Decisions, decisions ....

....baby names! Naming your baby is a big part (one of the fun parts!) of the whole pregnancy chapter and something which we as parents pour over and over from the start of conception, sometimes even before, and right the way through until that moment when you finally meet your son or daughter. Most couples will have a list of 4 or 5 names for girls, and the same for boys. And aren't girls names easier to come up with?! Names have meanings, taken from religion or language, and also meanings for us in terms of treasured family members, hero's, heroines, movie stars even! So it's a big deal. Here at Mamissima we have been tweeting popular 'Brighton' names we hear frequently in our shop. It's great fun and very interesting! Sign up for our tweets, @mamissima, to keep up with what's hot in the naming game. And if you're still stuck for ideas then there's even a website devoted entirely to baby names http://www.babynames.co.uk/ !

Christening Presents

With the start of Spring there are not only new beginnings in nature but there always seems to be a baby boom too! Not sure if it's just here in Brighton but there are lots of Spring babies about! Which means Christening season will soon be upon us.

I struggle with Christenings as I can never think of something beautiful and original to give as a gift. Traditionally, the gift should be something meaningful and something that will last forever, that the child can keep and look back on in adult life, almost like an heirloom. Silver spoons and silver bangles were de rigueur when I was a babe, and I do still have my silver bangle (somewhere). So how have things changed and what are the most unique and beautiful gifts for our babies now?

We still have the traditional things like a silver spoon (this one chimes!) or silver rattle, which may not be the most original gift but often the old ones are still the best. A nice alternative, and much more contemporary to the silver bangle is a friendship bracelet , on which you can have a name engraved and a birth date. Or a slightly more glamorous version of a bangle is this pretty coil bracelet with little charm. If jewellery is not your thing, and you're not a direct relative to the baby then you'll probably want to go for something a bit less traditional and perhaps more fun. I think a money box is a great Christening gift, every child should have one, and it sends a good early message about the importance of saving pennies!

For more ideas, take a look here. And if you still need some help, then give us a call at the shop where we'd be very happy to help 01273 626 676