Happy New Year everyone! Well, it’s New Year but how many of us are actually feeling happy?

Today’s the first official day back at work for most (although we do appreciate those of you who’ve been slogging away throughout the festive season while we’ve been watching The Gruffalo and eating way too many Quality Street) and we’ve woken up to wind, rain, dark skies and general dismal conditions. If ever there was a day we felt like crawling back under the duvet this would be it!

Why babies (and grown-ups) love massage

 We always get very excited at Boo Boo HQ when we’re about to unveil a brand new product but we’re particularly giddy about our brand new Kind & Calming Massage Oil because it’s had such rigorous testing, we’re sure you (and your little ones) are going to love it!! Plus, thanks to a little help from our baby massage expert, Annabel Hargrave, we’re pretty chuffed with our new-found massage techniques and have been happy to dispense impromptu massages in the office to anyone who makes the slightest noise about aches, pains or general grumpiness!

So why is massage so important?

Well, we’ve officially switched on the heating at Boo Boo HQ! We were holding off for as long as we could but when Corinna’s teeth actually started chattering as she was talking to a customer the other day we knew we had to give in.

The trouble is, central heating brings with it its own problems (and not just ridiculous heating bills!!). Even if your skin’s not naturally dry, you’ll find that in the colder months it still can become parched. This is because warm air holds more moisture than cold air, so, if you heat up the air without adding moisture it sucks it out of your skin to compensate – so, central heating is the worst culprit. Even if like us, you can’t bear to switch the heating off, keep it down as low as possible in the bedroom (where you spend a third of your time) and stick on an extra jumper rather than having it too high – your skin will thank you for it! Follow our tips below, to keeping your skin in tip top condition…

Nesting time!

I love the ‘going back to school’ feeling that September brings, in fact, I seem to get more excited shopping for new bags and pencil cases with my kids than they do! (or perhaps I confuse that excitement with just being happy that they’re actually going back to school!!)

However, bag packing comes into its own when it’s time to pack your very first hospital bag ready for having your baby. If you’re expecting, we’d love to hear what you’ve packed! My husband and I nearly always disagree when it came to what came under the heading, ‘essential’.  For some reason,  he couldn’t understand why I deemed cramming six glossy magazines and enough make-up to keep Big Brother’s Amy Childs happy as ‘essential’ (I understand his point with the make-up seeing as I never even managed to put a lick of mascara on during my stay) but it made no odds, it still went in the bag! For a more organised approach to packing that all important bag, read our guest blogger, Becky Elliott’s, (midwife and owner of the wonderful Baba Boom baby boutique – check it out if you’re in Loughton) guide to what to take below…

Hello from the Boo Boos,

So, the sun is shining again – for how long, nobody knows but, despite the uncertainty, one thing’s clear – there’s no hiding under woolly tights and long sleeves for a few weeks yet! As an ex-beauty editor, I’m often asked how best to get skin feeling brave enough to bare in those shorts, vests and, deep breath, bikinis!

My answer is always the same, prep, prep and more prep! The better condition your skin is in, the more it glows (plus, it’s way easier to apply false tan on smooth, soft skin and the results are 100% better!) So, with the peeling-off season in mind, here’s my pick of the four ultimate products that really will put the ping back in your skin. Try them every day for 14 days and let us know how you get on…

Happy New Year from the Boo Boos – yes, we know it’s a bit late but we’ve only just felt warm enough to peep out from under our duvets now we know January is well and truly behind us. It may still be freezing, but at least now we’ve got longer days and the hope of warmer times ahead!!

Speaking of chilly weather, both Corinna and my normally dry skins go into panic mode and begin to flake and crack as soon as the thermometer hits zero. We hit back with a large dose of Body Smoother sealed in with Miracle Oil – try it – it really does leave your body moisturised for hours!

