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We just adore our Scandinavian Minui HandySitt, so what could be better than some fantastic accessories to enhance its use in our day-to-day family life.

We chose the HandySitt Bag to ensure safe transport and storage, and the HandySitt Legs to transform the seat into a clever little freestanding chair.

The Bag: You just know that it is good Scandinavian design from first glance. It has that sleek, clean elegant look, is well made and functions beyond expectations.

The padded carry bag is practical and thoughtfully designed. There is a simple (but oh so clever) strap with clips that can be attached in two ways and adjusted to work as either a handbag or cross-shoulder bag. There is one main access zip and lots ofz internal pockets with space to store all the paraphernalia that a parent needs to take on outings.

It is black with red stitching around the zip and has burgundy and black detailing throughout the interior. It is a classic rectangular shape with piping at the exterior seems, has a long zip and additional Velcro fastening.

The Legs: The Minui HandySitt Seat is part of a larger system and can be used in many ways. The HandySitt Legs are a set of optional little legs that attach and transform it into a clever freestanding chair, which can be used both indoors and out.

They are very quick and easy to fit by simply loosening the screws on the back of the chair and hooking the legs under and into the grooves provided. It is very sturdy and sits securely as a freestanding little seat.

Like the HandySitt Seat, the legs are assembled by hand in Europe. They are made of 100% Birch wood varnished with non-toxic lacquer, steel and other manmade materials making the whole unit durable and easy to clean with a simple wipe down.

The legs fit easily into the Carry Bag and so it is no extra effort to bring them along with us for any outing. We have found them great on picnics and camping as Toddler has his own little seat on the picnic rug making it much more likely for him to stay and finish his meal before running off to play.

We highly recommend the Minui HandySitt and accessories. It is practical and easy to use, safe, light, looks great and folds flat for ease of transport and storage. For more information on Minui HandySitt products, please visit the Love N Care website.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2012! Hoping you and your family had a magical start to the new year.

Wherever you brought in the new year in Australia or around the world – we’re sure 2012 will be a year filled with fun and surprises!

For everyone celebrating summer in Australia, remember to enter our Maclaren Summer Bag promotion.

We hope 2012 is a spectacular year and we look forward to bringing you more of the best baby product reviews this year.

Wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas filled with fun, laughter, family, friends and of course delicious food!

Whether it’s Baby’s first or second Christmas, we hope the wonder and delight of this very special time of year, will capture your Baby’s imagination.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We’re looking forward to reviewing more of the best Baby products in the New Year.

I first discovered the Boppy Pillow at a Baby Expo. It’s unique hug shape caught my eye and having never used a feeding pillow before, I was keen to try the Boppy Pillow with Baby.

That evening when it was time for Baby’s last breastfeed before bedtime, I sat comfortably and put the Boppy pillow around my waist with ease. The Boppy Pillow has been designed with the ergonomics of breastfeeding for Mum and Baby in mind! To adjust the Boppy pillow – just turn it. This is great if you want more lower back support.

I could rest my arms on the pillow while securely holding Baby. It made breast feeding Baby easier, especially in those early months when the feeds were so frequent. Baby seemed supremely comfortable on the Boppy too.

As Baby has grown, the Boppy has adapted to become a little nest, a great pillow to practise “tummy time”, crawling and sitting. Baby still enjoys sitting in the Boppy as a toddler. The Boppy slip cover is 100% cotton and is removable for machine washing. The covers come in a range of funky colours and prints. If you have a serious spill, you can machine wash the whole pillow and it will never lose its shape.

I’ve found the Boppy Pillow to be incredibly versatile and can understand why Boppy is the market leader in America for nursing and baby support pillows.

Chicco has introduced the Boppy pillow to Australia. To find out more information on the Boppy Pillow visit the Chicco and Boppy World websites.

