Most of April has been a total washout with even more soggy weather expected but don’t let a damp forecast rain on your parade.

The last thing our kids want to do when it rains is stay indoors, they want to explore, feel the raindrops on their cheeks and most of all splash about in the biggest puddles.

Avoid giving yourself and your children cabin fever by braving it out in the rain. A simple trip to the park or the shops can become a nightmare however with a little preparation in the wardrobe department and a touch of imagination, rain doesn’t have to be all that bad.

To make the rain more fun we have picked out some of our favourite rain buddies as well as a couple of fun ideas if it should rain some more!

Stay cool and dry in a raincoat - Getting ready to go out in the rain is the best part and staying dry doesn’t get more fun when you can wear bright and colourful raincoats like this blue retro car style one from Their Nibs or this character poncho from Bugzz - great for keeping scatty toddlers visible outside.

Pull on some fun wellies -  Our favourite splash buddies.  We love these ‘good enough to eat’ Candy wellies by Hatley which feature cakes, lollies and ice creams and complete with handles to make them easier to wear.

Make rainy snaps – capture the fun with waterproof disposable cameras, encourage your miniature photographers to capture their best shots of puddles, raindrops and rainbows, if you are lucky, something to share with the whole family back at home.

Create paintings using raindrops. Give your little artists a sheet of heavy white paper and some powdered paints carefully scatter and sprinkle your favourite colours of onto the paper. Lay a plastic bag on the ground, and place your papers on the plastic. Watch the rain turn the powder into art, and then take the pictures inside to dry.

And...don’t forget your umbrella – No trip out in the rain is complete without a fun umbrella to show off.  Kidorable specialise in themed rain gear which include adorable umbrellas.  We love this ladybird umbrella if you want something classier try this exquisite sea life umbrella by Galleria.

If you want to go crazy with cheery colour for summer you have clicked in the right place this week.  Our latest designer sale at Half-Pint Chic features some extraordinary colours and shapes from Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

A true explosion of bright shades, pretty headbands, bold flower prints and funky character t-shirts straight from Madrid for the girls to stay cool this summer.

This Spanish designer, also known for designing limited edition Swatches (bet you didn't know that) is hot on tribal prints in this collection too -  the very latest trend off the catwalk for 2012.

We love this tribal print dress, perfect for little girls to run wild in this summer. 

Don’t we have enough to be getting on with these days than to have to worry about ironing our kid’s clothes too? Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to think about it at all.

Guess what? Kiss Katch, this week’s feature sale, is a ‘no creases included’ fashionable and comfortable range of girls clothing in a variety of bright colours so no irritating lines and folds to worry about this summer.

We have playsuits, track suits, skirts and bottoms to put some flair into those park trips. The quality of these pieces are excellent you can wash these pieces countless times and they will still remain immaculate.

We love this super soft baby Aqua playsuit  - A fabulous one piece playsuit that looks as good on tiny tots as it does on older girls. Its versatility really will make it a wardrobe staple for the summer.

Do you iron all  your clothes at home?

Welcoming you back from the Easter bank holiday weekend, this week’s Half Pint Chic sale is a combination of Baby Graziella brands featuring Coccobirillo, Boys and Girls and Baby Graziella.

This beautiful Italian childrenswear designer offers a range of adorable clothing to get you ready for summer.  For the girls pretty t-shirts and dresses with plenty of frills, bows and diamantes and for the boys, smart nautical styles, crisp polo collars, bermuda shorts and fancy shirts for all occasions. Lots of red, whites and blues again, great for the Jubilee.

Baby Graziella is also a clear favourite amongst the mini celebrities including most recently, baby Clemency ,TV journalist Kate Silverton’s newborn.

We love, this gorgeous combination of red and white for the little ladies and smart and sporty navy set for the little soldiers in our lives.

Our latest sale is worth staying up for this week. It features designer nightwear brand, Mini Vanilla, also found at prestigious Harrods.

We are offering a wonderful collection of beautifully stitched shorties and classic checked pyjamas to keep the kids looking cute even when they are asleep!

We love these blue and red pyjamas complete with Union Jack are perfect for getting into the spirit of things with the Jubilee and Olympics around the corner.

Looking for a gift? The Mini Vanilla baby sleepwear is also perfect for gifts, as the sets all come in their own little gift bag or box. These little forget me not shorties are just the catch for babies this summer.

This week the Huffington Post opened a blogging debate on whether we should care about children's fashion? 

The question feels a bit wrong headed - of course it isn't important - but it is fun and it is undeniable that children love to dress up, so provided that fashion is about them and what they want to do, rather than something imposed on them how can it be bad? 

The weekly sales we run at Halfpintchic.com,  we like to think, encourage experimentation and make it fun. The discounts mean parents can buy beautiful clothes without breaking the bank and the variety of brands introduces far greater choice for the kids (if you let them).   

Our latest sale features Scandinavian designer Lille Barn – beautifully made clothes in natural fabrics created to make dressing children easy and maintaining their good looks wash after wash. All garments (including their Merino Wools) are machine washable.

We say yes to children’s fashion, what do you think? Give us your opinion here in our comment box.

Easter is approaching fast and many of us will be lucky enough to escape for a while with the family and enjoy some precious time together.

Luxury travel gurus Babyfriendly Boltholes has helped us put together a super list of last minute breaks for you and the little ones, as well as some must have items from our special Easter Weekend sale.

French escape

 A New boutique house crammed with mid-century classics and boasting a heated infinity pool with views of snow-capped Pyrenees! This pretty white bag by Tartine et Chocolat is a great accessory for any little girl collecting eggs this Easter!

Beach bolthole

A Family-friendly hip hotel on Portugal's Algarve coast that combines cool contemporary interiors and a beach-side location with creche, kids club, indoor and outdoor pools and Easter egg hunts! This gorgeous rose swimsuit by Miss Blumarine will cheer up any beach babe.

Rustic retreat

A truly trendy Trullo near Ostuni on Italy' south-west coast that comes with funky furnishings a private pool and an organised Easter egg hunt. A lovely sundress like this green paisley one by Sunuva will be perfect for country walks paired with a cute straw hat.

Bay break

Family-friendly, mid-century modern is the feel of this surf-central beach bolthole, just a short stroll from Widemouth Bay in North Cornwall. These fabulous boys surfer shorts will be fun to wear in the waves.

Country chic

Quintessential country cottage with contemporary edge, just outside the market town of Shaftesbury. These comfy teddy bear pyjamas are great to relax in with a warm cup of cocoa before bed.

 Which is your favourite?

Happy holidays!

Prints are in again this summer and our latest sale, Egg by Susan Lazar offers simple yet chic designs using gorgeous patterns and happy colours made with natural fabrics.

 
We couldn’t resist showing off some of our favourite patterned picks. Sign up for this week’s sale www.halfpintchic.com

 
For your little lady - This Egg Cotton-Silk Floral Dress wont get in the way of some fun in the sun. A colourful babydoll sundress with bold floral print which is both comfy and light to wear. Made in a 70% cotton and 30% silk blend, it’s baby soft to the touch yet machine washable. £22 from £46.

For your little guy

This alligator shirt will become your little man’s favourite. Button down with chest pocket and 100% cotton he'll look super cute and smart and paired up with some cargo shorts ready for an outdoor adventure. A hit at just £16 from £34!

If you want to dress like your little one, we found two similar items so that you can match them, not the other way round! Nicole Farhi has rustled up this smart fishing print shirt for daddy.

And this white shift dress with bright yellow flowers by Oasis is perfect for mummy.