Always Something On

No time to write up a description just need to dump some info

[jodoor]

Baby Sippy Cups

I have 2 recommendations for sippy cups. 

I like to use different ones so that my little one (LO) doesn’t get used to just one type. 

So far the one that my LO gets the most water out of is the: Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Flexi-Straw Cup

At 6 months this was not the first cup I used but the moment I used it my LO wasn't choking on the water all the time and was able easily grasp the concept.

I tend to use this one when we go out. At this point, I feel it is more important that my LO is staying easily hydrated while out an about.

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/munchkin-click-lock-weighted-flexi-straw-cup-207ml-assorted/p/428365/

I love that my LO can tip it any which way and still be able to drink due to the weighted straw. With no leakage!

I’ve found it easy to clean (and I only use water in the cup). 

It’s great that the lid retracts and is part of the cup. However, It does easily come off when the cup is dropped.

The next sippy cup I’d recommend is the: Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup

What a great concept! Unfortunately, my LO choked a lot on the water at the start but he is just about an expert now at 1yo.

No leaks, unless dropped some comes out. But it’s easily wiped up.

I love that this prepares my LO to drink out of a cup in future.

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/munchkin-miracle-360-trainer-cup-207ml-assorted/p/428373/

--

The first sippy cup I invested in based on reviews I had researched was the:

Nuby No-Spill Twin Handle Silicone Spout Cup - not recommended It seemed like a good idea but the spout was way too big for my LO at 6m and he just choked on the water all the time.

Admittedly he has gotten better but I really only use it as a back up at home. 

[jodoor]

Baby Onsies

Also, referred to as wondersuits, growsuits, zippys...

My recommendations:  

It makes life sooo much easier when they have zips. I’d steer clear of button and snap closures.

Even better when the zip is to the side and not up the middle as typically bub clothing rides up and even though the zip is covered it gets in the way of bubs face. 

I prefer footless suits. My bubs feet are always too big. But many suits now are footed.

Some favourite brands:

Purebaby - https://www.purebaby.com.au/ - Organic - The material is so soft - great quality! - Footed

Bonds Wondersuits - https://www.bonds.com.au/baby/zippys/zip-wondersuits.html - Love the designs - Footless - I find the sizing is a little bigger than other brands - Not organic

Sprout  - Purchase at Myer (eg. https://www.myer.com.au/shop/mystore/unisex-360554--1/unisex-essential-coverall-612632530) - Side zip! - Footed - Not organic

Marquise - https://www.marquise.com.au - Love the feel - Zip options - Footed - Not organic

[jodoor]

Hello Charlie! - Things for Baby

I discovered this website which has some great products for your baby:

Hello Charlie - https://www.hellocharlie.com.au

The products offered on this site are geared towards being eco-friendly (better for the environment) and don’t contain those nasties (toxic ingredients) found in a lot of mainstream brands.

I love what they stand for!

I purchased their sample of eco nappies. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a favourite here yet. (Update - It took a little time but my go-to nappy is Seventh Generation - more below) 

Nappy Samples: https://www.hellocharlie.com.au/newborn-nappy-samples-box/

Admittedly, I wasn’t paying much attention when I tested these out. I’m probably going to get samples again so that I can make a proper decision.

I hate to admit it but Huggies has been a reliable brand in terms of fit. If only they took into consideration the environment and materials used.

I’m determined to keep searching for a nappy that ticks all my boxes. 

(Sidenote: I was given a pack of ecoriginals. They weren’t too bad but I did have a few leakages. So, unfortunately, this wasn’t the brand for me.)

---- NAPPY UPDATE:

So, I did another round of trial nappies. The winner ... Seventh Generation!

Perhaps, not the most eco-friendly compared to some of the other eco brands but this one ticked all of our boxes. 

I love that they aren’t bulky and they have ‘super-stretchy’ leg gathers. Great absorbency for such a thin nappy. And feel softer than other eco brands. They boast additional benefits like chlorine free, hypo-allergenic, no latex, no fragrance.

https://www.hellocharlie.com.au/seventh-generation-nappy-samples/

Eco nappies are not cheap! And while Hello Charlie does offer good pricing I did find a store in Leichardt that also sells the nappies: here: https://www.thepharmacy.com.au/

The Pharmacy shop has become a favourite of mine as well - it needs its own write-up. But they also sell organic biscuits and porridge.

On a side note - I noticed recently that Joonya (https://www.joonya.com/) has released their own nappy range. I’ll be looking at giving them a go as well.  ---

Hello Charlie also sells biodegradable nappy bags. Unfortunately, they only have one brand on offer - Wotnot, which is a great brand btw but is quite expensive. 

I haven’t found a cheaper brand though. 

