Need some inspiration this easter for delicious, non-chocolate Easter treats for babies and toddlers? Look no further, we have everything you need to make your little one’s Easter egg-stra special. Here’s a few of our fave Easter treats… no chocolate in sight! Shop our Easter here.
Chocolate Edition Bunny Teethers <shop here>
These would have to be one of our all-time best selling Easter gifts. Our Bunny teethers are not only the perfect teether, featuring silky smooth silicone, a dual texture reverse and ears that reach right along the gums, they’ve also had an Easter makeover with our chocolate inspired colours. Grab one in our limited edition Easter colours, including chocolate, caramel, cookies and cream, and strawberries and cream, or choose one personalised for baby’s First Easter. Yum!
Babynoise Egg Shakers <shop here>
These sweet egg shakers are always a hit for Easter (and Christmas too) as they’re the perfect sensory gift for little ones to enjoy year-round. Available in a range of colours and in a set of two shaker eggs, they’re great for little ones to join the Easter hunt or to tuck into their Easter basket. Ours are extra special too, with personlisation available in three options - choose from a name only, Name + First Easter or Name + Happy Easter.
Easter keepsake block <shop here>
Our First Easter or Happy Easter keepsake blocks are perfect to add to our Baby Name block sets to create the perfect Easter-themed gift idea. From early letter and sound recognition to building fun, our blocks are tested to AU/NZ toy standards which means they’re not just cute, babies can touch and play (many blocks aren’t certified as toys and are only recommend for nursery décor). Each Name block set includes the letters of bub’s name with a matching hand-drawn illustration and our special Easter edition keepsake blocks includes a personalised side with bub’s name, and 3 Easter images. They’re also available in Welcome to the World, First Christmas and First Birthday, so they’re the ideal baby gift for many occasions!
My First Easter milestone plaques <shop here>
Don’t miss the opportunity to capture baby’s First Easter in a cute pic with one of our many personalised First Easter milestone plaques. You’ll find the prefect design to suit your styling and each plaque can be personalised just for your little one, too. We also offer a special ‘Firsts’ mini set, including First Easter, First Christmas, First Mother’s Day and First Father’s Day.
Timber egg cups <shop here>
Our timber egg cups have been exclusively designed by us to be the perfect sized egg cup for your little one (plus they hold the babynoise shaker eggs too). Our popular name and bunny silhouette design features a name and a cute bunny silhouette, making them the perfect gift for the Easter basket. Team with our silicone tableware and you’ve got Easter brekky sorted, mess free!
Snuggle Hunny organic bunny <shop here>
These sweet organic fabric bunnies are sure to become your little ones favourite friend and are perfect to add to the Easter basket. Available in 4 colours, these super soft bunny teddies feature long ears and legs and act as a great toy as well as comforter. They’re sure to be a cherished friends for years to come.
And that’s a wrap up of our favourite Easter treat ideas for babies, toddlers and little ones. Don’t forget to also add a personalised ‘Easter Bunny, Please Stop Here Sign’ (with bonus paw-print stencil for creating a magical Easter morning with a bunny paw print trail) and you’ll have Easter all wrapped up – no chocolate in sight!
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When we ended up with a waffle maker almost three 3 years ago, the kids were super excited to get in the kitchen and cook up this popular breakfast. Starting with the waffle maker’s recipe book, followed by numerous other recipe attempts, we just couldn’t get them to work. Frustrated, the maker ended up in the back of the cupboard and we forgot about it for a good couple of years.
A couple of months ago, the kids again begged to cook waffles so we pulled it out for one last attempt. Previous recipes had included complicated processes like whipping egg whites then gently folding them in to the batter, so we went with a super simple, classic recipe. I’ll admit, my expectations were pretty low but… wow, we nailed it! Homemade waffles are now our regular weekend family breakfast cook up and this recipe is yet to disappoint!
Deliciously soft in the centre and crunchy on the outside, if you love waffles, you have to try these!
Ingredients:
Makes 6-8 large waffles (you can also half ingredients for a smaller batch)
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar (we half this for a regular batch)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Our Simplicity Gift Tags are fast becoming one of the best-sellers from our Christmas range so we thought we’d recap just what these tags do and why they are so amazing!
]]>Simplicity gifting, otherwise know as mindful gifting, is exactly that… simplifying gifting to really focus on what is important, wanted and needed.
Christmas is a beautiful time of year but with consumerism rising during this time, as well as the associated waste of not only unwanted and unused products, but also valuable resources in the manufacturing and delivery of those products, it’s no wonder simplicity and mindful gifting is becoming so popular. Children are also easily influenced by those around them… what other children have, what current trends are, Santa’s magical ability to bring whatever they want, making it an often overwhelming time for parents. Let’s face it, Christmas is so much more enjoyable when the Christmas shopping is done and it just becomes about spending time with family and friends.
How to start with simplicity gift giving
Grab yourself a set of Simplicity Gift Tags (our timber tags are even reusable each year – now that’s a win/win!), sit down and start your list – this is most important, as the thought and planning is essential to mindful gifting. We offer a set of four tags, which can be personalised for your children, with ‘want, need, wear and read’. By shopping to the set themes on the gift tags, it not only helps to avoid all those unnecessary purchases, it also ensures each gift is well thought-out.
Now, let’s dig into those themes…
Something you want
Here’s the opportunity to tick off those items from Santa’s list, but sticking to the one thing you know your child really wants ensures they are not overwhelmed on Christmas morning with toys they never look at again. For your littlest loves, we love our Keys Teether, Baby Blocks and Name Puzzles. They’re all great gifts for baby and toddlers, and extra special with our personalised touch. Plus they’re perfect for their developing sense of play and exploration.
Something you need
This is a great opportunity to add in something that is not only beautiful, but practical too. Each year Santa brings our children their school bag for the following year – not only is it something they need, they love that Santa has brought them something to prepare for the year ahead. For little ones just starting to explore solids or self-care, our Silicone Scoop Bowl and Spoon Sets or Baby Hairbrush sets are a great option (plus you can personalise them too).
Something to wear
Everything from pyjamas to new clothes fit the brief perfectly here but there’s many other options too – from our Amber Teething Necklaces to our Limited Edition Christmas Catch Bib and Spoon Sets, think outside the square and add something unique for your littlest ones.
Something to read
Reading is so important as our children grow and develop so ensuring there’s a book or two in the Santa sack is a great idea. You can also add in a set of our Alphabet Flash Cards (or our AlphaBET Chews for teething babes), which help promote early letter recognition and grow with your toddler – out Prep teacher recommended flash cards to help with further development of word sounds so flash cards are a great long term investment. You can even colour-in ours and wipe clean!
Whatever you decide on for each theme, taking the time to consider the gift/s for each theme really will ensure a mindful approach to gift giving this Christmas.
Don’t forget, although we have focused on how we can help tick off the list for your littlest babes, you can adopt simplicity gifting to kids of all ages.
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Seemingly simple, these understated toys are an essential item that will provide hours of fun and entertainment, whilst assisting your babe in several areas of early learning development. Stacking toys, (rings and cups), help develop both the body and mind from around six months of age. The basic skills learned from stacking toys become a foundation for more complex tasks and are perfect for babies up to three years of age.
For young babes, picking up and putting items in place helps them learn the important skill of intentional grasp and release, as well as how to control and position their fingers. Since infants don't have the dexterity or fine motor control yet, they use their entire hands to explore, hold, release, and place objects. This means that larger, chunky shapes like Mushie’s Stacking Rings are just the right size for little ones to grasp. Fine motor skills will flourish as your babe learns how to coordinate the muscles in their hands. By manipulating different sized rings, cups and other objects, your babe will become adept at small physical actions like stacking and balancing.
Starting around six months of age, babies are gaining the postural stability to be able to sit up by themselves. Sitting up while stacking allows your babe to get used to stabilising their core as they move about and use their hands. This early multi-tasking activity also gives them the opportunity to develop protective responses by allowing their body to ‘catch itself’ and make adjustments to maintain balance.
This is the ability for the right hand to cross over the center of the body to function in the left hemisphere, and vice versa. This is an important skill for handwriting, cutting with scissors, reading, eating, and anything that requires the hand to move from left to right or right to left. You can assist with the development of this skill by placing all of the cups or rings on the left side of your babe’s body, next to their left hip, and have them reach over with their right hand to grab a piece and set it down in front of themselves, or to their right, (then swap sides).
Building a tower with cups, or stacking rings on a post, are simple yet rewarding activities that develop your babe’s hand-eye co-ordination, depth perception and understanding of where their body is in space. As they grasp, hold and mouth the rings or cups, and try to deftly place them inside or on top of each other they have to visually gauge where to place each one, both in relation to themselves, and in relation to the other pieces.
For younger children, nesting toys, like Mushie’s Stacking Cups, can be easier to start with than traditional building blocks. As the cups sit inside each other, their design is more forgiving and offers more guidance in the early stages of visual perception. Traditional building blocks, like our Wooden Baby Blocks, build upon this skill as your babe grows. These solid blocks require graded control and pressure as your child balances the blocks on top of each other so they don't fall over.
When your child starts stacking you’ll see them assessing ‘problems’ and experimenting with solutions. They'll have to concentrate on carefully stacking the pieces and use problem-solving skills to work out how to stack the cups without the tower toppling, or getting all of the rings to fit on the post.
Stacking toys that are graduated in size, like Mushie’s Stacking Cups and Stacking Rings sets teach your babe about 'relative size'. You can demonstrate this concept by stacking a bigger cup on top of a smaller one and watching it tumble; then stacking the cups in size order so that the tower stays standing (or the rings are in a graduated stack). This is a simple lesson in cause and effect, too.
Stacking and nesting toys provide the perfect opportunity to introduce language related to size (small, medium, large; big, bigger, biggest; small, smaller, smallest), as well as words that describe placement, such as ‘inside’, 'under' and 'on top of'.
The colour and design of Mushie’s Stacking Cups and Stacking Rings sets provide opportunities for your babe to develop their concept of colours and shapes. As they grow, our Wooden Baby Blocks and Flash Cards provide even more opportunity for shape, image, pattern, letter and number recognition and association.
Thankfully Kim McCosker, co-author of the internationally bestselling 4 Ingredients series, has prepared the ultimate guide to helping parents establish healthy eating habit with BABY BOWL: Home-Cooked Meals for Happy, Healthy Babies and Toddlers. A devoted mum of 3 boys, Kim has built the 4 Ingredients franchise on the idea that it is possible to prepare simple, healthy, cost-effective meals at home for any size family. Baby Bowl was written by one loving mother and is aimed at introducing a variety of flavours to baby’s palate.
BABY BOWL provides fast and easy-to-follow recipes, organised by age, so it has never been easy to prepare health, allergy-aware and cost-conscious purees, snacks and meals made from the freshest ingredients for your baby or toddler. It even includes sample menus for baby’s first months on solids - making that transition even easier (plus ideas for kind lunch boxes too)!
Here, Kim shares her ABC Muffin recipe for us, perfect for babies from 8 to 10 months old, from the BABY BOWL book. This recipe is peanut free, sesame free and vegetarian, with no added sugar (and is freezable too).
ABC Muffins (with Apple, Banana and Carrot)!
Makes 24 delicious (and healthy) muffins
1 small apple (150g), cored and diced
1 small ripe banana
1 small carrot, grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1¼ cups (185g) self-raising flour
Preheat oven to 180°C and line two 12-cup mini muffin trays with papers. Place the apple and carrot in a pot with ⅓ cup (80ml) water, pop a lid on and simmer until tender, 5 minutes. While cooking, place banana in a large bowl and mash with a fork; add eggs, vanilla and oil. Purée the cooked apple and carrot and cool before adding to the other wet ingredients; mix to combine. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spoon across the prepared muff-trays. Bake for 15 minutes (25 minutes if using a large 12-cup muffin tray), then cool before serving. Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
TIP: To refresh old muffins (or cake) you can add icing, drizzle with a syrup, serve with ice-cream or simply place the muffins on a microwave-safe plate on top of a moist (not dripping wet) paper towel and microwave twice for 10-seconds. This has a fairly short window for imparting moisture, so do it directly before serving.
