It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - part 2

Now on to my favourite (and most researched) section of the Christmas list:

Little people:

One amazing additional bonus to my friends starting to become parents? I get to buy kids stuff! Right now they're all pretty much babies, still, so a few of my favourite children's purchases might have to wait a few years.

But I can't say that's limited me too much - there are so many cool things out there! Starting with books. I'm pretty old school when it comes to children's stories, I tend to stick to the classics, and to the authors that my brother and sister and I loved...

Like Janet and Alan Ahlberg.

All of these images from Penguin

Or Meg, Mog and Owl.

Although I'm also a sucker for any kind of stories about feminist princesses...

And when it comes to toys, I get paranoid about plastic bits breaking off and getting swallowed, or just generally not being very durable - so I'm leaning towards wooden toys that the babies of my acquaintance can play with, smash around, suck on and generally use as weapons to their heart's content.

Cute helicopter from John Lewis

How cute? From here

For the nesters:

This would totally include me, if I didn't keep on moving and clogging up my parents' garage with all my possessions.

Current contenders include these beautiful Roald Dahl mugs - you can get everything from James and the Giant Peach to the BFG, to my personal favourite, Matilda.

Matilda!

Or how about some Anthropologie offerings? A seriously fancypants rolling pin?

Both images from Anthropologie

Or some rather gorgeous measuring cups?