Storksak and Babymel Changing bags now at indybel.com

We have just added a great new range of changing bags to the store. Storksak and Babymel changing bags are the creation of hip London designers Melanie Marshall and Suzi Bergman. Creating bags that are highly fashionable without sacrificing function, Storksak has carved out a new niche in parenting bags. Celebs love these cool, high quality and fully functional bags and celeb parents such as Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts have all been pictured sporting Storksak bags!

Babymel is the little sister of Storksak. The changing bags are more moderate in price but just as cool and functional. We love these new bags all of which can be purchased in Spain from http://www.indybel.com/ in a range of colours. Here's a little preview of the bags, to find out more or to buy one just click on the bags ... Changing bags also make great gifts for new and expectant mums!

Babymel Amanda 69€

Babymel make some of the hippest changing bags around and the Amanda has long been one of their best sellers. The new Amanda has been updated to make it larger and roomier and to include one insulated bottle pocket. A very stylish and affordable bag ... great gift!

Babymel Big Slouchy 59€

The Slouchy is a brand new style for Spring Summer 2011, featuring a simple modern shape, original print and shiny laminated canvas material. Great value too ... a must for the modern mum! In black or Red ....

Babymel X2 79€

A great idea! Twice the Baby, twice the Bag! If you are having twins or a second baby, this brand new concept from Babymel is perfect for you! Two separate bags which can be clipped together or separated as needed so you can pack for each baby but still have the convienience of one bag! Brilliant...

Storksak Dori 109€

Trimmed with chic tan leather, this bag is as stylish as it is practical. Featuring two large external pockets, two zipped insulated bottle pockets and a comfortable webbing shoulder strap. Roomy interior with five large storage pockets, a detachable key clip and padded mat.

Storksak Jess 115€

Casual and roomy, this classic satchel style favourite from hip London designers Storksak is perfect for carrying all your essentials, whilst big enough for an extra change of clothes or a picnic rug! Boasts 3 outer pockets, 6 inner pockets and insulated bottle holder and padded mat.

Storksak Jools 120€

A smaller, lightweight bag perfect for the busy mum and quick trips. It features two large outer pockets including a front zipper pocket, thermo-insulated bottle pocket, padded changing mat and detachable inner sak. It also boasts an adjustable shoulder strap and wipe clean linings throughout. ...

Storksak Tania 130€

Ultra modern & roomy, practical and spacious. This super lightweight bag is made by hip London changing bag designers Storksak. Features a multitude of storage pockets, built-in stroller straps and avaliable in petrol blue and graphite.

Looking for The Perfect Baby or Christening Gift in Spain?

Recently I went to a Christening and was desperately trying to find a really special and unique gift. The photo albums, silver frames, spoons and memorablilia in the shops are lovely but I was looking for something more personal and a little bit different for my friend's baby.

In the end someone mentioned a baby momento plate to me. Personalised birth momento plates are basically hand painted plates with a picture or character and the baby's name, date of birth and birth details such as weight, time of birth, length etc ... I loved this idea and commissioned a special plate for my friend's little girl featuring Tinkerbell and the baby's details. Our Christening gift was an instant hit! Everyone loved the plate which looked amazing ... really cool design and lovely glittery paints ... and featured all the baby's details which will now never be forgotten. My friend is going to mount the plate on her daughter's bedroom wall.

What was really great about this gift was that firstly it was so personal, a real baby keepsake, and secondly I was surprised by how quickly the plate was made. After I had specified the details we received a call 4 days later to say the plate was ready. Price wasn't an issue but at 39.99 euros I thought it was very reasonable considering the amount of work in the peice. A few weeks later another friend was looking for a present for a couple who had just had a little boy and I instantly thought of the plates. She loved the idea too and ordered one straight away ...

Ever the businesswoman I began to think that other customers in Spain might like these plates, either as a lovely gift to celebrate a new born, a christening or baptism gift in Spain or even a lovely present for a child's first, second or third birthday ... using of course their favourite character on the plate!

