the BABI PUR blog

Earlier in the year bumGenius announced a range of new products including the new bumGenius "freetime" nappy which is due to be released in the UK later this year.  From the outside the freetime nappy appears just the same as the bumGenius V4, one size from birth to potty, the same waterproof outer, the colours are the same and you can choose from Hook & Loop or Popper closures.  However open the nappy up and things look rather different.  Inside the freetime nappy are two soaker pads sewn in at opposite ends which each have a stay dry top layer and there's a soft sued fleece inner layer designed to wick moisture away from baby's skin.

So the big difference over the bumGenius V4 is that there is no pocket which means NO STUFFING.  Just use, wash, dry and use again . . . . simple.  The bumGenius freetime nappy really could not be easier to use, perfect for childcare and dads!

Key features of the bumGenius freetime

• One size - poppers on the front adjust the size from birth to potty, 8-35lbs
• Patented stretchy butterfly tabs with hook and loop or popper fastening give a nice snug fit
• All in one design, no stuffing
• Gentle leg elastic around the leg and waist prevent leaks and mess
• Microfibre inserts sewn in at opposite ends offer customisable absorbency where you need it most
• Fleece top layer keeps you baby's bottom dry

The bumGenius freetime will be available in the UK in the coming months and will be available in 15 colours including 2 fantastic prints.  We recently got our hands on this new Sassy red sample and we got to see the prints in real life, and they do look very nice indeed.  More details on the new colours to come shortly

Wooden Building Blocks are great for children!

In this fast-paced technological age, wooden building blocks can seem old fashioned and clumsy; but with the continuing trend for honest and uncomplicated vintage toys for children, more and more parents are recognising the virtues of simple, coloured wooden toys and building blocks.

Wooden blocks are often associated with younger children, but here at Babi Pur, we’ve found that kids of all ages love them; at the age of six our oldest still has hours of fun with her blocks.

Plan Toys 60 blocks	Plan Toys Hollow Blocks	Touch, Feel & See activity Blocks

Kids love to play with wooden blocks for loads of reasons, not least because they’re drawn to their bright colours and simple symmetry. Experts agree that simple wooden toys and building blocks are brilliant toys for kids because they can help to:

• Teach language skills – In their simplest form, wooden blocks can help with numeracy, literacy, shapes and colours. They can also help children with self expression if they’re encouraged to share what they’re doing and creating.
• Build self-esteem – wooden blocks are great for teaching children about self confidence because they are in total control of what, how and where they build and play. Blocks are simple so children don’t need their parents’ help, which can be a great confidence boost.
• Develop dexterity – by playing with blocks, children can master dexterity, patience, gentle playing and balance. When children play with wooden blocks they use the same muscles in their hands as they do when they write or eat.
• Encourage creativity – there is an almost infinite number of things that children can build, create and make with a simple set of wooden blocks and this really helps them to expand their imagination.
• Family fun - wooden blocks are great for kids of all ages, and all the family can get involved.

HABA Ball track construction set	HABA domino rally

And for older children, why not combine wooden building blocks with a brilliant wooden marble run? Kids love constructing marble runs and they can help teach them about logic, maths and science not to mention patience and perseverance. Using wooden blocks to extend the run will add another dimension and encourage kids to think outside the box.

A lovely wooden marble run can keep kids entertained for hours as they figure out new ways to see their marbles flying across the room, which means you can keep hold of yours!

Find Babi Pur’s range of beautifully made Haba wooden marble runs and marble toys here.

Here at Babi Pur we have a fantastic range of colourful wooden blocks and wooden toys, ranging from simple building blocks to more elaborate shapes and themes, that are great to mix and match.

Find our whole range of toys here and don’t forget to check back often because we’re always adding lovely new items. As well as wooden blocks and toys we also stock a variety of ride on toys, jigsaws, dolls houses, train sets and much much more!  We even have a pocket money selection of toys that are ideal for Christmas stocking fillers!

Happy building!

Now's the time for lots of outdoor winter fun

We’ve well and truly said goodbye to summer here at Babi Pur Towers. Instead of basking in warm sunlight flooding through the office windows, we’re listening to the gentle pitter-patter of rain on the roof.  And often, the onset of autumn can be just as strange for kids, as they suddenly find themselves stuck indoors rather than running around the garden and enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of summer.

