Disney Soothing Babycare Range

Disney have teamed up with French skincare experts Corine de Farme to create a range of bathtime products for babies and we have been lucky enough to put the products to the test.

The range features Disney's Winnie the Pooh on all of their bottles and is designed to be soft, soothing and safe for newborn hair and skin. Corine de Farme have nearly 30 years of experience in creating skincare products for babies, children and adults too so they certainly know what they are doing. 

We were sent he four products in the range to review - Hair & Body Wash, Baby Shampoo, Baby Bath and Baby Lotion. Liz, Jonny and Sophie have been testing out these products and here's what Liz has to say about them....

"I love these products and it’s great to have a range of items from the one company. The claim that they are all ‘sensitive’ certainly appeals when looking after Sophie's skin although her big brother Jonny (now two-years-old) enjoys using them just as much. The packaging is clean and simple, using four very cute pictures of Pooh Bear and Friends which makes bath time that little bit more fun, especially as Jonny loves picking which products to use on Sophie.

Jonny enjoying a Winnie the Pooh Bath!

The Baby Bath, added to running water, creates a little bubble bath which cleans Sophie’s skin so you don’t have to start messing around with bottles to wash her. A little certainly goes a long way. It is designed to prevent young skin from drying and it does leave Sophie's skin very smooth and soft.

Sophie in her Disney Baby Bath

On the nights that Sophie's hair needs washing the Baby Shampoo does the job. It has a great texture to it and, once again, you only need a little bit at a time. Sophie's hair always feels very soft after using the shampoo.

My favourite product though is the Hair & Body Wash as an all-in-one washing product can certainly save time and a lot of faffing about with bottles. I can imagine it would be great for taking to the swimming pool with you. We plan to take Sophie swimming very soon so I think I'll be taking this along for all 3 of us. Again, as is with the case with the other products, a little goes a long way - fantastic!

Finally, the Baby Lotion. It is non-greasy and rubs easily into the skin leaving Sophie smelling lovely and her skin well moisturised. Jonny loves to help Pooh & Piglet massage baby lotion into Sophie's skin!

All these products leave Sophie and Jonny's skin lovely and soft. Importantly they are not greasy at all, are gentle to skin and are tear free.  You certainly don’t need to use a lot of the product to wash your baby well and I think these bottles will last a long time. Highly recommended, particularly considering they are only £2.69 each!"

Each of these products are available from Boots online and instore, with an RRP of £2.69. Personally I think this is a great price, particularly as the products last very well...and the bottles are very cute!

All of the products are hypoallergenic, dermatologically test and free from parabens, alcohol and colourant.


Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Ben & Jerry's Fairtrade Ice Cream

Well the sun is finally shining here and it feels like it might just be summer after all. So what's the first thing we did?   Tucked into ice cream of course (well those of us who could).

We were lucky enough to be asked to review two of the Ben & Jerry's Fairtrade flavours (my husband was extremely excited at the prospect!).

Ben & Jerry's have released two fantastic new Fairtrade flavours, Coconutterly Fair and New York Super Fudge Chunk, both of which are fairtrade. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine was just at the name. Well we have searched high and low for the New York Super Fudge Chunk but as yet we've had no luck in finding it....it seems everyone wants to try it... and why not - it is limited edition after all!

Despite our shopping failure I can still tell you a bit about it.

New York Super Fudge Chunk is Ben & Jerry's most chunky ice cream to date. It is a mix of chocolate ice cream whirled with white and dark chocolatey chunks filled with walnuts, almonds, pecans and chocolately covered almonds. To be honest it sounds like my perfect ice cream so I'm not surprised it's been whizzing out the freezer doors. It's available from Asda so next time you're doing your weekly shop keep your eyes peeled for it........though we will be very jealous if you do manage to get your hands on it!

As for the Coconutterly Fair, well we had more success tracking this one down.

Coconutterly Fair is Ben & Jerry's first 100% Fairtrade coconut ice cream. It's a chocolate ice cream with a coconut caramel swirl and chocolate covered coconut caramel pieces.

The first thing I have to say is that Jonathon doesn't really like coconut, so we got a few people round to try the ice cream (being dairy-free these days I sadly couldn't give it a go). However when he tried it he loved it! Apparently it's not too coconutty and is in fact just a really lovely flavour. His fellow ice cream connoisseurs concurred with this analysis. The caramel tones down the coconut and the combination of the chocolate, coconut and caramel work really well together.

Jonathon admitted that the name would have put him off buying this ice cream as he assumed it would be like eating an ice cream macaroon but he really enjoyed it. So if you're not the biggest coconut fan, don't be put off by this. Equally if you love coconut don't go into this ice cream tub thinking you are getting a massive coconut fix.

All in all it was agreed that the Coconutterly Fair was a delicious ice cream, hampered only by its slightly deceptive name. The fact that the tub was empty by the end of the tasting confirms that it was indeed greatly enjoyed.

Since we had no luck tracking down the New York Super Fudge Chunk, we were asked to give another limited edition Fairtrade ice cream a taste, Fossil Fuel.

Fossil Fuel is a flavour flashback and has been brought back for a limited time..only this time it's Fairtrade. For those who don't remember this glorious ice cream it's a sweet cream ice cream with chocolate cookie pieces, chocolately peace signs and chocolate fudge sauce.

We were very excited to see this back in the freezer aisle and couldn't wait to try it again. Jonathon was certainly not disappointed as he tucked in. The combination of crunchie cookie and peace signs works fantastically with the creamy ice cream....and the chocolate fudge sauce really does just finish this treat off to perfection. It's a shame it's just a limited edition...but I suppose it's a good excuse to eat more of it while you can!