I have just finished bathing Baby, she looks relaxed and smells scrumptious. I attribute her calm disposition to the Baby Organics products I have used in her bath. Baby knows it’s the start of her bath time ritual, when I put the plug in the bottom of the bath tub and start running the water. She excitedly tugs on her clothing to the sound of the gushing water and passes me her Organic Baby Bath Wash, indicating it’s time for me to undress her and add her favourite bath wash to her bath. I do both and place a rather excited Baby in her bath.

Baby Organics Baby Bath Wash is made from beautiful ingredients, including organic lavender essential oil, organic evening primrose oil and organic lemon myrtle oil. Organic lavender essential oil is an ingredient in many products in the Baby Organics range. Not only does organic lavender oil have a sweet floral fragrance, it can assist with a wide range of children’s complaints when in a bath wash, including nappy rash, teething pain and restlessness. It is a wonderful element and when combined with the organic evening primrose oil, creates a relaxing blissful bath for Baby.

So after sufficient soaking time, Baby gestures to the Baby Organics Baby Shampoo. This is my favourite product in the Baby Organics range. The Baby Organics Baby Shampoo is 81% certified organic and I’ve used this shampoo to clear up cradle cap in it’s early stages. This shampoo is simply magical! It’s soap and sulphate free, it is specifically designed to gently clean Baby’s hair and scalp without irritation. It leaves Baby’s hair hydrated and it smells devine. I’ve used this product since Baby was a newborn as my Baby has always had lots of hair and I know I will continue to use it into her toddler years.

When it’s time to leave the bath, I wrap Baby in her hooded towel and take her to her bedroom. I apply the Baby Organics Baby Moisturiser. It is mild enough to use everyday to moisturise and protect Baby’s skin. One of the ingredients in the moisturiser is a botanical blend of aloe vera. I can feel the subtle texture of the aloe vera as I gently moisturise Baby’s skin. She lies so still when I’m moisturising and really enjoys the pampering.

To complete her ‘Baby Day Spa’ experience, I give Baby a relaxing massage with Baby Organics Baby Massage Oil. The massage oil is mineral free and is non-greasy making it ideal for Baby Massage. It contains organic chamomile essential oil which is soothing and relaxing. I start with circular motions massaging her feet, her legs, her chest, her arms and her hands with small amounts of the Baby Massage Oil. She gives out little giggles when she is ticklish, then Baby appears rather drowsy and it is definitely bedtime.

The Baby Organics ‘Baby Travel Gift Pack’ contains 50ml travel sizes of the Baby Bath Wash, Baby Shampoo, Baby Moisturiser and Baby Nappy Lotion to try out the Baby Organics products with baby. With Christmas around the corner this gift pack would be a lovely gift for friends and family members with a baby.

Another product I would recommend is the Organic Top to Toe Baby Wash and I’ve found it wonderful for traveling with Baby. It’s an all in one convenient cleanser which can be used on baby’s skin, hair and scalp in one easy step. It is 98% certifies organic and contains organic lemon myrtle essential oil which gives it a refreshing citrus fragrance. It is available in a convenient 125ml size.

To find out more information on all the products in the Baby Organics range and the sizes available visit the Organic Formulations website.

It is a luxury to be able to keep a close eye on Baby whilst maximizing my much-needed sleep. The Motorola Baby Video Monitor enables me to do just that. It also gives me peace of mind, which has become one of the most precious things to me as a parent.

I used to listen at sick Baby’s door to check his breathing or creep into his room to make sure the ambient temperature was OK. I don’t like to admit, but I have accidently woken him up doing so. I just love that the Motorola Baby Video Monitor enables me to see (it has enhanced infrared night vision!) and hear how Baby is sleeping and breathing and to check the room temperature, without disturbing him.

I am really impressed that the Motorola Baby Video Monitor is so easy to set-up and operate. You simply take it out of the box, charge it all up and it is ready to go. It has a thin little Users Manual (I find the size of this manual comforting) which clearly lays out what is what. Simply switch it on and you are away! I also love that it has clear buttons that are easy to navigate even when woken from a dream and still cloudy eyed.

