I have been hard at work reviewing the HOTmilk bra sent by Happy Tiny Babies a while back. The review is now live online – go read if you’re looking for maternity lingerie or a feeding bra that still lets you feel like a hot mama. And no, you may NOT have pictures of me reviewing the product! Here’s a gorgoeus model doing the job far better than I could…

Congratulations to Alex Fower in Essex for being the lucky winner in our recent BabyPlus Prenatal Education System competition. Alex was the first name, with the correct answer, to be chosen at random. We hope Alex is able to make good use of the system and we look forward to hearing about it.

Click on the link for more information about the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System and keep checking LittleStuff for more fabulous competitions!

My husband is a difficult man to buy presents for. He wants nothing and wants for nothing, lucky man. Yet, year after year come Father’s Day, his birthday and Christmas I embark on the painful ritual of finding him something that he will love, something that he didn’t realise he wanted, something that will put that expression of oh-yes-that’s-truly-fantastic! on his face as the gift is unwrapped. As pleased as he is at receiving any gift; socks, new pants and DVDs just don’t quite hit the mark I’m aiming for.

In step the children – a source of creative gifts that only a Dad would be genuinely delighted to receive. Paper mache sculptures, hand painted treasure maps, photo montages stuck together by the fair hand of an adored five year old. You know, the sort of thing that can clutter a person’s desk but has a limited shelf life.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could have one of these crafted-with-love creations preserved in a way that is forever? Well, that is JUST what Avril Manderson of AM Jewellery does. Avril is a talented silversmith who can create the most amazing gifts for your loved ones. She will take your child’s drawings and with her skill and expertise, turn them into an item of stunning jewelry to be kept, forever. Heirlooms in the making.

Oh, I cannot begin to describe how pleased I was to have Peter’s Christmas gift sorted (actually, I can describe it, it sounded something like this; “YYYYYesssssSSSS!!!”). A pair of silver cufflinks with two of Jacob’s drawings on them. Wow!

I scrounged around all the nooks and crannies of our house (and car, and Nanny’s handbag), looking for those random bits of paper that Jacob often scrawls his masterpieces on. I discovered six little smiley-faced drawings that might be good candidates. I scanned them and emailed them to Avril and after a bit of discussion as to which would be most suitable, technically and aesthetically, we decided on two that were perfect.

I then sat back and waited, about 3 weeks, with my fingers drumming and toes tapping with constrained excitement. Then, the postman’s knock at the door was heard one morning and they had arrived. I carefully unwrapped and opened the beautiful black box and…… oh…. Wow….. yes, it’s true, for about 30 seconds I was actually speechless (unheard of!). Stunning doesn’t even begin to describe them. How strange to be so moved by a pair of silver cufflinks. The magic is all in the design. There they were, Jacob’s two little smiley faces, etched into solid silver cufflinks (with the Birmingham Assay Office hallmark on the back, next to Avril’s own designer mark), preserved, forever and to be worn by a very proud Dad. A really nice touch is that Avril placed copies of the original colour drawings into the lid of the box. Ooooo, I could not WAIT for Christmas morning. I lovingly wrapped and tucked them away under the tree until the big day….

Christmas morning, when the fever pitch of excitement had calmed and the boys are engrossed in their new toys, Mum and Dad get to exchange their gifts, sitting in their dressing gowns, mugs of tea to hand. When he first opened them, as I was sitting there holding my breath, a slow smile spread across his face. He thought they were just funky cufflinks with cute pictures on them… but then he spotted Jacob’s drawings in the lid of the box and it clicked… and the slow smile turned into an enormous grin as it dawned on him what they were! AHHHHHHHH! There it was, that expression I was hoping for, the one that tells me that he knows a lot of thought and effort went into it all because he is loved, very much. “Yyyeessssss!” I whispered to myself.

