by Sarah Hewitt
Don’t you just love it when a brand or service comes along which makes ‘adulting’ infinitely easier? Like petrol delivered to your door or a meal plan service which takes the stress out of cooking?
Well, the good news is, in the world of kids’ partying and gifting, there are so many options now available to take the pressure off because, let’s face it, life gets busy sometimes.
The great thing about being in the UAE is that there are so many fabulous homegrown brands, often run by parents who want to make it easy for other parents. So, here’s a round-up of some of the local brands we love. The kind of stores you can browse online after bedtime and get stuff delivered the next day.
BoxFetti
BoxFetti has saved us more times than you can say ‘celebration in a box’. Offering next-day delivery, if you’re planning a kids’ party - this is how it’s done. They have got all the themes covered - from dinosaurs to mermaids – ready to wow your mini guests and each box is filled to the brim with all your party essentials including plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, garlands, banners and more, for parties of 6, 8, or 10. Add on extra balloons, poppers, plates, piñatas, confetti and more to curate your perfect party look.
Elli Junior
With two physical shops (Nakheel Mall and a brand-new location in Dubai Mall) plus an online store, Elli Junior makes it easy when it comes to shopping for the new baby in your life. Whether it’s creating a beautiful hamper for a baby shower or setting up your own gift registry, think of high-quality baby accessories, wooden toys, interiors, furniture and gear all in one place.
Little IA
Truly memorable gifts are those that feel personal and unique. With eco-friendly and organic personalised gifts and keepsakes, Little IA is the cutest of stores offering everything from the softest blankets to the cosiest clothes to the coolest lunch boxes, which are all customisable. What’s more, when you shop at Little IA as well as supporting a local brand, a portion of each sale goes to children's charities around the world.
Eggs and Soldiers
Centred around offering a more natural way’ to shop and consume, Eggs & Soldiers is the home of natural and eco-friendly products for mums, babies and toddlers. From cloth diapers to co-sleepers, babywearing carriers to organic skin care, sustainable toys to reusable food ware, this is a great place to shop for baby shower gifts or something for the little ones already in your life. A WhatsApp shopping service is the icing on the cake – this is retail therapy made super easy.
Little Party Peeps
We’ve all seen those Instagrammable tepee sleepovers on our news feeds. The ones which are so different from when we were kids! Nowadays it’s all a bit more, well, luxury. With a variety of themes to choose from including everything from Rainbow Unicorns to Minecraft, the setup from Little Party Peeps comes with handcrafted wooden teepees, comfy mattresses and bedding, plus picnic tables, fairy lights and accessories all organised for you in the comfort of your home and collected the next day.
Monkibox
Want to buy a gift a new parent will love you for? Monkibox is designed to give little one's purposeful playtime and to help make the first 12 months of a child's development easy, fun, and productive. With a range of science-based PlayTools, activities, and services based on the stage the child is at, mum or dad can spend less time researching and more time connecting with their baby.