Yum! This is just one of the easy, healthy and delicious recipes in the BABY BOWL book from Kim McCosker.You can access even more free recipes from the BABY BOWL book here including vegemite scrolls, poached salmon and vegetables and 3-ingredient banana pancakes plus heaps more. Order your hardcopy from www.4ingredients.com.au/product/baby-bowl and get cooking with delicious fresh options for your baby and toddler. Even better, it’s on sale for only $19.99 (usually $24.99).
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We loved catching those precious monthly pics with little Josie so here’s a little wrap up of what we learnt along the way:
Use as much natural light as possible; next to a window or a glass door with filtered light works well.
Take various poses or photos from different angles – you’ll be amazed at how differently those details are captured in different ways. Set your babe up on the floor and stand above them when they are still tiny and laying still. Get down low on the floor at their level and interact with them as they are starting to move around!
Take both awake and asleep pics each month – there is a beautiful innocence in a sleeping babe and these pics will capture those memories you’ll have of just watching your babe for what seems like hour on end... Adding awake pics each month will also help to capture all those unique changes and personality that emerges.
Make sure you capture those meaningful moments that show your babe’s characteristics and personality at that point in time. It could be sucking their thumb, holding their feet, poking their tongue out or a cheeky smirk – looking back on these moments will spark such precious memories.
In the early months, use a similar backdrop so you can really see the growth each month; we used our fave floor cushion and couldn’t believe the difference from one week to just 3 months old. As they start to move, get creative – or ready to snap those pics quick! You could mount the milestone plaque on a wall as the back drop, so you still have your monthly reference, but babe isn’t too side-tracked. The awake ones may get harder as she gets older, but just take it as part of the fun and let that little personality that is developing shine through.
Get some close-ups of the details – their puckered lips, tiny fingernails and skinny toes will be all the things you’ll love to look back on, so make sure you capture these as well.
Use a few props to add interest and complimenting colours to your pics. Perhaps a sentimental baby blanket, favourite swaddle, or special teddy, and use these monthly pics as an opportunity to also capture any favourite baby outfits, before they are outgrown! As your babe becomes more active allow them to hold their favourite toys, and use these toys to interact with your babe and help achieve natural expressions and reactions, letting their little personality shine through.
Don’t forget videos too – some milestones, particularly those developmental ones, just aren’t done justice with a still photo alone. The first giggles, first words and crawling are great ideas to capture in sound and motion. Just place your developmental milestone in the background – or better yet, use it as an incentive to encourage those firsts – something to crawl too, peek-a-boo for first giggles, etc. You can capture these moments with our developmental milestone sets, so don't forget to invest in a set of those too.
Use a simple photo editor to apply some enhancements, like lighting the scene or adding a little contrast. We love the Photoshop Express app on iPhone because its just so so easy to use – we prefer a light and airy style so we generally just add some exposure to lighten the pic then adjust the contrast, shadow and maybe tint and voila, it’s done. You can also apply simple effects, like blurring the background for added interest.
Get snap happy but don’t forget to short-list the camera reel EACH month. Choose your faves and delete the rest, so you don’t end up with toooo many photo.
But these biggest lesson we learnt it to just do them - looking back on both our monthly and developmental milestone photos is so precious for us. If a session isn't going well, don't stress. Just pack up and try again another day - even if you're a day or two late (or even a week), do it when it's working for you both.
At the end of the year, you can also use your milestone discs to create a photo wall (or the 'one year' disc can double as a cake topper too). Don't forget we can also personalise your milestone discs too - whether it's adding your babe's name or creating a custom event - like first holiday or first ponytail, we've can help capture those extra special memories!
Tag us @one.chew.three so we can watch your babes grow too.
]]>We have such a huge range of beautiful, personalised Christmas gift ideas that are not just for babe anymore, so we thought we’d put together this handy guide with just some of our faves!
]]>We have such a huge range of beautiful, personalised Christmas gift ideas that are not just for babe anymore, so we thought we’d put together this handy Christmas Gift Guide with just some of our faves! With something for everyone – from baby, toddler, Mum, Dad and even grandparents – Christmas shopping just got that much easier!
Here’s our top picks for your whole fam:
Gifts for Baby
If you're looking for a gift for baby this Christmas, look no further. From beautiful keepsake teethers and gift sets, personalised natural timber hairbrushes and keepsake Christmas baubles to celebrate their very first Christmas, you'll find the perfect personalised gift which you'll treasure for years to come. Don't forget this is just a small collection of our best-selling gift ideas for babies - you'll find many more products just for babe right across our site, all with our signature personalised touch (after all, babes are still our specialty)!
Gifts for Toddlers
We've even got toddlers covered with some cute, play-based gifts like our KEYS TO MY HEART teether and our sell-out baby blocks. Or you could go with something a little more practical, like our new personalised timber bristle toddler hairbrush or personalised timber bag tags. We even have a range of silicone necklaces for little ones too (3 years plus).
Gifts for Mum
After babies, mums are our next speciality! From beautiful silicone nursing necklaces to keyrings or even a personalised coffee cup, we've got gifts for pregnant mums-to-be, new mums and even the most experienced mums. Pair your silicone necklace with a matching keyring for the perfect gift set (just select the ‘Add Matching Keyring’ option on the product page of the necklace you love). You’ll even find Tiny Tonics Mama blends in Deep Sleep, Energy and Calm varieties – every mum needs these!
Gifts for Dad
Yes! We have dads covered too! Our gifts for dad have been created specifically to celebrate the little people in your life while gifting a personalised and practical pressie for dad. From our bestselling 'Best Dad' keyring to our creative 'My Dad Rocks' artwork plaques or even a personalised coffee cup featuring dad's coffee order, you'll find the perfect gift for any dad.
Gifts for Grandparents
Personalised gifts for grandparents add an extra special touch – especially when from their favourite grandchild! From personalised keyrings, artwork plaques or personalised magnets, our gifts let grandma and grandpa know just how important they are to your little ones. Our timber keyrings are a grandparent’s gift favourite – personalised with ‘Best Grandpa’ or ‘This Nanny belongs to’ with your little one’s name/s, it will be their most cherished gift.
Top it all off with a personalised bauble (they’re great to double as a name tag) or one of our gift tag sets, and you’ll have Christmas all wrapped up (pun intended) in no time!
And lastly, don't forget to add an extra magical touch to your Christmas. From our Christmas countdown calendar to our Santa Sign set and Santa's Magic Keys, these beautiful pieces will make getting ready for Christmas with your little ones extra special.
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We currently have a couple of options available for BIBS Dummies in our store, so wanted to give you a little recap of the difference between the two, as we know it’s a little confusing. Even though they are priced differently, both are for the same, genuine BIBS Dummies.
There has recently been a change of Australian distributor for BIBS Dummies, which will simplify how the dummies are supplied in the future. During the transition period you will notice two options for purchasing the dummies – our popular Mix and Match packs for $14.95 and new pre-packaged packs for $19.95. This blog explains the difference so you can purchase both with confidence, while still getting the colour combinations you love!
Our popular Mix and Match packs are packed by our team on demand, offering the best flexibility to choose the perfect BIBS Dummy colour combination for your babe. These are packed in kraft packaging and supplied with all required product safety and care information, with multiple twin-packs packed in the same packaging to keep costs down and reduce unnecessary waste. Unfortunately, we can only continue to sell these Mix and Match packs while current stock lasts and once we have run out of stock, we will no longer provide this flexible option. You will start to see a reduction in the colours available, as we are start to run out of colours. The biggest benefit of our Mix and Match packs is not only do you get the flexibility to choose multiple colours per pack, they’re still only $14.95 per twin-pack (and will be until we run out)!
The new BIBS Dummies now come packaged direct from the distributor, which will ensure consistency for the packaging in the long term, however the RRP has increased to $19.95 per twin-pack. Please note the dummies are exactly the same, it is only the packaging that has been updated and will now be consistent across all retailers within Australia. There is no choice for the colour selection within each twin-pack, however we will continue to stock our bestselling colours, including some multi-colour packs, as provided by the distributor. Our stock may be limited in the short term, as we are only able to purchase stock in set releases while the new distributor is working towards consistent supply direct from Denmark. This is a short term issue only and there is no need to purchase excessive quantities.
Other than the update in packaging and colour selections, they’re still the same great BIBS Dummies you know and love. Between our Mix and Match packs and the new packs (which we have tried to restock in colours that we have run out of), you can still get a huge selection of BIBS Dummies at a great price. For the best selection of colours and at the best price, we recommend a combination of both!
Which size BIBS Dummies is best for my baby?
BIBS Dummies Size Comparison (L-R: Size 1, Size 2, Size 3)
We often get asked about the best size for younger babies, so here’s a quick run down on BIBS Dummies sizing to help you make the best choice for your babe. Size 1 and 2 are very similar in size and BIBS Dummies are known to be on the smaller side of other dummies available in the market.
There is minimal difference between Size 1 and 2 with Size 1 being slightly shorter in the stem, which is designed to help with the newborn gag reflex. The shape and tip of the teat are very similar to the Size 2 and for this reason some customers will only use Size 1 for a couple of months before switching to Size 2, however this will depend on your baby and their individual preferences. Size 2 is suitable up to around 18 months of age. Size 3 jumps up to a considerably larger size and shape teat, and is thicker through the stem. These are best suited to toddlers from 18 months.
Does your BIBS Dummy look larger than a new one in the same size?
Don’t forget to change your BIBS Dummies every 4-6 weeks as the teats will expand due to the sucking action and a used dummy may appear noticeably larger than a new one. BIBS Dummies are made with natural rubber and feature a vented teat, which is designed for flexibility and to support a natural sucking action, however this means they can also expand over time. Changing your dummies regularly will help to minimise the difference between a new and used dummy and will ensure your babe swaps over with ease.
]]>Before we left I asked our travel agent, Richelle from Suncity Travel, for her top tips on travelling to Fiji with kids. Here’s the run-down:
Before you book:
Getting there:
While you’re there:
Don’t get me wrong, travelling with kids is exhausting even though Fiji is one of the most relaxing places you can choose. Follow these tips and make it as easy as possible for yourself and you’ll have so many precious memories together as a family.
]]>We’ve all been there. Your amazing little sleeper gets sick or starts teething and overnight you go from a baby that is sleeping through to one that, well, isn’t. Before you know it, the constant rocking, shushing, patting and feeding that you were lovingly offering to calm your unsettled baby has become the norm. Even after the initial sickness or teething pain has passed, she is now expecting it! Night after night.
This was exactly our scenario. A couple of weeks ago, we hit our first bout of teething and our formerly settled baby needed us, day and night, to comfort her through it. It all seemed harmless - after all, we do whatever we can to comfort our helpless babes in their time of need, but now she is looking for us with constant wake ups.
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I should have done while she was sick or what I should be doing now, so I’ve called in the sleep expert Lauren Diaz from Sleep and Nurture to help us out. Here’s her tips on how to approach nights and sleep during times of sickness or teething and how to make sure you don’t create lasting habits. Also, please take advantage of Lauren’s generous follower offer, which you can find at the end of this post.
Over to you, Lauren:
We really all have been there - including me. If my time as a mum to my two boys has given me anything it’s an intimate understanding of that sense of overwhelm that can easily engulf us during those sleepless nights that seem to go forever. But here’s the thing, nothing lasts forever, including poor sleep habits. In fact, I don’t talk about bad habits at all. I’m a big believer in moving on from some of that unhelpful, negative language that can stalk us through our parenting journey. A family who is doing their very best for their precious baby really isn’t creating bad habits, but simply doing what works, while it works.
