Date: 8/3/2009 Title: I'm Pregnant Magazine
Bella Mama features again in this month's issue of I'm Pregnant magazine. The gorgeous sleeveless flower breastfeeding Mia top appears in their Pretty Woman feature of fun, fresh fashion for comfort and style. The Mia breastfeeding and maternity top is one of our most popular tops, and stock doesn't stay on our shelves for long. More of the longer sleeved Mia nursing tops are due in soon ... pre-order now whilst you can!
Bella Mama will be at the BreastBuddies Fashion Show in Leeds this weekend. Our BellaMama "I Make Milk", Deep Vee and Shrug tops will be appearing in the fashion show on stage, and I will be taking a selection of our best-selling tops and dresses to sell at the event. I'm really looking forward to meeting some of our customers, we've had loads of orders from the Leeds area in the past few weeks, so thanks to everyone for their recommendations!
I'm also hoping to tie in this visit to a trip to the in-laws before Christmas. The kids love spending time with their Grandparents! Dan's also back from his recent trip to the States on Friday morning, so will be fighting jet-lag to get up to Leeds to look after the kiddos whilst I am doing the fashion show event!! Bless him! See you all on Saturday!
Date: 12/6/2008 Title: Busy, Busy, Busy!
Well, it has certainly been a busy few weeks! Last month Bella Mama provided a selection of tops for the Charity Fashion Show organised by Teresa and Laura from Koochyroo. The show raised just under £200 for the Wirral Mother's Milk Bank, who collect, store and distribute donated breastmilk, for premature and sick babies throughout the north west. We will add some pictures to the site shortly. Bella Mama will also be working to raise money for the Mother's Milk Bank in the New Year. This is a fabulous organisation, with a very important aim to provide human milk for sick and premature babies, which I am proud to support. My mum works in our local neonatal unit, and whilst growing up every year we would visit the ward at Christmas to see the tiny babies. The advances in neonatal care are utterly amazing, and the staff at the hospitals do an incredible job providing care and support to the babies and their families during a very difficult time. When I was pregnant I learned about the work of the Milk Bank in UK, and decided that whilst breastfeeding I would donate my own "spare" milk to our local bank. Mum had told me about the problems that many neonates have digesting formula feed, and how beneficial breast milk is in providing the nutrients that sick and premature babies require. I proudly donated my own milk during those months whilst I was breastfeeding my own little one, and am really looking forward to being able to help fundraise for such a wonderful cause. More details to follow in the New Year!
Date: 11/22/2008 Title: Breastfeeding Access!
Here's a great video I found which explains the different types of nursing access on the tops which we offer.
This fantastic new line of nursing and postpartum transition wear from Milkdaze, is currently only available at Bella Mama in the UK.
Kristen DeRocha, founder of Milkdaze, felt that young moms should be able to breastfeed in public in something stylish -- without having to go somewhere private (or show off belly fat). The styles are wonderful, the fabric is soft and comfortable, and make breastfeeding incredibly easy.
The second new line we will stock in the next few weeks is Belabumbum. This is a great range of sweet, sexy and stylish loungewear and nightwear for pregnant and nursing mothers. Belabumbum’s maternity line encourages women to feel pampered, sexy, womanly, and just plain cool during what is truly one of the most important times of a woman’s life– during and after pregnancy. Over the last year, Belabumbum has introduced a number of new lines, including nursing bras and bottoms, loungewear & swimwear.
Check out our Sneak Preview section - I'm sure you'll love it!!
Date: 4/10/2008 Title: Spring/Summer Stock
We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our Spring/Summer stock. The Blissful Babes order has arrived, and the Sneak Preview section on the site shows the gorgeous tops which are currently winging their way to us from the US, Singapore and Sweden. All of the tops can be pre-ordered, so if there's something you like pounce now before it's all sold out! Last summer some of the most popular tops were sold out before they'd even officially arrived in stock!!
More swaddle blankets, burpie cloths, muslin cloths, bibs, pampering products, breastfeeding accessories, nighties, pyjamas, nursing bras and other beautiful items will be arriving in the coming months... keep checking back for new stock.
And most exciting of all... my sister and her hubby have recently announced that they are expecting the pitter patter of tiny feet ... hooray, a cousin for Finn and Orla at last!! So I'll be kitting her out with top outfits from Bella Mama to keep her looking stylish and feeling comfy through her pregnancy and beyond! Lucky girl!!
New stock is arriving daily - we are now proud to stock the 1 in the Oven/Mayreau brand, a real favourite of Hollywood's babes with babies! Further Spring stock will be arriving in March, and is simply gorgeous. Check back for a sneak preview soon.