So .... we are now delighted to offer Personalised Baby Birth Plates for sale at http://www.indybel.com/ in Spain .... Customers can choose their own charater and text and our artist will do the rest ....
I can personally promise that you will be delighted with the result too!

To find out more or to order a baby birth plate in Spain for a christening, new born gift or a birthday click here!

Christmas Fayre, San Roque

Christmas is def in the air and for us parents in Spain it's a busy time with present buying, food buying and taking the kids to see Father Christmas! Children are notoriously difficult shoppers so Christmas Fayres which offer a mix of shopping and children's entertainment are a blessing for parents and a great day out!

This year Indybel will be taking part in the Christmas Fayre at San Roque. We'll be taking a great selection of our most popular maternity, baby and toddler must haves and gifts, so please do come and visit us ..... we'll have lots of Christmas Special offers on our stand too ....

Here's a little more information about the Fayre from the organisers ....

Xmas Fayre

San Roque International School

28th Nov 12-4
For the first time we will open our doors for a day of festival fun. It will provide an opportunity for the whole family to come own an enjoy so many different activities.

We have over 50 vendors participating from ladies fashion, jewellery, photography, books, toys, kids clothing and accessories to name a few.

Not only do we have big brands participating we are also dedicated to inspiring chilldren so we will be running creative workshops a bouncy castle plus a visit from Father Xmas himself with presents and photos.

Entrance is free, so why not come down for a browse around the stalls and have something to eat and drink.

Mother, Baby & Toddler Show ...

Finally southern Spain gets it's first Mother, Baby & Toddler Show .... !

This great show is long overdue as there is so much advice and info avaliable for parents in Spain, but often it's difficult to find the information you need and it's certainly never all in one place. The Mother, Baby & Toddler show takes place on the 9th and 10th of October at the Palacio de Congressos in Estepona and promises to be a really exciting and 'must be there' day out for all parents and children on the Costa del Sol. Indybel will of course be there with all our products and we'll also be presenting a maternity fashion show on the Saturday morning with key peices from our Seraphine and JoJo Maman Bebe autumn collections. We are very excited about this and will post more information about our fashion show here nearer the time.

In the meantime though, here are a few facts about the show itself .... pencil the dates in your diary and book your place now!!

Mother, Baby & Toddler is a brand new, two-day event, designed to be an invaluable source of information, help and advice for mums-to-be and families with babies and toddlers living on the coast.

As well as providing free seminars, workshops, live debates and question and answer forums, Mother, Baby & Toddler offers a great day out with maternity and children's fashion shows, baby cookery demonstrations, a children's play area with live entertainment, a free crèche to give mums a well-earned break to browse the stands, have a quick manicure, a coffee with friends or simply relax and make use of the free massage services on site.

Mother, Baby & Toddler brings together all the products, services and activities available for mums-to-be and new mums on the coast - from midwife services, choosing where to have your baby, baby and children's health issues, purchasing all the essential items, activities for pregnant mums and babies, decorating the nursery, buying clothes and toys, choosing a nursery, a school, nutritional and developmental help and support plus information on myriad other topics. Mother, Baby & Toddler is a one-stop-shop for expectant mums and young families, a place to come to find out everything you need to know about how to raise a healthy, happy and confident child.


Vital Information!!

Tickets - There will be a small charge on the day OR you can register NOW for your FREE ticket!

Dates - 9th and 10th of October 2009 / 10am - 8pm

Website - To find out more or register for your free ticket go to http://www.motherbabyandtoddler.co.uk/index.htm

Contact - lisa@motherbabyandtoddler.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you there!

Pregnancy and Baby Gift Boxes in Spain ... finally here!

It's long been a plan of our's at Indybel to create pregnancy and baby gift boxes to send as presents to family or friends celebrating a new baby or pregnancy in Spain, so as you can imagine we are delighted to finally launch our Gift box collection.

The gift boxes are particularly important to us because it became clear when we had our own babies that there are a lack of practical, unique and beautiful gifts that are avaliable on the market to celebrate pregnancy and new baby, hence you tend to receive a lot of baby gro's, teddy bears and flowers!