But, winter doesn’t have to mean being glued to the television.  Here’s our great guide to outdoor winter fun that the whole family will love!

•  Back to Nature – if the weather is cold but fine, take the family out on a nature walk in your local area. Even urban landscapes offer great opportunities to learn about the changing seasons and winter wildlife and enjoy some outdoor play time. Encourage your kids to take snaps and make notes so you can all research different plants and animal types when you get home.
• Winter Garden – the end of summer doesn’t have to mean the end of gardening. Encourage kids to help you prepare the garden for winter by tidying up and even planting winter plants and veg. Get kids to make a “winter wildlife” area in the garden by piling up leaves and twigs to encourage insects and small animals to hide there. They can check it regularly to see what they can find.
• Garden Games – now is a great time for fun outdoor games like hide and seek, ball games and frisbee if your garden’s large enough, because it’s not too hot and all that exercise will soon warm up cold kids!
• Park Life – exploring your local parks with new autumn eyes is the key to outdoor play if it’s fine and dry. Get kids to notice how different the trees and plants look and spot animals like squirrels gathering their winter supplies.
• Go local – find out what’s going on in your local area and take the kids out to enjoy the outdoors. Autumn and winter are great times for events like farmers markets, Christmas fairs, winter fun days and Santa events.
• Wet Walks – Kids love to splash around in puddles, so don’t let the wet weather put you off heading for some outdoor winter fun. Wrap up in wellies and waterproofs and encourage kids to build shelters and splash about. It’ll be nice and quiet, and best of all you’ll need a warming hot chocolate when you get home!
• Snow time – snow is magical for many kids as they don’t see it very often, so they will absolutely love playing in it. Whether it’s making snowmen, throwing snowballs or learning to sledge, a little bit of snow means a lot of outdoor winter fun for all the family!

		Weather experts are already predicting snowfall during November, December and January, so now’s the perfect time to order a beautiful wooden sledge so you’re all ready to go when the first snowflakes fall. Here at Babi Pur we're thrilled with our stunning traditional Davos wooden sledge that is handcrafted in Germany by winter fun experts! Made of solid beech, it’s a generous size and can happily accommodate up to 150kg in weight. Sledges are in stock to buy online now at Babi Pur!

Frugi Big Spot Reversable  Fleece	Frugi Star Reversable Fleece	Organic Cotton Padded Snowsuit

Happy winter!

Win this spooky FuzziBunz Halloween nappy pack which includes 4 of the brand new FuzziBunz One-size Elite nappies in colours, apple green, grape, choco truffle and kumquat, also a FuzziBunz tote and wonder wipes all worth over £80.00 .  FuzziBunz Elite one-size nappies fit from birth to potty, they have silky soft minky inserts, a clever button elastic adjusting system and come in 14 fab colours.

All you need to do to enter this competition is leave a comment below telling us which is your favourite colour FuzziBunz Elite Nappy, you can see all the FuzziBunz colours here

EXTRA ENTRIES: For bonus entries please leave a separate comment for each of the following you have done :

• SHARE  this comp on your Facebook wall by clicking here
• INVITE your friends to LIKE Babi Pur on facebook
• LIKE the FuzziBunz Europe Facebook page here
• RETWEET  this post on Twitter
• BLOG Blog about this competition - mention us on your own blog
• TELL YOUR FRIENDS about this competition on any relevant UK forum (separate entry for each one)
• CREATE AN ACCOUNT (if you don't already have one) & tick to receive our newsletters here
• COMMENT leave a comment on any posts on this blog
• SUBSCRIBE to our new Youtube channel BabipurTV & comment on a video for another entry

It is important that you leave separate comments as each comment number is counted as an entry!

All entries need to be with us before midnight on Monday the 31st  of October 2011 and the winner will be announced shortly after.

***this competition is now closed*** the winner who was chosen at random is comment no. 8 by Claire Spiller Rowe

Our children absolutely love to role play, and here at Babi Pur, we do all we can to encourage them. Children love to step in and out of different worlds and situations, and role play lets them do just that. As well as inspiring their creativity and imagination, it helps with social development and teaches them loads of new skills that they learn without thinking about it.

One of our favourite types of role play toys for kids are kitchen and food toys.  Play kitchens are great role play toys because children love to mimic and recreate the adult worlds around them.  They can adopt different characters and personalities which allow them to try out new behaviours and social situations, and they’ll begin to gain an understanding of who their parents are, what they do and the world that they inhabit. 

