The spirit of celebration is in the air with untold street partying and revelry being planned for the Queen’s Jubilee and of course the London Olympics 2012 Games.

Here’s our calendar guide to where the party’s at for kids and families this summer, as we highlight child-friendly festivals in London and around the UK.

(by date order)

MAY

1. Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Norwich NR3 1HF (Norwich rail station, 30 mins from Liverpool St via Greater Anglia trains)
Kicking off the family-friendly festival circuit this weekend with 2 weeks of music, arts, circus cabaret and loads of action for kids. Top picks include Festival Feast, Kid Carpet and the Noisy Animals rock and roll stage show, more party music from Dan Zanes and Friends, Dinosaur Petting Zoo and the Bo Nanafana Social Club! £5-£55, some events free. Ticket hotline 44 (0)1603 766400 (May 11-26)

2. Big Dance 2012, across the UK
Step up for the UK’s biggest celebration of dance, with thousands of local events including the touring Big Dance Bus and the Big Dance Pop-Up Cinema, all building up to Big Dance Week (Jul 7-15) including Big Street Dance and the grand finale in Trafalgar Square. (May 18-Jul 15)

JUNE

3. Southbank Festival of the World at Southbank Centre, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
There’s no better place to be in London this summer than on the banks of the Thames with the return of the Urban Beach, plus the UK’s largest poetry festival, street food, outdoor arts, shows and more. Keep an eye on the web site for updates. (Jun 1-Sep 9)

4. Jubilee Family Festival (pic) at Hyde Park, W1 (Hyde Park Corner tube)
Party like your middle name is Kate at this massive event with 40 bands, kids zone featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, Mike the Knight, Angelina Ballerina and others, Commonwealth Stage, village green fete, plus daily finale with Magic of Disney concert. 10.30am-7pm, adult £20/child under 16 £12.50/under 3s FREE (Jun 2-3)

5. Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, along River Thames to Battersea
Watch 1000 boats of all descriptions sail in tribute in one of the largest flotillas ever on the river. Check website from May 16 for updates on viewing areas/screens and transport/road and bridge closures. 2-6pm, FREE (Jun 3)

6. Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park (Clapham Junction, Fulham Broadway and Victoria tube)
Carters Steam Fair, the Alternative Village fete and pop-up pub the ‘Diamond Geezer’ lend a quirky, vintage feel to this traditional celebration, with live bandstand, main stage, deck chairs and big screen to watch all the riverboat action. 12-7pm, adult £5/under 12s FREE (Jun 3)

7. Apple Cart Festival in Victoria Park, Grove Rd, E3 (Mile End tube)
Escape the frenzied flag-waving at the boutique festival of comedy, music and cabaret with main stage acts Noah and the Whale, Adam Ant and more, plus House of Fairytales, magic tents, kids crafts, village fete and other shenanigans. 11am-10.30pm, adult £33/under 12s FREE (Jun 3)

8. Water Poet Diamond Jubilee Festival, at the Water Poet, 9-11 Folgate St, E1 (Liverpool St tube/Shoreditch High St overground)
Join a good old fashioned East End knees up on the cobbled streets of Spitalfields, with cocktails and street eats, live stage, Red Routemaster bus market, keepsake crowns and 7 screens showing the Jubilee Concerts. 12-6pm, FREE (Jun 4)

9. London Green Fair at Cumberland Green, Regent’s Park, NW1 (Regent’s Park tube)
The capital’s top eco-cool event lets it all hang out with live stage, good food, hundreds of boutique stalls and tons of baby-friendly action including activities and chill-out zone. 12pm onwards, FREE (Jun 9-10)

10. Festival London 2012, UK-wide
More than 12,000 events across the country including loads of free stuff for families. Highlights such as Hackney Weekend, World Shakespeare Festival and River of Music Festival (see July) keep the celebration of the Olympic Games popping through the Closing Ceremony and beyond. (Jun 21
-Sep 9)

11. Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, varying locations around SE10, Canary Wharf and Docklands
A 10-day carnival of live performance with explosive theatre including Prometheus Awakes and Handspring Puppet Company, free outdoor arts in family-friendly Greenwich Fair, music, words and more. Varying times, FREE (Jun 23-30)

