Huggies Newborn Nappies

As I have three kids (currently aged 5, 3, and 4 months), I've changed a lot of nappies in the past half decade.  I've learned something from being a parent.  Not all nappies are created equal.  (If you're confused at this point: in the UK it's a nappy; in the US it's a diaper.)  You would think that once you found the right size it wouldn't matter, but actually there's a whole range of companies, and each company has different styles (baby dry, active fit, etc.).

As a member of a parenting club, we were given vouchers for Huggies newborn nappies.  Normally I buy Pampers, but I figured it was worth using the vouchers and trying them out.  Bad choice.  I honestly can't believe how useless these nappies are.

Pretty much every time my baby wears one of these nappies, it leaks.  If he does a poo (just one--we're not talking about prolonged wear here), it leaks out the legs, up the back, or up his tummy (or sometimes, very impressively, all three).  If he does a big enough pee, the whole nappy just leaks.  The wetness just kind of oozes through the nappy itself and he ends up soaked.  If it sounds gross, that's because it is.

My advice?  Even if you're given money off vouchers, it's worth the extra 50P to buy Pampers.

Britax Evolva 1-2-3 Carseat

I'll be brief.
I love this carseat.

We have a Britax Evolva for our daughter.  It's a grow-with-you style so it will last them for a long time.  It's super safe, comfortable, and practical.

To find out more about the Britax Evolva 1-2-3 carseat, click here or here.http://www.britax.co.uk/
(The Britax Evolva is similar to the Britax carseat shown.)

Plum Fromage Frais

Plum is a company that makes high-end organic baby food.  Their foods are tasty (I like snacking on them along with my kids) and very nutritious. 

Their fromage frais pots come in great flavors full of natural ingredients that help to aid digestion.  They are delicious, healthy, and perfect for weaning kids.  They do cost about twice what I would normally pay for fromage frais, but they are a very good product.

Click here to find out more about Plum Fromage Frais, or visit the official Plum website.

Asda Brand Laundry Products

Like most people these days, I've thought about ways to save money on my weekly shopping and household costs.  Having a family we create a lot of laundry, and so use a lot of laundry products.  I usually buy the name-brand products.  In an effort to save some money, I decided to try out Asda brand laundry products and compare.

First off, the Asda brand products were cheaper when both the Asda items and name brand items were at their normal prices.  However, the name brand products like Persil and Comfort often go on offer so that the price difference is not as great.

I tried out the cheap Asda brand stain spray, non-bio laundry detergent, and fabric softener.

The stain spray smelled bad and didn't remove stains.  The loads without any stain spray at all were cleaned equally with the ones using stain spray, so that was a total waste of money.

The non-bio laundry detergent did not get our clothes as clean as the name brand alternatives.  Also, my daughter has eczema and her skin was irritated by the clothes washed with the Asda laundry powder.

The fabric softener didn't soften our clothes nearly as much as name brand softener.  This means that our clothes/towels/etc. were left rough to the touch which, again, irritated my daughter's skin (and didn't feel nice for any of us).

So here's my prognosis: Asda's brand laundry products are not worth the small amount of money I saved using them.  I'll stick to Persil and Comfort in the future.

To find out more about my experiences using Asda brand laundry products, click here.

HOTmilk Maternity & Nursing Bras

As a mother, I know first-hand that finding good maternity and nursing bras can be difficult.  Even companies that normally make good bras often have a really poor selection of maternity/nursing bras.

HOTmilk is a company that only makes maternity/nursing items, especially lingerie and nightwear.  Their bras are really attractive, supportive, and functional.  These are by far the best maternity and nursing bras that I've ever tried.

The only downside is that their range currently only goes up to an H cup.  However, they're a relatively new company and their range seems to get bigger each season.

To read my review of HOTmilk's Cherry Bomb Chic lingerie set, click here.
To visit HOTmilk's website and see their full current range, click here.

Wet Wipe Wars: Asda's Own Brand Vs. Name Brand

Having young kids, we get through a lot of wet wipes.  I've learned that they are ideal not only for changing diapers/nappies, but are also great for wiping dirty hands/faces, cleaning items around the house, etc.  I used them all the time.

I decided to compare the name brand wipes (specifically Huggies and Pampers) with Asda store brand wipes.

Overall I have to say that I was pretty impressed by how well the cheaper store brand wipes held up against the name brand competition.  I'll still buy the name brand wipes if they're on offer for the same price, but otherwise I'm happy to use the Asda brand wipes.

To read my longer comparison between Asda's brand and name brand wet wipes, click here.

