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August 5th, 2010
 So you know what it’s like. You’ve been invited to a christening or naming ceremony and have run out of inspiration for gifts. Bibles and prayer books just aren’t appropriate for whatever reason. Silver spoons or other silverware which was thought to represent ongoing financial security for the child, now seem a bit twee. Unless of course it’s a gorgeous silver charm bracelet for a little girl – no-one can resist those!
However for many people these items are simply put in a drawer and forgotten which seems to be a real shame. Â Here’s a few alternative christening / naming ceremony gifts for you to consider.
Height Chart
My eldest boy received a height chart shaped like an aeroplane for his christening. Â It was brightly coloured and has been on the back of his bedroom door ever since. But they’re not just for boys, there are many variations available in all colours and themes including the ever popular giraffe chart.
Hand-made stool
My youngest children received two beautiful hand-made stools for their joint naming ceremony. Â They’re just a perfect size for little ones to clamber up onto, with sturdy legs meaning that they don’t tip over easily. Ours are used every day, but they now use them to climb up and get things that they shouldn’t do from the worktop, so maybe that’s not such a good idea!
Set of books
Another brilliant option for a naming ceremony gift is a set of (hardbacked) books. My children have the ‘Thomas the tank engine’ collection, plus all the Roald Dahl books and Audio CD’s. Snuggling up with a book before bed-time is something loved by both parents and children alike, so you can’t really go wrong with it?
Instant Photo Guest Book
Our last alternative is an Instant Photo Guest Books. Just ask everyone attending the christening or naming ceremony to complete the book, taking their picture and writing a message underneath for the child. It could be a piece of wisdom you wish to pass on, something frivolous or whatever you like really, but it will be a marvellous keepsake for the child to look back on in later years.
Instant Photo Guest Books come in a range of formats, including digital and fuji instax and are priced from £50 for the guest books alone, to £125 for kits including camera, guest book and film.
Tags: alternative christening gift ideas, alternative naming ceremony gift, unique christening gift, unique naming ceremony gift
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July 8th, 2010
Sorry I haven’t been around for a while. Â It’s been hectic, between Glasto and it being wedding season over at Instant Forever. But I thought I would drop you a little post about my newest and second best kitchen gadget of all time (after my Kitchenaid).
I recently attended a Pampered Chef party at a friends house. I went determined not to buy any more kitchen paraphernalia that would linger unloved in the bottom of a drawer, however I was won over with this little gadget. It’s not a product unique to Pampered chef as I found a ‘good grips’ alternative over at Amazon but I’d never seen one used before.
What sold me was the idea that you could use it to wedge your apple and then, without removing the core, wrap it all up in cling film for a packed lunch. Pleases even the fussiest eater – even no2 son eats his apples, carefully preserving the skin for the bin!
I’ve used it EVERY day since I bought it and there’s not many kitchen implements I can say the same thing for. My kids are definitely eating more apples and pears as a result which has got to be a good thing, right?
Tags: apple divider review, apple wedger review, bamboo baby wipes
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June 3rd, 2010
I’ve just received the most fabulous phone call and follow-up email from a customer that I had to share with you.
Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder what on earth possessed me to start a new business with three small children and a looming recession. Emails like this make it all worthwhile:
Helen, Thanks so much for your help today! I wanted to offer a written testimonial on Cheeky Wipes.
I was a little uncertain to begin with as I thought they were a bit of a novelty item that seemed quite expensive if I’m honest.
Having used them now for 3 months I can assure everyone that they are amazing and totally worth the money – I haven’t bought any disposable wipes since – the two packs I had before using Cheeky Wipes are still in the drawer unopened!
My little boy Alex is now 4 months – we’ve been using them since he was 3 weeks old and we absolutely love them! He had a lot of nappy rash when he was first born (we gave up on the cotton wool and water very early due to hassle and an irrational hatred of cotten wool!) which cleared up totally as soon as we started using the Cheeky Wipes because the essential oils are so gentle and effective on wiping poo off rather than around, which is what we found the disposable wipes did.
We have also used cloth nappies from early on (also highly recommended!), so washing the Cheeky Wipes has never been a problem as we just throw them in the wash with the nappies each day. Some great advice I have been given on getting them white again once going grey or poo stained is to put them out on the line rather than bleach them – the sun bleaches them beautifully white again within a couple of hours!
Cheeky Wipes were recommended to me by another mum who had had them recommended to her – I have so far not met a mum who has used and not loved them, my friend and I even accosted a poor unassuming couple at the Cheeky Wipes stand at the NEC Baby & Toddler Show last month to rave about how wonderful they are!
I love them so much I have just bought a second set as Alex is now weaning so I wanted a set for his face to keep by his highchair downstairs!
Thanks so much for such a fab invention! Claire M, (Proud mum to Alex, 4 months)
I’m so chuffed, I had to share, so excuse me for blowing my own trumpet. Â But if you’d like to read more, then visit my testimonials page.
Tags: bamboo wipes review, cheeky baby wipes review, organic wipes review, review cheeky wipes, washable wipes review
Posted in Buying For Baby | 3 Comments »
May 27th, 2010
I haven’t been around much this week because I’ve been catching up from attending the NEC Baby show last week / taking a teeny tiny bit of time off.
