Review: Tesco Loves Baby Nappies & Wipes
May 15, 2013 at 8:54 pm | Posted in Reviews | 1 CommentTags: nappy comparisons, nappy reviews, Tesco Loves Baby
With the sad demise of Huggies nappies in the UK, we were looking for an alternative – especially as nappies cost so much, we wanted a cost effective option too.
We put Tesco Loves Baby, Aldi’s Mamia and Cheeky Bots nappies, also available at Tesco to the test.
Today I’m reviewing the Tesco Loves Baby range and having already purchased some of the products because I was swayed by the pretty packaging, we were happy to oblige when asked to road test the nappies.
I always stick to a promise to readers, and to myself to post honest reviews and I can honestly say that we haven’t had one leak with Tesco nappies – they’re great. Some nappies are stiff and uncomfortable, others just feel cheap and the worst ones leak from the sides within a matter of minutes.
We’ve been really happy with both the quality and the price of both the nappies and wipes – and when they look good too it’s an added bonus.
Tesco regularly has baby offers and events so watch out for discounts. The Clubcard voucher double up scheme has also just started again and you can double up for vouchers redeemable against baby products.
A 36 pack of nappies is currently £5.97 or two for £10.
There’s loads in the range as well as nappies and wipes – bottles, feeding equipment, teething products and dummies to name but a few.
Happy nappy shopping.
This is a sponsored post. I stick to the Bloggers with Integrity code to post reviews that are as honest as Santa, as useful as Supernanny and as accurate as Carol Vorderman.
Review: Sistema Sandwich Boxes
April 10, 2013 at 8:38 pm | Posted in Foodie Stuff, Reviews | 1 CommentTags: lunch boxes, lunch cube, packed lunches, Sistema, slimline quaddie, squeeze bottle
When you become a parent, you develop a bit of a tupperware habit. I’ve also realised this week that I am definitely a grown up as I have a tendancy to decant dry goods into pretty jars or plastic containers – herbs and spices, gravy granules (yes I cheat) and even baby formula.
Ready for back to school, we’ve been putting Sistema sandwich boxes and drinks bottles to the test.
As soon as we unpacked the boxes, our four year old (Bear) insisted we add name labels and sit down for a packed lunch. So we did. First, we packed up the Slimline Quaddie which has lots of compartments – a big section underneath ideal for sandwiches and a banana, and three smaller compartments on the top. One contains a small square drinks bottle. Daddy has one of these lunchboxes for work, and uses the bottle for sauce for his pasta, stir fry or salad, so Bear insisted on having ketchup in his.
We added cucumber, a satsuma, crisps and a strawberry whoopie pie to the other sections – and then we ate.
We also put the Squeeze Bottle to the test which is simple, slimline and has an easy twist opening and can be squeezed as the name suggests. It does what it says on the tin really. And importantly, it doesn’t leak.
Finally, we tried out the Lunch Cube, which again has great compartments and is ideal for kids lunches or adults. With a sandwich section in the bottom and two compartments in the top, it fits everything in neatly.
Having sections in lunch boxes means you can cut down on waste – there’s less need for foil or film because everything is kept in its place.
Age four also seems to be a particularly picky and fussy age – our son seems to be as fussy about the contents of his lunch box as he does about the box itself. These were a hit so we’re happy!
There are plenty of places to buy Sistema products in the UK. And the prices are very reasonable too – £5 for the Slimline Quaddie lunch box on Amazon.
You can find out more about the Sistema story in this video…
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We were sent these Sistema products to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to post honest and open reviews.
Review: Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair & newborn set
April 3, 2013 at 1:20 pm | Posted in Reviews | 1 CommentTags: baby seat reviews, highchair reviews, newborn set, Stokke Tripp Trapp, Xplory
I hadn’t realised until recently how much time we spend sitting at our dining room table. So being able to have Sully, our newborn at the table with us has been fantastic.
There are some baby necessities you just can’t predict needing but I guarantee that for anyone with an older child, especially of school age, this is just invaluable.
We’ve been using the Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair with the added newborn set since Sully was born. He used to sleep in it and now he sits with us while we have breakfast, lunch, do homework, play board games and watch silly videos on the iPad. He’s always a part of everything we do which I love.
