The Christmas Card Photo...

A work in progress. Clearly. :/

Little Lamb Nappy Review

At the weekend there was a large explosion and fire at a Japanese chemical plant who make the chemicals that go in to disposable nappies. The chemical plant responsible for around one fifth of the global supply of nappies and rumours are there could be a GLOBAL NAPPY SHORTAGE! (Full story and my thoughts are with those killed, hurt and injured in the explosion.) So what better motivation to boast my latest nappy purchase...

Littlelambs. I already use a two part Littlelamb bamboo nappy for night... It's freaking BOMB proof and she can go an easy 12-13 hours in it without the slightest leak. Fabulous. Late night nappy changes? Not in this house. So I was excited to see that Littlelamb wanted to do a warehouse clear out and put a MEGA sale of their One Size Fits All (OSFA also known as Birth To Potty/BTP) pocket nappies. 

The deal was EIGHT (EIGHT!!!!) pocket nappies for £32, no delivery charge. That's £4 per nappy. Normally £10 each, what a saving! Considering a quality pocket nappy can go for £13-£25, this is a great deal. 

There were 4 colour options; white, pink, aqua or lime. You can have any combination of these colours. 

The nappy... First thing I notice is they are SOFT. Silky soft. Having experienced their bamboo two-parters I expected this as they are also beautifully soft. Littlelamb seems to brand itself as having no fuss, no fads, no trendy patterns, just natural, quality nappies that are all about the fibres used. They didn't disappoint with these. They also come with two inserts which are equally soft.

The colours are bold. The stitching and overall workmanship is very neat. Impressive.

The fit is just as I like it, popper fastening, high waisted and adjustable. They give you a lot of options with the popper placements. No leaks. Very comfortable.

Overall a fantastic bargain. I would have been happy (at £4 a nappy) to just receive some half decent "stash fillers" (stash fillers I use on stay at home days and days when all her "best" nappies are in the wash). What I actually got is a HEAP of GREAT quality nappies and Littlelamb have soared to the top of my nappy charts with the likes of Charlie Banana and Bumgenius. I thoroughly advise a click over to Littlelamb site as they have this and a ton of other deals going on, especially if you are new to cloth as you really can't go wrong with these for the price!

(NB: If all this is utter gibberish to you read my intro to Cloth post) 

Lessons:

1. Cloth nappy forums are a great place to get the heads up on nappy deals.

2. Love a cloth bum.

Hello Charlie Banana Fans!

It looks to me like I've had a LOT of clicks and reads from the Charlie Banana Facebook Page to day...  So I just want to wave HI! And direct you guys to my two Charlie Banana reviews for their pocket nappies and swim nappies.

I'm a BIG cloth fan so please have a nosey around and follow me if you like what you read! :D

Charlie Banana Swim Nappy Review

Swim nappies. The whole concept stumped me at first. How do they work? Surely they get water logged instantly so how does it absorb anything? The thing about swim nappies is they should be called "Poo Catchers" because that's what they are. Essentially they're a shower cap for babies bottoms. Only instead of keeping water out they're keeping poo in.

So no, we're not concerning ourselves with the wee. Babies wee in the pool. So, probably, do all young children. Don't be alarmed. This has always been the case you just didn't know about it.

Charlie Banana then! You will know, if you read my Charlie Banana pocket nappy review, that I'm a big fan. Then, the lovelies that they are at Charlie Banana HQ, sent me a freebie! A lovely brand spanking new swim nappy to review! WHOOP!

Reasons for loving the pocket nappy? Beautifully soft, well made, good fit, funky print, washed well, no leaks, looked great and very reasonably priced. All reasons, I have to say, still standing for the swim nappy! The swim nappy itself is made up of a PUL outer and a soft fleecy inner. They really do get their fabrics right at CB, you think some of your other nappies are soft then you feel these and you go oooohhhh... Inside is a small layer of padding and best of all, a drawstring waist! (Incidentally I went in to Mothercare today and checked out their swim nappies which don't have drawstrings.)

The print I got sent is awesome! It's called "The Royal Collection The Kate" super girly and a bit funky. Right up my street. 

The fit is nice. A little roomy BUT baby A is a whole 2lbs too small for this nappy. It is a medium, meant for 16-21lbs. Euna is currently 14lbs and looking at it I assume she would be about right but the time she hits the right weight... If perhaps a little loose on the thighs. She's like her mother with chunky "Christmas ham" type thighs so maybe they could be a little more snug for the more average bubba.

The price is good. At a rough Google they seem to go for about £9. This is around the same as a brand like Bambino Mio, £1 less than a bigger brand like Tots Bots (which are way overpriced in my opinion) but around £3 more expensive than a Mothercare own. So considering I like and trust the CB brand this is a good price.

