Christmas Gift Ideas for Babies

Both of my children are September babies so were around three months old on their first Christmases.  It was really hard to buy for them as they still seemed far too little for most toys and I much preferred practical items than an abundance of toys that they probably wouldn't be able to play with for months.

I've put together a few ideas that I think parents of young babies would appreciate. I love making up hampers so they'd be great together, gifted as a hamper of goodies.

SnuzPouch Baby Sleeping Bag

I loved using baby sleeping bags with E when she was tiny but this gorgeous SnuzPouch is a whole other level. I love the monochrome print and it's 2.5 tog meaning it's great to use all year round. The 0-6 month size has a zip on the front meaning that you can open and change your baby's nappy without having to remove your baby from the sleeping bag, making life easier!

You can purchase it from Kiddies Kingdom for £36.95.

tommee tippee Night time Orthodontic Soothers

These are the types of soothers that both of my children used. I really liked the shape of the teat and I think they'd make a lovely inclusion in a baby hamper for Christmas. The designs on the front are super cute. Dummies need to be changed a lot and it's always handy to have some around.

You can purchase these from Home Bargains for £1.99.

tommee tippee Decorated Cherry Soothers

tommee tippee also do cherry shaped soothers if your baby prefers a bigger teat.

These are also available to buy for £1.99 from Home Bargains.

tommee tippee Moda Sippee Cup

These little cups are great for little ones who are just starting to drink independently and I'm sure you can see every parent's favourite words on the front - non spill! I love the sweet little design on the front too.

Nuby Toddler Training Cutlery

I absolutely love these and actually own a little pink and purple set for my daughter E. They are great for moving on from plastic cutlery to real "grown up" ones.

Nuby IcyPal Teether

Nuby were always my go-to for teether for both C and E. This is gel filled and great to relieve pain from all teeth.

These can be found at Home Bargains at a price of £1.99.

Nuby Chewbies Teether

This Nuby teether is a little bit smaller and made of silicone. The textures mean that it massages gums, reducing pain.

It's currently priced at £1.99 at Home Bargains.

Teeny Tiny Tots Baby Food Freezer Cubes

I loved making my own baby food and even had a little baby food blender. It made weaning such an exciting time and I loved seeing the children's faces when they tried a new flavour. These freezer pots are perfect for storing your premade purées in separate portions so you can defrost them when needed.

These pots are £1.99 at Home Bargains.

Personalised Dressing Gown

I am such a sucker for anything personalised, my own children won't be forgetting their names in a hurry! My1stYears have beautiful personalised dressing gowns which I think would be so lovely for Christmas Eve. They are fantastic quality and so cosy.

They retail at £27.99.

(This post contains items that I have been sent to include in the gift guide.) 

Helping to Introduce Your Baby to the Bottle

There are many reasons why you might consider introducing your baby to a bottle. You may want to start feeding your little one some expressed breast milk; or, knowing that you will be returning to work, you want to ensure that they have some milk whilst you are away from them.

Whatever the reason, this guide will help with how to go about giving your child their first bottle, top tips in the early stages of introducing your little one to a bottle and tactics that you can use when your child refuses the bottle.

How to give your child their first bottle
The common issue for babies being introduced to a bottle is that they will need to use a different sucking action compared to when they were breastfed. It will take them time to get the hang of this new feeling.

To help, try to give your child their first few bottles when they are relaxed and happy as opposed to instances when they're hungry and more likely to want fed by a method that they are used to. It could also be wise to offer your baby a bottle in the evening once their regular feeding has ended - you don't have to give them much milk, as it will be more about getting your child used to the feeling of the bottle's teat.

Another tip is to get someone else to give your baby their first few feeds from a bottle - their dad or a friend or family member - as that way, your baby will not be near you and smelling your breast milk. It may also be best if the mother is out of the house while the baby is being bottle fed, as many babies can smell their mothers even from a distance. You only need to do this a handful of times until your child is used to drinking from a bottle.

Refrain from forcing your baby to feed from a bottle too much, and only feed them enough milk until they let you know that they've had enough. This needs to be a smooth transition, so your child will be more likely to refuse if they aren't enjoying their bottle in the early stages.

