We were really lucky to receive a copy of ‘The Land Of Sometimes’ to review.
You can find the official website here – it’s worth clicking on the link in another window and having your computer speakers on – this CD package is more than just a regular album with simple disc and sleevenotes – it’s a book with a picture for every song; you do the work, the music sets the scene and tells a story. Even better, this isn’t your regular kids music. There’s a genre in there for everyone – from reggae to disco, New Orleans jazz plus more – it’s definitely the kind of album you’re not going to get sick of as it sounds too samey!
The story follows Alfie and Elise, two children who enter the Land Of Sometimes, ‘where four seasons pass within one day, and everyone who lives there has a song’ – if you listen with the website, there’s activities and downloads (and lyrics!) you can get pictures of the characters to colour in (H’s constant favourite thing to do) – plus more information about each character – you feel so much more a part of it.
H’s favourites are the cats, called George and Holly (funny, that…!) – even though they don’t have a song to sing (though there is one about them) – so there’s been plenty of cat colouring in lately…
The best thing we’ve found about this is it’s opening H’s mind to there being more than just nursery rhymes out there – something we’re both keen to do (although we must get a CD player for the car…)
It’s a beautiful package, and something you can tell a lot of time has gone into – heck, there’s even a song featuring Ruby Turner! The CD says ‘Recommended ages 2-99’ – which I think pretty much covers us (and the grandparents!) – it’s something which has a universal appeal.
The Land Of Sometimes was created by Francesca Longrigg and her long term writer/producer Chicky Reeves – both have long standing careers in music, and have since had children which brought about the inspiration for this project – a massive three years in the making. The illustrations and visuals come from Howard McWilliam whose work you’re sure to have seen.
The Land of Sometimes came out on the 6th February 2012 – you can buy it now at Amazon for £8.99.
We were lucky to be sent one of each type of wipes from Jackson Reece. The Kinder By Nature wipes are biodegradable, and use organic ingredients and are vegan. Read on….
We tried out the scented wipes, available in packs of 72 which came with a great seal – one which kept the wipes really moist and fresh too – we’ve found with some brands the seal will split and the wipes dry out. This was definitely a big plus point. They were kind to H’s skin, and we had no reactions to them – something we’ve had a problem with when using some well known names. Oh, and also – they smell so very very lovely!
We also tried the newly launched Natural Flushable Wipes which come in smaller packs of 10 – I’ve never been a fan of flushable wipes (as I’m convinced it’s me that clogs up the toilet), but these were lovely – and kept H so clean – it’s definitely something I’d consider over regular toddler wipes.
Jackson Reece’s unique mild and gentle balm soothes and protects babies delicate skin – and 99% of the ingredients are derived from vegetable or plant sources. Each pack of wipes contains Organic Aloe Vera (an anti-inflammatory, plus it’s healing and cooling), Organic Tea Tree Oil (which is naturally antibacterial), Organic Lavender Aromatherapy Oil (soothing and calming), High Purity Water and a vegetable based preservative system.
To quote Jackson Reece “Unlike many baby skincare products, our wipes do NOT contain any of the following potential irritants. Jackson Reece Natural Herbal wipes are free of alcohol, parabens, chlorine, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), Lanolin, phthalates, MIT, triclosan, propylene glynol, petro chemicals, benzonates, phenoxyethanol & Soap. ”
The wipes are suitable for children with eczema and sensitive skin, and is hypoallergenic and dermatologically approved – and of course the wipes are biodegradeable, and the packs degradeable. Oh, and they’re made in the UK, and not tested on animals – and are suitable for vegans.
I love that the company is named after their two sons, both of whom had eczema related problems which inspired them to create the wipes – read their story over here.
Jackson Reece wipes can be bought in Sainsburys (and several other retailers – check their site for more info!) – and they’re reasonably priced at around £2.99 per pack. The pack of 10 retail for just over £1.
While Tinnitus isn’t something that strictly falls under what Mum Friendly is about it is something I live with daily.
The 6th to 12th February 2012 is Tinnitus Awareness Week – and while it’s too late for me, it’s not too late for me to make sure that H grows up knowing that her hearing is something which should be protected and looked after.
