Review and Giveaway! Bunny Baby Carrier

I was really excited last month to be asked to try out a Bunny Baby baby carrier and report my thoughts to you lovely people.

Bunny Baby is run by a lovely Irish mummy, who makes custom carriers, baby wearing bags, doll carriers and beautiful clothes for little people. Helen sent us a gorgeous baby sized buckles carrier, with a colourful owl print, and a spotty sleep hood. The print on our carrier was so bright and colourful, it was lovely and Simon was thrilled to see that it wasn't "too girly" as he has a bit of an issue with our other carriers not being manly enough.

As with most buckle carriers, this has a structured and adjustable waistband, padded and adjustable shoulder straps, and a chest strap which is also adjustable. All the straps on our carrier were black, and the padding in the shoulder straps felt really soft and squidgy, and it made the shoulder straps so comfy to wear - much better than our previous SSC. One of the first things I noticed when I tried it out was that the chest strap wasn't fixed into position - it is moveable. I think that is a great idea as I find it comfy to have it high up, but I know Simon likes it further down, so we can adjust the strap to our own position easily each time one of us wears the carrier.

Unlike with the previous buckle carrier we owned, it also has a sleep hood with poppers, perfect for slipping up over Isabelle to help her fall asleep, or to help keep her asleep. I did find the poppers a little difficult to 'pop' in, but once they were in, the hood stayed put and is a great size to keep the light out while Isabelle snoozes.


I was amazed to find that the carrier we received is the 'standard' carrier - Bunny Baby can also offer you a carrier with:

*lockable dual adjust shoulder straps

* lockable single adjust waistband buckles

*extra padding at waist or shoulder

* extra length webbing

* Legs out padding

* arms out padding

*flat or pixie hood

* fold away hood

* fabric tie over buckle on waistband

Of course we had to road test the carrier. I gave it a whirl around the house and found it really comfy - but the true test was to use it out and about. I was so confident that it would be comfy and it was so easy to use, I used it for my first ever back carry in public, and it didn't disappoint. Simon's turn for a road test came when we took the dogs up a local mountain, and wanted to go off road. It's the first time he has worn Isabelle in a while, and first time ever on his back. We walked for more than an hour and Simon said he found it comfortable the whole time. Isabelle was so happy she chatted for half an hour before promptly drifting off to sleep, snuggled up to daddy - so she was clearly very happy and very comfy in there.

Overall, I am really impressed with the Bunny Baby carrier. It's well made, strong and sturdy, yet incredibly comfy for us to wear, and for Isabelle to travel in. Of course, it should go without saying that this is an ergonomic carrier which keeps Isabelle in the correct 'knee-to-knee' position - which is no doubt why she was so comfy. This carrier has only been with us for a short time, but is much loved by the Jay family, and we will be so sorry to see it go!

Because leave us it must...and make it's way to one of you lucky readers instead! Along with Bunny Baby, I am offering you the chance to win this gorgeous carrier (if you can pry it from my back!). All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter below, and you could soon be toting your little one around in this fabulous carrier! Good luck!!
Please make sure you read the T&C before entering.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Ella's Kitchen My Little BIG Meals

I've posted several times about out weaning journey with Isabelle, and about our choice to follow baby led weaning. The fact that we feed Isabelle whatever we eat means that I've never ventured into the 'baby food' section at the supermarket - honestly, the thought hasn't even crossed my mind.

So, when Ella's Kitchen sent me some of their My Little BIG Meals for Isabelle to try out, I was a bit hesitant at first. I am not keen on the idea of Isabelle eating food that hasn't been home cooked, simply because a lot of the time that means there are far more ingredients being used than I would like - especially when it comes to sugar, salt and preservatives. Maybe it would be true to say that I am a bit of a food snob when it comes to my little.

But when our My Little BIG Meals arrived, and I had a thorough read over the ingredients, I was very relieved to see that not only do they only include organic ingredients, but the ingredients list reads more like a homemade recipe than anything else. Simply a list of good, organic, healthy ingredients which make up each of the different meals. Not only that, but each of the meals stated on the front just how many vegetables could be found inside - vegetable moussaka has 7, pork stew has 6 and chicken curry has 5! There is no way I include that many vegetables in one meal and, like all parents, I am always worrying that Isabelle isn't eating enough veg, so this was a big plus point in my eyes.

Isabelle tried the pork stew on a night when Simon and I got takeaway - definitely not something we consider suitable for her. I was surprised at how big the portion was - it was very generous and actually gave Isabelle enough for dinner and lunch the next day, and would be more than enough to fill up a bigger toddler.  Because the Little BIG Meals are suitable for 12months+, it was nice and chunky, which meant Isabelle could easily pick up the different bits to scoff them. Isabelle loved all three meals, with the chicken curry being her favourite.

So, our first experience of 'baby' food wasn't anything like I expected! It was simply good food, perfect for my little. While we will continue to feed Isabelle whatever we have most days, these Ella's Kitchen My Little BIG Meals are a little gem to has stashed away in case of a dinner emergency - which with my expertise in cooking, happens more than you might think!

Stay tuned for a review of the Ella's Kitchen cookbook coming up in the next few weeks.

Follow Ella's Kitchen on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Reviews: Organic and Natural Skincare Special

As I'm sure you know by now, I am a big fan of any natural and organic products, especially things for skin for Isabelle and I. It's not always easy to find lovely organic products, but here are 3 of my favourite recent organic and natural product brands.
There is still time to order some of these beauties as stocking fillers for your nearest and dearest - or for yourself as a little Christmas treat!