JULY

12. Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Southwold, Sunrise Coast, Suffolk (National Express coaches from central London direct to festival)
Artsy fun for every age group with top acts ranging from Pet Shop Boys and Javier de Frutos’ The Most Incredible Thing to Jack Dee, Lucy Rose and DJ Norman Jay. Children’s Arena with Noisy Toys, Book Nook, theatre workshops, Heartstitch crafting and baby and toddler chill-out tent. From 2pm (Thu); day ticket £75, weekend £175/child 5-12 £5/under 5s FREE (booking fees apply) + camper van £40 (Jul 12-15)

13. Deer Shed, Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire (Grand Central trains direct from Kings Cross London to Thirsk rail station)
Deer Shed is run by parents and was nominated for Best Family Festival in 2011 (UK Festival Awards). Fun for young ‘uns includes Paintball Art, Cardboard City building, Exotic Animals show, drumming workshops. Saint Etienne, Villagers and Los Campesinos among the main stage bands. From 1pm (Fri), 8am-3am (Sat), 8am-7pm (Sun); adult £69 (Fri-Sun) or £59 (Sat-Sun)/child 6+ £20/under 5s FREE + weekend camper van pass £15 (Jul 20-22)

14. BT River of Music Festival (London 2012 Festival), various locations
It’s the weekend before the Opening Ceremony, what to do? How about 2 days of free music from around the world at landmarks along the River Thames. Locations include Battersea Park (Asia stage); Trafalgar Square (Europe stage); Somerset House (Europe stage); Tower of London (Americas stage); Greenwich Old Royal Naval College (Oceania stage) and London Pleasure Gardens (Africa stage). From 12pm, FREE (tickets required, £3 processing fee/under 2s no tickets). Tickets released from May 15, check web site (Jul 21-22)

15. Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset (Big Green Coach from London Victoria station, direct to festival)
One of the most popular family festivals actually has its own guide to Camp Bestival for parents. Main stage features Hot Chip, Chic, Kool & the Gang, Happy Mondays and other unmissable acts. For the kids, there’s Shrek the Musical, Mr Tumble, the Bopps, Beauty & the Beast, Fantastic Mr Fox and the Silly Olympics. Weekend with camping tickets adult £175 or £185 (from Thu)/child 15-17 £110 or £115 (from Thu)/child 11-14 £95/under 11s FREE (Jul 26-29)

AUGUST

16. LolliBop Festival, Regent’s Park, NW1 (Regent’s Park tube)
London’s biggest bash for little people returns for its third outing, with line-up including The Gruffalo live, Waybuloo, Mister Maker, Little Angel Theatre, Science Museum plus tons of activities including 3ft and Under Tent, Disco Shed, Enchanted Forest and more. 10am-7pm, from £22-25 adv single ticket/babies under 1 FREE (Aug 17-19)

17. Just So Festival, Rode Hall Estate, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 3QP
A journey of creativity and imagination awaits at this baby-friendly festival with live theatre, storytelling, boutique camping, Lazy Days fun area including trapeze lessons, Jitterbugs dance action and special under 3s area, Peekaboo. From 2pm (Fri, car park), from 9am (Sat & Sun day ticket), adult weekend with camping £85/child 3+ £35/under 3s FREE (Aug 17-19)

18. Carnaval del Pueblo, Burgess Park, Albany Rd, Camberwell, SE5 (Kennington tube)
Europe’s largest outdoor Latin American festival presents a riot of colour with more than 15 floats, 3 mile carnival procession, 4 live stages and 200 stall marquees. All day, FREE (Aug 19)

19. Notting Hill Carnival, Notting Hill and surrounding areas (Westbourne Park exit only, see TFL web site closer to date for transport advice)
The biggest street party in Europe happens in the heart of west London as colourful floats, sound systems, street food and millions of revellers take over for the August Bank Holiday. Sunday is Children’s Day, with kids on parade and a lighter atmosphere. Monday is mayhem! From 9am, FREE (Aug 26-27)

SEPTEMBER

20. Thames Festival, along South Bank, Tate Museum, Southwark Bridge and Tower Bridge
The massive annual end-of-summer party happens this year on the closing weekend of the Olympic Games and promises non-stop action. From big stages to local celebrations, family-friendly Blue River village, rounding off with the popular Night Carnival and spectacular Fireworks Finale. From around 11am daily until late, FREE (Sep 8-9)

+ 10 More Family Friendly Festivals

World Shakespeare Festival (Apr-Sep)
Bigging up the Bard, all about the UK, as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Hay Fever at Hay Festival (May-Jun)
Hay Fever is the Hay Festival’s 10-day event for children and families with writers, storytelling, workshops and tons of activities to stoke the imagination.

