Halloween fun

Excitement is building in our house as we get close to Halloween. I don't remember it being a big deal when we were children, we used to do a bit of apple bobbing and maybe dress up for a social event but that was about it.

The big thing in our house is the pumpkin carving. We have gone from one pumpkin for the family, to one for each of the children (making 3) and this year my husband came home with one for me....?! The kids get their increasingly elaborate designs down on paper and then when they are happy, daddy, rather too readily in my opinion, carves the design into their pumpkins (couldn't possibly let the kids have a sharp knife etc etc) I think the 4th pumpkin was for him really!

Four pumpkins to be hollowed out is going to leave us with a lot of pumpkin flesh which I can't bear to throw out. I am going to try using our favourite carrot cake recipe and substitute the carrots with pumpkin. I will let you know how it goes!

If anyone has any good tips for using up spare pumpkin flesh we would love to know....

We have just returned home from the school run, and everybody is talking about how cold it is! It does seem unbelievable that 5 days ago I was in the sea (yes in England!) and this morning I layered up with woolly hat, fleece, down gilet and gloves to take the kids to school!

When we get sudden temperature drops like this it is important to look after delicate skin. Little faces cannot be covered completely, which is why we love Naturally Cool Kids Cheeky Chops Lip and Cheek Protector. Made from all natural ingredients, it is a multi purpose, easy to apply stick that (as the name suggests) will help prevent little cheeks and lips from becoming chapped in the cold. It is also great to help little noses from getting sore when they are constantly being wiped.

Keep one in your handbag and use it for all the family!

Shopping...

I have just arrived home to our weekly veg box from Riverford. After 10+ years of ordering our vegetables from Riverford, I still open the box with eager anticipation every week! It is always packed full of lovely (relatively) locally grown goodies. By association, I then enjoy cooking the contents for my family far more than I do when I buy vegetables from the supermarket, knowing they have the optimum vitamin and nutrient content. Sad as it may seem to some people, I feel good about it!

I get the same feeling when I buy something we need from a local shop. I know I am a bit biased about this (being a local shop owner) but if I need to buy something, I like to go and chat to a person who can offer advice. I like to touch and feel what I am buying, I like to know exactly what I am buying without any guess work being involved. Most importantly, I like to know that if I have a problem, I can go back to the same place and get help with whatever the problem is. I don't mind paying a little more (not loads more!) for this service, I see it as a kind of insurance.

When I have made my purchase I like to walk away knowing I have made a small contribution to keeping that business going, because I do not want our town to become a bland void with no sense of community.

I know times are tough for lots of people (count us in!) but I don't believe that buying goods as cheaply as you can is the answer. Instead, I would encourage families to think about what they are buying and whether they really need it. Buy less but pay a fair price for it. That way, the growth might be slow but it will be sustainable and hopefully leave a solid economy for our children.

Birth Essentials

We often get expectant mums coming to the shop with a list of essential items they need for the birth and early days of their new baby. Generally they are extracted from magazines, hospital booklets or books with a few 'pearls of wisdom' from granny.

Having spoken to many of these mums I have concluded that the list of 'essentials' is as personal as the birth plan. Every family has different needs and expectations. It fascinates what one mum sees as essential, another may not have even considered.

Having had 3 babies, my list would consist of:

•water

•hypnobirthing track on my ipod

•tens machine

•clean, comfy clothes for me

•washable nappies

•car seat

•a few babygros/vests

•comfy feeding bra

•arnica

•nursing pillow

•baby carrier

•Cheeky Wipes

I think that covers it... but this list is vastly different to the one I would have written prior to having my first baby!

What would your essential birth/early days items be and why??

Essential toys....

We have had a lovely weekend with some friends who came to stay with their 18 month old daughter. We had a beautiful walk along the beach and a day out at Farmer Palmers. On both occasions there were lots of families out doing similar things...enjoying the weather and enjoying the kids.

I spotted several Like a Bikes, plenty of scooters, a few Baby Whoozits and the odd Sophie the Giraffe. It got me thinking about what we have bought over the years for our kids and what we would recommend to others. What would you put in your best 3 toys for the under 5s list?! We would love to know......

New Mountain Buggies - Part Two!

Very soon we will have the fabulous new Mountain Buggy Duet on our shop floor. We are looking forward to it's arrival - mainly because it has to be seen to be believed! It is all very well looking at the measurements and statistics, but if you are anything like me, you have to see it to really get it. How can a buggy that measures 63cm wide have room for 2 full size toddlers??

It is all in the design, of course, (those clever people at Mountain Buggy have really outdone themselves this time) but I have to admit that I have seen this buggy, I have pushed it (great handling by the way!) I have folded it (easy peasy) and I have played with all the features....and I still cannot work out how they have done it.

