MINI RODINI KIDS STYLE SELECTION

I've been really excited to share this kids brand with you for a while now, first off because it's sooooo cool and I kinda want to wear all of the pieces myself and secondly because it's ethically made! Yep that's right, cool kids clothes with a concsience! If you haven't guessed already I'm talking about the wonderful Swedish children's wear brand, Mini Rodini.

One of my favourite things about kids clothes is how much fun they can be in. I mean yes, of course fashion can be fun for all ages, but when picking out pieces with the boy I really get to see his personality shine through. Funky patterns, quirky prints and bright colours, the clothes he wears are an explosion of his personality and I love it. I fear the day that he becomes too self concious to wear what he likes or society dictates what is appropriate. For now I want him to have fun and enjoy being a kid, whether that's wearing a cardi full of tassels, dressing all in pink or buying tops full of unicorns!

As we love to explore new destinations I'm always looking for cool threads for him to travel in and we decided to try out a few pieces from Mini Rodini's Spring/Summer range to road test in Berlin, but with F catching swine flu we had to be put the trip on hold. Thankfully Bristol's street style scene is just as good and we spent a fun morning hanging south of the river with some street chalks.

F absolutely loves these organic cotton Spot Sneakers in yellow, he's convinced they make him run as fast as a leopard and who am I to argue! He even slept in them the first night they arrved and he hasn't wanted to wear anything since *a sign of a truly awesome shoes*.

We also chose this smart Pico Jacket in dark blue, as it's perfect for spring but also can be used at school, plus the leather detail panda logo and gold popper buttons are ace. I love how he looks in the sneaker coat combo, especially with his Star Wars mag in hand *sigh my dreamboat*.

Started back in 2006 in Swedish illustrator, Cassandra Rhodin's Stockholm apartment, Mini Rodini is one of Scandinavia’s fastest growing children’s wear brands. It's now selling in some of the most prestigious department stores and independent shops all around the world, from Harvey Nichols in Kuwait, Selfridges in London and Barneys in New York and I can see why *hands up to all the creative mamas out there*. I love these embroided heart jackets and fun print leggings! Here are a few of my favourite pieces from this seasons collection.

As well the designs being fun and cool, I am sooo happy to find a brand that I can trust, with each garment meeting their strict commitment to being both ethical and sustainable, from the organic cotton they use through to their low carbon footprint and fair labour proimises. In fact it makes you feel really good to be able to dress your little one in fun, imaginative clothes from a responsible  brand, you can read all about their values here.

Due to the kiddo being ill we missed the press show for the Autumn/winter collection *boo* but I'm super excited to see what they have in store next season, and I'm definitely going to be buying a few more pieces for F to have some fun in this summer.

 *We recieved the sneakers and coat as part of this review, but I truly love this brand and all opinons are 100% my own.

SHORTSTITCH STYLING SERVICE FOR KIDS

Every now and again a company comes along and you think yes this is ace! and that's exactly what happened when I was approached by ShortStitch, a personal shopping service for kids fashion. OK so it might sound a little luxurious, reserved for the likes of celebrities and London's elite, but ShortStitch are here to shake it up and make cool affordable for the likes of me and you.

The truth is parents are busy creatures, unlike the slower days pre-child where you could leisurely lie in until eleven and spend hours enjoying lunch out, we're now running on a whole different schedule. In fact I don't quite remember what on earth I used to do with ALL that time now that every minute is so packed with busy. So when a cool kids company, ShortStitch, creates a way to take the stress and strain out of shopping – because let's face it, who wants to play find the runaway child in a department store while having a small heart attack – then I'm going to say a whole lot of yes to that!

I love fashion, especially kids clothes and I often mix up high street finds with independent labels when picking outfits for F. So when I trialled the ShortStitch service I wondered how I would find it and if they would be able to pull together the sort kids fashion I love. The Answer? Oh yes!

The clothing is aimed at 4 - 10 year olds and using the service was super easy, you simply click on the website for your own personal consultation – sounds quite fancy ay– and fill in a few details: age, gender, show size, clothes size. You get asked whether they like to play any sports? Do they have a particular interest and what do you tend to do day to day?  Then you click a few buttons and whoosh your order is done. Now just sit back and wait for your box of yay to turn up.

I was excited to see the rather cool box arrive at my door, full to the brim with wonderful brands that I know and love, as well as a few new ones. With a selection of t-shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, shoes, boots, hats, shorts and cardies, I was pretty much prepared for any event. There is a cute tape measure and the all important price list so you can see what everything costs, and the best bit is you try on the clothes in the comfort of your home. What you like you keep and pay for, and anything you don't, well you just send back with the box. So simple.

