Jun 26 2014

Heidi reviews: The Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends Infant to Toddler Portable Rocker

Posted on June 26, 2014 by admin

Most of us will have fond memories of Fisher-Price from our childhood. In fact, it feels like I’m forever seeing battered toys in charity shops and at toddler groups that I once played with myself. They certainly seem to have withstood the test of time both literally and figuratively (seriously, these toys would survive the Apocalypse).

Fisher-Price-Retro-Toys

Perhaps it’s our own fondness of Fisher-Price’s signature bright plastic that has resulted in so many of us buying their toys for our own children. Whatever the reason, they’re still one of the most trusted toy brands in the UK and are always coming up with genius new products to help our little ones understand the world around them. The award-winning Jumperoo is certainly testament to that. Just ask Dexter!

Jumperoo

So when I was given the opportunity to review the Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends Infant to Toddler Portable Rocker (just try to say that after a glass of wine) for Heidi-Bum, I didn’t hesitate. Surely with all their years of designing toys for babies, this rocker would offer my little lady the ultimate in comfort, and an ideal mini environment to doze, relax and play in.

This portable rocker is a rocking chair for babies that will grow with them through to toddlerdom. For babies, it features an easy-to-remove activity arch complete with bat-at teething toys to entertain and help strengthen their senses. There’s also calming vibrations to help baby drift off to the land of nod. The seat is also nice and deep to ensure your mini me is safe and secure, and so that baby feels well cushioned from all the scary noises and colours in the room around them.

What’s more, the seat can be used as both a rocking and stationary chair for toddlers thanks to it’s robust frame (suitable up to 18kg/40lbs). It’s certainly been a hit with Dexie who is forever physically turfing out Heidi to make way for himself.

Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker

Sounds ideal right? Well yes and no.

Here’s how we got on

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the rocking action. This seems to work a treat on my little madam (9 weeks). Until now, we’ve worn out our arms recreating this action to get her to sleep. This might be great for doing away with your bingo wings, but it’s not much fun in the middle of the night. Now we simply pop her in her rocker with the seat reclined. Lazy parenting at its finest, we’ll then keep Heidi on the move by gently rocking her with our feet as we watch the telly.

fisher-price-rocker

I also love the little kickstand to keep her static. This is ideal if she’s napping and is secure enough that Heidi’s big brother can’t snap it back when he’s feeling particularly mischievous. Given we often fed Dexter from his bouncer when he began weaning, this will allow us to do the same with Heidi.

The bucket seat is also lovely and wide and acts a little like a hammock. The 3 point harness is robust and comfortable with integrated pant-pad to keep baby from sliding out. I am a little shocked there’s not a removable head hugger though. Given the seat is recommended from birth, a newborn will definitely need this to keep them upright (> I‘ve removed Heidi’s for the photographs above).

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The seat also features a 3-position seat recline and adjustable seat back to offer the ultimate in flexibility. This took us forever to figure out but is actually a really neat feature. You recline baby using two buttons on the base of the frame (one at either side), and the seat adjustment works in much the same way as most budget stroller in that the back of the seat is movable and can be secured with a clip. This means baby can lay at several different angles depending on how confident they are with holding their head, or how much the suffer from colic.

My main issue with the rocker are the plastic toys on the activity arch. When Heidi is in mid-recline, the toys are a matter of centimetres away from her head. This seems to be a major error of judgement on Fisher-Price’s part as hanging toys are great for wearing out babies. If they plonk baby in the face when you recline them down for nap, it sort of defeats the object. Okay, you can just remove the arch before reclining, but Heidi is easily spooked and all too aware of us fiddling away beside her. Simply shortening the length of the hanging toys or making them soft rather than plastic would have solved this problem.

Fisher Price

The vibration has also been a real hit with Heidi. It’s actually very funny to watch her little face when it’s purring away. I should point out this isn’t silent though and can get annoying if left on for long periods. The rocker also didn’t come with batteries which is a bit disappointing; when I set up any toy, I like to be able to use it straight away. I would have also liked some melodies as Heidi seems to enjoy rocking out to some lullabies.

Finally the rocker folds down flat for easy storage and transportation. This means extra brownie points from me as we seem to be drowning in toys at the moment.