Our pregnancy and baby gift boxes have been specially created and filled with all the things we would have loved to have received. They can be delivered to the home or hospital making a truely unique present. At present our gift boxes include

I'm Pregnant

Babies as Nature Intended

Luxury Hosptial Gift Box

The gift boxes are quite 'large' items and are ideal as a present from a group ... so for example a group of siblings may want to send another sibling a gift box, a group of work colleagues may want to mark a pregnant colleagues leaving with a gift box, a group of friends may want to send a box to another friend to celebrate their new baby or a generous husband may just want to surprise his pregnant wife.

We hope you enjoy our new Indybel Gift Boxes and we are 100% sure that any new or expectant mum will be overjoyed to receive one.

I'm pregnant Gift Box available at www.indybel.com

Check out our new gift wrapping too .... only 3€!!!!! Simply select a gift or present from any of our stores and add the gift wrapping to your cart. We'll do the rest!

Gift Wrapping now available for your pregnancy and baby presents at www.indybel.com

This gorgeous gift box, gift wrapping and more can be found in the Indybel Gift Box section on http://www.indybel.com/

Oh and don't forget to check out our ideas for 'perfect presents' too

Buying a gift for a new mum or pregnant friend in Spain has never been so easy!

UV and summer product launch at indybel.com

At Indybel we care deeply about protecting babies and toddlers from the strong sun but at the same time allowing them to enjoy their time outdoors and to really benefit from living in Spain. For these reasons we are proud to launch our new summer/beach range of UV protective products including cool baby sunglasses, cute sunhats and mulit purpose sunshades. We are also really exicted about our new range of washable baby swim nappies which are both environmentally friendly and cost effective. At the end of April we'll be adding the fab new toddler towel from the Cuddledry range which is perfect for beach or bathtime and a family sized UV tent which is great for both beach and garden and can be used for feeding, sleeping, changing and playing!

BabyBanz Sunglasses and Sombrero’s

… Baby Banz products have been recognized for the outstanding protection and UV damage prevention all of their products offer children ages 0-10.
Their products have won awards the world over for both innovative design and sun protection safety. Baby Banz were originally designed in Australia for one of the world’s toughest UV environments. Clinically tested by one of the world’s leading authorities on sunglasses, Baby Banz have passed the most stringent standards on sunglasses in the world.

The gorgeous sunhat range is UV tested, size adjustable and excellent value for money. The long rim ensure babies neck and eyes are protected too. Sunglasses and hats are available in various sizes and colours, prices start at 17.95€ for sunglasses and just 12.50€ for sombreros!!!!

Buy Shade-a-babe in Spain

Features include UPF50+ sun visor – the highest Ultraviolet Protection Factor fabric rating available. This gives your baby 98% protection from the sun’s UV rays / UPF10 glare shield to protect baby’s eyes / UPF3 lower mesh protects from insects and wind and filters UV rays entering through lower half of the pushchair, whilst still offering good vision and ventilation.

A one stop complete and total sun protection solution for the modern mum in Spain. An absolute must have or a great gift.

Imse Vimse Washable Swim Nappies – These cute award winning Imse Vimse swim nappies are perfect for beach or pool and long summers in Spain! They are ultra comfy for your little one's and the washable design means they are both environmentally friendly and cost effective. A great summer buy at just 13.80€ per pair. Available in 3 cute designs for boys and girls.

We recognise that protecting your baby and toddler from the hot summer sun in Spain is of the utmost importance to all mums in Spain and so have strived to find products and brands that are world renowned for their effectiveness in sun protection as well as being cost effective for the customer.

All the above products and more can be found NOW on our main site www.indybel.com

Skip Hop bags now avaliable at www.indybel.com

They've arrived!! The gorgeous skip hop bags are now avalaible to buy at indybel.com ... if you are a new parent in Spain or looking for a gift for a new mum or dad in Spain then you won't want to miss the opportunity to purchase one of these fab changing bags ...