We are also thrilled to be able to offer organic nursing clothes. The Mama Cocoon tops are made using organic cotton certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. This fabric is gentle on your baby, your skin and the environment. These tops are not only comfortable to wear, practical to feed in, but also environmentally friendly. They are a classic, simple design and go really well with jeans, skirts or joggers! At a purse-friendly price, they are a real nursing essential!!
Paola Maria is another new designer to Bella Mama. Check out her fabulous designs, and innovative nursing access. Her Angel sleeved tops are wonderful, very flattering indeed!
Date: 11/26/2007 Title: Christmas!!
The festive holiday season is rapidly approaching... (and also my birthday in early December, woohoo!) fun parties, beautiful presents, seeing friends and family, yummy food, festive fizz and sparkly accessories! Our fabulous seasonal outfits will allow you to dress up for every occasion, whilst being able to feed your baby easily wherever you go. Check out our stylish selection in the special Christmas section in the left hand Products column. We have some beautiful tops and dresses from Maternalove and Annee Matthew, which are just fabulous for this time of year. I met nursingwear designers Karen (Maternalove) and Annie (Annee Matthew) whilst in Singapore this year, and had a lot of fun trying on all of their new nursingwear. These ladies really know how to dress nursing mothers stylishly!! We also have some great advice in the article below from our friends at babyworld.co.uk - see the full article in the Christmas section. Happy Holidays...!
Date: 10/30/2007 Title: Bathing beauty...
My absolute favourite way to relax following a busy day is in a huge bath filled with deliciously scented bath soak, glass of pinot grigio in hand! I am thrilled to stock Perfect Potion products, and am finding their "Relax" bath soak the perfect antidote to everyday stress! Geranium, Lavender and Ylang Ylang help to calm the mind and soothe the senses, and smell heavenly.
Perfect Potion are an Australian based company who produce pure plant preparations that promote well-being, delight your senses, nourish your skin and enhance your environment - beautiful preparations containing the finest pure essential oils, cold pressed vegetable oils, organically grown herbal extracts and plant-derived ingredients from around the world.
Date: 10/22/2007 Title: Wedding Belles I was the first to take the step into the unknown of marriage and now my youngest sister completes the line-up of married Lancaster girls! We are now Baxter, Fairclough and Weaver - the end of this Lancaster line - and the family tree now includes Mexican and German bloodlines!
Anyway, what an amazing wedding day we had. Of course the bride looked gorgeous and fantastically happy to be marrying Mark. I have to say that I felt a bit guilty for worrying about what I would look like a few months post-baby. However, I knew that all eyes, if not on my sister, would be on baby Orla anyway! I was also a little worried that Orla would choose to spit up on my lovely new outfit. Well, not to worry I packed one of our lovely burpie cloths and, phew, the day passed without incident!
I am sure my Mum and Dad are looking forward to the sound of little feet from my other two sisters so hurry up Ladies, and getting popping out some cousins for Finn and Orla.
Date: 9/29/2007 Title: Open!
Wow, September so soon! I am back from my fabulous round the world trip (San Francisco, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Singapore) and it was wonderful. Travelling went smoothly, and Finn and Orla took the time changes all in their stride - unlike myself and Dan! The nursing tops I took with me were great, and I managed to feed 5 month old Orla in a whole variety of different locations - beach huts, boats, planes, parks... We caught up with friends who have been out in Australia for the past few years - everyone we know seems to be emigrating... We are off to a party tomorrow for more friends who are making the move to Melbourne!!
Anyway, our second "baby" to be born this year, Bella Mama, is now officially open for business. Big thanks and kisses to my wonderful husband Dan, who is the technical brains of the operation, and my gorgeous children Finn and Orla, for giving me the inspiration in the first place! Finally, thanks to everyone who has ordered from the site, and for your lovely messages. I am thrilled that you love the products.
Date: 7/5/2007 Title: Stocking Store
I am having great fun stocking the store ready for launch in September. We will be stocking loads of fantastic things which I am so excited about!
I just took delivery of the Libby Dibby skirts yesterday, which are truely fabulous. I will be taking one on my trip to Australia and US this month. Travelling with a 4 year old and 4 month old, I think the double sided skirt will come in very handy when I am covered in grubby handprints!
I have already sold some of the swaddling blankets too, even before we have officially launched. The blankets are deliciously soft, and are a wonderful way of snuggling your baby off to sleep. Orla slept like a dream in hers, and enjoys having a kick about on the blanket during the day.
Please keep checking back as we add more lovely stuff to the site. Also if you have any comments or suggestions, I would love to hear them!
