Category: Reviews

1. What do you say when your child asks ...

   Posted on 8:01am Monday 15th Oct 2012

   ... is Grandad going to die mommy?

   That was the question I faced a few weeks ago. We had been talking about Cancer and why people get Cancer and I had said that people who smoke cigarettes are at risk of getting it because smoking is bad for you. Obviously I was thinking about putting that into her head so she didnt feel the need to smoke as she gets older but it didnt occur to me that her little brain would go into overdrive and start thinking about the people we know who smoke. One of whom is my Dad.

   Dad has always smoked on and off. He tried to give up when we were children but we always knew he was a "smoker". When I told my mom about my daughters comments, she asked if I remembered telling my maternal grandparents that "their arms and legs will fall off if they carried on smoking". I dont recall saying it but I've obviously felt strongly about it from a young age.

   So when I got approached about a product called SKYCIG, I asked my dad if he wanted to try them. SKYCIG e-cigarettes are designed to simulate the act of smoking tobacco without the 4,000 harmful chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. They contain a small dose of Nicotine, which is delivered in the form of water vapour. Here's an interesting article which explains more about what these e-juices, as they are called, contain: http://e-cigreviews.org.uk/e-liquid-uk/ . According to TV doctor, Dr Hilary,  only 3-4% of people can give up smoking with their own will power, so  these e-cigarettes can be used as a tool in helping curb or quit smoking – to wean you off it.

   I know only too well how many times my Dad has tried to give up cigarettes and his first reaction to the SKYGIG was that it is heavier than a normal cigarette but he is trying them ..... I cant ask more than that. It also lets me tell my daughter with confidence that her Grandad is doing everything he can to ensure he stays around for a very long time.

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2. Do We Have Too Much To Do? Lindam Launches Safety Day To Raise Awareness

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 6th Sep 2012

   Do We Have Too Much To Do?
   New Research Shows Modern Lifestyle To Blame
   For Accidents Involving Children
   
   Lindam Launches Safety Day To Raise Awareness

   Do you think we are more or less safety conscious than our parents? In a so called "nanny state" you would think that modern parents are more safety savvy than our parents or grandparents but research compiled by Lindam shows that this may actually not be the case.

   Lindam, the UK’s number one home safety brand * has today revealed that hectic lifestyles are to blame for accidents involving children, according to parents. A poll of 2,000 parents highlighted that seven out of ten mums are being forced to regularly leave their children playing unsupervised while carrying out household chores.  The report also found that a staggering 40 per cent of parents admitted that their child had been injured around the house whilst they were busy cooking, cleaning and juggling aspects of domestic life.  The survey has been run in conjunction with the first Lindam Safety Day to highlight the difference a minute can make when it comes to reducing childhood accidents.

   

   And with more accidents happening in the home than anywhere else the majority of parents also said that it’s impossible to keep an eye on their children permanently to prevent accidents, which is why Lindam want to highlight to parents the number of accidents that can take place. 

   THE TOP 10 MOST COMMON CHILD ACCIDENTS

   1. Tripped in the garden
   2. Fallen off the sofa
   3. Fallen off the bed
   4. Slipped on a floor
   5. Hit head on a sharp corner
   6. Shut fingers in a door
   7. Injured when fighting with sibling
   8. Fallen down the stairs
   9. Smashed glass
   10. Burnt on the cooker

   A third of children have fallen off the sofa or tripped in the garden and an unlucky fifth has slipped on a floor, shut their fingers in a door or hit their head on a sharp corner.  One in six has fallen down the stairs and the same number has been hurt from a fight with siblings.  The report found that the most common time for an accident to occur was while mums were busy cooking the evening meal and that the living room, garden and bedroom were the most popular places for these accidents to occur.  However, whilst mums are not able to keep a constant eye on their children they do their best and are present for sixty per cent of accidents that their children experience.  If they are distracted then it’s most likely to be whilst dealing with older siblings or being on the phone.

   We were kindly given the opportunity to test a selection of the brand new Lindam Xtra GuardT range, that provides parents like us with revolutionary and innovative products that are designed to ensure your child will be kept safe around the home. All products feature a double layer of security providing tamper resilience and double locking protection, so as our regular readers will know, with a curious one year old investigating everything, this range has been an absolute god send to us! It took a little while to get the table bumpers to stick (but its still undecided if this was operator error - blamed squarely on my other half's shoulders of course).

