Making Children's Fashion Fit with Matalan

Last Friday we were invited down to Matalan Headquarters in Knowsley for a different kind of event. As well as being shown some of their latest lines in children's fashion, school wear, and accessories, we also got to meet the professional buying team and technical services staff and get an exclusive peek into their work.

We were joined by a few fellow blogger families and some Matalan staff members who had also brought their children to be part of the event.

Ben was asked to join other children in the boys fashion corner. The friendly fashion tech staff had a selection of samples in various sizes and asked the children to all dress in the the same items. They then stood in a 'line up' from smallest to biggest as the staff inspected the 'fit' of the clothing on them. It was really interesting to see how the shape of some of the clothes changed significantly as the sizes got bigger, as the Matalan ladies discussed adjustments and measurements I started to realise just how much work Matalan put in to making sure their clothes are comfortable fitting and true to size.

They were also really interested in what different brands of clothes I buy for my children and why, how the sizing differs from store to sore and what sort of styles I wouldn't consider buying. I was pleased to see how they took my feedback on board, really listening to what myself and fellow parents had to say about the clothes our children wear.

While Ben and I were chatting to the technical and design staff, my youngest daughter had taken Daddy to look at the other areas set up around the room with a section of children's footwear nightwear and accessories, She really enjoyed trying on a an array of dresses and hats and created her own personal style!

While the adults talked about boring subjects like sizes and fabric there were lots of colouring things available for the children to get creative with.

I thoroughly enjoyed the morning we spent at Matalan and found the staff really friendly, a highlight for me was seeing Elizabeth trying on her very first school uniform, I have to admit it brought a tear to my eye, I'm still getting my head around the fact that my baby starts school in September!

I'm looking forward to seeing some of the products we looked at in our local Matalan store very soon!

The Ideal Home Show at Christmas - Win Tickets!

I love Christmas! As you know I do my shopping all year round to get the best deals but I get really excited once everywhere gets all festive and love planning my Christmas baking and decorations!

So I'm thrilled that the Ideal Home Show at Christmas is coming to Manchester this year!

Following the success of its spring debut, the Ideal Home Show is set to return to EventCity, Manchester (just near the Trafford Centre) but with a festive twist. A northern version of of the multi-award winning London show, Ideal Home Show at Christmas, sponsored by Gocompare.com will run from Friday 14^th November until Sunday 16^th November.

It will feature an impressive 300 exhibitors, across 7 sections including: Interiors & Home Accessories, Food & Drink sponsored by Regina, Home Improvements & Outdoor Living sponsored by Hydropool, Fashion & Beauty, Technology & Gadgets, Gifts and Christmas Decorations; the winter wonderland will provide everything you could possibly need for the run up to the yuletide season.

I'll be attending the show of the Friday with my Mum and we're really excited about these celebrity experts at the show offering their tips including the rather handsome chef Gino D'Acampo, the lovely Lisa Faulkner, and my Mum's favourite Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen! Well known TV personality, wine expert, columnist and author Olly Smith will also be there.

Highlights from the Show

·         The Christmas Theatre sponsored by Gocompare.com – This festive theatre will host talks and workshops from a range of experts to advise on how to create the perfect homemade Christmas. The hourly sessions will focus on making Christmas cards, festive wreaths, decorations, table settings and much more!

·         The Christmas Champagne Bar sponsored by Hydropool – Treat yourself to a glass of bubbly and relax after all that shopping!

·         The Christmas Food & Drink Theatre sponsored by Regina – The Food & Drink Theatre will feature top celebrity chefs including Gino D'Acampo giving you handy hints and tips for your Christmas culinary creation. With live cook along demonstrations, foodies are able to learn from the experts in how to cook up a storm in the kitchen this Christmas.

·         The Gregg Wallace Christmas Restaurant - Hosted by friend of the show Gregg Wallace, the restaurant will provide a traditional Christmas lunch with a twist.

·         The Christmas Bandstand – The bandstand will be filled with a host of talent who will perform a range of musical styles and genres throughout the show. From gospel and children's choirs, to bands and solo artists, they are guaranteed to put you in the festive spirit.

