Mini Aquadraw from Tomy

We are now collecting lots of items in preparation for Christmas, and these Mini Aquadraw mats form Tomy arrived this morning.
I just had to talk about them though, because they're fantastic! Ella adores drawing , but we've had to hide every single pen/pencil/crayon in the house as she has radar for them, and is indiscriminate where she draws (as my walls/furniture/floor/shoes can testify...).
We do have a large aquadraw mat which she enjoys, but these new minis are brilliant! Small enough to fit on a highchair tray (fab for waiting-for-dinner grumpy time), tough enough to withstand toddler handling, revealing a fun picture rather than just creating your own doodle, they have kept her amused for ages this morning. I know I'm not supposed to be recommending for Christmas yet, but really - put these on your list, with Teletubbies, Peppa Pig, Pooh and Dora versions, they're going to be sooo popular this year!

Kind Words From a Competition Winner :-)

Just wanted to share with you some nice words from Joanne in Rugby, a winner of our recent Oxbridge Baby 'Fairy Tales' DVD competition. Her email has had me smiling all day;

"Dear Katy,

I just wanted to thank you for such a lovely surprise. I received your e-mail on Wednesday, and by Thursday morning our DVD had arrived.

Lucie absolutely adores the DVD, as she loves hearing and reading fairy tales. I think that it is so important today, for little children to hear the fairy tales that I also loved as a child. I am sure it will provide hours of pleasure and enjoyment for her, especially with the CD on the long car journey up to Nanny's.

Thanks again for such a wonderful prize.

Best wishes,

Joanne, Daddy & Lucie"

Hauck Group Scoop 4 Major Awards!

Practical Pre-School Awards identify and reward excellence in educational equipment, childcare, books and toys. Practical Pre-School awards hosted their 9th Annual Award ceremony on the 12th September and Hauck Group were delighted to be awarded 4 prestigious awards within Childcare category and Toys & Games.
All products are reviewed and tested by professional childcare and educational staff. Each product submitted is independently tested within private state nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups, childminding settings, infant schools and after school-clubs.

Hauck managed to gain 4 awards - including a GOLD award for the Kids Babycentre Plus Travel Cot. Now we reviewed this travel cot earlier this year, and LOVED it - nice to know others agree with us! Just click on the image to see our own review of the travel cot over on LittleStuff.

Testers Comments:- Top of the range travel cot – Lightweight – Portable – Easy to erect and fold away to store – A godsend to most childminders – Mattress gave good support and comfort to children – Additional baby accessories added further to its appeal.

LG Steam Direct Washing Machine

Okay, so the washing machine is making a really scary grinding noise, and the clothes are coming out with suspicious dirt marks they didn't have going in.
Time for a new machine. Again. Sigh.
I am pretty tired of hunting for new machines - my last three have had an average life span of two years. Now, I know that a washing machine's life is measured in the work it has to do, not in it's actual age in years; and I also know that with four children I possibly do more laundry than the average household. But still - two years really doesn't seem very long.
So, I am on the hunt for a new machine. I'm not looking for much, though. I want a large capacity, energy & water conscious, super-efficient cleaning machine, that will have a decent length of life. See - not demanding in the least ;)
Well, I did some research, and spoke to a few companies, and kept coming back to the same machine - the LG Steam Direct. It's a new machine on the market, and has a whole heap of groundbreaking technology hidden away inside its sleek and shiny exterior.
First off, it easily clears the capacity requirement with a monstrous 9kg drum.
The dull techy bit states that the 'Direct Drive System' is a state of the art technology which integrates motor, belt and pulley into a single Quiet and Durable Motor that is attached directly to the drum - which means to you and me that not only is it quiet and has less parts to break, it is also far more energy efficient, saving on the electricity bill.
It has a clever system whereby it weighs whats in the drum, and adjusts the water accordingly - really important for those on a water meter.
And most exciting of all, it has a steam option. Which not only means extra-power cleaning on all those stains, but is also just great for removing allergens (so fab news for all eczema/asthma sufferers). And perfect for those delicate baby clothes.
So, I have one on trial, and we'll see if it lives up to the hype.

LittleStuff in Partnership with Lakeland!

We are just thrilled to be working in partnership with Lakeland Ltd - one of the best online sources of all things home and kitchen in this country.
We will be running a series of reviews with them, covering various time and money-saving ideas for the busy parent. It seems these days that all of us parents are bombarded with scary facts and worrying information about what we feed our children, what containers we use for food, how we cook food... and we thought it would be a great idea to review some products that can help us make better choices as parents as we feed our families. Most of the items we have planned are not only going to save you time and effort, but money too - and of course it all comes back to good, simple basic ingredients, so that you know exactly what your child is eating.
First up is the Panasonic Bread bakery - after all, who doesn't like fresh baked bread? I know that I spend a fortune on bread each week, and not only does shop-bought not taste anywhere near as good, but I simply don't trust what goes into it. Making my own has never been an option though - like I have the time!
But chatting with the lovely people at Lakeland, I have been persuaded that the Panasonic bread maker not only makes bread the way it should be, but it will save me money too. Seems a bit too good to be true, but I'm willing to try it...