Glastonbury (Jun)
The festival to begin and end all festivals. Cancelled for 2012, but watch the web site for 2013 updates.

Wychwood Festival (Jun)
100 acts and 3 days of music, cabaret and creativity, Wychwood is a nominee for Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards.

Cornbury Festival (Jun-Jul)
Great gigs for grown-ups, fun stuff for kids including dance workshops, circus skills and shows, against a beautiful Oxfordshire backdrop.

Ben & Jerry’s Sundae on the Common (Jul)
Sadly the Olympics schedule has wiped this year’s event from the calendar, but definitely one to watch, great vibe and free ice cream!

Larmer Tree Festival (Jul)
Friendly, intimate gathering in Dorset with loads on for kids and fun carnival procession to round things off.

Womad (Jul)
The global celebration of world music has always been a cool spot for families.

Big Chill (Aug)
Cancelled this year, but keep an eye on the web site for possible news of a smaller, indoor event for 2012 and a return to outdoors in 2013

Beautiful Days Festival (Aug)
Already sold out for 2012, this happy, hippy event by the Levellers won Best Family Festival in 2011.

Top image via Just So Festival web site

In the age of 4th gen iPhones and fancy ringtones, the good old-fashioned landline hardly gets a look-in.

Last Tuesday April 24 marked the 134th anniversary of the day that Alexander Graham Bell made telegrams passé and put carrier pigeons out of business. To celebrate National Telephone Day (albeit a week later), we’ve got the hook-up on some stylish gadgets that will definitely ring your bell.

Maya ECO
Award winning company Magicbox recently released the Maya ECO*, proclaimed as one of the most energy efficient phones on the market. That’s right, mamas — catching up for a gossip is not only good for your system, now it’s planet-friendly too. The digital, cordless phone is made out of 100% recycled plastic, features toxin-free display and key pad, 10.5 hour battery and recyclable packaging.

The Maya ECO is about as green as a phone can get without actually building your own walkie-talkie out of cardboard. And thanks to its reduced emissions, it feels much safer for the kids to use on their seemingly endless talks with grandma in Nigeria or nana in France. At £29.99 it’s also light on your wallet. Available at www.marksandspencer.com

Torque (main pic)
For a bit more pizazz, we fancy the Magicbox Torque*. This cordless phone comes complete with touchscreen, answering machine and dish-style dock. We’ve spent hours playing with our sample, stroking it like a Bond baddie every time it purrs. Here, kitty kitty.

The Torque is loaded with features including 100 name/number phonebook, 300m outdoor range, 20 polyphonic ringtones devised by some dude named Gustav (a renowned German composer) and sexy mood lighting to indicate incoming calls and messages. At £79.99, Torque ain’t cheap but it sure is pretty. Available at www.johnlewis.com

Native Union POP Phone

Also known as Moshi Moshi (Japanese for ‘hello’), this fun gadget is both a communication tool and a conversation piece. The soft-touch retro handset can be plugged into any mobile phone (some need an adapter) to give it a ‘landline’ feel. You can also plug it into your PC or iPad for Skype calls. The Native Union POP** phone comes in a variety of hot colours, including a bling-tastic gold.

What’s extra dandy is that using the POP phone reduces radiation exposure by up to 96%. So there’s less worry about that burning sensation on your ears after a long call. I love having Skype conversations on my iPad with the POP phone – it’s comfy to cradle, the audio’s clearer and calls are more private. Especially useful when you have a toddler who likes to chip in on professional Skype chats! £24.99 at www.currys.co.uk

*sample loan, **free review sample

I was invited by British Gas after being an ambassador for the Smart Mums campaign to visit their stand at the Ideal Home Show earlier this month.

They built a Smarter Home model that showed off some of their plans for transforming British homes to become more energy efficient. It was another chance for us to see their smart meters (gas and electric meters that make energy consumption more transparent and easy to monitor for consumers), remote control heating system and electric vehicles in action (on the screen inside).

British Gas is leading the way in making electric vehicles more accessible by setting up EV charging points for homes, businesses and public areas.

They’ve helped develop a new series of their EV champion Robert Llewellyn’s online TV show Fully Charged, showcasing the benefits of sustainable energy. It’s a fun show packed with info on renewable energy sources and inspiring shots of the Red Dwarf star zooming around in a solar panel-powered car.