·         The Christmas Room Sets in association with intu Trafford Centre - Working with top brands from the iconic intu Trafford centre, these 8 room sets will fill you with ideas for your own home.

Plus, with over 300 top brands and exhibitors offering innovative products that you won’t find on the high street, it’s the ultimate destination for all of your Christmas shopping.

Doors open to the first ever Ideal Home Show at Christmas EventCity, Manchester Friday 14^th November at 10am.  To book tickets visit www.idealhomeshowmanchester.com or call 0844 209 7366.  For Group bookings call: 0844 412 4650

Prices for Ideal Home Show at Christmas EventCity, Manchester:

	Advance Tickets	On The Door
Adult	£12.00	£15.00
Concession	£11.00	£14.00
Children (Under 16)	Free*	Free*

Would you like to Win a pair of tickets for your choice of the day of your choice? Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Baby Show at Earls Court London, 28th - 30th October

Competition now closed! And the lucky winner of a pair of tickets to The Baby Show at Earls Court next weekend is....

EDavies!!!

Congratulations! Please email your contact details to me at mymummyspennies@gmail.com and I will get your tickets sorted!

If you weren't the lucky one you can still get your tickets to the Baby Show here and don't forget to check here to see what special offers and freebies to look out for including a FREE MAM bottle and many more...   

Make sure you enter all the competitions too as you could get lucky! I won a Britax B-Smart from Emma's Diary at the Manchester Show, and started using it this week, read my first impressions here!

 If you're still undecided on which day to go I found the Friday best for 'freebies' as it's the start of the show, however if you are looking to make some bigger purchases I would recommend going on the Sunday as you can haggle and a lot of the exhibitors sell of their display stock at discounted prices!

And if you want a quick reminder of the offers and freebies I found in Manchester check them out here!

If you are going to the show have fun and happy bargain hunting! :0)

This October, The Baby Show returns to Earls Court to showcase the widest range of maternity and baby essentials for parents and parents-to-be. With brilliant deals on the latest must-have items and special show offers across leading brands this is a shopping experience not to be missed!

I visited the show when it was up north in Manchester in September and it was a great day out with lots of bargains and quite a few freebies too!

The Baby Show with Prima Baby and Fisher-Price takes place from 28-30 October 2011 at Earls Court, London, and we are giving one lucky Mymummyspennies reader a FREE pair of tickets!

Shopping at The Show allows parents to test and compare hundreds of products before they buy, saving them from purchasing products that aren’t suited to their needs and lifestyles. 

Visitors to The Show can shop from the most recognised brands including Mothercare, Marks and Spencers, tommee tippee Pampers, Trunki, Sugar Jack, Adens & Anais, Britax and many more. In addition to the 300 must have brands showcasing their ranges, parents can visit the exclusive Boutique Boulevard where a selection of exhibitors will be selling the most exquisite brands and niche products on the market.

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Becoming a parent can often be daunting, but The Baby Show is a hassle free day out, providing parents with everything they need in one place - the biggest selection of baby products and on hand advice from leading experts to help make those important decisions.

What’s more there are various facilities in place to ensure it remains a stress free day, including the Fisher-Price Crèche which is perfect for baby-free shopping. Plus with Emma’s Diary Shopping Drop-off, Collect by Car & Home Delivery services heavy bags don’t need to be carried around The Show.

The Baby Show takes place on 28-30 October, Earls Court London. Tickets are on sale now for The Baby Show and are available from the box office on 0871 231 0844 or online at thebabyshow.co.uk. All children under 16 go free when accompanied by an adult. Head to www.thebabyshow.co.uk for full details.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets valid for any of the three days simply comment below telling me why you'd like to go!

For extra entries you can share this competition on facebook, twitter or forums and follow the blog on networked blogs or Google friend connect.

Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry!

t's and c's

• winner will be selected by random draw
• open to residents of UK only.
• Facebookis no way affiliated with this competition.
• If the winner does not contact me within 3 days of their name being chosen another winner will be drawn.
• Competition will close 9pm 21st October 2011.
• only entries that have complied with the rules of entry will be valid.