Review: The Essentail One ~ A Newborn's basic must have's!

This review certainly is going to be picture heavy, it has to be so i can show you all the gorgeous things that Kate from 'The Essential One' has sent me. 

The Essential One specialize in baby's first year, 0-12mths. Hence the name, all baby's first year essentials can be found here! Kate sent me a wonderful package that contained lots of beautiful things for this unborn baby of mine, another girl.
 The Essential One have girly, boyish and uni-sex items, so something to please everyone before and after baby arrives.

I arrived home and found this parcel at my door. What a lovely surprise :) The pretty logo on the pack lets you know who your parcel is from and instantly makes you excited to open it up! When i opened it the first thing i noticed was the smell, the unmistakable scent of a freshly bathed Newborn. Enough to make any hormonal pregnant lady cry, beautiful. This is their signature scent, the fragrance is cleverly designed to be allergen free and is sprayed onto the tissue not directly onto the clothing itself.

I found a tissue paper wrapped neatly presented and folded bundle, with a great little catalogue of all the other available items.

Even the stickers have the brands bunny face on, so cute i love them! :)

I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper and opened it out...

Beautifully folded and pressed clothing, already laid out in a way that i could see most of the content. I was very eager to delve further and open them up to check the sizing. My first daughter was 8lb4.5oz at birth and didn't fit into Newborn size's, so Kate thoughtfully sent me 0-3mths (upto 14lbs, 62cm height) for this baby :)

These totally adorable hats and mitts where the first things i looked at, i am one for dots & stripes so i was instantly loving these! The mitts do seem excessively small and don't taper in very much around the wrist. I would love to see how long they actually manage to stay on baby without falling off due to not being long enough or fitted enough? But, when baby arrives i will be testing them out a.s.a.p!

I could fit both of my fists (clenched) into the hats, leaving enough room for movement and growth. These are definitely spot on for sizing, and i love the little detailing of the knotted top.

Co-ordinate with the other items i was sent, and other available items.

Hats 2pk - £5 EO38, Mitts 2pk - £3 ESS23. Both sets are in the Pastel pink colour way.

 

This stripy heart all-in-one is one of their best sellers. A beautiful outfit that's great for daytime as an outfit or as an easy to use sleepwear option.

The cute design looks like it is double layered with a t-shirt underneath, very cool baby! The access to baby is great with fully poppered back and legs. The feet look a little small on this suit, but it has been 18mths since I've seen a newborns feet so they maybe perfect for her :)

The chest area has two little buttons and the left leg has a cotton bow on, now you may wonder if they're safe to be put on a baby's outfit. Choking hazards etc... Well i can assure you they're pretty sturdily fixed on, i had a good tug on all of them and not a wobble or loose thread to tell of. Also very sturdy poppers that won't undo if baby wiggles a bit, but are also smooth on the skin.

Co-ordinates with the hats and Mitts. Other items also available.

Pastel Pink Suit - £15 EO32

Inside these lovely little cotton bags are sleepsuits and bodysuits. The sleepsuits come in a three pack and the bodysuits are a five pack, both come with their own bag for storage. Plus they are drawstring close so you can use them to hang up bits and bobs. I am planning on using one for baby's socks and the other for hats & mitts.

The sleepsuits have beautiful details, featuring the bunny embroidered on and other little patches and bows sewn on. A layered neckline for extra comfort and fully poppered body and legs.

The sleeves have 'built in' mitts, a very useful thing when baby at night when regular mitts get knocked off in their sleep.

Co-ordinates with the hats and mitts. Other items also available.

3pk sleepsuits in Pastel Pink - £18 ESS13

This five pack of uni-sex suits really impressed me. A deep but snug fit neckline with a good amount of material to fold over the shoulders, keeping baby's neck and chest area covered. And low-rise leg openings, great as knowone wants a saggy bum! These offer a comfortable and practical fit, whilst also being in totally adorable designs! Unlike some other brands of sleepsuits that tend to fall short in these areas, making it drafty and uncomfortable for baby.
Other co-ordinating items are available.
5pk Bodysuits in Uni-sex Beige - £15 ESS4

All of the items are SO soft, like baby rabbit soft! That's because The Essential One only use 100% fully combed soft handle cotton. All of the items can be purchased individually or (most of them) as part of one of their many gift sets, both gorgeous and great value for the quality and amount of items you get.