It’s now several months since Christmas and the fabulous cufflinks have had many an outing on crisp shirt cuffs. Many, many curious and positive comments have been made by various people at meetings and in the office as Dad waves them around, with pride; his utterly unique, only pair in the whole wide world, cufflinks. Lucky, lucky man that he is because in a few years time, when 18-month-old Benjamin starts drawing smiley faces or animals or dinosaurs or whatever his yet-to-emerge artistic talent will favour… Dad will be getting another pair of heirlooms in the making!

P.S. Perhaps, one day, Dad will also get the hint and search the house for some priceless scribbles to be made into a treasured necklace pendant or brooch for me.. perhaps, one day… :-)

Heirlooms in the making.

The Maclaren Butcher’s Stripe buggy has been reviewed by Debbie and her youngest (of four), Bethan…..

The day arrived and I eagerly unwrapped the relaunched Maclaren Butcher’s Stripe buggy and I was soon to find myself feeling very impressed with its quality and simplicity. I was also delighted to find a heavy duty travel tag which proved to be a much welcomed extra.

Initially I found myself stressing about the beautiful and equally eye-catching BRIGHT WHITE and blue butcher stripes and wondered if my my 18 month old daughter was a bit too much of a dirt-monster for this design. Yes, I admit, I let my children play with mud, and yes, I am that Mother that more often than not has to evict the escaped rapidly-going-furry raisins that were squashed in the corner the last time the buggy was used.

This has surprisingly not been a problem. The fabric is a durable, splash-proof, wipe clean affair and is wonderful and practical although the brightness has dulled somewhat over our use.

Our first test drive, a routine trip to our local shops and my little girl was very comfortable with the strong, secure, easily adjustable five point harness. I passed a neighbour who instantly commented on the eye-catching design. Over the coming weeks I’ve come to feel that I could not live without this pushchair. It’s perfect for trips to the park, longer journeys and ultimately the hectic school run. I am able to fold and unfold this buggy one handed, in seconds, leaving the other hand to tame my busy little person. The buggy provides a smooth and easy to handle drive. It is lightweight and is a great space saver in my MPV’s small boot. The included rain cover is durable and easy to put on when the skies decided to open with no warning (as we’ve experienced often during this so-called ‘Summer’!)

As with most good things there are some less desirable aspects; the under buggy storage net cannot be accessed when the buggy is in the recline position and this buggy can become a little unstable when anything more than a baby bag is hanging from the handles (ok, we know, technically the manufacturers recommend that you don’t put bags on the handles but show me a busy Mum that doesn’t!). Also, the brakes on this model are not as good as those on a friend’s Maclaren Techno XT buggy. These brakes sometimes don’t ‘snap’ into place as well as they should.

This buggy is great for a parent that wants to buy a well-designed quality brand and something a little different and eye-catching. It is a wonderful buggy that is made to outlast your child’s needs and can, no doubt, be passed on to be used by the next, younger sibling.

The Butchers Stripe was part of the Maclarens ‘Objects of Desire’ Range, which is sadly no longer avaialble. HOwever, they do have a rarher delicious selction of designer options – we rather like the Cath Kidston spots.

Bamboo is THE new material – natural, organic and completely sustainable. It is as soft as brushed cotton and as durable as denim – what’s not to like?

This gorgeous dress from bamboo baby fits beautifully and looks adorable – smart enough for parties and tea with the grandparents, comfy enough to wear all day. And being bamboo it resists those bib-escaping food bits too, washing on a cool wash perfectly.

(from Lisa & Lizzy)

Beeeee-oooooo-ti-ful!!

Lizzy has adored her Babouche slippers since the moment they arrived. She wears them as slippers, but also often incorporates them into a particularly special dressing-up outfit – Princess Shoes they are, see? She loves them so much, that only this very afternoon I had to dismantle my packing for going-away-for-Easter, find her other slippers and abandon them in favour of sequined pink babouches.

