Alteya Organics review

http://www.alteyaorganics.com/baby-bottom-balm.html

After receiving multiple products to test at home for the Prima Baby Awards, we tried out this beautiful Alteya baby bottom balm.

A brand I'd not had any experience of using, I was keen to try it out on the boys! The container is a small silver tin and we found that a lot goes a long way. The smell is divine! Some creams we've tried are unfragranced, however this has a gorgeous, soothing aroma. After using for a few days, we found that it made a noticeable difference, keeping baby nappy rash free and fresh. 

I've also found that it's perfect for mums too. After having dry skin on my elbows for a prolonged time and trying out lots of products to relieve it, I became a little frustrated and decided to give it a try. It's so moisturising and gave a welcome relief! 

Priced at around £6 for a tin, it's a bargain! It lasts for a long time and I've already invested in it again! In the UK, I've found it to be cheapest on Amazon. Enjoy mums! Well done on your Prima Baby Bronze Award!

Frugi clothing review

I'd often viewed Frugi clothing online, but wasn't sure of their quality for the price and have tried out other brands after viewing online and have been largely disappointed! However, a few friends had said that they'd bought from Frugi and were impressed by their funky clothes; from casual wear of t shirts and jeans to beautiful dresses. I was overjoyed when I saw that they'd been shortlisted for a Prima Baby Award for toddler boys' fashion.

I had a browse at the current range online prior to going down to London for the awards and was impressed. Whilst at the awards, I had a good look at the boy's clothing in their range. The detail, stitching and softness of the fabrics were fantastic, you can see that a lot of planning and time has been spent on each lovingly made item.

A gorgeous outfit of a t shirt and dungarees were in Isaac's size, so I jumped at the chance to trial them. The dungarees were beautifully lined and had an embroidered dinosaur design on the front pocket. They looked fab on and a true to size fit. Durable and hardwearing fabrics in vibrant colours with an eye catching design-perfect! We received lots of compliments on his funky outfit and I was quick to recommend the brand.  

The clothes have washed very well with no fading or shrinkage. We'll be investing in more of the Frugi range, especially their summer clothing. 

Well done to Frugi on their silver Prima Baby Award!

Bambino Mio Miosolo Reusable nappies review

Bambino Mio Miosolo

As part of the Prima Baby Awards, I was asked to judge some reusable nappies. As a reusable nappy Virgin, I did a little research into the brands I'd be judging and spoke to some friends who use cloth nappies to obtain a little background into the benefits of reusables versus disposables. 

When I opened the judging pack, the Miosolo stood out straight away with a beautiful ladybird print. The Ladybird Ball (very girlie and pretty made me ponder extending my family to include a girl so that she could wear pretty things...) however, I digress; I washed it, which helps to improve the absorbency and decided to try it out during the day. It dried quickly and easily in the warmth of the conservatory.

I was impressed by its ease of use. Velcro tabs enabled me to adjust the waist and the poppers allowed be to amend the fit promptly and without fuss.

The nappy has a built in liner, this means that there's no additional stuffing needed and the 'all in one' design certainly increased its appeal to me. It was very absorbent; even after a few hours of baby moving around, it kept in place with no leaks and still had a snug fit. His skin still felt supple and no soreness or moisture seemed to touch his skin whilst wearing it.

Impressed, I washed and dried it again and decided to use it overnight. As Isaac is still a regular night feeder, in 9 hours, it was very wet! However he remained very comfortable, as the absorbent liner took any moisture away from his skin. Soiled nappies wash efficiently also. 

Bambino Mio Miosolo come in a range of designs, so rather than keeping him in a girlie design, I invested in some more of their lovely nappies; the spring and summer designs are lovely and again, wash really well. 

I'm not a complete convert to cloth nappies as yet, but frequently use them as a night nappy as I'm so impressed by their absorbency! I now have a list of 'wants' from their range, including Elephant Parade, London Calling and their new designs are beautiful!

Well done Bambino Mio Miosolo on your Gold Prima Baby Award. Bambino Mio Miosolo are available from several retailers. I purchased the Spring and Summer designs on Amazon and they cost around £15-£20 per nappy. Waitrose have also recently been appointed as a stockist.

The Prima Baby Awards results are in!

I'm so excited! The Prima Baby Awards results are out! If you want the low down of the must have products, then this is the magazine for you. A wide range of products for both babies and their mums have been put through their paces by a panel of judges (including me and my 2 discerning sons!) 

Over the coming weeks, I'm going to be reviewing some of the products that I've put through their paces. Keep an eye on the blog and my Twitter for more information! I've found this testing invaluable and found some fantastic products to recommend! 

Prima Baby magazine is available to download and paper copies in many newsagents and supermarkets. 

Dining out with children

I love to dine out, whether it be a quick snack or sandwich, a hearty meal or just a cuppa and cake. However, dining out with a toddler and a baby makes me a bit apprehensive; when it comes to perusing the menu, I'm often left wondering what on earth to choose for myself and the boys to eat. Whilst at home, I encourage the boys to eat a wide variety of foods and insist that they eat fruit and vegetables. 

Recently when eating out, I've asked in a variety of restaurants and pubs about getting a healthy meal for children, including vegetables. As a result, I've been incredibly disappointed and on more than one occasion, told that 'we don't do vegetables'. The usual of chicken nuggets, burgers, fish fingers and sausages, served with chips often don't appeal to me (or the boys!) I don't believe that this is acceptable and I've been researching local restaurants and pubs (Tyne and Wear) who cater for our needs.