The whole Stokke philosophy is based around connection – The Xplory pushchair has a high seat which faces you on eye level and without getting overly slushy, it really is amazing how much more involved you are with your baby on a daily basis when you can push them around and communicating with them. Even if it is just ridiculous cooing faces in those early months.
We’ve just started weaning Sully and the newborn seat is perfect for that too. It’s comfortable for a small baby yet upright enough for feeding. We’ll shortly move to the baby set having used one at Barefoot Books today and realising that he’s big enough to sit in it.
The Stokke Tripp Trapp is an investment – you can use it from birth right up to adult by moving through the newborn set, baby set and then just using the wooden chair and moving the slats down.
I really can’t recommend this highly enough. Of all the products I’ve ever bought or reviewed as a parent, this is just a huge must have. I absolutely love it and love having Sully sitting right with me. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow up with it.
You can read my review of the Stokke Xplory here.
Watch the Tripp Trapp video too…
We were sent the Tripp Trapp to review along with the newborn and baby sets. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to post honest and open reviews.
Review: Kiddy Guardianfix Pro 2 Car Seat
March 5, 2013 at 6:16 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a commentTags: car seat reviews, car seats for children, Kiddy Guardianfix Pro 2 car seat, which! review car seats
We’ve tried and tested a number of different styles and brands of car seat – some dreadful – some really good. Ease of use and fitting as well as safety are top priorities.
The Kiddy Guardianfix Pro 2 car seat includes a new piece of design which is a first – a bolster bar that slots in across the front of the child for added security – seen in the picture above. It’s recently won a Which! Best Buy Award which is a real help to parents looking to make an informed choice. This is a group 1, 2 and 3 car seat which grows with your child - it can be used from 9kg-36kg.
Check out what we thought of the car seat – it’s a definite thumbs up. If our four year old had his way, he’d be using the safety bar despite not really needing it at his age, it was a real hit.
This is what the Which! report has to say:
“It offers impressive side crash protection and head support and is a great
choice if you have a car that allows you to use the Isofix installation option.” It approves of the
dual option to use Isofix connectors or simply install it with the regular seatbelt, which is required
in any case for use during Group 1 stage, when the ‘Kiddy Impact Shield’ system protects the
younger child until they weigh 18kg. The impact shield has been shown to significantly reduce the
risk of serious injury to the child in simulated crash tests at 41mph.
Extremely low pollutant levels, excellent safety, outstanding ease of use and good quality were
all recognised by the judges and led to top marks. According to Which magazine the Kiddy
Guardianfix Pro 2, “Is easier to fit with the Isofix connectors than with the adult belt alone, but a
good belt routing means the risk of installing it incorrectly is low”.
The box made a good car too….
The Kiddy Guardianfix Pro 2 car seat retails at £250 – visit the Kiddy website for more information.
We were lucky enough to receive the Kiddy Guardianfix Pro 2 car seat to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to post honest and open reviews.
Review: Scosche Rhythm Pulse Monitor
February 26, 2013 at 1:41 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a commentTags: calories counters, Heart rate monitors, Scosche Rhythm Pulse Monitor, weight loss aids
Everyone tells you that it’s harder to lose the baby weight second time round, so after baby number two, I’ve enlisted a little help.
We’ve been reviewing the Schosche Rhythm Pulse Monitor (£99.95 from the Apple Store), which allows you to accurately monitor your exercise and daily activities including pulse rate, calories burned, speed, pace, route and distance.
It’s a great looking gadget which you strap onto your forearm, with the monitor against the inside of your arm. It’s small and lightweight and fits easily under your clothes.
It operates with one button and syncs easily via blue tooth with your smartphone or tablet - I am using it on my iPhone with the Scosche Rhythm app, downloaded for free from the App Store. Once you’ve paired the device with your phone and opened the app, a clear, personalised dashboard gives you stats about your workout. All you do is switch the device on and press start in the app. What’s great is that you can also stream music wirelessly with it.