Aside from the thieving gypsies who unfortunately reinforced cultural stereotypes (yes, they were actual travelling folk and they were actually thieving) the most interesting thing I saw all weekend was the Baby Wheeleasy which is designed for wheeling stage 0 baby car seats around – avoiding the swinging, bumping and heaving which generally accompanies moving these car seats.
It particularly caught my attention because my Mum is an auxiliary nurse in a maternity unit and has been for the past 25 years. She’s now got a shoulder injury which she reckons is down to the fact that for many years it was standard practice for auxiliary nurses to have to carry new babies off the premises and actually put them into waiting cars. No real idea why they had to do it, something due to health and safety but which has fallen by the wayside as staff don’t have time to do it anymore.
Anyway, I digress. Basically the Baby Wheeleasy is a little set of wheels which your car seat straps into so that you can pull / push it around easily. I’m guessing it would be especially helpful if you’d just had a caesarian, but of course you’d still have to lift it into / out of cars.
I don’t think I’d use it as an alternative to a pram as your baby is really low to the ground, but for anyone who struggles to lift a car seat, this may well be the answer you’re looking for. The Baby Wheeleasy is priced at £34.95 and is available from Baby Wheel Easy.
Tags: baby wheeleasy, baby wheeleasy review, cloth baby wipes
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April 29th, 2010
As I said before, it’s pretty hectic doing any sort of exhibition, but Baby Shows seem to be particularly manic, maybe because there’s an awful lot of very heavily pregnant ladies there. I saw one lady who was due in a weeks time, but baby no1 had arrived a week early and I was convinced that she’d be into labour sooner rather than later after all that walking around. (It worked for me. No1 and no3 labours started after a good walk – no1 after walking round the county show all day with my in-laws and no3 after walking from Brighton Marina to the pier and back!)
So I didn’t get to see much of the rest of the exhibition, but these ladies had their stand conveniently situated on my route to the loo and this gorgeous swimsuit caught my eye. During my first pregnancy I bought a tankini style swimsuit from Mothercare which was unflattering in the extreme, however I almost wish I was pregnant again to wear this beautiful one from Mama Beach at Millison Boutique. With the flattering halterneck and bright pattern, it would definitely make any bump a beautiful one.
Even better, the lady who designs Mama Beach, Nicki Freer was there on the stand herself. I LOVE meeting the people behind the products and Nicki was no exception. What I hadn’t realised was that the swimsuits themselves are made from an Italian fabric and lined for more support and so that you never get that see-through effect. Never a good look at the best of times….
Anyway, normal service will be resumed next week and I’ll stop blethering about Baby Shows…until the NEC Baby Show on 22nd May of course!
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April 20th, 2010
OK. It’s the Scottish Baby Show this weekend (Friday – Sunday) and it’s causing me more stress than the usual ‘must get stock ready, self ready, kids sorted for husband’ stress. Why? Because that lovely big cloud of volcanic ash is scuppering my plans to fly from Gatwick to Glasgow.
I can see that it’s not ideal to be flying through a cloud of something which can potentially damage your multi-million pound plane, causing it to (maybe) crash and kill everyone inside. I get that. But it would also be helpful if my airline (Sleazyjet) would make a decision more than 4 hours in advance about whether they’re going to fly or not. Or offer to refund me if I choose an alternative method of travel in advance.
If the window of opportunity for flight does re-open, there’s no guarantee that I’ll get on a plane because ‘cancellations can happen at very short notice’. And with thousands of people stranded with no viable alternative, they can and should take preference for getting back to their loved ones.
So I’ve made the decision. Together with my trusty side-kick (Claire Sheridan from My Little Patch, we’ll be setting off together À la Thelma & Louise after the school run on Thursday morning. Large flask of coffee at the ready and maybe some red-bull too….
As a ‘Thank you’ for listening to me moan, I’ve got 6 free tickets the SECC Baby Show for anyone who wants them on a first come, first served basis. Just leave me a comment below and I’ll be in touch.
Tags: natural baby wipes, scottish baby show
Posted in Buying For Baby | 9 Comments »
March 30th, 2010
As you might already know or have guessed, I’m probably slightly weird in that I can’t sell something to other people unless I love it and use it myself. Hence why I started Instant Forever Photo Guest Books almost 5 years ago after using an Adesso Album for my wedding – mine is the wedding guest book on the homepage, if you’re interested….
I developed Cheeky Wipes after using washable wipes myself and going through a development process over a period of time. ‘How do I make these smell nice, How do I keep them fresh and handy, how do I ensure they wash well, what do I do when I’m out and about…’.
Same for the Itti Bitti nappies which are used everyday in our house. They were the result of a search for a slimmer fitting (cute) nappy for my skinny little daughter. Not that she’s skinny any more, but she was back then.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the latest addition to the Cheeky Wipes shop are the gorgeous bespoke baby gifts from My Little Patch which I’d bought as a present for a new baby of a good friend. The very clever and creative designer of My Little Patch, Claire Sheridan has agreed to let me stock some of her fabulous handmade baby blankets, comforters and bandana bibs. And from now until the end of April we’re offering 10% off any orders placed, simply by quoting the coupon code ‘april’.
