Review: Organic Monkey Bumfluff Nappy Balm and Hello Mellow Massage Oil

I love trying out new baby products and if they are as good for soft baby skin as the products from Organic Monkey, then it is even more fun. Recently, I was kindly sent two products from the Organic Monkey range to review and after having tried them over a good period of time, I would like to give you my verdict on them. 

The first product we received was the Organic Monkey Bumfluff Nappy Balm. It comes in 50 ml tub and is made with a blend of organic oils and fairtrade Shea Butter. Although Amy is lucky enough not to suffer from nappy rash, I still used the nappy balm quite regularly on her because I like the way it nourishes her skin. It is easy to spread and is soft and gentle to little bottoms. What I really like about this product is that you only need a little of it to cover the area you want to protect, so a 50ml tub will go a long way. Also it doesn't smell clinical like other comparable products which is a real bonus. With £10.50 for a 50ml tub, Organic Monkey's Bumfluff Nappy Palm is a bit on the expensive side however it absorbs much quicker than other products I have tried and it doesn't leave any grease stains on baby's clothes.

The second product we tried is the Hello Mellow Massage Oil by Organic Monkey. It comes in a 125ml bottle and has become an invaluable part of Amy's bedtime routine. The oil has a lovely subtle smell and absorbed really easily when I massaged it into Amy's skin after her bath. Other oils that I have tried before left a greasy film on Amy's skin and even soaked into her clothes. Hello Mellow however spreads nicely and is just a really lovely product to use on her skin. It has a nice smell and it really helps her to relax before bedtime. Similar to the Bumfluff Nappy Balm, the Hello Mellow Massage Oil is a very efficient product, so the price of £12.00 for a bottle really seems fair.

Both products are available in the Protect and Nourish Me gift set. It costs £20 and makes a lovely gift for a baby shower or the birth of a baby. All products are available from the online shop on the Organic Monkey website or a list of stockists that you can find online. 

Disclosure: Mummy Alarm was provided with the Protect and Nourish Me gift set free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by Organic Monkey.

Sleeping sucks...

... at least if you are my 17 week old daughter. Amy is generally an amazing sleeper. She's been sleeping through since she was 3 weeks old and I know how absolutely lucky I am but the last two nights have been a bit of a challenge for me.

Amy has decided that 4.30am is the perfect time to wake up. If she'd only be having a feed that would be fine by me but after having what seems like the drink of the century (yes, it feels that long when all you want to do is go back to dream land) sleeping is the last thing on her mind. She gives me a cheeky grin and starts entertaining herself by loudly talking to the dark. Well, that is for the first two hours. Then she gets tired. But being tired doesn't equal going back to bed if you are a stubborn baby like her - people say, she's got that from me but they must confuse me with someone else. Anyway, sleeping is not on Amy's to do list after two action packed hours in the middle of the night - not even, if she can't keep her eyes open. No, if you see how much Amy fights sleep you might think that sleeping really sucks. Don't ask me who taught her that, it certainly wasn't me. I try rocking her to sleep. I let her Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet play lullabies and environmental sounds to her (normally an instant winner) but the more I try to help her settle the angrier she gets. You can't imagine what angry noises this cute little face can produce and how much strength she brings up when she wants to lift up her body so that she doesn't have to lie down - it surprises me every morning and admittedly, it slightly scares me thinking about how she'll kick off once she's older. In my horror visions, I already see her taking camp on the naughty step. In the nice ones, everything is pink and fluffy and full of butterflies and unicorns - you get the picture? It looks like this and after a 4 hours fight I can see it clearly:

Review: SnoozeShade Plus - sunshade and sleep aid for strollers and prams

Do you know the feeling when you are out and about, the sun is shining and your little one just doesn't want to go to sleep? Thought so. Well, lean back and relax because Cara Sayer has come up with the invention of inventions: The SnoozeShade Plus.

