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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 »
February 11th, 2010
Since we moved no2 son into his big boy bed, our nights have been rather more unsettled than previously. That’s because (unsurprisingly) he’s worked out that he can get out of bed and come and visit Mummy and Daddy next door. And given that his normal waking time is 6.10am, I’d really prefer it if he stayed tucked up safe and sound for another half hour at least.
It was with great hope, therefore, that I came across the ‘Groclock’ (£30 – £35) on one of the web parenting forums that I use. Some people swore by it, some were intrigued and I thought it sounded interesting and worth another look. So I did some desk research (read the reviews on Amazon) which gave pretty positive feedback.
 Groclock - time to wake up! I’ve been using it now for almost 3 weeks, so thought it was worthwhile posting a review.
On the plus side, it’s a nicely designed and packaged product. The little board book that comes with it is great quality cute and my son loves reading it (and in fact has memorised it and can read it to me). You can lock the keys so that your children can’t reset it, which is a bonus. And it gives enough of a glow that the room isn’t in darkness, but it won’t keep them awake either.
On the negative side, it didn’t work for us. It might have done if we’d introduced it as soon as we moved him from his cot to his big boy bed, BEFORE he’d worked out that he could get up when he pleased.  He still wakes during the night, disregards the clock and comes wandering into our bedroom. To be fair, he usually goes back and lies down again nicely when I show him that the sun hasn’t come up, but I still end up getting out of bed!
I’d also have liked the ability to have a different wake-up setting for weekends that could be stored automatically, rather than having to reset the wake-up time every Friday night. Â
In summary, if you’re thinking of moving your little one into their ‘big boy/girl bed’ and are concerned about them getting out of bed early, then get the clock now and start using it before the move. If you’ve already got an early starter, then I’d probably not bother.
Tags: groclock, groclock review
Posted in Buying For Baby | 2 Comments »
February 9th, 2010
I’m celebrating the fact that the comments on my blog have been fixed (which given the amount of spam comments I’m now receiving, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not).
Anyway, I thought I’d check that it’s working and also whether anyone actually reads my blog by offering 4 pairs of free tickets to the Baby Show at London Excel which is next weekend, 19th – 21st February. We’re launching the Cheeky Monkey Wipes Kit and we’ll be on stand C14 if you want to pop along.
To be in with a chance of winning, just leave a comment below explaining which of my recent blogs you like best and why. I’ll pick 4 winners at random by 5pm, Thursday 11th February and will highlight the winners comments.Â
Tags: baby show, baby show excel
Posted in Buying For Baby | 4 Comments »
December 8th, 2009
You’ve guessed by now that I’m not a massive fan of Christmas (or Xmyth as someone called it today. Google it. I like it.) Mainly because it makes me sad to see people going mad, buying loads of presents that are unwanted and unnecessary. It’s worse with children, who are so fickle and what they might play with for hours on end at a friends house is only given a quick once over at home and then relegated to the back of the toy cupboard from Boxing day.
So I thought I’d share the top 3 presents that my children have loved to date. If you’re a grandparents or aunt / uncle in need of pressie idea, these are guaranteed winners:
Stacking Cups: All kids love playing with stacking cups.  When they’re little, they’ll just be chuffed that they can hold them. As they get older they’ll actually start to stack them. And by the time they get to 2, they’ll be using them to serve you imaginary cups of tea. Fabulous.
Walker with bricks: Need I say more? This does exactly what it says on the tin. When they’re learning to walk your littl’uns can haul themselves around with this sturdy walker. The bricks make fabulous ammunition for throwing at your head – and also for stacking and knocking over of course. Immature parents can also amuse themselves by making rude  words from the letters on the blocks. Our walker was a christmas pressie for no1 son and 5 years later no 3 child is still having fun with it.Â
Little People Farm: This farm is just brilliant. It’s robust and sturdy, it makes funny animal noises when you press random bits and teaches your littl’uns animal names. There’s bits to poke and pull, places to drop things through and lots of animals to play with. Again, this was bought for my 5 year olds 1st christmas and is still being enjoyed by his siblings 5 years on. There’s a more up to date version available here.
Hopefully that’s a few ideas although I appreciate that they’re focused on the under twos – by next year I might have a few more recommendations!
Tags: buying for baby, christmas gifts for babies
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