Night Light | My Mills Baby

index9 Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Now Littlest Mills is on the move, we’ve been on a baby-proofing mission. Heidi is now super fast at crawling and will pull herself up in a sort of tripod action to sit upright - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It must be incredibly tiring for her as she’s in one of those limbo states where she’s keen to try things, but not yet able to master them.

Dexter is also embarking on mission of epic proportions and the potty has made an appearance. With this comes a whole host of problems; nighttime dashes and an uncomfortable fascination with the toilet.

So who have we turned to? Who else but the masters of baby & toddler safety; Lindam.

Yep, our house is now a Lindam & Munchkin show home. There’s very little on their website that we don’t own! Of course, as a Munchkin & Lindam ambassador, it’s my job to put their smart and fun collection through its paces, and we’ve certainly done that! Here are just a few of my favourite things:

Nightlights

This Automatic Nursery Safety Sensor Light is fabulous for Mini Madam. It plugs into the mains so you’re not faffing around with batteries and has a long lifespan (provides over 10,000 hours of light). Better yet, you don’t need to turn it off, as it has a dusk’til dawn sensor; it detects light levels and will automatically switch on at dusk and off at dawn. Safety-wise, an LED bulb ensures the light remains cool to touch at all times.

It provides a soft blue light which is reassuring for Heidi and handy for us; If we pop our heads around the door we can spot her easily among her teddies and Galt blocks. When she’s more accustomed to her big girl room, this light will live on the landing providing a guiding light for a toilet-savvy Dexter for those nighttime wees.

(£7.98 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Dexter Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Speaking of nighttime wees… Dexter’s Light my Way Portable Nightlight is one of those must-have toddler essentials. It’s easy for chunky fingers to operate, switches itself off after 20 minutes and has a nifty little handle for finding the bathroom (or mum & dad) in the dark.

This is Dexter’s go-to product at bedtimes - he uses it to read or play in bed, and will often fall asleep with it inches from his head. There are no sharp bits to jab him awake and the LED light remains cool to touch at all times. Although it’s 100% battery-operated, it comes with 3AAA batteries and we haven’t had to change them (in nearly 4 months!).

(£9.98 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Room-blocking

gate Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

The Sure Shut Orto has been my saviour now Mini Madam is chasing after her brother everywhere. In fact, it’s been with us now for 2 years and has been invaluable throughout. Whether it’s sealing off the stairs, the kitchen or their rooms, it’s strong, robust and has never let us down. It’s a fully adjustable pressure gate that will fit openings between 75cm to 82cm (and can be extended up to 138cm with the use of separate extensions). As we rent our home this means no drilling into door frames and skirting boards. It can also be fitted in seconds (all tools come provided).

The best bit by far is the automatic closure. It features a gravity-fed hinge so the gate can close from any position as soon as the handle is released. You can also open it inwards and outwards depending on which way you’re approaching the gate (so is far less fussy than others we’ve come across). We can open it with one hand whilst our little people stare on in amazement - trust me Dexter’s had a very good go at opening it himself with zero success.

(£27.99 from the Munchkins / Lindam website)

Flexi Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

For Dexter’s room, the Flexiguard works a treat. I hate seeing him upset behind bars so this provides him with a soft surface to rally against at bedtimes. It’s four point pressure corner adjusters ensure a snug fit in openings from 71cm to 92cm and it can be fitted in seconds. I like that I can take it off easily and quickly to whisk him to the loo, then pop it back on at night when I need him to stay put.

The best bit? It’s lightweight and comes with a travel bag for easy transportation. Simply roll it up and sling it over your shoulder to take to grandmas or a friend’s house for coffee - with no tell tale marks that it’s even been there when you leave - Genius, just genius.

(£27.99 from the Munchkin / Lindam website)

Next on my hitlist are these seriously cool bath time toys - I’m sure I’ll be reporting on these soon.

Bathtime Lindam & Munchkin: Nightlights & Room Blocking

Bath Fun Bubble Blower £10.98 / Star Fountain £7.99 / Bath Fun Monster Truck £6.99 / Massaging Teether £6.99 / 36 Bath Letters and Numbers £6.48 / Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy £7.98

If you want to find out more about any of the products mentioned above, head to the website. Both Munchkin & Lindam are also a sociable bunch and have Facebook & Twitter if you have any questions:

FACEBOOK: Lindam

FACKBOOK: Munchkin

TWITTER: Lindam

TWITTER: Munchkin

Unsettled Baby = Exhausted Mummy

(…. And don’t we all know it!)

I’ve been relatively lucky with Heidi and it’s usually easy to pinpoint the reasons for a meltdown; she’s ready for her next bottle, there’s something uncomfortable laying between nappy and bum, or you’ve laid her down in her cot for a slumber. Of all of these times, the last is definitely the hardest to remedy, and most heartbreaking to hear as a parent.

She’s been in her own room for a month now. She’ll usually sleep through and seems plenty warm and peaceful enough when those eyes are closed, but until they are we’re treated to uncontrollable tantrums. Nightly she’ll question the audacity of Mummy & Daddy for leaving her in a room alone.

When Baby Thingz offered to send her a night light, I jumped at the chance. Although I secretly had doubts it would do anything to placate my little diva, anything was worth a shot. Cunningly, I chose the Chicco Mamma Lullaby Night Light which plays 15 minutes of uninterrupted lullaby in a cheeky attempt to drown out Heidi’s protestations.

index6 Chicco Mamma Lullaby Night Light from Baby Thingz

Yep we now have this audacious looking thing hanging off a cot rail to keep munchkin happy. With plenty for little little hands to explore, including spinning ball wheel (this plays a cheerful tune when spun), squeakers, mirror and little bird slider, Heidi now has something far more exciting than Mummy and Daddy to paw at. In theory.

Unfortunately Heidi seems unimpressed by her new bedfellow and would rather headbutt the guard rails instead. Thankfully the night light is easy to attach to her cot (and fully adjustable) so we can put it up high where she can’t hurt herself.

Chicco Chicco Mamma Lullaby Night Light from Baby Thingz

The real winner here is the mood music. She has a choice of Classical, New Age or Gentle Nature sounds. These can be manually operated by selecting one of each of the musical notes on the front interface. The big chunky buttons are ideal for mum and dad when the lights are low and vision is impaired. Parents can also choose to have the sound on medium or high volume (the settings slider is located on the side of the night light so can’t be tampered with by Mini DJs). You can also silence the night light without scrambling for the off button by pressing a chunky button on the side.

When the music plays, you have the option of a static nightlight or multicoloured light show. The light show is brilliant, incredibly soft and subdued with each colour change purposefully slow so as not to distract Heidi from the task at hand.

Heidi2 Chicco Mamma Lullaby Night Light from Baby Thingz

You can also record up to 40 secs of your voice to playback to baby and you’ll be surprised just how far 40 secs can go! Simply press the REC button on the side of the night light and project your voice at the front of the light. The big chunky heart shape on the front interface will then playback your voice. Heidi will sometimes unwittingly press this with a flailing appendage in her sleep and the whole house will be treated to a pre-recorded rendition of In the Night Garden by Mummy…. Lucky them, hey?

Usually priced at £34.99, it’s currently £16.99 from BabyThingz.com. To check out the rest of their baby products, including car seats, pushchairs, furniture and toys head to the website or say hello on Facebook or Twitter.