The worst victims of the cold weather however, are our hands – whether they’re de-icing the car windscreen or washing up, they’re exposed to cold, wet conditions much more than the rest of our bodies. Our own, dry, chapped paws were the inspiration behind Boo Boo’s latest launch Velvet Hands Repair Cream for Hands and Velvet Hands Hand Wash. Velvet Wash, gently cleanses without drying, thanks to extracts of marshmallow, water lily and coconut oil and leaves them softly scented with our 100% natural extract of mandarin, peppermint, lime and ginger. Follow with Velvet Hands Repair Cream for hands and your mitts will be immediately softer and younger looking thanks to shea butter, centella, starflower and marshmallow extracts. (Tip: dose your hands with cream before putting on your washing up gloves, the heat will allow your hands to drink in the benefits in double-quick time!)

Enjoy our new goodies and see you next month.

Love from Jenn and Corinna

It’s unbelievable that Christmas is nearly here but rather than getting stressed we at Boo Boo HQ are sitting back and doing all our shopping from the comfort of our sofa, who needs to head out in the blustery, snowy weather and battle off bargain seekers?! After all, there's enough gifts at http://boobooshop.com/gift-goodies.asp to brighten any Christmas stocking!

With the party season upon us I’ll also be treating myself to a Luxury Mummy Spa Kit (£37.99). What better way to prepare for the festivities ahead than a spot of pre-party pampering !? http://www.boobooshop.com/ShowDetails.asp?id=331
But before we can dust off the glad rags we still have work to keep us excited. We’ve just heard the lovely peeps at The Green Familia have shortlisted our fantastic Super stretchy Miracle Oil in the Beauty-Body category. The product with the most votes on 24th December is crowned the winner – you can help us have an extra special Christmas by logging onto http://thegreenfamilia.co.uk/boo-boo-baby-skincare and casting your vote.

The Boo Boo word has definitely been spreading this year with celebrated beauty editor and journalist Sarah Stacey singing our praises. We can’t wait for the issue of You magazine to hit the shelves on 12 December, a little Christmas sparrow has told us we’ll be featured in her infamous column – what a fantastic early Christmas present! Don’t forget to place your orders by 19 Dec if you need delivery before Christmas day (and in these snowy conditions the earlier the better!)

Well that about rounds it up for December and 2010. We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our lovely customers who, despite such a tough year, have helped make it our best yet. Rest assured we’re working hard to bring you even more fantastic goodies that’ll help make 2011 that little bit more special. Happy Christmas everyone.
xx

Well the leaves are falling, the nights are drawing in and suddenly we’re pulling out jumpers from the back of our wardrobes again!! But we’re not glum at Boo Boo HQ – far from it as we’ve got loads to celebrate!! First and foremost, two of our best-selling products have been shortlisted for the Practical Parenting Awards - our wonderful Bottom Butter is shortlisted for Best Baby Skincare and Miracle Oil for Best New Mum Skincare – what good taste these judges have!! Fingers crossed and we’ll keep you posted…

We also got very excited when our fabulous Bosom Buddy made a star appearance on Irish TV show, Expose. Corinna’s mum, Mary, who lives in Donegal, called us to say she’d just seen Boo Boo on the TV and we’d had a glowing review from top Beauty Editor, Triona McCarthy. Thanks Triona! Click here to watch.

Triona told the viewers how wonderfully scented and light Bosom Buddy is, and, more importantly, how it really works. It’s also won five out of five stars in a Breast Toner test in Now Magazine recently – pipping creams that were almost twice as expensive to the post – no wonder it’s one of our best-sellers!

But it’s not just the experts we love to hear from – our wonderful Boo Boo customers are our most important critics and we hope to catch up with lots of you at The Baby Show in Earl’s Court next month (October 22nd to 24th). Please come and see us on stand A45 if you can. Both Corinna and myself will be there to answer any questions, plus, there’ll be loads of products to try, fabulous discounts and samples to take away.

Until then, have a great September.

Jennifer and the Boo Boo team.