So, the dreaded chicken pox has been an unwelcome guest in our house for over a week now and our eldest little girl is covered. Each day has been a blur of calamine lotion, spots, spots and more spots. So, continuing on that theme here is a fab selection of our spottiest spotty baby hats.

Ooooh it's just over 4 weeks now until the Easter bunny comes. I was going to give up chocolate for Lent this year, but depriving myself for 40 days last year just ended in a massive binge over the Easter period so little and often is my motto this year (!)

Over at Hats my Baby HQ, (after a snow flurry this weekend) the lighter mornings and pretty snowdrops are starting to convince us that Spring may finally be on the way!

We've been rifling through our stock to come up with some gorgeous Spring/Easter themed baby hats and gift sets for you. Aren't they lovely?

                     All by Olive&Moss. Click the images for further information.

Apparently summer's coming! Not sure who started that rumour but I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

As a Mum to two beautiful girls I love the summer and those lazy days spent outdoors, but, I also need peace of mind that they're well protected from the sun, top to toe.

Top for me is definitely the most important and that's why I decided to put together a list of my top 5 considerations when buying sun hats for babies and children.

1) Top of the list has to be adequate coverage. Look for hats with a wide brim or alternatively Legionnaire style baby hats with a peak at the front and flap at the back to ensure the whole of baby's head and neck is covered.

2) Is it sun safe? I love summer clothing with a UPF sun protection factor. This means the material is woven in such a way that it restricts the amount of harmful UV rays which make it through the clothing. Not an essential for short periods of time in the sun but for longer periods of exposure this for me is a must.

3) Comfort - I've tried and tested baby hats galore on my two girls and experience has taught me that the best hats are the ones that are so comfortable that they forget they're wearing them. Sounds impossible but they do exist and Flap Happy sun hats for babies and children are proof of that. Both my girls have not only worn them but also kept them on. I kid thee not and this leads me nicely on to my next tip!

4) If you can't find hats which your baby or child is comfortable wearing then look for hats with ties or an elasticated snug fit. Believe me it will make the battle of the hat a lot easier!

5) If you've ticked all of the above boxes when buying baby/child sun hats then you're on a roll. A final important aspect for me is colour. Before buying baby sun hats I tend to look at my daughters' summer wardrobes  and go for hats which coordinate with the majority of their wardrobe. Better still there are some great reversible options out there!

So, you've got the list, all we need now is the summer...........

To see our gorgeous range of baby sun hats, click here

We did it! On 1st March 2012 we relaunched  Hats my Baby with a brand new website!

A month has now passed and we're over the moon with how things have gone so its time to say a huge thank you to our customers both new and old for all of your support. You really have been amazing!

We always had a vision for our business but we just didn't quite believe it was achievable, now with the support of our customers, family and friends, and a lot of hard work we're proving it is.

After a whirlwind month, with record sales I thought today was a great time to sit back and think about just how far we have come. Although I might use today for some navel gazing, tomorrow it will be back to work for me as there's still so much to do!

Still in the pipeline (and none of these are April Fools I promise) are, some fab new suppliers, a monthly showcase of gorgeous handmade baby hats and accessories from some talented ladies, as well as regular blog updates and a monthly newsletter.

Ta Ta for now and Happy Easter!

Kim

We are proud to announce that Mumpreneur UK have awarded our website with a Bronze award. Mumpreneur UK started the awards in order to acknowledge the high standard of websites amongst some of the Mumprenuers out there and we are over the moon that Hats my Baby has been selected as one such website.

All websites are judged on a number of criteria which include whether the website is visually pleasing, easy to navigate and clear and easy to understand. The website must also contain enough information about the products on offer and Hats my Baby ticked every box!

I would normally celebrate with a very large glass of wine but with Baby No 2's due date less than a week away I'll stick to the water. So cheers!

PS Despite winning this award, we're not one for resting on our laurels so if you have any suggestions or any improvements you would like to see on the website. Please please get in touch !

For more information about the Mumpreneur UK network please visit http://www.mumpreneuruk.com/

Sunday 17th April 2011 was an amazing day for Hats my Baby and one of which we're really proud as we were one of 6 lucky winners in a competition which Theo Paphitis (of Dragons Den fame) runs every week called "Small Business Sunday".

Small Business Sunday runs on Twitter and every Sunday thousands of businesses "tweet" Theo and tell him all about their business in less than 140 words. He then chooses his 6 favourites and "retweets" them to all of his followers, at the minute that stands at approximately 12.5 thousand. His reasoning for doing this on a Sunday is that this was the day he used to do all the "thinking" for his businesses. The idea is a great one and for small businesses like ours the exposure is just fantastic.

We've been entering Hats my Baby into Small Business Sunday for a few weeks now so you can imagine just how excited we were to find ourselves one of the chosen few a couple of weeks ago. The exposure this gave our business has been just phenomenal and for that we would like to say a huge thank you to Theo! Not only did you make our night Mr Paphitis, you made our whole year.

The business was launched in January 2010 and the inspiration came whilst on maternity leave after the birth of our first, beautiful child Lily who was born in April 2009. In the summer of last year we found ourselves with a number of invitations to summer weddings. Finding gorgeous dresses and outfits for Lily wasn't a problem, but when it came to buying baby hats we were really surprised by the lack of variety on the high street.

Prior to launching the website, I fully researched the market and realised just how competitive a field I was entering. Concentrating on baby hats and accessories alone however means I can dedicate my time to sourcing more and more baby hats which aren't available on the high street. This sets Hats my Baby apart from our competitors.

I have launched the business on a shoe string which has been a challenge in itself and I have been on a very steep learning curve when it comes to such things as website rankings and marketing the business. However, with a lot of hard work and determination I'm over the moon with how things are going . When things seem hard, my beautiful daughter, wonderful husband and the passion I have for my business gives me the motivation and drive I need to keep going. With this in mind, my advice to anyone who wants to start up their own business would be to believe in your inspiration and yourself and to go for it.

My early vision for the business was to provide customers with a fantastic range of baby hats in all shapes, styles and colours and for all occasions and seasons and I'm continuing to work towards that. At the moment I'm working hard to find new suppliers and I've got a few in the pipeline which I'm very excited about. I'm looking forward to offering a gift wrapping service in the near future and also to watching my idea continue to grow into a successful business.

The website is fresh and simple and I aim to offer customers a lovely shopping experience. A lot of heart and soul has gone into building my website to give it that personal touch and I hope the website shows how motherhood has inspired me.

....and five good reasons why babies should wear them

1) Babies spend a long time snuggled up in the womb to be then pushed out into the cold. Baby hats help to protect them from this change in environment, helping to keep them warm and snug.

2) When babies are newborn their heads are about one quarter of the total body surface area and they lose a lot of heat this way. This is more so for premature babies as their heads are larger in comparison to the rest of their little bodies. Baby hats help babies to maintain warmth in their bodies

3) Babies can't regulate their body temperature very well until they're at least 6 months old.

4) Baby hats also help to protect babies from sunburn. Babies are particularly susceptible to sunburn as generally they don't have much hair.

Please note, baby hats should always be removed once inside or in a warm area to prevent overheating (unless you have been advised otherwise by your healthcare professionals).