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In conclusion, I’d give the Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends Infant to Toddler Portable Rocker 4/5. The lack of a head hugger and hanging toys issue shouldn’t detract from the fact that Fisher-Price have delivered yet another versatile and robust toy. It’s certainly got Heidi and Dexter excited.

Available to buy from ASDA direct (£69.97), ToysRUs (£69.99) Argos (£69.99) and Smyths Toys (currently on sale at £52.49)* it’s a fair price for a rocker that’ll last for many years and can be passed down from child to child. To find out more visit fisher-price.com or befriend Fisher-Price on Facebook where there are also regular competitions to enter.

* Prices correct at time of posting

Jun 25 2014

Learning to Ride (who am I kidding… Crash) with the Tiny Bike from Fun4Kids

Posted on June 25, 2014 by admin

Capture

I’ve been eying up the Tiny Bike from Fun4Kids for awhile now. Around a year ago I saw a little boy whizzing around on one, leaving his mum for dust. He looked happy, confident (and for want of a better description) like a proper little dude. As mum jogged on behind him I overheard her telling another parent that it’s the best thing she ever bought. That’s all I needed to mentally add it to my ever-growing list of Wants. Ordinarily I have to pester Craig for these things for a few months, but thankfully in this case I didn’t need to - Fun4Kids kindly offered to send me one to review.

Bonus. No need to stoop to back rubs and grovelling! 041

What is it?

Simply put, it’s a tiny bike. Made for tots, there are no pedals. A toddler will simply straddle the bike and learn to balance on two wide rubber wheels. When they gain confidence, they can push off, then lift their little feet onto the foot plate. This allows them to coast just like we would if riding downhill. It’s the new revolution in bike riding and a far cry from the days of wobbly stabilisers most of us all will remember.

Tiny Bike

The theory is that it enables a child to get to grips with all the coordination necessary to ride a real bike; balance, positioning and steering. Children (particularly the littlies who haven’t quite mastered the art of conversation yet) learn best through repetition and practical instruction. They’re also surprisingly fast learners and don’t tend to be deterred by the odd bump or crash. The old adage, “if at first you don’t succeed then try, try again” therefore suits them perfectly, and this is why the balance bike has really taken off here in the UK.

Tiny Bike Fun4Kids

They say:

When pushed briefly, children instinctively learn how to reproduce this movement independently soon afterwards. The Tiny Bike helps develop a child’s sense of balance and stimulates their physical and mental development, improving general co-ordination.

So how did my 2 year old get on?

The Tiny Bike is best suited to children aged 2-4 years. Dexter is only just 2. I know that physically he’s where he should be, but he is at the lower age of the recommended age group and it really shows. His first attempts are bordering on woeful. The best he manage at the moment is straddling the bike frame and walking it along. It makes for very cute viewing but I doubt he’s learning anything.

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Despite this, I don’t want to judge the Tiny Bike too hastily. My friends swear by them and Dexter isn’t one to give up easily. In fact, despite being utterly terrible at it, he’ll still rush over to it in the garden everyday. I’m sure in a few months time he’ll have it licked and will be begging me to take him up and down the hills outside our house. It’s also incredibly well built and sturdy, and is hailed as the lightest of its kind. It all adds up to being the best balance bike for first-timers, and I’m certain it’ll soon be a huge hit for my own little dude.

Putting it together was really easy. It arrived part-made with the back wheel already attached to the frame. All I needed to do was screw in the front wheel, build the handlebar and slot it into position. A quick tighten here and there and it was ready to go. All the tools required were in the box and the instructions were pictorial and simple to follow (even with an over-inquisitive toddler attempting to clamber over my back as I worked). In fact, I didn’t even have to chance to pop on the stickers as Dexter was already mounting it! Within seconds my little two-legged Bambi was toppling over in the dining room and begging me to squeeze my over-sized bum onto the miniature bike to show him how to use it.

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This is another big plus for the Tiny Bike. It’s wide rubber compound wheels allow little people to get in some much-needed practice both indoors and out. They’re really wide to minimise falls and offer the smoothest ride possible for fragile bums. They’re also virtually silent meaning you’re not losing the will to live when your little one laps the dining room table for the twentieth time.