The SnoozeShade Plus is the ultimate sunshade and sleep aid for strollers and prams that allows you to maintain your child's sleep schedule while you are out and about and also protects them from the dangers of sun rays. The SnoozeShade Plus is the further development of the SnoozeShade Original and comes with a new 'lookout' window for your little one to see out. Once they are asleep or you want them to settle for a nap, you can easily zip it up to create a darkened and cosy environment that helps nosy toddlers and babies to switch off and have a snooze. Closed, the SnoozeShade Plus offers one of the highest levels of sun protection available on the stroller sunshade market with UPF50+. But don't worry about your little one overheating. The SnoozeShade Plus is made of a double-layer of soft breathable fabric that allows air to circulate so that your little passenger stays comfy throughout the entire journey.

What I'm thinking about it? For me the SnoozeShade Plus is an absolute must-have during the summer months. Amy is a brilliant sleeper once she is asleep but when we are out and about she always struggles to switch off and relax. The SnoozeShade Plus was a great help with keeping up her sleep routine. Amy wasn't distracted by her environment and could relax and eventually drop off to dream land while still hearing our voices and being protected from the sun light. It also provides protection against mosquitoes and other nasty insects you don't want anywhere near your baby or toddler - brilliant if you like to travel. The lookout window is a great feature to reassure you that your little one is alright and as if the whole idea behind the SnoozeShade Plus wasn't clever enough already, it also fits all popular 3- and 4-wheeled prams, strollers, pushchairs and buggies with a single hood. We are using it with the Mamas and Papas Sola and I am impressed about how easy it is to attach to the pram with its elasticated Velcro straps - it literally takes seconds and even daddy can do it.

Retailing at £29.99 the SnoozeShade Plus is good value for money. It is made of a robust yet light material and offers sun protection and sleeping aid on the go. If you would like to buy a SnoozeShade Plus or Original, check www.snoozeshade.com for the latest offers and a list of stockists.


Disclosure: I have been provided with a free SnoozeShade Plus for this review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by SnoozeShade.

Mummy Alarm Review: Leap Frog Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet

Amy is a great sleeper, don't get me wrong, but getting her to settle down for bedtime can be a real struggle sometimes. She is just too interested in everything happening around her that she just can't switch off and relax. We have been thinking about different ways to help her wind down, e.g. taking her for a walk in her pram, sitting on the swing with her or giving her a calming bath. None of it did really work, so I was delighted when the lovely people from Leap Frog offered to send us a toy called Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Violet is a soft cuddly toy that has two functions: a) it helps children to explore first words and counting and b) it gently teaches them to settle for bedtime.

Amy absolutely loves her new fluffy friend and I can't believe just how quickly she has got used to settling with Violet. As soon as she listens to the lullabies, Amy calms down and you can't believe how cute she smiles when Little Violet tells her "Night Night". It's just adorable. Her absolute favourite, however, are the environmental sounds that are the second sound setting that the toy comes with. You can hear a train, the ocean, a carrier bag in the wind (at least that's what I identified it as) and many more sounds which all send Amy to dreamland within minutes. How good is that? You can choose between two settings for sounds and music and either let them run for 10 or 20 minutes. We usually have Violet set for 20 minutes and in general, Amy doesn't need any longer to fall asleep, however, we sometimes have to give her an extra ten minutes to make sure she really is fast asleep. Unfortunately, this is where I can find the only little thing to moan about. Violet obviously does not know that Amy is almost asleep and gives her another cheerful "Night Night", so it can happen that my baby girl happily opens her eyes and gives Violet another big smile before settling again and cuddling with Violet's soft blanket.

Twinkle twinkle Little Violet is available in Leap Frog's Online Store as well as in all good toy stores and costs around £15 - in my eyes an absolute bargain because this toy is an absolute life saver and must-have for all parents of little ones that struggle going to sleep.