Most importantly... THE TEST! Tuesdays at 11:30am are our swimming lessons and this week were our swim nappy review testing time. Verdict is they work great. In the half hour we had there were no accidents and I may add that baby A did put them to the test. Colour, stitching and fabric texture all held up beautifully through both the swim and the wash. Brilliant.

Overview: Good quality, funky design and thoroughly functional. Price is bang on and I would go as far as to assume you could knock a pound or two off the price I listed if you Googled hard enough. All positive. Am I left wanting anything? Not really... Though I am a sucker for a ruffle bum should CB feel the need the create one they'd certainly have one customer here.

And just to demonstrate how my love affair with the pockets continues... Charlie Banana One Size Pocket in Lavender... Lovely.

Charlie Banana swim nappy...

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW!

Simply a boast post that I got a FREEBIE! Wowee! Check it...

With a lush little bag AND a lovely handwritten note all for lil old me. So I await eagerly for our first test drive Tuesday at our swimming lesson... Oooo...

Charlie Banana nappy review...

So this review is pretty much entirely superficial because I am so excited about gushing about this nappy I haven't even given it a proper test run! Here goes...

This nappy has EVERYTHING I want. It's a pocket nappy. For those of you who don't know about nappies that means it is basically a waterproof outer with a fleece inner and you "stuff" it with absorbent (normally micro fibre, bamboo if you want something extra absorbent) inserts. very similar to the Bumgenius that I have reviewed previously, only the opening for the pocket is at the front.

The nappy comes with two inserts. A big and small. I will probably use both. Nice detail is that the inserts have a nice Charlie Banana tag on them. Just looks nice.

It's a "one size" nappy supposedly birth to potty. Says from 7lbs though, like a lot of birth to potty nappies I highly doubt this would really fit before 12-14lbs. Unlike a lot of one size nappies this nappy does not popper down the front, it has one "length" so to speak, which actually suits us because Miss A is like her mummy and very long bodied so a high waist is a plus for us.

Best bit? Ohhhhh it is soooooo sooooooft. You will want to rub this nappy on your face. I haven't felt like this since holding a new Little Lamb bamboo... It's a good feeling.

I bought these in "Butterfly" and "Lavender". Both lovely, pretty obvious below which is which.

Price is seriously REASONABLE! I bought from a website that I found through the actual Charlie Banana website Kitty Kins. VERY reasonable at £12.95 which makes it cheaper than Bumgenius and Fuzzi Bunz! Plus Kitty Kins despatched very quickly and for the reasonable delivery charge of £2.95... win win win!

So that's description, type, fit, price, retailer and here's the cute factor...

Well that's every apart from what sensible people want to know... like do they work? Do they wash well? I will be back with actual useful information as soon as we've had a good test drive...

Lesson - I don't do very good reviews and YOU NEED A CHARLIE BANANA NAPPY! ;)

Our first trip ala bambino...

Odds are if you are married with a baby you have friends doing much of the same. So off we pop on Friday to Newcastle for a long weekend for a friends wedding and whilst we're there we decided to see some of my family too.

Here we go... travelling with a baby. Did not expect to be nervous about the prospect of a long car journey with a baby, how hard can it be when they're tied down in a car seat? Well after reading about why you shouldn't keep a baby in a car seat for longer than two hours because its crushes their organs and restricts their breathing I was nervous. Asked about it on a baby forum and consensus seemed that that rule was not applying to one offs and people as a whole are pretty laid back about it. But still... envisaging  5 hours of listening to her scream in protest at being trapped in her much hated car seat and all 3 of us fed up due to 25 degree heat wave... and that's best case scenario providing no one murders us all drink driving the wrong way down the A1!

Breathe. It was fine. Easy infact. The heat meant we left the windows open the night which got us all up super early and we got out the door reasonably efficiently. (Though alas sans my makeup bag.) We managed 3 hours of the journey whilst she slept soundly, stopped for a Little Chef and continued on without so much as a whimper from little one!

We arrive at my Auntie Irene's. She THAT member of the family who does all for all. Generous to a fault and simply adores children. She saved me from near malnourishment with weekly Sunday roasts all through university and quite frankly for these and many other efforts to act as a third parent she's my favourite Aunt and I love her dearly. Hence why Euna Irene is Euna Irene. And from this visit  I am so glad we decided to use it. To use someone's name is such a precious gift to give and I'm so happy we gave it to her.

The rest of the weekend? Well thanks in part to fantastic weather and great company is went brilliantly. Euna's sleeping was a little all over the place and I would blame the weather, lack of blackouts, lots of fuss from a lot of friends and family, two late (11pm) nights and a ton of new sights, smells and sounds to take in. But I'm home a day now and I can safely say she's settled back in to our (albeit very loose) routine with ease. Overall I'm really pleased, I went in thinking there was a good chance this would be more tiring and stressful than enjoyable but the friend was a good one and she made it to my big day needed to return the favour. The reality was it was great! Almost easier than being at home with no cooking, cleaning or washing to worry about!

Lessons on taking newborn away:

1. BABIES HAVE ALOT OF STUFF! We took 3 holdalls, large nappy wet bag, large (supermarket "bag for life" type) bag for nappies, moses basket, buggy, changing bag and some hanging clothes. 
2. Take blackout blinds - my Auntie Irene has what can only be described as the "anti-curtain" in her front bedroom window. A white sheet that essentially illuminates MORE light around the room and had Miss A up at 4:30 every morning. 
3. Away with cloth nappies - fine if you have access to a washing machine. if not I think I still would have lasted the four days but it may have been a lot of poo to sit in a car in 25 degree heat for a 5 hour car journey.
4. Take less clothes next time - plan every bodies outfits day by day. This will take time out of the deciding and reduce unnecessary luggage, though obviously still would've take a few extra vests and grows for poo and puke emergencies.
5. DO IT! Don't be nervous and (as always) be aware of the guidelines but be flexible with the to whats suiting you at the time.

Cut for cloth clothes...

Say THAT four times fast!

So a couple of days ago I did a little post about cloth nappies and I am yet to start reviewing and writing up about a few of my favourite tried and tested nappies but in the meantime have a look at this... Frugi organic clothing for children and babies. I can not describe just how beautifully soft and well made these items are. Ok they are definitely at the top end of baby clothes prices but for the odd statement piece for babies wardrobe they are so worth it. Especially when you have a look at their sale section! I have just bought two tunic dresses for £8.80 each, BARGAIN!

The best part about Frugi clothes? They are "Cut for Cloth" this means the trousers, leggings, tights and grows are all cut to be a little more roomy around her lovely fluffy cloth covered bottom... LUSH! I am yet to do some real research in to what brands cut for cloth nappies, apparently H&M do too so will have to get spending down there too (all in the name of research you understand). Here she is (a welcome break from pink, pink and more pink) in the Cornflower Blue Baby Lucy Dress and a pair of the Plain Baby Leggings (both in size 0-3 months, Euna is now 10lb 12oz) and I (not biased AT ALL) think she looks beautiful...

Not only does she look beautiful but she feels so comfortable. The garments fit nicely, the fibres are super soft and there are no catchy fussy bits. As much as I want to show her off in pretty things I still think she's too young to be in denim or other heavy fabrics that may be uncomfortable to lie on. That's why Frugi seems to cover both pretty and comfy bases for me. So a winner all round if a little pricey.

Lesson for today... keep an eye on Frugi sale pages!

Cloth nappies...

I've been putting writing this post off. Cloth nappies are an obsession that started during my pregnancy and I've now become far too enthused to think about where to start with a blog entry...

So I'll just start with a warning; cloth nappies are addictive. If you start using them you may THINK you're making an excellent economical decision that will save your pennies but the chances are you'll get addicted to all the beautiful prints and spend a fortune. You have been warned.

The facts about cloth nappies (as I see it) and answers to common questions;

1. Yes you wash them. In the machine. 
2. You don't soak them in some rancid disinfectant and poo soup. If you're pre-weaning you simply throw the nappies (poo and all) in to a (dry) bucket and toss the lot in the machine every other day. If you're weaned and dealing with actual "turds" you use a paper liner and throw it in the loo. 
3. It's not that time consuming. Time to put a load on = 1 minute. Time to hang them out = 2 minutes. Time spent online shopping for cute patterns = ENDLESS.
4. Environmental benefits; saving landfill (7 million disposables are thrown in to landfill everyday, in environmentalist terms that equates to a F&*$ LOAD), disposables take around 500 years to decompose, disposables release methane and other toxic chemicals when they decompose, disposables take 1 cup of crude oil to make = unsustainable and it takes 4.5 trees to make enough nappies for each baby.
5. Economical benefits; obviously there is a HUGE variation in this depending on what brands of both cloth and disposables you are looking at using, plus how are you washing and drying your cloth, are you buying preloved cloth etc. I found this break down pretty good but the short version is you could be looking at around a £1000-£2000 saving per baby! 
6. There are different types and this is probably the hardest part to get your head around, so therefore the most alienating for new users.
7. I don't walk around with a nappy bag that smells like poop... I have a magical thing called a wet bag which is waterproof lined and keeps the smells of my dirty nappies in.
8. THEY ARE EASY! I was told a lot when pregnant I was "brave" and to be honest I did feel scared of committing to them... but they are easy!

So to get you started on some useful reading check out The Nappy Lady who has break downs of how to use and care for nappies and what all the different types.

A few good places to try nappy shopping are Baby Bots, Fill Your Pants (even if just for the comedy name) and The Clean Green Nappy Machine. In the meantime between now and me writing some reviews of the nappies I am using just take a good look at exactly how cute little Euna's cutie bot is in her fluff...