I’ve been going to gigs since 1983, and only started using earplugs at gigs in the 2000’s – I know when my problems became permanent, and wish I’d had the common sense to deal with it sooner. Guided By Voices and Seachange played a gig at ULU, the sound was so loud for Seachange that nobody was in the main hall – and you couldn’t even speak in the bar area. It was horribly loud. I know when GbV were on stage was the first time I wore earplugs at a gig. Two days later the ringing started to calm down – again, that should have been a warning sign – but instead I went to Dingwalls and saw Mojave 3 play a gig, standing right down the front with no earplugs in. The ringing hasn’t stopped yet.
From the word go we made sure that H had ear protectors – without trying to be too paranoid about it (my mum, dad and sister have had hearing issues, so there could be something hereditary in there), so parties with a disco would have H with a nice bright yellow pair of Kidproof ear defenders. There’s several brands of these – and they’re not expensive, and definitely worth looking into.
Ultimately, the main way to protect your hearing is to have a sensible outlook from the start. Around 20 years of going to live gigs ruined my hearing because I didn’t pick up on the signs – so any loud events and I’ve got my disposable earplugs (or I just don’t go) – it’s really important to let our kids know they do need to look after their hearing – and there’s cases of people going to one loud gig and having problems – so it doesn’t even have to be a cumulative effect. Some people don’t go to gigs and still have tinnitus, so it’s not unique to one scenario.
The British Tinnitus Association have a Top 10 Tinnitus Tips, which are worth reading through; should you find yourself with this problem then show these to your GP :
1. At any point in time around 10% of the population experience tinnitus – both sexes are equally affected and although tinnitus is more common in the elderly it can occur at any age, including childhood. The perceived sound can have virtually any quality – ringing, whistling and buzzing are common – but more complex sounds can also be described.
2. Most tinnitus is mild – in fact it is relatively rare for it to develop into a chronic problem of life-altering severity. The natural history of tinnitus in most patients is of an acute phase of distress when the problem begins, followed by improvement over time. But for a minority of patients the distress is ongoing and very significant, and they will require specialist support.
3. Tinnitus is more common in people with hearing loss – tinnitus prevalence is greater among people with hearing impairment but the severity of the tinnitus correlates poorly with the degree of hearing loss. It is also quite possible to have tinnitus with a completely normal pure tone audiogram.
4. Tinnitus can be associated with a blocked sensation – for reasons that are not clear tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss can give rise to a blocked feeling in the ears despite normal middle ear pressure and eardrum mobility. Otoscopy and, if available, tympanometry can exclude Eustachian tube dysfunction. Decongestants and antibiotics are rarely helpful.
5. Giving a negative prognosis is actively harmful – it is all too common to hear that patients have been told nothing can be done about tinnitus. Such negative statements are not only unhelpful but also tend to focus the patient’s attention on their tinnitus and exacerbate the distress. A positive attitude is generally helpful and there are many constructive statements that can be made about tinnitus, such as: most tinnitus lessens or disappears with time; most tinnitus is mild; tinnitus is not a precursor of hearing loss.
6. Enriching the sound environment is helpful – useful sources of sound to reduce the starkness of tinnitus include quiet uneventful music, a fan or a water feature. There are inexpensive devices that produce environmental sounds, and these are particularly useful at bedtime. They can be purchased online from the British Tinnitus Association at www.tinnitus.org.uk or by calling 0114 250 9933.
7. Hearing aids are helpful – straining to listen causes increased central auditory gain and this increased sensitivity can allow tinnitus to emerge or, if already present, to worsen. Correcting any associated hearing loss reduces this central auditory gain and thereby reduces the level of the tinnitus. Hearing aids are useful even if the hearing loss is relatively mild and an aid would not normally be considered. Recent Department of Health guidelines have emphasised the value of audiometry in a tinnitus consultation, and this is the definitive basis for decisions about hearing aid candidacy. If in doubt, refer for an audiological opinion. In our view, all people who describe tinnitus deserve an audiological assessment. Decisions on when to start using a hearing aid and what sort to use are up to the individual patient and audiologist.
8. Underlying pathology is rare, but be vigilant – in many cases tinnitus is due to heightened awareness of spontaneous electrical activity in the auditory system that is normally not perceived. It can however be a symptom of treatable and significant otological pathology, such as a vestibular schwannoma or otosclerosis. One should be especially vigilant if the tinnitus is unilateral, or if it has a pulsatile quality.
9. There is no direct role for drugs – although they can be used to treat associated symptoms such as vertigo, insomnia, anxiety or depression. There is also no conventional or complementary medication that has been shown to have specific tinnitus ameliorating qualities and there is anecdotal suggestion that repeatedly trying unsuccessful therapies worsens tinnitus.
