So, Halloween is over and we’re already looking forward to the next big event of the year – Christmas! I love Christmas. And given the eco-friendly tone of Dia this week, I would have loved to get up on my soap-box again and lecture you all about buying green gifts…but, oops, I guess I did that already. (See my green gift guide from last year).

Hello again Dia-Diwaners! Did ya miss me? I was lured away from the laptop and out into the sunshine, watching my little SO* delight in all the wonderful things that summer brings, but can you blame me?

The earlier the better when it comes to sun protection so I am trying to start my little angel off with good habits. Thank goodness they now have shades du jour for the under four.

Beaba, the French children’s company, have the cleverest little sunglasses for kids. Super soft and flexible they withstand bending, dropping, and chewing. The baby glasses come on a soft head band which helps baby from tearing them off and the kid’s styles come is irresistible jelly bean colours which help keep babies precious eyes protected from dangerous UV rays.

"Dr Moz" teaches new dads or soon to be dads a few handy skills to have around baby...Set up as a mobster parody a la  The Godfather, these DVDs should get Baba to watch and learn, they're hillarious.

You can purchase them on Blossom's website, which is our featured store this month, on the Dia Diwan souk.

Forgive me All, I've been lazy about my Dia Blog lately. Easter came and went, and we did the whole egg-decorating thing at home, which was a huge hit with the SO*. Incidentally, having religious affiliation to any holiday is not a prerequisite for celebration in our household; we will indiscriminately adopt any holiday that involves decorations, gifts or good food, which pretty much covers all of them. Then we set off for Italy with our little girl in tow for a few days. Ah! Travel-with-a Toddler – don't get me started!

I've made a discovery about baby clothes, which, I am guessing, is one that all first-time moms make a little too late. It is this: Babies actually need far fewer outfits than you think when you are pregnant and caught in a crazy, hormonal, new-mom consumer frenzy.

In the last year I've found that organized 'mother & child' activities are really hard to come by in this town, and believe me, it's not for lack of trying.

Playgroups, anyone? Hmmm... not so common in this city of many nannies, but finally, I heard of one morning group at a nursery school when my SO* was about a year old – hooray!

Yummy Mummy searches for the best parks and open spaces for her little one in Beirut. Mission impossible? Almost…

In view of the very sorry state that our planet is in at the moment, here is my holiday suggestion: Let's make an effort this year to give GREENER TOYS!

Wood is Good: Wooden toys are toys worth keeping. They foster imagination, can be played with in many ways, don't break easily, don't go out of fashion, are biodegradable and your babies can chew and slobber all over them without fear of ingesting lead, asbestos or other scary chemicals.