Oct 6 2014

How many times have you wished your baby’s sleepsuit had a zip?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by admin

I’ve lost count of the number of times Craig has asked me this. When you’re in a rush to change a nappy (you expect a little explosion has gone off in there) poppers can be a real pain. This is made even worse when you have a newborn. There’s nothing worse than rocking and singing an overtired baby to sleep in the middle of the night, then hearing that squirty sound that can only signify one thing.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out the premise behind the Zippy Suit. It’s a popper-less take on the traditional sleepsuit. The idea is that nappy changes will be transformed and quicker for mum. There’s no more breaking your nails on poppers, or mis-aligning them when doing them up and having to start all over again.

The Concept

I’ll admit to being really confused about the Zippy Suit. Having read a dozen peer reviews of they all state the zip component runs from ankle to ankle *. This would have made perfect sense to me given that the product boasts that change-times will be quicker and less of a faff.

My Zippy Suit however, has one zip that goes from ankle to neck. The positives of this design change are twofold; you can pop baby in her sleepsuit without having to tug clothes over her head, and should your baby have particularly hideous accident, you don’t have to remove her soiled clothes over her head.

I’d question however, just how much quicker a nappy change will be if you have to unzip her from the neck to get to her legs and bum. But still, the mismatching popper thing is solved so I suppose the Zippy Suit still wins on this score.

* NOTE FROM ZIPPY SUIT - Based on customer feedback, we changed the zip design to make it run along the front rather than the legs as parents found this much easier yet still a huge advantage over poppers. The design is also similar to other well known brands popular in N American such as Hatley, Gap and Carters.

The Sizing and Style

The sizing is absolutely perfect. Heidi is currently 5 months and in a suit sized 3-6 months. This offers her plenty of room for growth whilst hugging her body in the right places. The integrated feet also stay where they should do which is no small feat (no pun intended). All in all, I’m pleased with the fit and Heidi looks adorable in it.

There are a total of 5 designs on the website (3 are fairly neutral, whilst 2 designs have a ‘gender bent’). Heidi was sent the pink flamingo design in hot pink with blue detailing. I actually really like it as it’s less cutesy than some of her others but a few more designs wouldn’t go amiss. As all of the rest of those available also feature small characters, it would be nice to reintroduce some more subtle ones like the old Starry Night design that proved a big hit with other bloggers.

The Quality and Execution

This is where the Zippy Suit fell short for me.

Although there’s a zip guard along the length of the zip to protect Heidi’s skin, there’s no zip hood to protect her neck from coming into contact with the zip tip. There is a woeful strip of material that attaches with a popper but this does nothing at all to cushion Heidi’s chin if she dozes whilst sitting. In fact, the only conceivable reason I can think of for the strip of material is to stop older children from playing with the zip (otherwise it doesn’t really serve a purpose).

Finally, within an hour of wearing it, a few threads of cotton came loose along the zip part. I was a bit disappointed with this considering the £12 price tag (coordinating bibs are £4.50, and £3.95 for hats). It also seems to have bobbled a little with just one wash which isn’t what I’ve come to expect of 100% cotton. Still, I don’t find these prices too unreasonable if the zip element really appeals to you.

I would say that we’ve been really impressed with John Lewis’ sleepsuits which feature integrated scratch mitts and come in some really cute designs. At £15 for a pack of three, I’d consider these the better value for money.

If the Zippy Suit still looks great to you, you can buy one from ZippySuit.com or find out more on Twitter and FB.

Oct 5 2014

Genius Front-fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

Posted on October 5, 2014 by admin

Capture2 Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

Sometimes in this line of work you stumble across products you can’t help but get excited about. Most are pretty simple ideas that solve a real problem - simple to the extent that you can’t help but wonder why no one has thought of it before.

Picture this. Your newborn baby hates being dressed. They can’t stand that split second you whip their vests off their head and they get a face full of fabric.

So maybe this isn’t you. Maybe instead you’re disabled and find it tricky to dress your baby. This is certainly the case for my mum who has had a stroke and has lost the use of one arm. Although she’s perfectly able to look after my children, physically she does struggle with basic tasks. If Heidi has an accident and soaks through her vest, she’ll find it almost impossible to strip her down and re-dress her. Heidi will be tugged about and have a huge tantrum as she can’t see the world around her for cloth.

Enter something so simple, so obvious and so well designed - Genius front-fastening bodysuits from Rubi and Boris! indexH Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

This works in a similiar way to a wrap dress. Baby’s arms go in, you secure it from within by some poppers, and again on the outside. There’s plenty of give in the fabric and it’s very generously sized - this means your Rubi and Boris bodysuit will have a longer ‘drawer-life’ than the usual over-the-head little number.

randb Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

I also loved that it arrived in a great little drawstring pouch making it an ideal baby shower gift. This serves as a neat little introduction to the goodies inside as it’s made from the same super soft organic cotton.

The cheeky name Rubi and Boris has a cute little back-story. Rubi (creator and designer) nicknamed husband Nizar ‘Boris’ many years ago. Rubi decided that if her dream of creating a childrens’ brand came to fruition, Rubi and Boris would be a little homage to their partnership. Eight years and two beautiful children later, that vision has become a reality.

005 Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

004 Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

Of course, although Rubi and Boris bodysuits are front-fastening, there’s also a gusset opening for when you team it with a pair of trousers, a skirt or a pullover dress. This means bum changes are still a walk in the park with no faffing around with outer garments. I’m a big fan of the contrasting stitching too which gives it that extra pop of colour.