Silent Sunday

 

Review: Philips AVENT DECT 535/00 Baby Monitor

Product: Philips ADVENT DECT Baby Monitor

Price: £100 (RRP)

Available from: Philips, Amazon and other retailers

Suitable from: birth

Initial reaction: We first thought a monitor was only for checking on your baby. Little did we know that a baby monitor can come with so many useful functions as the Philips AVENT DECT 535/00. Brilliant!

Pros: crystal clear sound, long reach (330m), eco-friendly, no interference with other electrical gadgets, humidity and temperature control, long operating time, plays lullabys

Cons: buttons on baby unit aren't lit so you either need to memorise them or switch ceiling light on, night light is not very bright and lullabys just run for abour 2 mins

Value for money: Yes

Overall reaction: This is our first baby, therefore we are not really experienced when it comes to baby monitors. I even have to admit that I was a bit worried that the technical side of them would be slightly overwhelming, but you can lean back and relax. The Philip Advent DECT 535/00 is so easy to set up that we didn't even have to look into the manual to figure out how it works. Easy peasy! As we live in a three storey house it is really important for us that the monitor has a long reach and doesn't interfere with any other gadgets around the house. We took the parent unit into every single room of the house and it passed our test with an A*. There was no interference with any other electronic devices and we could here all noises coming from the nursery loud and clear. An added bonus of the monitor is its lullaby function. The songs are slightly short and only play for a couple of minutes but they are brilliant if your little one just needs a little soothing without you wanting to interfere. Another great feature, that is especially comforting for us as first time parents, is the integrated humidity and temperature control that allows you to check if baby's room is warm enough whenever you need that little bit of reassurance. The only thing we have to criticize is that the night light is slightly too weak and that the baby unit doesn't come with any lighting that is strong enough for you to distinguish between the different buttons. If you don't want to wake baby up by putting the ceiling light on, you'll have to find some alternative light source such as a mobile phone or something similar to it. Overall, the Philips Advent DECT 535/00 is a brilliant product though, that will allow us to sit back without being overly careful first time parents.

Review: dreamgenii® Pregnancy Support & Feeding Pillow

Being seven months pregnant I do know from my own experience that once your belly starts growing it is quite common to get restless at night and to have difficulties to find a comfortable position to sleep in. What I didn't know is that clever mummy and entrepreneur Vanessa Blake developed the perfect solution for all sleepless mummies-to-be: the dreamgenii^® Pregnancy Pillow.

The award winning pregnancy pillow consists of a back support cushion and a quilted pad as well as of a bump support cushion and a leg support. When we first opened the parcel I was sent from dreamgenii^® my boyfriend and me had a good giggle about the funny looking shape of the pillow but after reading the instructions and explainations on the packaging the design of the pillow soon made sense. The pillow which is being recommended by midwives and also used in countless delivery suits around the UK does not only support you back, bump and knees, it does also help you to lie on your left hand side which is the best position for pregnant women and their babies. I have known that sleeping on your left side supplies your baby with the best possible amount of oxygen, however, I have always struggled to get comfortable on my left side. I either couldn't get comfortable or I had problems staying on my left side falling back into my routine of sleeping on my belly. Having used the pillow for a week now I can say that it has changed my sleep completely. I have no problems getting comfortable anymore and I have noticed that I don't even turn around during the night but remain in the position I fell asleep in. The only problem is that my better half found out about the benefits of the pillow and tries nicking it off me in the night, but there is no way I'm going back to restless nights and bags under my eyes – at least not until our baby girl is born. But comfotable sleeping isn't the only thing the dreamgenii^® Pregnancy Pillow has to offer. Another benefit is that the pillow doesn't become useless once you gave birth. It easily turns into a feeding pillow and helps you to sit in a comfortable position while breast or bottle feeding your baby.

Ok, at first glance the price of £45.99 might seem a bit high for a pillow but having tested it I would highly recommend it to everyone that is struggling to get comfortable at night. I wouldn't have thought I would ever say this as I have never had any problems sleeping but there is nothing more valuable than a good night's sleep and comfort.