Posts Tagged "Pampers"

Top Tips for Parents at Christmas

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 20, 2011 in Motherhood | 1 comment

We’re a Pampers family. Yes, I know…disposable nappies! Horror! One of the main reasons that we are a Pampers family is down to the UNICEF Maternal and Newborn Tetanus campaign that Pampers has been a driving force in for the last 6 years. I have had the priviledge of participating in the awareness campaign for the last 3 years and wholeheartedly support their efforts and causes.

But Pampers is a lot more than nappies and wipes! Their Pampers Village site has loads of information and support opportunities for parents of all ages and experience. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to one of the Pampers experts this year in regards to Ella’s temper tantrums at the time. The information that she shared with me was invaluable and aided me (and my husband) a great deal in changing how WE approached situations with Ella.

The team of Pampers experts has some great advice to share with the blogosphere this Christmas season. Some top tips for parents at Christmas, if you will. Unfortunately none of them involve Bailey’s Irish Creme **darn**. Have a look at what these wonderful experts have to offer:

Pampers Top Tips for Christmas

Pampers understands that although Christmas is a happy and exciting time with a new or young family it can also mean over excitement, strain on relationships and lack of routine. That’s why the Pampers Village Parenting Panel experts have compiled their ultimate tips for an enjoyable festive season with baby – so everyone can treasure those wonderful Christmas memories.

Baby Development advice from Dr Maggie Redshaw:

• The first Christmas stocking is really exciting – bubbles to blow, finger puppets and small picture books are great for babies and parents. Interacting through play helps to facilitate conversation through facial expression, sounds and movement.
• Babies really enjoy wrapping paper and boxes at Christmas, and play with them as they would expensive toys so there is no need to spend a lot, but just take care about items that might not be so good to put in the mouth. A box can be a boat, car or den so use your imagination to bring games to life – this will help baby develop through social and make-believe play.
• Christmas is usually a time for lots of indoor play, but make the most of it when it’s bright and crisp to get out to the park to try a kick around with a ball or play in the leaves/snow – this will help baby to develop physically while having fun.

Sleep advice from Wendy Dean:

Christmas can be a disruptive time when you are trying to establish or stick to a baby sleep routine. Here are some tips to ensure that your baby will be asleep when Father Christmas arrives:

• Try and keep your bedtime routine consistent whether you are at home or at a relative’s house. Your baby will then be prepared for sleep, despite the excitement going on around them.
• If you do take your baby out in the evening to enjoy a Christmas festivity, do the bedtime routine at home, put them in pyjamas under their coat, feed at the normal times whilst you are out and then when you get home, your baby will be ready to be put directly to bed.
• Do a wind down routine in a quiet room before daytime naps so that your baby takes a break from the excitement and throngs of people to prepare for sleep.

Skin health advice from Dr David Atherton:

Winter is tough on everyone’s skin, but especially in the case of babies with naturally sensitive or dry skin. Consider the following:

• You can use a humidifier in baby’s bedroom – if you can, make sure it incorporates a hygrometer to shut it down when the humidity is optimal to prevent dampness.
• Apply a protective moisturiser to baby’s face and hands before leaving the house, and re-apply on your return (this one can apply to mum too!)
• Cover the skin when outside. Use gloves, a scarf and a hat to help keep baby’s skin protected and warm.
• Make sure your home isn’t too hot and dry, especially in baby’s bedroom. Turn down the boiler setting, make sure it is off at night and, if you can, get some house plants to help increase the humidity.

Health and fitness advice from Laura Williams:

• Try and resist the temptation to buy too many Christmas treats in the run up to the big day. Reduced price tins of chocolates, packets of mince pies and tubs of peanuts will be calling you after a long hard day and if you’re cold and tired, willpower alone might not do it. Put off stockpiling them for as long as you can, or stash treats in the car or even in the garden shed – this will make them trickier to access when cravings come calling.
• Have some sort of Christmas fitness plan. Pledge to just 15 minutes a day over the holidays to get your heartbeat raised. You don’t even need to lace up your trainers – a game of Hide & Seek could burn quite a few calories in a relatively short space of time with your toddler, while a long(ish) post-lunch walk (45-60 mins) with the family will burn off a small helping of Christmas pud.
• Try and curb your big eating days to just two or three over the Christmas period. For example, give yourself a green light to eat what you like on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve and for the other days, try and practise moderation, e.g. say no to a mince pie and have a satsuma instead or swap a handful of peanuts for a handful of olives.

Pregnancy advice from Midwife, Mary Steen-Greaves:

• Take a relaxing bath with some lavender drops added to help you de-stress and a warm milky drink to help you have a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to over eat, especially late at night. Eat small meals frequently to help your digestion and keep spicy and fatty foods to a minimum.
• You will still need to wrap up to keep warm when outdoors even though you will feel warmer than usual due to your increased blood. Wear comfortable, sensible footwear to help you maintain a good posture and reduce the risk of slipping in the cold (possibly icy) weather.

Relationship advice from Denise Knowles:

• Involve toddlers in making presents and wrapping them. Taking time to make cards and gifts together helps build the bond between parents and child…it is fun too!
• Delegate as much as possible and ask family to provide elements of the festivities; they’ll feel part of your family and useful – and you won’t feel so stressed. Share the ‘chores’ too. And if you are pregnant, don’t feel guilty about relaxing and putting your feet up; you need to be a little self-indulgent.
• Discuss and stick to a budget for all of the Christmas festivities, presents, food and outings to avoid any disagreements in January when the bills start rolling in.
• Make some time just for you, it’s not selfish to take some time out and sit with a cuppa.

For more information visit the Pampers Village or connect with other mums and log onto the new Pampers UK & Ireland Facebook page.

Do you have some Top Tips to share for surviving the holiday season? With a 4 week old baby and a 3 1/2 year old toddler and a rather large family to join in with, I’ll need all the help I can get! Enjoy your prep for the weekend…I’ve got to get some Bailey’s, come to think of it. And a straw!

Top tips for dealing with Toddler Temper Tantrums

Posted by cafebebemama on Apr 5, 2011 in Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood | 5 comments

My precious daughter. I love her with all of my heart. But she is trying to control her world. This is clashing dramatically with the expectations of her father and I. We are in the Temper Tantrum zone and it’s not very fun.

Lately we’ve been dealing with a lot more “I can do it myself!” and “I want…” and “No!” This behaviour reared its ugly head a few weekends ago, unfortunately in public. Full on public temper tantrum horriblis. Full on parent guilt and humiliation.

Thankfully I was fortunate enough to be offered a consultation with Pampers Village Parenting Panel expert Annette Karmiloff-Smith. After having viewed my blog/vlog post, Annette had a lot of valuable insight to offer me. One of the surprising things she told me was that it’s actually GOOD that Little Miss is having these tantrums. It means that she’s a fighter and is trying to control her world. If she wasn’t having the occasional tantrum, we should be concerned. I certainly don’t want Little Miss to just lie down and let life walk all over her.

Here are 4 Top Tips for dealing with Toddler Temper Tantrums:

1. YOU ARE THE ADULT! Never let your emotion get the better of you. Your mantra must be: COOL, CALM ADULT! Say it with me…Cool, Calm, Adult…ommmmmm. Basically you want to model the behaviour you expect from your child. Do not react to the situation. If need be, remove your child from the situation to a safe place (naughty step, time out corner, chair) and let them have their moment. Turn your back, do not react, do not try to argue, just give them their time to sort their emotions out. This can be difficult in public but if possible, get them to a place where they can be safe and let it all out. Don’t worry about being embarrassed or of other people’s reactions. All parents have been through it. They won’t think less of you as a parent and what they think doesn’t really matter anyway does it? (I’m trying to learn this lesson!)
2. CONSISTENCY- Whatever you do, be consistent. Don’t treat a tantrum one way one day and another way another day. If you are giving your child consequences for bad behaviour, follow through on them. Children will test you. They want to see just how far they can push it and they will very quickly suss out which parent is the weaker of the two! I remember vividly going to my Dad most of the time when I wanted something. He almost always said yes! (Love you Dad…) Both parents also have to be singing from the same hymnal in this event. I struggle with this a bit because I don’t like to punish my daughter but I think my lack of backbone is what has brought on this stage. She knows that she can push just that ONE MORE time and Mummy will cave. I must do better for her sake. She has to learn that there are consequences for her behaviour.
3. ANALYSE THE CAUSE- What triggers your child’s tantrums? Is it possible to pinpoint what sets them off? For Little Miss I have discovered that tiredness and physical restraint are the two sparks that light her fire. If she’s tired she has far less patience and will snap when pushed. If I try to physically move her or pick her up she turns into a feral child. But think about it from their perspective (thank you Annette)! What if you REALLY wanted something that you’ve wanted for ages and suddenly someone took it from you or physically prevented you from having it? Wouldn’t you lash out? When you’re realy tired, don’t you have far less patience and snap much faster? We know better now (I hope) so we find other ways to get what we want. Toddlers don’t have that experience so we have to help them find ways to deal with their frustration and learn from it. Distraction is always a good method but everyone will develop their own methods for avoiding tantrums. What are yours??
4. FORGIVE- In this mess of emotion and frustration, you have to learn how to forgive YOURSELF and your CHILD when moments like these crop up. There are going to be times when your COOL CALM ADULT mantra fails you and you shout or show emotion. When that happens you must be able to forgive yourself and move on. When your child kicks off in public requiring you to stop everything, bundle them into the car and feel a failure as a parent, you must forgive your child as well. When the temper tantrum is over, let it go. Move on. Find positive in the learning and go forth and play! Chances are it will happen again but you’ll be able to handle it and move on.

These tips have been invaluable to Hubby and me. This past weekend we ventured out and about on Saturday and Sunday and managed to have very successful outings. We gave Little Miss some of the independence she craves, we laid out the expectations for the day and what consequences would occur if she didn’t live up to her end of the bargain and most importantly, followed through on those consequences. We’re getting down to her level (literally), speaking calmly and not over-reacting to the little things. It is working.

We had a big blip this morning, however, but I am very proud to say that I used my mantra (COOL CALM ADULT), didn’t show emotion, removed Little Miss from the situation and didn’t cave to her emotion. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t pretty and it was pretty much exhausting for us both. But we made it through. She had a nap when we got home and I had a Coke. I’m proud of us both. So thank you Annette! We did it! Thank you to Pampers and Fleishman-Hillard for their assistance with our growing pains!

Annette Karmiloff-Smith, is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Birkbeck Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, University of London where she runs a research team looking into infant and child development. She has over 30 years research experience in many aspects of infant and child development, particularly with respect to language acquisition, social interaction, face processing and problem solving. She works with the Pampers Village Parenting Panel as a guest expert, advising parents on various levels of baby development.

Pampers Big Kiss Challenge

Posted by cafebebemama on Sep 28, 2010 in Pampers Big Kiss | 1 comment

I am taking part, for the second year, in an amazing campaign. Pampers and UNICEF have been working together since 2006 to help eliminate newborn tetanus. So far, Pampers Mums have helped save the lives of 100 million women and their babies world-wide. But there are still 170 million women and their babies who need our help. With your support, we can help save even more, and together, help eliminate newborn tetanus.