025 Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

Perhaps my favourite thing about these is the v-neck design. Poor Heidi dribbles a fair bit - especially now she insists on holding her own bottle. This has led to a few patches of eczema under her chin where her bib has left some fabric exposed on a round-necked vest. With these bodysuits, the v-neck ensures her bibs can do the job they’re meant to and keep wetness away from her skin.

Heidi Genius Front fastening Bodysuits from Rubi and Boris

It’s also great to see that Rubi and Boris have managed to do the impossible and combine organic cotton and low prices. I happen to think £11.50 for one of these is great value for money. AND they do twin-packs. Great stuff.

It’s also nice to see that sleeveless bodysuits have made a comeback as these are so practical for wearing under dresses and PJs in the winter months.

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Of course I want to see more but I’m unsure where they’ll go from here. They have such a niche product that it’ll be hard to extend the range in an innovative way to complement this - I’d definitely recommend focusing on these bodysuits before venturing into trousers, tees and the like. They’ve tried to play around with colourways and designs but I’d definitely like to see some vibrant fabric that won’t show up little accidents so readily. One thing is for sure, I’m excited to see what they come up with next!

You can buy for yourself on rubiandboris.com or say hi on FB and Twitter.

Jul 21 2014

Natures Purest Eton Review

Posted on July 21, 2014 by admin

In the pretty and historic town of Eton, on the cobbled High Street nestled within a quintessentially English, Tudor beamed building, you’ll find a beautiful little baby shop. If you’re a mummy and baby brand addict (like moi) you’ll have heard the name before - Natures Purest (Eton).

There’s something so utterly soothing about shopping for baby. It’s a tactile and sensory experience. You’ll want to stroke every single babygrow, cuddle their first soft toy, and smell that first blanket. Baby shops should therefore look like your burgeoning nursery; immaculate, cosy and calming. Natures Purest in Eton is the absolute epitome of this. Every single nook and cranny has something beautiful and soft to fawn over. I defy any mum-to-be to walk in and not have to be prised away by their partner, shopping bags in hand.

The Natures Purest brand is synonymous with just that - nature’s purest. Every single one of their special products is born in Sri Lanka and all boast a reassuring garments without guilt certification proving that they are made to the highest ethical labour standards. But the crystal in the crown is the fact that every single thing in that dreamy little store is as pure and as soft as your babies skin.

No dyes. No bleach. No chemical pesticides. No heavy metals. No formaldehyde. No chlorinated phenols. No chloro-organic carriers. No biologically active finishes. Just 100% Natural and Pure

The first thing you’ll notice is the muted colours - expect creams and hues of brown and green. This is the colour of untouched unaltered cotton and it’s absolutely perfect for a breathtaking nursery to house a little boy or girl.

I was sent the sweetest and softest presents for Heidi by curator and director of Natures Purest Eton, the lovely Harina. Now I’m simply hooked. I love every single item of clothing, every single impossibly soft blanket, every single pair dinky of booties, all their wonderfully textured toys… everything.

First up Heidi received a beautiful heart adorned bamboo pram blanket in soft cream. Taking it out from its pretty little giftbox, it felt like silk and slipped through my fingers. This is so soft, and so lightweight it is the perfect blanket for this warm weather we’re experiencing.

Where babies can’t regulate their skin, Heidi-Bum was sleeping lighter than usual, waking for feeds and cuddles at 2am and sometimes again at 5am. We were so careful not to pile on layers and make her cot as unfussy as possible, that she was getting a little chilly in the wee hours.

Her new blanket has given us such peace of mind. We can lay her down in a little vest top and wrap her up in her pretty blanket. The natural cotton is entirely breathable and allows complete freedom of movement. She’s so comfortable in it that her sleep has been deeper and she’s perfectly still when she sleeps.

Bamboo has heaps of great properties. It’s antibacterial, offers UV protection and is 100% sustainable. For the quality alone, it’s worth every penny of its £28 price tag and I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. It’s simply the best blanket I’ve ever owned for either child.

Next, Heidi was sent an adorable sleepy sheepy sleepsuit in super soft organically grown naturally coloured cotton. This is a little big for her right now (3-6 months) but I couldn’t resist having her model it.

There’s gorgeous detailing on this sleepsuit and the little sheep with his furry ears and tuft of hair peeks through from Heidi’s tummy. Despite this, there are no rough inside seams and the suit is perfectly soft against Heidi’s skin. With tiny integrated feet, it will eventually fit snugly against her skin and give her warmth in the winter months, and allow her skin to breath if we’re still in the grips of this heatwave.

The cotton also washes beautifully with no bobbling, and holds its shape beautifully. I really believe you get what you pay for with babygrows, and investing in 3 or 4 quality pieces per clothing stage will fare miles better than dozens of packs from a supermarket. At £18, this sleepsuit is expensive, but it is the purest and most natural sleepsuit your baby will own and there’s a notable difference in quality.

Finally we were sent this adorable velour summer jacket for the cooler evenings. There’s no fastenings, it’s just a simple shrug to keep baby warm in the night air. This is slightly too big for her at the moment but will be the perfect size for taking away with us to Egypt over the Christmas period.

It’s so supremely soft and the muted colour will look perfect with any outfit. There’s subtle branding but otherwise it’s simple, understated and unfussy so Heidi can fall asleep in it comfortably without starchy collars and cuffs.

At £20, this is reasonable for such a versatile jacket that will last your baby all throughout the summer months.

If you want to see more of the products available at Natures Purest Eton, you can check out all the products online at www.naturespurest.co.uk - If you see anything you like, you can contact Harina to place a mail order: