Something for Bedtime...

It might sound a little silly to you, but I've always loved the thought of kids having a special toy or "blankie" that they never wanted to put down.  Up until now, I hadn't found anything Eli loved that much.  That was, until I noticed him sucking all the tags on his toys...  Luckily for me, and I guess, for him too, I have found just the right thing....

Taggies!! 

(Aussies, click here for stockist)

These uber cool little blankets are amazingly cute, and Eli LOVES his!!  I give it to him when I want him to drift off into sleepy land, and I'll be honest, it COMPLETELY works.  He hugs it tight, plays with the tags on one side, while sucking on the tags near his face.  It's soft, cosy, and small enough that it's easy to tuck into your bag without looking like a bedraggled mum with a massive cot doona hanging out from under your arm... You know the ones... 

The "Little Taggies" are 30x30cm, and the "Big Taggies" (I know, simple to remember, right??) are 45x45cm.  I bought one of each, for comparison, and I think while the larger one will be awesome for winter, the smaller one is really all you need.  

I think if there's a negative, it'd be the price.  The small ones retail at around $29.95 and come in a variety of fabrics and colours.  The larger ones are going to set you back $39.95 plus postage.  There are plenty of options with fabrics though, some being organic cottons and others with bright colours in minky type materials.  Aussies don't have as much choice of design as the American market does, but I suppose, depending on how keen you are there, you could always order from the US.

Taggies has a lot of other products too, including cot bedding sets, pillows, balls, toys and onesie suits, all with the signature silky and textured ribbon tags.  You should check out the range - it's truly intelligently designed stuff -- the obvious result of a really smart mum! 

Happy shopping!!

A. xo

XXOO

Cryptic - yes, but you'll get it soon enough...

When I was pregnant, I read heaps.  I read about how my baby was growing, what to expect, how to give birth - naturally... (HA HA HA), and how to breast feed.  To tell you the truth, I was REALLY nervous about it.  I thought for sure I was going to ick out and want to quit within 6 months.  The thought of it, sorta grossed me out -- especially the thought of having to "do it" in front of people.  I was concerned about blankets falling off my shoulder and being bared to all around me... EEEK!!  Fact is, I'd seen it happen, and I'd seen how uncomfortable the women struggling with the coverage were, and I didn't want that to be me.

Luckily, at the Baby Expo in 2008, I discovered the very thing that was going to solve ALL my problems!

>>ENTER "KISS KISS HUG HUG" BREAST FEEDING COVERS<<

(see, I told you you'd get it....)

This little $45 investment has freed me.  I was able to go to the shops, with my newborn - feeding every 2-3 hours - and spend a good half of the day wandering around, stopping at the closest coffee shop to give my son a quick feed.  No one saw anything, and because the breast feeding cover has a loop that hooks over your head and around your neck, I didn't have to struggle with keeping fabric over my nakedness.  I had 2 free hands, and with the boning in the fabric, it sits out from your chest a little bit, so that you can see what you're doing.  DON'T underestimate the importance of seeing... it's not so much about the eye contact with bub, it's more about locating the food source and connecting it to the baby inlet (ie: nipple to mouth).

I think every new mum should have one, and as far as that's concerned - what a great gift right?

The other bonuses, not including the discretion factor, are:

* Baby doesn't get as distracted (because, let's face it, at some point they do wake up from their newborn slumber and realise they haven't seen any of this cool stuff outside the womb before...)
* You don't have to be nervous about disapproving stares - this will happen, don't kid yourself.
* It can double as a cover to help you rock baby to sleep when you're out - makes it darker, warmer, and easier for bub.
* Triples as a pram cover - hook it over the top and it will keep the sun out! Yay!

If I haven't convinced you, you won't be convinced - so I have nothing else to say to you.... :oP

There are heaps of lovely colours and patterns to choose from, including single and double sided, and the soft silky strap is really really comfy.  The only things I can think of that aren't the best is that it's probably slightly narrow in size - I didn't find it dreadful, just thought it would be even better if it had been slightly wider, and also, in summer, the double sided one is quite hot.  They are made of cotton, so they are breathable, but I did find that regardless of that, they are still a little too warm on those really warm days if you're not in aircon.

And that's it!

Go buy one for yourself, or for a friend, and discreetly feed your bub wherever you want! Yay!

A. xo

Oh what a feeling... Strider Plus!

I stalked it.  I lay-bought it.  I took it home and assembled it.  I LOVE IT!  It's my brand spanking new Steelcraft "Strider Plus".  The slogan is something like "Take one, take two; Ready for now, ready for next; No fuss, Strider Plus!"  Now, normally, a catch cry as corny as that would make you feel a little uneasy about spending the $699 + accessories.  BUT, I have to say, I have found this pram to be exceptional in both quality and functionality.  Before I go on and on about that, I'll let you in on a very important lesson that I learned after I purchased my first pram...

