I blog a lot about baby products - it really is why Mellow Mummy started out. To me, as a second-time Mum, the real test of a product is to see whether I am still using it 3 to 4 years on with my second baby or, if it is a product that has worn out, whether I have invested in a replacement for baby number two. So, here are my current top 10 baby products I used and loved (and in most cases reviewed) with Lara and which have stood the test of time.
1. MAM Bottles
Holly and I tried almost every brand of bottle on the market to try and make her transition from boob to bottle less stressful. In the end we settled on the same MAM bottles that we used for Lara and came to the conclusion that Holly was always going to be a fussy feeder.
2. Bibetta Bibs
I've been a fan of the Bibetta flexible bib since the very first day we bought one. When I reviewed the Bibetta pelican bib with Lara I never expected to still be using them with Holly, nearly 4 years on. Again, I've tried a few different brands but the Bibetta bibs remain my most-used and most-recommended because they are so easy to wash and because they fold up nice and small in my changing bag. They are the only bib I've used which really keeps the girls clean and dry at mealtimes.
3. Tommee Tippee Explora Easy Grip Cup
Over the years I must now have tried somewhere in the region of 40 different toddler beakers and cups but there are only three cups I actually choose to still use now with Holly (two of them feature on this list). The Tommee Tippee Explora Easy Grip Cup isn't the girls favourite, nor is it the most compact but it is dependable... I never get any leaks from it when it is in my changing bag and the lid is the most user-friendly of any cup I've tried because it twists on.
4. Annabel Karmel Cup by Lindam
I am not 100% convinced that Lindam still make their plain red Annabel Karmel trainer cups any more but I know they certainly still sell on Amazon which is why I stocked up on a couple of replacement lids for our cups when Holly first moved to a beaker. These cups are easy to use and have a lid which covers the whole spout. My only complaint is that tiny teeth can be tempted to bite through the spouts.
5. Totseat
The totseat travel highchair remains my number one baby buy of all time! We haven't used it an awful lot for Holly (partly because we haven't eaten out with her so much in places that lack highchairs) but it still remains in my changing bag at all times for use as an emergency highchair. It is so wonderfully compact that I can take it anywhere and be highchair-ready in a matter of seconds.
6. Kiddicare Travel Cot
I've tried a number of travel cots at different hotels across Europe and, those of a traditional design are all much of a muchness but our Kiddicare travel cot is dead simple to assemble and reasonably compact for its traditional style. We have tried smaller, more portable travel cots but I still go back to this one, mainly because it is dependable. The cot has a slightly padded base (but as always would benefit from a softer mattress) and has velcro to hold the mattress in place. Simple.
7. Bumpsters
I never quite grasped the idea of the cot bumper with Lara and we discovered the Bumpsters quite late on and never got to make the most of them. We used the Bumpsters cot bar bumpers from day one with Holly on her crib, and then later on her cot. The genius of the bumpsters is that you can place them in the areas where your child needs them to protect their heads and limbs from bumping against the side of the cot or from sticking out through the bars... you aren't restricted to just using them at the head or the foot of the bed. They have been so successful that I bought a second set so I could cover more areas of the cot.
8. Brother Max Bath Toys
Our set of Brother Max bath toys came to live with us even before Lara was born and were a hit with her even in the very first days. One or two of the toys succumbed to limescale so we bought a new set before Holly was born. The toys are all chunky and great for tiny hands to hold and shake and begin to explore water fun.
9. Brother Max 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer
My next family favourite is also by Brother Max. Our 3-in-1 thermometer saw a lot of action for both Lara and Holly over the cold and flu season this winter and I am always grateful for the speed and ease of use. Lara thinks it is the greatest contraption on earth and actually requests that I take her temperature, sometimes totally out of the blue!