10. Self-help is often effective – the British Tinnitus Association provides excellent information on tinnitus and common sense advice on managing symptoms. It runs a telephone helpline 0800 018 0527 as well as offering advice through its website www.tinnitus.org.uk
With thanks to The Line Of Best Fit for mentioning it in the first place, as I’d never have known.
I’ve wanted to do a feature on back pain for a while now. I’m in no way qualified to write about it from a medical perspective, however, I am qualified as I’m still in pain now, as I’m sure are many mums who have had back trouble.
Last year around August time I had a miscarriage, which started with back pain. A few weeks later my back went – I was unable to walk, to do anything – and was eventually taken to hospital.
I suspect the two issues are linked in some way which I’m not entirely sure how, but late January 2012 I attended an event held by Publicasity and the British Chiropractic Association, which went into issues a lot of mums (and dads) have relating to back pain.
I want to try to cover some of what I learned, and include some useful links so if you find yourself in that position, it might be of some help. All guidance came from Tim Hutchful and Louise Hampton from the BCA.
My first chat was with Tim – he told us how we often don’t pick things up from the floor correctly, putting extra strain on our back – and what we actually should be doing is raising a leg to give us balance. Try dropping a pen on the floor and bending down to get it – it’s not great – but if you try again raising a leg, you’ll find you have better balance.
Everything comes down to posture; to quote Tim “The ideal posture would allow for a plumb line to hang straight through your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. Try and stand in a relaxed way but gently contracting your abdominal muscles. When sitting, the same is true. The gravity line should pass thorough ear, shoulder and hip.” Did you know that when you’re sitting down, you’re actually using 150% strain on your back? (that is from memory, I need to double-check so am apologising now if it’s wrong!) As for slouching in front of the tv (guilty as charged, with my history, not good), that’s bad. A settee is not a good chair to be sitting in – it’s really bad for your posture. The ideal sitting position is to make sure your body has as much contact as possible with the chair, so it’s kept supported.
We talked about bags. Most mums have their lovely fancy changing bags, and actually they can often be bad for your back – ideally something like a rucksack which spreads the weight across your back is better – the same goes for laptops, and anything you’d carry in this way.
The one that surprised me was the potential for back trouble if you have a badly fitting bra. Most women don’t get correctly fitted and measured (from experience, the one time I did she didn’t measure me, she just kept bringing me bras she thought would fit) – there’s some tell-tale signs you’re wearing the wrong size – the underband rides up (lift your arms – and check if the underwire is still against the body), the shoulder straps dig in (the straps provide 20 percent of support – if the straps dig in then the underband may be too loose), the centre fold is lifting away from the body (possibly too small cup), or the back band is over stretched.
We were shown more practical situations we could all improve on – one was baby carriers – slings aren’t great for your posture (gulp) – try going for the ones which strap baby across you and criss-cross across the back, rather than go over one shoulder. When picking up your baby/toddler, hold them as close as possible to you and your hip, changing sides as often as possible.
How about playing? I had no idea what was going on with my knees, there were weird bits on them, but apparently loads of people get them – fluid on the knee, due to kneeling down playing with your little one. To help combat this and improve the line of posture, try kneeling on a cushion. I suggested sitting cross-legged, and was advised to sit on a cushion while doing this, as it’s an okay posture, as you’re evenly balanced.
When you’re sitting in front of a computer all day, I found that setting a reminder on my computer to check my posture every 15 minutes, and after three (ie 45 minutes) standing up, also helped a lot. I can get quite engrossed in my work… “Your seat should be adjusted so that your feet are flat on the ground, your knees bent, but with a slope from your hips to your knees. You should end up with your hips higher than your knees and your eyes level with the top of the computer screen. You may need to put the screen on a stand or even on a ream of paper to bring it to the right height.”
If you’re using a laptop, it’s worth investing in a separate keyboard and mouse to use when at home to use in a more back friendly manner.
As a knitter, I was told it’s good to sit in a chair which moves – like a rocking chair, as your posture wont be great while doing this, but with you moving around a lot, you’re getting support for the rest of your body – and take lots of breaks! My rocking chair is my feeding chair – and also with feeding make sure you’re giving yourself good support – your arms shouldn’t hold the baby’s weight. Try investing in a ‘V Pillow’ too, for additional support.