When your child experiences a setback in their sleep routine, due to sickness, teething or developmental milestones, your first thought is of course to your little one’s comfort. I believe that quick and respectful comfort to a child who is unwell can really aid in navigating this time without creating any lasting negative sleep associations. While your child is sick or teething, you may need to pull back from your normal approach to their sleep. I would still always give your child the opportunity to fall asleep according to their normal method, so a child who is already able to, may still want to fall asleep independently but may need you to give them some additional support. It’s also important to remember not to overstimulate your child with too much light or conversation while you're comforting them through a wakeful period.
At times teething can get the blame for every disrupted night when it’s often more likely be a sleep association that is preventing them from getting sound sleep. Given that our little ones can teeth for what feels like a constant two years, establishing a clear set settling method is a must. It will then be your instruction manual, if you will, to navigate those troublesome periods. That settling method can be applied to whatever sleep arrangement works best for you and your family. By maintaining consistency in your approach to your little one’s sleep, you will be better equipped to tackle those long wakeful nights and move swiftly on from them. It’s never too late to implement a new approach to your child’s sleep, I have successfully worked with children of all ages.
So, some key points to remember when your child is experiencing a sleep disruption:
If you’d like to chat with me further about how I can help your family find a better sleep rhythm, you can find me
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sleepandnurture/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sleepandnurture.com.au/
Website https://www.sleepandnurture.com.au/
OR take advantage of my exclusive offer to ONE.CHEW.THREE followers for a half price Skype sleep consultation for the month of July.
Email me at info@sleepandnurture.com.au and mention this blog post to claim this offer.
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The time has come... Josie has started teething! The rosy red cheeks, the unsettled sleep, the constant neediness. Teething is NOT easy on anyone! We thought we'd take the opportunity to recap our fave natural teething products for any other Mumma's out there.
Teething is a process and one that takes time - sometimes a LOT of time! Teeth move up and down under the gum, long before you see them. Then they decide to break through and when they finally do, you take a sigh of relief. Only for it is start again on the next one, two, three, four teeth... sometimes you feel like it can take forever for one measly tooth. Other times they pop through, almost unnoticed. However it happens, your babe will go through some good runs and not-so-good runs so be prepared!
Here's our top picks to help relieve teething pain for your baby, naturally:
ALL SILICONE TEETHERS
Teethers like our exclusive ARROW teether are perfect to massage and soothe sore gums. Teethers take advantage of baby's natural instinct to chew and allows baby to self-manage where and how hard they chomp down - putting them in control! As a bonus, teethers made of all silicone can also be popped in the fridge or freezer to cool for extra soothing relief on gums. Shop now >
AMBER NECKLACES
Amber necklaces are renowned for natural pain relief to support babies through teething. Natural amber helps boost the immune, supports skin conditions and is a wonderfully calming stone - perfect for teething babies! Our Lotus Love and Winter Dream styles also combine precious gems for added benefits and a beautiful, stylish finishing touch. Shop now >
SILICONE AND WOOD TEETHERS
This style of teether provides the best of both teething worlds for baby - the silky soft silicone to massage and soothe plus the harder texture of beech wood for bub to really chomp down on when teeth are getting closer to the gum. Wood may even assist teeth to break through that final layer. Again, baby is in complete control to choose which texture they prefer and when. Shop now >
ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS
Tiny Tonic's essential oil roller blends have been mindfully formulated to maximise therapeutic and aromatic benefits. 'Teething Babe' soothes and calms irritability and teething pain and is positively charged with the comforting energy of amber, while 'Sleepy Time' settles busy little minds and encourages a deep and restful sleep. Shop now >
NATURAL TEETHING GEL
Jack N' Jill Teething Gel temporarily relieves the symptoms of simple restlessness, irritability and sore gums due to teething. The soothing formula contains chamomile and calendula and is a natural alternative to Bonjela - just apply along gums when needed. Natural, mild vanilla flavour. Shop now >
SILICONE FINGER BRUSH
One last one from Jack N' Jill - because when those toothy pegs do come up, you'll need to keep them squeaky clean and start good habits from a young age. The double-sided silicone finger brush is so easy to use and is great for massaging and cleaning first teeth and gums from as young as 6 months old. Shop now >
We specialise in the personalisation of our boutique teething toys and accessories, which means we have the pleasure of seeing your baby names every day! As a mumma that struggled to name both our boys – they remained unnamed for 4 days and 6 days – I know how hard it can be to find that perfect name. We’ve now got our third little babe on the way and I’ll admit the baby name list is not looking any better. There’s just something about the commitment of a name, the identity your child will carry for the rest of their life, that makes it hard (I am completely indecisive at the best of times).
So we’ve compiled our list of, well, baby names. No gimmicks, no trends, just a selection of baby names that our customer’s are using right now.
A baby names: Aaliah, Aarth, Abby, Ace, Addison, Adele, Adeline, Aden, Adnan, Adriano, Aiah, Aiden, Airlie, Aisha, Alanah, Alaska, Alayna, Albie, Aleira, Alessia, Alexa, Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis, Aleyah, Alfie, Aliana, Alice, Alicia, Alina, Alisha, Aliyah, Allira, Alyssa, Amaya, Amelia, Amelie, Amity, Anastasia, Anderson, Andi, Andriana, Angelique, Angus, Annabel, Annabelle, Anne, Annika, Anthony, April, Arabella, Archer, Archie, Aria, Arianna, Ariella, Arlen, Arlington, Arlo, Armani, Arnold, Arthur, Ashton, Aspen, Asta, Astaria, Aston, Athena, Aubrey, Audra, Audrey, August, Aurora, Austin, Autumn, Ava, Avalee, Avalia, Avalie, Avaya, Avery, Avielle, Ayesha, Ayla, Azad.
B baby names: Bailey, Bali, Banjo, Baxter, Baylor, Beatrice, Beau, Belle, Benjamin, Benji, Benson, Bentley, Bernie, Billie, Blake, Bobby, Bodhi, Bonnie, Bowie, Brando, Braxton, Bree, Brixton, Brodie, Bronx, Brooklyn, Brooks, Bryce.
C baby names: Caden, Caelan, Caitlyn, Caleb, Cali, Callum, Camila, Campbell, Carter, Cassius, Cecilia, Cedar, Charles, Charli, Charlie, Charlotte, Chase, Cheide, Chester, Chloe, Clancy, Claudia, Clementine, Cleo, Cody, Cohen, Cole, Collins, Colton, Connor, Constance, Cooper, Corbin, Cove, Cruz, Curtis.
D baby names: Daisy, Dakota, Dallas, Daniel, Danika, Darcie, Darcy, Dean, Declan, Denver, Dion, Domynick, Drew, Duncan, Dusty, Dylan.
E baby names: Eadie, Easton, Ed, Eddie, Eddy, Eden, Edie, Edison, Edward, Eleanor, Elena, Eleni, Eli, Elijah, Eliza, Elizabeth, Elkie, Ella, Ellie, Elliot, Elora, Elsie, Elvy, Emerson, Emery, Emilia, Emily, Emma, Emmett, Erin, Ernest, Esme, Essie, Estelle, Esther, Ethan, Eva, Evangeline, Eve, Evelyn, Everlyn, Evie, Ezra.
F baby names: Faith, Fawn, Felicity, Felix, Fenton, Findlay, Finley, Finn, Finnick, Fischer, Fletcher, Florence, Flynn, Forrest, Frankie, Freddie, Freya.
G baby names: Gabe, George, Georgia, Georgina, Gigi, Gisela, Goldie, Gordon, Grace, Gray, Greyson.
H baby names: Hadley, Hailey, Hallie, Hamish, Hannah, Harley, Harlow, Harper, Harriet, Harrison, Harry, Hartley, Harvey, Hazel, Hector, Heidi, Hendrix, Henley, Henrik, Henry, Hervey, Holly, Hope, Hudson, Hugo, Hunter, Huxley.
I baby names: Ilaria, Imogen, Indi, Indie, Indy, Ireland, Isaac, Isaak, Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle, Isaiah, Isla, Isobel, Ivana, Ivy, Iyla, Izaiah.
J baby names: Jack, Jackson, Jacob, Jagger, Jai, Jake, James, Jameson, Jane, Jared, Jaris, Jarrah, Jasmine, Jasper, Jax, Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaya, Jayda, Jayden, Jed, Jenna, Jensen, Jesee, Jett, Jock, Joey, Jonni, Jonty, Jordan, Jordy, Joseph, Josephine, Joshua, Josie, Jovi, Judah, Jude, Juliet, Julio.
K baby names: Kai, Kaia, Kaihana, Kash, Kasia, Kate, Katrina, Kayla, Kaylie, Keira, Kelly, Kennedy, Kenzo, Kiahni, Kieson, Kingston, Kinzley, Kit, Knox, Koah, Kobi, Koby, Kodi.
L baby names: Lachlan, Lacie, Laker, Laicey, Laiken, Laite, Lana, Landon, Lane, Lara, Laura, Lawson, Layla, Leah, Leeuwin, Lena, Leni, Lennox, Lenny, Leo, Leon, Letissia, Levi, Liam, Lilah, Lillie, Lilly, Lily, Lina, Lincoln, Lizzie, Lochie, Logan, Lola, Loni, Lorenzo, Lottie, Louie, Louis, Luca, Lucas, Lucia, Lucinda, Lucy, Luella, Lukas, Lulu, Luna, Lydia, Lylah.
M baby names: Mabel, Macey, Macie, Mackenzie, Madalyn, Madden, Maddox, Madelyn, Madison, Mae, Maeve, Maggie, Magnus, Mahlia, Maisie, Makenzie, Malia, Marcellus, Margot, Maria, Mariah, Mark, Marley, Marlo, Marlon, Marlowe, Marty, Mary, Mason, Massimo, Matilda, Matt, Matthew, Maverick, Max, Maximus, Maxwell, Maya, Meave, Melina, Memphis, Mercy, Mia, Miah, Micah, Michael, Michaela, Michela, Mikayla, Mila, Milo, Milana, Miles, Miller, Millie, Mitchell, Molly, Monna, Morgan, Murphy, Myah.
N baby names: Nadine, Nancy, Nash, Nate, Nathan, Nevaeh, Neve, Nicholas, Nicol, Nixon, Noah, Noelle, Norah, Nova, Nylah.
O baby names: Oaklyn, Ocean, Oda, Olive, Oliver, Olivia, Ollie, Omar, Oscar, Otis, Otto, Owen.
P baby names: Paisley, Parker, Patrick, Patrick, Payton, Peaches, Pearce, Peggy, Penelope, Penny, Percy, Peter, Phoebe, Phoenix, Piper, Pippa, Poppy, Primrose.
Q baby names: Quinn
R baby names: Ranger, Reagan, Reema, Reeve, Reggie, Reign, Remi, Reuben, Rex, Rhyan, Riley, Risbey, River, Robbie, Robin, Rocco, Rohan, Roman, Romeo, Rory, Rose, Rosie, Roy, Ruby, Rufus, Ryan, Ryder, Ryker, Rylan, Ryleigh.
S baby names: Sadie, Sage, Samantha, Samuel, Sari, Sascha, Saskia, Savannah, Saylor, Scarlett, Sebastian, Seth, Shea, Shia, Sienna, Sloane, Sofia, Sonny, Sophia, Sophie, Spencer, Stacy, Stella, Stevie, Stirling, Summer, Sunday, Suri.
T baby names: Tahlia, Tanner, Ted, Teddy, Tessa, Tex, Thea, Theo, Theodore, Thomas, Tigerlily, Tilly, Tobias, Tom, Tommy, Tommy, Tora , Trip, Tristan, Turner, Tyler.
U baby names: Urchin, Ursula.
V baby names: Valentina, Valentine, Valentino, Valley, Vander, Vanessa, Vann, Vicente, Vinnie, Violet,
W baby names: Wake, Walter, Webster, Wilder, Will, Willa, William, Willis, Willow, Wilson, Winnie, Winslow, Winter, Wolf, Wolfgang, Woody, Wyatt, Wylie, Wynter.