What to do if your baby is resisting 
If you are struggling to get your baby to make the transition from breast to bottle, there are some techniques that can help.

You should take the time to find a suitable product for your baby. A bottle with a nipple-like teat that is similar to your child's dummy will likely make it more appealing to your little one, for instance. A slow-flow teat can help if your child gags due to regular teats delivering them too much milk at once.

A First Sippee Transition Cup from Tommee Tippee ticks all of these boxes, not to mention the fact that they are specially designed for a baby's first sips and has a super soft spout that is gentle on your child's sensitive gums. These cups may be well known to you, following a dad's desperate search last year to find a replacement cup for his autistic son. The plea received over 12,000 retweets and the full story can be read on the BBC website.

It's not just the design of the bottle or cup that can help your baby with the transition. Your baby may start sucking from the cup or bottle's teat if you place some breast milk on it and your child recognises the familiar taste.

Let your infant get used to their new bottle or cup in their own time too. Don't be too quick to take it away and give up if they begin to just chew on the teat - let them do this for now as they may switch to sucking on it once they are familiar with the feeling.

Babies may also feel more comfortable drinking from a bottle or cup when they are held in a different position to how you breastfeed them. Feed them from a bottle or cup when they are in a semi-upright position in a car seat, for example, or by having them on your lap but with their back to your chest.

Hopefully with this advice, your baby will be reaching for their bottle or cup for their feed before you know it!

(This is a sponsored post.) 

 

Toddler Proofing the House with Fred

I have to admit that when it came to baby or toddler proofing the house, I did the minimum and just hid things away that could fall on the children, tucked away leads and put a stairgate on the bottom of the stairs. I tend to spend 99% of my time in the same room as my children so I always thought they'd be safe. 

My eldest, C who is almost 5 years old, was never a child who would go off and touch things he wasn't supposed to or attempt to climb the stairs (I don't think we actually got a stairgate until he was about a 18 months old!). Two year old E is another story. I swear she touches and climbs everything just to wind me up so I definitely felt that some safety measures had to be put into place with her around.

Fred is a brand that has completely revolutionised home safety products. Did you know that 75% of accidents in children under 5 happen in the home? That's a high statistic and it made me realise that a few things in my home that I'd never thought of before could cause an accident. I chose three products from the Fred range to help make my home a bit safer for the children: Adhesive Double Door Block, Plug Socket Covers and the Door Slam Stopper.

The Adhesive Double Door Block (£5.99) was something that I chose because whenever I'm in the kitchen cooking or doing the dishes, E will always open the cupboard under the sink where we keep cleaning products. I'm forever telling her not to but she's a toddler, of course she won't listen! 

When I first opened it out it seemed like because there were a lot of pieces, it may be difficult to actually install but I couldn't be more wrong. I simply wiped down the inside of the cupboard, removed the adhesive strip and stuck it inside at the top so that when I closed the door, the red plastic stuck out. From there, I simply attached the block and that's it! The only way that the block can be removed is by pressing the two sides and pulling it off - a dual action that children cannot master. It uses SecureHold and ExtremeHold adhesives so there is no risk of it coming off accidentally. 

The block sits right against the doors so there is no room for little fingers to get trapped. It comes with an EZ-Dock too so you can always place the block in it and find it when not in use.

I've used plug socket covers in the past (cheap ones from the pound shop) and they have been almost impossible to remove and I was always breaking nails when trying to pull them. Fred's ones (£4.99 for 6) are amazing! They have a little removal tool that you flip up which makes them easy to remove from the socket. They take a tiny bit of effort so that little ones can't remove them too. They lock with a click and the design means that there is no way that children can grab at them and pull them out.

The Door Slam Stopper (£5.99) is probably the one that I needed most. My children are forever playing in the hallway for some strange reason so would be constantly opening and closing the door to the living room. Both kids are also obsessed with making sure doors are closed so I always find myself saying "Watch your fingers!"

These are so handy and I can't believe I never had them before. The actually stopper is made of rubber and stretches to fit on your door. I keep them high up so that the children can't reach them and remove them but even if I did place them lower down, I don't think they'd be strong enough to pull them off the door. Again, they come with a little EZ-Dock holder with an adhesive back so I've stuck that beside the door to hold the stopper when it's not in use. 