10. Bambino Mio Reusable Nappies
Sadly, since starting at nursery, we have had to stop using reusable nappies on Holly (it isn't worth the washing cycle if you are only using 1 or 2 nappies a day at home) but for the first 9 months of her life Holly had a cloth bum! While we enjoyed using BumGenius nappies because of their simplicity, both myself and Mr. B. are agreed that the classic Bambino Mio two-fold nappies were still the most consistent, absorbent and reliable of our cloth nappies and having used them for two children now (and packed them away for a potential third), they have definitely worked well for us in terms of cost savings.
Obviously there are lots of toys, clothes and bed linen that we have kept hold of and loved and maybe I'll blog about them some day!
1. MAM Bottles
Holly and I tried almost every brand of bottle on the market to try and make her transition from boob to bottle less stressful. In the end we settled on the same MAM bottles that we used for Lara and came to the conclusion that Holly was always going to be a fussy feeder.
2. Bibetta Bibs
I've been a fan of the Bibetta flexible bib since the very first day we bought one. When I reviewed the Bibetta pelican bib with Lara I never expected to still be using them with Holly, nearly 4 years on. Again, I've tried a few different brands but the Bibetta bibs remain my most-used and most-recommended because they are so easy to wash and because they fold up nice and small in my changing bag. They are the only bib I've used which really keeps the girls clean and dry at mealtimes.
Over the years I must now have tried somewhere in the region of 40 different toddler beakers and cups but there are only three cups I actually choose to still use now with Holly (two of them feature on this list). The Tommee Tippee Explora Easy Grip Cup isn't the girls favourite, nor is it the most compact but it is dependable... I never get any leaks from it when it is in my changing bag and the lid is the most user-friendly of any cup I've tried because it twists on.
4. Annabel Karmel Cup by Lindam
I am not 100% convinced that Lindam still make their plain red Annabel Karmel trainer cups any more but I know they certainly still sell on Amazon which is why I stocked up on a couple of replacement lids for our cups when Holly first moved to a beaker. These cups are easy to use and have a lid which covers the whole spout. My only complaint is that tiny teeth can be tempted to bite through the spouts.
5. TotseatThe totseat travel highchair remains my number one baby buy of all time! We haven't used it an awful lot for Holly (partly because we haven't eaten out with her so much in places that lack highchairs) but it still remains in my changing bag at all times for use as an emergency highchair. It is so wonderfully compact that I can take it anywhere and be highchair-ready in a matter of seconds.
6. Kiddicare Travel Cot
I've tried a number of travel cots at different hotels across Europe and, those of a traditional design are all much of a muchness but our Kiddicare travel cot is dead simple to assemble and reasonably compact for its traditional style. We have tried smaller, more portable travel cots but I still go back to this one, mainly because it is dependable. The cot has a slightly padded base (but as always would benefit from a softer mattress) and has velcro to hold the mattress in place. Simple.
7. Bumpsters
Our set of Brother Max bath toys came to live with us even before Lara was born and were a hit with her even in the very first days. One or two of the toys succumbed to limescale so we bought a new set before Holly was born. The toys are all chunky and great for tiny hands to hold and shake and begin to explore water fun.
9. Brother Max 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer
My next family favourite is also by Brother Max. Our 3-in-1 thermometer saw a lot of action for both Lara and Holly over the cold and flu season this winter and I am always grateful for the speed and ease of use. Lara thinks it is the greatest contraption on earth and actually requests that I take her temperature, sometimes totally out of the blue!
10. Bambino Mio Reusable Nappies
Sadly, since starting at nursery, we have had to stop using reusable nappies on Holly (it isn't worth the washing cycle if you are only using 1 or 2 nappies a day at home) but for the first 9 months of her life Holly had a cloth bum! While we enjoyed using BumGenius nappies because of their simplicity, both myself and Mr. B. are agreed that the classic Bambino Mio two-fold nappies were still the most consistent, absorbent and reliable of our cloth nappies and having used them for two children now (and packed them away for a potential third), they have definitely worked well for us in terms of cost savings.Obviously there are lots of toys, clothes and bed linen that we have kept hold of and loved and maybe I'll blog about them some day!
