It’s that festive time of the year again and, as is becoming tradition around here, I am running a bit late with things. I’ve usually rounded up a great selection of gift ideas for you by now so I apologise for how late this is. I really enjoy putting gift guides together as I trawl the interwebs looking for items to tick off my own Christmas shopping list. And now with just a week to go, there is literally no time to waste. So without further delay, for those of you who may be in the same boat – the one with a whole bunch of fishing left to do – herewith the first instalment of my 2017 gift guide series. Let’s start with some fun ideas for the smalls, shall we?

01 dressing gown | 02 playmate & storage bag | 03 bunny lamp | 04 hobby horse | 05 toy computer | 06 bunny wall decor | 07 kids tableware | 08 cotton teepee

H&M Home is a firm favourite of mine. They have the most adorable, budget friendly items for kids and this dressing gown is up there with some of the cutest I’ve seen. You can even get a matching pair of paw-like slippers!

The storage bag that doubles up as a play mat from Caramel and Sun is such a great gift for little ones (er, and their mums). A simple and practical solution to store and transport a variety of toys. Ideal for the likes of Lego & Playmobil.

The “Miffy” bunny lamp from Joba is an old favourite but still such a novel lighting concept for little peeps – particularly those who love to sleep with a night light, like a certain redhead in our home.

If you have a unicorn lover in your house, you could have them saddled up for hours of magical riding with the Lilly stick unicorn from Maison Du Monde (a newcomer to Dubai this year). I love giving kids toys that make them play in an imaginative world rather than an electronic one.

And speaking of keeping the smalls off the electronics for as long as possible, don’t you love the beautiful wooden toy computer with chalkboard screen and the cotton teepee from The Bowery Company?

If you’ve seen any of my kids room or nursery installations, you’ll know that I can’t get enough of the Fiona Walker animal heads. They make such a bold and fun statement in any kids’ space and Tribe has a wide variety of adorable options available.

Last but not least, if you are looking for a fun, practical and educational gift, have a look at Marmarland’s Melamine Arctic Animal Dinner set. It features arctic animal illustrations to make mealtimes fun and interesting.

We are so lucky to have so many great shopping options in Dubai. Be sure to check out all the gift options in the kids sections of the websites mentioned above and best of luck with your Christmas shopping!