True Story About A Moses Basket

When my daughter was born, we bought her a beautiful Moses basket from Babies R Us.  We bought it in a really cute style with pink coverings and blankets.  As the Moses Basket cover was removable, we bought the one that we liked and figured we could always get a different one later if needed.

Fast forward 2 1/2 years.  My husband and I are expecting our third kid, and this time we're having a little boy.  As my due date is rapidly approaching, we've been getting baby things ready.  Over the weekend we pulled out our Moses Basket and stand as they're still in great condition.  As we had gotten them at Babies R Us, we decided to go there first to get a new Moses Basket Mattress and Moses Basket covers. 

In Babies R Us, we browsed for quite a long time looking at baby things and especially looking for the Moses Basket item we needed.  We were never approached by an employee or offered help.  Even when we waited at the desk, no one ever came to help us.  Eventually we managed to hunt down an employee only to find out that their Moses Basket mattresses were out of stock, and they don't sell Moses Basket Covers.  She recommended that we just buy a new basket.

So we went across the street to Mothercare and bought a new Moses Basket mattress for £25.  They only sell one size mattress, so we assumed it was standard.  Unfortunately, as soon as we got home we discovered that the mattress did not fit into the bed that we have.  We returned it and--from the comments made by the saleslady--it seems this is a common occurence there.

Mothercare also does not sell Moses Basket covers seperately from the Moses Basket.  However, they point out that the covers are removable so that you can wash them.  What do all of these companies think you're going to put on your baby's bed while washing their bedding?  Doesn't it occur to them that you need an extra cover for when that one's been puked/peed/spilled on and needs washing?

Having failed at Mothercare, we looked at Babies R Us again.  When we looked closely at the labels on the Moses Baskets and Moses Basket Mattresses, we made a startling discovery.  Babies R Us sells a selection of Moses Baskets.  They also sell individual Moses Basket Mattresses in more than one style.  However, their mattresses do not fit their baskets.  That's right.  The mattresses that come inside their baskets are a completely different size from the individual mattresses they sell.  If you buy a Moses Basket from Babies R Us, you can not later buy an extra or new mattress from them.  They don't sell them in corresponding sizes!

We finally found a mattress the right size at Mamas and Papas (where--novel concept--their Moses Baskets and mattresses come in matching sizes).  It was the same style of mattress, only in the right size.  Although I had expected Mamas and Papas to be more expensive, the Moses Basket mattress was actually cheaper at just £16 (plus they were having a 10% off sale that day).  However, Mamas and Papas does not sell extra Moses Basket liners either.

I looked on the internet and went through page after page of search results trying to find Moses Basket covers without a basket.  I found a few companies that sold really lacy, old-fashioned type covers that really aren't to my taste.  Otherwise all I could find were a few E-Bay vendors who sell them (usually for £15-£35).  The other common theme that I found in my searching were lots of parenting websites, family blogs, etc. with parents complaining about how ridiculous it is that you can't get spare covers for your Moses Basket.

In the end we decided that he's either going to have to have pink sides in his bed, or we're going to have to make our own.  I refuse to replace a perfectly good bed just because companies try to rip off parents and force them to buy an entirely new basket package every time they have a kid.

Soothing Lavender Baby Salve by Green People

I really like and respect the company Green People.  Their founding has a nice family story, and I believe that they really are committed to producing only organic and gentle products.  If you're worried about exposing your baby to unnecessary chemicals or irritating their skin with soaps, then you can know that Green People will be only gentle and natural.

The Soothing Lavender Baby Salve smells (surprise) lavendery, but not overwhelmingly so.  It does have a slightly greasy consistency, but will rub into the skin alright.  On general areas of dry or irritated skin (drooled on chins, dry elbows, etc.) I found it to be pretty effective.  Although it says it can be used for diaper rash as well, I did not have any success using it for diaper rash with my baby.

For more information about Green People's Soothing Lavender Baby Salve, click here.
To visit Green People's website and view this and other organic baby products, click here.

Pampers vs. Huggies

The great diaper debate:
Every parent knows that babies get through a LOT of diapers before they potty train, and every parent knows that not all diapers are created equal.  Everyone has their own opinion over which type is best: reusable or disposable, name versus store brand, standard versus "eco", etc.  I'm not going to discuss all of these different options.

I will tell you, though, about my experience trying out the two major brands of diapers on my kids.  If you put Pampers and Huggies in a boxing rink together, Pampers would be the one pumping his fists in victory and Huggies would be the bloody heap on the mat.  In pretty much every way possible, I've had better experiences with Pampers diapers than with Huggies.

To read a longer review (by me) about why Pampers are better than Huggies, click here.