If you are looking for a side by side double buggy, if you have a second child on the way ,if you are expecting twins or if you just fancy checking it out, give us a call on 01305 259929 or email us on enquiries@heybabyshop.co.uk and we will let you know as soon as our Mountain Buggy Duet arrives so you can come and have a test drive!

New Mountain Buggies - Part One!

If you know me, you will know that I am a dedicated Mountain Buggy fan. I have a faithful Mountain Buggy that has done two and a half kids at the last count, and still has plenty of life left in it!

When Janet and I attended a Mountain Buggy University (aka training day) back in July we were really excited to be getting a glimpse of the new models before they went to production.

Mountain Buggy have stuck by their core strengths of maneouvrability, adaptibility, durability and simplicity when designing the +One, and have managed to put all these assets into an inline buggy that will comfortably accommodate two children.

The stats?! It weighs in at 13.5kg and is 63cm wide. Quite impressive for a buggy that is strong enough to accommodate two children up to 20kg.

The +One comes as a complete buggy, that is, for one price you get everything you need to use the +One as a single buggy and adapt to a double. The +One has all the same great features as the Urban Jungle but with a few tweaks, has the capability to become a double.

It features rear wheel suspension, swivel/lock front wheel, adjustable handlebar, full recline on the main seat, foot operated brake and a lightweight aluminium frame. As with all Mountain Buggies, the +One comes with a 1 year first purchaser warranty.

Having had a go with the +One I can confidently say it has all the handling of any other Mountain Buggy. The advantage it has over other inline buggies (apart from being a Mountain Buggy of course!) is that the second child sits higher so can see over the child in front - a real plus!

We will have a +One on the shop floor really soon so if you fancy having a go, come and see us. They are now available to pre-order, just visit our website, give us a call on 01305 259929 or pop in to the shop.

More on the new Mountain Buggy Duet (super narrow side-by-side double) tomorrow!

Carry me!

My daughter and I had a lovely day out with her pre-school last week. To be honest, when she bought the letter home I thought it was a bit optimistic. A day on the beach at the end of September?! However, as you will have noticed, Summer was not ready to say goodbye and it turned out to be a great decision. We had a day on a beautiful sandy beach and they were all able to go in the sea.

We caught the train to get to the beach (the most exciting bit of the day for some of them!) and I had the dilemma of whether or not to take our trusty Mountain Buggy. I knew that she would not need it for most of the day but also knew that the walk home might be unbearable without it! I decided in the end that if I threw in my ERGObaby carrier it would avoid buggy/train issues and would mean she could opt to walk and get a carry when necessary.

I was really glad I had taken it but what was noticeable was the reaction of the other mums. A lot of them had clearly never even considered that a carrier could be useful with a 3 year old, whereas it is still an essential piece of kit in our house! There were numerous comments about how easy it was to use and we avoided the problem of crossing the bridge with 100 steps at the train station....result!

A piece of advice....when looking a baby carriers, think about the long term. Are you just looking for something to pop a newborn in around the house to give you a bit of hands-free time or are you likely to use it beyond those early stages when out and about? Do you plan to have more than one child? Because if you have an active toddler, having a baby in a carrier is far easier than trying to manage the 'baby in a buggy and toddler on the run' scenario. For me a decent carrier would be top of my 'essential baby kit' list.

National Grandparent's Day

Becoming a parent is one of the big milestones in life. Everyone who has kids agrees, it is a life changing moment. What about when those kids have their own kids?! My mum says she enjoys her Grandchildren more than she enjoyed us as children, simply because with the Grandchildren she can relax and enjoy, without worrying about the mechanics/logistics (most of the time anyway!)

I, like mums everywhere, talk about my parents and my in-laws with my friends. I often chat to customers in the shop about their parents reaction to becoming a Grandparent and conversely, with Grandparents about their new grandchildren and the change in the family dynamic. Of course, it is not always a smooth transition and we all have our moans periodically but generally speaking, we are all grateful for the time with each other.

I watch my kids with their Grandparents and enjoy seeing their relationship develop. I think the feeling is mutual. My kids love their grandparents unconditionally. They know time with them is special time. They know the rules are different when they are with them. They have special things that they do together that are unique to them.

National Grandparent's Day is a great opportunity for us to remind ourselves how lucky we are to have both sets of Grandparents close by. How lucky our kids are to have regular time with them, to really get to know each other. We know lots of people are not so lucky.

This Sunday 2nd October is UK National Grandparent's Day. If you get to spend time with Grandparents this weekend, think yourselves lucky and take a moment to give them an extra hug. If you are not so lucky and can't see the Grandparents this weekend, for whatever reason, perhaps take a moment to talk to your kids about their Grandparents. Talk about time you have spent together, talk about happy memories.

Hooray for Grandparents!