant set of building squares. Made from thick...
Autumn reviews: ideas for exploration and play
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Vicki Hunt, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Sophie May and Stuart Taylor Organic Cotton Kite Flying Skort with Pockets This bright bold skort is a big hit with my...
Twelve sustainable and practical clothing optio...
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jo Haycock, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Rosemary Merino Bernal and Grace Simpson Dubs Flex Lightweight Machine Washable Children’s Trainers These trainers are a big hit with my 6-yearold. First off, she was thrilled with the Marshmallow colour, a lovely shade of coral, and secondly with the comfort. Incredibly light, they are also spacious around the toes, which I love too, knowing that her growing feet aren’t been squished. We both enjoy how easy they are to slip on without help, perfect for children who don’t have the patience for laces (or even Velcro!), but the secure collar means they don’t slip off. The soles, crafted from sugarcane, have deep groves for grip and the shoes are very flexible, great for climbing and generally being active. The flyknit upper is made from recycled plastic bottles. Sustainability has been carefully considered and Dubs also works in partnership with...
Twelve sustainable and practical clothing options for all the family
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jo Haycock, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Rosemary Merino Bernal and Grace Simpson Dubs Flex Lightweight Machine Washable Children’s Trainers These trainers are a big hit with...
Reviews: summer
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel, Rosalind Kingston-Jones and Sophie May The Cozy Set This doll’s house has really captured my children’s imaginations. They have loved playing with it and have been totally absorbed in the stories they have created. My eldest enjoyed drawing her own designs on the blank wallpaper, which attaches to the walls with tiny magnets so it’s easy to snap on and off. The cardboard box the house comes in is printed with furniture, which you cut out and slot together – no glue needed – so you can fill your house with beds and tables and bookcases, and there are more templates on the Storyhouse website. The cardboard aesthetic encourages other homemade additions and our bookcases now have tiny books on their shelves. The natural wood is beautifully simple and tactile and slots together with ease. The houses are modular so if you...
Reviews: summer
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel, Rosalind Kingston-Jones and Sophie May The Cozy Set This doll’s house has really captured my children’s imaginations. They have loved playing with...
Reviews: living well
Reviews by Nicola Ashcroft, Anna and Lauren Clarkson, Saoirse Connolly, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel, Mark De’Lisser, Elizabeth Rodford, Nick Ward and Lia Wong Flourishing Childhood Participating in Rebecca Sheikh’s Flourishing Childhood Online Community offers a supportive, informative and introspective journey into child development, traumainformed parenting and self-care. The platform fosters a caring community, hosts experts who share valuable insights, and has a treasure trove of play ideas that enhance parent–child connection. Being part of this community, learning new games and self-care tips, and reading Rebecca’s supportive messages brightens my day and increases my capacity to parent in the way I aspire to. I’ve also attended the Transforming Families with Aware Parenting workshop, a clear and accessible exploration of Aware Parenting principles. It provides practical guidance on understanding children’s emotions, tantrums and play, while nurturing compassion for ourselves as parents embracing a new paradigm. Rebecca’s work is invaluable for anyone seeking a...
Reviews: living well
Reviews by Nicola Ashcroft, Anna and Lauren Clarkson, Saoirse Connolly, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel, Mark De’Lisser, Elizabeth Rodford, Nick Ward and Lia Wong Flourishing Childhood Participating in Rebecca Sheikh’s Flourishing Childhood...
Reviews: sustainable living
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel and Sophie May Shampoo Bar This shampoo bar by ecoLiving is 100% natural, soap-free, vegan, and made with sustainable ingredients. I tried the Wild Fig and loved the fresh scent and purple colour. I also found the leaf shape really helpful – it’s attractive and easy to hold and use but also distinguishes itself from other bars of conditioner or soap in the shower! The bar is described to last between 50 and 80 washes (depending on hair length) and I certainly did not use a lot for my long, thick hair. I lathered it into the ends and along my scalp, but everyone will have their own way to use it. My hair felt very soft afterwards. The bar is made in the UK, a tree is planted for every bar sold, and all packaging is compostable and recyclable with no...
Reviews: sustainable living
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel and Sophie May Shampoo Bar This shampoo bar by ecoLiving is 100% natural, soap-free, vegan, and made with sustainable ingredients. I tried...