Electric vehicles aren’t cheap to buy, but they save money in the long run and seem like the smart choice for anyone looking to reduce their carbon footprint. We really enjoyed our brief ride in the Nissan Leaf company car during our visit to British Gas HQ.

While at the Ideal Home Show, we also got to watch a demonstration of the Home of the Future, featuring eye-popping technology including compact EV, sleep pods instead of beds, room-to-room audio with voice controls and the Robo TAP, a robotic vacuum that cleans wherever you tap your foot. Beam me up!

It was our first visit to the Ideal Home Show which is massive and quite overwhelming with kids — at one point they conked out on a display sofa!

Thanks to British Gas for inviting us along and we’ll be following their journey into the next phase of energy efficient technology for smarter living.

Follow Robert Llewellyn’s Fully Charged series on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/fullychargedshow

That’s me pushing my brand new stroller. Ok, I’m kidding, I haven’t ridden a pushchair in forever (well, since just before I turned 3). Mummy took me to a Joolz pushchair event at Soho House where we had to climb lots of stairs, all the way to the rooftop!

There was a nice lady who offered us breakfast (I’d already had my Cheerios but I was sooo hungry from all that climbing) and let me drive a buggy around for a bit.

One woman picked up a pushchair and started breaking it apart! Mum said she was doing a ‘demonstration’ of how the buggy worked. I don’t think it will work very well with its wheels off, lady!

Joolz pushchairs look really cool and there was one called Joolz Day Earth that comes in Elephant grey and Monkey maroon. Elephants are awesome although Mum says I’m more of a cheeky monkey!

Afterwards, Mum and Laura from London Baby took me and my new buddy Lucan to Phoenix Gardens. It’s like a jungle filled with plants and flowers and we saw frog spawn and fish in the pond!

Don’t fall in Lucan!

I’d tell you what I was wearing, but Mum says this Trendy Toddler Tuesday is about the pushchair so I’ll let her have the last word.

Editor’s Note
Joolz is a Dutch company that makes swanky, ergonomically designed pushchairs that are made to fit around your body and lifestyle. Their strollers are fully tricked out with features like extendable handlebars (in black snake leatherette!), high cot and seat position, compact fold, toy strap and ventilated sun hood. The limited edition Joolz Day Expedition in camouflage grey is sturdily built for ‘urban safaris’ with chunky back wheels for a super smooth ride.

Joolz has put so much thought into its products – the packaging can be recycled into new products like a bird house or picture frame. They’re also introducing the Joolz Tuney, a soft toy by Anne-Claire Petit that can hold a smartphone or MP3 player and attach to the pushchair hood so your little one can rock as he rides!

Joolz pushchairs are on the heavy side – and frankly, the pricey side – for my tastes but if you’re in the market for a swaggerlicious stroller that won’t break your back, Joolz can certainly give the Bugaboo a run for its money.

Joolz Day Earth (retail price £779) and Joolz Day Expedition (retail price £849) are both available as a complete package including chassis, seat, cot, sleeping bag, matching bag, shopping basket, raincover and cup holder. Visit www.my-joolz.com for more info.

Check out more Trendy Toddler fashion every Tuesday now at Very Busy Mama blog!

I’m beyond thrilled to announce that we’ve been shortlisted out of more than 12,000 nominations for a Brilliance in Blogging award hosted by BritMums, the UK’s largest parent blogging network.

Babes about Town is up for a BiB GO! Award (Best Family Travel Blog)!

We’re facing stiff competition from some very talented bloggers in this category. In case you’re new here, Babes about Town is a city guide for hip, smart parents of under 5s with a London focus and a global outlook.

Our mission is all about encouraging visitors to London and local families to get out there and explore. And we definitely walk the walk!

As proud Londoners, we believe that some of the best of what travellers look for overseas – exotic food, cultural attractions, a sense of escape – can be found right outside our doorstep. Gorgeous weather? Maybe not so much, but we make the most of what we’ve got!

I put my heart and soul into unearthing the finest of what the capital has to offer for parents of young children and I’m often blown away by the positive feedback we receive from our users.

It would be absolutely lovely to get your vote for Best Family Travel at the BiBs. Vote Now (or just click on the image above)!