We’ve got great examples of some pre-made blankets etc on the pages above, but if you’ve got a design in mind, you can mix and match from the fabrics below for a truly unique gift.
Tags: baby blankets, baby comforters, bandana bibs
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March 24th, 2010
If you’re new to the world of cloth nappies it can all seem a bit daunting. So many nappies do choose from, all-in-ones, two part systems, bamboo, cotton, micro-fibre – it’s hard to know where to start!
I’m working on the assumption that you’ve got this bit sorted (and if not I can recommend Itti Bitti, so the next thing you have to consider is what additional accessories you’ll need? I’ve listed these in priority order to help you out…
Nappy Bin / Bucket
This is pretty much a must-have (although I did meet a lady at one of the Baby Shows who wrapped her nappies up and checked them at the bottom of the stairs until she had a wash going on!!!) You need a decent sized nappy bucket to hold at least a couple of days worth of nappies (or up to 12 / 14).
Wet Nappy Bag
Again, this is pretty much a must-have as you’ll need to transport mucky nappies home if you’re out and about. You’ve got lots of choices for these and as long as it’s waterproof you’ll be fine. Our Large Nappy Wet Bag is very practical and will hold a LOT of nappies – at least 10, so it’s great for using at nursery etc. If you fancy something a little more stylish, our Monkey Foot Wet Bags come in a variety of sizes, with the medium to large ones being perfect for carrying your nappies when out and about.
Sanitiser
There are LOTS of different ways of ensuring that your nappies stay clean and hygienic. If you wet-pail (soak your nappies after use in your nappy bucket until washing) theen nappisan etc are a good idea. But no matter what you use for wet-pailing, it’s always a stinky, messy job when emptying. Which is why I dry-pail and then occasionally add a sanitising agent to my rinse cycle on my washing machine (in the fabric softener). Most of the time I use a few drops of our Mucky Wipes Tea Tree & Tea Tree Lemon oil as it smells great but is also anti-bacterial. However the Milton Fabric Solution is fabulous for using safely on all fabrics and can be used from 15 degrees.
Mesh Bag
Mesh Laundry Bags are usually used when wet-pailing however even if dry pailing, it can make transferring your mucky nappies into the washing machine just a little bit easier. Worth considering, but not a must have.
If I’ve missed anything from my list, or you disagree, please let me know!
Tags: nappy accessories, storing cloth nappies, washing cloth nappies
Posted in Buying For Baby, cloth nappy | 1 Comment »
March 18th, 2010
Just a quickie – we’ve updated our stockists page with all the Mothercare stores who stock Cheeky Wipes and I have to say it looks very impressive!
So if you’re interested in buying Cheeky Wipes, but would like to see them before you buy, you know where to look. If you’re a Cheeky Wipes stockist and your details aren’t on this page, just let me know!
Aside from this, we exhibit at most of the major Baby Shows (SECC, NEC, Excel & Earls Court) which are definitely worth a visit to get all your baby shopping done in one fell swoop – and save yourself some money!
Tags: Cheeky Wipes stockists; cheeky wipes mothercare
Posted in Buying For Baby, Washable Wipes FAQ | No Comments »
March 2nd, 2010
One of my Mummy friends has recently had her 4th baby, a little boy. She had never gone into labour herself and always ended up being induced at 10 – 12 days overdue. Imagine my surprise this time, when I texted her to wish her well for her induction at 6pm a couple of Thursdays ago. I received a return message from her husband saying that she’d gone into labour naturally herself at lunchtime and their new baby boy had been born at 5.21p.m!
I’m delighted that she finally got to experience a natural labour and can’t wait for the gory details when I see her later this week. I really want to give her a special present for her gorgeous new son. Because she already has 3 older children (and a house full of toys) I didn’t want to go down the cuddly toy route…and she’s also got shedloads of clothes from her two older boys.Â
 My Little Patch Blanket - Bitter Chocolate and Duck Egg Blue So when I came across these lovely bespoke blankets from My Little Patch I decided that it just had to be one of their lovely snuggly, minky-lined blankets. Each blanket is custom made, allowing you to choose from a range of funky cotton fabrics for the outer cover. I went for this beautiful chocolate brown and duck egg blue combination which is just gorgeous. The outer cover is made from 100% cotton, and there’s a range of funky fabrics available to suit every taste. On the inside, there’s a layer of warm, soft, fluffy Minky fabric (again available in a range of colours) in an Ivory colour which will just feel lovelyagainst his soft newborn skin. The blankets are priced at £25, which is a great price for a really unique baby gift.
My Little Patch is the work of an East Sussex based designer called Claire Sheridan and I LOVE her range of bibs, blankets and (coming soon!) Mother to be bags. We’re hoping to be the first retailer to stock her range of bespoke goodies, so watch this space for more details!
Tags: baby blanket gift, bespoke baby blanket, bespoke baby gift, buying for baby, unique baby gift
Posted in Buying For Baby | 2 Comments »
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