27 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products
There was a time when the thought of picking out a lunch bag for my little girl would have been unimaginable.
But now, as we hurtle towards my three year old’s first term at Pre-School, it feels like very much of a reality. Continue reading »
21 Sunday Jul 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products
You know how you can stumble across something pretty brilliant when you’re on the Internet? Well, my recent cyber travels have done just that.
Any spare time online recently has been spent browsing for summer shoes for my hypermobile tot. She has very bendy ankles, meaning she needs special hospital-issue insoles for her shoes which stop her feet rolling, causing stress to her knees and joints.
In the winter this doesn’t cause any problems; her insoles simply slot into her trainers or shoes. But in the summer we struggle to find shoes cool enough to stop her feet getting too hot, but sturdy enough to house her insoles.
That’s when I came across Keen Footwear at Jellyegg.
They are PERFECT!
The hard backs mean the insoles won’t slip out. Plus, the sides aren’t all flimsy either. They are pretty, comfy and look incredibly cool.
Frog is going to LOVE them.
And at a very reasonable £29.99, I love them too. They’ll do us for the beach, trips to farms and gardens and parks, running, jumping, climbing – the lot.
That’s not all though. After picking the shoes, my eye wandered to some of the other sections of the site. I saw they also sold my favourites – Havaianas flip-flops – as well as a whole load of other shoes, baby and kids stuff and home accessories.
From cool Aladdin Bento Boxes for your lunch, to handy KeepCup’s for your tea on the school run (everyone does it, no?!) and cosy Doomoo seats for babies and toddlers, this site is definitely about more than the shoes.
What sites have you discovered recently? Share them – I love a good find!
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This post is written in association with Jellyegg. All opinions remain my own. The Keen Footwear really is THAT great.
08 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products
My baby girl turned three years old a couple of weeks ago. While she ripped the wrapping off a multitude of presents, I sat watching in a dewy-eyed haze of “I can’t believe my tiny newborn is so big” disbelief.
I’m always really aware that kids’ birthdays can become a bit hectic with presents, like at Christmas. So while I wanted her to have stuff to open, I also wanted her to really enjoy each gift, rather than scrambling from one present to the next, to the next, in a frenzy of crazed unwrapping. Continue reading »
27 Monday May 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products, Fashion, Play
This is the face of a toddler who has just discovered The Best Dress Ever.
When I was asked if I’d be interested in reviewing a tutu from the brand new Mrs W Tutus I knew there was only one answer. With an almost-three year old nurturing an obsession with dressing up, I knew she’d be keen.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more right. Continue reading »
09 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products
Sometimes I feel like I spend my life clearing up tat. Plastic tat, at that.
From living room to kitchen to dining room to bedroom, my toddler leaves a trail of sparkly rubbish in her wake. As fast as I clear it out of the house, it makes its way back in again, like a persistent weed taking over a beautiful flower bed. Not that my house is like a beautiful flower bed, but you get the analogy.
In my attempts to banish the tatty paraphenalia, I have taken on a new game plan. This one involves finding new, better stuff to rival the plastic.
I’m drawn towards wooden toys, bright and bold colours rather than insipid sparkly ones, preferably with some kind of retro slant. The kind of things I don’t mind clogging up my living room. I know, I am a toy snob. Perhaps I wouldn’t be this way if we lived in a huge house with a playroom and deep cupboards, so I wouldn’t have to spend my evenings knee-deep in holographic stickers and dry felt-tip pens. That’s my excuse anyway. Continue reading »
09 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products, Fashion
The last month has been somewhat of a revelation in the parenting stakes. Have you ever noticed how just as you think you’ve got it sorted, a new curveball comes to challenge you? The challenge of the moment is… clothing. Or, rather, toddler clothing.
Despite not yet turning three, my daughter has developed incredibly strong opinions about what she will and will not wear.
Her fashionista choices deem wellies to be firmly IN and dresses firmly OUT. That’s fine, except for when she wants to wear her yellow wellies with a (completely inappropriate, bought by my sister as a joke) belly dancer outfit. To nursery. Not ideal. Continue reading »
30 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products, Play
This time last year, my diva daughter was only just learning to walk. With hypermobile joints delaying her physical development, she had regular physiotherapy sessions to try and get her up and about. During those sessions we were encouraged to invest in a ride-on toy and, later, a balance bike (this year’s planned birthday present) as we were told these would be great activities to strengthen her overly flexible joints and hone her balancing skills.
I laughed at the physiotherapist back then, unable to dream of my non-walking toddler having the physical ability to even stand unaided, let alone scoot herself around on a Micro Scooter. But, today, I was taken right back to that room in the hospital one year ago, vividly reliving the memory of my bendy daughter trying to pull herself onto her feet like a gangly baby giraffe.
29 Monday Apr 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products
Review
Having a baby is better than Christmas, in present terms. You get showered with all sorts of new items that you never knew existed, many of which you won’t even get to take out of the wrapping. Having been the new mum with a million and one cuddly toys, there are a couple of items I look out for now when I buy a present to welcome a new baby into the world. I’ll always try to find unique gifts for a newborn, rather than something they may already have, no matter how cute it is.
Last Saturday I got to test my baby present giving skills to the maximum, as I met (and cuddled and got broody over) our lovely friends’ new baby girl. There was a moment when my two year old gave her “new baby friend” a cuddle, when I thought my heart might actually burst in two, leaving me with nothing but a mushy puddle on the floor. Luckily my heart is actually made of stone and I’ve lived to tell the tale.
So, new unique baby gifts… Continue reading »
18 Thursday Apr 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products, Motherhood, Play, Work
Tags
There are a few products that have made my life as a busy working mum easier these past few weeks. These are new discoveries, that have either saved time, added a bit of luxury to an otherwise sparse day (my motto is “feel good, work better”) or just been handy toddler distraction techniques when I’ve needed a second to get something done.
In no particular order, they are:
This is my new Ella bag by Mia Tui. You wouldn’t know to look at it, but it’s actually a baby change bag. It has compartments for nappies, side pockets for baby wipes, an attachment to clip your keys to, pouches for bottles and a smaller handbag that slots inside, if you want to have a seperate bag for your own wallet and cards. Continue reading »
06 Wednesday Mar 2013
Posted in Baby and toddler products, Sleep
Review
My toddler is a bit of a pain when it comes to bedtime. There is the odd occasion when she pops into bed without a peep, but battles at bedtime are also a regular occurence in this house. One of the main reasons she gives for “NOT sleeping now Mummy!” is a fear of the dark. So, step up the Brother Max Bunny Nightlight.
Frog already has a nightlight in her room. Plus, she sleeps with the door ajar so the light from the landing peeps in. But, on evenings when she really doesn’t fancy giving in to her tiredness, these sources of light are no help. Something changed last week though. And I’m putting it down to this little beauty:
