Archive for November, 2008

Brenda writes…

Blankets

If you prefer blankets to baby sleeping bags then you need to stock up on a few in case of accidents. There are so many to choose from, we love a funky blanket here at BBG. Brora do gorgeous lambswool blankets and they have one on sale reduced from £29 to £19.

Towels

I loved using hooded towels when my kids were babiess and would have definitely have used The Clevamama Baby Bath Towel if I had known about it. Easy to use, it helps protects your clothes from getting wet and lets you use both hands for taking your bambino out of the bath. Available from Whizzbitz for £14.69.

Feeding Gear

Depending on your choice whether you want to breast or bottle feed will decide on what you need. If you are going to breastfeed, then you will need nursing bras and breast pads or if you decide to bottle feed you will need bottles, a steriliser, teats etc. Shown is a nursing bra from Figleaves, the Emma Jane range, which starts from 32b upwards for £15. If you’re on a very tight budget, Primark also does nursing bras for around £3-£4.

Car Seat

It is a legal requirement that your newborn leaves the hospital in a proper fitted infant car seat when travelling in a car. There are many to choose from including the Graco Logico S with a base from Kiddicare. Now £69.99 was £129.99. I also highlighted that Maxi Cosi’s Happy Flower is half price at the moment.

Pushchair

You need to get one that suits your life, preferably with a lie-down option for newborns. Check out this OBaby Atlas Stroller from our favourite Budget store - Kiddicare for £54.97.

Brenda writes…

This cute little bedtime friend from the hip US label Speesess comes in a choice of 3 colours and is made from buttery soft organic plush and filled with lavender and beans. Lavender is well known for its soothing qualities.

Available from Archies House for £14. They also have the range of Speesees clothing on sale.

Brenda writes…

Temperature

One of the important things is making sure your baby’s nursery is the right temperature. A cool and but still very practical way of checking this is with an Egg Room Thermometer from Grobag. Available from Kiddicare for £19.99. RRP is £21.95.

Bedding

Use lightweight blankets or a baby sleeping bag which are very popular now (I wish they had been about when mine were little) and don’t use a duvet or pillows until your bambino is over 12 months, which is the recommended advice given by the experts at the moment. Bumpto3 (owned by the makers of the highly popular Grobag) have a great range of baby sleeping bags and have a limited sale on offering you £8 off selected items including the Pirate Grobag, which comes in 3 sizes and prices start from £15.95.

Brenda writes…

Thanks to an eagle eyed bargain hunter reader for spotting this from Budget Bambino Goodies favourite shop - Kiddicare.

This pretty in pink car seat is suitable from birth to around 12 months. It has the fantastic side protection system, unique built in seat adjuster, integrated sun canopy, and a handy retractable buckle. It’s compatible with Quinny, Bugaboo, Micralite, and Maxi Cosi’s own pushchairs for converting to a travel system and is very highly rated by Which? the consumer magazine and products tester.

Available from Kiddicare for 59.99. RRP is 119.99.

Brenda writes…

Coming in two parts is this essential guide to our top 10 essential newborn best buys.

Nappies

You have a choice of real nappies, eco- friendly disposables or normal disposables. Check out Little Lambs website where they are offering customers to try out The Original Cotton Nappy Trial Kit for £8.50. Two sizes available. We also highly recommend Fill Your Pants.

Bodysuits

Bodysuits are a must have, as your bambino will live in these to begin with. Remember to wash your babies clothes before wearing. I have found a pack of 5 for £19.99. Made from organic cotton with a cute animal print on the front in white so it does not matter what sex your bambino is. Available from Little Butterfly. For non-organic, a tighter budget, but still great quality, John Lewis is fantastic, with stuff like 7 short-sleeved bodysuits for £8.

Babygros

Ideal when small for either lounging about at home or when going to bed, there are some very funky babygros out there to suit all budgets. I have chosen to highlight an organic cotton stripey babygro from favourites of ours DamTam for £8.99. Comes in a choice of 2 colours and sizes 0-3 to 12-18 months. Again John Lewis is brilliant.