X baby names: Xanthe, Xavier, Xander.
Y baby names: Yardley.
Z baby names: Zach, Zachary, Zadie, Zahara, Zahli, Zahlia, Zahra, Zalia, Zander, Zaviar, Zayne, Zeb, Zeke , Zemirah, Zeppelin, Zepplyn, Zia, Zion, Zoe, Zuma.
]]>We’ve just released our new Milestones by ONE.CHEW.THREE and we’re so excited by this new product, we hope you love them too! Expecting our third baby made us release just how important it is to capture these memories, because as much as I hate to admit it, some details of the boy’s pregnancies and newborn/baby stages are just escaping me now. That’s baby brain, right? Sure, I remember the big stuff – the pregnancy, births, first birthdays, the five more than have since followed. But recently I was interested to compare my current size (baby number three feels sooooo much bigger) with the boys at similar stages, so out came their baby boxes. Flicking through those memories I realised I don’t remember everything the pictures showed me. There were so many little details that just bought back even more memories that I hadn’t quite forgotten, but I also hadn’t remembered to think about. And the emotions that they bought with them!
There were also pictures that I couldn’t quite place the when… or who. Yep, pregnant bellies that I couldn’t confidently allocate to either of my boys or monthly baby photos that I couldn’t quite put in order – details that I never actually expected to ever forget! It got me wondering why I didn’t use milestone plaques at the time but it also got me thinking about those plaques and what if they did capture more detail. Enter our personalised milestone plaques so you can capture (and remember) every precious moment!
Whether it’s baby’s nickname through the pregnancy (ours is totally original… Baby Reeves #3) or baby’s name on age, developmental or first milestones, our Milestones range aims to help you capture it all in way you won’t forget! Each milestone plaque can be dated on the reverse too, so you can cherish them as a keepsake with the photos and never forgot the when… or who!
So Milestone cards are sorted, but what about taking those pics? We asked our fav Sunshine Coast photographer, Susan-Jane Photography for her 10 tips on taking ah-mazing pregnancy photos, baby photos and family pictures you’ll treasure for ever!
And our last tip? Don’t forget a professional shoot every now and again. As much as taking everyday pics builds a beautiful library of your life, professional photography is also a beautiful way to celebrate your growing family – and makes sure no one is left behind the camera! Susan has captured maternity and newborn sessions, as well as the boys first birthdays for us and now that we’ll be doing it again with baby number three, we’ll also score some beautiful pics of our boys at 5 and 3 years old, too.
A huge thank to Susan at Susan Jane Photography for these professional tips. You can visit her site www.susanjanephotography.com.au
]]>We’ve been rounding up our favourite teething remedies to add to our online store because we seriously want to help all the mummas and teething baby’s out there. We love teethers, because they take advantage of baby’s natural instinct to chew and also provide baby with the control for relieving teething pain – they get to choose the texture and how hard to chomp down, so it’s personalised relief and all natural.
But having survived two teething babies, we know it can suck and sometimes a baby chew toy isn’t quite enough to get through the sleepless night and irritability that comes with teething. We’ve been hunting down our fav and some of the most well known natural teething aides and remedies and we found one commonly occurring element – amber!
So we thought we’d take a closer look at this and see what all the fuss is actually about! Amber is a natural tree resin formed over millions of year – most between 60-90 millions years, in fact! Baltic amber is sourced from the Baltic region, which is one of the largest regions of amber deposits in the world. Amber actually contains high traces of Succincic Acid (also known as Amber Acid), which has long been recognised in Ancient Europe as a natural analgesic and healing agent and was used as a natural antibiotic long before scientists discovered modern day antibiotics.
The benefits of amber are often cited to include natural pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects, boost of immune system and helping to combat infections and fatigue. These natural properties make it not only ideal for teething, but many adult ailments including arthritis, aches and pains.
But back to teething… these benefits of amber are so well suited to the symptoms of teething. It can help reduce teething pain and associated drooling, can assist skin conditions and rashes often bought on by teeth moving, and can assist in general
Amber works best when heated by the skin which releases the natural oils. Amber teething necklaces and bracelets, specifically designed and sized for children are ideal due to their close contact to the skin. As with any product for children though, safety precautions must be strictly followed, including not leaving your baby unsupervised while wearing amber jewellery (this includes while sleeping). You can shop our range of gorgeous amber teething necklaces here, or checkout our other amber based products like the new amber fabric teething bibs and amber fabric bunny ear teether – both made from a patented amber fabric with real Baltic amber fibres and designed to work in much the same way as amber teething necklace. Shop them here.
Other natural remedies that support teething include essential oils and we particularly love Tiny Tonics - the teething babe roller blend includes the addition of genuine amber stones which support the aromatherapy benefit of the essential oil. We also stock their sleepy babe variety (because good sleep is soooo important to both mum and bub). Both blends can help support baby through teething and poor sleep and are great to use when amber necklaces can’t be – like night time! Shop Tiny Tonics here.
This blog is compiled on anecdotal evidence and we do not make any therapeutics claims about the amber products we stock. Amber has not been scientifically proven and as with all natural remedies, results may vary.
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Nappy bags to carry all
It goes without saying that a newborn equals LOTS of stuff to carry, EVERYWHERE you go! So, naturally, a practical nappy bag tops our list. But gone are the days of nappy bags looking like, well, nappy bags. Yep, the new wave is so stylish you’ll be proud to carry them into the toddler and beyond years! One of our favs is the Sash & Belle Perry Nappy Bag in camel (because this mumma is totally addicted to everything tan). This one is made form premium PU vegan leather, is a generous size without being too big and comes with an optional shoulder strap – also perfect for popping over the pram handle. They’ve thought of everything so not only does it feature a waterproof bottle holder and internal clips for keys or dummies (because searching the depths of your bag for the keys/dummy with a baby in tow is never much fun), it also fits a 13” laptop plus an iPad/tablet device in the internal padded pocket – just what this working mumma needs!
Burrito baby
Awe, I love me a burrito baby! There is seriously nothing cuter than a baby wrapped in a swaddle to resemble the tasty Mexican treat. I swaddled my second son for as long as I possible could – there was something so soothing in it for me (and him too, cause swaddling really does help to make baby feel safe and secure) in wrapping him up ‘old school’ with a gorgeous swaddle. They’re also perfect as lightweight pram/carrier blankets and great for mums who prefer to cover up a little while nursing. Pop Ya Tot have such a gorgeous and growing range and they’re perfect too – in our opinion, swaddles must be a generous 120cm size and made from a quality GOTS certified muslin and Pop Ya Tot ticks all of our boxes. Not to mention the gorgeous prints and tones available – for our first baby girl, we’ve settled on the Sakura Blossom print and the Dirty Amethyst essential plain swaddle.
Tanker Toppers (aka lactation cookies)
Don’t ask me why or how these work, I just know they do! Whether you just want to ensure consistent supply or need a helping hand to get your milk supply to where babe wants it to be, there’s something just magical about lactation cookies and their ability to increase breast milk supply naturally. I’ve baked them and I’ve bought them and they are simply just a little miracle in a cookie (and let’s admit, a delicious way to help your body out too!). There’s a ton of recipes online to bake your own, but with a bunch of ingredients I’m not going to find in my pantry and two boys to run after as well as our newborn, it’s going to be premade lactation cookies this time around. We couldn’t go past Franjo’s Kitchen after first seeing this amazing brand on the baby and kid’s Expo circuit (and since stalking their social media). And with flavours like fig and almond lactation biscuits (and trusty choc-chip plus gluten free options), as well as other treats like date, walnut and maple crunch lactation muesli, they definitely live up to their ‘tanker toppers’ reputation (customer testimonials include “delicious taste and full jugs”). And the delicious reputation too - you might even find daddy reaching for the tin although we promise they won’t encourage his own ‘supply’.
Making Memories
We love making memories with our boys but we’ve also come to realise just how fast those milestones race pass, too. I still remember some of the newborn stage of my 5 year old like it was yesterday. But I’ve also forgotten a whole lot too, which I didn’t actually realise until there’s another baby on the way and I’m suddenly trying to compare progress to previous experiences. The answer is pretty simple – record it, but start from the very start! There are soooo many beautiful baby keepsake and milestone books and Blueberry Co has long been a favourite. Not only do they have the traditional baby book for capturing all those precious milestones, they also have a gorgeous Mum and Me Adventures book to capture those special moments between the two of you (it doesn’t end there, you’ll also find daddy, grandparents and toddler books too!). The best thing about the Mum and Me book? It forces mumma out from behind the camera to be captured in the shots too.
Essential Essential Oils
I was only recently introduced to the benefits of essential oils and I haven’t looked back – in fact, I have Tiny Tonics to thank for getting my much needed rest early on in this pregnancy (and with two boys to chase, there’s no time for ‘catch up’ naps during the day!). Pregnancy insomnia has hit pretty early this time around and for whatever unknown reason, my body has decided that sleeping while we can before babe is actually here is totally overrated (WTF body, we’ve got the next year for totally sleepless nights). But Tiny Tonic’s Deep Sleep Essential Oil Roller blend has actually given this mumma my much needed rest back. It’s now an absolute essential on my bedside table (next to my magnesium oil for leg cramps – another random condition bought on by pregnancy) and part of my every night routine. It’s such a beautiful smell to drift off to sleep to, too. Tiny Tonics have plenty for mumma (calm and energy boost are also must haves) as well as blends just for babies – I can’t wait to personally try the teething baby and sleep time blends, which you’ll also find stocked in our store here.
Teething times
Someone recently commented on our social media, talking to a friend, to buy some teethers now so you’ll be sorted when you actually need them. And what great advice!!! – we get heaps of urgent express orders and emails from desperate mummas with teething babies chasing their orders as soon as possible, and while we always try to get them out as fast as we possibly can, there’s still time to wait for the postie too! Any mum with a teething baby knows, a day or two can make all the difference! So stock up on a few essentials, including teethers, so you’re prepared for when they’re actually needed. We’ll always recommend an all silicone design like our BUNNY & BEAR or GUMMI teethers which you can pop in the fridge or freezer for extra cooling relief, plus a combined silicone and beech wood design so babe can get the best of both teething textures. They’ll love the silicone to massage a soothe while teeth are moving around and will tend to head to the harder beech wood when teeth are getting ready to make their break for it through the gum.
So there is it, our top essentials for the new mum and bub. Being a new mum is such a fun and exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming too. Making sure your prepared and well-stocked with some baby essentials may just make your day to day, that much easier.
Want to win EVERYTHING in this post - valued at an amazing $535? Keep your eye out for our Mum & Bub Essentials giveaway, launching this Wednesday night, 8 August 2018.
]]>With teeth comes great responsibility but what exactly can you do to care for those new toothy pegs? Caring for baby teeth can start well before the teeth actually appear – yes, this first set may only hang around for a short while, but establishing good habits early will actually pay off for permanent teeth in the long. I’ll admit, as a mum, it’s not always easy to encourage a baby to appreciate good dental hygiene, but like all habits, the earlier you start, the easier it can be!
Here’s some great tips on how to care for baby teeth from day dot:
Wipe it, baby!
Well before teeth appear, you can get into the habit of wiping across gums after milk or food. It’s as simple at using a damp washcloth wrapped around your finger and getting baby used to the sensation along the gums. We also stock Jack n’ Jill Baby Gum and Tooth wipes to make it even easier – completely natural and safe, these wipes are made from 100% cotton and designed to wrap around your finger and gently wipe on gums, teeth, tongue and cheeks. They're great for wiping dummies on the go (sucking dummies yourself to clean them is a no/no as it transfers bacteria) or around nipples before/after a feed too!
Hello, teeth!
