The Day Baby Was Born

The Day Baby Was Born is a free service offered by Tommee Tippee that automatically gathers information about the day your baby was born based on your selections, to create a storybook that you can share with family and friends.

You start during pregnancy, recording bits of information and even scan pictures. It also pulls through well wishes from people on Facebook. Once you've had your baby you can add photos of him and all sorts of information is included like the headline news on that day and the weather! Information that I would love to have known about the day I was born, like popular songs of the day and famous people they share their birthday with. I wish I'd been able to do this with my two, it's such a great record to keep. Not only is it online you can also print it out.

It's so easy to do, you just sign in using Facebook and get started creating a digital memory book of your special day! Check it out here:

Thedaybabywasborn

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor - Review

I was recently sent a Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor with Movement Sensor Pad to try out. I have to admit I'm a bit of a technophobe and I found it a bit daunting to work out how to use it! I got my OH to read the instructions and set it up and then explain it to me! I've found that as I'm getting older I'm easily flummoxed by things (ugh, old age setting in!). I was keen to see how good it was as it won an innovation award in 2011.

So what's it all about then?

As this baby monitor is digital it is said to have crystal clear sound and increased security. It has a range of 300 metres and relays every single sound and movement made by your baby to the parent unit. It is also a video monitor, with the parent unit having a 3" colour screen. Other features are:

• It has an infra-red night vision camera
• Baby's room temperature is displayed so parents can see if the room is too hot or too cold
• A sound level indicator to monitor sound from baby
• Remote controlled night light
• Talk back function and a pager to help locate the parent unit if you happen to misplace it

The other main feature about this monitor is the sensor pad that is designed to sit under baby's cot mattress and will trigger an alarm if no movement is detected for 20 seconds, with adjustable sensitivity settings.

So what do we make of it then?

What struck me first was how sleek and design conscious both units were. They are black and white and really streamlined.

We've always had an audio monitor up till now for both Isla and Noah, so we've found that we really like having a video monitor! It's good to see Noah (I like seeing him with his cuddly Bobby the Dog, wrestling around when getting off to sleep!) and when he makes any noises we can see what he's actually doing. The picture quality is excellent, especially with the night vision camera.

The sound is crystal clear as promised, not that we wouldn't be able to hear the little darling as he is rather loud when he's belting out for his late feed!

We've always been used to our monitor showing us the temperature in the bedroom and so I was glad that this was also a feature of the Tommee Tippee monitor. It always helps us to know what tog sleeping bag to put him in before bed.

We used the movement sensor pad a few times but decided after a while that we didn't need it. The pad is designed to detect baby's movement and if none is detected for 20 seconds then an alarm will go off. The alarm is designed to alert the parents but it is also to shock the baby into moving. Personally I think that this is a great feature for first time parents who may be a bit nervous and need that extra peace of mind. We're not those kind of parents though. Noah is our second baby and we're not as nervy about him as we were with Isla. The video picture for us was enough to check on him. We also had a couple of occasions where the alarm went off and it was purely because he had been a wriggle bum moved around sideways in the cot and was completely off the pad! This is quite common for him as he is 7 months old and moving about loads, but for a newborn and maybe up to 6 months then I would say the pad would be great.

One thing that I would like to see if the monitor was revised in the future would be for the parent unit to be charged using a docking station, for ease of use really. 

All in all I would recommend this product, it is a little pricey, but you do get what you pay for and the audio, video and movement pad all combine to give excellent reassurance to parents while their babies are sleeping.
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Video Monitor is available now  at Argos, Amazon, Mothercare, Tesco Direct, Boots or online at tommee tippee for £199

This baby monitor was sent to me to review. My review is honest and the words are my own.

Tommee Tippee Sangenic Wrap & Go - Nappy Wraps & Dispenser - Review

Tommee Tippee have just launched a new product to compliment their Sangenic Nappy Disposal Range. The Wrap & Go Dispenser and Refill wraps are designed to be used on the go, with the wraps locking in germs and odours, allowing you to store used nappies with confidence until you're in a place you can dispose of them.

NEW Sangenic®Wrap & Go nappy wraps are anti-bacterial, killing 99% of germs on contact and infused with a fresh citrus scent to combat odour. The Dispenser is niftily designed so that it will fit neatly inside your change bag or can be clipped on to your change bag straps or can hang from your buggy or car door.

