Jan 20 2016

2016

Posted on January 20, 2016 by admin

The Whisbear “Humming Bear” is a soft toy that is cot-safe from birth & designed to emit white noise that resembles sounds that babies hear within the womb. “Toy of the Year” and a bestseller in Poland, this little guy was gifted to Princess Charlotte and is now breaking ground here in the UK

So what, if anything sets him apart from other sleeptime companions on the market?

So what exactly is he?

I’m calling him a ‘he’ as although I’m at risk of offending the PC brigade, he would better complement a blue / grey bedroom as opposed to a pink one. However he is intended to be gender neutral and, in fairness, babies do have a natural affinity for black, white and grey tones.

Whisbear

It’s also commonly accepted that white noise can be soothing for babies, right?

Well this little fella has a “shushing” / “humming” heart which can be likened to a hairdryer. This noise will mimic sounds that baby has heard in the womb. Nothing new there I hear you say.

Yet Whisbear is more technologically advanced than other white noise devices. In the first instance, the white noise is turned on by squeezing the heart which lives inside the back of his head within a Velcro pocket (obviously mum or dad will do this) - Then, not only does he then last a full 40 minutes to give baby adequate time to drift off, he also has a clever CRYSensor that swoops into action if your child wakes up. It’s also worth pointing out that the volume is adjustable so you turn it up over baby’s cries if they’ve worked themselves into a state.

He’s a quirky looking guy

Whisbear looks a little like a teddy octopus hybrid. He has a charming and baby-friendly face (no plastic eyes or hard bits), yet he also has 4 long textured legs rather than a traditional bear body. These legs (and his ears) are made from colourful and contrasting fabrics and have crinkle paper embedded within - perfect for curious fingers & encouraging early sensory development.

Whisbear Features

Another great feature is that the ends of the legs (the feet if you will) have hidden magnets in them. This means you can arrange him around cots bars, a pushchair chassis or car seat handle so he doesn’t physically have to be in the cot with baby if he’s proving too much of a distraction. That said, he is perfectly cot-safe and makes an adorable toy in his own right.

He is washable (as the white-noise maker is removable) and made in the EU from safe fabrics and materials. Handily he also comes in his own dustbag so will travel in style on holiday or to grandmas house (just as well as he’s likely to become an integral bedtime companion for your baby). Most notably there’s a real Scandi influence which all connotes a well-made and design-led product - as well as being practical, fun and stylish.

Whisbar Flat

Heidi’s reaction

I won’t kid myself or mislead you by saying this helped with Heidi’s sleeping in any way. But then, nothing does. My daughter is miracle of science and her sleeping problems have been well documented on this blog. In short, Heidi has night terrors, sleepwalks and wakes several times a night screaming and demanding a bottle. Given her case is now firmly in the hands of paediatricians, it would be pretty unfair of me to road test the Whisbear on such an abnormal sleeper.

Heidi Whisbear

So I’ve judged this product instead on it’s ability to soothe her mid-tantrum (and Lord knows she’s had enough of these recently!). In fact the Whisbear was invented to combat colic-induced pain, and has been hailed as a 24 hour remedy for calming little ones:

White noise can be used twenty-four hours a day. You`ll want to play it to calm crying episodes and during naps and nighttime sleep. Babies do best with special rumbling white noise. That`s what mimics the womb the best. The right type of white noise - for all naps and nights - is key to better sleep from day one to the first birthday… and well beyond!

Dr Harvey Karp, US-based Paediatrician

So what do I think?

I love him. He’s fantastic for nipping tantrums in the bud, and great as background noise when we read her a story at night. I can also recall a few times in the night where he’s been triggered into action by her whinging and managed to lull her back to sleep without us having to fetch her a bottle. I only wish we’d discovered him sooner as we might have stood a better chance of counteracting her unique set of sleep problems.

Any reservations?

There’s only one design flaw as I see it. That’s that, once he’s started his 40 minute cycle, if he’s in the clutches of your little one, you can’t turn him off. Owing to the fact his heart is in his head, you’ll find it tricky to extricate it and stop the sound.

Whisbear Heart

I also would have preferred a concealed zip for the heart pouch as this is less scratchy and better wearing than velcro. Again a moot point.

Where can I get one?

Whisbear is available in a few different colour ways (although these are very subtle and limited to the fabric on the legs). You can buy your own directly from the Whisbear website at a cost of £39.90.