As teeth first start appear, it’s important to start establishing daily habit’s now to make sure those baby teeth are strong and healthy. Even though baby teeth are short term, neglecting these can cause cavities (just like in permanent teeth), can contribute to gum infections like gingivitis and can even affect spacing of permanent teeth when things do go wrong – after all, their job is to hold the space for permanent teeth and it’s an important job too! When those permanent teeth do come in they’re, well, permanent.
Start with a silicone finger brush, designed to be placed on mum’s (or dad’s) index finger and rubbed along teeth and gums. These double-sided brushes can be used in two ways - use the brush side for gentle cleaning of baby's teeth, with or without natural toothpaste. Use the dimple side to massage gums – not only does it get babe used to the sensation of cleaning baby teeth and gums, it’s perfect for teething babies as it massages and soothes too. Our Jack n’ Jill version is great value at just $7.95 for a two pack, including case!
Bottle it
On the topic of cavities, one tip is to be conscious of baby’s bottles. Putting baby to bed with a bottle of milk is known for contributing to cavities because the sugar in milk sits on teeth. Avoid leaving babe with a bottle for long periods and take them away when they’re no longer feeding. A quick gum wipe will do the trick to wipe away any lingering milk sugars.
Brusher, brusher, brusher!
As teeth are start to settle in, it’s time to introduce babe to brushing and toothpaste twice a day. We love the Jack n’ Jill silicone toothbrush, complete with safety shield as its perfect when babe wants to start holding the brush for themselves. Hot top - embrace it! The more interested you can get them in caring for their baby teeth early, the better! You can even introduce mild toothpaste – choose a variety formulated specifically for your child’s age as they are suitably mild for taste. You don’t want them discouraged by a ‘spicy’ taste as my 3-year-old calls it (sparkling water is also classed as spicy by his standards)! Better yet, try a natural toothpaste like Jack n’ Jill’s which can be used from 6 months of age. It’s flavour free but still yum, and our personal fav!
When’s it’s time to upgrade to a bristle toothbrush, choose one’s that super soft and again, designed specifically for the age of your baby. Jack n’ Jill’s Natural Bio toothbrush is not only perfect for small hands and teeth, it’s great for the environment too! Now that’s a win/win!
Hey, Doc!
By age 3, you should start regular visits to the dentist for a quick check up. At these visits, the dentist may not do much more than a quick count and exam of the teeth, but getting them used to the chair and bright lights will make dentist visits much easier in the future. It also ensures that any problems that are starting to form are picked up early. At 5, my eldest son loves the moving chair and will eagerly jump on in. He’s even willingly gone through an x-ray because it was cool. My 3-year-old was a little more hesitant, but as a first go, he laid down (with me) and happily had his teeth checked. By 5, I’m sure he’ll be as keen as his big bro. Taking them to the dentist prior to this, to witness your own checkup, will also model good habits.
Added bonus, you may even get a take home pack, which, if they’re anything like my boys, will get them home and eager to brush their teeth with their new goodies for a day or two!
]]>Check out the differences within our range and find the perfect option for your teething baby:
Best of both worlds
A combined silicone and wood design gives baby the best of both teething worlds - silky soft silicone to massage and sooth those sore gums plus the hard texture of the beech wood for greater relief, which may even assist teeth to break through that last layer of gum. You may find baby favours the softer silicone texture while teeth are moving around under the gum, then hit the hard beech wood when things start to get serious. Check out our combined range here >
Cool it, baby!
If your teether is all silicone, like our GUMMI teether or popular BUNNY & BEAR teethers (or any of our moulded silicone designs for that matter), you can pop it in the fridge or freezer for 30-40 minutes (just to cool, you don’t want to actually freeze) for extra teething relief. Babies will love the cool sensation on sore gums! Wood isn’t suitable for the fridge or freezer, so just make sure it’s an all silicone design Check out our all silicone designs here >
Age of reason
Our range have been designed with two distinct age groups in mind – the younger babies / earlier teethers and older babies / toddlers. Younger babies are best suited to basic ring style teethers, like our RATTLE or DUO which have been sized specifically for little hands and mouths, while older babies will find greater enjoyment in our toy-based teethers – designed specifically to combine play-based elements with those teething texture to create teething toys that grow with your babe. Our SHAPES or KEYS teethers are popular choices.
What's that sound?
Let’s not forget SOUND! Babies love and are totally intrigued by sound. Any of our teethers with more than one wooden component make a sweet rattle sound. Try the RATTLE and SHAPES teethers or for a softer sound created by integrated wooden beads, check out our Woodland Friends or SOLAR teethers. Not only will baby loved exploring those textures with their little hands and mouths, they’ll love the sensory element of creating noise too.
While all babies are different in their preferences, you’ll be sure to find a teether to suit your babe and their requirements but if you’re still not sure, we’re always happy to help – just contact us. If you're in the market for two teethers, we'd always recommend a combined silicone and wood design plus an all-silicone design to compliment one another – that way, you have both teething textures plus one that you can cool for the extra relief (hint: you can get both in our gorgeous Keepsake Box gift sets – plus a reusable box to store all of babe’s precious keepsakes). Another advantage of two teethers? Leave one at home and one in the nappy bag and never be without one on hand!
Our beaded teethers are presented in gorgeous 'My teether' calico bags too, perfect to store them between chomp sessions and great presentation for gift buying too. Our teethers are so popular for baby shower gifts and new baby gifts – such a unique, treasured gift.
And just because it's Mother's Day soon, don’t forget we also have a great range of silicone necklaces and accessories for mumma too! Shop necklaces here >
]]>Wondering what would make the perfect Easter gift for baby’s first Easter? Most parents shy away from chocolate at this age (or at least for their babe, anyway) so the hunt is on to find beautiful, chocolate alternatives with an Easter-inspired twist. Good thing the Easter bunny is popular at this time of year, because anything bunny makes the perfect Easter baby gifts. Whether it’s a newborn gift or nearing their first birthday, here’s our pick:
Teethers… of course.
It goes without saying teethers and teething toys are a great baby gift idea at this age – in the first year those teeth are bound to be making a break for it, but we think we’ve got this one particularly covered! Hello CHOCOLATE BUNNY teethers – our bestselling bunny teethers have had an Easter makeover and are available in three, special edition Easter-inspired colours including… wait for it… chocolate! Yes. Bunny, tick. Chocolate, tick. Chewable, tick. But not edible, tick. That’s Easter done. If you do want something a little, well, more, you can’t go passed our personalisation options. From our Silicone Name teethers to engraving any of the wooden components, we can transfer an already beautiful teether into the perfect AND practical keepsake.
Memories.
Or at least a baby book to include those memories. We know you’re in your first year and that’s the perfect time to start recording those important milestones – you’re through the newborn haze but not so much so that you’ve forgotten all those precious moments… which is kinda exactly why you need a baby book in the first place! Trust us, 5 years on all of those precious moments you are absolutely sure will never leave your brain have somehow vanished. Or faded a little. Maybe to make room for all of the other amazing memories, that join them. We ramble (thanks, baby brain) but the point is, a beautiful baby book like our fav from Blueberry Co Baby to record those moments, including baby’s first Easter, is the perfect Easter gift for babies. And not only do Blueberry Co Baby have the sweetest baby book, you;’ll find a host of other gorgeous memory books to record all of your important memories.
Mind the mess.
So within that first 12 months babies tend to be a little messy. Ok, they’re messy well beyond that first 12 months but what if there was stylish, practical, AND adorable tablewear option – that just so happened to be a BUNNY! Heeeellllooo baby Easter gifts. We couldn’t go past the amazing placies and snackies from the gorgeous We Might Be Tiny – they’re super modern, minimalist and sure to be right at home in even the fanciest house, but man do they do their job! The silicone placies wipe straight clean and the snackies keep those snacks (mostly) contained. The beautiful
These boot at made for… egg hunting.
Whether they’re walking or crawling or exploring those first baby steps, Easter is sure to include the Easter egg hunt. Get them ready for adventure with beautiful, soft shoes that are designed just for little feet, like the range of mocs and sandals from Just Ray Baby. For new walkers, leave a pair of sandals with a note from the Easter Bunny, encouraging your little one to venture out on their first Easter egg hunt. As they head out searching for their chocolate bunny silicone teethers, just make sure you capture the moment in your baby book!
Wooden it be nice.
Wooden nursery décor. It’s modern, natural and beautiful and when we were looking for Easter gift ideas for babies, we couldn’t help but hunt down the best wooden bunnies. And we found our fav with Faith Lane. These gorgeous handcrafted and hand decorated bunnies are not only the perfect Easter gift, they’ll be home in your nursery (and big boy/girl room when you make the transition) for years to come! And even better…. there’s so many sweet, cool, hip options to choose from depending on your style – Chief Hoppi, Rueben Rabbit, Willow Bunny, there is seriously something for everyone!
Wrap it up.
A beautiful wrap or blanket is such a popular baby gift, whether it’s to celebrate their baby shower, newborn arrival, first Christmas or Easter. Add a bunny and voila, baby’s first Easter gift is sorted! There’s so many beautiful designs and we can’t go passed the modern Bunny Chief print from Aster & Oak. It’s on trend and sure to be at home in any nursery. Even better, they’re made with the softest, organic materials and are an extra large size making them perfect as a swaddle, throw rug, picnic rug or just to snuggle up with – talk about multi-use! I still cherish my boys baby blankets, so make yours extra specials with these for baby’s first Easter gift.
Want to win EVERYTHING featured here? For you AND a friend? Head on over to our instagram page, find the competition post and get your entry in. These incredible hamper's are worth an amazing $295 each! That's baby's first Easter gift sorted!
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This year our son started prep! Yes, after what felt like the quickest 5 years ever, the tiny baby we welcomed into the world on Valentine’s Day 2013 raced off to school with much excitement, anticipation and just a little fear. After that first day, we lay in his bed and talked about his day as we do every night. I wasn’t quite expecting the response I got – “Mummy, were you proud of me for being brave today? I felt the water in my eyes but I didn’t let it come because me and Dylan won’t need you soon”.
Whaaaat!?! Hold up, what are you talking about? You started primary school, you’re not moving out of home, heading off to uni, or buying a house (though help me when we reach those milestones!). And even then, you WILL still need me! I went to sleep that night with his words swirling around my head, wondering how a 5 year old actually perceives the start of school – and the world for that matter!
This was my conclusion: it was his way of saying he’s growing up. And being a big kid means more responsibility. Primary school marked the start of that journey in his still very small eyes. He knew it was something he had to do, and he knew he needed to push outside of his comfort zone to do it. And, although he will always need me, he also knew he needed to accept more responsibility – for putting his bag away, for selecting his own lunch from his lunch box, for keeping is daily folder safe and bringing home important notes for mum and dad. For, well, growing up.
All this got me wondering, what contribution did I have to such a profound realisation from my boy. Like all mums, I had the greatest of expectations when we were expecting. We’d do everything right, we’d have casual park dates with his (and my) new friends, the house would be clean before we left and everything freshly washed. I’d cook everything from scratch, researching low fat, low sugar options so I knew exactly what he was eating and he’d naturally love the biggest range of fresh fruit and veg. I’ll admit, it all started well – our tiny 6lb baby fed like a champ, slept like a champ and was a pretty happy little dude.
Then reality hits. We were always late to those play dates, if we made it. The house was a mess – showering or doing one load of washing was deemed success. Most days we were still in PJs when daddy came home – and dinner was still a distant thought. Daycare starts and then came the sickness. And constant days off work. I suddenly felt like having a career and a child really wasn’t that glamorous – or achievable for that matter. The home baked muffins turned into shop bought snacks (unwrapped and put in a plastic tubs so they at least looked homemade). Enter baby number two – and everything that was left went out the window, including any patience this Mumma had. It was groundhog day, except this time around there was a toddler to contend with – terrible twos, toilet training, a rough instinct for boy play despite his baby brother being, well, a baby!
