Baby Mammas

'Baby Mammas is a business devoted to making wraps for all you baby wearing Mammas and Pappas out there'

Well I have owned my Baby Mammas wrap for almost 2 months now, and I love it!! You see as you may have read my Baby Bjorn review about enjoying the closeness to my dd2 and since she has become to heavy for the Baby Bjorn, I made a purchase on a wrap. Of course yes all wraps are the same you say, doesn't matter who you buy it off or from, but it is the quality that you get for your $$.

I chose Belinda from Baby Mammas, cause I loved her style, fabric and she was easy to communicate with and understood my needs. As my dd2 is a little healthy girl she can get heavy, but with my non stretch wrap I don't have all her excess weight on my hip and putting my back out :( I can hardly even tell that I am carrying her as she likes to snuggle up close to me. The feeling is priceless!

I love to use my wrap where ever we go, to the shops, pick up or dropping off kids to school, at home to keep her calm (although at home is just really so I get lots of cuddles, cause she is really good).

My partner has tried the carrier, although he will only use around the house if necessary, he finds that it is comfortable and still great to get jobs done. :D

All in all if you are looking for an affordable wrap with high quality call on Belinda at BabyMammas and she will indeed help you out. Look for her at http://www.facebook.com/BabyMammas

Happy snuggling

Tanya xx

Steelcraft Enigma Reverse Handle

Here is another pram that I have personally owned. It is ok, but after owning this pram, I don't think I am too keen on 4-wheel prams. It is probably me, not knowing how to work it though :).

The greatest thing about this pram is that it has a reversible handle, which I have never had with my first two children. So I did enjoy the experience of being able to see my munchkin. The Enigma has 4 wheels which can all be either swivel or fixed. In my opinion the best way to use it is to always fix the 2 front wheels, that is how I found it best to manoeuvre but you are not able to pull the pram backwards without the fixed wheels buckling. Nothing too major I guess but try each way and find what works for you.

The Enigma comes with a rain cover and boot cover, but it also has an attached sun/mesh cover which is fantastic but only comes down to cover the front bar and leaves a gap between bar and foot rest. But if using it to keep the sun out it should still be ok, but if mozzies are a concern then you should add some extra protection :(

It also comes with shoulder strap pads and a head rest. The suede is nice and soft and the colours of this pram are neutral so it would suit either male or female, which if you are keeping it a surprise is a bonus. The seat can either be laid back or sitting upright, I was not happy with this as it is described with multiple positions in the manual, which is misleading. Lastly, the basket underneath is a good size and you can access it from side zips if the pram is in the laid back position.

In conclusion, this is can be ideal if you want to see your baby all the time face to face. I wouldn't recommend this pram for tall people as my partner often kicks the wheels whether it's in reverse or not. I would recommend for daily use but only if you didn't have to take it in the car, It's great as a second pram or for the grandparents house. As with all my reviews this pram complies with new Australian standards AS/NZS 2088.

Goochi Baby by ScarlettJayne

My small but ever growing pile of MCN's

Ok, so I have never been one to try the whole cloth nappies thing. Simply cause I didn't have time and I went back to work quite early with my 2 older kids. :(

So with my dd2, I didn't really get into it, until I came across these nappies. They are by far the cutest and best quality nappy you will ever come across. Which has now made me think twice about using MCN's. At least with these nappies they are already in the shape and you don't have to fold them yourself.. I know, a little lazy but if you have the time then I take my hat off to you. With 3 children time gets away very fast.

So I met one of these wonderful talented ladies at a Baby Market and fell in love with her designs, I immediately wanted to purchase one. But I waited, silly me! And then I found out they do custom orders. So I ordered one for my business and was so ecstatic I brought another one of the site. I then wanted to put in my second custom order. Now from viewing there site and facebook page, I understand they get a lot of custom orders, so I was happy to wait. Between myself and Shelle, the communication and understanding of waiting periods and design of nappy was FANTASTIC!!! When the time came maybe between 4-6weeks wait, I was so so so happy with the end result, it was exactly how I imagined it was PERFECT.

My 'Amelia' in her nappy

Goochi Baby MCN's can cater for babies from newborn through to 18kgs. All depends on the thighs, and well if they fit my dd2 legs, they should do for any baby. Lol. You can also get either a Front Snap nappy or a Side Snap nappy, all there nappies are a 'one size fits mosts' so no having to tell them size of baby or age/weight. Oh and if you don't like the idea of moving into MCN's or trying them for your baby, you can also purchase Spozie Covers (to cover the disaposable nappy) they are still stylish and can be created to suit you.

So what I can say is that if you haven't checked out these MCN's yet be sure to check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoochiBaby or there website: www.scarlettjayne.com.au

Tiny Tots Sign

If you are looking for a fun program that teaches you to communicate and interact with your baby then this may be for you. Tiny Tots starts from a young age through to 3 years old. Ali provides a program for you and your baby so that you learn signs to interact with baby as well as having fun and singing too. The program also includes allowing baby/toddler to learn new textures and senses. Each lesson will incorporate a different theme eg. Water, we bath in the water, we swim in water and water is also healthy for us to drink. Ali will use song and sign actions to help the little ones to join in.

