Things I can't live without # 7

This post probably should be entitled 'Things I can probably live without but don't want to...' as there are a few things that are downright luxury items. But there is one new item I have discovered and I cannot believe I didn't find it before now.

Milkies Milk-saver

How has nobody told me about this?! I stumbled across it online as I was looking for advice on breastfeeding. If I had had this product when Bebe was born I would have rarely had to express and may have had an easier time trying to get her on a bottle! If you have read my blog before you will know that I was very slack and didn't keep up the bottle feeds from early on which meant that my baby girl was very reluctant to take anything but the boob (for those interested today we had a break through and she guzzled 100ml of formula from a sippy cup - hurrah!).

Basically if, like me, you leak from the other breast when you breast feed this product is invaluable. I have always leaked quite a bit when I feed and have thrown out litres of precious breast milk in breast pads. Even now, 6 months down the line I now save about 40ml during her first morning feed which I can then use on her cereal (I am no longer trying to get her to take expressed milk but going on to formula). If you are using this from the start you would probably want to express a bit at the end of feeds so you get some of the good hind milk also as this only really collects foremilk. You can also attach a milk saver bag to it so it really can collect as much as you can deliver!

Genius.

Sheepskin stroller liner 

We use this in the stroller and in the car seat if going on a long drive (one of our car seats is lush but the other one needs this as it is a bit sparse in the luxury stakes). It is cool in summer and warm in winter and Bebe loves it. What's not to love?

Grass Counter top drying rack

File this under 'things I can probably live without etc...' It is rather handy though for sippy cups/bottles, dummies etc as you can keep it nice and clean and the items are ever lying in their own water as they dry. You can also put the whole thing in the dish washer to keep it sparkly. I also looks rather ace on the counter top. I can pretend I am mega healthy and growing my own wheat grass...

Merino Kids Go-Go bag

This is totally lush and was given to me by my oldest and dearest friend Lizzie. We started to use it when Bebe was about 5 months old and it is so handy and lovely. It has holes front and back so you can keep baby in it while puting in and out of car seat/stroller which is really handy when you are out and about and baby is sleeping (for instance when you take her to the Leonard Cohen Concert at Hanging Rock and she hangs out until she falls asleep in this and then goes into the car and into bed without waking up - precious!)

Food Holder

A few companies make this (we don't have this exact one) but they are all pretty good I think. Bebe is a self-feeder (we are following the 'Baby-led Weaning' book which is working really well for us) so she doesn't need her veggies in this but on a hot day she loves a block of ice or a frozen block of homemade stewed pear. Yum!

That is enough for today methinks.. I am going to write about the sippy-cup weaning thing next so if anyone has anything to add to the discussion then please do!

x Ali

Baby Fashion (or 'living vicariously through your child')

Fashion. Remember that?! I used to wear it. It sometimes even looked nice on me.

These days I get my fashion fix through my daughter/dolly-doll. Excellent. One thing I find though is there is a lot of crap out there. A lot of bad pink and blue and a lot of flowery mush and polyester. I would like to  take my child within 14 feet of an open fire at some point in her life so that seems to count out quite a lot of clothes bought in the big stores. So here are some stores I like.

Cotton On.

Cotton. Good colours. In every mall ever. Easy.

Polarn O Pyret

I went a bit crazy pants in this store when I was recently in London. They are not here in Oz yet but the site in USA is cheaps-as with our lovely dollar so.... You will learn something of my Scandinavian obsession as you read on through this post. This brand satisfies many a craving.

Baby Goes Retro

I do love all things Scandinavian. Furniture, shoes, clothes, meatballs. Love it all. This site has lots of lovely things and as I look at it again now I think I deserve a medal for being so restrained in my purchasing so far... Divine.

Lark

This site is pretty exsy but really cute hand made things for a treat?!

nordickids.co.uk

Ok, so this is a UK website but as I've said the Aussie dollar is awesome at the moment so it is like sugar free chocolate muffins - guilt free! (a lot of the things on this website are also on the aussie based 'Baby Goes Retro also)

Chalk in Yarraville

My local. Lots of really sweet clothes and toys. (and yes, I do have that jumpsuit and yes it does essentially have my daughters name on the front. I have quite a few things by Bebe it has to be said...)

 

(can't wait for these!)

Rock your Baby

Name says it all...

I just sold a heap of old clothes on Ebay that I'm sure I'll never fit into again. And even if I do I will want to treat myself not wear things that I have been holding on to for years in desperate hope. I made over $1000 - result! I now have a little play money to actually buy some of the things I have just posted about. Might even buy a kaftan for moi. Noice.

See you soon and if you have any sites or shops you want to let me know about (and I think you'd better) then please comment and share the love!

x