For the second year in a row, Pampers and UNICEF are reaching out to parent bloggers for their help. We’re spreading the word, leading the charge, annoying the bejesus out of our “followers”. Why not join in on the fun?? I’m working with 5 other bloggers to spread the word. Please visit their sites regularly to hear important posts and realise what your support can do:

• Bringing Up Charlie
• And 1 More Means Four…And 1 More
• New Mummy
• Mediocre Mum
• A Diary of a Yummy Mummy and The Jetsetting Baby

Also, you absolutely MUST visit the site of our Ambassadress, Rosie Scribble. Rosie made the journey of a lifetime this summer to see just what is working as a result of the Pampers/UNICEF campaign. Rosie visited Camaroon and has an inspiring tale to tell.

Now, what can you do? Well, if you use Pampers nappies and/or wipes, just go to the store as usual and purchase your preferred nappy. Make sure you see the “1 pack = 1 vaccine” logo on the package. By purchasing these products you are saving a life as your purchase buys a tetanus vaccination. If you don’t use disposable nappies or wipes, it’s even easier to contribute. Simply click on the button on the top of this post OR on the sidebar of this blog. You have just purchased a tetanus vaccination by doing so!

If you are active on Twitter, follow the bloggers and watch for the hash tag #pampersbigkiss and re-tweet, re-tweet, re-tweet! You can also “wear” a “Twibbon” on your Twitter avatar by clicking on this link: http://twb.ly/cFQztT . The bloggers usernames are: @cafebebe (moi), @and1moremeans5 (Amy), @Caroljs (Carol), @dotterel (Tim), @mediocre_mum (Chrissy), @Taraleniston (Tara) and @RosieScribble (Rosie).

Thank you for your support of this extremely worthy cause. I am honoured to be working with Pampers and UNICEF and with your help we can reach those 170 million women and babies and eliminate the threat of tetanus. What are you waiting for??

Friday Fantastic Five

Posted by cafebebemama on Jul 23, 2010 in Motherhood, Product Reviews | 0 comments

Ah, here I am…chic little me…ready to bring you the first of my Friday Fantastic Five!

Cafe Bebe has had the distinct priviledge of testing and reviewing loads of brilliant products.

Some are for Little Miss.

Some are for me!

Some are for the Cafe Bebe famille.

Every Friday I will bring you my Fantastic Five!  Five products which have been tested, used, experienced & enjoyed.

I hope you’ll enjoy the journey!

I was approached by the PR for Three Mobile to see if, as a family, we’d like to enjoy a day out and trial their new, genius product called MiFi.  This is a Mobile Broadband unit which allows you to be out and about and tap into your own, personal broadband, wireless internet.  It’s similar to a dongle which can be used for a laptop but it’s totally wireless and allows you to use any wi-fi enabled device (phone, laptop, iPod Touch, Nintendo DSi) and allow up to 5 other individuals to tap into your connection if you so choose. The signal is secure, meaning no one else can tag on unless they have the password. Three Mobile MiFi can be used in the car, in public, on the train, at your desk…anywhere you choose.

In addition to the MiFi device, we were also afforded an iPod Touch for trial purposes. I tested the Three Mobile MiFi on a trip to London last week for the Pampers Play Day. It required me to charge it overnight but can also be powered and charged with a simple car adaptor which plugs into a standard cigarette lighter. I simply plugged it in, stuck it to the window with the included suction cup, pressed a few buttons and BINGO we were cooking with gas! I maintained a strong signal the entire way from Peterborough into London allowing me to be on Twitter, check emails, read blog posts and check on my own blog. I was also able to connect to the MiFi during the Pampers Play Day event which was exceptionally convenient. We tweeted, emailed and blogged our way around London and back home thanks to MiFi!

This product is really simple to use, convenient and compact. It will fit in your mobile pocket and weighs very little. It’s ideal for trips and would be a welcome companion on summer holidays. I was also immensely impressed with the iPod Touch! I know, I’m a bit behind the times…I only have an iPod Nano and barely use that…it’s 5 years old! The iPod Touch has all of the features of an iPhone minus the PHONE. That’s alright with me…I don’t ring anyone anyway! I’d happily skip about London with a Three Mobile MiFi and iPod Touch…you can do all of the business you need with this tiny technology in your pocket.  Do check it out…you won’t be disappointed!