Here are some recent posts that give a flavour of what we capture:

Top 10 Easter Egg Hunts in London 2012

Trendy Toddlers on Brick Lane

Tower Bridge: the View from Inside

How to Get around London by Buggy

Thanks again to all our readers for your ongoing support!

Voting is open until April 30, 12pm GMT at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bibs_shortlist

Ezra learned to ride a bike yesterday. I can’t describe the feeling of pride, awe and joy that swelled up inside as I saw my little boy cycle off on his own.

I’d signed him up to one of Islington Council’s free cycle training courses that are run over the holidays.

The beginner’s course is a 2 day, 1.5 hour session led by 4 enthusiastic cycling instructors. Day 1 was all about the basics – learning to check your A (air), B (brakes), C (control) and Ds (dangly bits!) – before you set your pedal and give that first big push.

Ezra was wobbly at the start but within the hour, and after not that much instruction, he was actually riding. I couldn’t believe it!

Ezra was stoked to be an official ‘biker boy’ and spent a couple more hours in the park later practising his new-found moves.

Day 2 was about building confidence. Ezra was promoted to the ‘riders’ group in the session and they spent the day learning to turn around a mini obstacle course, improving their braking and picking up some signalling skills. Afterwards, Ezra was able to ride part of the way home (on the pavement only).

What a wonderful service provided by the council (check in your area for free cycling courses near you) and an amazing achievement to kick off our Easter holidays. They also run courses for adults and I’m thinking of signing up as it’s been years since I was on a bike and it would be fun to ride out as a family.

I’m super proud of Ezra and of course he looks ultra stylish in his cycling gear. His helmet even matches his spring jacket!

Style Check
Ammaco MX18 Bike – Park Royal bike shop
Helmet – Park Royal bike shop
Jacket – Marks & Spencer
Jeans – Gap
Shoes – Next

And below is a clip of Ezra in action!

Check out more Trendy Toddler fashion every Tuesday now at Very Busy Mama blog!

Easter’s around the corner and we’ll have our action-packed Easter holiday guide and April Calendar out soon. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend even if the sunshine’s cooling off a little!

Fri-Sun: Chocolate Festival at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
Indulge your senses as the cocoa lover’s carnival takes over the South Bank again, with the world’s best chocolatiers including the two Pauls (Paul A. Young and Paul Wayne Gregory) host tastings, demonstrations, masterclasses and more. Don’t miss the Big Chocolate Tea Party on April Fool’s Day! 11am-8pm (Fri & Sat), 11am-6pm (Sun); FREE (Mar 30-Apr 1)

Sat-Sun: CBeebies Live: Reach to the Stars at Wembley Arena, HA9 (Wembley tube)
All your favourite characters including Mr Maker, Mr Tumble, Mister Maker and more hit the stage in this lively, musical, interactive show that kicks off its UK tour this weekend. 2pm & 5pm (Sat), 11am, 2pm & 5pm (Sun); £17-£25 (Mar 31-Apr 1)

Sat-Sun: Back to Front Weekend by Yinka Shonibare at Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square, WC1 (Russell Square tube)
The famed YBA artist hosts and directs a family weekend of activities including fairground, music, puppet shows, magic and crafts – all set back in the 18th century. Children in period costume will be in charge of everything from entertainment to selling tickets! 11am-1pm & 2-4pm; adult £10/child FREE; outdoor entertainments free all-day (Mar 31-Apr 1)

Sun: Streatham Common Kite Day at Streatham Common, SW1 (Streatham Common tube)
There’ll be hog roast and food stalls, face painting and bouncy castle, tons of spectators and of course glorious kites taking to the air. Individual and team kites will fly high in the dazzling 14th annual event. 11am-5pm, FREE (Apr 1)

Sun: Olympic Stadium Gold Challenge Event at Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, E20 (Stratford tube/overground)
Celebrities, former Olympians and members of the public warm up the Olympic stadium in the first races to be run on the 100m track. The charity event (20% of proceeds go to the charity of your choice) will see thousands of spectators in the stadium as part of the build-up to the 2012 Games. 12-3pm, from £12 (Apr 1)

We also like
There’s a Flamenco Family Evening at Dulwich Picture Gallery (Mar 31); catch autism-friendly performances of Something in the Air by Oily Cart & Ockam’s Razor at Arts Depot (Mar 29-31); Not So Silent Movies are back at King’s Place (Apr 1), and don’t lose out on Little Bo Peep and sheep at Lyric Hammersmith (Mar 31)

Find more in our March Family Events Calendar

I’m excited to welcome Dressipi, a London-based fashion start-up, as part of our Raise your Game series. Run by Sarah McVittie and Donna Kelly, Dressipi was set up to help ordinary women find clothes that make them look and feel fabulous.

Says Sarah, ‘Our idea was to create a fun and simple service where you could find all the clothes and brands in one place, and where every single item you saw was selected personally for you, based on your own style and shopping preferences (shape, size, lifestyle, colour, trend, budget etc). Like having your own personal stylist on tap.’

How it Works
Dressipi uses a carefully defined set of algorithms that calculate not only your personal definition of looking fabulous (your fashion fingerprint) but also finds your best size in any brand with no need to scan or measure.

Donna adds, ‘The name is from what is at the heart of the service – a perfect recipe to dressing well. As we all know, dressing well is not just about doing or wearing what your friends or various celebs are wearing, it is about dressing to suit your shape and your lifestyle all within the budget that is appropriate for you. We work with high profile stylists who make sure that everything featured on the Dressipi site is right for each individual customer.’

The user experience
Dressipi is targeted to all women who like to look good but don’t necessarily have the time or confidence to trawl through hundreds of sites to find what is right for them.

Firstly: The not so confident female shopper (either a life change, new mum, never really got fashion) who wants to feel like she is chatting to her best friend and not being hounded by the sales assistants or the overtly fashiony.

For people who are less confident, Dressipi delivers the following:
– A step by step to creating your own fashion fingerprint.
– Fabulous recommendations that are “Perfect For You”.
– “Ask A Stylist” feature – no question is a stupid question and we have already solved thousands of personal fashion dilemmas.
– Weekly bespoke Dressipi emails (Your Perfect Little Black Dress, Your Perfect Pair of Jeans, Your Perfect Trend Item etc).

Secondly: The more confident shopper – Dressipi edits down the massive choice of fashion specifically for her.

How to go from Fashion Faux Pas to Fashion Fabulous

Natalie Theo (3rd from left), Dressipi’s senior stylist and former Daily Mail fashion editor earned her fashion credentials at Conde Nast launching Russian Vogue and Greek Vogue, interviewing everyone from Yves Saint Laurent to Karl Lagerfeld. Follow her at The Fashion Chronicles. Here she gives tips on going from faux pas to fabulous in 3 easy steps:

‘Fashion is just like everything else in life. Once you accentuate the positive the negative blurs off into the horizon. Whether you’ve just had a baby (or two or three) and are looking to salvage some of your former fashion glory; or trying to keep chic (and almost sleek) through your pregnancy, or looking for that confidence-boosting outfit that will ‘wow’ your friends on a night out, it all boils down to the same thing…understanding how to use fashion to create a diversion to your assets and balance out your proportions.

1. Know your shape.
This is the foundation of a fabulous wardrobe, no matter how simple it is. At Dressipi we don’t do fruit. We do everything. I get so many women writing in who think they are bigger than what they are. Then there are all those women who hide their figures under tents because they hate their tummy, or think their boobs are too big. It’s not about hiding it’s about highlighting. Big boobs need a soft touch of skin on display – easily achieved with a v-neck, or a wrap neck. You can magic away your tummy with an empire line that creates definition up top and falls softly over the hips and waist to disguise…everything.

That’s why we ask you for as many measurements as possible. After all, it’s a proportion-balancing act (like daily life). Worried about bums, tums, thighs, ankles, boobs, you name it, we’re soon introducing a section to our site that will let you tell us what you want to hide and what you want to accentuate.

2. Find your style.
Some people were born oozing style. Lucky them. The rest of us – well – part of the fun is the trial and error bit. Thankfully we can now do this from the comfort of our own homes, laptop in hand minus daunting shop assistants. That’s what we are all about. The most important thing to remember is that style means feeling comfortable in what you are wearing.

No, I am not talking about baggy tracksuits, old comfy jeans and unflattering
slouchy tops. I’m talking about finding a fashion uniform that is you, no matter what the fashion magazines or your friends say. It’s the little touches that count, like a more updated jeans style (no we’re not going to force you into skinnies, but if you want to know how just ask) to freshen up your wardrobe, or a hot-off-the-catwalk print scarf, to dress up a simple t-shirt and blazer combo for the school run.

3. Don’t be afraid to push the boat out.
Once you understand your body shape and have found your style comfort zone, the fashion world is your oyster. Which means that every now and then you might as well have a little bit of experimental fun with something that you never really thought was you. So please use our free ASK A STYLIST service and we’ll be happy to launch you on your fashion path of discovery or simply solve your “I’ve got nothing to wear” dilemmas.

Visit www.dressipi.com for your FREE fashion consultation

Photos: (top) Winners of “Dressipi Best Dressed” competition and (above) Dressipi team from left to right: Sarah McVittie, Donna Kelly, Natalie Theo, Selina Mills, Nicki Black and Tara Kavanagh-Dowsett

Welcome to my crib.

Ok, so it’s not exactly my crib — more like the play space I own in my fantasies.

Purple Dragon, an exclusive family members’ club in Chelsea (founded by Sharai Meyers, former muse to Roland Meuret), is the kind of joint that makes you want to kick off your shoes and move right in.

At the entrance, you’ll find a wall covered with clocks for time zones as exotic as New York, Narnia and Neverland. Clearly, this is where the magic happens.

On our recent welcome back to the club, there were kids running around barefoot and it had a definite lived in, loved up vibe.

But the style is more hipster than hippie. The decor is ultra sleek and modern with geeky design elements ranging from Marvel comics wallpaper (in the playroom) to a gaming area with interactive wall.

On launch night last September, a group of dads were gathered suspiciously in one of the end rooms that turned out to feature a pro golf simulator.

Of course, my boys are all about the air hockey and Mario Kart Wii.

Mama’s favourite zone is the library, a distinctly grown up lounge with books and iPads for browsing.

It’s almost hard to imagine that only several feet away, through the open dining area, kids are tearing it up in the Imaginarium play room with giant Scalextric track, towering 3D dinosaur, mock volcano, adult-sized swing seat, exquisite play house and more toy vehicles than you can count.

Purple Dragon has enough entertainment to make your head spin but crucially nothing that makes it ache.

The soft play area’s so inviting, with tunnels, mirrors, trampoline and slides, that I wanted to crawl in myself. A far cry from centres where the abundance of stale socks, snotty noses and dirty floors just makes your skin crawl.

Delicious smells come wafting out of the kids’ kitchen where there’s a range of baking and cookery classes to sample. Or you can express yourself in the multimedia arts and crafts room next door. The babes especially loved jamming on guitars and drum machine in the music studio.

You can even book a PD Play Buddy to hang with your little ones and seclude yourself in an escape pod for a mani-pedi or massage. Or for the ultimate mummy luxury – an afternoon nap!

And did I mention the custom-built pool complete with optional water volcano and storm generator? Swimmers can try anything from scuba to water polo to life saving. The changing room’s right out of a vintage postcard.

All this fun works up a serious appetite – luckily the house chef serves up healthy treats for bellies of any size. We enjoyed melt-in-your-mouth burgers, chicken goujons and a yummy butternut squash soup for dinner. They host Supper Clubs for young diners and their family Sunday roast sounds worth a repeat visit.

Can you tell how much I’m feeling this place? It’s a shame it’s way outside my neighbourhood — and budget. Maybe I could persuade Babe Daddy we need an Out of Towner’s membership.

Or maybe if I click my heels together…

Purple Dragon Chelsea is a members’ club for parents and kids ages 0 to 12. Membership options range from Life/Premier with unrestricted access, Early Bird for pre-school children and Out of Towner for up to 32 visits a year. For details on packages and waiting list call +44 207 801 8688 or email chelsea@purpledragonplay.com

Purple Dragon Chelsea is at Grosvenor Waterside, SW1 (Sloane Square tube). Take a look inside Purple Dragon at www.purpledragonplay.com

What I love about Nordic Kids is that apart from showcasing seriously hip clothing for boys (beyond robots, trucks and dinosaurs), many of their fashion finds are unisex and always unique.

They stock most of the Scandinavian lines I lust after including Mini Katvig, Rodini and Plastisock and their size range is from ages 0 to 10. Here are some of my picks for boys and girls this spring:

Nordic Kids have launched a brand new website that offers fab features including Wish List to share with family and friends, Quick Finder to search by age/brand/gender/price and a Recently Viewed Items scroller.

You can shop in pounds, Euros and dollars and their catalogue is a Pinterest lover’s dream!

Resist if you can at www.nordickids.co.uk

Check out more Trendy Toddler fashion every Tuesday now at Very Busy Mama blog!