(Sidenote: I did find this one brand which was cheaper and biodegradable on eBay called Biotuff - unfortunately, the bags are little small and I found that some of the bags would tear - so the quality wasn’t so great- in fact it was terrible - I DO NOT recommend)

--- NAPPY BAG UPDATE:

Due to my budget, I have had to opt for Nappy Sacks (https://www.bigw.com.au/product/nappy-sacks-200-bags/p/208955/) - It says they are ‘naturally degradable’. Not sure what that means. And unfortunately, they have fragrance. I’ll keep searching for something better. ---

Something I really love about this site is their Cheat Sheets!

http://blog.hellocharlie.com.au/category/green-guides/

AMAZING! and so helpful!

My favourite is the Baby Wipes review: http://blog.hellocharlie.com.au/biggest-ever-baby-wipes-cheat-sheet-45-wipes-reviewed/

I was a little worried about the ingredients found in baby wipes and this cheat sheet has helped so much!

I started out trying Jackson Reece Herbal Baby Wipes (Kinder by Nature). They are great and bub had no reactions. 

Unfortunately, my partner is more practically minded and likes it when wipes have the plastic lid. It makes opening the packet easier. 

So, I switched to JAK Organics Aqua Baby Wipes which are also great and bub had no reactions. But it was difficult to grab the wipes out of the packet. I was expecting that when you grab a wipe it would tag the next one ready to be lifted out (like when you grab a tissue out of a tissue box the next tissue is tagged and ready to taken) but this did not happen and instead of trying to grab one wipe a bunch would come out. In other words, the wipes aren’t interlocked!

(Sidenote: I also purchased the JAK Organics 2-in-1 Baby Wipes which I would use sparingly - I loved that I could clean and soothe as a barrier cream at the same time - bub didn’t need barrier cream every time)

So, my next purchase of wipes will be Joonya Natural Baby Wipes. From reading the reviews it seems like this may tick all my boxes. I’ll let you know how this pans out. --- BABY WIPES UPDATE:

Joonya baby wipes ar my go-to. Love what these guys stand for and the functionality of the wipes are great. They are interlocked, have a plastic lid for easy access and the wipes themselves don’t smell and have a bumpy surface.

I wish they had a refill pack version. This would be better for the environment and I could use them at home to refill my dispenser.  Joonya offer a subscription-based option that saves a lot of money. If I can make some time I’ll do a separate write-up. ---

Something else I’m looking into in the near future are swim nappies. I’ll update once I’ve researched this more :)

[jodoor]

Think Local?

Sorry guys (thinklocal.com.au), I just unsubscribed from your newsletter. 

I noticed that I’m not the target market. The site looks great and newsletter design is nice too but I don’t live near or in the Northern beaches or North Shore. And I don’t really visit that way often either. 

But that’s not really the reason for this little post.  

I was disappointed to see that they use Mail Chimp as their ESP. An Amercian brand.

I found your slogan on Facebook. It says, ‘Live Local. Buy Local. Think Local’. 

It’s a little ironic don’t you think?

There are some good Aussie ESPs out there and the cost isn’t that much different.

C’mon guys let’s Think Local?

[jodoor]

Building an email database list

I receive phone calls all the time from people looking to buy or rent email lists in order to bring on new customers.

I can't understand why people still do this?!

Seriously, this is not the way to go. I've heard so many stories about people who have gone down this path and haven't received any roi.

Email Monks have some good suggestions to get you started:

http://www.emailmonks.com/blog/email-marketing/10-creative-ways-to-build-your-subscriber-list/

It's so easy to capture data from web forms on your website.

Put a contact form on your website.

Create free reading material, like an infographic or e-book. Run a competition. Believe me these things cost much much less than purchasing a list and you get the added bonus of showing off your knowledge.

With a purchased list , how do you know that these people will be interested in what you're selling? Do you really want to be all up in their face trying to sell sell sell? It's basically like door knocking and hoping for the best. Even worse it's like intruding into someone's personal space. 

Think about how you would like a company to sell their products to you.

Do some research and see what other people are doing. The Internet is a big place.

[jodoor]

That time of the year

Looking for presents?

T2 has some pretty cool stuff (http://www.t2tea.com/).

Although I'm surprised they don't have any corporate hamper/gifts. 

The Breville tea maker looks cool

and the Cocoa triple treat looks yummy!

But what I'm really digging atm is the T2 teamaker! It's a clever little contraption.

It comes in the Kit & Kaboodle pack.

** All images are copyright T2 Tea **

** These are my own thoughts and just wanted to share.

[jodoor]

Apostrophes in email addresses

I just discovered today that you can have apostrophes in an email address! What tha! Ok. 

I personally think that's silly. Who wants to remember an apostrophe in an email address!?