Now at 2 and 5 years, I can only describe our house as chaos. Noisy, messy chaos. They rarely listen, or pack away. I yell just as much as they do. Sometimes I embrace it. Sometimes I don’t (read: loose it). Over the past 5 years, I’ve questioned my ability as a mother time and time again, whether I actually have what it takes to get this under control. To nurture and grow little people into big people.
But in that one moment, I realised that I’ve done something right. And despite not meeting my own great expectations at every, single, little step along the way, I’ve met his. And that’s all that matters.
]]>Teething sucks! We know, we’ve been there twice! And while I’d love to say this blog gives you all the answers for your teething baby, the truth is it doesn’t. Like all things babies, what helps or comforts one, may not another. From day dot, we soon realise they are their own little human and you’ll need to find what works best for your own teething baby. But here’s our hints and tips on soothing those sore teething gums. Naturally.
Chew baby, chew.
Of course, teethers top our list. But why? Baby’s have a natural instinct to chew. Everything. From using their mouth to explore the world around them to soothing sore gums, this instinct helps in more ways than one. In teething, it helps to massage, soothe and comfort while those teeth move around under the gum and can even assist teeth to make their break through!
We use both food-grade silicone and naturally antibacterial beech wood in our teethers as both materials offer distinct advantages for your little teething baby. Silicone is firm but flexible and babies love to chew this silky material to massage and soothe gums. Add a textured surface and that massage effect is heightened, hence all of our designs feature a smooth front and a textured reversed. Check out our bestselling Bunny & Bear silicone teethers with our exclusive dual textured reverse – two textures in the one teether that babies can explore. Babies will love to hold and chew silicone teethers all day, every day and they’re a great staple toy for babies of all ages.
Wood is also renowned as an effective teething surface and we love the antibacterial properties of beech wood. The harder surface is great for serious teethers and allows baby to really chomp down – it gives them the benefit to apply more pressure as they get more resistance from the wood over a silicone teether, which in turn provides greater relief when they really need it. That extra firmness can also assist the final layer of gum to break and release the teeth and you might find your teething baby looks for those harder surfaces when teeth are nearing the gum.
Cool it, baby.
Another great way to help relieve gums naturally is by offering baby chilled items. There’s a few options here, like cooling their favourite teether (silicone teethers work best) or a chilled face washer for them to suck and chew – they’re best chilled in the fridge or the freezer, but only for 20-30mins as you don’t want it frozen, just cooled. If they’re on solids, you could also try chilled, steamed vegies or their favourite fruit purees or even create fruit and vegie iceblocks to serve in a mesh feeder. Anything cool that touches the gum could just work a treat for your teething baby!
Amber vibes.
Amber teething necklaces are also an option and one we swore by for both of our teethers. I’m not going to preach for or against these other than to say we personally felt they offered a benefit. The baltic amber is claimed to offer a benefit for teething and symptoms like inflammation, but it is commonly reported that there is no scientific evidence to support these claims. As with any product, be sure to use them in strict accordance with instructions and remove the amber teething necklace when your baby is unattended, particularly while sleeping.
A healthy dose.
When the going gets tough and you’re sure it’s the result of teething and nothing more sinister, a dose of children’s Panadol could be in order. Having been concerned with the effects of medicine, our doctor assured us early on that children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen products are completely safe and at times necessary for babies. It can be very effective in relieving the pain associated with teething and sometimes, when we just need that pain to go away and nothing else gives your teething baby much needed relief, is a necessary evil.
Free hugs.
When all else fails, a hug from mum is all you can do – much like many of the challenges of newborns and babies (and children for that matter), sometimes you just have to stop everything, sit down and let your teething baby sleep, rest, cry, whatever they need, comforted in the arms of mum. Or Dad. Or Nanny. Whoever it is, a calming, nurturing hug may be the only thing you can do to help your little teether.
And remember, this, like everything, will pass.
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The most common reason women say they give up breastfeeding is because they don’t think they have enough milk. Is it any wonder that a breastfeeding mother’s confidence can be shattered when almost any variation in her baby’s behavior (read, sleep or feeding patterns) will be explained by unhelpful advice such as, “are you sure you have enough milk?”
While there are certain medical conditions that may create challenges to breast-milk supply, such as PCOS, diabetes, thyroid disorders, low iron levels, high blood pressure and a condition called Insufficient Glandular Tissue (red flags include a lack of breast development during puberty and pregnancy and/or tubular shaped breasts that are widely spaced), there are also a lot of ‘booby traps’ that have mothers reaching for the bottle when what they are experiencing is perfectly normal or can be fixed quite simply with the right advice and support.
If you are having a hard time, you don’t need to ditch your nursing bra just yet. Try to remember, whether you can exclusively breastfeed or not, every drop of mummy milk is liquid gold and there is help available. Calling in an expert such as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) could make a world of difference to your confidence and your breastfeeding experience.
Meanwhile, let’s bust some ‘booby traps’.
My baby feeds all the time:
Your newborn’s stomach is the size of a marble and after about ten days it will only be the size of his tiny fist (or a ping pong ball if you don’t yet have a baby and can’t visualize this), so he will need frequent feeds - around 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours. Also, in the early weeks your baby is mastering the art of sucking, swallowing and breathing so he needs lots of practice to become an efficient feeder. It’s also worth understanding that women have different breast milk storage capacities so although most women produce enough milk, a woman with a smaller storage capacity (this isn’t necessarily related to breast size), will need to feed her baby more often than a woman with a larger storage capacity, whatever the age of the baby.
Tip: Watch your baby, not the clock. In the early weeks, there is still some breast development going on and by feeding according to your baby’s hunger cues, you are setting your breasts’ capacity for milk production. This means that the more milk your baby removes, the more milk your breasts will be signaled to make and the higher you will ‘set’ your ongoing milk production. But if you space out feeds (by implementing a feeding schedule) or you top your baby up with formula, she naturally eats less at the breast, your breasts will respond by making less milk. If you do need to offer supplements (first rule is ‘feed the baby’), expressing, as well as putting your baby to the breast, will help increase your supply.
My breasts feel soft:
At first your breasts will feel hard and swollen as your milk comes in but a lot of this swelling (engorgement) is extra blood circulation and tissue fluid as your body gets used to this new experience. As your baby and your breasts become synchronized so you are making the amount of milk your baby needs, your breasts will naturally soften and feel less swollen. As long as your baby is feeding effectively and you respond to his hunger signals, you will usually make exactly the amount of milk your baby needs.
Tip: If your baby is only drinking breast milk and having at least one soft yellow bowel motion and 6 to 8 very wet cloth or 4 to 5 heavy, wet disposable nappies a day, he is getting enough milk (what comes out must be going in!).
My baby has suddenly started feeding more frequently:
Your baby may be having a growth spurt and a corresponding appetite increase or he may be coming down with a bug and need an immune boost: the transfer of saliva from your baby’s mouth to your breasts signals you to produce antibodies to any bugs your baby is exposed to and he will receive these antibodies as he drinks your milk.
Tip: Take your baby to bed or relax with a stack of DVDs (Netflix and chill has a whole new meaning!) and rest with your baby, snuggling skin to skin (this will boost your milk making hormones) and allow him to feed whenever he shows hunger signals. This will help your body catch up with your baby’s increased need to feed.
My baby only has short feeds:
Although in the early days, feeds seem to take forever, often at around 10 to 12 weeks, many babies seem to quite suddenly feed more quickly. As long as your baby is having wet nappies (see above) and gaining weight, they have most likely become an efficient feeder so don't need to suck as long. However, if your baby seems to be having short feeds and isn’t gaining weight steadily, consider, is he latching and sucking well, has he been checked for an issue such as tongue tie, is he distracted during feeds?
Tip: Any time you are concerned about your baby’s feeding patterns, get a professional such as a lactation consultant to observe a feed to make sure your baby is attaching, sucking and transferring milk effectively.
My baby grunts and squirms and seems frustrated when he feeds:
Although some babies become impatient as they wait for the milk to start flowing, others can feel uncomfortable for various reasons. For example, your baby may be affected by tummy discomfort because as he starts sucking, this also starts peristalsis (food or wind moving around the gut) so he is struggling a bit to coordinate feeding and farting at the same time. Tired babies or babies who have been crying (crying is a LATE hunger signal), will often squirm at the breast because they are having difficulty organizing feeding behavior. This often happens in the evening, leading mums to believe they don't have enough milk.
Tip: Observe your baby’s feeding cues (rooting towards the breast, moving his hand to mouth and making little noises) and respond quickly. If you have been giving your baby bottles, he may be developing a preference for the fast flow from a bottle so if you do need to supplement, start at the breast then ‘finish at the breast’ so that he associates a full tummy and comfort with Mummy and breastfeeding.
My baby gulped down a full bottle of formula after a breastfeed:
Sucking is an involuntary newborn reflex. Its particularly strong in babies under three months. This means that when you pop a bottle teat into your baby’s mouth, it will automatically stimulate a sucking reflex. As the baby sucks, his mouth fills with milk, which he then has to swallow. The swallowing triggers the suck reflex again so your baby keeps on sucking and swallowing. It looks as though he is ‘hungrily’ gulping the bottle of formula when, actually, he simply can’t control his natural sucking reflex. Of course, after drinking a bottle of formula, your baby will fall asleep for hours because he is ‘full’ and also because formula takes longer to digest than breast milk, so it’s only natural that you will start to doubt your ability to produce enough breast milk.
Tip: It’s never too late to get help – watch your baby, not the clock, eat nutritious foods, drink to your thirst, surround yourself with supportive people and seek help if you have any concerns about your milk supply. If anyone asks, ‘are you sure you have enough milk?’ tell them, ‘my nurse/doctor/pediatrician’ says we are doing fine, thankyou,’ then quickly change the subject.
Pinky McKay is Australia’s most recognized Breastfeeding expert. She’s an IBCLC lactation consultant, best selling author of Sleeping Like a Baby and Parenting by Heart and creator of Boobie Bikkies, natural, organic and lactogenic cookies to boost energy and support a healthy breast milk supply.
For tips to boost your breast milk supply, download Pinky’s FREE ebook ‘Making More Mummy Milk,Naturally’
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You’ve made it passed the newborn fog, you’re finally starting to figure out your little person and have worshipped that too cuuuute 18 month old stage (my fav) and BAM, two hits. Don’t get me wrong, I loooove all things baby and toddler but man, can these terrible twos test us! My Master 2 is half way through this stage - and here’s what we’re up to.
Attitude – this is when that attitude really shows. Headstrong, independent, demanding, impatient. Whatever it is, the attitude is coming. My little man often says no, screws his face up in disgust, stomps his feet (thanks The Very Cranky Bear) or god forbid, brings out a wussy little punch or kick to really get your attention. I’d love to say they listen, but the truth is they don’t. If they want to go that way, they will. Or that way, sure. Get in the way and… tantrum.
Use your words – I’ve muttered these words often, praying for the day he can actually communicate what he wants. And now he does. Which is mostly useful, except for the fact that toddlers are now also putting the world together and realising how to work things to their advantage. Some great examples – squeezing out a tiny nugget just to get out of bed, calling out at 1am with a booger on his finger, or dobbing on his brother for hitting him when he actually hasn’t. He’ll also proudly confess himself a ‘naughty boy’ with that too-cute cheeky smirk. You know, the one you can barely stop yourself from laughing cause as much as these little humans test up, man they’re funny too!
I do it – those three words you’ll hear constantly from a 2 year old who now wants to try to do everything! Getting dressed. I do it. Changing a nappy. I do it. Buckling up. I do it. Sauce on dinner. I do it. You name it, everything you need done, whether you need it done in a hurry or not, they’ll want to do. By. Them. Selves (except packing away, that is). And if you so much dare to intervene, you’re back at tantrums.