Exercise-wise, we were recommended one we’ve done in Pilates classes – the Star Exercise – I’ve linked to an article on eHow which explains it a little better, you essentially keep your back straight (core muscles at work – imagine you’ve a tea-tray on there which you don’t want to spill) and raise alternate arms and legs – our Pilates instructor liked to call it the Superman one (that seems to be another much more difficult one though) – but this works your abs to keep your pelvis stable.
It goes without saying, the one exercise they drum into you at ante-natal classes, the pelvic floor is extremely important. As someone who had a c-section, I’ve heard so many other mums who had one saying “oh I’m okay, I had a c-section, I don’t need to do them” and then have problems – everyone should do them, even dads. I’ve found I’m more likely to do my pelvic floor if I think of something to associate it with – singing nursery rhymes! It helps though, especially with the breathing, as if I’m not doing something I think about it too much.
One suggestion we had as far as overall balance goes was to stand on one foot when we clean our teeth, to help posture again. If we get pretty well-balanced, try doing it with our eyes closed – again, it’s helping the core muscles work and improving overall balance.
I have to say, I found the event really helpful – I got answers to things that other people hadn’t been able to give me. Six months after it all happened to me, I still have minor backache; it’s something I wish I’d done things to help strengthen and improve – everything we were taught was common sense. I met some other bloggers at the event, who all have their own accounts of the day – they’re all worth reading as we all had different issues, so where I’ve waffled, they may have said it in a far more coherent way!
We were extremely lucky and were sent a Quicksmart Backpack Stroller to review as part of my subscription for one of the paid review sites, so here’s what we think…
The stroller is extremely lightweight, and due to this has next to no storage – just a tiny pocket at the back. If you need to take things with you then you’re stuck with your changing bag. There’s no basket underneath, as that’s where the wheels fold in.
As the title says, this stroller packs up into a backpack – this is its biggest selling point, and something which I think we’d use and keep in the car, or if we were taking the train and were faced with no step-free exits (like Carshalton Station), or most practically of all, flying – as it’s small enough to be cabin baggage when folded up.
The folding up of the buggy itself takes a while. This is no one-handed fold, it’s fiddly and does involve you setting yourself space to do it – but once it’s done you’ve a great lightweight stroller. It’d be even more perfect in this respect if there were some way you could carry it (a bit like our MacLaren Quest has a strap which means you can put it over your shoulder) without having to take the backpack with you. Having said that, we used it on a trip to Epsom, navigating two sets of stairs on the way back at the station, and were able to do it easily due to its weight. H did the stairs herself – I had the shopping in a lightweight backpack and a small changing bag.
It doesn’t come with a raincover, or any additional things – just the backpack and the stroller – though it does pack so small that it would only take a quarter of the size in the boot of our car, rather than half of it like the MacLaren does.
The buggy isn’t suitable from birth, and doesn’t have a recline feature, though does have a shade (held by velcro, so pulled off by H a few times) which is good. We found our BundleBean fitted perfectly when we’ve needed an additional cover.
One criticism I’d have is the back wheels – they’re quite wide apart, and I’ve found myself tripping over them a couple of times – though that’s not a major problem, they’re just in a weird place for my feet! In shops some aisles weren’t wide enough for the buggy either (M&S and TK Maxx, I’m looking at you in particular). I wish the way it folded together was more straightforward, but then I can’t see myself in a situation where I’d need that now, as we’re doing more walking without a buggy than with – which makes carrying this one around with you ideal, as it’s not heavy.
These buggies sell for £120 – so they’re not cheap. I’m not a buggy aficionado, having stuck with MacLaren, but had we travelled to Australia this Christmas just gone, then this would have been perfect. After landing in Dubai and trying to find a buggy from their stands, actually just having one and being able to stretch your legs would have been a huge bonus. (n.b. they do have lots of buggies in Dubai Airport, almost all the stands near us were empty, I guess lots of toddlers/babies travelling!)
In summary – definitely one for a family who likes to travel. For regular use? Probably not as much.
Some children don’t like to poop in the potty, and will hang on until they have their night time nappy on to make a deposit. Believe it or not, this is actually very common. It’s one of those subjects like nits or piles that many parents have to deal with, but very few discuss. So rest assured that this is a normal phase which many children experience, and not related to anything you have or haven’t done. And like all phases it will pass, so be patient.
Your child may seem to be physically ready and recognise the physical sensation when number two is coming, but emotionally they may still want to hold on to the nappies and not let them go just yet.
