You may be interested to know that the Charity (Great Ormond Street Hospital) Silent Art Auction has gone live. Original works of art have generously been donated by leading children’s illustrators and include works by Helen Craig (Angelina Balllerina), Mick Inkpen and Axel Scheffler.

If you’re mum to a new baby AND still trying to get some work done, the Bondie Bird Playwrap – £28  could be just what you need. Designed by a mum, the wrap is multifunctional. Not only can you attach it to a cot or highchair, you can wrap it round your baby’s lap or your own shoulders.

In the first of our monthly series, Tamzin Outhwaite and our panel of mums discuss school holidays and child supervision
Show date: 10th June 2011
Show time: 13:30
Whether it’s feeding your children the right food, dressing them in the latest fashions or ensuring academic brilliance, how much pressure do you feel today as a modern parent?

Have you been collecting Lego from the Sun and the News of the World over the last week? We’ve collected some of the sets and I’ve been stunned by the people who have been buying multiple sets: the woman in the shop reported that they weren’t allowed to set a limit and people have been buying 10 papers to get 10 toys to resell, then coming back in later with the vouchers from the papers to get 10 more! It is a great offer: just 30p for a small Lego set. …

Ikea sent me a Lomsk swivel chair to try out. I was very keen to add it to my office which I’m trying to make nicer this year … sadly, though, it is kiddy sized.
OK, I didn’t seriously think it was for me, and the kids were quite clear about this. K, nearly 2, found it the perfect size and could sit and swivel easily. J and D, 5 and 8, were very enthusiastic about spinning each other … to the extent that Grannie felt they needed seatbelts.

As part of the Toyologists Toy Testers programme, we’ve been testing out the Playmobil Great Dragon Castle. We love Playmobil – it is great quality, long lasting and, as my neighbour pointed out, less stressful than Lego when you have toddlers around who can destroy their bigger siblings creations.
Sometimes, though, I baulk at the price of Playmobil, but this castle has great play value and is worth the £85 investment, particularly if you have more than one child who is likely to play with it.

If you’re like me, your laptop is a well worn friend that gets subjected to the rigours of family life every day. I have it out when the kids are around, stuff it in a bag to run to meetings and sling it in and out of the car. Given the value of the laptop itself, plus everything on there, I’m resolving to treat it better and get it a proper bag … but which one to choose?
The Built NY 14-15″ Laptop Sleeve – French Vine costs around £29, and is …

Our computers get a real pounding. I write books, business briefings and blogs, am on the laptop throughout the day and am known for wearing out keyboards. DH is a keen gamer and can be using the laptop late into the night, while D, 8 is just exploring online games and iplayer to catch up on her favourite shows, and J is just getting to grips with CBeebies games. We all tend to watch DVDs on the computer too. At the moment we have a ‘good’ laptop, a worn out laptop and are in need of something reliable that can fit into …

It’s that time of year again when you (and your bank manager) start to panic about the impact of Christmas. I’ve been trying out some toys and over the next few weeks will give our verdict on which ones are great value. D, 8, has been pestering us for a Harry Potter Hogwarts Lego game so we’ve been checking it out.

Bed wetting is a difficult issue for parent and child alike. Not only do you have to face the daily grind of sheet washing, you also start worrying if there is something wrong. Actually, bed wetting happens very commonly with most girls only being dry by the age of six, and boys by the age of seven. At the age of ten,  one in twenty children are still wetting the bed. So, how do you minimise stress and embarrassed to everyone?