Matchstick Monkey - teething toy review

Teething can be a nightmare.

It is horrible to see your little one in pain and discomfort as their first teeth come through.

Jelly Bean seems to be following his big brother’s experience of teething…..a long and painful drawn out experience. Like his brother before him Jelly Bean only had a couple of teeth pop out before his first birthday, and now at the age of 19 months old he still only has 5 teeth. Whilst he has not got many teeth making their appearance yet they make sure he knows about them when they do.

We do our best to help him through teething and have tried all manner of teething aids to try and make the experience a little less painful and horrible for him.

Along with tackling teething we are enthusiastic about caring for his teeth by visits to the dentist and daily brushing. Thankfully he LOVES brushing his teeth !

Win a Teething Bling bangle

Little man has suffered terribly with teething since he was only a few months old.  Since he first started teething when a bout of teething hits it lingers for ages and his little toothy pegs take ages to make an appearance; his 6th little tooth has only recently popped out.  In the midst of a spell of teething little man chomps on anything and everything he can get his little hands on to try and get some relief from the pain. 

Since I reviewed a Smart Mum Teething Bling pendant little man has taken a shine to it and the pendant has now become a firm favourite with him for chewing on when his gums and teeth are causing him trouble.  I love the pendant and think as well as being a lovely item of jewellery for mums it is also a great teething aid for little ones.

Gumigem Gumidrop Necklace Review

I was recently offered the opportunity to review for Gumigem who make jewellery that is safe for teething little ones to chew on whilst giving mums the chance to wear jewellery once again.  As little man is currently teething (it feels like he is constantly teething and he still only has 4 teeth) I was keen to test out their latest creations.

Gumigem have a wide range of products suitable for teething little ones which made it difficult to decide on what product to get.  I was very tempted to get one of their bracelets but opted for a necklace instead.  As I have previously reviewed the Gumigem Raindrop pendant I thought it would be good to test out one of their latest creations which was launched at the beginning of the year.  I decided on the Gumidrop necklace as even though the Bubba Bead and the Skimmer looked lovely I thought the Gumidrop looked like a good combination of both beads and flat pebbles.

Eye Spy....

Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with T…

Tiny toes??  No

Tummy??  No

Teeth??  A big fat YES!!

As I mentioned the other day after months and months of teething troubles with no signs of any teeth appearing from Tristan’s gums we were at last being graced with the appearance of his first tooth and even then the progress was very slow.  It has since been 3 weeks since we first saw that white speck adorn his gums and it still hasn’t fully popped out but after months of teething woes I am thrilled to see this little toothy-peg make its way out.

I am a proud mummy getting all excited about my little man’s first tooth and the excitement grew when three days ago I noticed another white tooth cutting on his top gum.  This new tooth is making slow progress too.  It is lovely to see another tooth joining the first one however it is not so lovely to see a very unhappy little boy suffering from the teething discomfort.

Hopefully there won’t be much more discomfort for him as they make their way out of his gums and I am sure there will be more white teeth joining them soon.

Beauty and the Bib Review

One of the many baby essentials that all parents will end up buying and using is bibs to protect from copious amount of dribble.  I have numerous bibs of different brands and styles so when I was offered the opportunity to test and review a bib from Beauty and the Bib I was keen to try out a new one.

Is that a little white tooth I can see?

Tristan has been teething for months and months; it feels like he has been teething forever!!  We’ve had months of dribble galore, lil red cheeks, chewing and chomping on anything he can get his hands on, unsettled sleep and being upset from pain and discomfort all without any sign of a little white tooth popping out from his gums. 

MAM Phase 2 Bite and Relax Mini Teether Review

Tristan has been teething for months now and there is still no sign of any much anticipated teeth.  Constant dribbling, red rosy cheeks, unsettled sleep and chewing everything and anything he can get his little chubby hands on is the ‘norm’ now and I like to give him a variety of different teethers to try and help his discomfort and satisfy his need to munch on things.  When MAM offered one of their new teethers for Tristan to test I jumped at the chance of giving him a new teether to chew on.  Tristan loves his MAM soothers and teethers so I hoped he would love their new teether too.

Teething Troubles!!

I officially hate teething!!

Poor little Tristan has been suffering terribly over the last few days.  The usual teething aids and remedies are all to hand but just don’t seem to be easing his discomfort at the moment.  Teething powder, Weleda homeopathic teething granules, teething gel, organic monkey cheeky monkey cheek oil rub, amber teething necklace, teethers, calpol……over the last few days they have all been reached for at one time or another and are no longer easing his discomfort and cries of pain.

It breaks my heart to hear and see him cry in his sleep and all I want to do is take away his pain.  Anything he can get his hands on ends up in his mouth being angrily chewed on, his cheeks are all red and the dribble has stepped up a gear and there is copious amount of it.  So far there is no sign of any teeth just a whole amount of discomfort and symptoms.  I’ve been doing all I can to ease his discomfort and we’ve been having cuddles galore.  In spite of the horridness of teething he is a little champion and still gives his mummy beautiful smiles and fun times.  Fingers crossed this discomfort eases soon for my little monkey.

Little Chiefs Bandana Bib Review

The lovely Designer Ark recently sent me a Little Chiefs bandana bibs for Bug to test. I was pleased to be given the opportunity to review one of their bibs and was curious to see how it would handle Bug’s dribble.

Little Chiefs are made by Designer Ark and these bandana bibs are their first own branded product. Designer Ark have designed these bandana bibs to spice up and add excitement to little ones outfits by using eye catching and quirky fabric designs. The fabric designs that they use are produced in limited runs making these bibs even more unique.

Gumigem Necklace Review.

I was recently offered the opportunity to review a Gumigem necklace and as Bug is currently teething this seemed the ideal time to test out the necklace. Since having Bug I no longer wear jewellery as he just wants to grab and chew on everything he can get his hands on so I was looking forward to testing a Gumigem necklace.

Gumigem is a family run business, created by Jenny McLaughlan who is a mum of two from Kellas in Scotland. Her second child was a big teether, it was during this time whilst on maternity leave that she came up with the idea of these teething necklaces. Months of research and development resulted in Gumgem, a company who make in the UK necklaces that are stylish for mums to wear and safe for teething. Gumigem’s necklaces are made from a similar material to most teethers and they are free from PVC, BPA, Lead, Latex and Phathalte, are CE safety marked and the silicone used meets FDA standards. As they can withstand high temperatures, the necklaces are suitable for all types of sterilisation so you can be reassured that you can keep them squeaky clean for your little ones mouth to munch on. These necklaces are designed for mums to wear; babies should not wear these necklaces and should be supervised at all times when chewing on them and should not be left unattended with the necklace.

Organic Monkey Cheeky Monkey Cheek Rub Oil for Teething Review.

Bug is currently teething and we are using a variety of different teething remedies and aid’s to try to help his discomfort. I like to use products that contain natural ingredients so I was very pleased when I was offered the opportunity to test and review Cheeky Monkey Cheek Rub Oil for Teething. I had not previously ever heard of Organic Monkey or their teething oil and was very curious and keen to test the product to see if an oil rub that only contains natural ingredients would help. 

Founders of Organic Monkey, Heidi and Claudine, became aware of the lack of baby skin care products that contain ingredients that are truly organic after becoming mums and wanting to protect and care for their little ones skin. After identifying this gap in the market these two entrepreneurial mums established Organic Monkey, which is the UK’s first fair-trade certified baby skin care range. Their aim is to provide a natural and pure range of gentle and safe baby skin care products that are not only organic and fair but also only contain the best quality ingredients that have beneficial and natural properties. Their products are free from chemicals, harmful toxins, artificial fragrances and synthetic ingredients. Organic Monkey state that - “ingredients are at the heart of our products” and that “Organic products are gentle enough for babies delicate skin and less drying, better used and received by the skin than synthetic substances.” They use pure and high quality ingredients in their products to help protect, nourish, pamper and soothe baby’s delicate and sensitive skin. Not only are organic products gentler for delicate skin than synthetic substances organic ingredients are better for the environment too. All their products are certified and comply with strict UK, European and international rules. Also Organic Monkey support two charities they care about and believe in – Sparks and Monkey World.

Dribble Ons Review

Bug is currently teething and alongside his teething is the inevitable drool. My little man dribbles so much that it his tops get drenched with dribble and he gets a little rash under his chin. Normal bibs just do not work in protecting his skin and clothes from getting soaking wet therefore his skin gets irritated and we have to constantly change him. When Socks Ons offered me their Dribble Ons to review as well as reviewing Socks Ons I was thrilled and jumped at the chance to see if they could withstand Bug’s dribble.

Dribble Ons are a bandana style dribble bib that has been designed to provide a clever and stylish solution for baby dribble. They are made with a soft stretch cotton top and terry towelling backing to absorb moisture whilst also being comfortable for babies to wear. They have poppers to secure the bib, with 2 snaps so that you can adjust the size of the bib to get a great fit. 

My first impression of the Dribble Ons bib was that it was well made and a lovely soft material. I was curious to see how the terry towelling backing would absorb his dribble and prevent his clothes and skin from getting soaked as previously I have only ever used bandana bibs that have a fleece backing. Like the Sock Ons they came with minimal packaging, which is great for the environment…less packaging equals less waste. 

Dribble Ons did not disappoint, the terry towelling backing did a great job and stopped any dribble soaking onto Bug. I was very impressed, the bib worked brilliantly and Bug’s top and chin stayed dry. Bug looked comfortable wearing the Dribble Ons and the soft fabric helped prevent any irritation that may occur from wearing a bib for a long period of time. There was no skin irritation at all and as his skin was no longer getting wet he was no longer getting a rash under his chin.

I liked how as it was a lovely, neutral navy it went with anything and did not draw attention away from his clothes, it just complimented his outfits and looked stylish. Bug is getting to be a little chunky monkey and he does have a little chunky chin but it was still a great fit. Bug was comfortable wearing the bib. It was easy to put on and take off with the poppers and with the adjustable size I was able to get a great fit on him. The bib washed really well and stayed lovely and soft. Also Bug liked to chew on the Dribble Ons, which not only satisfied his need to chew but it also wiped off the drool on his face.

I think Dribble Ons are a great solution for preventing dribble from soaking your little ones clothes and skin. I would highly recommend them and I think it is a fabulous product that is a must for parents to help with baby dribble. Not only is this a stylish bandana bib but it’s also a fantastic dribble catcher. In my opinion they are great value for money and worth investing in a couple and with a great range of colours available there’s plenty of choice. You’ll have less dribble soaked clothes so less washing.

Dribble Ons together with Sock Ons would make a great gift set, great practical products that are also stylish. Dribble Ons are available in 5 plain colours – Navy, White, Fuchsia, Baby Pink and Baby Blue. They also have the Bright Range providing a huge splash of colour to funky bandana bibs. They are recommended for 0-24 months.

Dribble Ons can be purchased for around £5.00 but prices vary depending on the stockist. You can purchase them from Amazon, Fill Your Pants plus other online retailers and stores. A list of stockists can be found on Sock Ons Website as well as the collections available and the other products that they have. Sock Ons are on twitter @SockOns and they have a facebook page too, pop over and say hi and that we sent you. 

* Sock Ons kindly gave us this Dribble Ons to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions and is 100% my own *

Funky Giraffe Bibs Review.

As Bug is currently teething he is dribbling loads, his tops are constantly wet with dribble which means changing him often. So when the lovely people at Funky Giraffe Bibs offered to send me some of their bandana bibs for Bug to try I jumped at the chance.

Silent Sunday.

Dino-Daisy Amber Teething Necklace Review.

I love crystals, semi-precious stones, gemstones; whatever you want to call them I love them, and believe that they all have their own properties and power. I have semi-precious stones through out the house, for particular purposes and because I also think they look beautiful. I even had certain ones to help during my pregnancy and a selection of ones for during labour too. For some reason though it never crossed my mind to look into what ones would help Bug’s teething…. I am going to blame it on baby brain and exhaustion. I have a great belief in alternative and natural therapies and whilst searching online for something natural to help with teething I came across amber teething necklaces and could have kicked myself for not thinking about amber before now.

Amber is a fossilised resin and even though it technically isn’t a semi-precious stone it is considered as an organic gem. Baltic amber (succinite) originates from Northern Europe and is highly sought after and it is uniquely known for its quality.

Teething Bling Pendant Review

Bug is currently teething and suffering with it. He is constantly dribbling and chewing on anything he can get his hands on. I am constantly on the look out for anything that will ease his pain. We have numerous different teethers, but I was very interested in Teething Bling as it’s not just a teething aid for Bug.

I was over the moon when Lynne Churchill from Smart Mum offered a Teething Bling® Pendant for Bug to test for a review. As stated on their website, Teething Bling is the original teething jewellery and their teething jewellery allows mums who have stopped wearing jewellery because their curious babies love to grab and chew to have some beautiful jewellery to wear again that is safe for babies to handle and chew. 

Nuby Bug-a-Loop Teether Review.

A few weeks back Lee came home from town with a little prezzie for Bug….a Bug-a-Loop Nuby Teether.

Nuby say that the Bug-a-Loop is ideal for back teeth teething and aimed at babies from 3months+. The Bug-a-Loop has teething nubs which massage baby’s gums, easing their discomfort, and it has multiple textured surfaces for baby to chew on. This teether is BPA free.

Gumigem giveaway on the blog accidentally, kle

As my little man is teething I have always got my eyes peeled when I’m online for any mention of anything that will help ease his discomfort. So earlier on when I saw a tweet about a sponsored giveaway of Gumigem I was eager to put my name in the hat, metaphorically, in the hope of winning.

This lovely giveaway of a Gumigem pendant is being hosted by Clare on her blog accidentally, kle who has luckily for us teamed up with the creator of Gumigem, Jenny McLaughlan to offer us the chance to win one pendant.

Tommee Tippee Explora Puzzle Teether Review

Teething can be a difficult time for both baby and parents, as a parent all you want to do is take away the discomfort and it can be so difficult seeing your little one crying and chomping on anything they can get their hands on. Most parents can empathise with wanting to try anything to help their little ones during teething and will have tried numerous different teething gels, products and teethers.