Baby Gear - Wheely Bugs

These are neat! Made by the same clever company that came up the the Hipseat Carrier I keep going on and on about - www.hippychick.com . Anyway - these are super fun, and super well made. They have a few different ones - cow, bee, ladybug, etc. This is the one Meer has. It has "omni directional wheels", meaning it can bomb around in any direction and turn around on the spot - how fun!! They are really well made - totally solid and fabulous, basically! Hope you like them too! Yes - clic on the link to see them... ;-D

Baby Gear - FunPod

Now this is something that is still on my wish-list! It is a narrow wooden box (basically) that you can put your toddler in while you are busy working in the kitchen! It is adjustable, so you can find the right hieght for your little one to be able to stand beside you and "work" on the counter! When you are not using it with your child, it has a wooden chopping block cover - so it isn't a waste of space. It comes in 4 different colors, and is available in London at a fab store called www.lullabys.co.uk . Clic on the title of this post to check it out - they even have a little video clip so you can see it in action! I think it is just a brilliant idea!!

Baby Gear - Laundry Soap

I also recommend this laundry detergent – especially if you are coming to Kenya to adopt a baby! It rinses out of the fabric 100% so it is perfect for sensitive baby skin, and is super concentrated – one 5.5lb box washes 50 loads of laundry (about 1 tbsp per load) – so it lasts really a long time! There is a link to the site if you want to read the actual details about it – just clic on the title of this post. I have been washing Meer's clothes in it for one year now, and have just busted into my second box... about a month ago! Imagine. BRILLIANT stuff.

Baby Gear - Time Out Pad

Now check THIS out: It is a new product I saw at my favorite online shop in London – it is a pressure sensitive time-out-pad, that has a timer (1 minute per age of your child) and beeps if your child gets up before the time-out is over! How neat!! I mean – hopefully you never have to use it, but... seriously. NEAT! Clic on the title of this post to read more about it...

Baby Gear - Baby Bjorn Dishes

Now these food dishes and cutlery are pretty great too. They SAY that they are hard for little cuties to pick up and toss – not really the case. Meer can pick them up just fine! But they ARE super easy to scoop food up onto the spoon, and the spoon has a little notch on the underside, so it rests on the edge of the bowl without slipping inside. AND if they DO get tossed – they are next to impossible to break. The bottom edge has a gummy rubber ring, so they don’t slip around, etc. All in all – a real winner. Clic on the title of the post to read more, etc.

Baby Gear - Hotslings

These cute slings are just the best. And trust me – I have bought and tried just about every single one on the market!! The ONLY thing these one’s are NOT the best for, is breastfeeding. Then you will need the good old fashioned Maya Sling. But the Hotslings are PERFECT for everything else – and no need to adjust it…. Ever!! You just slide it over your head and one arm, and off you go. Perfect for newborns and toddlers. ( when they are bigger, they sit straddling your hip with the hotsling under their butt like a seat – tres handy!!) To be honest… after about 1 year, I only use the hipseat carrier. But you can purchase one hotsling, and then make your own using it as the pattern. SUPER EASY. I made about 6 different ones – to match my outfits!! All you need is about 1.8m of stretch cotton, and some hollow fiber to pad the one rim. Easy peasey!! But for those of you who don’t sew – just buy a couple – you will LOVE THEM!! I suggest at least two – since the edge seems to catch a LOT of drool, so you will want a fresh one handy. Yes – clicking on the title of this post will take you to www.hotslings.com!! Enjoy.

Baby Gear - Magnetic Door Locks

"Hidden Locks for Modern Kitchens" - These are THE coolest door locks …. EVER!! They are magnetic and completely hidden inside the cupboard or drawer – so you never see them! To unlock them, you pass a magnet “key” over the front of the door, and it releases the magnet on the inside - releasing the lock. HOW neat! Not cheap, mind you, and you DO have to drill a little hole on the inside of the cabinet or drawer to countersink in a little magnet… but who cares! Beats wrestling with plastic clips for YEARS!! Check out the link in the title of this post – they are amazing! And I mean - heck - how hilarious would they be for April fools???? PERFECT! ha ha ha!!!