Reviews: gifts
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel and Rosalind Kingston-Jones Goat’s Milk Soap Small Gift Set This is a gorgeous little gift – I like the price point and that the set includes two soaps. The bars weigh 55g each and you can choose from a range of scents, including lavender, tea tree and oatmeal, lemon and ginger, and unscented. You can have any combination; you simply include a message with your order to say which ones you would like. I tried the lemon and ginger and I love the fresh and zingy ginger scent and the pieces of lemon peel in the bar. The small bar fits nicely in your hand – or a child’s hand – and keeps its shape well. These soaps are handmade using Garlic Meadow’s own goat’s milk. The bars are wrapped in paper and the gift sets in biodegradable cellulose. SF £4etsy.com/uk/shop/garlicmeadow Comfort Gift Set...
Reviews: gifts
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Jess Hazel and Rosalind Kingston-Jones Goat’s Milk Soap Small Gift Set This is a gorgeous little gift – I like the price point and that the...
Reviews: play
Reviews by Alice Ellerby and Jess Hazel Voxblock Starter Pack Sometimes you discover a product that has a transformational impact on your child. The Voxblock was that product for us. It is a screen-free audiobook player that functions so simply and intuitively that it allows children autonomy over the stories they listen to. My 6-year-old isn’t yet reading independently and while I love reading with her, the Voxblock allows her to have quiet time with a book on her own. When she first got it, she carried it around with her until she’d listened to all 2 hours and 39 minutes of A Bear Called Paddington! The audiobooks are beautifully designed blocks, and both they and the player are durable and lightweight, perfect for children to handle. You can listen through a built-in speaker or headphones. The starter pack includes the player, a protective bumper, and three audiobooks, and there’s...
Reviews: play
Reviews by Alice Ellerby and Jess Hazel Voxblock Starter Pack Sometimes you discover a product that has a transformational impact on your child. The Voxblock was that product for us....
Reviews and Best Buys: clothing
Reviews by Lauren Downie-Campbell, Stuart Dutton, Alice Ellerby, Jess Hazel, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Rachel, Laura Roberts Original DungareeI bought my Lucy & Yak dungarees on sale around a year ago and love wearing them. They’re now part of my go-to comfort outfit! I’ve got a huge amount of wear out of them already and they still look quite new. They are made with soft, lightweight denim and are so comfortable, and I like that they have decent sized pockets! They have adjustable straps with plenty of extra length to fit varying body types (I have had trouble with others not being quite long enough in the body). I wear them over T-shirts with the legs rolled up in summer, and over jumpers and tucked into boots during winter. I like that they’re made with organic cotton, and that clean, pre-loved Yaks can be exchanged in store for money off a new...
Reviews and Best Buys: clothing
Reviews by Lauren Downie-Campbell, Stuart Dutton, Alice Ellerby, Jess Hazel, Rosalind Kingston-Jones, Rachel, Laura Roberts Original DungareeI bought my Lucy & Yak dungarees on sale around a year ago and...
Reviews and Best Buys: summer holidays
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Jess Hazel, Emma Hypher, Sophie May and Sharon Whiting Swimsuit I researched lots of sustainable swimwear brands before I settled on Batoko. I liked its ethos – using only recycled plastic waste intercepted before landfill, with collections kept intentionally small. The swimsuits are produced in small batches, helping avoid overproduction and encouraging customers to make slow and considered purchases. I wanted a swimsuit that would last me a long time, and I am really pleased so far (still going strong after six months of regular use). I wear it mainly for sea swimming, and always rinse it out afterwards with fresh water as recommended; Batoko suggests washing swimsuits as little as possible. It’s also worth mentioning that the brand sells ‘imperfect’ swimsuits at a reduced price. That’s how I bought mine, and I am yet to find an imperfection! I like this approach – nothing is...
Reviews and Best Buys: summer holidays
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Jess Hazel, Emma Hypher, Sophie May and Sharon Whiting Swimsuit I researched lots of sustainable swimwear brands before I settled on Batoko. I liked its ethos...
Reviews and Best Buys: sustainable home
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, and Jess Hazel Organic Cotton Unpaper Towel This is the most fantastic cloth. It’s designed to be an ‘unpaper towel’, so you have a few in your kitchen to mop up spills, which you then wash and reuse. I have been using it for all sorts of things and it works really well and washes well too. I love the design and the hook is helpful for hanging. It’s available as a pack of five, or as smaller grey wipes, and arrives wrapped in eco-friendly, ethically sourced tissue paper. It’s designed in the UK and made in India where 35% of electricity used during manufacture is from renewable sources, using hydroelectric power. £2.50 for a single towelhomeofjuniper.co.uk Makeup Remover Pads These are fantastic makeup remover pads. There are 10 in the set, so plenty to last between washes, and they are really big with...
Reviews and Best Buys: sustainable home
Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, and Jess Hazel Organic Cotton Unpaper Towel This is the most fantastic cloth. It’s designed to be an ‘unpaper towel’, so you have a...