I must admit F loved trying these on, I think getting a big important box in the post made him feel quite special ;) We tried on a few of the outfits and F let me take a few pics of our favourites so I could share them with you, and as a treat afterwards we went to the ice cream parlour and enjoyed a few scoops with sprinkles.

I really can't get enough of these 10IS boots! I love the tan colour with white laces and toe and they look ace with light denim, especially the I Dig Denim pair that he's wearing here.

The items in our box ranged from £20 up to £110, the higher priced pieces being a rather gorgeous hooded rain jacket and the above boots, but with plenty of gorgeous t-shirts, jumpers and jeans all around the £25 - £40 mark, I would say this would be a perfect hassle free way to pick out an outfit for any occasion, as every piece of clothing is high quality and beautifully designed. 

I love these cute looks for summer with this Scotch & Soda Straw Hat and Vigro embroided tee, and I was very excited to see my favourite Finger in the Nose label in there too, like this two tone t-shirt above.

After picking out choosing to keep a few pieces to keep and take with us to Berlin next week, I simply packed the rest back into the box, sealed it with the provided labels and used the nearest Click + Collect service, although there is a courier collection available by appointment at no extra cost.

This is such a great way for style conscious parents to see the new season trends at home and try them first hand before purchasing. The best bit is you are only paying the recommended retail price so there are no hidden costs to you *great ay!* the service is free making this a brilliant concept in Kids fashion!*We were asked to trial the ShortStitch service for the purpose of this review. All words and opinions are 100% my own and I couldn't recommend this wonderful service enough. 

FAMILY FRIENDLY FESTIVAL FUN WITH MAMAS & PAPAS

It's no secret that we are BIG festival lovers, every year we get excited about the adventures we'll have, hanging out with friends in a field somewhere, listening to music and we have been super lucky to have a kiddo who loves them too. So when Mamas & Papas created a family friendly festival guide and asked what our essential choices would be, I was excited to be involved.

Over the long weekend outdoors F lives in cool casual jumpers, colourful tees, jeans/dungarees as they're hardy and go with pretty much anything, shorts for warmer weather styled with hi-tops, and of course wellies! I picked out some of my favouites below from the fab Festival Essential selection.

1. I love a good blanket, it can be used for wrapping round your little one at night or as a throw to sit on and this Patternology Chevron Knitted Blanket, £29.95 is gorgeous.
2. A pair of bright Shrimp Shorts £14 will help your kiddo stand out in the crowd.
3. F loves funky jumpers and they're easy to add over layers to keep them warm when it starts to get chilly. I love this Disney Mickey Mouse Camouflage Jumper, £18.
4. These are soooo cute! There's nothing like comfy trainers to run around in and these Hi Top Trainers, £12 are perfect for little feet.
5. We always take some shade like this Essentials Parasol, £14.95 with a UV filter as it's easy to store and can create that much needed shade on super sunny days.
6. F has grown out of his pushchair now but when he was little it was our one festival must have. It's perfect for letting them nap in, travelling over muddy ground, keeping your kiddo dry and even moving your camp back to the car and this Armadillo City Pushchair - Lemon Drop, £189 will really stand out.
7. OK I'm adding this tropical striped Jumper in at £12 as I love the print and have my eye on it for our festival adventures.




We've been taking F to festivals since he was about 18 months old and at first I was super anxious about the idea of a baby overnight in a tent, but it turns out he's a natural and as long as you take the essentials you're all set. We've been taking F annually and one of our favourite festivals is End of the Road, set in the Lamar Tree Gardens it's a fab family friendly four day event with amazing music, great food, open fires, fairy lit woods, wandering peacocks and a full range of kids events and activities.

We tried Just So festival last year, unlike End of the Road, this is completely child focused and packed with fun activities like: giant puppets, outdoor cinema screenings, live theatre, pirate school, lantern making and an appearance of the fairy queen, safe to say F loves it and we can't wait to go back this year and experience the magic again.

This year we're thrilled to attend the Wilderness Festival for the first time with Mamas & Papas and take over their Instagram account for the weekend so you can follow our experience. We're already planning our must see list and I am sooooo excited to see Bjork headline and F can't stop talking about all the kids activities.

To celebrate festival season Mamas & Papas have teamed up with Camp Bestival to offer you the chance to win a family pass to the four day festival in Dorset *whoop* Simply purchase any product between now and 23rd June via here and you’ll be entered into the draw.

