Contented Baby and Toddler Shopping Blog
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Baby Etc |
| Baby etc is a new online company. Their website is great: it has a clean design and is very easy to navigate around. Their choice of products is vast yet carefully selected. Here are some of their products we recommend: |
| You know how much I value a good dark nursery. You have all read the book! This blackout blind can be used in a nursery or for when you are travelling. |
| This cotbed ticks all the boxes. As most of you know, I always recommend keeping your toddler in a cot until the age of 3. This can prove difficult if your child has outgrown his standard-sized cot, so a cotbed is probably a better purchase from the start. After the age of 3, you can convert it to a junior bed, which should accommodate your child comfortably until the age of 6 at least! This cotbed also has a dropside for easy access to your baby. |
| This is a very good quality mattress which is available in cot or cotbed size. |
 For breast-feeding mums a good quality electric breastpump is essential. This is an award-winning breastpump from Medela. |
 Getting comfortable is important for successful breastfeeding. I know many of you are able to breastfeed your baby whilst simultaneously eating lunch in a restaurant, but for those who need a little more support, this nursing pillow, that you can fit into a changing bag and this one, which doubles up as a useful support for your nearly-sitting baby are really good. |
If you follow my advice every evening and let your baby have a lovely kick with no nappy on before his bath, it is vital to ensure he is safe, warm and happy. This ergonomically-shaped PVC-free changing mat will ensure all of the above. Obviously it is also very useful for nappy changing! |
| We have recently been recommended this mini-blender which is a perfect little tool for mums that make their own baby food. Whether you are trying out new recipes and do not want to make a huge batch or simply making something there and then for your baby, you should find this little blender indispensable. All the bits pop into the dishwasher too, so you won't spend your life behind the kitchen sink! |
 If I was given a penny for every time a mum complained about their baby's flailing little arms knocking their (lovingly-cooked) dinner on the floor, I would be a very rich woman indeed! Save yourselves a lot of trouble and frustration by getting one of these super little bowl-anchors by Mu. It firmly holds your baby's dinner exactly where it should be and it sticks to almost every surface. |
Feeding |
| One of our Team members, Yamini, recommended this flexible muffin mould from John Lewis. She found that using ice-cube trays for freezing baby food was fine when her babies were very little, but was not so convenient when the babies were taking 4 tablespoons or more! Simply add the food to the moulds, freeze them and pop them into a freezer bag when they have frozen solid. These muffin moulds hold approximately 4 tablespoons (but of course you can put less in to suit your own baby's current portion size). They are suitable for freezer, oven (yes, you can make muffins in them too!) and dishwasher. |
| I realize that many of you who do not breastfeed have an awful job at night, getting out of bed and down to the kitchen to prepare your baby's night feed. One of our members recommended this wonderful Night and Day Feeding System by Lindam which has both a cooler to keep the bottles cold and a bottle warmer to quickly heat them up when they are needed. The cooler can also be detached which makes it convenient for travel (and cleaning of course). |
Playtime |
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| Once babies reach about 3 months or so they should be able to support their heads and therefore spend a little playtime on their tummies, which will help strengthen their little muscles even more. This is a good time to look for some good 'tummy toys' to interact with. One of our members recommended this Whoozit water mat which looks a lot of fun! |
 We saw this cute little knitted car and had to show it to you. Perfect for your tiny little man. |
| This Lamaze Octotunes Octopus is adorable. You can 'honk' its legs to play a tune to your baby. One day your toddler might 'honk' back at you! |
Storage |
 I do find it extremely important that children learn to tidy up their own toys. It gives them a sense of responsibility and independence (and not to mention an easier job for you!). These gorgeous storage units should encourage your child to tidy up himself and the lovely colours will brighten up many a bedroom. You can mix and match the drawers and units to your (or your child's) own liking! |
Stair gates |
| When your baby starts crawling and getting active, it is imperative to install stair-gates wherever you need them in the house. However, if you have older children in the house, who can open these gates with no difficulty, it can be really challenging to ensure that all the gates are closed at all times. With this Lindam Alarm gate an alarm will ring every time the gate is opened, thus restoring your peace of mind! |
| This pressure-mounted stair-gate by Babydan is a godsend for parents who are reluctant to drill holes in their walls. I think it is a great solution when you are visiting granny too! |
Bath time |
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| Does your toddler yell every time you open the shampoo bottle? Hopefully once you start using this great Shampoo Rinse jug you will never get soapy water in your child's face again and all hair washing trials and tribulations will be of the past! |
 We all know how slippery little babies can be in the bath, that is why we had to mention this Tigex bath support seat, which was mentioned on the Forums recently. This robust and anti-slip seat has been designed to support your baby securely in the bath, leaving your hands free for washing or playing. |
Books |
| Nature's Playground: Most of you know how much I rate a healthy dose of fresh air each day. This lovely book shows you and your child how to make wonderful toys from Mother Nature. |
| Feeding Kids: 120 Foolproof Family Recipes. The Netmums Cookery Book. We all need as much inspiration as we can get, trying to create nutritionally balanced meals every day. This is an excellent book to add to your collection. |
 Miffy the Artist: Any parent that has a child that loves to doodle should get this book. |
| Delicious: A delightful book for fussy eaters. |
| A Kiss like this: A sweet story to end the day! |
For previous shopping blog - Click here |
Throughout the years we have received numerous recommendations for this 
I love this colourful