At the end of your workout you can see how many calories you’ve burned and various stats about your pulse rate. I was amazed to see that the 20 minute round trip to school each morning is burning 250 calories! Because you can see the calories clocking up as you go, it’s a great incentive to work harder.
You can enter your own activities, such as the 30 Day Shred DVD that I’m currently doing. Choose your own workout each time you press start and record the details of your own workouts. You can add details to the calendar and keep track of your progress and weight loss. It’s a great way to motivate you to set a goal and stick at it.
So far, I’ve lost a stone of baby weight – I have another to go but I feel good about what I’ve achieved so far in three months!
We were sent the Scosche Rhythm Pulse Monitor to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to post honest, open reviews.
Review: Mamascarf Breastfeeding Scarf
February 21, 2013 at 6:54 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a commentTags: Breastfeeding covers, breastfeeding slings, Mamascarf
Some women are natural breastfeeders and can whop a boob out any place, any time, under any circumstances AND continue their conversation whilst tending to an older child at the same time as well.
Other women cannot.
I am other women.
So, if you don’t wish to be housebound or banished to the loneliness of ‘the other room’ every three to four hours then there needs to be a solution. We put the Mamascarf breast feeding scarf to the test with our newborn Sully.
The first outing for the neat navy embroidered scarf was a very public place – the Southbank Cafe in London just before Christmas during a trip to the German Christmas Markets on the waterfront. A family outing with our four year old and then two week old Sully. It’s that period of parenting when you’re still slightly sweaty and anxious about getting out and about but fiercely determined to prove that you can do it and enjoy trips as normal.
So I slipped him into the sling and got comfy and it was fine! I sat, beaming, feeling smug as I fed our son, in public, discreetly AND had a cup of tea at the same time. It’s never going to be as easy as breastfeeding on the comfort of your sofa with numerous pillows to support you but it makes public feeding really simple and stress free.
The fabric is lightweight so your baby doesn’t get hot and the design is simple and stylish. Before getting this I’d bought a big woollen pashmina to use, considering it was winter, but it was far too hot and bulky. The Mamascarf fits nicely in your change bag.
The scarf costs around £17.99 but if you like the Facebook page you can get at 10% discount.
Definitely worth it for anyone who wants to feed publicly but lacks the confidence to let it all show.
We were sent the Mamascarf breastfeeding scarf to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to only post honest and open reviews.
Review: Lego Duplo Photo Safari play set
February 12, 2013 at 9:10 am | Posted in Reviews | Leave a commentTags: Best toys for five year olds, construction toys, Lego, Lego Duplo Photo Safari
As a Lego Duplo ambassador we get to road test new Lego Duplo sets, can’t be bad!
So this time we’re road testing the Lego Duplo Photo Safari play set. And at age four, for our son playtime is all about role play and story telling.
So, this set is great, because as well as following the simple instructions, he can make up his own designs with the combination of bricks, animals, people and objects.
We love Duplo because you can mix and match the sets – at this age there is absolutely no reason that Lightening McQueen can’t come on safari.
We especially like the Lego Duplo Photo Safari set because the animals have mouths that open and close!
There are so many great play patterns within this set – mother and baby animals, cooking, camping out, exploring and photography. And now that Bear is old enough, it’s great to listen to him creating his own stories with the characters.
Out of all the toys we own, we know that we’ll still be playing with Lego for years and years to come.
This video shows that a child is happy with a plastic crocodile and his imagination – oh and a little tune… madness but quite cute all the same.
We are on the Lego Duplo blogger panel and we were lucky enough to be sent the Lego Duplo Photo Safari set to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to only post honest and open reviews.
Review: Stokke Xplory
January 27, 2013 at 8:54 pm | Posted in Reviews | 2 CommentsTags: best pushchairs for babies, Pushchair reviews, Stokke strollers, Stokke Xplory, stroller reviews, top 10 pushchairs
As regular readers will know, we are overjoyed to be parents once again.
And new baby equals a new buggy to road test.
This time we’re putting the Stokke Xplory to the test and for those who want to quick facts, here goes.
- It’s revolutionary in terms of design and usability.
- It will last you from newborn to walking – you’ll only ever need one pushchair. It grows with your child.
- It’s incredibly easy to push with one hand.