Role play with play kitchens also teaches basic maths and numeracy skills and as they use the different food, utensils and gadgets, they’ll even learn new words, shapes and colours; and play kitchens and food toys are great tools to start young children thinking about healthy eating and nutrition.  And it’s something that the whole family can enjoy together!   Babi Pur’s range of play kitchens and play food has just arrived, in plenty of time for Christmas wish-lists, and we think they’re stunning.

We stock everything from full wooden play kitchens to small play food and utensil accessories and there’s also a gorgeous range of food themed rattles and knitted toys for babies to get them started on their role play adventure!  Our wooden toys are all beautifully crafted, of high quality and very durable. They’re painted in fabulous bright colours with non-toxic paint and glue and most are made from sustainable wood sources.

Here are some of our favourites:

Solid Alder Play Kitchen

This stunning wooden play kitchen is handcrafted for us in Germany, and we think it’ll be top of Santa’s list! It’s made from a beautifully coloured solid wood from local Alder trees and the quality of this play kitchen is evident in the careful finish and quirky design. It’s a special toy that will be handed down and loved for generations to come.

We’ve commissioned a limited number of these, so you can pre-order now in plenty of time for Christmas.  Buy online now!

Gourmet Chef Cookware Set

Children will adore this delightful set of play cooking utensils and plates, and they make a great addition to any play kitchen set. It is beautifully made from maple wood, and finished with a bright orange colour for the handles. All the paints and glues are non-toxic.  Buy online now!

HABA Play Food Basket

This adorable wicker basket is packed with bright and colourful wooden food toys. It contains some lovely wooden fruit and vegetables as well as milk, cheese, chocolate and bread! Makes a lovely accompaniment to a play kitchen and is also perfect for shop role play. All Haba wooden toys are made in Germany. Buy online now!

Whip it up Mixer

Any budding Delias or Jamies will love this kitsch kitchen gadget. They’ll soon be mixing, stirring and beating their magic ingredients and they’ll be stretching their imaginations to think of new concoctions. It’s beautifully designed and made with high quality wood and non-toxic paints and glues. Buy online now!

Wooden Toy Tea Set

Practice the art of the “Mad Hatters” tea party with this gorgeous wooden tea set. Made from recycled rubber wood it comes with a teapot, milk jug and cups and saucers all neatly arranged on a lovely wooden tray. All glues, paints and lacquers are non-toxic.  Buy online now!

You can find our complete range of beautiful play kitchens and play food HERE and we're constantly adding to our range!

Were fortunate in our area that the council offers an incentive for parents to use cloth nappies. Yours may well do too, it may be worth checking with them.

I’ve opted for the option of a  30 pound voucher to spend at Babi Pur (as opposed to a nappy trial pack) and as I wait fr my voucher to arrive, I can’t stop thinking about what to buy with it.

I really can’t decide what I want, so I thought I’d pick the brains of you wonderful experienced cloth users and let you decide for me.

But before I throw the question open, I thought I’d share my experiences of cloth so far . This may take a while so I’ve decided to spread the story over a few posts.

THE EARLY DAYS

I knew I wanted to try cloth from the time I got pregnant, and I was lucky enough to be given a stash from various sources such s freecycle/freegle and friends. My stash mainly consisted Mother-ease one size nappies with rikki wraps, tots bots size 1 two parters, and a load of unbranded nappies which I can’t comment on.

MOTHER-EASE

To be fair to these nappies I didn't really give them a fair trial. I found the nappy to be bulky on a newborn and, could never get a decent fit when DW was young and I abandoned them early in favour of the tots bots.

They are solid, well made nappies though and I know quite a few people who sing their praises. I do regret not going back to them when DW was a couple of months old.

I continued to use the rikki wraps after I stopped with the nappies. I found them roomy, good for containment, but a little bit  tight around the leg for my chunky monkey.

Pro's

Solid and well made
Birth to potty
Good containment

Con's

Bulky for a young baby
Wraps tight around the leg.
Difficult to get a good fit

TOTS BOTS TERRY TWO PART NAPPIES

These were my favourite nappies when DW was little.

NW looking cute in a Tots Bots terry nappy.

And looking even cuter when it's covered with this lovely Tots Bots fleece wrap.

 Pro’s 

Easy to use
Easy to get good fit with velcro
Classic cute chunky cloth bottom look
British company and made in EU

Con's

Bulky to carry around
Bulky under clothes
Hold moisture against the skin and cause (in our case) lots of nappy rash
Elastic not great on wraps (although ours were ancient)
Slow drying.
Can get hard if not tumble dried
Work out quite expensive because
a) You’d need both size 1 & 2
b) You’d need lots of each as they take ages to dry.

TOTS BOTS FLUFFLES 

Very similar to the above but made from microfibre and fleece and mine had a popper fastening..

Pro’s

Dry quicker than terry
Fleece and microfibre keep moisture away from baby’s bottom
Stay soft
Cute big cloth bottom!
British company and made in EU

Con's

While the gusset is lined with fleece, the microfibre sits against the skin around the waist, which can lead to irritation.
Bulky to carry around
Bulky under clothes

I don’t think tots bots make these nappies anymore, but if you do come across them pre-loved, they are pretty decent workhorse nappies, although cloth technology has come on a long  way and I've since found new favourites.

The story has a happy ending though.  Last week we did a car boot sale, where we met a couple who were collecting toys for an orphanage in Romania.  Suffice to say they will be taking a load of cloth nappies with them next time, and they were chuffed to bits.

Don’t you just love the fact that cloth nappies can be put to good use when you’ve finished with them rather than clogging up landfill for centuries like their plastic based counterparts!

Stage 2 in the Cloth Odyssey - Flips, coming soon! xxxx

I’ve been planning for ages to talk you about cloth nappies, but somehow life seems to get in the way. Lots of cloth stuff coming soon, but for now I have to give you an update on little NW’s progress.

You may remember that my first post was about NW’s colic. I keep expecting to be able to tell you it’s better, but it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, and I’m afraid we’re still on it.

Following the wonderful advice from you ladies, I cut dairy out of my diet, and he seemed to get better. Then after a couple of weeks he got worse again, so I took him to see a lovely cranial osteopath, and again he seemed to get better. I though he was sorted so reintroduced dairy into my diet and he got significantly worse.

He was demonstrating a lot of the symptoms of dairy intolerance; mucus in his poo, a bubbling stomach when feeding, colic, reflux and a runny nose, and poor weight gain, and  given that I was allergic to milk when I was younger I became convinced again that the problem is down to dairy. So last week the GP referred him toPaediatric care.

But over the weekend he took a turn for the worse when he started projectile vomiting, and after he only kept down 3 feeds all weekend we took him to see the GP on Monday who sent him straight up to the hospital, hence no Llun Dydd Llun.

The conclusion at the hospital was that the new vomiting was down to a bug (confirmed by the fact that DW started that evening), and that his general failure in thriving would very likely be down to a dairy intolerance.

The Registrar who saw us had a son with dairy intolerance and was full of useful information. It seems I may well have not been strict enough with the dairy. For example, if I were out for the day I may well have bought a (non-dairy) sandwich, which would of course have traces of dairy in the spread or bread, or I wouldn’t have thought of checking for dairy in things like crisps or snacks.

Now I’m on a super strict no dairy or eggs diet which involves checking labels on everything and not eating out just in case. Then, we’ll be back at the hospital in three weeks to see how it goes.

The strange thing is that while he was vomiting he was actually better in himself. The registrar pointed out that this would be because whatever was in my breastmilk that was aggravating his digestive system was being expelled.

I’ve been feeling for quite some time like my breastmilk was causing him pain, and this confirms it. Emotionally, its hard to deal with the fact that something that is so natural and absolutely the best for your baby causes them so much pain, and I have flagged a few times and thought about switching to formula.

But dairy free formula is supposed to have a nasty taste and smell, and having fully breastfed DW through loads of problems, I don’t think I could live with the guilt if I give up. I also know that breast milk still provides the best balance of nutrients for my child, which makes me more determined to eliminate whatever is n my diet that aggravates him.

I’m finding it hard though. No meals out, no cups of tea with friends, having to check absolutely every label, and worse of all, no pasta (my favourite staple) because of the eggs! So my question to those of you who are or have been dairy free, any hints or tips on coping? Do you have any scrummy dairy free recipes you could share, or can you recommend any nice dairy free products?

One good thing in all this; cutting out cheese and butter (both of which I eat far too much of) may well have a positive effect on my attempt to shift the baby weight!