Nice and Clean

Fish

Of course, you may question, what is the point? as baby is not going to know what you are saying, will my baby still learn to talk? And how is it beneficial? I know, because I wondered all the same things myself with my now (9mth DD2). Although I questioned everything I still wanted to learn and see for myself, and I now have had all those questions answered for me and am very satisfied.

I took my DD2 along the benefits for me was that the more you went and committed to learning the signing the more you will be able to communicate with baby. Learning simple signs such as thank you, please, ouch and finished can help you to talk with baby as they will learn the signs as well.

You can find more information at http://www.tinytotssign.com/index.php or there

Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Townsville-Australia/Tiny-Tots-Sign/152002474332?v=info&ref=ts

Remember to share with us your experience at Tiny Tots Sign.

Happy Signing.

Tanya xx

Monkey Feet – Messy play for kids

What can I say, the name says it all. Messy Play is exactly what you get.  Monkey Feet have a range of activities for children as young as 6 months through to 6yrs or 8 years (on school holidays). I have been there a handful of times, and am so glad that I decided to try it out. I am not sure of dates, but I think they have been open for less than 1 year, and they are doing a fantastic job.

I decided to try it out with my DD2 when she was 8 months. Before this age, I didn't know they did younger. :( and when we went she had a blast.. She still wasn't crawling then, but she still had lots of fun with our playmates that we went with. They have a range of fun things to do there including playing with slime, water play, crafts, painting and  bubba(Bubber is a soft modelling compound for children. Bubber feels as light as air and as fluffy as a cloud. It never dries out, and can be played with over and over) which is the coolest thing ever.

All the products that are used at Monkey Feet are non-toxic and edible, so if your baby loves to try everything, as most babies do - you know that it won't harm them.  

The experience that you and you child get when you go to Monkey Feet is priceless, the expression is priceless. The activities are always changing, the staff there keep it different, but yet always learning fun.  The babies learn different textures, senses, and fine motor skills, while the bigger kids can be as creative and as messy as they want. And as a parent, I love not having to clean it up (sorry Katrina) lol.

All the information for classes and more about what Monkey feet can be found on there website

http://www.monkeyfeettownsville.com.au/ or there FaceBook page http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Townsville/Monkey-Feet/124428732682?ref=ts

We would love to hear your experience at Monkey Feet.

Tanya xx

Update - 20th September 2010

So, I know at the beginning I said that it would just be baby products that I review, but I am enjoying writing these posts that I think I may extend it to local activities to do within the Townsville Region only.

I have 3 wonderful children DS 8yrs old, DD1 5yrs old and DD2 9mths old. I have only lived in Townsville and there was nothing like this when I was a child.

So if you live in Townsville and didn't know the variety that there is for children, then please keep an eye out and if you plan on visiting I do hope you check out these places. Each of these places all have one thing in common, 'keeping your child's mind active whilst learning'. That is the best thing about it all, my kids have tried every different centre and activities and whilst each child is different, there will definitely be something out there for you little one.

Tanya xx

BootiQ Ruby Trek 3 Wheel Stroller

The Ruby Trek 3 will hold from newborn to 17kg and to 32kgs with toddler seat.

• Open Dimensions: 104cmL x 68cmW x 110cmH
• Folded Dimensions: 85cmL x 68cmW x 50cmH
• Weight: 11kg

So my partner really likes this pram (which is why it stays in his car). This black sleek look stroller appears to have an extra wide wheel base in comparison to other joggers. It's one of those prams that always gets caught on the edge of something as you manoeuvre around the shops. In saying that it is easy to steer with its 360 degree front wheel. The other good things about this pram is that it is ideal for jogging (once your baby is 6 months), comes with deluxe padded seat with removable seat liner and my favourite feature of this pram is the removable bumper bar. A few other things to mention about this pram is that it has a large underneath basket (that holds the pump), a handy pocket at the back of the pram for your keys or mobile and the adjustable handle.

The reason why my partner prefers this pram over any others is that he doesn't kick the wheels, cause he is quite tall, a 4-wheeler prams wheels get in the way. As with most prams the Ruby Trek has multi position back rest and as a bonus you can purchase a toddler seat separately.

The flaws to me in this pram is one that it doesn't fold down a whole lot. Yes you can take these pneumatic tyres off but only the side ones. When putting down you need to make sure the wheel is in swivel (not fixed) so that it can fold properly, hence why it won't fit in my boot so unless you have a big car you can't use it. And the other thing that I don't like is that the shade is not sufficient (it is quite short). Also the length of the pram is quite long – but that is what we adjust to if we want to spend our money wisely as the length is to be compatible to the toddler seat - it is just a matter of getting used to it if you take it out and about in the shops.

In conclusion, this pram is most suitable for jogging, a big car and a parent on the go. It can be used on a daily basis if you are willing to put in a little extra effort or simply use in the husbands car. As with all my reviews this pram complies with new Australian standards AS/NZS 2088.

Please feel free to let me know what  you thought of this pram.  More photos in the More Detailed Photos Tab.

Tanya xx