Don't forget to check our our HUGE introductory offer on the City Chic model ...normal price 120€ ... our price for a LIMITED PERIOD ONLY just 90€!!!!

Looking for that perfect gift to celebrate a pregnancy or new baby in Spain? We've got just the thing ...

Over the past few months we've noticed at Indybel that our gift vouchers are becoming really popular, and it's not difficult to see why ....

It's actually quite a dilemma to know what to buy to celebrate a pregnancy or new baby in Spain. The obvious awnser is clothes, but if you don't know the sex of the baby then that makes choosing something more difficult and more often than not you just don't know what the new mum needs. She'll probably have all the essentials, especially if it's baby number 2 or 3 ....so what to buy? Buying to celebrate a pregnancy is even harder. These days many of us are excited when a loved one, friend or workmate announces a pregnancy and want to give a little gift ... again it's difficult to know what to buy ... it's too early to buy for a baby who won't be making an appearance for 6 months or so and it's difficult to find something in the shops for a mum to be ...

At Indybel we anticipate these problems and have a range of gorgeous gifts for mum to be and new baby. For mum to be we'd recommend something practical and gorgeous like our Seraphine maternity leggings, something useful and reassuring like the Miriam Stoppard Pregnancy and Birth book or something totally soothing like our gorgeous Natalia pregnancy care gift boxes. If mum to be is a close friend or loved one you may want to splash out on a Dream Genii pregnancy pillow or even a prenatal spa day! If mum to be is a work mate and a few of your are clubbing together we'd suggest the Babybjorn Balance Sitter Chair or BabyDan Trona High Chair as really great group gifts.

For a new mum and baby the Cuddledry towel is probably the most popular gift we sell, followed closely by the Natalia new parent gift box, Bambino Merino sleeping bag, small sized Inch Blue booties and the Mirium Stoppard Complete Baby Care Book.

But as we said at the beginning, more and more, gift vouchers are becoming the popular choice and it's easy to see why. They are easy to send, functional and let mum or mum to be choose something she really needs.

I remember when Bella was born that I received endless bouquets of flowers ... all very nice but I'd have loved the chance to be able to pick a few pressies that I really needed ... curtosy of someone else's credit card of course!! Then there were the baby clothes of which we received a huge amount, some of them very expensive and very beautiful and I was very grateful for all of them. However in Spain the seasons change so quickly and babies grow at their own rate and I'm sad to say there are some gorgeous clothes in plastic bags in my house that Bella never wore, simply because the season's changed before she had a chance to grow into them.

Of course buying for number 2 also has it's problems ... if the child is of the same sex then the parents have most of the clothes and toys they need, so perhaps it's really a chance to spoil them with some lovely luxury items!

We've noticed more and more that customers are opting to send our gift vouchers to their friends and loved one's in Spain in order to celebrate a pregnancy or new baby and feedback suggests the parents are loving choosing their gifts. The other great thing about our gift vouchers and in fact about all our gifts is that it doesn't matter where you in the World. Our gift voucher customers have come from as far afield as the USA, Eastern Europe and the UK. What do they have in common? They are all looking for a great present for a pregnant friend or new baby in Spain ... AND ... they want to purchase something that will be received instantly.

It's really easy to purchase and send gift vouchers on our site and you can even leave your own message which will be delivered by email to the recipient with their voucher .... so if you are looking for that special gift .... maybe you've just found it!

ARTICLE - Me Time!

At www.indybel.com we offer a range of spa pampering days for pregnant ladies and tired and stressed out mums! In the interest of our customers we thought it only fair to test out the treatments ourselves ... here's what happened when I went for day of 'me time'!

Mummy Pampering at the Thermae Spa, Villa Padierna in Marbella

So, here I was at the Spa ready for a day of ‘me time not mummy time’ pampering treatments and how did I feel? Well pretty exhausted actually. Having endured a week of sleepless nights while my 18 month old dealt with the onset of some rather nasty teeth, I’d offloaded her onto the grandparents and quite frankly the only thing I felt like doing was crawling back under the covers. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the bags under my eyes were pretty close in size to the bags of towels and toiletries I had bought with me, and when you arrive in such elegant and beautiful surroundings as the Villa Padierna you want to look, quite frankly, equally as elegant and beautiful!

