The Breastfeeding Mum's Guide to Family Life!

Guys and Dolls - Sales of new Oobicoo soft toy Ollie outstrip Orla 2:1

Boys’ dolls are selling twice as fast as girls’ dolls according to Totseat founder Rachel Jones, who believes the media have been integral in helping to break down gender stereotypes.

The UK toy industry is worth £2.96bn and since launching the soft toy tots Ollie and Orla last year, multi award winning entrepreneur Rachel Jones has sold twice as many of the boy ‘doll’ Ollie. Sales of boys’ toys take 55% share of the UK toy market and Rachel believes sales of Oobicoo Ollie reflect society’s changing perceptions of traditional gender stereotypes.

Rachel says, “We live in a culture where many people look to the media as a guide to behavior and as a result many people conform to majority norms. Traditionally girls have been expected to play with dolls and wear pink and many parents have discouraged their sons from playing with dolls per se, however there appears to be a shift in this gender stereotyping which can only be a good thing.”

Oobicoo was originally developed and sold as a mannequin to display the multi-award winning Totseat; a safe, portable, fabric highchair for families travelling with babies. Rachel soon realised their appeal when they became the unlikely classmates of her daughter Freya and her friends, who loved the fact that they were so big and cuddly!

The adorable, soft toy tot Oobicoo is made from gorgeous soft plush fabric and, at 60cm tall, is the same size as a six month old baby - the perfect size to be an instant baby brother, sister or best friend. They come in their own wee fabric 'pod' and are designed to be dressed in hand-me-down-baby clothes. This simple idea not only saves money, it encourages the reuse of outgrown baby clothes, teaches children dexterity and provides Oobicoo with an instant wardrobe.

With sound eco credentials, Oobicoo is filled with recycled polymer, manufactured from recycleable fabric and is raising money for the Children's Immunology Fund - £1 from every sale goes to the charity. Oobicoo even has its very own dance tune, penned by Emily Philips and Josh Wilkinson who co-write for pop superstars One Direction and Alexandra Burke!

Rachel added, “Oobicoo not only helps your child’s development, they are perfect for imaginative play, great for teaching dexterity in terms of dressing and undressing and because of their realistic size, they give children someone to cuddle!

“We are delighted to announce the launch of Olwyn, our fourth soft toy tot, who has a different skin tone to the other Oobicoo tots. We are keen to encourage diversity and since launching Oobicoo Ed last year, who is entirely bald, we have had great reactions to the entire Oobicoo family.”

BabyCam Car - The Safe Way To Monitor Your Baby When Driving (Product Review)

I think I've just found one of my very favourite review products - BabyCam Car, a Storage Options baby monitoring system for use in the car (or home). It's a simple idea, but one which makes life so much easier for the parents of young babies and small children.

The product is made up of two parts: a little wireless camera and a little wireless screen! The camera is attached by a suction cup to a window in the rear of the car. The camera is then pointed at the child you wish to monitor and live video is transmitted to a small companion screen also attached by suction cup to your car windscreen - similar to satnav. This enables you to keep a close eye on your child whilst driving without the need to turn around and potentially lose control of your car in the process. The product has an automatic day and night function mode, both of which show extremely clear images of the child being watched. There is also a volume control wheel which can be used if necessary. The device is powered with built in rechargeable batteries and is easily charged via your vehicle's cigarette lighter. Each charge lasts around 4 hours.

 

On my first attempt at trying BabyCam Car I was naturally a little wary of the product in case it became distracting. However, I very quickly found that this wasn't the case. In fact, I actually found that when using BabyCam Car I tended to look at the camera only whilst sitting at traffic lights or when parked.

Fairy Princess Play Tent - A Perfect Gift for Aspiring Fairies and Princesses (Product Review)

With Christmas just a matter of weeks away, it's time for many of us busy mums and dads to start thinking about perfect gifts for the small people we share our lives with. Having just one week ago given birth to my fourth baby, a little girl to join our other two daughters and son, I'm personally up to my eyes at the moment trying to get things just right.

In our house you can imagine that over the years we've acquired many dressing up costumes for hours of imaginative play, but it's amazing how fast time goes and how much you miss having a tiny tot tottering around in plastic heels, wearing a beautiful Princess gown or Fairy wings. With this in mind and with my new baby girl just starting her journey, I was very keen to review the most wonderful Fairy Princess Play Tent sold by Playhouses.co.uk that I'm convinced any aspiring Fairy or Princess would absolutely love.

