Friday 14 November 2014

Mothercare - Team Valley Re-opening Event And A Tommee Tippee Giveaway *Closed*

As a mum of three, I have spent a lot of time in Mothercare over the year's, I have brought all of my baby things there from prams and cots to baby baths and baby clothes. Mothercare sells it all. I even remember visiting Mothercare as a small child with my mum, many years ago, when it used to be in Newcastle's Eldon square. Mothercare is a shop that I have grown up with and a shop as a family with small children we genuinely love.

Mothercare have got a new CEO Mark Newton-Jones and they are having a bit of a company revamp at the moment, one of the things they have been doing is redesigning some of their stores. The huge Team Valley Gateshead store was one of the first to get a makeover.

So imagine my utter delight when I got an invite from the ever so lovely people at Mothercare to attend the official re-opening of the Team Valley store as one of there VIP bloggers! Oh and I would also get the chance to interview Myleene Klass - who designs award winning children fashion range BabyK for Mothercare, as she would be officially re-opening the store with CEO Mark Newton-Jones. Amazing!

Myleen Klass Mothercare Team Valley 2014



I have only visited the Team Valley store once before, as we had two stores close to where we live one at the Silverlink and the now-closed Kingston park store. When I visited the Team Valley store a few years ago it was rather bland and a bit dated if I am honest. I was not expecting much of a difference I thought they might have rearranged the store a bit and maybe give it a lick of paint, but oh how wrong I was!

The grand re-opening was at 10am and typically when leaving home with a baby and toddler in tow I was running late and then got stuck in traffic. But with just moments to spare we made it to the store just before 10 am, there was already a big line of mums and babies outside. As I was one of the VIP bloggers I got to sneak to the front of the line and enter the store before it was officially opened to the public (sorry mums waiting outside in the cold)


All the staff were inside the store ready to greet the waiting customers as CEO Mark Newton-Jones addressed them and thanked them for all there hard work in transforming the store. And trust me what a transformation it is, it is such a huge store at 32.000 square feet and is the largest in the region and since the refurbishment, it is so bright and spacious and well laid out - top marks to whoever designed it.

At exactly 10am the utterly gorgeous and ever so friendly Myleene Klass walked towards the front of the store where she and Mark cut the red ribbon over the entrance of the store as flashbulbs went off from the numerous photographers present. Myleene, Mark and the Mothercare staff then greeted all the customers as they came through the door, with Myleene crouching down to say hello to all the children - you can tell she is a mum, the children loved her. The first 50 people through the door received a really lovely, limited edition Edward bear and we were also kindly given a one for the children. We also kindly received a gift voucher to spend in-store which after seeing the BabyK range I just had to spend on buying Sophia two gorgeous dresses.


Then it was time to explore the store and do some shopping. When entering the store on the left there is a huge pram display, I have never seen so many prams and as a pramaholic, I was in heaven! On the right, there was a rather impressive clothing section that stocks not only Mothercare baby clothes and award-winning BabyK but also brands such as Mama and Papas, Joules, Polarn o Pyret and Converse. There was also a Clark's children shoe section too.



There is a nursery area stocking every nursery item you could possibly need, including the new BabyK nursery range and a section at the back of the store where there was a huge range of well displayed Tommee Tippee products. We are huge Tommee Tippee fans in our house and not just because we live literally a five-minute walk from Tommee Tippee headquarters, but because their products are fabulous. I spoke to the really lovely and friendly Sarah from Tommee Tippee who showed me some of the exclusive Tommee Tippee products that you can only buy in Mothercare, such as the coloured nappy bins (pink or blue) which were only £15.50 in-store - bargain! and the oh so cute gingerbread Christmas bottle range, and which they have very kindly offered one of my readers to win - so get entering that rafflecopter below, I only wish I could enter myself as I am a little bit in love them.


The thing that I noticed in the store was just how well designed it is for us mums with prams, the aisles are wide - so no bumping into things. It is so easy to navigate your way around the store with big clearly labelled signs hanging from the ceiling showing where each department is. There is a large lift in the centre of the store which can easily fit 2-3 prams in and takes you upstairs where there is a big ELC department full of fantastic toys. All the toys were nicely grouped together with baby toys at one end and older children toys at the other and even a little book corner with seating and proper bookshelf's. I could not resist buying Sophia some Happyland toys to add to her collection for Christmas.

And the best bits upstairs were Angelica's cafe, perfect for relaxing with a coffee and a cake after all the shopping you are sure to do in the store. There is a Jellybug's soft play area too, so young children can burn off some energy. And if you visit between now and Christmas there is a really lovely Santa grotto where children can visit Santa and his elf and receive a gift for just £4.50. I even noticed a baby bond baby ultrasound clinic upstairs too.There are toilet facilities downstairs near the entrance and what I liked about these was that there was a feeding room - no more feeding baby in the baby change! and there were male and female toilets that both had baby changing facilities in, so dad can take the baby to get changed too!

Overall I really loved the new look store and I have been telling everyone I know to go visit,  there are just so many lovely things and with the addition of the cafe and soft play it is somewhere that you will enjoy shopping and want to keep returning too. I know that I will be returning as it is only a 20-minute drive from where I live. So if you are expecting a baby or you have a young child and live in the North East go pay the new Mothercare Team Valley a visit and I guarantee you will love it and are bound to find lots of great things to buy.

Make sure you keep an eye out for my exclusive interview with the lovely Myleene Klass and don't forget to enter the competition below to win the Tommee Tippee gift set just in time for Christmas.


One person can win a Tommee Tippee Gingerbread Christmas gift set which contains two bottles and two soothers. The winner can pick the gift set in either pink or blue and it will be sent to them directly from Tommee Tippee. Open to UK entrants only. Winner will be notified by e-mail after the closing date, the winner will have one week to claim the prize before another winner will be chosen at random 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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101 comments

  1. I'm going to have to go with blue as I don't know the sex yet and seeing as I already have tow boys I think probability isn't stacked in the favour for pink ;)

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  2. Would love to win the pink set please x

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  3. Will be finding out fingers crossed what my stepdaughters having on the 19th , so not sure a colour yet

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  4. Please can i be considered for the Pink Please. Many Thanks

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  5. pink as my sister is expecting a lil igrl

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  6. Blue please! These are gorgeous.

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  7. Pink please (@bexallum)

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  8. Pam Francis Gregory16 November 2014 at 13:23

    Blue please

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  9. Blue please

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  10. pink please (@missjadebrookes)

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  11. blue please

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  12. Blue would be brilliant! Rebecca Evans

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  13. baby is not due till March 2015 and I dont know the sex, arg! ..... will go with blue :)

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  14. Either would be great as I will donate it to charity, to go to Romania

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  15. I would love the blue set please.

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  16. Do they come in white? If I won they would be for my sisters baby who is due on Christmas day. She won't tell anyone the sex.

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  17. Pink for my 7wk old Granddaughter

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  18. i cant see my original comment , i did say Blue (mark sorrell)

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  19. I would love blue please.- leanne w

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  20. Michelle Phillips30 November 2014 at 15:41

    Blue pleeease

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  21. Blue please for my grandson

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  22. pink please
    Amy Cray

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  23. Pink for my baby girls first christmas

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  24. Pink as having a baby girl in Feb. X

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  25. Pauline Burroughs4 December 2014 at 19:41

    Blue please

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  26. Blue if I'm lucky enough to win.
    Victoria B

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  27. Pink please, please, please. My eldest brother is going to be a daddy for the first time and we have just found out its going to be a girl!! exciting.

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  28. Pink please please please. My eldest brother is going to be a daddy for the first time and we have just found out its a girl. exciting!!:D

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