This baby monitor being made by wireless communications expert Motorola is at the top of the game. It is a seriously impressive but easy to use product. There are two units: the baby unit and the parent unit. The parent unit has a high-resolution 3.5-inch colour screen and has amazing sound quality with a level indicator. It uses digital wireless technology, has two-way communication and has a range of 450 feet. It has a room temperature thermometer on the baby unit and display on the parent unit. It also has all those practical things such as 3.5 hours of wireless monitoring without recharging, and out of range and out of battery warnings. It also has a selection of lullabies that can be controlled from the parent monitor.

In everyday general use, it allows me a great deal of freedom that I would not otherwise have. With its range of up to 450 feet, I can see and hear Baby from anywhere in our house or garden. I often take the monitor outside with me when I am hanging out the laundry or on that rare occasion that I am relaxing outside in the sunshine, the baby monitor sits up patiently on the table next to my cool drink.

The Motorola Baby Video Monitor is ideal for any parent who needs to catch up on their own sleep, appreciates quality products and wants to keep an eye on their baby from anywhere within their house or garden.

For more information on the Motorola Baby Video Monitor, please visit CNP Brands.

I love the idea of family holidays, but these ideas of us all playing on the beach, frolicking in the waves and enjoying the sunshine quickly disappear when I am sleep deprived.

As parents we know that preparation is always required when baby is expected to sleep away from home. We have been using the Childcare Orbit XL Travel Cot  as our portable cot, but our most recent addition is the Childcare Peuter Luxe Travel Dome to use in situations when the travel cot is not appropriate, such as Baby’s morning nap on the beach whilst on holiday!

The Childcare Travel Dome gives us so much freedom, being a safe and comfortable place for baby to nap just about anywhere. It is versatile and is appropriate for use in situations such as a friends study whilst at a dinner party, at home for one of Baby’s guests, the backyard whilst doing some gardening or even “going camping” in the lounge room.

The Childcare Peuter Luxe Travel Dome has an age suitability of 6-36 months, weighs a mere 3.75kgs, is super compact for transport and exceptionally easy to use with it’s incredible “pop-out” and easy to fold assembly.

Features include:

Portable travel dome with zip panel: It looks like a little tent and has a large zipped panel, which enables easy access. It has mesh windows with fabric covers on all sides, which is great for visibility but also provides protection when needed.

50% UV protection on all polyester panels: This is great if like us, you live in a sunny environment and spend time outside. We have also used the travel dome as a shade tent/cubby on picnics and outside play dates, which is practical and popular with the kids.

Carry Bag: The travel dome folds up very cleverly into the tiniest little bundle, curling around on itself to form a flat little disc. It comes with it’s own tidy little bag, which fits easily into an overnight bag or carry-on luggage.

Self-inflatable mattress: This little self-inflatable mattress is comfortable and works really well. Last time I used on of these, I was on a school camping trip, and like I thought then, I think it really does save a lot of time and wasted breath! The moment you unscrew the little nozzle the mattress starts to inflate and is sealed by tightening the nozzle closed. For comfort and safety, the mattress is secured to the bottom of the dome in its own zipped compartment.

Sleeping Bag: The travel dome comes with a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag is warm, soft and comfortable. It is fitted to the shape of the travel dome and has Velcro on the underside to keep it in place. The sleeping bag folds up inside the travel dome when packed, which is great to keep everything ready together!

Quick “pop-out” and easy-to-fold assembly: This is a very clever feature. When you take it out of its little bag and removed the attached elastic fastener, the whole thing automatically “pops-out”! To pack up the travel dome, you basically push the top of the dome whilst holding on to one side and curl the poles around on each other. It makes the whole assembly saga stress free.

Easy to clean: The fabric is made from fire resistant polyester, and is easy to clean with a damp cloth. The sleeping bag can also be washed separately, as can the mattress be wiped down.

Light to handle: One of the travel domes winning features is that it is so compact, light and easy to handle. It weighs a tiny 3.75kgs, which Baby will be able to carry by himself before too long!

Overall, we have found the Childcare Peuter Luxe Travel Dome to be really versatile, practical and safe. It allows us more freedom to stay out and about and enables relaxed family holidays to be a reality!

