Ozeri Duckymeter

One item I would say that any new parent needs is a bath thermometer considering how sensitive newborns are to temperature. There are lots and lots of different ones out there, but I believe that this blows all the bog standard ones strait out of the water (sorry, couldn't resist).

Using a round, easy-to-read screen (about the size of a 50p piece), the Duckymeter screen lights up either blue, green or red to indicated temperature. Blue is cold, green just right and red too hot. The reading is displayed in farenieght and is clear enough to read from a standing position above the bathtub.

The thermometer is of a reasonably large size, bigger than an average rubber duck and has no buttons or switches, it's sensor activated. The LED screen remains constant whilst in the water, checking the temperature every second. The display will light up blue if the water temperature falls below 95 degrees and red if it goes above 102.2, leaving a reading anywhere between firmly in the green, and therefore safe, area.

Moo is hugely fond of all of her bath toys (and will often be found playing with them on the bathroom floor in the middle of the day), and when bathing with Bear, she gets a lot of enjoyment out of this duck thermometer! For me I find it very reassuring and takes a lot of the doubting I had with my eldest over the temperature of the water, I had been bathing her in water that was too cold and had no idea so it's great to have the thermometer constantly updating the water temperature for me.

Here are my pros and cons...

Pros.

- Constantly checks the water temperature to give you an up-to-date reading.

- Easy-to-read screen.

- Automatic so no buttons or switches.

Cons.

- Can sometimes take a long time to tun off after removal from bath.

The Ozeri Duckymeter is priced at £9.99 and available from Amazon.

Clare

Please note we were sent this item for review, however all thoughts and opinions or my own.

Softly Snail Baby on Board Sign

With a new arrival comes a whole new world of things that you never knew that you needed or wanted. As I mentioned last week in this post, I'm not a driver...but my husband is and our car is a beast that we rarely lose in car parks. As the driver, he has, for both children, been put in charge of purchasing and maintaining the 'car bits' when it comes to safety and accessories. It's not fully 'pimped' but it has the relevant necessities that as a pedestrian, wouldn't occur to me (sunshades for example). When I was pregnant with Moo I honestly didn't realise that we should have anything other than a car seat in his car, but he explained to me that a 'baby on board' sign was almost as important; I had no idea!

Like most people, I thought that a 'baby on board' or similar sign, was just a little novelty thing you stuck on your window to say 'hey look, I made a person', just another cute little addition to being a parent and the pride that comes with it. What I didn't realise was their genuine purpose; to alert emergency services personnel in the event of an accident that there is a child involved. If you are unfortunate enough to have an accident in your car whilst travelling with your child, these cute, little swinging signs may well be the one thing that clues help that your child needs them! I honestly had no idea!

With Bear on the way, I was on the lookout for a new one anyway as our existing one was dying a death, when I crossed paths with Little Bird Told Me, a wonderfully whimsical and beautifully-designed nursery brand that offer a wide range of activity toys for baby and young toddlers (and car signs, too)! They have four incredibly cute ranges in their collection; Curious Caterpillar and Friends, Bilowy Butterfly, Hey Bear, it's me Bear... and their adorable and traditional Rocking Horses. They aim to minimise impact on the planet by using Eco-friendly packaging that has a lovely, rustic and vintage feel to it which ties in with their traditional-style toys which are lovingly 'made-to-last'.

Car signs are available in the Curious Caterpillar and Friends or the Hey Bear, it's me Bear ranges, and although Bear's nickname is Bear (yes, I really wrote that), I felt that 'Softly Snail' was a bit more apt to us as a family; soft and colourful without being in-your-face-bright. I thought in terms of safety, the more colour, the better!

'Softly Snail' gently sways to catch the attention of drivers to warn them to drive carefully as you are carrying a baby (hopefully, they're driving carefully anyway and not like something from a video game) and is made of a patchwork of colourful felt, complete with 'Baby on Board' embroidered on her house-shaped shell. When she arrived, Moo fell in love instantly and even though she's almost three, enjoyed nuzzling her. My friend's ten-month-old also took a great interest in watching her swing softly. 

Here are my pros and cons...

Pros.

- Beautiful design.

- Eye-catching without being distracting.

- Well-made and soft-to-touch.

- Big enough to be noticed, not so big that it's obstructive in rear window.

Cons.

- I am hopeless with suction cups and this was one I had trouble with. My husband did it in the end.

Please remember if you're putting such an item in your car's rear window that it is placed so that it is visible but not obstructing your view out the back of your car! Also, please remove the sign if you are travelling without your child so as not to waste valuable time of the emergency services should an accident occur.

The 'Softly Snail Baby on Board' sign is available from Little Bird Told Me priced at £6 (it measures approximately 20x19x4cm).

I'm already looking forward to Bear's first birthday so I can buy this bad boy...what a beauty!

Doodle and Crumb Infant Rocker £85. Image courtesy of Little Bird Told Me.

Are you more into traditional than techno toys? I love nothing more than a beautiful pattern and retro design!

Clare

Please note; I was provided this product for he purposes of review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Cosatto Troop Car Seat

With a background in art, I love a bit of clever design. Bright, bold patterns and innovative products have me practically salivating and my husband is a 'gadget guy'. Since discovering I was pregnant with our first back in 2010, nothing gets me quite so excited as children's 'things'. Cots and changing units, clothing, toys and play mats, I am a woman obsessed.

So with all of that said, you can imagine why Cosatto is one of my all-time favourite brands. The colours, the imagery and the quirky design as well as clever products tick all of my design and mummy boxes, not o mention I have always found them fantastic value for money.

So today I'd like to share with you their latest product; The Troop Group 1, 2, 3 Car Seat.

I think the first thing that immediately stands out about this car seat is that it's strapless. There is no harness strap to hold your little one in, instead it features a 'Protective Impact Shield' that they say 'cuddles' your most precious cargo. As a mother to an incredibly wiggly toddler who is constantly pulling at her safety harness if in the car for longer than five minutes, I am really impressed (and pondering why I've not seen this before, it's genius). It attaches into your car the same way other car seats of the same groups do (using the three-point seat belt for group 1, and general car seat belt for the group 2 and 3 stages). You can also use ISOfix.

The seat is a group 1, 2, 3 which means its suitable from 9-36kg (which is about 9 months - 12 years) which makes it not only a stylish bit of kit for your car, but also incredibly versatile (handy if you have a large extended family and seem to constantly be chopping and changing for days out like we are). It also means in theory that with the proper care, you can get up to 11 years usage out of it (though Cosatto's generous four year guarantee stands as it does across the range).

I have copied the following direct from the official press release to ensure that they are perfectly accurate.

Specifications.

- Conforms to ECE R44/04

- Easy to install

- Side impact protection

- Forward facing

- Fits both front and rear vehicle seats

- Universal Fit when used without ISOFIT system, semi-Universal fit for ISOFIT and belt fitting

- Compatible with standard 3 point vehicle seat belts

- 2 position adjustable seat angle

- 2 position seat back recline

- 5 position head rest height

The Troop is new for Autumn/Winter this year and available now in two designs; Ladybug and Pablo. RRP £220 (which might seem like a lot but look at it as an investment, it's likely to last you a very long time given the span of ages that it suits).

Clare

Please note this is based upon an official press release and not a sponsored post.