Babi Pur have teamed up with a great local log cabin holiday company 'Trawsfynydd Holiday Village'   based here in beautiful Snowdonia to offer two amazing prizes,  a fantastic weekend break AND a superb  limited edition 3 in 1 Wishbone bike:

1. Trawsfynydd Holiday Village offers family friendly log cabin holiday accommodation throughout the year and are giving away a fantastic weekend break in THIS gold graded 3 bedroom log cabin sleeping 6 from  the 18th-20th May worth £270!
2. To celebrate the launch of the new Wishbone 3 in 1 bike on the Babi Pur website we're also throwing in one of these limited edition bikes worth £200 kindly provided by the UK distributor Cheeky Rascals.

By entering this competition you could be enjoying the wonderful landscape of the Snowdonia national park with its stunning local beaches, mountains and rivers.  Just down the road from Trawsfynydd holiday village is Coed y Brenin forest park and mountain bike centre with pram/wheelchair friendly walks, perfect for your child to zoom around on their new wishbone bike.

How to enter

Complete this sentence by commenting below..  "On our trip to Snowdonia we would love to . . . . ."            if you need ideas go to this things to do in Snowdonia page

Bonus 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
• RETWEET  this post on Twitter
• LIKE the Trawsfynydd Holiday Village Facebook page here
• LIKE the Babi Pur Facebook page here
• BLOG about this competition on your own blog
• SIGN UP to receive newsletters from Trawsfynydd Holiday Village here

Entries must be in by midnight 19th March 2012

This competition is now closed..!  Thanks to everyone who entered, the winning comment was No.360

The Wishbone 3 in 1 bike.  First it's a three wheel trike suitable from 12 months, then it changes to a small two wheel balance bike for ages 2-3 years, flip the wishbone frame and raise the seat and it becomes a larger balance bike for bigger kids up to around 5 years.

Made from sustainable raw materials this clever design grows with your child from 12 months to 5 years.  Perfect for learning to push, balance and ride a bike.  Not only that they look pretty cool too!

The Wishbone 3 in 1 bike is available to buy now at Babi Pur

Throughout the week TotsBots have been announcing their fabulous new prints which are available from early March.  We were lucky enough to see these in a trade show back in January and we were so impressed we placed our order there and then! There will be 5 new "story teller" prints which will be available in the Teenyfits, Easyfits and wraps - the range is called "every nappy tells a story" and the prints are - Hansel and Gretel,  Jack and The Beanstalk, The Enormous Turnip, Chicken Licken and  The Three Little Pigs.  The Easyfits have also been upgraded and now contain a new fast drying minki core which is more absorbent.. the minki core colour coordinated too!

But, what we're most excited about this weekend are the two limited edition "Brit Bots" prints which are to celebrate London Fashion Week and "all things British"   These fantastically funky prints are called "London" and "Jubilee" and we have one of each to give away!

How to enter:

To be in with a chance of winning both of the funky 'Brit Bots' Easyfit prints, all you need to do is finish off this sentence "I like to buy my nappies from babipur.co.uk because.............." in the comment section below

• Extra entries: For bonus entries please leave a separate comment for each of the following you've done:
  • SHARE  this comp on your Facebook wall by clicking here
  • RETWEET  this post on Twitter

COMPETITION CLOSED!

Winning comment is No 102 Elizabeth Williams

I’m writing this in bed. Why? Because I have the dreaded mastitis.

I love breastfeeding, but I think a lot of people find that it isn’t as easy or instinctive as they may at first think. So today, while boobs are on my mind, I thought I’d put my peer supporter hat on and share some of common breastfeeding issues.

1. Poor latch - Poor latch gives rise to an unbelievable range of problems. From sore cracked nipples, pain while feeding, clicking noises, babies pulling off the breast or being windy; the whole specturum can be attributed to problems with positioning/latch.

First port of call should be you Health Visitor or Midwife, but if they check your latch, think its fine and you still experience problems it would be worth asking for an appointment with your local lactation consultant/breastfeeding counsellor. Lactation consultants should also be able to advise whether there are any underlying issues such as tounge tie.

2. Thrush - If you’ve ever had to take antibiotics while breastfeeding its worth keeping an eye out for thrush. As its a yeast infection, it gets worse over time and can be a nightmare to get rid of, so early treatment is key.

Thrush makes nipples incredibly sensitive, especially to the cold. They become itchy, often blanch after a feed, and are really, really painful to feed through; they best way I can describe it is that its like feeding through broken glass. Shooting pains after feeding are also common. For babies, thrush manifests itself as a furry white covering over the inside of the mouth.

As thrush can be passed from baby to mother and back again, it is essential that both are treated at the same time, with a topical cream for mum and and oral gel for baby. If these fail it is possible to take an oral anti-fungal tablet which can help. An anti-candida diet can also help, which includes omitting refined sugars, products containing yeast and fungi.

3. Engorgement - Engorgement is when boobs become so full of milk that they are hard and solid; like rocks. This is very common as supply becomes established in the early days and is usually relieved by putting baby on the boob. If the breast if too hard for them to be able to latch, then expressing a little milk off, either by hand or pump should help soften the breast enough for them to get on. If the breast is not emptying properly, there may be a blocked duct.

4. Blocked ducts - A blocked duct is, basically exactly what it sounds like, one of the milk passages being blocked. They can become sore and swollen but it is very important that you keep trying to feed from the affected breast, as painful as it is. Paracetamol can be used to relieve the pain (never use asprin while breastfeeding).

Often a baby’s suction is enough to get things going again, especially if you always offer the affected breast first so that they go it it hammer and tongs. Another good bit of advice is to massage towards the nipple while baby is feeding to try and get the milk moving. Warn compresses can also help soften things up, as can a warm bath. Its important, if you have a blockage, to keep feeding, expressing, massaging as much as you can because if its not cleared a blocked duct can turn into mastitis.

5. Mastitis - Mastitis is basically a blocked duct that has become infected. You know when mastitis hits; if you’ve had a blocked duct for a while and then you suddenly begin to feel very unwell - shivery, shaky and with horrible cramps and aches all over, basically like a bad flu. Often there will be a red, hot area of the breast, usually wedge shaped.

If you get mastitis there is little you can do apart from taking to your bed, it makes you feel really poorly. The treatment is much the same as with a blocked duct, although you can alternate ibuprofen with paracetamol to try and help with the inflammation, take your temperature down and relieve aches and chills. If however, things don’t start to get better within 24 hours I would recommend a trip to the GP, you may well need antibiotics to clear it up. Untreated, mastitis can turn into a breast abcess or at worst septicemia.

This happened to me when I was feeding DW. I was dangerously ill, kept refusing an ambulance because I insisted it was just mastitis and I needed to rest. Later I found out that I was hours away from shuffling off this mortal coil, which is a very frightening thing.

Mine is an extreme story, and I don’t want to end this on a low note because, well, even though I had loads of problems, some of them extreme, I still chose to breastfeed my second baby and I still love it. I love the fact that my baby needs me, I love the fact that I am able to provide for him, I love the sensation of feeding and I love that lovely release of oxytocin (the mothering/love hormone) you get with every feed.

Breastfeeding is a very special thing; and although it can throw a few curve balls your way, if you know where to find support, then you can get through it and it can beome a truly magical experience.

Other than your HV/Midwife/Lactation consultant support can also be found via the Breastfeeding Network (who also have loads of useful factsheets on their website, such as which drugs are safe to take while feeding), the La Leche League, NCT and the kellymom website.

Happy feeding mommas, I’m off to sleep!xxxx

In December, my trusty old computer died a death, hence being offline for a while.

Fortunately, I managed to get my Christmas shopping done before it went, and before I look to the year ahead I thought I'd look back, and share our favourite Christmas pressies with you.

At number five:

These little fellas were my home made presses for the year.  I made them out of scraps of fabrics I had lying around and gave them to my closest friends and one each for the boys.  They were quite a lot of work, but I love them, and in particular I loved the way that they came together, each developing its own personality.  The boys saw me make them, and I think DW in particular appreciated a present made by mum.

At number four:

Early Rider Evo Balance bike.

This was DW’s biggie, and to be honest, in the beginning he was afraid of it. But wierd as it sounds, this is a good sign. Its always the things that DW is scared of at first that he grows to love the most. He rides it around the house now and is nearly ready to set off down the road on it.

I absoluely love it! It is the most stunning bike I have ever seen.... retro yet completely modern, evrything about it screams quality. I particularly love the stitched leather seat, its a beauty! Lovely babipur peeps, can we get them in adult sizes please?!

In third place is:

Pebble Rattle Snake -

I was introduced to Pebble toys via the Octapus. I don’t think I love this quite as much, but little NW does. He adores throwing it about and making it rattle, and its floppy enough to not do too much damage should it give anything a whack, phew!

And in second place we find:
Chocolate Cake (similar to this one) - When this arrived I was pretty disapointed to be honest, the box seemed very small for the price. But it got wrapped up like everything else and stuck in a stocking.

But opened up, I love it. The cake stands on a little wooden platter and comes with a couple of knives. The genious bit is that the slices are velcroed together so you have to use the slice/knife to get them apart, and its quite hard work! DW loved this and was the host with the most on Christmas Day. Every visitor had a slice of his special cake and a cup of tea from his new teaset, and he’s still at it to this day. That’s my boy! I'll soon have him trained

And the surprise top toy for Christmas 2011 is:

Gnom
Both the kids absolutely love this, and, even though it was bought as a stocking filler, its proved to be top toy for both of them! NW, who got his first two front teeth for Christmas loves to gnaw at it's natural rubber  gnomyness. Everytime you squeeze it the head gets sucked down and judders, which makes DW giggle every time, and the squeak means that even the dogs are lining up to have a go at it!

But now its present time again. DW will be three in two weeks time, and I still can’t believe how quickly he seems to be growing up! After getting so many lovely things for Christmas, I’m stumped as to what to get him for his birthday. Anybody have any suggestions?

We have a great offer for all you Flip fans out there, and we know there are lots of you!  For the next couple of weeks (or until stocks last) we have a fantastic and rare offer on two of our Flip covers.... BOGOF!  yes that's right buy one, get one free!  This offer is valid on the Zinnia cover with 'snaps' closure and the Noodle cover with aplix closure.  Click on the image above for more details and to buy online now.

Flip nappies are extremely popular because the system is very versatile and very economical too.  Flip covers can be used with fast drying stay dry inserts, natural and extra absorbent organic inserts, eco disposable inserts or simply with terry squares or over any shaped nappies which require a wrap.   There is no need to wash your Flip cover after each use, in fact you'll probably only use two a day, this is what makes the Flip system so economical, Flip inserts are relatively inexpensive too.

For more information click on the following links..

• Focus on Flips with instructional videos
• Flip nappy customer reviews
• Buy Flip nappies online
• Flip BOGOF offer

Please note, the BOGOF offer ends on the 19th of February 2012 or when stocks run out.

We've been offline for a while - but look how things have changed.  Watch out world, little Nw is mobile!xxxx

Which washing powder should I use to wash my cloth nappies?

Here at Babi Pur we often get asked what detergent you should use to wash your cloth nappies.   Well we have a special home and laundry section which has a good range of detergents from Rockin Green, Violets and Tots Bots.  So what's different about these detergents and why can't you just use powder from the supermarket?  We're not saying all supermarket detergents are bad but there are some you should avoid because they will void the warranty on your nappies.

Nasty detergents - nasty detergents contain things like fillers, chemical scents and optical brighteners.  Often these nasties are designed to cling to your clothes to make them appear bright and sparkly and smell nice so you go ooooooh when you take them out of the machine.  The problem with these and cloth nappies is that the nasties build up in the fabric and reduce their absorbency boooooo!   Not only that, you probably don't want these nasties next to your babies bottom.  bumGenius quote on their warranty page that you cannot use detergents containing enzymes, brighteners, dyes and perfumes.

There are also some eco detergents which although don't contain additives they have a high citrus content which can cause natural fabrics to wear out prematurely.

Good detergents for cloth nappies - Violets magic laundry powder, Rockin Green and Tots bots nappy potion are all good choices for washable nappies.  Why?  You guessed it, they don't have all those gunky additives that build up on your nappies.  They clean and they rinse away, simple.

The packets can look small for the cost of these products but when you look at the washing loads they do they actually work out quite economical.  The packs are smaller because you use less detergent and you use less detergent because they're not full of fillers, just detergent.

So give one a try, we're certain you'll be converted!  And once you've tried them you'll be doing all your washing with them!

At Babi Pur we've just taken delivery of these beautiful fairy dresses from funky Fairtrade children's brand Piccalilly.  Amazing iridescent colours, fairy wings, bells, flowers, ribbons, sequins, net skirts and tutus.  What more could a little girl dream of?  Perfect for firing up their big imaginations!

These lovely dressing up clothes are fairly traded from Bali and really stand out from the mass produced dresses found in big stores.  Piccalilly work with a small family run producer in Bali which employs 10 ladies and uses locally sourced fabrics.  There's lots of attention to detail and the quality is excellent.  Our own little girls each have a dress at home, they've been worn countless times and still look fantastic.  Piccalilly has worked with their producer in Bali for 6 years now and supports a local organisation which sponsors the education of children.

Our girls love to dress up and they adore their Piccalilly fairy dresses.  Hearing them laughing while they dance and run about with the little bells jangling really is a little bit magical.  It won't be long until they ditch their fairies, butterflies and ballerina outfits and they'll be more interested in Justin Bieber, make the most of these precious years!

The Piccalilly dresses and tutu are all available in our girl's clothes section here and there's choices available from sizes 1-6 years although we think they fit a much broader range of sizes than advertised.