   THE TOP 10 MUM DISTRACTIONS WHILE CHILD HAD ACCIDENT

   1. Cooking
   2. Being on the phone
   3. Other children misbehaving or requiring time
   4. Working from home
   5. Cleaning
   6. Hoovering
   7. Ironing
   8. In the shower
   9. Hanging out the washing
   10. Getting dressed

   Hectic lifestyles are certainly evident with a tired 80 per cent of mums admitting they have to leave their child in front of the television sometimes so they can get on with things properly. Indeed, eight out of ten also say they often leave their child to play unsupervised around the home so they can get on with jobs around the house with only one in five saying that they’d never dream of letting their youngest out of sight.

   Claire Rayner spokeswoman for Lindam said: “Many accidents experienced by young children in the home come about because mum is understandably not able to keep a constant watch. She can’t be in several places at once and the results show that, it only take a minute for an accident to happen. It’s therefore about using safety products to make the home as accident-proof as possible and allow Mums at least some peace of mind. It’s so easy and quick to put in place some very simple safety equipment such as stair gates, corner cushions and cupboard locks to ensure that parents can rest a little easier knowing that their children are protected.

   “We have launched our first Safety Day as we are committed to reducing childhood accidents in the home and we feel it’s these small but important steps that can go a long way to reducing the amount of childhood accidents in the home

   Having read this information and slowly digesting it, its frightening to think of the times I have just thought I would "quickly" do something while the little one is playing but that a minute is all it takes! Being a mum isnt always snuggles and smiles, its about promising to protect your little ones from every day dangers and with a helping hand from Lindam, we are able to fulfill that promise.

3. Lindam Stair Gate Review : Pushloc v Numi

   Posted on 8:10pm Thursday 26th Jul 2012

   When you think of baby safety, Lindam has to be one of the most recognised names in the industry so we were delighted to "road -test" two of their most popular stair gates against the perils of our little stair climber! At 10 months old, she is showing all the signs of a regular mountain climber so we needed to stop her in her tracks, the decision then is do we go for style over safety or can you really have both?

   Lindam Pushloc Stair Gate

   The Pushloc Stair Gate is easy to fit and features a nifty push-to-shut closing. It's one-handed opening is perfect as if you are anything like me and usually have your hands full, doing things one handed becomes second nature. It can be secured with the pressure fit or to be even more secure, it can be screwed to the wall. We particularly liked the fact that the bottom bar isnt too big, so you dont trip up or down the stairs over it!

   The Pushloc is reasonably priced at £29.99 and whilst it is never going to win any style awards, it is safe, practical and affordable.

   Lindam Numi Extending Aluminium Stair Gate

   Lindam says that the Numi is "Appealing to those with an eye for aesthetics as well as for security, the Numi Extending Aluminium Safety Gate displays a combination of fine design, advanced technology and unparalleled safety" So can we really get style and safety in one place?

   It makes claims of being Easy to Install and whilst my other half may not agree entirely with this statement, it was possibly more time consuming that difficult. If you want to preserve your walls, this may not be the stairgate of choice but what you gain from a few small holes in the wall is a beautiful design that is simply quite striking.

   With the Numi retailing at £60.00, it is not the cheapest stair gate you will find but when you combine in safety and style, can you really put a price on that?

   Lindam launches Safety Day campaigning for fewer accidents in the home
   “The Difference A Minute Can Make.”

   Lindam, the UK’s number one home safety brand is launching Safety Day to highlight to parents the number of accidents children are still having in the home. Today, more accidents happen in the home than anywhere else and, shockingly, more children die annually because of accidents rather than illnesses, such as meningitis. Lindam is committed to reducing childhood accidents in the home and is launching the first national Safety Day on September 6^th 2012. This year’s theme is ‘The Difference A Minute Can Make’ and looks at how time pressured parents could be risking their child’s health.

   Startlingly, a million children attend casualty departments every year due to accidents in the home and the majority of these are easily preventable by taking steps to ensure the home is the safest environment for a child. 

