Tried and tested - Mother & Baby - Tiscali Shopping

Products that are specifically made with mothers and babies in mind. Find out what we thought and whether you should invest.

The babyblooms bouquet is an ingenious variation on a real flower bouquet. It arrives beautifully packaged in layers of tissue and at first glance it looks exactly like a luxury hand-tied bouquet of yellow, green and white flowers.

A closer look reveals that the "flowers" are in fact made of fabric or wood, with the fabric ones unfurling into gorgeous high-quality newborn baby clothes. My colleague arranged for me to receive the large yellow bouquet ahead of the birth of my baby which is due in November. I don't know the sex of the baby so yellow is perfect as it contains a selection of yellow and white clothes, however, if you were sending this as a gift after the birth you can also opt for lovely powder blue or pink varieties as well.

The large bouquet contains two white bodysuits, two white sleep suits, three pairs of yellow socks and a yellow and white striped hat, all in sizes to fit 0-3 months.

Pros - A babyblooms bouquet makes an ideal gift as it combines the pleasure of the two traditional gifts of flowers and baby clothing and adds its own original twist.

By sending this you'll also have the pleasure of knowing that long after all the cut flowers have faded and the vases have been put away, your friend and their new arrival will be enjoying this lovely practical gift for the next few months.

Cons / negs
At £45.00 plus £5 for delivery this may seem quite an expensive present, but you do have to bear in mind the cost of sending a bouquet of real flowers, which may be beautiful but only bring fleeting pleasure.

  £45.00

"Combining function with charm, these Tinybigs are tattoo inspired and are designed for babies aged 6-18 months. With a soft cotton back to be gentle against babies' skin and a safe, easy to use magnetic clasp, they can be conveniently worn anywhere along a child's waistband."

Pros: Great invention as droopy drawers are one of the biggest causes of children tripping. Comes in an attractive cassette case and the product is extremley easy to use.

Cons:Fairly difficult to keep your child facing backwards and still at teh same time to put them into place I felt that the words written on them were completely inappropriate. The set that I was given to test had the word "flirt" on it which given that this product is for very young children (6-18 months) is a bit sick. Words such as "cute" or "hugs" would have been more endearing.


  £12.99

miYim has two rabbits to choose from. Molly has her own story book and long arms, perfect for hugging, while Herbert comes in spring yellow and has a puppet pocket on his back for kids who want to make a show of their new toy.

No chemicals, pesticides or herbicides are used in the cultivation of miYim's cotton and a unique PureWaterWash process uses plants and minerals to produce the bright colours. The resulting variance means that no two toys are ever the same, making each character a truly individual gift.

What we thought when tested out on 14 month old Molly: The toys are beautifully presented snugly in a recycled cardboard box, with words such as organic and natural branded all over it. Initial thoughts were that this was a kind, caring and safe product not only to kids but to the environment which is a great marketing approach.

I was concerned that with all the natural and unbleached materials the MiYim toy would not be very soft and cuddly, however I was wrong.

I looked at the rest of the range that MiYim have on their very easy to use website and they are all unique and beautiful characters. I felt that "Herbert" was perhaps in need of some colour and appeared to be the plainest of the MiYim range. I always feel that children's toys should be vibrant however this one is pale yellow and in need of a colour infusion.

The toys have been very well sown together and I was more than comfortable that it was suitable for my destructive toddler. There aren't any washing instructions on the label attached though.
  £19.99

"...Natracare was developed in 1989 by Susie Hewson, and today her products have become the natural choice for all thinking women. The full range of sanitary pads and panty liners are made from only natural materials."

Pros: Great for organically-minded yummy mummies and really absorbent.
Cons: Almost a hand and a half long! A little bulky for my liking - not immensely discreet.
Reviewed November 2006

 

"...Trusted by parents, Snufflebabe Vapour Rub is an effective and mild decongestant that's suitable for babies as young as three months."

Pros: A reassuringly familiar smell - not as strong as Vicks - ideal for babies. Great for the winter season and a cute little pot.
Cons: None.
Reviewed November 2006

  £2.25

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