Do I consider this reasonable?

Yep. Comparing it to Ewan the Dream Sheep (RRP £29.99) and other sound-based baby soothers, you’re getting a lot of added value here. Whisbear’s ergonomic design and textured ears are also more akin to a Lamaze pram toy than a soother. For me, this puts him in two camps - both toy and soother.

Yet you’re really paying for the CRYSensor technology. This is what sets this toy apart and is yet to replicated by other cot toys here in the UK. I never mind paying a premium for cutting edge products that deliver - I believe Whisbear to be one of those products.

Find out more

Facebook: @WhisbearUK / Twitter: @WhisbearUK / YouTube: @Whisbear

Want to win a Whisbear “The Humming Bear”?

If you’d like the chance to win a Whisbear for your little one, follow the instructions below. This giveaway is open to UK residents only & the lucky winner will be contacted via email shortly after the closing date (19/02/2016) - Good luck!

Win an awardwinning Whisbear “Humming Bear” worth £39.90

Terms and conditions

Entries close 19/02/2016 23:59
UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)
The winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 3 days of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn
When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winner completely at random
The winners name will be published on this site
There is no cash alternative

Competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Dec 6 2015

Win this Christmas with Sky Movies #SproutChristmas Competition

Posted on December 6, 2015 by admin

Although my tree isn’t up yet and I still haven’t bought a single present, the advent calendars were rolled out a few mornings ago and the kids have seen Father Christmas at Dexter’s school fete. At 3 years old, this is the first year he’s understood the significance of Christmas and he’s very excited.

Helping us set the scene for Christmas and build up the excitement are, as ever, Christmas ads. You’re sat there engrossed in the grim theatre of I’m a Celebrity when Ant and Dec guide us through to a break and our hearts melt as the big boys trawl out their lavish productions.

Among those who have surpassed themselves this year are Sky Movies. Their fun-filled extravaganza is definitely a contender for Christmas ad of the year and taps into some of our much-loved family movie favourites. It follows the story of Rosie who sulkily nabs the Brussel Sprouts off her Christmas dinner plate and disappears under the table after being told to eat them. In her sneaky endeavours she meets many a child’s idol as she flicks between film scenes trying to get rid. She swans through Cinderella’s ballroom casually tossing sprouts in champagne flutes, fends off a hostile dinosaur with a sprout as she helps the characters from Night at the Museum, and manages to dump another during an animated exchange with Baymax from Big Hero 6 - all films that are available over the festive period on Sky Movies.

So capitalising on the theme of the much maligned brussel sprout, Sky Movies invited a few bloggers to recreate a movie using the green version of Marmite. It just so happened, I was one of them. I chose Titanic, and well… this is how I managed to offend James Cameron on more levels than I’d care to mention.

Not alone in my efforts, here are some of my fellow bloggers giving it a go: The Oliver’s Madhouse, What the Redhead Said, The Mini Mes and Me (sit tight for this one), Henry’s Blog and The Yorkshire Dad (not long to wait)… Yes we all spent hours putting these beauties together. Well worth popping a few popcorn kernels ey?

Sooooo…. Given we all made wallys of ourselves, how do you fancy doing the same? … No?

**What I said you could Win Sky TV* for a year or £100 vouchers?**

If you fancy yourself as the next JJ Abrams, enter the Sky Movies #SproutChristmas Competition and and win big in time for Christmas. Just rip open a packet of sprouts and film a 2-3 min movie and you’ve sorted Christmas dinner or your partner’s or your kids’ pressies!

Sound too much like hard work? Well my movie took a few hours in total. They’re not asking for the new Wallace & Gromit, just a quicky Smartphone-made movie uploaded to their Facebook page. Pop on over to Sky Movies Facebook page for the lowdown and some rather hilarious entries!

Twitter fan? off you pop then - @SkyMovies!

Don’t want to enter but want to see all these great movies whilst supping Moët & Chandon and nicking the Snickers out of your child’s selection box - check out Sky Movies!

Oct 14 2015

My #DubaiChallenge - Dubai in 3 days!

Posted on October 14, 2015 by admin

#DubaiChallenge

Craig and I love to travel. There’s something about shutting the door and running down the drive with our suitcases, knowing that in a matter of hours we’ll be in a different country, wearing things we wouldn’t dare wear at home, and maxing out our credit cards on exotic foods and bucket list experiences.