Here are a few options for ways to approach it if your child seems reluctant to ditch the nappies:
Do nothing
Let your toddler have the nappies or pull-up pants and trust that he or she will move out of them when they’re ready. If they’re still using them in six month’s time, reassess.
Use a sticker chart to encourage more use of the loo or potty
Stickers are a very effective motivational tool for boys and girls under five. My daughter used to put a sticker on her potty every time she used it. My son needed a bit more of an incentive, so he got to choose a new toy when he’d managed to keep the Number 2’s in the loo for a week. Use whichever motivational tool you think your child will respond to.
Stop buying pull-up pants or nappies
Going cold turkey is a more drastic approach which may result in a few tears and some mess, but if you don’t have them in the house then they can’t be used. Obviously this won’t work if your child still needs them at night.
Use your older children as role models
Talk to your toddler about what it was like when your older children were potty training. Get your toddler to tell you how they feel about it, especially the bits they don’t like and feel anxious about. Try not to pressurise and instead focus on using the potty or loo as an achievement to be proud of.
You can buy ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual’ at Amazon now in paperback or the Kindle edition
Joanne has kindly donated a signed copy of ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual’ for one lucky Mum Friendly reader as part of January’s competition – having now read most of the book, I hope what’s above is a good taster – it’s full of practical advice from a lot of people who’ve been through this crazy world of having a toddler and come out the other side. It’s reassuring that the madness involved isn’t something that only you will go through! There’s also some hilarious contributions from parents, with my own personal favourite being the ‘Wheels On The Bus’ part.
For your chance to win a copy signed by Joanne, comment below and let us know any crazy things your toddler has done. The closing date for this one is February 14th, though I can’t guarantee the draw will be done that day (though we’re not ones to celebrate V-Day)! Continue reading →
Dry Like Me pads are great. We received a sample at the Brighton Baby Show, and having shown them to a few mum friends now everyone is pretty much in agreement – it’s a great idea and why wasn’t it thought of sooner?
Essentially the pads are like panty liners, designed to catch a wee at the early stage – something we’ve become more than aware of since we’ve started potty training – H will start to do a wee, feel the wet and tell us in a kind of get-me-to-the-toilet-now tone of voice. That’s one set of pants plus some trousers that need to be changed, and after a while the washing starts to mount up. This is where the Dry Like Me pads come in – they sit in the pants, and when they get that first bit of wee, the bit I like to now call the ‘two minute warning’, they’re aware and even better, their pants and trousers (or whatever they’re wearing) aren’t spoiled at the same time!
For pooey accidents you can place a pad in that area too – it’s not just for wee.
We think they’re fab – H has been sent to nursery with a box, which baffled a lot of the staff, but they get it! A box has 18 pads which isn’t a huge amount, though truthfully you’ll probably find you might only need a box or two and they cost less than a pack of nappies (which probably have around the same amount in them!).
The added bonus is that if your little one is a bit leaky at night, these can help, if they’re likely to wake themselves up and realise; though they’re definitely not nappy replacements. You also get a little pouch to carry them around with you. We’ve found them most effective at naptimes or times when she might forget she needs to go (ie, if she’s playing with friends) – and even better, I’ve a box to give away, plus five sample packs.
To stand a chance of winning we wont make you work too hard, just tell us as a comment here why some ‘Dry Like Me’ pads would be a good thing – one lucky winner will win a box, the runners-up will win a sample. You can buy ‘Dry Like Me’ in most supermarkets – though we’ve found they tend to be the bigger ones. Sainsburys and Asda have both had them on offer quite recently, so they’re worth looking out for. Also, if you’re not already following them on Facebook, their link is below – tell them we sent you! We’ll draw the winners at the end of January, so you’ve a couple of weeks to enter!
Potty training is going to be January’s theme. But crikey, it’s a huge theme to even think about tackling. It’s one we’re in the middle of at the moment, and (touch wood) is going really well. It’s also one a lot of my friends are doing. There’s so many questions.. how do you know your little one is ready? What do you need? What do you do? How many changes of clothes do you need? Training pants or cold turkey? What’s the right way to do it? What should you avoid? What about when you’re out and about?
That was probably half of the questions in my head when we first started, and as we’re progressing there truly is no right or wrong way, but you’ll get a ton of recommendations along the way and something will work (when your little one is ready, of course). Over at the Mum Friendly Facebook Group we’ve been chatting about it and there’s several different opinions (as there should be!) which are great for ideas.