Product Review: Sequin Kitten Heel Mules at Pink Heaven

As the mother of two beautiful daughters (and one son!) you might expect our house to be overcome with pink glittery things. Well, not quite as only one of my daughters has ever expressed an interest in the girly side of life and personally I've always been more of a tomboy myself - even as a child...

However, all is not lost since my second daughter is on a one girl quest to bring all things pink and shiny into our home!

She loves dolls, make-up, sparkly nail polish, fancy hairstyles, pretty clothes - you get the idea! So when online store Pink Heaven asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing a product from their fabulous range of pink products I had no hesitation in requesting the most adorable sequin kitten heel mules for my little princess, Sarah!

Product Review: Babyroyale Luxury Baby Blanket

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments after giving birth is when the baby is carefully passed over to the exhausted but exhilarated new mother. I know it was that way for me and whilst initially my babies were bare and snuggled close to my body, after that first cuddle and bonding time, I was happy to hand them back to be dressed in a babygro and then presented to me wrapped in a baby blanket looking and smelling wonderful.

Prior to each of their births, I remember packing each of my babies bags with great care, making sure to include a small fresh blanket for each. However, those little blankets were not the best quality and it was only in hindsight that I realised my babies had been wrapped in horrible acrylic blankets which really didn't allow air to circulate very well or cater to their tender skin.

However, since those very blankets were widely sold, I didn't think to look further afield.

How things change...

It was with delight that I received the most gorgeous little Babyroyale luxury baby blanket for review just a few days ago. Immediately upoon opening the package I was impressed not just by the softness of the blanket but by the look and size of it too.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas at Next

Ah, golden rings, now these are more my cup of tea. Speaking of which, I've just enjoyed a lovely cuppa after attending my childrens' school nativity play on this cold and frosty morning!

Well, unlike my previous posts, I haven't bought anything in Next today. However, my mum has just shown me some lovely new clothes that she has bought there for my children. For Jack she bought a cosy jersey top, for Sarah a pretty flowery top with matching brown leggings and for Tara a really warm pink puffa style knee length coat. I'm thrilled as it means the kids are getting something practical and which I know they will actually love!

On the Fourth day of Christmas at Next

The only time I've ever heard of Four Calling Birds has been in the aforementioned Christmas song, but I do love the image that the creative team for Next  have come up with! I think it would make a very pretty Christmas gift tag.

If you were to be given a surprise from Next, what would you like it to be?

On the Third Day of Christmas at Next

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Stop! Three French Hens! Can you just imagine how you might respond if your loved one presented you with three French hens for Christmas?

Thankfully, for me that's not likely and for my hubby, the gift I've chosen for him this winter season is the loveliest Charcoal Wool Rich Coat from Next.

Although I'd intended giving it to him for his birthday (which falls on Boxing Day), given the recent cold snowy weather here, I ended up giving him his new coat a few weeks early!

Despite the fact that he now has nothing fancy to look forward to from me on his special day, he's absolutely thrilled with it and says he's never had such a warm coat and as someone who is what we call cold-blooded, ie feels the coal more than most, that's saying a lot. He looks really cosy and very stylish heading into the office every morning this week!

Visit Next.co.uk to see more of their fabulous jackets for men - you never know, you might just end up buying one for your true love too!

Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader - I Want One Please!

As Christmas rapidly approaches, I'm starting to think about gifts for loved ones and something that was mentioned to me by a friend is Amazon's Kindle E-Book reader. As an English graduate turned English teacher turned mother of three, there are many books in my house and each and every one of us are avid readers. Honestly, our house is literally coming down with books! Unfortunately, we all seem to be book-keepers too as we all seem to form attachments to our books and don't want to part with them!

Although I frequently clear the house of toys and clothes that the children and I have outgrown, when it comes to books I can't bear to be parted from them. I'm actually one of those people who loves everything about each book I buy: the texture of the pages, the smell of the ink, the story within and without! Every book I read I touch it and note the quality of the pages and I'm often to be found inhaling the wonderful inky scent! 

28 Instant Songames: Fun-Filled Activities for Kids Aged 3 to 8

Last week a small package landed on our doorstep, a small package that has brought so much fun into our home that I wish it had landed about 7 years ago when my eldest daughter would have been three.

What was contained within? 28 Instant Songames, that's what!

28 Instant Songames is an audio cd and 48 page booklet full of very addictive fun songs, sounds and activities for young children.

What really surprised me was just how quickly my son showed his enthusiasm for it. Having listened to it just once after returning from nursery, he was desperately keen to listen again and chatted about it the whole way over to his 6 year old sister's school as we went to collect her! Upon arriving home he put it on again for her to listen to. His enthusiasm for it obviously rubbed off on her because she was then dying to share it with her older sister!