- It’s quick and easy to fold down in two movements.
- The seat can be forward or rear facing.
- The beauty of having your baby facing you at your height is just lovely. As such, it’s dubbed the ultimate connection stroller.
- The base bag fits in everything you could possibly need.
- The hood and rain cover are perfect for British weather.
- You can push the Stokke Xplory through snow – and pull a sledge at the same time (I did!).
- The extras such as the footmuff and buggy board are well worth looking at.
- It costs from £699 – Stokke Xplory on the Kiddisave website
To finish off – a buggy is a worthwhile investment, we all know that. What we don’t realise until we have a bad one is that it can be the difference between getting to the shops/school/friends with a smile – or not. Getting stuck on kerbs, the buggy tipping up under the weight of shopping, a wheel not going round properly, a handle snapping off. It all causes unnecessary stress. Rest assured, with a Stokke you’re never going to get anything but slightly smug joy out of pushing it. Well, you have a beautiful baby, they deserve something beautiful to ride in.
Still not convinced? Watch this and you will be.
The finer details:
Weight
- Chassis with seat 12,1 kg/26.5 lbs
- Chassis with carry cot 12,1 kg/26.5 lbs
- Chassis 8.3 kg/18,3 lbs
Measures
- Length: 75 – 102 cm.
Depending on if you are using Carry Cot/Seat,
and the height of the handle. - Height: 89 – 123 cm
Depending on how you adjust the height of the
Carry Cot/Seat.
This is a sponsored post. We were given the Stokke Xplory to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to only post honest and open reviews.
Groupon Offers & Deals: Review
January 21, 2013 at 8:45 pm | Posted in Reviews | 1 CommentTags: Brother sewing machine, deal websites, Groupon
I was recently asked to explore Groupon and put some of their deals and offers to the test. I’ve been a Groupon user for some time but confess to going through spells of checking the email alerts at times and then having patches of deleting them all without looking. This gave me a kick to look again at what the site has to offer.
One of the things I’ve been wanting to do since having our son 4 and a half years ago is invest in a sewing machine. So I am now the proud owner of a Brother 26 function machine – and it was a bargain on Groupon at £80 rather than £150.
I’m always really envious of people of make and create – fancy dress and school play costumes being a priority as a parent, but simple things like clothes repairs would be great too. My first challenge to myself is a Robin onsie for our six week old to go with our older sons Batman outfit! Wish me luck!
Over Christmas I got some great deals on Groupon as well for gifts – a wine tasting and an afternoon tea as well as a spa day. So now I check my email alerts far more frequently!
Make sure to sign up for email alerts for deals in your area and visit the site to see all of the Groupon offers. The concept is simple – if you’ve been under a stone and don’t already know – sellers sell in bulk and can therefore offer a heavily discounted price.
Happy shopping.
We were giving £50 to spend on Groupon in return for writing the review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to only post honest and open reviews of products and services relevant to me and my family.
Babies & Toddlers for Men, 101 Tips: Book Review
January 14, 2013 at 9:42 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a commentTags: Babies and toddlers for men, Mark Woods, Parenting advice for men, parenting books for dads, tips for dads
I asked a dad friend to put this new guide to the test, Babies and Toddlers for men 101 tips by author Mark Woods.
This is an extremely useful and not at all patronising guide to fatherhood. Real Dads sharing their own experiences and tips in a book for real Dads, there is no better teaching method.
Following the journey from birth to 3 years old I wish I had found this book before the birth of my son, and not when he was 6 months old, as it has made me realise that the things I was thinking and worrying about were in fact normal – not just with regards to my new born son but also what my partner was going through too.
The book deals with serious issues and light hearted matters in an easy to understand way. Broken down into manageable and easy to navigate subsections it will be a useful tool to refer back to time and time again. Providing a guide to the less obvious topics and various stages of child development which aren’t always given enough attention – including bum shuffling, distraction techniques and how important the role of the father is during the early stages of childhood.
The book Babies and Toddlers for Men 101 tips is available from Amazon from £4.79.
My friend received this book to review. I stick to the bloggers with integrity code to only write or post honest and open reviews.
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