Realistically with the time I’ve got at the moment I suspect this theme will run into February. We’ve some fabulous giveaways along the way which I’ll get online as soon as I can (hopefully today or tomorrow for the first ones) – everything featured is something I’ve already bought, and I’m sharing things I’ve liked which the companies have been very kind to donate.
Published in December 2011, ‘Toddlers: An Instruction manual – A guide to surviving the years one to four (written by parents, for parents)’ is one of those books you really need to know about. It’s available in paperback and Kindle formats, and even better, part of the royalties are donated to Home-Start, one of the UK’s leading family support charities.
The book explores why toddlers behave the way they do (and speaking as a mum of an almost 2.5 year old, anything that can shed any light is a good good thing!), and putting it out there as an instruction manual. Having quickly skim read some of the sections I know it’s something I’m going to be using a lot these next few years…!
It’s nice to know you’re not alone when you wonder what on earth is going on in your toddler’s head, the book brings together tried and tested practical, down to earth tips from parents who’ve survived the toddler years and want to help you do the same. From help getting your child to sleep through the night, listening when you say no and getting them to stop reacting with horror when they see something they don’t want to eat, this book WILL help! The book celebrates the qualities we love about toddlers and suggests ways to navigate their less appealing aspects. It’s never going to stop them tormenting us, but can help us get through with your sanity (just about) intact!
Joanne Mallon has created a fantastic book – she’s a freelance parenting journalist, a life and career coach, and a parent of two.
Home-Start supports almost 73,000 vulnerable children across the UK. Last year, their 16,000 volunteers gave a million hours of support to families. Home-Start help them cope with post-natal illness, isolation, bereavement, disability, domestic violence and much more.
Do I need to tell you more? Here’s some words from the press release
* written with warmth, understanding and love – no preaching or judgemental comments;
* invaluable advice from many parents on what they wish someone told them about toddlers;
* practical guidance from experts, empowering the parent to make their own choices confidently;
* up-to-date information on toddlers using technology, including advice on iPads and the under 5’s;
* tried and tested tips for tackling common toddler issues including tantrums, fussy eating, potty training and sleep problems;
* easily accessible information broken down into bite sized chunks;
* reminds parents that despite the tantrums, tears and toilet training, there is much to love about the precious toddler years.
In addition to this, I’ve contributed two end of chapter sections to the book, so am proud to be featured in here – it’s a great book and will be a great resource for parents now and in the future.
We did a flying visit to Guildford just after Christmas – and our first trip out while doing the magical world of toilet training. So you’d think it’d be easy to be out and about and find what you need – but actually, it wasn’t.
Mothercare is still the best place for changing nappies and so on, but when you need a toilet which is big enough for a buggy, as well as you, you get a bit stuck. There’s disabled toilets, but as there were seperate changing facilities, it felt a bit wrong to use them (would you? Comment below, please!)
Eventually, the best place we found for enjoying a coffee and sandwich, as well as good sized toilet facilities was at Pret A Manger – plus they do kid-sized sandwiches too – and they’re half price.
With not being as familiar with the place as we are locally, it was a bit of a struggle – someone suggested Debenhams, but we couldn’t actually find it! (as we know their cafe’s are fab). If anyone has any good Guildford recommendations that aren’t above, do let us know!
If you do have a baby and are there, we can recommend the changing facilities at the Westfield shopping centre – aka The Friary (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a Westfield when we last went there!) – top floor and they’re lovely.
From the word go we made sure that H had ear protectors – without trying to be too paranoid about it (my mum, dad and sister have had hearing issues, so there could be something hereditary in there), so parties with a disco would have H with a nice bright yellow pair of 
We were extremely lucky and were sent a Quicksmart Backpack Stroller to review as part of my subscription for one of the paid review sites, so here’s what we think…
The folding up of the buggy itself takes a while. This is no one-handed fold, it’s fiddly and does involve you setting yourself space to do it – but once it’s done you’ve a great lightweight stroller. It’d be even more perfect in this respect if there were some way you could carry it (a bit like our MacLaren Quest has a strap which means you can put it over your shoulder) without having to take the backpack with you. Having said that, we used it on a trip to Epsom, navigating two sets of stairs on the way back at the station, and were able to do it easily due to its weight. H did the stairs herself – I had the shopping in a lightweight backpack and a small changing bag.
The buggy isn’t suitable from birth, and doesn’t have a recline feature, though does have a shade (held by velcro, so pulled off by H a few times) which is good. We found our BundleBean fitted perfectly when we’ve needed an additional cover.
