Next Mummy Blogger Event Video

The Next Mummy Blogger Event last month was an amazing event, that I attended with my three youngest children Ella 16, Kizzy 9 and Freddy 3.  We were all interviewed and feature in the official Next video.  Freddy was a bit awestruck being wired up with a mic and filmed by the cameraman but did a great job!

Freddy Preparing For His Interview

Here's the full Next Mummy Blogger Event video...

The Next Mummy Blogger Event

Next have just launched their Childenswear Collection for Autumn/Winter 2012

So today me and my three youngest attended their Mummy Blogger Event at Crockwell Farm in Banbury to take a look at the range.

Next's children's clothing is suitable from newborn to age sixteen (although most stores do not stock the larger sizes so check online for older kids).  The new AW12 season's range consists of perfectly practical clothing featuring some great designs.  I love the colour palette of the collection which includes rich autumnal tones alongside monochrome pieces.

The Arthouse collection features abstract prints, intriguing textures and flashes of metallic.  The bold zebra prints and ochre tones appearing through the patterns are absolutely gorgeous.  We fell in love with the zebra print dress and cardigan for baby girls.  The Wild Bunch offers girls adorably kooky, easy to wear vintage-look denim with oversized knits and jersey tops in toffee and soft pinks.  Leopard print, stars and glitter threads add a pretty twist.  The Evening Post collection channels 1940s nostalgia with heritage fabrics, tweeds, cordrouy and cable-knits.  The Explorer and Little Explorer ranges gives boys a colourful selection of all-terrain wear to layer for an adventurous look and includes some funky Aztec prints.  A retro look comprising of jackets, peacoats and preppy chinos alongside braces and bowties creates the Rookie range for little Hipsters. The Gentleman's Club reworks country classics...think elbow patched cord blazers!  50s Revival recalls Mods with the smart casual range of skinny fit polos and cardigans.  There really is something for every taste and one of the best seasonal collections I have seen in years.  I have ear marked many key pieces for the kids and future grandbaby!

Next generously sent us a voucher to kit the kids out for the day and we really enjoyed choosing outfits.  Kizzy's soft pink skinny jeans and metallic lace top looked gorgeous.  Fred chose a rock star combo of skinny jeans and retro Union Jack t-shirt.  Ella went for the vintage Olympic tee which will be perfect for our Olympic trip in August!!

As well as seeing the clothes we were treated to some fantastic entertainment.  For the grown-ups there was a Beauty Room where a team of very talented and friendly therapists gave us massages, manicures, pedicures, reflexology and threading.  Ella and I thoroughly enjoyed being pampered by the team from Beauty With Inn while the little ones were looked after and kept busy with lots of fun activities of their own.

So while we were enjoying our beauty treatments, Kizzy and Freddy raided the cake table for mini donuts, had their faces painted, watched a magic show, danced at the disco, played on the bouncy castle and enjoyed having fun with the on hand child minders with their lovely selection of toys and books.

There was a photographer who took photos of the little ones which I look forward to seeing!  I snapped Fred during his session!

It was brilliant to meet and catch up with so many other lovely bloggers, look at the new Autumn/Winter collection and chat to the wonderful team behind the event.  We were thoroughly spoiled and had an amazing day!

Thanks to Next for such a wonderful and generous event that was enjoyed by us all!

View the Autumn Winter collection at next.co.uk

The Next Blogger Event

Setting off on a foggy morning with Freddy to attend the Next Blogger Event along with  Lou and Tala, meant an early start for us all.  Thankfully, the journey was uneventful, the boys were fabulous and we arrived at the Next Head Office in Leicester stress-free and raring to go!  Freddy  looked great in his Next outfit...the perfect little ambassador for the brand!  The lightweight woollen hoodie in grey and oatmeal looked great with a pair of jeans.  (Next provided us with a £30 gift card to kit our kids out for the event...thanks Next!!)

We were directed to the mock shop where we were treated to coffee and cake before being introduced to the new range of Next children's clothing for next season.  The kids were kept entertained with toys and by some lovely attentive ladies from Next who Freddy seemed very fond of!

I admit to getting broody looking at the beautiful girls' clothes for the SS12 range.  Some lovely Peppa Pig character clothing caught my eye.  Instead of the usual transfer on a T-Shirt, Next have come up with some distinctive pieces using images of Peppa printed into the fabric with a real retro feel.  There are some  gorgeous denim jumpsuits, smart blazers and the cutest pleated skirts in the range.

I absolutely loved this 2 pack of sleepsuits featuring a brilliant hippo design.  They are really cute and not your usual pink/blue colour.  I love how original they are.

There are also unisex "I Love Mummy" and "I Love Daddy" sleepsuits with bold multicoloured stripy sleeves.  I really liked that they were suitable for either girls and boys and  were aimed at either parent.  Perfect for any combination of family members!

The boys' range included a lot of sporty hoodies and polo shirts, preppy chinos and knitwear.  I really liked the lightweight hoodies that came in lovely muted colours.  This cardigan was really sweet.  I love the turquoise and grey combo!  Very Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl!

We were given the opportunity to discuss what we would like to see in store.  I'd like to see more black garments in Next's boys' range.  Some retro rock themed T-Shirts would be a great addition along with some skinny jeans in different colours.   I love the mini-rockstar look and as I am the one who buys Freddy's clothes, having high street access to clothes like this would make me abuse my credit card in Next far too regularly!

Overall, Next have got the range spot on with many on-trend key pieces that will look great on kids next season.  The colours and designs were fabulous.  It was however the baby girls' clothing that really had me oohing and ahhing the most, so if you have a baby daughter be sure to check out Next's range.  The clothes were just so scrummy!

After viewing the clothes we had the chance to have photos taken of our children in their Next outfits.  Unfortunately Freddy had ditched his jumper by this point but he had a long sleeved white T-Shirt underneath and looked pretty cool.  I can't wait to see the photos!  Freddy couldn't resist a cupcake after posing for the photographer!

Following our fun in the Next shop, we made our way to a lovely restaurant to enjoy a three course meal.  The children were again perfectly catered for with a kids' meal and some entertainment supplied by Jo Jingles.  Freddy enjoyed playing with maracas, chasing bubbles and waving a tinsel pom pom along to the music!  Every child was given a lovely rucksack which Fred wanted to wear continuously, even when in the highchair!  It was a big hit!

It was a lovely (and noisy) lunch time which the children thoroughly enjoyed!  The food was fabulous including an amazing mushroom risotto.  We were all spoiled!!  It was lovely seeing a few familiar faces and meeting some new bloggers too.  The spoiling continued as we were presented with a grown up goodie bag on the way out.

Thanks to Next for putting on such an excellent event with the focus on the children. It was so nice to share the day with my little boy and have him so taken care of.  Freddy had a lovely time and he and Tala slept soundly on the 2 hour journey back home!