Hitting store shelves earlier this week is a chocolate version of the Weetabix cereal which is a favourite of so many households in the UK. As a family, we were sent a box of Chocolate Weetabix, a lovely bowl in which to eat it and a few other bits and bobs which were much appreciated by Little Miss.

I have to admit something…I’m not a huge fan of Weetabix in general. It’s good for you; is a great way to start the day but I sometimes struggle with it when it goes all mushy! I gave Chocolate Weetabix a whirl. It has half the sugar of most chocolate flavoured cereals, is low in salt, high in fibre, is fortified with vitamins and iron…what’s not to love? Well, it was interesting and more appealing to me than everyday Weetabix. I didn’t find it sickly sweet as some sugar cereals can be. I am not a chocolate cereal lover and Chocolate Weetabix did not convert me but I think it would be very enticing to children in particular. The fact that it contains half the sugar of other chocolate cereals is reassuring.

One of my good friends was staying with us when we had our trial box of Chocolate Weetabix. She’s from the US but is a big lover of Weetabix. She adored this new version but found that her usual two squares of Weetabix was a bit too chocolatey! So Sarah came up with a one Chocolate Weetabix & one Regular Weetabix recipe and was thoroughly satisfied. That’s enough of a judgement for me! Next time you’re looking for chocolate cereal for your child, give Chocolate Weetabix a go…you just may have a winner with this one!

The Cafe Bebe Famille have been big fans of Little Dish for a year or so now. I’ve had the priviledge of testing some of their dishes, been listed on their site as a Little Dish Favourite site and have now been able to preview their latest effort.

The Little Dish Favourites Cookbook is a lovely book with easy to follow recipes, several of which are in Little Dish form in grocery stores near you. The recipes are intended to encourage cooking with your child and they definitely deliver on that score. Little Miss adores cooking with me in the kitchen and we quite enjoyed trying our hand at Macaroni Cheese (Little Miss is a pasta freak!) and Eton Mess. Your children will thoroughly enjoy the recipes and you’ll make some beautiful memories together!

A glorious package of numerous flavours and varieties of Rachel’s Organic yoghurts was delivered to our door one weekend morning. Ah, blogging is really a brilliant job sometimes! We were able to try NORMAL sized Low Fat Yoghurts, Pouring Yoghurt, Greek Style Yoghurt…such delightful yoghurt! And so good for you!

Here’s what Rachel has to say for herself:

Here at Rachel’s we are dedicated to making gorgeously pure tastes. All of our products are made simply and with care – using only the very best organic ingredients – to create the deliciously natural flavours we know you will enjoy just as much as we do!

So, how do we do it? Our secret is really quite simple… We believe that you get out what we put in. That’s why every single pot is made with passion and care using only the finest unadulterated ingredients from nature. What do you get? Sophisticated and authentic tastes that are, quite simply, a delight to discover.

In addition to the adult yoghurts, there is a whole range of Children’s products and a quite entertaining site to explore and enjoy. You can find Rachel’s Organic Yoghurts on grocery store shelves near you (in the UK at any rate) and I can say that the entire Cafe Bebe famille was most satisfied with the lovely flavours and textures on offer with Rachel’s Organic.  Rachel’s Organic even joined forces with the beautiful Emma Bridgewater if that helps to sway you to the Rachel’s Organic side!

And to round out the Friday Fantastic Five this week…Pampers Active Fit with Dry Max! As many of you know, I have worked with Pampers and their PR firm, Fleishman-Hillard on a number of projects. Recently I was invited to the Proctor & Gamble Research and Development Facility in Schwalbach, Germany to learn more about the new nappy technology in Pampers nappies.