Still the calm, beauty and effortless luxury of the spa had an immediate effect on my mood and tiredness and within minutes of arriving I began to feel much more relaxed and for the first time in at least a week, human again! According to their literature, the Thermae Spa promises it’s ‘exotic, opulent and dramatic surroundings will take you away from the stresses of daily life and lead you to a place of relaxation and calm’ … just what every tired and stressed mum needs!

On arrival we were ushered into the changing room where we found gowns, slippers and disposable knickers (this reminded me of labour!) waiting for us. As we emerged from the changing room we were greeted by the therapists who were to be in charge of our treatments and taken to our separate treatment rooms. As you’d expect from a Spa of this calibre the treatment rooms were a haven of peace and tranquillity, emitting amazing soothing smells and most importantly lovely and warm!

I started off with a body exfoliation. This involved having ESPA salts rubbed into my body. As soon as the treatment started I instantly relaxed. The spa policy is that the therapists are not encouraged to chat to you unless you insist upon it, so there was none of that tiring need to make pointless chit chat and I was able to lie back and really relax. After about 5 minutes I was thinking, hmmm I could really get used to this, this is really nice.

Everything about the treatments is luxurious. When the time came to wash the salts off my body (far too soon for my liking!) the therapist made a little aisle out of towels for me to walk the three steps from the bed to the power shower. I was given more towels and new knickers and told to make the most of the lovely toiletries and my therapist would be back in ten minutes to continue.

When she returned it was time for my facial. This was pure heaven. I had towels tucked under my knees which were amazingly comfortable and settled back to surrender my tired and spotty face. I lost count but there were several creams massaged on to my face over the course of the next 30 minutes and each was wiped off with a lovely warm towel. In between I was given an eye and head massage, absolute bliss for any tired mum. I lay there in a state of exhaustion but thoroughly enjoying every single second and mentally calculating how much time we had left and how much money I had with me so that I could think about continuing these amazing treatments for the rest of the day! I should also say at this point that for the next few days my make up less face was glowing.

Following my wonderful facial I was led to the relaxation room to well … relax. The relaxation room is a vision of white, white beds, white walls, white curtains .. and fruit. Here’s a tip, don’t eat too much fruit, I did and regretted it later! As well as fruit there was a lovely refreshing lemon drink to help you re-hydrate.

My treatments were now finished and I have to say I was feeling 100 times better and more glamorous than when I arrived. The afternoon was now to be dedicated to the pool and spa experiences …. the saunas and steam rooms, each one a treat in itself and each a masterpiece in interior design. The brochure promises that these ‘purifying steam rooms redolent of India and Bali transport you to where another world awaits you’ so I was interested to see where I would end up! I wasn’t disappointed, throughout the spa no corner has been spared in terms of beauty, sophistication and design. Every area and room has its own special ambience and much thought has clearly been given to lighting and smell and colour, all designed to relax and enchant. The steam rooms were filled with such ingredients as lemon grass, curry, mint and eucalyptus and ranged in temperature. The pool had amazing hydro jets and for the really brave and adventurous there is even a cold pool. ( freezing cold )

Having explored every room we smothered our hair in expensive conditioner and headed back to the relaxation room where we were served tea ( herbal of course ) and chatted ( quietly ) about our wonderful and thoroughly relaxing day.

So, did I feel that the ‘stresses and pressures of daily life’ had temporarily vanished, leaving me in a place of ‘relaxation and calm serenity’ … absolutely! And would I recommend the spa to other tired and stressed mums … in a second! Oh and if you can convince the grandparents to keep your baby for the night and get your husband to take you out to dinner after your spa day then even better!

To book a Pre or Post Pregnancy Pampering Spa day for yourself, a friend or loved one CLICK HERE.