We have some great news to share , and YOU are the ones who made it all possible.

It is thanks to you, our  most lovely, loyal customers and your generous votes, that we are thrilled to announce we have made it to the finals of the Telegraph Shop Award. 

We are honoured to be one of just three great UK stores shortlisted for ‘Best Small Children’s Shop’, together with the brilliant Olive Loves Alfie and the lovely Ptolemy Toys.

Thank you once again for showing us so much love and supporting KIDSEN. It really means a lot.

The winner will be announced on the 22nd of February.

Blimey, Halloween has come a long way since we were kids!   We took the kids out Trick or Treating around Kensal Rise and Queens Park and we were  blown away by the carnival like atmosphere and how much people had decorated their houses.

First prize has to go to the house on Dundonald Road with the truly scary hanging body (pictured above).  The whole street was AMAZING though – highly recommend going there next year as it’s something of an institution, just be prepared to join the party!

Thank you to everyone who made such a huge effort to make Halloween so special for the kids (and the grown ups!)

This month, KIDSEN had the pleasure of welcoming Pippi Longstocking to our  latest in-store event.   She was met with some big smiles – and not just from us!  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed her cheeky storytelling, cheery singing and creative drawing sessions.

Created by the legendary Astrid Lindgren, Sweden’s favourite children’s character is as popular today as she was when Pippi was first written in the 40’s. Nine-year-old Pippi is unconventional and assertive. She lives alone with her horse (Lilla Gubbe) and monkey (Herr Nilsson), performs her own acts at the circus, bakes cookies on the floor, and is stronger than anyone in the world! What a refreshing role model for young girls….

If you would like to be notified of our next in-store event, please drop us a line at events@kidsen.co.uk and we will email you details.

Find Pippi At KIDSEN
KIDSEN stocks a vast range of Pippi Longstocking items, from cookie cutters and miniature Pippi Characters through to Villa Villekulla itself. WE have recently also started stocking ‘Do you know Pippi Longstocking?’ – a great introducion to the orginal Pippi. No fakes here!

With Midsummer fast approaching, the new edition of Life West 9 magazine has a big Scandinavian theme this month. Learn how to create a Scandinavian look in your home, pick up some Scandinavian Fashion Tips, cook up a midsummer feast with their featured recipes and of course read about your favourite Scandi store.

Kidsen’s own Corina  gave Life West 9 a very insightful low-down on life at Kidsen including our plans for the future, whilst at the same time reminiscing about childhood in Sweden.

The new edition will be with locals soon.  You’ll also be able to read the interview online.  We’ll post the link here soon!

Quick Update – The New Edition is Now Online – See it Here

Our friends at Scandinavian Kitchen told us a sad story about a little boy called Ollie who was born with a rare disorder called Aplastic Anemia which is fatal if untreated, but can be cured by finding matching bone marrow.  So we want to try and help spread the message to the Scandinavian community.  A simple bone marrow transplant could save his life if his parents find the right match.

There is nothing more precious than a child’s life and well being. As parents we can all relate to the desperation of Baby Ollie’s parents, so we’re putting this message on our little blog  just in the hope that you can help to find a match.

Please try and help them by either spreading this message or becoming a bone marrow donor yourself. Even if you are not Scandinavian you could still help someone else.

For more information please visit:

http://babyollie.webs.com/

Had a strange phone call the other day.  A customer from London called the shop with absolutely no idea of where Kensal Rise is, or where Chamberlayne Road is.  We were surprised.  Had they not heard all the (ahem) news – Chamberlayne Road?  Named The Hippest Street in Europe by Vogue? Daniel Craig’s New Hang Out?  We were shocked.

Seriously, the phone call made me think.  If we put aside all the hype, because (obviously nowhere in Europe beats Stockholm) there are some nice things to do around us, that us locals take for granted.  So if you’re not from the area and you come down to Chamberlayne Road to see us, here are a few things nearby that we’d suggest you do to make a day of it…

1)  Pick up some great Italian Food at Langolo’s
An absolute institution in Kensal Rise.  There is nowhere that does nicer Italian deli fare. Period.  And now, there’s a great coffee bar and outdoor seating.  Worth a visit.

2) Enjoy a mouthwatering  lunch at the Chamberlayne

The food is consistently good at The Chamberlayne

Ok, it’s the second food based entry in our top five of things to do, but it is a great place to eat.  Can be a bit small if you’re travelling with full buggy kit, but consistently great pub lunch food at reasonable prices.

3)      Have a Family Day Out In the Park
KIDSEN  is just behind Queens Park, which has it’s own mini zoo, a fantastic playground complete with sand pit and a small café.  It’s a lovely park, with beautiful houses to peek into as you walk down to the park.  A great reward for the kids…

4)      Visit the World Famous Portabello Road
Ten minutes up the road from KIDSEN is Portabello Road Market.  If you’re visiting us on a Saturday, it’s worth dropping in for a stroll.  Bus 52 goes from virtually outside our shop.

5)      Take in a Flick at The Lexi
The newly opened art house cinema is always worth a visit. Housed in a former Edwardian Theatre, it’s Beautiful and has just 80 seats, making it intimate and cosy They show children’s films too.  Last time we checked, Bolt and Coraline was on the lineup.  Also, they give 100% of their profits to community action in South Africa

Just a handful of ideas of things to do when you visit KIDSEN.  Of course, we’ll give you a few more when you pop in.

Our address is 111 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, London, NW10 4PH