WIN A £100 TO SPEND AT BURP BOUTIQUE

I love good style and when F was born I was very excited by the prospect of hunting out cool clothes for my little one to roll around in, I mean who wouldn't coo and ahh over tiny little shoes right? I don't always spend lots of money on F's wardrobe, it's a healthy mix of high street bargains, hand me downs and a few boutique pieces, and I love how his clothes are an extension of his colourful bubbly personality.

I often feel a bit deflated when I walk through the super colourful – although mostly pink with a splash of yellow – girls department into a sea of blue and dinosaurs for boys. F loves colour, I love colour so why do shops insist on these toned down hues for boys?! Yes F likes a dinosaurs as much as the next kid, but he also loves pink and wearing conformable leggings, so I often find myself looking at independent kids boutiques to bridge his wardrobe gap.

One great online store is Burp Boutique, who's mission is to create a collection of colourful, unisex, bright, bold and fun clothes for your little ones, while supporting British Made, up and coming designers. They focus on well made clothes, amazingly illustrated story books, fun squidgy soft toys and unique pieces of art, to bring you something different and fun for your little ones.

To celebrate Burp Boutique fourth birthday, they are offering you the chance to win £100 to spend in their online store! All you have to do is take a photo that conjures up a celebratory moment and post it on Instagram, not forgetting to follow @burpboutique and add the hashtag #WINburp! The picture can be anything, let your imagination go wild!

The competition ends on Friday 15th May and will be judged by myself and Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn. I can't wait to see all your fab pics :) Good luck! x

Wild & Grizzly has been shortlisted for the Style Category in the Brilliance in Blogging 2015 awards.  It would be wonderful if you could take a moment to vote for me here. Thanks so much for your continued support. xx 

F WEARS // KIDS STYLE

The sun has been starting to work its magic and last week I stepped out with this boy dressed ready to welcome spring with a smile, wearing these bright colours from Mini Boden. There's definitely something to be said about creating a bit of sunshine with your clothes and I love how playful this outfit is on F. 

The last few weeks have been a bit manic so I'm pleased to be starting this week on a positive note, I've got back into my fitness regime and healthy eating plus I'm trying to ensure I get enough sleep which always helps calm the mind. I really hope we're in for more messy hair, coatless sunny days.

F wears:

Top c/o Mini Boden

Jeans c/o Mini Boden

Trainers c/o Clarks shoes

Wooden tulip from Amsterdam

What are you looking forward to this spring?

CLARKS FULL PULSE MEGALIGHTS // KIDS STYLE

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a fan of Clarks shoes for kids, as you know from my visit to their SS15 press show I was totally blown away by the new funky ranges they are bringing out. So it was no surprise that as soon as I saw these Full Pulse Megalights that I would want to get my hands on a pair for F.

Think me, who loves the 80's – ahem –  and hi-tops for kids and you have a match made in heaven. Although the Clarks Megalights range is based on their iconic 1997 basketball boot style Full Glare and is not quite the 80's blast from the past, as soon as I saw the design with its acid highlights, print detailing and chunky neon laces, I knew they would stand out and that's not even the best part!

So imagine F in Clarks having a fitting, already excited that he can use the side zips himself to get them off and on, plus the additional fun of the chunky velcro strap, then imagine him running up and down the shop to show off his Cheetara skills *Thundercats reference right there* and then hearing the three words that's guaranteed to make kids go crazy with excitement:

They. 

Light.

Up.

Yep not only do these sneakers look cool but get them in a dark room and you're ready to party! By day, blink and you'll miss it, but as the sun sets the 360 degree light up sole streaks across the dark with its three settings: constant, pulse or flash.

So does F love these sneakers? YES. Did he make us come home and immediately want to start partying in the darkness of our lounge. YES. Did he refuse to take them off and ask to wear them to bed? YES, but thankfully I managed to peel them off him.

Need to find a super cool Christmas present for your kiddo? Pretty sure you've just found them.

*Our Megalights were c/o Clarks. All opinions and love for the 80's are 100% my own.
**Video Music by Bensound 

TRAVEL IN LUXURY WITH THE BRITAX TRIFIX BLACK EDITION // REVIEW

Many of you know and can guess from this blog that I love good design. Products that are well thought out, show attention to detail and are beautifully executed. So when a company combines luxury, style and my child's safety I'm bound to get excited.

I was asked whether I would like to test out the Britax TRIFIX Black Edition group 1 car seat for F, with only 500 of these exclusive car seats in existence and only 100 available in the UK I jumped at the chance to road test this luxury product, plus I'm a stickler for safety and as long as F remains within the weight restriction I'm happy for him to stay in a stage 1 car seat.