One Year On - Mamas and Papas harewood cotbed

So a whole year has passed since we reviewed the Harewood cotbed. And it is still firmly and happily in use by Ella. Older brothers have been known to jump in with her on the odd excited morning occasion, she has had the odd temper tantrum or two (or 12) in it, underneath it is her secret tired-place den, We have moved rooms (which involved dismantling the cot to get it out the door) and it is still rock-solid and steady on the floor. The cot has been nothing less than perfect, and I am confident that when it comes to taking the sides off and making it into a bed it will be just as marvellous. Best of all, the price is now down to just £185!

Absolute Top LittleStuff marks Mamas & Papas!

Does Only Mean Lonely?

Most parents spend a large amount of time pondering the 'shall we have another' dilemma. Big families are fun, but horrifically expensive, noisy and draining. Only children benefit far more in terms of time, attention, and sheer available moola.

According to the Liverpool Victoria insurance company, the current cost of raising a child from birth to 21 is £186,000... multiply that by even two and the numbers start to add up!

In the UK, the number of families with an 'only child' has been steadily increasing since 1972, so the 'sensible head' is obviously prevailing more and more.

Further to the article I linked to in August on the benefits of large families, there's an interesting one in today's Telegraph discussing the benefits and drawbacks of being an only child.

(picture is of Lauren Bacall - a mildly successful and sighingly beautiful 'only child')

New Simply Colors Competition

Simply Colors are pleased to announce the arrival of the New Autumn/Winter Range.
Yes - the online shop with a difference is now preparing for the colder evenings. Autumn is just around the corner (well, maybe it's here already...) and what better time to get creative with your child’s wardrobe! At www.simplycolors.co.uk you can choose from a variety of high quality, 100% cotton clothing for babies and toddlers and add your own personal message. Choose from a variety of vibrant colours including hot pink and aqua blue and a range of fonts and text colours to make your little one stand out in the crowd. So click online today and have fun being creative especially with the new Autumn/Winter range which include Hoodie, Long Sleeve T-Shirt and stylish rugby shirt. Sizes available Birth – 6 years. Something to keep then snug and warm as the colder evenings draw in.

Simply colors is an experience; and the most amazing aspect of this unique online shop is you can actually view your own personalised design before you purchase. You will have hours of fun creating something totally unique for your little angel.

To celebrate the arrival of the NEW Autumn/Winter range Simply Colors are offering you a chance to win some of these amazing personalised clothes. This month Simply Colors have put together a special Winter warmer package comprising of New Hoodie and Rugby Shirt with personalised message on the front. Each set is worth £28.80 and there are 5 sets on offer. So just click the title to read the comp on LittleStuff. Good luck!

Cuddledry & Cuddlemoo Bath Towel Review

Our review of the superb Cuddledry and Cuddlemoo baby/childrens' bath towels is now published on LittleStuff.

You may think that a towel is just a towel, oh no, read our review to find out more...

How Snug?

Back in March, Lindsey from Cleveland was one of the winners in our Calin Bleu sling competition. Lindsey recently sent us this photo of her with baby Sophie in the sling. How wonderfully snug does Sophie look?!

Lindsey said about Sophie in the sling, "she loves it and it soothes her as soon as she goes into it. I would recommend them to anyone."

Thank Lindsey and please plant a gentle kiss on top of Sophie's gorgeous little head from Laura and I!

New Competition - Tolo Activity Centre Toy

We've a new competition to tell you about.... those kind folks at Early Years Resources have asked us to give away one of the Tolo highchair activity centre toys. Marvellous bits of kit to keep the little cherub amused at meal times! Details of how to enter can be found here. Good luck!

ssshhhhhh.... top secret news...

*sneak a look over your shoulder*

Don't tell anyone, but we're developing a new site. Rebranding, no less. New website, new logo... same old us here, of course, but everything's going to look SO much more... well - just more.

*beam*

No sneak previews yet, but watch this space... we're aiming for before Christmas, Katy confidently assures me...

Oxbridge Baby Fairy Tales DVD Competition Winners

Our Oxbridge Baby Fairy Tales DVD competition is now closed. The three lucky winners are as follows;

Catherine Owen, Cornwall
Joanne Harrison, Rugby
Lisa Day, Wellingborough

We look forward to hearing how much their children thoroughly enjoy the DVD.