I am loving all the rainbows at the moment and everything they signify during these unprecedented times.  Crystal Stanley (a mum from Ipswich) has been credited with popularising the trend of rainbows during the lockdown.  She called it a sign of "positivity, hope and togetherness" during the crisis.

The Queen also recently referred to the rainbows drawn by children with reference to our national spirit.

There are so many beautiful rainbow products coming from talented small businesses that I have created a little round-up.  Small businesses do really need your support at the moment, so do pop over to browse their websites or social media if you can.

1. Tea Towel from Luke Drew This – gorgeous Linen rainbow drawing tea towel, £16, lukedrewthis.co.uk
2. Rainbow Mug from Donna Crain -You Are Amazing Personalised Mug, £12, by Donna Crain at www.notonthehighstreet.com
3. Ladies Rainbow T Shirt from Betty Bramble – gold and leopard print ladies rainbow tee, £18, BettyBramble.co.uk
4. Rainbow Earrings from Lucy Kemp Jewellery – beautiful Sterling Silver rainbow hoops, £20, www.lucykempjewellery.co.uk
5. Rainbow Keepsake from Periwinkle and Clay – thoughtful sending you a hug rainbow keepsake, £10.00, www.periwinkleandclay.com
6. Family Art from This is Nessie - Personalised Family Rainbow Colour, from £17.50, thisisnessie.com
7. Rainbow Pin from The Poppy Lane – colourful Storms Don’t Last Forever Rainbow Pin, £6, thepoppylane.co.uk
8. Rainbow T Shirt from Percy and Nell - #staypositive T-Shirt with NHS donation, £15, percyandnell.com
9. Rainbow Cushion from Brown Betty Blue - Personalised Baby Cushion With Rainbow, £35, brownbettyblue.co.uk
10. Rainbow Postcard from Little Silver Leaf -Follow Your Rainbow! Happy Mail Postcard, £2, by Little Silver Leaf at www.notonthehighstreet.com
11. Wall Hanging from Nelly’s Treasures – gorgeous Rainbow Wall decor, £16, nellystreasures.com
12. Worry Doll from Arlo and Jude – adorable Secret Powers Worry Doll, £9, arloandjude.com
13. Elmer Swaddle from Lil’ Cubs – limited edition Baby rainbow cotton swaddle, £20, www.lilcubs.co.uk
14. Bunting Card from Spotty N Stripy -'Hello' Rainbow Bunting Message Card, £7 by Spotty N Stripy at www.notonthehighstreet.com
15. FREE Download from Rory and the Bean - fabulous Be Kind wall decor, £0, www.roryandthebean.co.uk
16. Hand and Foot Print from Hold Upon Heart – Keepsake personalised rainbow print, £20, holduponheart.co.uk
17. Rainbow Stamp from Skull and Cross Buns – playful rainbow rubber stamp, £8, skullandcrossbuns.com
18. Fairy Lights from Melanie Porter -gorgeous tassel rainbow fairy lights, £34, www.melanieporter.co.uk

Have a fabulous weekend x

Mother's Day is a special day to celebrate all the mum's and mother figures in our lives.  At Betty Bramble we've created a little gift guide full of our favourite treats, that we'd love to receive.  You may notice they all have a gorgeous metallic theme, perfect for the luxe feel!

1. Monogrammed bag from Stripy Giraffe - gorgeous personalised leather bag, £70, www.stripygiraffe.co.uk

2. Art Print from Bookishly - personalised map of the stars in blush pink and gold, from £39, www.bookishly.co.uk

3. Necklace from Chambers & Beau - 'Say My Name’ Necklaces gold plated and sterling silver, from £90, www.chambersandbeau.com

4. Initials Wire Keepsake from The Letter Loft - stunning initials and heart wire sign, £20 www.theletterloft.co.uk

5. Keyring from Koko Blossom - personalised Leather Heart Keyring and passport cover from £20, www.kokoblossom.co.uk

6. Notebook from Martha Brook - personalised soft foiled notebook, from £12.95, www.marthabrook.com

7. Tote Bag from Tillyanna - personalised dalmatian print canvas shopper, £40, www.Tillyanna.co.uk

8. Travel Cup from Becky Broome - personalised rose gold travel cup, £26, www.beckybroome.com

9. Mama Sweatshirt from Betty Bramble - rose gold ladies sweatshirt, £27, from www.BettyBramble.co.uk

We hope that gives you a few ideas, a may be a useful guide to send onto your partners!

Lots of Love, Abi x

Nearly five years ago in 2013 I took the leap of faith to launch Betty Bramble, a business which designs and manufacturer’s luxury footmuffs and personalised gifts for babies and children.  As I sit back and reflect, I can see what an enormous learning curve I’ve on. 