For more information on the Childcare Peuter Luxe Travel Dome, please visit CNP Brands.

What better place to road test the Maclaren Quest buggy than on holiday at Bondi Beach. With it’s light weight sporty aluminium frame and fashionable dark denim seat with reflective accents, this British superstar, looked right at home amongst the tanned trim terrific Australians and British Jet Set strolling along the promenade at Bondi Beach.

At only 5.5kg with a compact umbrella fold, the Maclaren Quest is a dream to travel with. To fold out, simply release the storage clip and open out. Using your foot, push the footplate down to fully engage the primary locks. The large water resistant hood protects Baby from wind, rain and in our case – sun.

The Maclaren Quest is appropriate for young babies to older toddlers. Designed by aircraft engineers to be the safest, most stylish and durable in it’s class, this stroller is designed to carry up to 20kg in weight.

I place Baby in her swish new buggy and she looks suitably impressed. I secure her in the five point harness, from which my baby houdini can not even escape. To undo the harness you need to press the front and back button at the same time. While it’s easy for an adult, it’s too tricky for Baby to undo herself. I adjust the leg rest for Baby and let Baby choose from one of the four reclinable positions available in the stroller. For strolling on the promenade and “people watching” – a more upright position is in order. It’s great to know that if she dozes off into slumber, I can recline the seat back for a longer sleep. The easy operation of the recliner is one of my favourite features of this stroller. To recline you simply lift both hand grips at the rear of the pram to release the seat locks and slide the seat back. To raise the seat, you only need to push the back of the seat to an upright position.

My other favourite feature is the large shopping basket at the bottom of the pram which is easily accessible. The basket easily fits the Maclaren Raincover and is conveniently sized to fit other shopping. The raincover is complimentary with Maclaren Quest Special. It did rain suddenly while we were out and the raincover came in handy. It was quick to put on and the transparent material allowed Baby to feel like she was still part of the action while protected from the elements.

To escape the rain we decided to indulge in some retail therapy in the afternoon. The buggy performed as well in boutiques as it had on the beach. The slim line and front swivel rear fixed wheels, made the buggy easy to manoeuvre and dart about. We were given numerous compliments, while out shopping, on the trendy dark denim seat, which I might add is removable and washable. I must say the stroller was ideal for holding the light weight carriers filled with our new purchases too!

When it was time to leave the shops, I folded the buggy one handed to a compact umbrella fold and there was enough room for the stroller and our new purchases in our rental car boot. The luggage tag on the Maclaren Quest Special says “Happy Travels” and this really summed up our trip!

To find out more on the Maclaren Quest Special and other strollers in the Maclaren range, visit the CNP website.

Baby has recently made her intentions clear: she’d like to sit up.

The trouble is, she doesn’t as yet have the neck control to hold her posture when awake, and has a tendency to flop to one side when she has a nap in her pram or car seat.

I’ve been on the move of late, expanding the ten kilometre catchment of how far I was willing to travel from home when she was a newborn…so it’s important that Missy travels in comfort. With that in mind, we sorted her out with a headhugger, and the Valco Baby Allsorts Seatpad & Headhugger set is just lovely.

The fabric is beautiful – so soft! It achieves the double act of being cuddly in colder weather, and soft and unsweaty in the scorching heat.

We opted for the licorice colour, but there’s a lovely range of colours to choose from including cherry, grape, lime  and orange. The licorice just happened to coordinate nicely with Baby’s Safe-nSound convertible car seat, have also used the set in our Valco Baby Matrix Dart pram.

This Newborn Mum loves the fact that it’s not a fiddly thing to use. Pull the straps through the openings then Velcro everything together, and presto, you’re on the move. Anything that simple and non-fuss has my money every time these days. And that goes double for this really lovely accessory being machine washable and easy to dry.

Having said all that, the best thing about this product is the moment when I see my darling little girl having a snooze in her pram or car seat, and she’s rested, comfy and peaceful with thanks to her Headhugger.