The poppers and metal items are nickel free to avoid irritation, machine washable and all are regularly tested throughout production to ensure attachment strength is maintained. Making it safe for baby to bumble about as they do :) And all embroideries have a soft backing inside the garments to ensure there is no irritation to baby’s skin. On all the items i found the tags to be super discrete, small and soft next to baby's skin. Fabulous, no irritating tags to itch the baby or for mummy to have to cut off!

Everything has been thoughtfully done when making these items, every care has been taken. Excellent designs and quality.

I haven't a bad thing say about this company or their products, with their super friendly service and easy to use website, shopping here is a most enjoyable experience. The only problem being what to order first!?!
Well to help you decide they offer 10% off your first order, all you have to do is enter ESS1 at the checkout :) Order online or by phone 0870 850 0727

The recipe for nightime

Page 6 of the catalogue, this made me cry! But they were happy tears....

1 cherished newborn
1 cosy Essential One sleepsuit
1 cotton Essential One bodysuit

Add a snugly pair of matching mitts,
cuddle for 30 minutes in a pair of loving arms
= all that is essential for a great night's sleep.


It's beautiful :) Then you think about it....hang on a minute....No nappie? Lol

Also don't forget to visit their facebook page, check out the Autumn Photo shoot, so darn cute! And remember to tell them i sent you :)

 

Review: Nuby no spill Mega flip-it sippy cup 14oz/420ml

We have been reviewing a Nuby 14oz/420ml Mega Flip-it sippy cup, in colours green and pink. On the packaging it states 12mths+, however the website states 9mths+. If a supervised 9mth old can use it then great! But for independent use i think 12mths is more apt.

I was worried that Lydia wouldn't understand how to suck the straw-like nozzle, but she had mastered it in only a few hours! She only drinks water or breastmilk, so the sippy was filled with water.
I was a bit concerned about other children using it for juice based drinks, as when you suck a straw your gums pull back and the liquid gets onto your teeth/gums. With a lot of use would it encourage tooth problems?

Notice the concentration on her face! Hehe

I love the fact that its no-spill, my monkey loves to shake her other sippy cups around and i usually get soaked! It didn't even leak when she had it upside down flicking the nozzle (cheeky baby).

The lovely bright colours kept attracting Lydia towards it, i noticed that over the day she had drank more than normal. Which is great! The fantastic design of the bottle made it very easy for her small hands to grasp and use with ease.

Sometimes when you flip the lid up you get splattered with a little water which has collected in the nozzle end, this was much to Lydia's amusement that she kept doing it over and over! The lid has very easy access, which is great for small fingers. The little bobble handle was the right size for her to push with a finger, and for me to open with a pinch.

Having a good swig!

You can buy replacement lids/spots/straws from Nuby, which is great when you have a cheeky monkey who empties your cupboards and hides things! I did find the spout quite tricky to clean, i think the best way would be to soak them in a bowl/sink of hot soapy water. And then rinse them through whilst squeezing the spout.

I found the thing as a whole was easy to put together and use. The lid screwed on safely, tight enough not to let little one in but loose enough that Mumma won't struggle.

They come in loads of gorgeous colours, how will you choose?
You can buy yours from many retailers. Can't wait? Get yours online, they're only £5.99 with free shipping from Amazon here.

Night Nappie review 5: Cheeks&Cherries ~ Issy Bear-V2-''Minky Baby'' Dalmation

After contacting J at Cheeks&Cherrie's i was sent two gorgeous nappies to test out for night time usage. This review is for the Issy Bear-V2-''Minky Baby'' Dalmation.

