If you were a teen in the 1990's, chances are you went to The Clothes Show Live at least once. It was the best! Cheap clothes, crazy fashion shows and loads of opportunities to take selfies with pop stars and models, way before selfies were a thing! Fast forward to 2017 and The Clothes Show's target audience is now mid-late thirties and a large proportion have started families and haven't got time to browse 342 colours of hair mascara and try out 25 different kinds of hair straighteners!
What Mums do have time for however, is baby stuff. Buggies, carriers and cots. Baby clothes, car seats and bibs. Weaning equipment, bubble bath and toys. All this and much, much more can be found under one roof at The Baby Show held at The NEC in Birmingham. Well played NEC, well played!
You still get fashion shows, though the models are now pushing buggies and rocking the latest in maternity wear rather than roller skating down the catwalk in hot pants (that was a good year). There are still plenty of famous faces to see on stage but these days, they're telling their birth stories and giving weaning advice rather than taking part in dance mat and karaoke competitions (also a great year). Perhaps most importantly, you can still shop! We spotted some great offers from some brilliant brands and picked up everything on our list and inevitably, more!
One of the highlights for us was getting to see Cheltenham's very own Suzanne there with her fabulous brand Nom Nom Kids. I felt like Biggie (Trolls) and wanted to shout out "I KNOW HER!" The stand looked amazing and the Nom Nom ladies fitted right in amongst some huge brands and easily held their own.
Another highlight were the amazing feeding and changing areas sponsored by Aldi. When Ace needed changing, I headed over to the changing village where I was swiftly asked what size nappy I needed then showed to a fully stocked changing table. There was no rush and there was even a nappy bin and a sink for why you'd finished! The feeding area was equally as fantastic, with a range of free baby food and drink (including snacks) and plenty of seating for big and little people. Ace also loved the V-Tech play area and had a good boogie to all the toy sounds!
If you're thinking of going along, the last day is tomorrow so you need to act fast! My top tips would be:
- If you book tickets online, you will either need to print them at home or head to the ticket office to have them printed when you arrive (you may have to queue).
- If you just fancy popping along for the end of the day, you can get in for £5 after 3pm.
- Wear your baby if you can as some areas got very crowded and therefore buggies had difficulty getting through.
- If you're planning a big purchase, consider using the Emma's Diary shop and drop service.
- Take advantage of the free changing area. It's so clean and the tables are the perfect height. There are loads of tables so you won't have to queue for long, if at all!
- Head to the Tesco area for a free goody bag containing fab items for baby and you. There was a queue each time they were on offer, but the contents are worth waiting a few minutes for if you're not in a rush!
- Parking is expensive but there is a free shuttle bus to and from the car park and you can either pay on the day or book your parking online if you book before midnight tonight.
- If you're looking to try different types of bottles but don't want to spend a fortune, both Mam and Nuby are offering a free bottle and dummy if you sign up to their mailing list.
Ace and I had a lovely day and I'd definitely go again, even though I didn't get my photo taken with any pop stars!
Ace wears... Pink top by Make Your Marque
What Mums do have time for however, is baby stuff. Buggies, carriers and cots. Baby clothes, car seats and bibs. Weaning equipment, bubble bath and toys. All this and much, much more can be found under one roof at The Baby Show held at The NEC in Birmingham. Well played NEC, well played!
You still get fashion shows, though the models are now pushing buggies and rocking the latest in maternity wear rather than roller skating down the catwalk in hot pants (that was a good year). There are still plenty of famous faces to see on stage but these days, they're telling their birth stories and giving weaning advice rather than taking part in dance mat and karaoke competitions (also a great year). Perhaps most importantly, you can still shop! We spotted some great offers from some brilliant brands and picked up everything on our list and inevitably, more!
One of the highlights for us was getting to see Cheltenham's very own Suzanne there with her fabulous brand Nom Nom Kids. I felt like Biggie (Trolls) and wanted to shout out "I KNOW HER!" The stand looked amazing and the Nom Nom ladies fitted right in amongst some huge brands and easily held their own.
Another highlight were the amazing feeding and changing areas sponsored by Aldi. When Ace needed changing, I headed over to the changing village where I was swiftly asked what size nappy I needed then showed to a fully stocked changing table. There was no rush and there was even a nappy bin and a sink for why you'd finished! The feeding area was equally as fantastic, with a range of free baby food and drink (including snacks) and plenty of seating for big and little people. Ace also loved the V-Tech play area and had a good boogie to all the toy sounds!
If you're thinking of going along, the last day is tomorrow so you need to act fast! My top tips would be:
- If you book tickets online, you will either need to print them at home or head to the ticket office to have them printed when you arrive (you may have to queue).
- If you just fancy popping along for the end of the day, you can get in for £5 after 3pm.
- Wear your baby if you can as some areas got very crowded and therefore buggies had difficulty getting through.
- If you're planning a big purchase, consider using the Emma's Diary shop and drop service.
- Take advantage of the free changing area. It's so clean and the tables are the perfect height. There are loads of tables so you won't have to queue for long, if at all!
- Head to the Tesco area for a free goody bag containing fab items for baby and you. There was a queue each time they were on offer, but the contents are worth waiting a few minutes for if you're not in a rush!
- Parking is expensive but there is a free shuttle bus to and from the car park and you can either pay on the day or book your parking online if you book before midnight tonight.
- If you're looking to try different types of bottles but don't want to spend a fortune, both Mam and Nuby are offering a free bottle and dummy if you sign up to their mailing list.
Ace and I had a lovely day and I'd definitely go again, even though I didn't get my photo taken with any pop stars!
Ace wears... Pink top by Make Your Marque