1. Hope's Relief
Hope's Relief is a skin care range which is specially formulated with lots of natural goodness, and specifically designed for those with eczema, psoriasis and dry skin. It's so gentle and hypoallergenic that it can be used on babies as well as those with super sensitive skin. With ingredients such as manuka honey and liqorice calendula, it almost sounds good enough to eat, and it definitely smells wonderful as well.

I was lucky enough to get to test out the Hope's Relief Therapeutic Cream and the Hope's Relief Cleansing Bar, which work together to nourish skin, repair it, balance the pH and rehydrate your skin.




After a few weeks of using the two products together I have to say I loved them. So many products leave my skin feeling dry and tight after I use them, and then I need to slather moisturiser on to rehydrate myself, which often leaves me feeling a bit greasy. But the Hope's Relief Cleansing Bar doesn't contain any soap products, so there it didn't leave my skin feeling dry and tight once. Using the Hope's Relief  Therapeutic Cream in combination with the cleansing bar was perfect, and I can see why the cram is No. 1 in Australia! I also found I didn't need to use loads of either product to get my skin lovely and clean, soft and generally feeling great!



Two fab products, from a great range, who use only natural ingredients and definitely get my vote.
You can buy Hope's Relief from Mahi's Naturals, with the cleansing bar at £8.70 and the Therapeutic cream at £16.20.




2. Estelle and Thild
This Swedish range of skin products came simply from a mummy trying to create some great, organic products for her daughters. They sell everything from cleanser and toner, to baby moisturiser and shampoo, and lip balm to face masks. All their products are totally organic, and have been developed with dermatologists in order to provide the best quality skin care possible.






The products are beautifully packaged, and you can tell from the get go that they are really high quality. I was able to test out their face cream and facial toner, and have to say that they smelt great and made my skin feel refreshed. The cream didn't feel at all greasy (one of my pet peeves), and my skin looked lovely and bright after a few weeks of use.
In the UK, you can buy the Estelle and Thilde range from Urban Retreat, and the face cream is priced at £29.50, and the toner at £18.50. Well worth it for such high quality products.






3. Niki's Organic Balms
My final new favourite organic brand is Niki's Organic Balms. These little gems confused me a little at first - what was the balm for? The answer? Everything and anything! The balms are made with organic ingredients, including beeswax and essential oils, and are truly a multipurpose balm which can be used for anywhere you have dry skin. I tested out both the original organic balm, and also the rose organic balm which just smells heavenly! I seem to spend a lot of my day with my hands getting wet - using wipes to change Isabelle, cleaning the kitchen, taking washing from the machine, and all those things have left me with strangely dry finger tips - not something I have ever had before.

These little balms were perfect for helping alleviate that dryness. They had the perfect consistency to help moisture my fingertips, and because they come in handy little tubs, I was able to throw one into my change bag to take out and about.
Other items in the Niki's range include baby balms for little bottoms, and I can imagine they would help keep your little's bum as soft as it should be!

The balms are available from Niki's Organic Balms , with prices varying depending on size.




 So treat yourself or a loved one to some fabulous skin care products from these lovely brands - and feel good knowing that all the ingredients are natural and organic!

Review: Dettol with E45 Softness Handwash

Dettol and E45 are both well known brands, but not generally two which you hear of working together. However, they have recently joined forces to release a hand wash, combing the best of both worlds. The hand wash, available for £2.49 nationwide, comes in 3 'flavours' which are inspired by nature: Lotus Flower, Honey and Camomile.

As all mummies and pet owners will tell you, washing your hands numerous times a day is a necessity. As both a mummy to Isabelle and 2 dogs (and a cat) my hands are usually pretty filthy. The constant washing, and using wipes when changing Isabelle's nappies, has left my hands drier than they have ever been. I don't always remember to moisturise them either, so they have definitely been neglected over the last 5 months.

We try to keep hand wash beside all our sinks, and so when I received a sample of the Dettol with E45 Softness, it went straight into the kitchen. I was slightly skeptical about the hand wash as anything I have used in the past which claims to have 'built in moisturisation' never seems to do much. However, I did comment straight away to Simon after using the Lotus Flower version that I could FEEL it had left a protective, moisturising layer on my hands. No, my hands didn't feel like they had been thoroughly moisturised, but neither did they feel as dry as they usually do after washing, and I honestly didn't feel like I needed to moisturise them afterwards. Knowing my hands were 99.9% bacteria free when Isabelle next decided my finger was her favourite teether was great too.

Along with the hand wash, I also received a sample of the Dettol kitchen spray surface cleanser. This couldn't have come at a better time as we had just run out of our spray the night before! We have used the Dettol kitchen spray many times in the past, and are able to rest easy knowing our kitchen surfaces and table are always 99.9% bacteria free. Unlike other brands, this spray doesn't leave a foamy or soapy residue, and simply wipes away, cleaning and sterilising my surfaces beautifully.

I also received a pack of antibacterial cleansing wipes. I've never used the wipes before, but managed to open them that very day to clean one of the pram wheels, and they will be perfect for wiping down Isabelle's high chair tray, allowing her to eat directly off it without any fear of germs on her food.

All 3 Dettol products are available at a variety of stores nationwide.