I was pretty wide eyed and excited when it came to buying my first pram.  I bought a Bootiq "Duke" stroller and bassinet.  At the time, I spent $500 which I thought was just fabulous, considering all the other stroller/bassinet duo's cost easily that and a half and none of them would fit in my car!  I tried it out in the shop, and it was pretty good.  It was relatively steerable and not too stiff to push.  THAT WAS BECAUSE IT HAD NO WEIGHT IN IT!!

If you are planning on "trying it out" in the shop, put 18kg's in it and see how well it steers then!  The reason this is so important is because you are more than likely going to have one thing in the pram at all times:
A)) The baby, or
B)) your bags/shopping/random crap.

This means that you'll potentially have to push this thing with one hand, or worse, your hip.  If it's impossible to steer with a little weight in it, you're going to hate it and curse it and drop it over your fence so your neighbours have to deal with it.  SO.  There you go.  The reason you need to do a proper trial.


If you plan on having more than one baby, I suggest you get a pram that will be appropriate for more than one baby.  The Strider is perfect for that very purpose because not only does it convert, but it doesn't look stupid with just one seat!  It also folds down with all the attachments on it, as opposed to other prams that need disassembling when you go to stow it in the boot of your car.  With all of these features, you'd think that was it - but nope!  It comes with storm and sun covers included, which means even less hidden costs, both main seat and second seat recline/sit up for newborn or toddler - so you can put them in any configuration, including reversing the top seat.  If all of this sounds confusing, you can always just check out the website.

I guess if I had to identify a negative to it, it would be that it's rather wide at the rear, but if you ask me, that's not so much a negative as it is a great stabiliser.  It feels really nice and solid under your baby, which is comforting on bumpy treks.  Other than that, I can't really see that it's got any really big design errors, cos you can buy pretty much anything you want for it - a bassinet, car seat attachment etc etc.  Oh, and the under-basket is super huge and fantabulous.... :oD


Long story short, I love my new Strider Plus.  It's better than I thought it would be, and I find myself looking for opportunities to use it.  Do yourself a favour and go check one out in the flesh.  I think you'll be pretty glad you did!


A. xo

To Isoki, or not to Isoki, that is the question.

Ok.  So this is not a new product for me - in fact, a friend of mine purchased it for me over a year ago before I had my son.  The Isoki Nappy Bag collection, of which I have the original "Reversible Baby Bag", is fantastic for it's dual functionality - ie. both mum and dad will feel comfortable dragging it around, as they are all reversible.  Back when I got mine, they didn't even make the other types: the Hobo, the 3-in-1 Slouch, the Saddle Tote or the Multi Messenger.  I'm glad they didn't, to be truthful, cos it would have made my choice that much harder.  (Harder than figuring out which pattern I wanted...)

To check out the website, click HERE.

Now, the pros of this bag are the same as it's cons - it's huge!  The amount of times I was the recipient of some humourous remark about the size of the bag or the contents being everything my son owned, was a little off-putting.  HOWEVER... if you are one of those mama's who wants to be prepped for everything - this is your bag!!  You can literally fit clothing, nappies, toys, blankets, bottles, change mat and your own personal belongings into this bag.  It's fabulous for that.  The downside of course to dragging all of that around is the sheer weight of it.  It is very heavy.  I found comfort though, in the fact that I could hang it on the handle of my pram and when I did go shopping for the day, my purchases got stuffed in there too.  So, it worked for me only because I didn't have to carry it far.  Often, I would put my whole handbag into it and zip it up.  I figured that if anyone wanted to make off with my valuables, they'd run out of steam pretty quick cos they'd have to take the whole nappy bag!  he he he :o)

There are some groovy extras that come with the bags too - a bottle bag - which is lined to keep them cool/warm, a plastic covered matching change mat, and a handy double sided storage satchel for those quick dashes to the shops.  I actually found the components got more of a workout in a general sense than the bag itself - except for the insulated bottle bag... I've never used bottles at all.  I guess it will come in handy for a little lunch pack or something later on, when he's doing solo play dates or being babysat.


If you're an Aussie, you'll be looking at $189.95 for the reversible baby bag.  The quality of the fabric is exceptional, and they even have a zip off hard base (good for hiding things in!) which will protect your bag's bottom from wet stuff.  I've really enjoyed this bag, and as for the size of it, it's come in really handy for me, especially when one of my mummy friends forgot something.  Chances are, it's in my bag.

Happy shopping!!

A. xo

Hello! Thanks for stopping by!

Good day, fine readers!  I wish to extend a warm welcome to you, from my brand new blog!  Here is the space I will conduct all my reviews!  Anything new that I buy, related to anything at all, will be reviewed here for your entertainment and information.

I hope you enjoy this new blog, looking forward to a long and fulfilling gossipy relationship! :oP

A. xo