Baby Gear - Bilibo

These are super neat… things! They have no real purpose, other than sparking the imagination in our little ones! They were developed by the Children’s Hospital in Switzerland, of all places! They come in the large size (bigger than a basket ball), or the smaller size – which make great scoops, etc. Basically they can be used inside, outside, in the water, sand, snow, etc. And two stack together to form a complete circle – kinda cool! Also available in a heap of colors, and you can see them by clicking on the title of this post.

Baby Gear - Doidy Cups

This is a super cool cup for your little one to learn to drink from. They are cheap, and the extra angle means it is easier for you little one to learn to tip the cup himself… it’s GREAT! Seriously – like the third day I busted it out, I came into the kitchen to see Meer pick it up by the handle, take a sip, and set it back down!! I was like – HUH??? Seriously. NOT that there wasn’t a trail of milk down his chin, but definitely cleaner than trying from a normal cup! Give them a try. Clic on the title of this post to view them properly… but you may want to do a local search to find them near you – we had to get them from London, at a super cool store called http://www.bumpto3.co.uk/ . (You can also clic on that and do a search for doidy cups...)

Baby Gear - Hipseat Carrier

FABULOUS! It’s like an ugly old fanny-pack, but with a hard plastic insert inside the zipper pouch, so it forms a firm seat for you baby/toddler without using your shoulders or back for support. BRILLIANT. Everyone needs one – safe to say! Clic on the title of this post to view it properly on the hippy chick website...

Baby Gear - Quinny Zap

This is a super lightweight stroller that folds down into a little bag and can be put in the overhead luggage compartment on an airplane. It has NO suspension, and NO shopping basket. But it DOES have a super great sun canopy, and a perfectly fitted and easy to use rain cover! Meer LOVES going out in his Quinny when it is raining! Super fun. Not the best for posture – minimal back support, non adjustable, etc, but if you travel a lot, it’s pretty neat. Oh - and the Maxicozi baby seat fits onto the frame as well... which it also does to the Bugaboo frame as well. (incase you are looking for a travel system - both work easily!)

Baby Gear - Bugaboo Cameleon

Best stroller available by far. (this is the color combo we chose for Meer... LOVE IT!) It is SO GREAT I cannot even rant enough to convey it. Imagine! It comes in a multitude of color combinations, and is super easy to clean, has phenomenal suspension, and is SO comfortable for your child – it’s worth every red cent… which is quite a few of them, considering it is kinda pricey! We got our in Dubai for about $1200 usd including all the accessories, travel bag, etc. The ONLY hassle is that to put it in the car, it comes apart in two pieces – super easy, and stuff, but it is a bit more effort than the old graco-collapse-with-one-hand variety… but again – you get what you pay for – incomparable in every other way… it’s like a Bentley or a Hyundai. Basically! And not ot be snotty – I know it is a crazy price and every penny counts, but if there is ANY way you can swing it – I fully encourage you to do so! Yes - clic on the title to go to the bugaboo website - then look at the CAMELEON... beautiful.

Baby Gear - Bumbo Baby Seat

This is a squishy molded foam seat that gives you a secure place to “plunk” your baby from about 4 months (or when she can hold up her own head) onwards to … 9 months? Around 9 months was when Meer figured out how to get out of it – and so ended the days of immobility! But we used it SO MUCH before then. Even now he likes to figure out how to sit in it by himself – it’s pretty funny. It comes in a bunch of colors… just not in a adult size. DARN!!! There is also one called the Bebepod – which is exactly the same, but not squishy – it’s hard plastic. Oviously squishy is the way to go! The link in the title of this post takes you to where you can by it from the mothercare site... but you can also buy it in lots of other places - check out the color selection - each store has their own "available in two colors".

Baby Gear - Table High Chair

This is a really good thing to have. We got the exact one in the link above… it is well worth it. The seat is really padded nicely, and it comes off the frame to be washed in the machine – which it does BEAUTIFULLY!! I read one of the reviews on the mothercare site, and a person was saying it wasn’t washable… NOT THE CASE! Wrestle it off the steel frame, and toss it in the machine with a towel. Comes out a treat. Also wipes clean and dries in a SNAP. It is super strong, and super great. Yes - CLIC ON THE LINK TO SEE THE CHAIR AS LISTED ON THE MOTHERCARE WEBSITE...