All Fred products are bite and choke safe as they are made from non-toxic food grade material - we all know how little ones put everything in their mouths - so there is no worry of them biting off a chunk of anything. 

I can't believe how quick and easy it was to make my house 100% safer and at a really reasonable price too. I feel like I'm a little bit less on edge and can leave the kids to do as they please (well, kind of!) and know they are completely safe.

You can find out more about the range at the Fred website. 

(We received these products for the purpose of this post.) 

 

Save Money On The First Year With A Baby: 9 Top Tips

While a newborn is a source of joy for many parents, it can be financially stressing as well. Some of the expenses that come with a baby range from baby food, nappies and clothing. This makes parenthood relatively expensive. An average two-parent family can spend more than £250,000 from when a child is born until he/she reaches 18 years of age.

While raising children may be expensive, it all depends on with the kind of upbringing or lifestyle you choose to live. Just because a report says you can spend £250,000 for the 18 years for one child doesn’t mean you necessarily have to. Instead of doing what other (most) parents do, you can choose to take an entirely different route to save money in the process. Here are a few ways in which you can make/save money on the first year with an infant.

1. Do not upgrade your space: Many first-time parents choose to upgrade from say a one bedroomed out to a larger house (say two bedroomed house) just before the baby arrives. While this may seem like the way forward, it isn’t necessary. Young children take up very little space hence do not need the extra room. In addition to this, 30% of all your household expenses will be on the baby’s well-being.  Why spend more money for an extra room you do not need while you can save it for later?

2. Buy less baby stuff: The number of baby-related products has been on the rise over the recent past. Although most of these gadgets may seem fancy and necessary, you may not need them at all. Buying less stuff, and just what the baby needs can save you a fortune in the long run. Before you can spend any money on a new gadget, think about it carefully before dropping any cash on it.

3. Shop for multi-purpose items: Do not be moved into buying a Pack ‘n Play or a crib, or a bouncy seat and swing either. If you have to, go for the Pack ‘n Play instead of all the other three. The Pack ‘n Play can be used as a bed at home and while traveling as well.

4. Consider used items:  We get it, you need your newborn to have new and fancy clothes.  While this may be a good move, it would be wise to shop for secondhand clothes and even toys that are in a good state. You will be surprised at how much you get to save for excellent quality items that were used maybe once or twice.

You can even buy larger items on Facebook selling sites or eBay at a much lower price. Bouncers, swings, and high chairs can come in handy especially for your child. You however need to be wise and smart when shopping for second-hand items. Learn to wash or disinfect these items before giving them to your baby.

5. Buy things as you need them: It can be hard to tell what your baby will need once he/she gets older. To avoid buying something he/she may not need/like, just wait until you get there.  A good example of such items is a swaddle. Some babies actually hate being swaddled while others love it. Using a swaddling blanket at first to see whether the child likes it or not would be a nice approach.

6. Cloth Nappies: Although it may seem a little gross and old-fashioned, cloth nappies can come in handy especially when trying to save some money.  You, however, should be prepared to do some serious laundry with these. As a parent, you should get used to yucky situations hence never feel embarrassed about using baby nappies. If possible, consider going for reusable nappies as these will save you so much more.

7. Learn to prepare your baby’s food:  Baby food is unbelievably easy to make. As a matter of fact, some of the easiest foods to make include steamed vegetable puree. The other interesting thing about preparing baby food is that there’s no special formula for it. You only need a blender or a steamer to help make the food smooth enough for the baby. The only thing you need is some creativity and your hands.

8. Try Free Samples: With so many baby products out there, its very easy to get free samples from some of the biggest UK baby brands like Pampers, sites like WOW FreeStuff& Freebies is a very good site to get lots of freebies.

9. Seek out discount codes: I am a sucker for a discount code and I'll always do a web search to find any current ones for the retailer that I'm purchasing from. If I can save a bit of money, why not?! Dealsdaddy is the answer to my prayers as they compile discount codes from many stores all over the Internet and right now they even have a discount code for £10 off a £50 spend on full priced toys at Mothercare (SAVE10 in case you're wondering!).

Did you do any of these money saving tips with your own children?

(This is a collaborative post.)