The TRIFIX Black is the ultimate car seat for style conscious parents who don’t want to compromise on safety. Designed by Britax European Head of Styling Julia Strunk, the TRIFIX Black is hand-made in Germany and exudes style and quality making it perfect for family life. The car seat can be used from 9 months until 4 years old (9-18kg) making it a sound investment which will keep your child safe and comfortable as they grow.

The Trifix Black Edition has a five point harness and top tether which anchors the car seat and your precious cargo firmly to the seat of your car, this reduces the forward and sideways movement of the car seat providing extra safety in the event of an accident. Our old seat uses a floor anchor which while safe still allows for some movement, however the top tether pretty much secures the seat firmly in place. Combining this, along with the sleek designed side impact panels, really makes me feel at ease knowing F is travelling in comfort and style without compromising on safety.

I absolutely love the fabrics that have been used to create this car seat, soft black leather with beautiful stitched finishes using selected seamstresses in Germany, a quilted padded seat lining and wide straps that sit over the chest for comfort, the Trifix Black edition oozes luxury and the high gloss carbon effect side panelling gives it a timeless quality. 

For me black is a classic colour that looks good in any car and F seemed to think so too, he smiled during our long test drive and even had a nap which is unheard of, giving us time to chat in the car without listening to his audio books on repeat. So for comfort it gets a 10/10 from me. I love that these are a limited edition, as well as it being a statement piece, more importantly I love that each of the 500 car seats have been lovingly made by hand, with a quality control team ensuring that each one is finished to the highest standard. We all want the best for our kiddo and knowing he is safe and comfortable while pleasing my eye for design,  makes me one happy mama.

*I was given a Britax TRIFIX Black Edition for review purposes only. All opinions are 100% my own.

CRUSHIN' ON CLARKS SPRING/SUMMER 2015 RANGE

We've always been a firm fan of Clarks in this house, I remember my own parents taking me to have my feet measured as a child and it seems the brand has made an impression on me. It was the first place I trusted to measure and fit F's super cute wriggly toes and foot,  and after buying my most comfiest peep toe heels from Clarks last year I've been won over by their women's range too.

We were in London so we decided to stop by Clarks SS15 press show to see what delights spring had in store and I'm so pleased we did. Across the range the design is set to impress, with playful bright patterns and colours, not to mention these Clarks original Desert Boots in silver *swoon* F was quite taken with them and no doubt these will be his favourite's come spring.

click to read more

45/52

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2014."

F: Ready for an adventure after waiting for a delivery.

This last week has been so full of busy – fun but busy – that I haven't managed to spend that much time just hanging out with this one, in fact he's spent a few days at my folks as I've been in London for press days and the Amara Interior Blog Awards (there's a whole post to come on this). 

Thankfully the next couple of weeks are a little calmer and I can focus on spending more quality time with F. As a few of you have asked where F's clothes were from I thought I'd share it here:

Coat: Zara

Jumper: Mamas & Papas

Hat: Kite

Jeans: Hand me downs

Wellies: Joules last season

Linking in with  The 52 Project.

F WEARS // AUTUMN TREASURES

Jumper: Mango
Jeans: Zara
Shoes: Clarks

I always get sucked in by summer, thinking this is by far my favourite season and then autumn quietly approaches and woo's me all over again. The leaves sing with colour with their flaming reds, earthy browns, burnt ochres, bright yellows and mottled greens as the they slowly change and fall.

Last weekend was one of those perfect days, mild and the sunlight streaming down, casting a magical glow in Clifton. Raring to get outdoors, F wore his new jumper kindly sent to us by the lovely folk at House of Fraser and played amongst the rocks and trees in search for natures treasure.

We spent a good few hours collecting conkers, playing with sticks, climbing and generally messing about outside with F happy to be free of a coat and wearing his favourite colour. I really love the teal detailing on this jumper, especially when paired with grey jeans. Eventually when F tired we headed for a hot chocolate and laid out our treasures. 

Have your little ones been enjoying the change in season?

F WEARS // KIDS STYLE

Finally summer is in full swing with hazy days and balmy nights, t-shirt season is here and what better way then to hit the streets with these cool prints from French Blossom. We're loving this selection of of Bakker Made With Love tee's, our favourite being the Mr Muscle print which is perfect for park play dates and ice cream sundaes. Check out their great range of satchels and backpacks too. 

This post is in collaboration with French Blossom