If you’ve got a baby, toddler or pre-teen in your world, then this shop has you covered.

By JENNIFER HOPPER

Jennifer Hopper’s path to prose has been winding. After trying her hand at everything from fashion designing to radio DJing (with stints as a wig-stylist and silver polisher in between), she realised picking up a pen might involve less late nights and hairspray. She took up a full-time copy gig with Scoopon.com.au in 2010, giving it all up in 2012 when she sub-divided and became mum to daughter, Bonnie. Jennifer will still write for money if asked nicely or given caramel slice. She’s currently working on her first children’s book as author and illustrator.

When Guy Polak’s wife said she couldn’t find time to shop in-between school drop offs, toddler naps and part-time work, he ripped off his shirt to reveal a secret ‘super’ identity and rock-hard abs. Sort of. The father of two was about to take the helm at Mumgo, the website dedicated to all things mum and baby owned by the Catchoftheday.com.au group. ‘Honestly, I took over Mumgo just in time to avert a nappy crisis at home,’ he laughs.

In its early days, Mumgo was a plucky internet startup with big ideas but no backing. With Catchoftheday on board and Guy at the controls, the site has gone from adorable infant to confident toddler. ‘Now Mumgo is what it was always destined to become; a mecca for mums,’ says Guy. ‘We’ve amped everything up,’ he says ‘if you’ve got a baby, toddler or pre-teen in your world, then Mumgo’s got you covered’. On any given day you can cruise the site and grab essentials like Huggies nappies, sleeping bags and feeding accessories through to toys, safety gear and strollers. Plus there’s loads of designer and boutique brand clothing and shoes.

So, you can buy your little cherub a white lace number for a party and some matching Mary-Janes, no problem? ‘Absolutely!’ says Guy, ‘And we’ve got the laundry detergent to wash it with after they’ve spilt orange cordial on it, too.’ He says.  ‘A quick Mumgo shop can have your kid kitted top to toe in big brands like Bonds, Huggies, Clarks, Grobag, and Baby Bjorn.

Cheapness aside, there’s another reason why Mumgo has found a faithful following amongst modern mums. ‘I think what a lot of mums appreciate about Mumgo is that it cuts down on that dreaded ‘trolley time’. You know, that hellish experience of wheeling around the supermarket or shopping mall at breakneck speed while your little darling is screaming for more Peppa Pig crackers or whatever. With Mumgo, you can fill your virtual trolley in total serenity.’ His advice? ‘Log on when bub’s in bed, make a cup of tea, pick and choose all the best bargains, then relax with a book! Ultimately, we’re about saving mums time and money – life’s too short to be in a queue at Woolies!’

And in case you’re worried you might miss a Mumgo bargain, Guy says not to sweat it; ‘Our members know we have their busy lifestyles in mind when we let our mega sales rip, ‘ he says. ‘We run on a schedule to match theirs. Mums are juggling all day, they’ve got pick-ups, drop offs, sports, activities, shopping, and whatever else they’re trying to squeeze in to 24 hours. Our newsletters are dropped in mum’s letter box at 10am each day – just after the whirlwind of school has settled and it’s time for that well deserved sit down!’

So next time you’re contemplating an exhausting mall marathon or supermarket dash with kids in tow, just use a lazy finger or two to type ‘Mumgo’ into google and go from there instead!