AS MUM of Britain’s biggest family, Sue Radford knows a thing or two about running a busy household – and her seemingly effortless approach to parenting over the years has left millions in awe.
And it seems even Stacey Solomon, who has a 4.4 million strong fan base of her own, takes inspiration from the mum-of-22 just like the rest of us, with the famous mum turning to Sue for tips.
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Play time
With sunnier days ahead, Sue and Stacey will be spending more time outdoors with their kids – and luckily, both families have a pretty enviable garden to enjoy.
Mum-off-22 recently added a soft play set to her ever-expanding Morecambe, Lancs garden, which already has a hot tub, outdoor cinema and bar.
In the snaps posted on Instagram, Bonnie can be seen clambering on board the grey and white blocks from family business The Playtime Company, which is currently sold out online.
And just last week, Stacey Solomon’s young tot Rex was seen enjoying a play date with baby pal Ronnie, son of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch and her husband Jaimie, on the very same toy castle.
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The pals were climbing over the very same play set, proving a popular choice for busy mums with active toddlers.
And like the Radfords, who have spent the better part of lockdown transforming the garden at their 10-bed former care home, Stacey is bit by bit tackling the vast landscapes of her new £1.2million Essex cottage, which she considers her new “family” home.
Pri-mania
You’d be hard-pressed to find a mum who doesn’t hit up Primark, but the Loose Women star follows Sue’s lead in spoiling their kids with mega shopping hauls.
Last year, Stacey showed off one of her huge Primark hauls, which included a range of jumpers and jeans for her older boys, Zachary, 12, and Leighton, eight.
The thrifty mum raved about the chain’s trousers, and they’re a firm favourite for mum-of-22 Sue Radford as well.
At the time, Stacey revealed why she loved Primark trousers so much, saying: “I love jeans from Primark because I can get larger sizes and use the buttons to tighten them.
“Mine are really slim but really tall, so I have to get the longest leg then pull them really tight at the waist.”
For Sue, the purse-friendly store is a godsend and allows her to shop big at affordable prices – but she still spends hundreds in any one shop.
While enjoying a cross-country caravan trip last year, Sue ducked off to Primark to stock up on seasonal clothes for her huge brood.
The hall included a range of purse-friendly buys – including a selection of t-shirts, jackets, jeans, pyjamas and even accessories, with each of the older kids choosing some items they’d been lusting after.
The top picks among the stash of new clothes were the multiple pairs of denim jeans which the family bagged at £15 a pair.
Sue admitted that she “loves the jeans from Primark” and later added “I think they’re brilliant,” after showing of the multiple styles the girls had picked out.
Let there be light
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Stacey has been renovating her new Pickle Cottage room by room and recently showed of Rex’s new monochrome space on Instagram.
The young tot was treated to a super modern big boy space at their new family home, with a fun, interactive lighting feature on the wall.
Pretty thrilled with her Amazon buy, Stacey shared snaps of her youngster having a go at lighting them up.
The lights are hexagon shaped and can be placed on the wall in any pattern you choose – and they can be moved and changed with ease.
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Perhaps the mum-of-three got inspiration from Sue and her older boys Luke and James, whose newly renovated bedroom features some very similar lights.
The family shared the renovation updates on their YouTube channel in October last year, and the colour-changing lighting feature was an absolute hit.
Personalised toys
When Sue gave birth to Heidi in April last year, she showed off her daughter’s fun personalised Cotterpillar.
The cute cot lining caterpillar, which can be personalised with your child’s name, costs £10 per letter, and is created by Winchester-based mum Mel Panario.
The mum-off-22 raved about the “keepsake” item, admitting she was “obsessed” with it.
She shared a snap on the family Instagram page writing: “I love supporting smaller businesses, even more so now during these difficult and uncertain times.
“I’m sure Heidie will love having this as a keepsake as well when she’s older”.
The super cute baby toy is stylish way to make those hours spent leaning over your baby’s cot less painful – so naturally, Stacey, a new mum at the time, was a fan.
With Rex much smaller but just as cheeky, Stacey used the personalised Cotterpillar on his ball pit.
Mrs Hinch quickly followed suit had her own one for Ronnie, who is almost two-year-old.
In other news, the Radfords revealed the chaos of going on a huge family walk during lockdown.
And Sue revealed the £30 grey paint she uses to achieve her Mrs Hinch style home.