Cardigans

These will come in handy in the cooler months. There are so many to choose from but I have chosen a lambswool mix from Vertbaudet, coming in 2 colours. Available in sizes 3-18 months for £9.

Moses Basket

I had a moses basket for all of mine and loved it, although some people pass on having one. You can always sell it on or buy a pre-used one if you wish to reduce your costs. I have found one at Hippins which includes the mattress, light top quilt, soft maize basket and dressings in a pale yellow colour with a Jungle ABC design. Available for £59.95.

Brenda writes…

This funky company make statement tops for stylish bambinos.

At Peter and Jane you have a choice of 5 differing designs and colours for your bambino to choose from.

Available in sizes 12-18 and 18-24 months, they have envelope necks and give a snug fit to your bambino.

Was £18 now £14.99.

Brenda writes…

Baby Bjorn Dinner Set

A great, stylish buy that will also make it easier for your child to feed themselves. It has a 3 leaf clover shape to make it easier to spoon out food without going round and round, a rubber base, and an edge that makes it difficult to pick up. £8.50 although £7.99 if you join the club.

Animal Feeding Set

This cute little melamine breakfast set is available in the following designs: Green sheep, Pink pig or Blue cow. The set includes: bowl, fork, spoon and cup. £12.99 available from Blooming Marvellous.

Lapin & Me Dinner Set

This lovely dinner set has lots of vibrant colours on it. Made from Melamine, it is illustrated by Lapin & Me’s favourite French artist - Nathalie Lete. It comes beautifully gift boxed. The set includes: plate, beaker, bowl, fork and spoon. £18.50.

Brenda writes…

This gorgeous baby hammock is one for the chilled out bambino. My kids love the hammocks when we go on holiday and there is always a fight!

It has a natural wooden frame with a calico cotton hammock with a 5 point harness inbuilt for safe keeping of your baby whilst they chill. Also included are the strong ropes and catches for adjusting the height.

This flat packs for easy transport and is light and simple to assemble.

Available from The Baby Catalogue for £35. Was £57.95.

Kat writes…

I featured these Chalkboard Storage Bins from Matalan recently on Bambino Goodies and they are perfect budget buy for BBG readers.

I found them at Matalan and they come in three colours for a bargain £3 each! Bargain-o-rama!

The website has no information about materials or size and worst of all you can’t buy online! Pet peeves aside; I still think these are worth a trip to your local Matalan where you may well come across some other budget gems.

Natalie writes…

Yesterday over at Bambino Goodies, I was discussing the possibility of buying the highly rated Micralite Fastfold pushchair. If you’re looking for a robust pushchair that’s also a travel system, with style, function, but doesn’t cost the earth, this should definitely be on your shortlist. Which?, the consumer magazine that also does highly regarding consumer product testing rates this as the best pushchair again and again.

The RRP is £150 with the current cheapest price being £134.99 at Baby’s Mart. So why is this such a great budget buy?

If you purchase a very, very lightweight pushchair, whilst you may find it great for getting about very quickly, they’re not the most robust plus the typical plastic wheels mean that you feel a lot of the terrain and you put in more effort to push. If you’re the type of person who wants a halfway house between heavier pushchairs and the very lightweight, this is a great buy as it’s actually still very light at 6.8kg, but you get the function of your heavier pushchair. One handed steering, single handed fold, pneumatic wheels, good underseat storage, handles rough terrain well and manoeuvres really well on the street. You’d have no problem getting on a bus with this, they fold down well, they travel well, plus if you have a Maxi Cosi car 0+ car seat, it can be used on here too making it a great travel system. If you want to use it from birth, you’ll need to use the carrycot, so this is probably the main negative in that you can’t use the pushchair from birth. However, it does mean you have a dinky pram.

For me, the size of the pushchair was what always made me pause as it does seem small but for some that is a major plus.

It comes with a raincover and optional extras include a footmuff and handy travel bag.

If you purchase it with the carrycot, it’s £269 instead of the RRP £285 at Baby’s Mart. However, I have found it cheapest at So Baby where it’s £249.