A cure for lower back pain?

THE HIPSEAT

£39.95



http://www.hippychick.com/index.cfm/product/hippychick-hipseat-992

The product could be thought of as the next step after the baby carrier. It is aimed at children from 6 months although I think that the child needs to be able to support themselves a little too and therefore I feel its probably safer for children over the age of one.

The hip seat works like the “bum bags”- ie it has a strap that ties around the waist. In the pocket of the “bumbag” is a light weight polystyrene seat that the child sits on. In this manner it helps to distribute the weight of the child on BOTH  hips. This is a clever design as the main skeleton of a person weight is distributed on their hip girdle. Consequently you are keeping your spine aligned at all times – as otherwise a child sits and their weight is carried on a single hip. The lower back muscles are also supported, preventing long term damage to the back.

The product is made of strong material with good quality stitching. It comes in a variety of colours and can be washed in the washing machine. It has a Velcro belt as well as a plastic safety belt fastener making sure that its is secured well around the person carrying the infant. It can be easily adjusted to different sizes. There is also an extra clip to fasten the excess belt material once it has been tied around your waist. It is comfortable to wear. The belt itself is very light in weight.

The product is good if you child is at an age that requires a lot of carrying. Or if you have on going problems with your lower back. It is also useful to prevent long term back problems. My son is 18 months and when he was ill he was very clingy and I found it helpful to wear this to carry him. Practically if your child is becoming independent and spends more time walking around this product is a bulky item to carry around with you in your bag or pushchair.  However if you have a planned day out where you know the child will become tired not want to sit in their pushchair and want to be constantly picked up this product is very useful.

No more bumps in the night!

http://www.hippychick.com/index.cfm/product/dream-tubes-single-bed-guard-cotton-699

It has a simple design but it is a very useful product. At a basic level it has two blow up tubes that fit into a compartments either side of a single bed sheet. Allowing the child to sleep in the middle but preventing them rolling out of the bed.

The tubes sit in the pockets of the sheet means that you do not feels the plastic against the child’s skin this adds to the comfort of the product.

I thought this product was really good. It is useful to help in the transition from cot to bed. It is better than the bed sides that can be bought as it covers the full length of the bed. This means that your little one can not slip out at one end of the bed.

There is ample room between the two tubes. This means that it can also be used for larger children or children with special needs. The sheet can be laundered in a standard wash and the tubes can be sterilised with sterilising solution making it a hygienic product. It would be a useful product for hotels to stock – prevents parents rearranging the hotel furniture!

The product is compact and light weight making it brilliant to travel with. Its like an upgrade to the travel cot but without the 15 kg weight allowance! The only criticism is that it doesn’t come with a neat bag to keep all the bits together. The portable nature of it means that it can fit nicely into a suite case to travel abroad. Alternatively its great when you are going to dinner at a friend or family member who may not have a cot.

A solution to the baby’s bottle addiction?

http://www.bickiepegs.co.uk

 

I love this cup. I wish I had known about it earlier. As soon as I gave the cup to my son he was able to drink out of independently. Initially a very little spill but within 5 minutes he had mastered it! The unique style of the cup means that the child can actually see how much he needs to tip the cup as he can see the fluid level coming towards him.

As soon as you start weaning you can use these cups – about 6 months. It helps to protect against dental decay as unlike the bottle the fluid does not stay for long periods of time in the mouth. It can be used for milk and water. The action of sipping from the cup strengthens the muscles of the mouth helping them to develop for chewing and talking.

The cups come in a variety of different colours. They can be washed in the dishwasher top rack. I have even heard that some mothers have skipped the bottle stage all together and have gone from breast feeding to cup!

A solution to road rage?

http://www.febreze.com/en-US/products/car-air-freshenerIt was extremely easy to attach to the car and the minute the seal was broken the scent filled the car.

Febreeze has recently launched an air freshener especially for cars. The device  is compact and stays fixed onto the air vent. It does not keep falling off like many other car air fresheners. It works by the air coming through the vent to circulate the smell. There is no need for any batteries or electrical sources. As soon as the seal is pierced the scent fills the car. It even reaches the passengers in the back. There is a small gage on the freshener that you can increase to neutralize smells quickly. This is useful for the stinky take away that you have picked up.  There are a number of smells to choose from. They have a fluid level to tell you when the air freshener is running out. I like this as it tells you in advance that you need to buy one at your next supermarket shop.

I think that some of the smells are a little overwhelming. Each packaging has a scratch smell so that you can smell it before you buy. I think that this is useful to help you choose which you like. The blossom smell is a little sweet may appeal more to women ; on the other hand the New Zealand fragrance is more likely to appeal to men as it is a more spicy!  

If you find the right smell it may even have a calming effect in traffic - the solution to road rage???

No more splish splash plop!

                                                          http://www.pourty.co.uk/products/pourty/

The product has been thoughtfully designed. The anti-splash mechanism is the sort of thing that only a parent that has experienced the beauties of potty training can appreciate.  The unique part about this product is that whilst emptying a conventional potty you pour the contents over the area where the child sits as a result the pee dribbles down the side of the potty and goes everywhere. This doesn't!