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learnt along the way:

• Passion, obsession and belief – you need to believe in your product or service absolutely 100%. You need to live, breathe, dream your offering.  It will consume your mind and your life so it must be right.

• Plan, plan and replan – before you launch your business ensure you have a detailed, comprehensive business plan. It must include all the traditional parts of a plan and then pass it over to someone objective to honestly critique and challenge you.  It’s better to refine and replan before you’ve committed funds, time and energy.

• Understand the financial elements of your business – this is often a challenge, especially for more creative personalities, but it is absolutely essential. If you are launching a business to provide an income it must financially make sense.  For example, ensure your projected profit includes all your costs, such as your time, packaging, storage, telephone, wifi, VAT and tax costs. Also map out your cashflow obligations, I quickly learnt that the stock we hold at Betty Bramble can absorb a large amount of cash.

• Ask for help – you are unlikely to be an expert in every area needed for your business to be the best it can. Be ready to delegate and outsource parts that take you too long (time is money!) or that can be done much better by an expert. For example, with an online business it may be better for an expert to build a professional website than you spending weeks creating a poorly designed version that doesn’t really showcase your skills or product offering.

• Be patient – it may take some time to build your brand, reputation and a loyal customer base, but if the product is right at the right price, it will happen. Many leading businesses did not become an overnight success, but the reward is sweeter when it does arrive!

• Take the leap – don’t rush into any major decisions, commit to long term contracts or financial obligations within carefully considering the details but at some point you do just need to jump and make a leap of faith!

I spent many, many months considering the details and different options but ultimately it was the best thing I ever did.  Betty Bramble gives me purpose, a focus and allows me to have a great work life balance.

For many soon-to-be parents, planning and creating the perfect nursery is both enormously exciting, and incredibly daunting. Once those parental instincts kick in, many soon-to-be mothers and fathers want nothing less than perfection for their new arrival, and that means designing a nursery that is safe, practical and beautiful – with no compromise.

Luckily, those three cornerstones of the ideal nursery can be achieved with these simple steps. If you’re in the process of planning your baby’s nursery, read on to discover how you can design the perfect environment for their early years.

Focus on investment pieces

There are three main items you’ll need to invest in when you’re designing your little one’s nursery: the cot, the changing table and the nursery chair. The cot is perhaps the most important – it needs to be safe, sturdy and comfortable for your child, as well as fitting in with the overall theme of their room.

The changing table must also be safe and sturdy, and come with plenty of storage for nappies, wipes, creams and other essential items. In those early months, it may feel like your baby spends as much time on the changing table as they do in the cot, so it’s certainly worth making the effort!

The nursery chair is also vital for new mums who will be nursing their little one. A rocking chair is ideal – it can soothe baby and keep mum comfortable while her child feeds. If not a rocking chair, then a very comfortable armchair with a footstool, perfect to help mum or dad catch up with some sleep while their new arrival naps nearby!

Choose a relaxing colour scheme

The colours of your nursery are certainly important. Many parents opt straight for the pink or the blue depending on the gender of their baby, but neutral colours can create a more relaxing and soothing environment. Consider beige tones, with hints of green to forge a connection with nature. Bright primary colours might seem suitable for a nursery, but vibrant shades can cause overstimulation and may lead to some sleepless nights!

Adding a personal touch

A nursery should not feel cold or clinical – it should be cosy, comfortable and innately personal. Try to introduce some sentimental items into the room - photos and hand-crafted items work perfectly. You might also find that relatives are queueing up to hand over their old furniture and accessories. This can add a uniquely personal touch to the room, whether you’re adding granny’s old rocking chair, an auntie’s comfort blanket or a cuddly toy passed down through the generations.

Practicality over all else

There’s no use a nursery looking fantastic if it’s not practical. Your baby will play in this room, so it needs to be safe. You’ll also carry out a lot of nappy changes and naptimes in this room, and it must meet the needs of you and your child. Consider features like blackout blinds to help with naptime, and be sure to install as much storage as possible for bibs, toys, blankets, changing bags and the mountain of other essentials that come with new babies.

Do you have any tips to share when it comes to nursery planning? We’d love to hear them in the comments below – get in touch!

We're thrilled that our Fantastic Mr Fox Footmuff was mentioned today by the team at Mumii.  A wonderful lifestyle website for modern mums it is packed full of useful information.

Betty Bramble was featured in their weekly article entitled "5 things to Lust After this Week".  A special focus on keeping mum and baby cosy in this cold weather, the team highlighted our red Fantastic Mr Fox Footmuff.  The team were quoted as saying "These guys tick all the boxes when it comes to luxury with their gorgeous footmuff" and said our footmuffs were "plush, made to last and the designs are absolutely beautiful"

Thanks Mumii, you've made our day! 