   The Difference a Minute Can Make ..... can you spare a minute?

4. The Pillow Fight : The battle of the maternity pillows

   Posted on 8:07pm Friday 1st Jun 2012

   I was very lucky to be offered a variety of maternity pillows whilst I was pregnant, some recommending benefits for the dreaded SPD, others talking about ease of breastfeeding, so we (and I mean the whole family) have put them to the test. So let the pillow fight commence ...

   Theraline Maternity Pillow

   The key points noted from Theraline is that this maternity and nursing pillow gives you stable support during your pregnancy, relief for legs, belly and a stressed back, easy to change sleeping positions, safely molds to baby’s body and it gives you amazing back support. I was genuinely surprised at how big this pillow is, it is definately the "daddy" of the nursing pillows and I really wanted to use it in bed at night whilst I was pregnant but dissapointingly my SPD meant that I couldnt get comfortable with anything, including this pillow, it was simply too big. This is not to say that the pillow hasnt been used, my eldest daughter has adopted it in her bedroom and it is great to sit her baby sister in, when we are all reading in the bedroom. It wraps around her easily, leaving her safe and comfortable. Verdict: Big Sisters favourite!For more details go to http://www.theraline.co.uk/ 

   Floppeze Support Pillow

   The Floppeze is a uniquely designed pillow that has multiple uses throughout the developing years from pregnancy support, feeding, sitting, travel and more.  I was extremely excited that the Floppeze claims to be an especially good support for women who suffer with SPD, so I was ready and raring to try this out! My pelvis however had other ideas and decided that it was going to be a complete pain (!!) and not be eased by anything. I have concluded that this is more a reflection on my body rather than the design or abilities of any of the pillows tested. We all absolutely LOVE the design of this pillow, it appeals to children (young and old) with its "cow" design and has been a godsend as the little one has got bigger as it has been used to support her development through tummy time and learning to sit unaided. I think out of all of the pillows, this is the one that will last after the baby stage, it will be a neck support on long journeys and with its cheeky face, its like having a new pet! Verdict : Daddy's favourite.

   For more details go to http://www.bibsandstuff.co.uk/

   Boppy Pillow

   The press release tells us that the award-winning Boppy feeding pillow creates an ergonomic ‘nest’ shape, which embraces and cuddles baby making them feel safe and protected and helps to aid the feeding process. A “Miracle Middle” which adapts to the shape of each and every mum guarantees a snug and secure fit and the exclusive fibre padding used in each pillow means it keeps its shape and is incredibly supportive and comfortable.  This was the pillow that I used in the early days of breastfeeding, it wrapped round me snugly and supported my baby girl well. It was fantastic for my eldest daughter to, as she could sit with her little sister comfortably, without worrying about her sliding out of her arms.  This is definately the "toughest" of the nursing pillows, so maybe this is actually the "mummy" of this group. Verdict : Mummy's Favourite!

   

    

   For more details visit www.boppyworld.co.uk

   The use of a maternity or nursing pillow isnt all about asthetics and whether it looks nice in your lounge or your nursery, there is medial research that we have been supplied, courtesy of Boppy Pillow, which explains how the pillow helps with correct positioning for feeding.

   Professor Guido Moro, Director at the Neonatology Operating unit and Neonatal Intensive Care unit at the Macedonio Melloni Hospital in Milan, explains: “At the beginning, it’s normal for the strong sucking of the baby to elongate the nipple and the areola tissues, which causes a certain amount of discomfort. When the baby is not positioned correctly, this will cause harsh tugging at the nipples which can lead to severe discomfort and pain to both the nipples and the breasts; over time this can even cause painful cracks and chaps,which take time to heal.” 

   The use of a feeding pillow makes it much easier to find a variety of comfortable feeding positions, whatever the circumstance or environment. Prof. Guido Moro says: “A feeding pillow can be a great help for mother and baby during nursing. Without a pillow, the mother’s arm muscles tire more easily and the baby can slowly slide downwards, which changes the way he suckles on the breast, something that can be rather painful for the nipples.”

    

   So in the end, I think it comes down to personal choice. I have been lucky enough to try 3 different pillows and each have their own merits - it really depends on what you need from your nursing pillow as to which one suits your needs best!