If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that we're currently weaning Ben onto solid food. It's going really well and he's embracing the concept of food, but however you look at it, weaning is a messy process. You end up with food on your baby, on their clothes, on the table, on the floor, even in rooms that they didn't eat in (is anyone else's baby a thrower?) Messy Me is a brilliant range of products designed to make cleaning up the mess easier, with a range that includes splash mats, high chair covers, bibs, mini changing bags, and high chair inserts. They're all oilcloth, so completely wipe clean. Knowing how messy weaning can be, I jumped ...
The Infantino Cruise Around Activity Elephant Review
With a 3 year age gap between Max and Ben, it's fair to say that I didn't expect it to be easy to find toys that appealed to them both and that they could both play with together. But when I was asked to review the Cruise Around Activity Elephant from Infantino, I wondered whether this might just be the one that fit that brief. How Does It Work? The Infantino Cruise Around Activity Elephant is aimed at 9 months plus, and is designed to grow with your child, encouraging them to pull themselves up, and then teaching them counting and ball skills once they get to the later toddler stage. It's a great sensory experience, with bright colours, flashing lights, and ...
To Myself As A First Time Mum
Becoming a parent was the most life changing event in my life. It quite literally turned my life upside down - I'd always considered myself to be quite a selfish person, and yet suddenly I had this little being, entirely dependent on me, who I was desperate to do the best for. It's a really scary time. It's crammed to the brim with emotions, and you're trying to learn things you've never done before with next to nothing in the way of an instruction manual. There is so much that I'd want to tell myself as a first time parent... Trust Your Instincts As a first time mum, I scoffed at the phrase 'mother's intuition'. I'd never done this before, how could ...
Our Weaning Journey, with Obstacles Along the Way
Weaning was one of my favourite baby stages with Max. I loved the exploration, watching his little face light up as he tried new flavours, and seeing his mouth wide open, like a baby bird, waiting for you to spoon in his favourite food. I had my first inkling that weaning with Ben might not be that easy when we were advised to try early weaning to help with his reflux, but he didn't even seem to remotely understand the concept of food, and either refused to open his mouth, or gagged on whatever we gave him. We had two very tentative attempts before 6 months, both of which were resounding failures, so I abandoned the idea of early weaning ...
7 Reasons I Love Baby Wearing
With my first son, I found babywearing intimidating and uncomfortable. Despite him being a complete velcro baby who would almost certainly have loved the closeness, I just couldn't get on with it. The structured carriers I found uncomfortable, and I found the idea of a wrap or a ring sling far too complicated. I couldn't even tie a knot when I was in the Guides, how would I ever work out how to wrap my baby and stop him falling out? But second time around I was determined to try harder with baby wearing. I loved the concept of keeping your baby close, and the practicality of having your hands free. When you have a baby and an older child to ...
Introducing Daisy Belle Dreams
I'm a huge lover of toys that are a little bit different to the norm - toys that have a classic appeal but with a modern twist. Instagram is a great place to browse for inspiration, and that's where I first discovered Daisy Belle Dreams - an online boutique which stocks a beautiful range of toys, baby products, and gifts for stylish mums. I was thrilled to be chosen as a brand enthusiast recently so I wanted to introduce you all to Daisy Belle Dreams, their range of products, and let you get to know Julie, the lovely face behind the products. I was first drawn to Daisy Belle Dreams as they stock Maileg, the Danish toy brand, whose signature bunnies ...
How to Survive The Hell of Teething
Just when you thought you'd cracked the whole 'looking after a baby' thing, here comes teething to knock that new found confidence down a peg or two! As an adult, you forget how unbearable any kind of pain in your tooth is, until you watch your child go through it and suddenly it all seems horribly real. Sleepless nights, sore gums, ear pulling, dribbling, red cheeks, grumpiness, loose nappies - the list of teething symptoms is a long one! We're just entering what I call 'the two years of hell' with Ben, and I've put together a little list of all the things we've found to help us make it through ( mostly) unscathed. Teething Granules Max didn't really grasp the concept ...
Fear-Free Feeds with the Milk Monster
If you've read my post on Life Lately from last week, you'll know that I'm really struggling with the tiredness at the moment. Although I'm mainly breastfeeding, the one thing that we regularly do to try to allow me to get a tiny bit more sleep, is for John to do the first night feed when Ben wakes up. But that first wake up can vary hugely - sometimes he'll wake as early as 9.30, but it can be as late as 1am. And because John prefers to take the milk up when we go to bed, rather than when Ben wakes, it can be difficult to remember whether you made it within the 'safe' time limit of 2 hours ...
Sleep Training Success with Zazu Pam the Penguin
Despite both my husband and I being decidedly not morning people, we seem to have created an early riser in our son. 6am is a good start for us, but often he emerges in our doorway somewhere between 5 and 6. Very definitely not what you want when you have a newborn and have been up half the night anyway, so we knew we really wanted to tackle this problem before the new baby came along. When I was sent Zazu's Pam the Penguin to try out, my original intention was to use it for the new baby's room - it's so cute and looked so sweet sat in the nursery! But when Max saw it, he was really keen on it, so ...
Potty Training on the go with My Carry Potty - Review
Potty training is one of those things that I dreaded - you never quite know how it's going to go! I count ourselves very lucky that Max took to it without any problems and was so proud of himself to be a 'big boy' now. But one thing that we've still struggled with is when we're out and about, a long way from a toilet. We love being outdoors. A visit to a big garden, a National Trust, picnics in the summer - we love to feel the sunshine on our faces! But my experience of National Trusts and large gardens in general is that the toilets tend to be located near the entrance and it'll be once you reach the ...
