3
May
2010
By popular demand – THE BABY LIST. Essentials and almost essentials to buy.
This is like a picture of me at the dentist. I know - bad hair day.
Ages ago I wrote a post about baby things I had bought that I had wasted money on. I made a rash promise to post my spreadsheet of things that you SHOULD buy. Four months later I am coming good with my promise. I know. I’m reliable like that. You should hear my promises to my dentist – they are nothing short of inspiring and involve trips to hygienists, dental floss and 45 degree brushing angles.
Anyway, I digress. I know that interesting dentistry anecdotes is a post in itself but baby stuff I promised and baby stuff you shall have. There are many many things to buy when you are having a baby. And many many shops and online stores from which to buy these essentials. I say essentials. In actual fact, apart from a cot, a pram and some clothes, you’d be hard pressed to say anything was truly essential. But we are what we are. Well, actually, I am what I am. You may well be a far more worthy and green type person who buys the minimum, recycles stuff, freecycles it back into the community and is generally a better, kinder and more annoying person than me. If you are, can I suggest you stop reading? I think you will not enjoy my list of essentials.
21
Mar
2010
Things I have learnt about travelling with kids – part one, the airplane ride. AKA Dante’s vision of Hell.
See that flying thing in the background - that is your child. See those two people in the foreground? You. Possibly attacking an air hostess.
A good friend of mine once commented that you learn something more about travelling with kids every time you do it. I scoffed at the time as how much really can there be to learn? I’ve travelled with a kid long haul and two kids a few times. But now, yes Mill, I think you are right. The little buggers keep growing and their needs changing. As opposed to me, since for about fifteen years now I have been happy with a very short list of travel requirements: business class flights, 5 star resorts and child free swimming pools. And one day I’ll actually achieve it, I’m sure.
Anyway, I have learnt much in this last trip. Far too much – as I have two children and know everything there is to know about child rearing, I am gobsmacked, but it is true, there are things I wish I had known before taking the trip. You know how flying was really boring before you have kids? It’s not so much boring now as some sort of sub-Saharan African sand running marathon endurance event. On the plus side, having experienced it too many times now, flying without them means that even the most budget of airline economy seats feels like business class which is an unexpected bonus not mentioned in What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Cover the big stuff people.
10
Nov
2009
What is Etsy? Helping you keep up with the cool kids.
If you get any cool blog alerts sent to you, or tend to trawl the web a bit (in a very non geek-I-have-a-life manner), you will no doubt have come across references to ‘Etsy’. And if you are genuinely cool and don’t surf, you should still pay attention because Etsy is actually really good. Not in a facebook/twitter/2.0 kind of way – in an oh my goodness, some of these things are beautiful, I must buy something immediately kind of way.
So Etsy is like a massive online shop, where people who make things can sell their wares. But we are not talking all painted light globes and pet rocks here (although I am sure they are there somewhere), there are actually high quality, beautiful and individual pieces of jewellery, craft, art and clothing, alongside vintage gear. According to Wikipedia (and what quality journalist wouldn’t quote Wikipedia?) it has been compared to “a crafty cross between Amazon and eBay”. Don’t get me wrong – there is some utter sh*te , but there are also some fab pieces.
So – in order to sound truly hip and with it, feel free to drop the following conversational gems into dinner party chit-chat:
28
Oct
2009
Bonds Easysuit not so easy
I think Bonds is great. And they make great stuff for babies. But something went horribly wrong with their Easysuit because not only is it not easy, it’s the OPPOSITE of easy. It is literally the most difficult item of clothing I have ever had to put on my child.
The problem starts with the head. It’s not, as the word easy would imply, a cross over bodysuit that does up along the front, which is actually the only type of clothing I would buy for the baby until recently (now 4 months old), because trying to get their head through a head hole is just not worth the trouble. I don’t know how Bonds managed to miss this fact because every mother you ask says the same; babies get VERY objectionable about having their head shoved through a tight little elastic hole and then they get SERIOUSLY hysterical about the next step – trying to get their arms through the clothing which is consequently tightly scrunched around their neck. Bonds didn’t even try for the “American” style neck opening which is supposed to make things easier, which I guess it does but in a holding your nose makes it easier to eat brussel sprouts type way; it’s still not great.
23
Oct
2009
ASOS online baby catalogue too cute to miss
ASOS makes online shopping even more fun with moving pictures of very, very cute babies
Everyone loves an excuse to shop, so my advice is you NEED to go and check out the ASOS kids clothing range online because it is too cute to miss. (It’s also one of the few if not the only place you can buy GAP online outside the US). When you roll your mouse over each baby in the catalogue, he or she starts to move — kicking excitedly (like the one in the blue stripey long sleeved bodysuit in this screen shot), laughing, crawling or doing whatever else I guess took their fancy during the shoot. Work it baby.
