I am sure that if you regularly read my blog you already know about my love affair with Green People and their lovely baby and kids skincare range. It’s all natural, organic, gentle to the skin, so it’s no wonder my preferred choice. I’ve been very kindly sent one of their No Scent Children’s Sun Lotion to try out – thank you, lovely Green People

The first impresion is that the lotion is no greesy, but light and creamy. Surprisingly (in a very good way though), there are no white marks when applied on the skin – it rather spreads smoothly and absorbs nicely.
My daughter used to have eczema and her skin is still very delicate and prone to skin allergies, so choosing a natural, free from chemicals and alergens sun cream is very, very important for me. This one is exactly this, so I’m happy to use it again and again – they use natural mineral sun filters and skin-friendly ingredients to effectively protect against UVA and UVB rays, without the need for synthetic chemicals.

Another benefit is that this sun lotion is naturally water-resistant and it offers broad-spectrum UVA & UVB protection generated through a blend of earth minerals, and a UV filter derived from cinnamon leaf and edelweiss.

As of July 1st the RRP is £15.95 for 150ml / Available from www.greenpeople.co.uk, or at John Lewis, Waitrose, Wholefoods, Planet Organic and independent retailers.
You may also want to try their Lavender Children’s Sun Lotion SPF25 or Children’s Aloe Lotion & After Sun.

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They are strange beings, the teddy bears. Yes, they are so much soaked in our lives that somehow become like a human being. A teddy bear helps a child grow up. It’s like a crutch, supporting kids in small but steady steps build their confidence and understanding of the world.

A teddy bear is like a mirror; a mirror of life, projecting the adult way of behaving onto their ‘plush’ being – sometimes taking the strikes of a child’s anger, other times – their implicit love and kindness. And so often a teddy bear would count to ten or write letters for the first time with the kids, sitting on their laps. A teddy bear would eat the greens when children are fussy, would be sleeping next to them, becoming a comforter… and be an example of the way a child should play, act and socialise with others. – An almost breathing teddy bear, marking its lively and iridescent presence in a child’s dream. And in their whole life.

It’s even funnier how, suddenly, from being a rope which helps a child to climb the mountain and give him the learning how to fall down and get up again, this same teddy bear becomes a thread, a fibre, linking the grown-up kid with our childhood, reminding us of our youth, joy and play, and the feeling of being child once.

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I have to say that I needed a travel cot not just for travelling (when short of space). Yes, the Graco Contour Storage Cot is shorter (104cm) which would make it just perfect for when travelling in the spring and summer. But it’s also ideal when visiting friends for a day and overnight and my little girl would prefer to have her nap or a night-sleep in a comfortable, “her own territory” cot, so she feels save and “at home”. It’s great because it doesn’t take much space in the car when folded (it’s only 23cm x 23cm x 85cm).

I like the design with its rounded table and stylish grey colours shades. It’s got 2 wheels which makes it easy to move around. It’s quite safe, too with 7 feet for perfect stability.

The best thing of the Graco Contour storage travel cot is the included storage compartment, which means we can travel easily with minimum luggage on short or long journeys. With our old travel cot it was a bit tricky to find bedsheets to cover the mattress, but the mattress dimensions of the Graco Contour storage travel cot are 65 x 95cm, so it fits ideally a regular cot-bed mattress sheets.

If you need it for a baby, the extra benefits are also the included removable and folding changing table. Also it has a detachable control box for night light, music and vibrations – ideal for a perfect bedtime. And there is also a nice toy bar with toys to stimulate baby’s development.
As a basinette it’s suitable from birth to 3 months but as a bed it could be easily used until the child is 16kg, i.e. around 3 years old.

Thank you so much, Graco! – Nika already feels nice and comfortable in the travel cot when we stayed overnight with some friends of us last weekend, and I can’t wait to use it ever more often during our family holidays!

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I love the patterns you can get skibz in – they are a welcome change from bibs which cover my little daughters’s outfits. I would say Skibz are just perfect for those times when your little one needs to wear a bib when out and about! There are so many styles and colours to choose from that it’s easy to find the ones to suit any outfit.

The other plus is that Skibz fit snugly around my daughter’s neck. They are also highly absorbent if you have a little baby that dribbles a lot while teething. The unique double-layered backing system literally draws moisture away from the skin, eliminating soreness and chaffing under the skin.

But for my daughter it’s true that the bright-coloured Funky Flower Zkibz is more of a fashion statement then a serious piece of clothing protection. So I would definitely recommend these to anyone – even if their child doesn’t dribble that much. Since we have the Skibz, my daughter always gets compliments and people ask me where to buy it from. If you are wondering too, you can buy it online at http://skibz.co.uk.

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Parents are being advised to double check the tension of car seat harnesses, particularly when their babies and toddlers wear thick coats or snowsuits this winter. The advice comes from baby company Morrck, who says many UK parents don’t realise the effect that thick outdoor clothing can have on the fit of car seat harness straps or the potential consequences of straps being too loose.

“Parents may be very surprised at the amount of slack a coat or snow suit can cause. For a car seat harness to work properly, the straps need to be tightly strapped against the child’s chest. When a child wears a snowsuit or thick coat, the straps are usually adjusted to the thickness of the coat, not the chest. If the car was in an accident, the coat could compress, making the straps too loose and reducing the level of protection for the child,” explains Isobel Thompson, mum of three and founder of Morrck, creator of the Baby Hoodie.

So, what to do? Always test whether you have correct harness tension when using a coat or snowsuit, simply follow the steps below:

1/ Put the coat on the child.
2/ Strap the child into the car seat and tighten to ensure a snug fit.
3/ Remove the child from the car seat – without loosening the straps.
4/ Take the coat off the child.
5/ Strap the child back into the seat – but don’t adjust the straps.
6/ Do the Two finger test. If you can fit more than two fingers underneath the harness at the child’s 7/ shoulder bone, the harness tension needs to be tightened or avoid using the coat in the car seat.

For more information on the Two Finger Test and the Baby Hoodie, go to www.morrck.com and click on ‘car seat safety’. You can also see the crash test results on this page.

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