When you have children, you quickly learn to really make the best of your time together as a couple. We love our mini-mes to bits, but the sleepless nights, endless grazed knees and dinnertime tantrums get the best of us every 6 months or so. We’ll then book a long weekend away and bribe our family and friends to help out - usually citing imminent divorce as an excuse for being selfish and holidaying without the kiddies. Although we should, we just don’t feel guilty.

So when holiday experts Travelbag recently got in touch and asked if I’d liked to enter their #DubaiChallenge to win a 3 night stay in Dubai, I didn’t need any convincing. In order to win, I need to tell you exactly what we’d get up to on our 3 day middle eastern adventure. Easy enough! Dubai has been a dream of ours for some time so this is something I could write about all day long.

So… Why Dubai?

Because it’s one of the most fascinating, contradictory and opulent places in the world. Formerly a simple fishing village, the city’s oil revenues accelerated its early development in the late 1960s. Having experienced exponential growth, the city has become a hub of world-class tourism and is now the 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East.

palm_jumeirah_ptw051208_1

To make up for a lack of cultural heritage and compete with the likes of Moscow and Shanghai, Dubai was arguably built to shock. The police drive Ferrari’s, it’s home to the world’s only 7* hotel, it has a man-made island (the Palm Jumeirah) lovingly referred to by locals as the eighth wonder of the world, and you’ll see dozens of gold-plated cars on its main streets. Dubai offers you a grown-up and more sensational version of Vegas, with malls that swell as far outwards, as its hotels do upwards.

So what would Craig and I get up to?

Day 1

After finding our hotel and getting our bearings, I’d whisk Craig straight to the Dubai Mall. Okay, okay - it’s not the most inventive use of our time and we’ll be treading in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of Brits before us, but what better way is there to de-stress from a long flight than iFlying (indoor skydiving)? I also really fancy the DubaiDino as I’ve never been to the National History Museum (I know, madness right?) and have heard this museum was years in the making. The aquarium is also a must-see with its underwater zoo and 51m walk-through tunnel in which 33,000 sharks, manta rays, and eels swim above the heads of gaping shoppers.

Dubai Aquarium Tunnel - Flickr: Rocking Cat

When sun sets we’ll head on up to the Burj Khalifa (all 124 floors worth, in a sickeningly quick elevator) so we can look out over Dubai as it transitions from day to night.

Dubai Mall and Fountain from Burj Khalifa - Flickr: Ihsann Adams

We’ll then dine at one of the restaurants at Souk Al Bahar facing the Burj Khalifa and watch the dancing fountain show. This was one of my highlights in Vegas, and this is supposed to surpass the Fountains of Bellagio in every which way (I’m yet to come across one bad review).

Dubai Mall Fountains - Flickr: JlllySpoon

Day 2

You’d have to have a few screws loose to not head across to the Atlantic Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, and thankfully insanity isn’t an affliction Craig or I have. After splashing around at the Aquaventure waterpark, going on the shark safari (with special helmets rather than breathing apparatus) and sunning ourselves on the beach, we’ll probably stop for drinks at the Barazura cocktail bar, then treat ourselves to some authentic middle eastern cuisine at the highly rated Saffron restaurant.

AtlantisDubai

As the sun goes down, we’ll head into the desert on safari. Afternoon desert-adventure tours include dune bashing at Big Red, sand boarding, or hot-air ballooning over the dunes as the sun goes down. Out of all these, ballooning sounds like the best way to really take in the unspoiled beauty and sheer enormity of the desert - and to be honest, I think we’ll probably need some R&R after such a frenetic first day.

Day 3

Mall of the Emirates - Flickr: Els

I suspect we’ll be utterly exhausted by then, and dare-I-say it missing the kiddies. This means we’ll want to wind down our last day with more gentle exploration of the city. I’m desperate to take in the Gold & Spice Souk (even if, by now our bank accounts have been frozen) just because it looks so mesmorizing in photographs. I’ll then try and convince Craig to go to the Mall of the Emirates so I can have my first ever go at skiing on its much famed indoor ski slope with real snow.

Inside Old Souk - Flickr: Soumit

If there’s any time left, Craig will also want to travel outside of the city centre to the Dubai Designer Outlet Mall to see if we can find any bargains. I’ll probably be on auto-pilot by then and won’t be so bothered when my tech-mad hubby starts prattling on about Sound Bars and 4K TVs… told you I had this planned out.