I’ll just put this here…
Throwing… what’s with this? Sees something, picks up, throws. Why? I REALLY don’t know. Our most embarrassing scene… new swimming class, walks in, picks up a sweater from the chair and throws it in the pool. It happened so fast this unsuspecting mumma was powerless to stop it so instead got to fetch it out of the water, wring it out and hang it up neatly (OK, washing ISN’T my strong point) and then sit next to it waiting to own up to the owner – who thankfully never returned! All the while Master 2 was kicking and splashing his heart content. I’ll also add to this one biting and licking, again for no reason whatsoever…
Annnd….
Tantrums – anything sets off a two-year old. Think that newborn cry is loud, it’s nothing on a tantruming toddler! I experienced my first serious toddler tantrum with my first son – picture this: 39 weeks pregnant with a tantruming toddler starfishing on the floor of our local shopping centre. I could barely reach my toes, let alone wrangle this little beast for a hasty retreat home (minus the milk)! I could tell you a million stories – like when he instructed me to connect two Duplo blocks that didn’t actually fit together… or when the toast he left in the morning wasn’t still there ready to be eaten when he got home from daycare – but I think this one is best experienced first-hand. Good luck mummas!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all terrible. 2 year olds are mastering that cute toddler run, they’re putting together words and the cutest of little sentences, if there’s an older sibling they’re starting to play together in whole new ways, and there’s still nothing better than a cuddle with mum.
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It seemed timely with the launch of our Baby Name giveaway that we bought in an baby name expert to fill us in on what's trending in naming our babes - and it turns out, old-school baby names are so hot right now. But as Sabrina Rogers-Anderson discovers, not all vintage appellations are created equal. Over to you, Sabrina:
If you’re a baby-name nerd like me and you scour the top 100 baby names list each year, you’ll have noticed an unmistakable trend in the past five years or so: vintage monikers.
Names that were popular in our grandparents’ days are red-hot again. The likes of Charlotte, Olivia, Ava, Mia and Amelia have been fighting for the top female spot, while Oliver, William, Jack, Noah and Thomas have been elbowing each other in the top five for boys.
Why the obsession with names of yore? According to demographer and social researcher Mark McCrindle, there’s a 100-year return phenomenon that occurs with baby names. Sobriquets that were popular in our parents’ day – such as Susan and Douglas – are sneered at because it’s too soon for them to make a comeback, but names from a century ago have been out of vogue long enough to sound cool again.
Not all vintage names are created equal
Before your grandma Gladys gets excited and starts asking whether you’ll name your first-born after her, explain that the trend is a finicky one. Not just any old name will do, you see. It must fit our modern criteria for coolness: soft, flowy and feminine with at least one “A” for the girls, and classically masculine with the possibility of a cool nickname for the boys.
Here are some examples.
COOL: Amelia. Soft, flowy and feminine? Tick. At least one “A”? Double tick.
UNCOOL: Beryl. Soft, flowy and feminine? Hmmm, sounds more like the name of a tractor company. At least one “A”? FAIL.
COOL: William. Classically masculine? Heck yes. Think William Shakespeare and Prince William. Cool nickname? Try four: Will, Billy, Bill and Liam.
UNCOOL: Milton. Classically masculine? Erm… no. Cool nickname? Mil? Millie? Milt? ABORT! ABORT!
COOL: Charlotte. Soft, slowy and feminine? Oh yes, and there’s a brand-new Royal named Charlotte. BONUS POINTS. At least one “A”? We have a winner.
UNCOOL: Irma. Soft, flowy and feminine? There’s absolutely no way that initial “ERRRR” sound will ever sound soft or flowy. Plus: Hurricane Irma. At least one “A”? Perhaps, but it’s just not enough to salvage it.
COOL: Jack. Classically masculine? Yes! There were so many WW1 heroes named Jack and there’s a good chance you have a grandpa or great-uncle called Jack, so there’s even a meaningful family connection there. Cool nickname? Better yet, it IS a nickname.
UNCOOL: Hubert. Classically masculine? I wouldn’t say so, no. Cool nickname? If you think “Hube” sounds cool, more power to you.
Hipsters are treading into grandma territory
Before you tear up your list with all those grandma-chic names on it, rest assured that hipsters and other cutting-edge types have started to revive some of the “uncool” vintage names as an alternative to the overly popular ones that are in the top 10. Here are some of the more unusual selections I’ve heard in the playground lately:
Girls
Agnes
Esther
Frances
Harriet
Pearl
Boys
Albert
Calvin
Edwin
Gus
Leon
In five years, Buford and Eunice could be all the rage, so go ahead and snap them up if they tickle your fancy!
Sabrina Rogers-Anderson is a writer and author, with over 30 articles on kidspot.com.au on baby names alone - check them out here to find out all about the hit and miss trends when it comes to naming your baby. Her new book, The Little Book of Bogan Baby Names is also out now - a quirky tongue in cheek look at bogan baby names.
]]>Ok, so they’re not technically dragons. But they like to roar, they think they can breathe fire and they're pretty sure they CAN actually fly! Yep, I’m a mum of boys. 2 boys. Even the dog’s a boy. It’s noisy, chaotic, hectic, non-stop and I wouldn’t have it any other way (or would I?). I’ve always said boys are different - mostly while I watch friends around me with girls who sit and colour quietly while my boys have stacked the couch cushions as high as they can to test the flying theory. Did I mention they’re 2 and 4?
So, while I’m sure there are little girls out there who cause just as much trouble as boys , I thought I’d share my #mumofboys experiences to a) prepare any mums of newborn boys and b) prepare me for what’s to come, cause I’m sure the worse is not over!
Noise.
We’ve all heard it the definition for boys: noise with dirt on it. Well, it couldn’t a more accurate description. Boys like to make noise. Lot’s of it. For no apparent reason. A seemingly peaceful moment can be broken with a random, high-pitch scream. Why? I’m still trying to work that out.
En garde.
If there is anything at all lying around that could pass as a sword, it will! Everything and anything can transform boys to superheros in an instant – add two boys and you’ve got double the trouble. And with superheros, there’s villains and combat and, well, more noise.
Quiet time.
My boys do sit calmly and watch a movie. For a millisecond. Which can be slightly lengthened with the bribe of a snack. A bowl of popcorn will not only get us through 5 minutes of a movie and some much needed down time (for mum), it also delays the next ‘Mum… I’m hungry’ (by a millisecond). Which brings me to…
Growing boys.
Growing boys eat. A lot. And I have a feeling, at 2 and 4 years old, I haven’t even seen the start of this one. I’ve heard rumours of boys eating parents out of house and home, and while my boys are still little, I can already see the signs of how this can happen (3 pieces of toast for breakfast for a 2 year old?!?). Help me with teenage boys!
Wee ones.
I’ll be honest, this one has only just started to kick in with Master 4 and will hopefully be short lived until he’s old enough to go in unsupervised. But... Mum. Boys. Public Toilet. Up until now we have used the ladies without fuss, but just recently I’ve been faced with absolute refusal to wee unless he can go to the boys. Time to head home. Quick!
Mummy’s boys.
So they’re active, rough and a little crazy, but boys can also be the sweetest, most loving creatures. They love cuddles, can never say ‘I love you’ enough and will proudly announce you look like ‘Queen Elsa’ when you so much as shower (thanks, bud). Yep, boys love their mummas and I’ll always cherish this special bond I have with my boys.
]]>I first met Lisa Lindley, a psychologist who specialises in post-natal depression, after the birth of my second boy and after all the amazing advice she had for me, it seemed only natural to ask her for advice on taking care of Mumma. It follows on from our last blog on self-care, but in this age of social media and the picture of seemingly perfect lives from those around us, sometimes we need to take a step back and see the forest through the trees. I think the one thing I learned from my time with Lisa is that as mothers, we can’t do it all. And that’s OK.
Over to you, Lisa…
We often talk about mothers that we hold in awe using descriptions such as 'selfless', 'putting their family first', 'self-sacrificing', 'price of motherhood' and all those warm and fuzzy words. I am sure you have heard of those mums who seem to ‘do it all’. We look on in awe at women who bring their babies on outings loaded with containers of food, prepared for everything and looking great. We wonder how a mum can energetically volunteer at kinder, host dinner parties, organise great outings with their kids and keep a clean house. We hear women say that they are willing to put their careers on hold because they want to be there for their kids. Or that they had to stop doing something they love, because they want to put their family first.
But at what cost? As a long-time psychologist and mother of 3, I see the consequences of women devoting all their time looking after everyone in their family. Mums spend a lot of energy caring and worrying about their baby and feel anxious that they are doing a good enough job; and they feel guilty for doing anything for themselves.
Women often feel like they have to make excuses for going out, spending time with friends or playing sport while their child is in childcare. But I love it when I hear about a mum taking up a new hobby that does not involve the kids. Or when a mother leaves her young children with a babysitter for a few hours to go to the movies or have a massage.
Most women rarely ask for help from other mothers, even though we are all taking our children to the same places and have the same child-related tasks to do. If we do ask for help, it’s only for something ‘important’, not so we can have time alone to go for a walk or see a friend.
It’s nice to be able to watch your children at swimming lessons, to take them to and from kinder or school every day, and make sure all their needs are met. But it is also important to follow your own path and your own passions. For your child to see that you have your own needs and interests.
If you know a woman who asks for help, applaud her and follow her lead! She is probably someone who is not trying to ‘do it all’ and feels comfortable enough to ask for help. Most of us are happy to help others out, but we rarely ask for help ourselves. We are frightened of seeming incompetent or unable to cope. But I don’t recommend trying to do it all yourself. It’s the mums who try to do it all themselves that I worry about the most.
Not taking time for yourself, and never asking for help, increases the risk of depression or anxiety. Self-care is not selfish!
Here are my top ten tips for taking some time for you:
Lisa Lindley is a mother of 3, and has been a psychologist for 30 years. She is the Principal Psychologist of Sunshine Coast Psychology Clinic and PND Centre, 88 Duporth Ave, Maroochydore, Ph. (07) 5309 6128.
]]>I am probably the worse for self-care among all the other priorities of a young family and home-based business. Seriously, I think it’s been 12 months since I’ve found the time for a hair appointment! So clearly I’m not an expert on this topic so I’ve called in the gorgeous Kristy Rodriguez, author of Pure Nurture: A Holistic Guide to A Healthy Baby to talk us through the top tips for self-care in the midst of baby-care. Time for me to take a leaf out of her new book and book that appointment... and maybe a massage to go with it! Over to you Kristy…
The days, weeks and months following the birth of your baby can be some of the most joyful, stressful, loving and overwhelming. The array of thoughts and emotions that fill this unique and special time can feel like a roller coaster ride. Amidst the new responsibilities and array of emotions, how can a new mum take care of herself with all of the time and responsibilities required for taking care of a brand new baby? Practicing self-care is one of the best ways to stay healthy and happy while you transition into this new role and relationship. Caring for your baby includes carrying for you.
Before determining how to practice self-care in the midst of baby-care, the first thing to figure out is what self-care means to you. Self-care looks different for everyone. One mum might love a hot bath with essential oils and Epsom salt. For another, what fills her up and helps her come back into a state of ease is meeting a friend for coffee or tea at the local café. Self-care can take five minutes or a couple hours. It really is up to you. It really is anything that you can do daily or weekly that either relaxes you, calms you, lifts your spirits, energizes you, or supports you in any way. It is something that generally helps you to feel better- physically, mentally and/or emotionally.
Below is a list of 4 self-care tips that will support you during the postpartum period. Give them a try and see which ones help you to reduce stress and increase feelings of ease.
Once you determine which self-care practices support you the most, use them often. Schedule them into your calendar or write them down on a sticky note if you have to. Even if it’s only for five minutes, having a self-care practice for your entire life will help you maintain a state of ease. You will more quickly and easily let go of tension and constriction in your body. Knowing that life is an ever-changing plain (especially when you become a parent), having a cache of self-care habits will help you to ride the waves of life more confidently, allowing you to quickly find balance when the ups and downs occur. We cannot protect ourselves or our babies from every upsetting thing in life. However, you feeling your best and bringing yourself back into balance ultimately supports you in being the best mum you can be. Treat yourself (body and mind) and your baby with kind-heartedness, compassion, and unconditional love. You both deserve it.
