Posted on August 26 2017
Alice Goldsmith and Georgie Parr, founders of Dotty Dungarees, fast becoming one of the most popular online children's brands, offer an insight into their favourite sites, apps and blogs.
Do one thing and do it well. Remember those words of wisdom? Alice Goldsmith and Georgie Parr took this advice and created a website that focuses solely on dungarees. The result is Dotty Dungarees, fast becoming one of the most popular online children's brands. Their dungarees, now available in long, short and dresses are loose fitting, slightly wide-cut, got sweet turn-ups and made with the softest jersey lining. Dotty Dungarees has been praised in Mini Vogue, the Junior Design Awards and the Dad Network Awards. This week, Alice and Georgie offer an insight into their favourite sites, apps and mailers.
Favourite website...
A: One that’s fast and intuitive. Net-A-Porter’s service is second to none; BBC News for staying in the loop; and Google for getting anywhere else.
G: Amazon, it is so easy to use that it's a go -o for the most random stuff
Favourite app...
A: I’ve just discovered TaskRabbit, an online marketplace matching freelance labour with local demand. They help you do almost anything; from building flatpack furniture to spring-cleaning. I called them to build my daughter’s excessively large Doll’s House for her fourth birthday next week. I think it would have taken me a good six hours and the lovely Nick did it in two.
G: 1 Second Every Day, it's a video collage app which takes one second film clips from every day and then puts them together so you have a five minute film for the year. It's amazing for capturing life with kids, which changes so fast.
My blog of choice...
A: I love My Baba, mainly because I love Leonora Bamford - but also because it always offers the sanest parenting advice and recommendations without the judgement.
G: The Dad Network, it is such fun seeing parenting from the man's perspective.
Internet hero...
A: Can I say Tim Berners Lee? After all he started it all.
Most recent buy online...
A: Edible gold paint for a unicorn cake.
G: Bright blue electrical wire. I'm renovating a house and we're finally down to the finishing touches. If you had asked a month ago, it would have been patio paving and other less interesting things.
Book just downloaded/ read
A: Does ‘The Highway Rat’ by Julia Donaldson count?! After the birth of my third baby (Edie) eight weeks ago, I don’t have much time to read!
G: I have a child-free week coming up and I want to take 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' by Betty Smith and 'Birdcage Walk' by Helen Dunmore. I always visit Nomad Books' website (or shop on the Fulham Road) for the best recommendations.
Favourite tweeter…
A: I’ve never fully got my head around Twitter. I much prefer the image-based social media, like Instagram. It always feels a much friendlier forum with fewer angry trolls.
G: I hardly ever go on Twitter but I love Sue Perkins - she's funny.
Favourite instagrammer…
A: Got to be @father_of_daughters. I find his brutal honesty hilarious and totally refreshing. After all, who hasn’t locked their children in the playpen with only Tampax to play with in order to get five minutes’ peace?!
G: I love following @NatGeo; I live in very urban places and seeing pictures every day of the big wild world is lovely.
Social media allowed us to meet…
A: Anyone I want (albeit virtually and probably borderline stalking!)
G: I'm not a huge social media user although I do love Instagram. But for me it is less about meeting people and more about staying in touch with those I know and also for inspiration from interiors to parenting.
Most worthwhile newsletter subscribed to…
A: I’m a consummate ‘unsubscriber’ I’m afraid, which is hypocritical given we send out a mailer every month.
G: I love gift brands like Graham & Green, Cox and Cox or Anthropologie. It is always so tempting to go and buy a small present for yourself or someone else!
Pet hate about life online...
A: How immediate and all consuming it can be. With iPhones and internet access wherever you go, people expect immediate answers. It leaves little free time and as hard as you try to put away your phone, you can never really escape. But when I’m with the children, I make a real effort to leave my phone in another room so I can fully focus on them.
G: Agreed, the feeling of never switching off properly.
Stand out online memory…
A: Getting our first web order for Dotty Dungarees. Our website works through Shopify and you get a ‘cha-ching’ sound whenever an order comes in. To this day I get a little surge of excitement when it goes off!
iPhone or Android?
A: iPhone although I miss my BlackBerry.
G: iPhone. Took me a while to come round to it, but wouldn't use anything else now.