AND – the very kind lady at Bohemia, when I emailed her to say how gorgeous Lizzy’s were, sent me a pair of my very own. Mine are blue, very pretty, very comfortable and also packed for our Easter break! (Am also tempted, on many an occasion, to look for a princess dress in my size so I can wear them as princess shoes too…)

Buggys come, mostly, in one flavour; two wheels at the back and one/two wheels at the front. For some parents in certain situations, this model is not the most helpful. Phil & Ted’s Smart Buggy is a different breed of buggy indeed that has been cleverly designed to fill a gap where the usual type of buggy doesn’t fit.

Paula spoke to us about her situation, and we wanted to see if the Smart Buggy would be the answer….

I am Mum to 5 year old Bethany. I am also blind and have a guide dog, (the gorgeous and hard working Jemma) which means that when I used a pushchair with Bethany I had to pull it, instead of pushing. I now childmind my 14 month old niece, Amelia, which has caused a dilemma; obviously I need to take her out (especially doing the school run), and she is too heavy for me to carry. So, I tried using my old traditional pushchair, but juggling pulling the cumbersome buggy as well has dealing with Bethany and holding Jemma was very difficult, and a better solution was needed, fast!

Laura contacted me with the idea of trying the Phil & Ted’s Smart Buggy. It has been designed for urban use, especially for getting on and off public transport and to be pulled backwards, up and down stairs to tube stations etc. Would this buggy also work well, being pulled backwards by a blind person with a guide dog and a 5 year old child?

My first reaction, when the buggy arrived, was not altogether positive. It was so different from what I was used to. It felt like it didn’t unfold properly, the seat seemed very narrow and I wasn’t enamoured with the four clips on the harness – this could be difficult with a wriggly, resistant child!

But, those concerns melted away as I got used to it all. The clips were the first things to impress me, actually; they aren’t the usual quick-release type that you find on most buggies and highchairs, but they clip together more gently, meaning you can’t pinch yours, or baby’s fingers. I can also easily just unclip the two shoulder straps to remove her coat, without getting her out, and do them back up again, so I’m now really impressed with the design of the harness!

With practice I have mastered the folding and unfolding but still find that a little confusing without being able to see what I am doing.

Once I had Amelia sitting in the buggy, I realised how compact and sturdy it was. It is easy to pull and steer, the larger than usual wheels are a big help and as it does not weave from side to side, no constant readjusting is needed. Going up and down kerbs was more of a challenge, as I couldn’t lift up the back wheels, while rolling it on the front wheels to lever it up and down a step, so Amelia got a bumpier ride, but she didn’t seem to mind! The shopping basket is quite small, and I was pleasantly surprised that things didn’t slide out while the buggy was tilted and rolling.

Now I have used the buggy for about a month, I have really got used to it and actually really like it! On the long trips to school and back (20 minutes each way) it does become rather hard work on my arm and hand, but, thinking about it, that is a weight issue that I’m not sure any buggy design could rectify. It does tip a bit at kerbs, if it’s not completely square to the kerb, but I’m always able to keep it upright. Amelia likes it, and quite often falls asleep in it! I also love how small and compact it is. If you’re in a café, you can keep it unfolded at the table, as it just takes up the same room as a chair. In fact, we went out for lunch, and there wasn’t a highchair, so Amelia sat quite happily, up to the table, in the buggy.

So, in conclusion, the Phil & Ted’s Smart Buggy is a good solution for my particular situation and I can appreciate how it would be great for parents in a busy city environment, needing to weave in and out of crowded streets and hopping on and off buses and tubes. Yes, the Smart Buggy is very smart indeed!

** Paula reviewed the original Phil & Ted’s Smart Buggy, which had feet instead of wheels at the front. However, the basic design principles remain the same, and the new model looks even more versatile and flexible.

We’re pleased to welcome Beach Factory to the LittleStuff fold – just in time for Sun Awareness week (Sun Awareness is the British Association of Dermatologists’ annual drive to promote sun safety messages).
From 5th-12th May all sun protection products on the Beach Factory site will be reduced by 10% – tents, UV swimwear, kids banz glasses and sun hats…

We have some of their items on review, and the sun was so warm last weekend that my Joe was proudly sporting his ‘Tiger Joe’ top in the garden!