May 14 2013

REVIEW: Trunki Paddlepaks

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin

I was fortunate enough to win a Trunki PaddlePak recently on Facebook. This giveaway was held in celebration of their new TV ad, and launch of their new PaddlePak range. I don’t usually blog about anything I win, but this is too cute not to share really.

The idea of the PaddlePak is to keep your childs wet swimwear in something a little more inspiring than a carrier bag. I’ll admit to leaving expensive swimwear in cafes where I’ve stopped for coffee and forgot that my bikini is sat in a saggy Tescos bag under my chair. Given the price of a child’s UV wetsuit rivals that of my Jasper Conran strapless number (I know, I know. Me in a strapless bikini is the equivalent of popping chocolate buttons on a plate full of jelly) - it’s impossibly cute and practical to have one of these little lovelies to stow his bits in.

Water resistant and leak-proof it stops Dexie’s wet bits leaking onto our car seats (trust me, this can look pretty dubious when you give your mates a lift to the pub after dropping your worn out son home). It also has reflective trims, the Trunki grip™ to keep sunglasses close to hand (and not thrown in the river - I’m naming no names!), and a tail fin that doubles as a functional pocket for small valuables - or indeed mummy’s lipstick.

I’m only now facing up to the fact that my son is tiny. Having now had the opportunity to size him up compared to his peers at playgroup, Dexter is a little on the dinky side. That just adds to how seriously cute he looks with his PaddlePak on. It’s actually a relatively small bag (enough to pop your costume and towel in) but he’s positively dwarfed by it. Having said that, the adjustable straps mean it stays on tiny shoulders no problem.

At just £19.99 I’m impressed by all the features, and there’s several different characters to choose from (Dexie is modelling Pinch Lobster but Inky Octopus is another personal favourite). They’re available from the website but please pop on over to Facebook and Twitter too if you want to try your luck like me!

Apr 8 2013

REVIEW: The Bedding Company - Silentnight Memory Foam Shell Pillow

Posted on April 8, 2013 by admin

We recently won £200 worth of The White Company bedding so selected two sets of super-soft egyptian cotton sets (more on these in an upcoming post). With such luxurious new bedding, our twisted and lumpy pillows really needed replacing.

We’ve been wondering about memory foam pillows for some time. We have a (albeit now 4 years old) Tempur mattress and swear by it, but I couldn’t get my head around memory foam pillows and how they might actually be comfortable. When we were recently contacted by The Bedding Company to try some out for size, I had to give it a go. I have no idea how we ever slept without them!

I’m so fussy about pillows and like them to be firm enough to survive a lot of tossing and turning. I don’t think you should sink into your pillows, rather they should support your neck and retain their shape well. The claims of Silentnight’s Memory Foam Shell Pillows therefore seemed right up our street:

Extra comfort Memory Foam Traditional Pillow gives extended support to the neck and shoulders.
Memory Foam shell moulds to your contours and reacts to your body temperature reducing pressure on your joints.
Supports your neck in its natural position.

I can honestly say that they are fabulous. They are full and shapely so look incredibly inviting on our bed. In the morning, as soon as our heads leave the pillow, they plump up again and look as though they haven’t endured 8 hours worth of pummeling by me (Craig is always accusing me of being a fidget-bum).

Prior to using these pillows I used to wake with a stiff neck. I sleep on my front with one arm crooked under the pillow and the old lumpy pillows used to offer zero support. These pillows are incredibly firm and I no longer feel my arm beneath my head when I sleep. They’ve made an incredible difference to how I feel when I wake. I’m thinking we’ll need one for Dexter as he’s started using a pillow in his cot now.

The Bedding Company’s website is really easy to navigate and excellent value for money. Delivery is free and many items have 3 years warranty. There are also some really useful guides to help you select which product is right for you. Thumbs up from me!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the above product free of charge but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mar 22 2013

REVIEW: Lindam Jump About

Posted on March 22, 2013 by admin

We had the most amount of fun ever with this Jump About from Lindam and it’s by far the most enjoyable review I’ve done for this blog.

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I resisted getting him one of these at first as we have elaborate door frames downstairs that won’t take a door bouncer. In the living room we have a Jumperoo too so if we need hands-free time, we can pop him in there for 15 minutes. Upstairs however, we have no place to pop him to safely play if we’re bathing, dressing or cleaning. He used to sit still or play happily in his cot but now he’s getting more adventurous we’re having to be more safety conscious.

The Jump About has been the perfect solution. We hooked it up on his bedroom door frame that is smack bang between our bathroom and the master bedroom. It’s great as it means I can supervise him perfectly from anywhere upstairs whilst he has a bounce around. Given we can’t bath together anymore as his skin is so sensitive, it’s given me greater flexibility to bathe alone whilst he’s awake (ordinarily I’ll take my own baths when he’s napping). I can also go through my beauty regime in the bedroom whilst watching him tire himself out.

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From a safety perspective it offers a strong and secure frame clamp and dual fastening around Dexter’s bum and back. Craig and I had several tugs on it before popping Dex in and were confident it would take his weight (note the maximum weight limit is 12kg). It’s also height adjustable and the seat is fully supportive to maintain correct posture. I will admit that it’s not as easy to get him in or out as I thought it would be and there’s some fiddling involved, but when he’s in he’s very secure.

It’s actually a logical progression from free-standing bouncers as baby isn’t restricted by a bulky play station. Dexter can do 360′s with ease and his arms are completely free. I also spotted he was pulling away from the door frame to test how far he could go - he seemed to enjoy being tugged back toward the door.

At £16.99* it’s incredible value for money when compared to the free-standing bouncers. If you can get past the fact it’s unlikely to complement your decor, and resembles a sex swing for short people (every time I walk past it I find myself smirking like a schoolgirl) - it’s a must-buy. Massive thumbs up from Dexter and I!

*You can buy the Jump About at a number of retailer’s including Argos (£24.99), Tescos (£19.94), and Amazon (£16.99)

Recommend you also liking their Facebook, and following on Twitter too!

As reader’s of this blog will know, we were recently told by our health visitor to restrict bouncing time to a minimum to try to correct Dexter’s tendency to stand on his tippy toes. In response to this, I’ve started massaging his feet daily and flexing his ankles to avoid his tendons shortening. Dexter also has approximately twenty minutes standing time a day holding onto the sofa supported by me. I’m not prepared to do anymore than this at this stage as he isn’t standing unaided yet and gets easily frustrated when we force his feet to the floor. It doesn’t seem fair to rush him so I’m trusting my instincts. I’m also only allowing Dexter to ‘bounce’ for 2x twenty-minute intervals throughout the day - but boy do we love those intervals!