I’ll preface a future post with my own personal endorsement, as a mother, for Pampers Active Fit nappies with Dry Max. We have started using the Pampers Active Fit with Dry Max nappies and I have been immensely impressed with their efficacy. Little Miss has not had a leak in the 5 weeks we have been using them and we use them as her overnight nappy. She has not had a “chemical burn” (because there are no chemicals in them but I’ll save that for another day) nor has she had a nappy rash. The Pampers Active Fit with Dry Max is remarkably thin and comfortable for Little Miss and she’s a very happy young lady in these nappies.

I know nappies are controversial…gah! What isn’t about being a parent? But I trust Pampers and on the basis of my daughter’s experience, we’re very happy with Pampers Active Fit with Dry Max…more to come on this. You’re going to learn more than you ever wanted to learn about nappies. You’ll be able to go on Mastermind as a Pampers Nappy expert! Now, remember, I’m just one mummy…don’t hate me because I use Pampers!

So, there you have it! Cafe Bebe’s Friday Fantastic Five! Come back next Friday for more amazing products that have come through the Cafe Bebe front door. Give them a go…you just might like them! Have a great weekend…

Off I go now…glamourous me…new products to trial and test…ah…the life of a parent blogger…’tis exhausting!

Photo courtesy of www.mummy-tips.com

A Week of Adventure

Posted by cafebebemama on Jun 18, 2010 in Blogger Love, Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood, Travelling Adventures | 2 comments

The View from the Top, Frankfurt, Germany

After a rather rubbish and depressing week last week, it’s been go, go, go here in the Cafe Bebe household this week.  I had the extreme pleasure of attending an educational press/blogger trip to Schwalbach, Germany and the Proctor & Gamble Innovation Centre.  We learned more about Pampers nappies than I ever thought possible!  I wish I had been taught all of this before Little Miss was born.  Rest assured, I will be educating you throughout next week.  You’re going to love it!

I attended the event with 3 other lovely bloggers:  Muddling Along Mummy, Mummymatters, and New Mummy.  We were treated to a well-organised trip thanks to Fleishman-Hillard (the ravishing Rachel was our coordinator) and some outstanding information and education courtesy of Aimee and Gillian of P&G/Pampers. We had lots of laughs, a bit of wine, great conversation and a bit of rest.

It was also the very first time that I have ever been away from Little Miss overnight!  Thanks to my wonderful in-laws I was not even missed.  It was rather interesting to say the least…being away from my daughter.  I didn’t quite know what to do with myself when I was on my own.  With the others I could forget that I was missing her but on my own it was harder.  But it was also very necessary.  A first step to peeling myself away, doing something for ME and enjoying it.

Now we’re off on another adventure this weekend!  Thanks to a very generous writing offer from Linda Jones at Have A Lovely Time, I am off WITH Little Miss to Newquay for a review trip!  Get me…I’m a journalist!  Ha!  I’ve been in the south of England before but only when stepping off a P&O Ferry from Ouistreham, France in Portsmouth.  Now we’re winging our way to Cornwall to spend a glorious weekend at the Sands Resort Hotel!  Want to see what it looks like??

www.sandsresort.co.uk

Well, that’s not the best picture but rest assured, I will come back with MANY pictures.  If the gods of technology are with me, I will be tweeting and blogging in the down times to take you all along with me!  Please don’t hate me…

I’m rather excited about our adventure.  The lovely PR (Kirsty) at The Rabbit Agency has organised everything for us.  A big thank you to bmibaby for the flight and stay at The Sands Resort Hotel is called for as well.  Once again, as I am travelling courtesy of Have A Lovely Time and my review will be appearing on the site in the very near future, perhaps you want to peruse their fantabulous site for inspiration for your upcoming summer holidays?  I am sure you can find some wonderful ideas…it’s a great resource for families.  Little Miss and I are off to the airport soon for what will hopefully be a restorative weekend.  We’ll come home on Sunday evening for a late Father’s Day Celebration with hubby/Daddy…hope he doesn’t miss us too much!