Life as a new mother is tough; it’s one of the biggest challenges any woman will face in her lifetime. There are new skills to learn, new schedules to stick to, and a whole new person you have to get to know – your little one. It’s a whirlwind of emotion, intensified only by the sleep-deprivation that will undoubtedly occur!

During this daunting time, many women look for products and items that can help them in any way possible. From making nursing easier to making the most of their downtime when baby is napping, there are a multitude of products out there which can help new mothers adjust to this challenging lifestyle, while finding their own way as a parent. Take a look at our must-have essentials:

A comfortable chair

Whether it’s a rocking chair or simply a comfortable armchair, you’ll need somewhere comfortable to sit during those first few weeks – especially if you’re breastfeeding. The soothing motion of a rocking chair can also help babies drift off to sleep, which is helpful for sleep-deprived mums adjusting to their new schedule. You’ll spend a lot of time in this chair during the first year of your little one’s life, so it’s certainly worth ensuring it’s durable and cosy!

White noise

White noise generators are very popular for soothing babies. Some babies can take a while to adjust to total silence outside of the womb – after all, they’ve grown accustomed to the constant sounds of your body moving around them. A white noise generator can provide a little background sound to help your baby relax or calm them down.

A baby sling

Holding your baby against your body in a sling frees up your arms and makes breastfeed easy and discreet. You’ll never realise how much you use your arms until you have a baby in them around-the-clock! With a sling, you’ll be able to tackle some light housework or cook yourself a nice meal – and all with the added comfort of knowing that your little one is safe and secure against your body.

‘Me-time’

Every precious moment you get to yourself as a new mum should be cherished and appreciated. Once or twice a week, if you can, it’s worth designating a half-hour slot where you can hand over the baby to your partner, a family member or a friend, so that you can focus on yourself. Take a bubble bath, go for a walk, have a nap, read the next chapter of a book – take some time out and focus on yourself.

Comfortable clothes

Your body will still be in recovery after giving birth – there’s no need to pressure yourself to slip back into your skinny jeans or pencil skirt. Treat yourself to some comfortable clothes – garments that you can curl up for a quick nap in, while still being able to welcome an unexpected houseguest eager to see your little one. Think ribbed tops, yoga pants, fleecy jackets and fur-lined slippers. Aim for natural materials like cotton (and try to make sure they’re machine-washable!).  

The Fabulous Mr.Fox Footmuffs have quickly turned into a best seller for Betty Bramble.  With the sudden drop in temperature we are seeing a sharp upturn in demand for our super cosy footmuffs.  

Two of the three colourways of the Fantastic Mr Fox Footmuff are currently out of stock but they will back very soon!  We have just opened up a limited number of pre-order slots to guarantee dispatch on 24 January.

All our footmuffs are proudly made in Britain so we are able to promptly replenish stock as needed.  To ensure you receive your order this month please place the order through our website.  Delivery times are kept up to date on the website.

Yesterday it was widely reported that the legislation will soon be changing for car seat boosters (also known as booster cushions) without a back. 

The legislation will take place from December 2016 and from then you will no longer be able to buy a booster seat for children shorter than 125cm or weighing less than 22kg.

Abi Halpin, founder of Betty Bramble, said "We welcome these changes as we feel parents aren't always fully aware of the lack of protection booster seats offer. Firstly they do not protect the head in any way and they don't position the seat beat in a secure way across the child's body.  We feel this is a great step forward in child safety."

Read more...

The sun is starting to shine, so we think it's ready to bring back the buggy liners! 

Created in our signature range of bright, bold, retro and vintage style fabrics they add a splash colour to your buggy.  We have some old favourites back, such as the Cheeky Monkeys Buggy Liner and the Superhero print.

We've added some lovely new styles, including the Fantastic Mr Fox in pink, the Superhero in pink and two new shabby chic floral prints! 

Betty Bramble buggy liners are a universal design and fit most pushchairs. They're lightly padded and have four pairs of cord ties to securely attach them to your pushchair frame or hood.

We were thrilled to recently spot our footmuffs on the Netmums website.   Betty Bramble were featured in an article called “10 baby brands you might not have heard of... but need to” written by a well-known and very experienced journalist called Sarah Lafarge.

The article selected ten brands that are less well known amongst the nursery giants.  We were proudly placed amongst businesses such as Bumbleride and The Little Green Sheep.  Our Fantastic Mr.Fox in red and blue was chosen for the article, which we also stock in pink with black or silver grey with black.

Sarah’s article focussed on some “hidden gems” for the reader to discover and were delighted to be included.

Pop over to Netmums to read the full article.