Safety-wise it has no spokes to trap tiny fingers and the seat and handlebars are fully adjustable to accommodate all those growth spurts you’re bound to see between the ages of 2 and 4. The handlebars are also easy to manipulate so even Dexter is able to cut tight corners as he waddles with his bike between his legs.

The best bit though, is that it looks just like mummy and daddy’s bikes and is sure to capture your child’s imagination - even when they’re not quite ready for it. I’d be inclined to say they’re more suitable for ages 2.5 and above but then what do I know?! Dexter is my first child and all I have to go on. Whatever the case, I’m sure it will withstand a real battering from Dexter and still have some life left for Heidi in a few years time.

My only sight criticism is that I like to see a kickstand. Although I can appreciate this isn’t likely to appeal to little ones, it would make it easier to store, make the garden look tidier and help prevent scuffs and scratches.

Currently priced at just £49.95 (down from £69.95) it’s great value for money. Available in 8 colourways (including lime green, baby blue, pink and purple) there’s one to suit every personality. You can grab yours at Fun4Kids where there’s also loads more low-priced outdoor and indoor toys to have you reaching for your purse. You can also find out more by visiting them on Facebook and Twitter.

Jun 6 2014

The Best of British Limited Edition Collection from Tommee Tippee

Posted on June 6, 2014 by admin

As a tommee tippee mumb@ssador I’m among the first to receive press releases and news from what I affectionately refer to as TT HQ. Well a few weeks back I was tipped off that tommee tippee® closer to nature is celebrating all things British this summer with a limited edition Best of British collection of bottles and gifts available from Mothercare… How cute are these!?

Tommee Tippee Best of British

Yep, as the UK’s most trusted baby brand, British brand tommee tippee wanted to build on all the excitement of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon and The World Cup and have decorated some of their award-winning baby essentials with iconic British imagery. Even better, they sent Heidi her very own pretty pink bottle with red bus design so she will be the envy of all the babies at nursery!

Tommee Tippee Pink

I’ve reviewed so many baby bottles on this blog, but we always end up going back to tommee tippee. I think in a bid to outdo each other, too many brands are messing around with teats, air flow systems, self-sterilisation… I could go on. Give me a simple, uncomplicated bottle any day of the week. tommee tippee deliver this perfectly and their bottles are loved by millions of mums and babies here in the UK.

To start, their bottles consist of just three parts only, so are easy-to-wash and build. The measurements are also clearly delineated to help ensure they’re no hiccups with making up formula in the middle of the night. The bottle is also ergonomic so there’s no hand-ache for mums, and babies are quick to begin independent feeding. Toss in the fact they’re priced sensibly and available in all major supermarkets and baby superstores, and you have all the ingredients needed for a major success story.

Tommee Tippee Pink Bottle

Best of all though, my little cherub loves them.

The Best of British Limited Edition collection from tommee tippee closer to nature® consists of 3 gift sets containing 2 bottles and 2 soothers in pink, blue or traditional London bus red and 3 single 260ml bottles. Each bottle has a unique iconic London Bus design, and comes in a presentation / gift box.

They say:

The tommee tippee® closer to nature® bottles are suitable to use from birth and are designed to mimic the natural flex, stretch and movement of a mum’s breast. Together with the bottle’s super-sensitive valve, this encourages your baby’s intuitive feeding action for a comfortable and relaxed feed. With tommee tippee® closer to nature® bottles, switching between breast and bottle-feeding is easier than ever before. The bottles have been specially designed in a compact shape, to be held in the most natural position during feeding, allowing baby to be closer to you. All bottles are BPA free. The baby approved* soothers are designed with a new style longer flatter teat to support healthy oral development.

We say:

They’re just unbeatable. From price right on down to ease of use. Craig prefers to use these bottles above all others as they never leak and are so easy to sterilise and keep clean.

I love Heidi’s pretty pink bottle too and tons of mums have asked me where they can can get their hands on theirs!

The tommee tippee® closer to nature® Best of British limited edition range is available from 9^th June in Mothercare (single 260 ml bottle - RRP £5.99 ; gift set – RRP £14.99). The range is suitable for babies 0 + months. For more information on the entire ranges, please visit www.tommeetippee.co.uk

This post in just one of a number of Tommee Tippee reviews - here are some others if you wanted to see what else they have to offer: