Not having any kids or maternal yearnings, I rarely have a reason to shop at baby and toddler…read moreoutlets. If I did though, I'd probably spend quite a lot of time in Yummies. The board outside invites you to 'Follow the trail of magic and sparkle' an the staff seem to genuinely like children. Always a bonus, I know! Aimed at babies, toddlers, pre-school and youngsters, they sell dolls, wooden toys, building blocks, mobiles and blankets as well as cute and colourful baby grows, trousers, tees, jumpers and winter warmers. Wait! Did I just say 'cute and colourful' in reference to kids! Damn. Maybe that clock has just started ticking...

I think Yummies is a great name for a baby-themed shop. It did, indeed offer an assortment of…read morenon-edible yummies...Things I'll be picking up before Christmas to send to my little nephew in Canada. Baby clothing and many of the toys were made from 100% organic fabrics - wool, cotton and even bamboo. Yummies also sells washable nappies and staff are willing to answer questions regarding use and care. Décor for baby rooms included various trinkets (wooden ones were usually bamboo) and unique, multi-coloured mobiles. Other unique gift ideas included children's world music CDs and personalised lullaby CDs. For parents who've chosen a less popular baby name, these can be ordered from Yummies staff. However, by the end of the afternoon's perusal, I was leaning toward some knit booties and matching trousers - made from natural, organic cotton, of course.

Perfect shop for specialty gifts, childrens clothing. Staff is super helpful and the selection is…read moreeclectic and of the best quality

From the owner: Bluebelle & Co - Purveyors of beautiful vintage inspired ladies accessories, homeware, children's…read moreclothing, toys and bedding, gorgeous giftware and 100% pure cotton nightwear. Our gorgeous shop is just a stones throw from Brighton station in the vibrant North Laine area. You'll find that many of our antique pieces of furniture used for display are also for sale which helps with our ever changing appearance. There's loads of pieces that are not shown on our website so its always worth popping into our gorgeous store . Dedicated to unique and vintage inspired products, Bluebelle is a thoughtfully edited collection of women's accessories and sleepwear, homeware, babywear, children's clothing, toys and gifts. A one stop shop where you're able to buy something lovely for yourself, your mum, your son or your daughter.

You know when you see those kids that are casually but precisely dressed like in an advertising…read morecampaign? Well, I'm guessing their parents shop at Toby Tiger. A tiny store in the heart of the North Laines, it sells a breath-taking selection of beautiful, brightly coloured romper suits, pyjamas, skirt, dresses, trousers, tees, hats, mittens, wellies and blankets. Some of them are in tasteful stripes and spots that would compliment Cath Kidston homeware, others are in simple rainbow shades of blue, pink, yellow, green, etc. They also have a selection of tasteful printed garments with dinosaurs, robots, pink apples and embroidered slogans like Drama Queen and Cheeky Monkey. To buy one or two items would set you back £15 to £50. To buy a whole wardrobe that would make your kids look like they're young, hip and advertising-worthy? You might need to remortage.

A friend of mine used to work in here, so despite having absolutely no need for anything that they…read moresell, I used to pop in and out quite a lot and just couldn't help myself from nosing around and ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the little clothes and toys As far as babies and kiddies' shops go, this one is a little bit more special than most. Rather than the cheap, plasticky tat that a lot of toy shops sell for kids, most of the toys sold here are wooden, painted in lovely bright colours and seem to be really good quality. Their 'Charlie and Lola' stuff is very cute too especially the t-shirts with funny little slogans. Because the stuff is good quality, branded, or both, expect to pay a bit more for it. But unlike some of the toys out there, these aren't going to break in five minutes flat. The classic wooden designs also mean that they're unlikely to go out of fashion. Because, y'know, there are so many fashion-conscious toddlers about nowadays...

I popped into Charlie Barley to look for a Christmas gift for my 6 month old nephew. I was drawn…read moreto a really cute, fire-engine red rain jacket as soon as I entered, but alas, it was too big. The prices here weren't too bad - some children's clothing stores can be a bit outrageous, I've recently discovered - but these cute styles were affordable. Most of Charlie Barley's stock was, indeed, clothing, although some basic items were available at the rear of the store: baskets, towels and baby bottles. I'd recommend shopping here if you're looking for baby-to-toddler size clothing for the smartly-dressed child.

The coolest children's clothes and shoes in town. Probably also the most ridiculously expensive…read moretoo, with a whopping £49.99 for a linen shirt and trouser set, £36.99 jelly shoes, or a ludicrous £92.99 for a pair of D & G Junior jeans. Yes, that's right, £92.99!! I had trouble justifying £25 for a cute rockabilly dress in Camden the other week and would never be rich (or stupid) enough to spend a ton on a pair of jeans that'll last a 9month old five minutes. After you've had a sit down and come to terms with your financial inadequacy, check out the slightly cheaper items like the dinosaur rain jackets and matching dungaree sets, cute little hats and tees. But be warned, fellow shoppers. This place bites.

Jo Jo Maman Bebe is a pretty typical baby-themed shop. Racks of baby clothing, ranging from onesies…read moreto fancy dress coats at fairly expensive prices. Basic outfits ran from 12 - 18 each. A tiny hat was 4, and some knit booties were 10. Also available are toys and books; including several bath toys and accessories. Jo Jo offers a maternity section at the back of the shop, including breastfeeding bras, pyjamas and casual attire. Along the ground was a comfy-looking body pillow. I remember when my younger sister was pregnant, she was always looking for one of those...Maybe next time. In summary, I wasn't overly impressed with this shop. There wasn't anything unique about it, and things were a tad pricey.

Jojo Maman Bébé makes me so homesick for France- the cute name, the window displays with french…read morecursive writing, all the lovely babies clothes in practical shapes and striped fabric! They have brilliant cashmere babies clothes and hats that I want in my size. And the maternity wear is so reasonably priced and good quality! This is the perfect place to stock up on good maternity basics- skirts, trousers, t-shirts in every length and colour that you could need to get you through nine months of bellydom. They have all sorts of practical baby things as well- blankets, mobiles, toys, diaper bags. I checked out their website after I went in to see the quality and was so impressed by the even larger range of goodies online, I happily ordered a gift for my friend to be sent to her door.

I've never really understood the way some parents spend astonishingly high amounts of money on…read moreclothes their children will outgrow in six months. Perhaps it's because I don't have any children, but I do have a nephew, and I still think it seems like a waste. That being said, for folks who like the tiny designer fashions, Cat and Mouse is the headquarters. Ralph Lauren, Diesel and a variety of other labels I wouldn't buy for myself are all here in sizes starting at £12 months. Yes, they're cute, but £20 t-shirts and £88 jeans just seem like a bit of silliness. Other items up for grabs include scarves, hats, mittens, shoes and handbags. (Those are in parent-sizes. Perhaps an alternative to diaper bags? I can't keep up with the trendiness.) So, if designer-kiddie wear is what you'd like to spend your cash on, I suppose I would recommend this shop.

From the owner: We are a well established childrens designer clothes shop .We cater for all ages newborn to 16yrs…read moregirls and boys. Brands we stock include Miss Sixty, Lacoste, Diesel, Stone Island, Baby Dior, Mim-pi, Cakewalk and many more.....

It's not my normal territory, you know, Mothercare. Because I'm not a mother, and I don't really…read morecare, which generally absolves me from ever needing or feeling the urge to go into this shop. This all changed the other day, when my brother and his wife had their first child, a beautiful little girl called Peggy. I started to care. I understood what this care thing is about, and I became a mother. As I said it all changed. No wait... I just cared, I didn't become a mother. So anyway,now ticking one of the boxes, I entered Mothercare alongside my brother, to buy a Moses basket and some other baby related items? I always assumed (not that admittedly I thought about it much) that Mothercare was just a big impersonal superstore, much like a massive Sports shop, where essentially you would be left to your own devices, and things would be scattered around everywhere just waiting for the recession to seal the last nail in it's coffin. But actually it was not. Inside, it was surprisingly tidy and well kept, and the store assistants were empathetic and friendly to new, anxious mothers and fathers, as well as enthusiastic and helpful. As well as baby clothes, Mothercare is a prime place to get all your practical motherly/fatherly hardware, such as prams (which are on display like cars in a showroom), mobiles, cots, and nursing bras. I wouldnt recommend this shop as a cool place to hang out (obviously), but I would to mothers and fathers who want a serious shop for their little ones, and a friendly face to help them do it.

This Mothercare is situated in the lower level of Churchill square, near ELC and a discount toy…read morestore. It always seems very jam packed with stock to me. Good displays of highchairs, pushchairs and cots etc so you can have a good look see before buying. Products also sold are toddler's clothes, shoes, toys and a small selection of books. This shop also provides a very valuable free service of a changing and feeding room at the back of store, free to use with running water, nappy disposal and discreet area to breast feed. There was until recently an Olan Mills photo studio in this store which closed in December 2008 due to financial difficulties.

The owners of this shop have got their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks and I love it! I'm in…read morehere practically once a fortnight just to browse around or give myself a little lift when I'm feeling glum. There's always some fascinating artifact or relic that I hadn't seen before because there is just SO much of it. Chinese lanterns, Mounted deers' heads, US license plates, antique cameras, walls covered in masks and racquets, crockery, glassware, hats, old potions, an impressive collection of owls and the odd bit of taxidermy... Having said all that, much of this chintz is surplus to requirement. Some may say that the point of most antiques is that they're surplus to requirement but I'm afraid I'm a little bit more of a utilitarian than to need a stuffed mongoose. The books and accessories however just keep me coming back for more.

Corner Shop Collectables is the most interesting antique shop I've been in, with several items I…read morehaven't seen anywhere else. A full size skeleton is one of the first things that comes to mind. (He was dressed up in a hat, though, to take away any scariness.) Other cool stuff included mannequins (full and a few pairs of JUST THE HANDS), plants displayed in bed pans, teeny tiny figurines, hair pins in the shape of hats, antique cameras and rotary telephones. There was also all the usual stuff: books, dishware vases, jewellery, less tiny figurines (mostly in animal shapes), paper lanterns and some sewing patterns. I'm probably forgetting a bunch - there was a lot to look at. In summary, it's worth the mini-hike up St. James to check it out.