Valley Farm in Team Valley is a place we've frequented recently as a family. They serve a carvery with a wide selection of vegetables and a varied main menu; it fits the bill for family dining. It includes 3 types of meat (usually beef, Turkey and gammon), multiple types of potatoes, to tasty parsnips and Yorkshire puddings; there's something for everyone (even the fussiest diner) available on the carvery. A small plate is enough to feed both of my boys. Priced at £4.95, it's great value and you can choose exactly what your child would eat. Recently, they've introduced a Golden menu, priced at £6.95 for 2 courses, with a choice of starters, mains (including a small carvery) and some great desserts. The chocolate brownie is delicious treat and was a big hit with us! The deal is a fantastic bargain and available Monday to Friday.

There's also a large entertainment space for children, where Noah loves to play on the computers and explore. It can become busy at weekends, so personally, I'd avoid then.

The Cakeaway is magnificent! With a choice of cakes to eat in or take away, priced at £4.25 for a huge slice! Noah took great pride in carrying it to the car. We'll be back for family dining soon!

Do you have any recommendations for eating out as a family in Tyne and Wear?

International Women's Day

Today marks International Women's Day and I'm very lucky to be surrounded by lots of strong and sensitive women. Each one of them, whether they're a full time mum, seeking employment, in paid employment, work as a volunteer or retired; they need to be recognised for their worth and impact on the world.

We live in such a diverse society and women need to support each other, not criticise or put each other down. We all make different choices for a variety of reasons. Let's support each other and let a strong woman know how much you admire her today! 

Which woman do you admire?

To schedule or not to schedule?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/mar/17/babies-fed-demand-better-school

I've just read the above article and pondering this research; I'm not sure if it's completely empirical, but certainly intriguing. When I had Noah, I bought quite a few baby books; one Gina Ford one and a few other baby 'guidebooks'. However, I soon felt like I was trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, especially with Gina Ford's highly structured approach. 

My baby wanted to feed to his own schedule, he didn't nap when the books said he should do,  he didn't feed when they said he should. I then realised that this was because he hadn't read the book, he couldn't read!

I followed his lead, fed him when he was hungry, allowed him to nap when he was tired and that worked for us. Scheduling just didn't appeal. It certainly isn't my personal style. 

Second time round, I had a very flexible approach; I spent the majority of the first week with Isaac attached to me feeding. He needed that and was thriving. He slept when he was tired, fed when he was hungry and cuddled when he needed to be soothed and that seemed to work for us. Happy and relaxed baby who is well rested and always has a smile on his face. Even at 8 months, I continue to follow his lead. It works for us! 

However, I know that lots of parents choose to schedule. Personally, I'd hate to be so regimented, but if it works for them, then good for them. They're the expert in their own child, not me!

As my boys are still young, I'm not sure if it'll have an impact upon their education. However, that's a whole other debate with lots of other factors to consider; quality of care and education, provision of support, not to mention genetics, parental involvement etc.

With regards to being a parent who is more exhausted and grumpy, I'm sure that all parents can relate to that at some point. Getting by during growth spurts is exhausting, but to see your child growing and developing is an absolute pleasure. However, I'm not sure if my husband would agree that I'm more exhausted or grumpy since having the boys and feeding on demand; if he made remarks like this, I'd likely bite his head off anyway...

Baby Led Weaning or Traditional Purees?

We began weaning Isaac a couple of months ago. Like his big brother, we waited until he was 6 months old, showed readiness, able to hold his own head and once again, have chosen to do Baby Led Weaning.

We had quite a successful journey with Noah, so thought it best to do this again. A lot of people ask me about it when they see the boys eating. BLW is simply offering real foods, initially in finger like shapes for babies to grasp and feed themselves. As baby becomes more competent, they'll eat the same meals as the rest of the family.

There are lots of pros and cons however:

Pros
At the child's own pace-not adult led, baby eats at their own pace.
Family friendly-meals are easy to adapt and elements for baby are easy to organise.
Time-no time spent batch cooking and blending foods.
Fosters independence-baby able to handle food and make decisions for themselves whilst feeding.
Hand and eye coordination-encourages baby's skills in hand and eye coordination. Baby's pincer grip is enhanced.
Baby is given a range of flavours and textures of foods, rather than smooth puréed food-baby is more keen to try out new flavours and textures, rather than refusals at a later date.
Expense-no expensive jars or pouches to buy!
Healthier weight- babies tend to be a healthier weight compared to babies weaned on purees (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/02February/Pages/spoonfeeding-baby-led-weaning-obesity.aspx)

Cons
The mess-it can get very messy, so if you're a clean freak, it's probably not for you.
Volume of food-it can be difficult to know how much food has actually been eaten, as a lot of it ends up on the floor.
Eating out-whilst eating out, some places have a limited children's menu and sometimes a lack of suitable vegetables for little ones to handle themselves.
Constipation-we've had a few occasions with the boys where they've clearly eaten too much and struggled to go.

A lot of friends and family expressed concern when we were weaning Noah; often confusing gagging with choking. Some even suggest that there is actually more of a risk of baby choking with puréed foods than the Baby Led route. As baby learns how to chew first, rather than just swallow, so personally, I found their concerns unfounded. I'd suggest that anyone, whether choosing to do BLW or traditional puréed foods should have a little knowledge of first aid, in the event of any choking incidents.

For more information about Baby Led Weaning, Gill Rapley's books are a wealth of information. Gill's information book and cookbook have been invaluable (both available on Amazon), alongside several Facebook groups dedicated to BLW. We also use a lot of Annabel Karmel's family friendly recipes from her website http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes

Our current breakfast favourite is banana and blueberry pancakes! Very simply, mash a banana, mix in an egg and add a handful of blueberries and fry. Very tasty and filling for all the family!

What's your favourite weaning recipe?