And how did I find them?
I liked the dispenser - it was neat and clipped on to the inside clip of my change bag. It was easy to tear off a fresh wrap each time. I liked that the wraps were contained within the dispenser, as usually my nappy bags are loose in my change bag. Isla has a tendency to empty the bag and the way these wraps are contained she will find it harder to pull them out, therefore there's less worry about her safety.

Each new roll of wraps comes with a spindle through the middle that slots in easily to the dispenser.

I liked the smell of the wraps - it was stronger and more present than with other nappy bags - and this is good if you have to hang onto a used nappy for any reason - sometimes when we're out there aren't always places to put soiled nappies and for a quick change on the go, the smell of the wrap would overpower the contents for a short while at least! The real test will be when we have our new baby boy. As we all know that newborn soiled nappies have an aroma of their own!

And not that it's massively important that a nappy wrap looks nice - but these bags come in bright colours (pink, blue, green), which makes a change!

So as with all things Tommee Tippee, we liked this product! To me the Tommee Tippee name represents quality and a guarantee of a good product.

The NEW Sangenic®Wrap & Go dispenser is priced from £4.99 and includes 30 wraps (15 per roll) , Sangenic®Hygienic Happy Wrap Refills are also available priced from £4.99 and includes 3 refills (15 wraps per roll). The Sangenic® range is available from Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Boots, Argos, Mothercare, Babies R Us, and Kiddicare.com.

Find out more about the range or buy online at www.tommeetippee.co.uk.

We were sent a wrap & Go Dispenser and pack of refills in order to write this review. The opinions stated above are my own.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Hygiene Range Launch Event

Isla and I were lucky enough to be invited to a recent launch event for the new Closer to Nature Hygiene range by Tommee Tippee and I have to say it was a great success from all angles!

Firstly it was held at a brilliant venue, Maggie and Rose a members club for families in Kensington, where kids can play, cook and be creative. This was perfect as the mums could listen to the presentation about the new products, and chat to the Tommee Tippee team, and the guys at Maggie and Rose concentrated on ensuring that the kids had a good time. I was dubious at first that Isla would leave my side as she'd only just woken up as we'd arrived there, but after 5 minutes she'd disappeared only for me to see her about 15 minutes later with her face beautifully painted..



After she'd had her face painted all the kids were in the kitchen, up on stools making cookies. Isla seemed to love this especially to chomping on the chocolate chips that were meant to be in the cookies!

The end to her fun was made all the better when she was given a balloon as we left - it's the simple things in life that make her happy!

And so to the new products in the Closer to Nature Range which are designed to offer long lasting, powerful and gentle protection against bacteria and viruses. It contains a revolutionary UK made ingredient, Byotrol, which is exclusive to Tommee Tippee and the key thing about it is the barrier it creates against germs and bacteria, lasting for hours, long after other cleaning/ hygiene products have stopped working.

As a mum the sound of a product that keeps kitchen surfaces free of germs for up to 24 hours sounds brilliant, as it is so important when you have a newborn baby to keep areas where you prepare bottles and feeding equipment immaculately clean. Babies have such vulnerable immune systems that anything you can do to protect them is worth doing. All the products in this new range cater to make your daily routine easier.

In the range are Steri-fluid for cold water sterilisation of bottles, soothers and teethers. We haven't used cold water sterilisation that much in the past, only when we're on holiday or staying somewhere away from home, but what I liked about this product was that it didn't have that bleachy/ chemically smell you get with other well known brands. The fluid sterilises within 15 minutes and items can be kept in the solution for up to 24 hours and they will still be sterile.

The surface spray again has no potent smell and gives a 99.9% protection from germs and viruses for 24 hours. The ingredient Byotrol forms a microscopic barrier, actively killing germs and protecting surfaces hour after hour.

There is also a hand serum for use on the go. It's a great replacement for all the alcohol based hand gels that are on the market. It doesn't contain any alcohol or fragrance, therefore kinder on those well worn, chapped hands that us mums get! And finally wipes for cleaning feeding equipment on the go.

These new products feel like a really sensible progression of the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature range. As we will be having another newborn in the house this summer I will definitely consider this new range for use in our house. It is attractive to me for the reasons that it doesn't contain alcohol or bleach, hence making them a gentler option.

All in all it was a very successful event and we'd like to say thank you to the team at Tommee Tippee, Red Consultancy and Maggie and Rose for making it so enjoyable. We look forward to trying out the products we took away on the day.

All these products can be purchased in store and also from http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/ and they also have a fab new parenting club you can join!