Kristy Rodriguez is author of the newly published book Pure Nurture: A Holistic Guide to A Healthy Baby. Kristy is a certified holistic health coach and registered yoga instructor specialising in prenatal and postpartum wellness, support, and empowerment. With her cumulated years of experience in education and health, she brings extensive knowledge, personal experience, and deep compassion to her students. Connect with Kristy at www.purenurture.com and on Instagram.
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Let’s talk sleep. We’re a family of four. Three of us looooove sleep. One doesn’t. Our youngest, two, is the black sheep of the family when it comes so sleep. While we’re all wanting to snuggle into the doona, he just wants to, well, stay awake.
We’ve tried it all… from sleep school (twice, we failed round one) to sleep consultants, we wanted to share our experience and advice for the ideal sleep environment for babies and toddlers. Because it’s sooo important to get a few fundamentals right, for the best chance of rest!
Routine. Babies love routine! They find comfort and predictability in routines. So find a bedtime routine and stick to it. Ours goes a little like dinner, bath, bedtime stories with milk and then sleep. And this routine is recommended to be in relatively quick succession – so it feels like a routine. Its best to shut down TV’s and electronic devices and avoid bright, stimulating light for an hour before bed so that body starts to wind down and prepares for sleep. On other tip we found useful – bananas. Foods high in magnesium and potassium can help the muscles to relax while tryptophan converts to serotonin and melatonin to create a calming hormone for the brain. All this equals natural sleep and working this into your dinner or dessert may just help your little one relax. Both my boys have one comforter that they love to sleep with – we only use them for bed and sleep and they are such a strong sleep association. One we get through the routine, they reach for their comforter (Teddy and Rocky, here) and roll on over.
White noise. This one is all about creating a familiar and comforting environment. We knew about white noise, but the one thing that surprised us was the volume. We naturally wanted a soft, low level but (and think of all those babies sleeping through vacuuming) it needed to be a little louder – think the level of running water when you’re in the shower. We used an iPad app and settle for a wave sound with subtle chimes – because we live by the beach this was comforting for us. There are so many great free apps that let you mix a few sounds and find the one that works for you, but just remember, stick to the one you settle on.
Light. We naturally wanted the room black. As black as black could be. Blockout curtains, cardboard on the windows, you name it, we tried it. But while light is one of the biggest regulators of our body clocks (my fav thing about winter is that extra little sleep in), babies need to know where they are when they wake. With a sleep cycle lasting around 45 minutes, when they do wake, a soft, subtle light will help with familiarity of the environment. And the best tone – orange… a subtle glow without stimulating the senses. Again, iPads are great with lighting apps that allow different colours. Just remember you want a very soft and dim light – you’ll barely notice it’s on when you are getting ready for bed, but check out the light later when the house is dark and your own body has adjusted and you’ll be surprised how bright it actually is!
Temperature. My least favourite because getting this right is challenging, but it really is so important. Let’s start with the facts - ideal room temperature is between 21-23°C (experts suggest below 12°C or above 23°C is not conducive to human sleep). Sleep tends to be better in cooler environments but grab a room thermometer and this one is sorted. But the million dollar question - what to dress them in? And just when you do feel like you get it right, the whether changes! There is no right or wrong and all environments (and babies for that matter) will be different. So all you can do is experiment – between dressing them in suits (long sleeves, short sleeves, legs, no legs) and layer with singlets, it really is trial and error and best driven but your own dressing habits overnight. And don’t forget the swaddles and wraps – steer clear of blankets and either swaddle in wraps or use sleeping bags. Not only it is safer, it’s also easier to keep temperature consistent as you know they won’t be kicking off the blankets. The best advice for clothing and wraps – look for natural, breathable fabrics that allow the body to regulate their own temperature.
]]>We were recently part of a Mother’s Day giveaway that asked for that one piece of advice your mum gave you that you can’t live without. Well, it’s Mother’s Day so we thought we’d share our top 6! Being a mumma isn’t easy, but if there is one person who’s been there, done that, it’s mum. So here they are:
Follow your instincts, mumma knows best! Such an important tip, especially for all the new mums out there. Despite me trying my hardest to fine one, newborns don’t come with an instruction manual and it takes everyone time to adjust and find your feet. But there’s a natural instinct in women we need to learn to trust, because it is so true. Mumma knows best! So don’t doubt yourself and follow those instincts – sure, talk to others, get advice and make educated decisions, but when something just doesn’t feel right, follow it.
You’re more than enough. We’ve all been there. Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, emotional. Motherhood does crazy things to our hearts and our minds. But at the end of the day, children need very little and the one thing they do need is mum. One of the personal motto’s I live by is ‘run your own race’ and is the context of parenting, to me this is about not comparing yourself to others. Its even more important in this social media world where everything is shared (the filtered ‘perfect-life’ everything, that is) and it can be easy to feel like you’re inadequate as a mum. But the truth is everyone struggles and no matter what your struggles look like, you ARE more than enough.
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you. Let me tell you, I hate decisions! Even deciding on lunch can be enough to send me into decision meltdown. But fact is, life is full of decisions and the choices we make for us and our family will have a major impact. So follow your heart, but make educated choices along the way. I recently quit my job to focus on ONE.CHEW.THREE and let me tell you, that was a tough one! I gave up a 15-year career in well-paid roles to focus on a home based, small business because it gave me to flexibility to build me work around my family. But, income is not so stable. My heart would have seen me quit a long time ago, but my brain ran the numbers.
Take it one day at a time. Ahh, isn’t that the truth! Some days, getting the kids out of PJ’s is success in this house. And some days that’s enough. Just take it one day at a time and remember, there’s bad days and good days. The bad days will feel long and exhausting, and you’ll count down the hours till bed time. But at the end of the day, you’ll go to bed and wake up to a brand new day. The constant tantrums or unexplainable crying from the day before will be replaced with a happy baby and feeling like you’ve got it all under control. So love the good days and accept the bad days and take it one day at a time. You’ve got this mumma!
Ask grandma before google! The web is a wealth of information, which is an amazing resource for us to have access to, but it can also be misleading and navigating SOOO much information can be daunting to any new mum. I know I’ve googled so many illnesses at midnight worried about a spot or two, a high fever (or low fever – I still can’t figure that one out), a cough or rash, and by morning have self-diagnosed the most devastating scenarios. We don’t know it all, and we never will. But it takes a village to raise a child, so reach out to your support networks for one on one advice. Joining a local mother's group is a great way to meet new people and extending tour network too. And of course, don’t forget tip 1 - trust your instincts!
Just say YES and ask for help! For some reason, mumma’s feel like we need to do it all. Alone. But you know what, we don’t! The transition to becoming a mum is probably the time when we need to accept a helping hand the most. There’s a lot to navigate and adjust too (sleep, what sleep?) and sometimes, little things really do go a long way! When a friend/mum/husbands offers dinner/cleaning/babysitting, just say YES (and thank you, of course)! Accepting the help of others doesn’t make you a bad mum, in fact it actually makes you a better mum. A happier, healthy, sleep-deprived better mum.
While we’ve touched on some great advice and acknowledged some of the more challenging feelings to being a mumma, it’s important to recognise when more help is needed. Post-natal depression is a very real illness from the changes in our bodies and brains during the transition of motherhood. So, if you feel like your more down than up and struggling to cope daily, head straight to your GP and ask for help. They’ll be able to assess you and point you in the right direction for some amazing support services.
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Nappy changes in that teeny tiny loo? A nappy wipe pouch is essential! We love our Wipouch as it keeps wipes nice and damp while easy to get them out with one hand. And when you’re heading for that dreaded high-flying nappy change, a nappy and wipes is all you need. The nappy bag stays at the seat.
While still on the rear, a multi-purpose cream is essential. We love Calm Balm – it’s a nappy balm as well as a multi-purpose skin cream and with all that dry air and a tot prone to eczema, we can lather it around to soothe any dry spots. And its great for me too!
Teethers, of course. And one that double as a toy are even better! Checkout our KEYS teether and your bub will not only be able to chomp away, they’ll have a stimulating toy to entertain as well.
As much as we hate to admit it, when boutique wooden toys aren’t doing the trick, the iPad it is. Just make sure you download a variety of games before leaving – saves the mad rush while taxi’ing down the runway to download a few before the internet shuts off (true story). As this was us, we put absolutely no though into what we downloaded and madly clicked on whatever we could. Luckily, Fruit Smash was among them and popping those fruit, popped away the time! There’s heaps of educational games too.
If you’re tot is anything like mine, a headband for me is essential. He might think hours of pulling my hair is a great time passer, but I sure don’t. So a stylish wide knot to get it out of sight (out of mind) is a must. We’d recommend our fav TopKnot Girl for sure. Add in a jacket for everyone too to keep nice a cosy from that cool airline aircon.
Annnd snacks. Lots of snacks. Cause not even us adults think much of airline food so a fussy tot. Forget it!
Other than that, time it so a nap is a given and you’ll be sipping stress-free cocktails before you know it. Cocktail? What cocktail? Don’t get me started on actually holidaying with kids! (Kidding, we had a blast!)
So, what are your hot tips for travelling with teething toddlers?
]]>When we first decided to launch our blog, it seemed only natural that our first post would tell you a little bit about ONE.CHEW.THREE.
We sat down with, well, us and answered all the tough questions. Ok, maybe not the tough ones but they’re the ones you most commonly ask about me and ONE.CHEW.THREE.
Who are the brains behind ONE.CHEW.THREE?
That’s me. I’m Elisa, a mumma, a marketer and a maker. My days are stretched between looking after my two boys – almost 2 and 4, a corporate marketing job and (the fav) ONE.CHEW.THREE. I probably should mention the husband too (hey, babe). I’m naturally creative so I think I’m pretty good at the fun stuff – developing and creating new ideas, I’m not so great at accounting, housework and getting my boys to eat vegetables (feel free to share any suggestions in the comments below…)
What started ONE.CHEW.THREE?
In short, mat leave and the desire to do something that stretched me a little more than nursery rhymes (although granted some of them are pretty tricky!) But I fell in love with silicone necklaces and how gentle they were to wear around my newborn, but I couldn’t find a style that I really, really loved to wear. So I created my own! We are now 12 months in and have found our feet in all things teething as well as necklaces and accessories. I’m so passionate about new and unique designs, I can’t wait to keep bringing all of my ideas to ideas to life.
What’s the biggest challenge?
Other than time to do it all (high five to every mum out there), the compliance side of baby and children’s products is very involved. Designing to standards and testing to make sure everything complies is costly and time consuming, but something we are so passionate about. There’s cheaper options out there, but I can’t stress enough to make sure you are buying safe and compliant products. It’s not worth it – nothing is more important than safety!
Favourite moment?
The ARROW teether launch, for sure. It was such a humbling feeling to have so many accounts on Instagram so generously help me out – organising 140 accounts to post their own pic at the same time was no small feat but it made me some great insta-friends along the way. It’s such as supportive community and I love it! And of course every bit of feedback I get from my amazing customers! Hearing how so many of your babes adore what we do, keeps me up at midnight beading away (literally).
What’s next?
What’s not!?! I’m known by my friends as an all in kinda gal so ONE.CHEW.THREE has exploded partially because if I do something, I do it 110%. My vision for ONE.CHEW.THREE was always to create a brand known for all things teething with a modern twist, so launching new and unique design is a massive part of what we do. I like styles that straddle teethers and toddler play, like the KEYS TO MY HEART teether, so expect more along these lines. I’ve got two copyright applications waiting approval too which I’m so excited about. The hardest thing with copyright is keeping the design under wraps until they’re formally approved! There’s genuinely heaps more to come, so we hope you'll stick around for the ride.
And that's us. From our family to yours, THANK YOU for supporting ONE.CHEW.THREE and our little dream. Elisa x
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