Instead this Potty has a unique pouring duct at the back of the potty. This enabled you to be able pour the poo and pee at the back of the potty without any dreaded splashes. You can adopt a “no touch technique” making the whole process quicker and more hygienic. No more arguing over who has to clean out the potty!

The ergonomics of the design is good too. My son enjoys sitting on it. We are still in the early stages of potty training as a result he is spending long periods of time on and off the potty. The height of the potty is good which means that he can quite easily get on and off of it. I think at the moment he sees it more of a comfortable chair. With the back edge higher than the front he can recline whilst seated on it – I’ve even caught the little monkey sitting on it with his feet crossed in front of him whilst reading a book!!

It’s a good value  price. Despite its simple design it is much better quality than the cheaper plastic ones. It is made of a good quality plastic that is thick and sturdy. It will take the weight of a good sized child without cracking. Further it won’t be knocked over easily when its full.

I think that the product is also great for nurseries and public places where people having to clean potties regularly. No one likes cleaning pee and poo and further its harder when its not your own kid! The fact that this prevents any spills and splashes makes an unpleasant task a bit more pleasant!

Baby bath bubbles that popped!

 

 

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/product-range/baby-toddler/baby-essentials/baby-essentials-product-detail-page/ps/p/baby-bath/

 

 

I used this for my son’s bath and I’m afraid I was a little disappointed.

 I didn't  like the smell of the baby bath as it smells very chemically.  Most of us mothers like to feel that we are putting natural products on our little treasures skin and this reminded me how synthetic the product is.

It has a gel consistency that is clear/white.  Whilst using the product it did froth up nicely and created some bubbles in the bath – which he enjoyed.

My little one was not phased by the product he in fact enjoyed bursting the bubbles and washing his bath toys with it! Apart from the slightly synthetic smell this product is very much in keeping with its competitors on the market.

Baby Oil for the Baby Spa!

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/product-range/baby-toddler/baby-essentials/baby-essentials-product-detail-page/ps/p/baby-oil/

 

 

 

I enjoyed using this oil for my son’s daily massage before bed.  The oil was light and  super absorbent. It does not feel greasy on my hands when I was rubbing it into his skin. He enjoyed it too wanting to get involved.  It smells lovely too.

The bottle is shaped to be held conveniently in the hand which is very useful when you have oil in your hands and you don’t want the bottle to slip from your hands!

The quality of the oil is good. My son has sensitive skin and did not react to the oil at all.

I also used the oil for his bath soak which moisturised his skin really nicely.

Can there really be a difference in baby wipes?

 

 

 

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/product-range/baby-toddler/award-winning-mamia-nappies-wipes/nappy-product-detail/ps/p/mamia-fragranced-baby-wipes/

These wipes are fantastic. When you have a huge dirty nappy on

 your hands. The last thing you need is to be fumbling for trying to

open the packet of wipes. This is why I love the easy opening and

closing packet. It also means that the wipes actually stay wet.

Otherwise I find that I end up wasting half the packet of wipes.

The wipes are economical as you get 80 compared to the 64 wipes

that you normally get in a packet. The size of each wipe is also larger

– making cleaning a lot easier.

There is something about these wipes that meant that my little ones’

botty remained free of nappy rash. In the past I have used some of

the other wipes and without a doubt he developed nappy rash.

These wipes are definitely a success in my opinion!

 

 

A luxury butter just in time for Christmas ..

Lurpak have recently launched a new butter. The first thing that strikes me is the packaging. It looks expensive and luxurious. It comes in a reusable metal container. Which means that the butter can be conveniently taken straight out of the fridge on to the breakfast table?  The packaging makes it an unusual but trendy item to be put into a Christmas hamper.

It tastes amazing: very creamy and melts in your mouth.  It almost feels like a waste to cook with as the fun is in actually tasting the butter on freshly baked bread or fresh scones.

The butter was a hit with all family members including my great grandmother and my little son. My son a fussy eater even enjoyed it on raisin bread.  As my son has now developed a tast for this luxurious butter it would be great to have an unsalted option too – maybe a new product development??

While the trend is now going full circle ie away from the margarines (due to the synthetic nature of them) and back to eating butter – when you are only eating a little amount its great taste to know that each mouthful is being wisely spent !!

CHOO CHOO HOP ON BOARD ... LEGO DUPLO TRAIN

 

 

I loved playing with this train as did my son! The blocks can be used to build a tower independently of building a train. Which means it can be used similarly to the Bric Box that the company produces as well. The quality and the size of the bricks are great. The bricks are brightly coloured, durable and can be cleaned easily. They can all be put in a bucket of Milton  after that play date where your friend forgot to tell you that their child is suffering from a dreaded cold or worse a tummy bug that you don’t want your child catching too!! They are safe. No small pieces.

 

The toy is educational with each of the carriages carrying different numbers. It teaches the child to get the numbers and carriages in the right order. It comes with a train driver and his dog. My son loved the little dog especially as it fitted nicely in has hand – he wanted to carry it everywhere!

The train can be pushed along all terrains-  from the carpet to in the bath and even outside in the garden.

 

I would recommend this for an educational but fun present.