When i opened this i was so excited! It is GORGEOUS! I fell in love with it, Justin told me off for stroking it like a cat. Hahaha. Lydia was also excited and grabbed it off of me, she played with it for ages. I managed to get it off her to give it the pre-washes as per instruction.

The sizing is birth to potty, you adjust it by tightening/loosening the popper fastenings as to baby's needs.

It comes with two bamboo and microfibre inserts, one day and one night. They say on them which is which, very helpful. These also have poppers on, yellow ones to pop them together for night-time usage and white ones to make them smaller for smaller baby's. The inserts are quite thick and take longer than 'regular' ones to dry, but you can buy more of these separately if can't you wait to use the nappie. They washed really well with no smells or shrinkage. The inside of the nappie has a fold down and velcro seal to help keep the inserts in place.

The outer nappie is 'Minky' with Polyurethane Laminate (a waterproof layer), and this washed and dried really quickly. It has a stay-dry fleece like layer next to the skin, this is suedecloth. So no need for a liner, but we used one as i didn't want to risk staining this beautiful nappie!

The elasticated panels on the legs and back were very soft next to Lydia's skin, this helped in giving a comfortable fit. It fitted Lydia really well with lots of room to grow, so great value as it will last her ages!
The only extra feature that I'd like to see, would be to add one or two more poppers either side in a second row. This would give an even better fit as it won't allow the panels/flaps to slip out of place if your baby is a wriggler (as is mine). Lydia's bum did seem rather firm and large once she was fully clothed for bed. I could see this nappie being rather bulky on smaller babies, but so are most onesize nappies.

Lydia is quite a heavy night-time wetter, so i was hoping this nappie was upto it. In the morning Lydia was dry! I was amazed, no soggy clothes and no sore bottom. The nappie became quiet heavy as it was 'pee-soaked', but this is to be expected as with most inserts. And she was changed as soon as she woke anyway :)
I found this nappie to be very versatile. A great day nappie with just the main insert, add the extra 'night insert' for night-times, longer naps, car journeys, or for bigger babies and heavier wetters. Excellent!

Although these nappies are a bit more expensive than some other brands/styles (from £18.99), if you consider all of the above i think this nappie is well worth the price. They last ''forever'' (until potty training) and then can be handed down to another baby.

So if your looking for something extra special, long lasting, heavy wetter suited, then i recommend this nappie to you! You can buy yours, and other gorgeous stuff here; http://www.cheeksandcherries.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2echeeksandcherries%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=issy&PN=Onesize_pocket%2ehtml%23a1_2112505#a1_2112505

                                                              
                                                                     ~~~ Thankyou J ~~~

Review: Theraline 'The baby pillow'

Theraline: The baby pillow

At first glance this just seems like neat, cute little pillow for your baby.

But its so much more, Its a must have!

The size of it is a perfect fit for any moses basket/crib. The contoured shape for 'head shaping' is spot on for baby sizing, and its fully breathable! Such a re-assurance to mum's of young baby's. I was very impressed with its almost invisible insides of anatomically shaped and perforated high-tech fabric. With its super-soft exterior its lovely next to baby's skin without causing any irritation.

Also it can be hand-washed at up to 60 degree's. Fab!

''As cosy as a feather pillow, but without the associated risks'' ~ quote from the packaging

I just wish we had this since birth, as Lydia was born with Vonteuse causing a slightly wonky/misshapen head. The magic of this pillow would've surely helped to 'normalise' the shape of her head much quicker, had i known about it sooner! I will definitely be recommending it to friends with newborns.

Lydia is 10mths old today, and the pillow can be used from birth to 12mths. As recommended by doctors and midwifes the first 5mths of use is the most important and successful of usage.

However we managed to successfully use it for 2wks before Lydia decided that laying still on her back to sleep was not for her! Now sleeping with her bum in the air and head firmly into her mattress, this pillow will be kept and used for baby no:2. (Hopefully coming soon!)

To buy yours you can visit Theraline online. It available from other retailers online and prices seem to vary from £15~£20, dependant on shop.