Ben & Jerry's was the first ice cream company in the world to use Fairtrade-certified ingredients back in 2005. Now they are committed to ensuring that every ingredient that can be sourced Fairtrade-certified is Fairtrade-certified. This is a very admirable campaign and the full expansion to Fairtrade ingredients in all of their products across the world is scheduled for 2013.

In the UK 12 varieties (60%) of Ben & Jerry's products are now certified Fairtrade, with the balance to be converted by the end of 2011. This means that as we are enjoying our tasty treats we can rest in the knowledge that the farmers involved in producing the ingredients for this product are getting exactly what is owed to them.

Additionally Ben & Jerry's ice cream is climate neutral, from cow to cup, helping to reduce their carbon hoof-print.

Personally I love to read about companies who really care and aren't just out there to take over the world! We have always enjoyed Ben & Jerry's as their ice cream is delicious but I have a new found respect for them knowing they are doing what they can to help the planet and those on it.

Coconutterly Fair is available to buy from Blockbuster, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Asda. New York Super Fudge Chunk can be found in Asda, and Fossil Fuel is stocked in Sainsbury's.

For more information about Ben & Jerry's visit their website.

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Jackson Reece Wipes Review & *Giveaway* - CLOSED

Another day, another newborn special review. Today we are reviewing Jackson Reece baby wipes....and guess what? We are giving some away too!

Jackson Reece are natural, organic baby wipes. They are gentle on your baby's skin and are kind to the environment too. How? Well all Jackson Reece wipes are bio-degradable and their packs are degradable too.  99% of the ingredients in Jackson Reece wipes are derived from plant or vegetable extracts, all specifically selected to soothe and protect your child's delicate skin.

Liz, Jonny and Sophie were sent three varieties of Jackson Reece wipes to try - unscented natural baby wipes, natural herbal baby wipes and natural flushable wipes. Here's what Liz had to say about them...

"Ah, the world of baby wipes... Before having children I would never have thought the world of baby wipes was such a wide one, but having two children has certainly changed my mind! Who’d have thought that a conversation about brands of wipes could actually constitute a conversation between my husband and I? Certainly not me a couple of years ago! The impact of a baby on the environment can be huge and I confess we do use disposable nappies although, like many people, we did mean to look into the greener varieties – then Jonny was born early and we just never seemed to have the time to make the switch. Therefore, any easy way we can lessen our impact has to be good. 

The Jackson Reece brand really does tick this box with bio-degradable wipes and a degradable pack. The ‘carbon conscious’ claim is printed all over the packets with 99% of ingredients being ‘derived from vegetable or plant extract’. The lack of chemicals in favour of ‘nothing’ on the unscented variety and ‘Tea Tree oil, Aloe Vera and Lavender oil’ on the herbal pack really appeal to me and I do think they are kind to Sophie’s skin whilst effectively removing poo which is, let's face it, their main function. Personally I favour the herbal wipes but that’s only individual taste. I like their scent and the fact they use Organic Aloe Vera to heal and cool the skin, Organic Tea Tree Oil which is antibacterial and Organic Lavender Aromatherapy Oil which is soothing and calming. 

I’ve tried cheaper brands in the past but have come to think of it as a bit of a false economy as I end up using twice as many wipes to remove the same amount of baby stuff. There's no such problem with these wipes.

Our two-year-old, Jonny, is getting to grips (at least some of the time) with toilet training. The flushable wipes have been a great addition to the change bag. Initially I was a bit sceptical that the packet says to only flush one wipe at a time but, to be honest, we’ve not really needed any more than this. Generally we use toilet paper to get the thick off if needed and then use the wipe to finish off, so to speak. Balancing your child over a public toilet isn’t the most fun part of parenting so anything that makes it easier and quicker has got to be a good thing!

I've been really impressed by the Jackson Reece wipes and like the fact that we are doing something to help reduce our childrens' environmental impact while using them. They are free from alcohol, lanolin and parabens to name but a few potential irritants and this gives me a lot of faith in the brand. I feel these are safe to use on my children and they work well too!"

Jackson Reece have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win some wipes for themselves. Three lucky winners will win 3 packs of Jackson Reece wipes. 


There are two methods for entering this competition. Each method will gain you 1 entry, but you must leave a SEPARATE comment per method (as well as some form of contact details).

1. Simply leave a comment below telling me one of the ingredients in the Jackson Reece wipes. Need a clue? Visit their website. Remember to leave some form of contact details.
2. Follow Jackson Reece on Twitter (@jacksonreece) and tweet about this giveaway mentioning @rhodak09 in your tweet. You can now just click the "tweet" button at the bottom of this post for a quick & easy tweet. Then leave a comment below with your Twitter ID so I know you've completed this step.

There is a maximum of two entries available per person. The giveaway will close at midnight on the 27th July 2011.

There are three sets of Jackson Reece wipes to give away, one to each of three lucky winners. The winners will be selected from all eligible entries at random using random.org. Every effort will be made to contact the winners but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at midnight on Wednesday 27th July 2011.


To find your nearest Jackson Reece stockist just click here. Both the unscented and herbal wipes have an RRP of £2.29 for 72 wipes. The flushable wipes have an RRP of £1.00 for 10 wipes.

For further information about Jackson Reece visit their website or follow them on Twitter (@jacksonreece).

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. Thank you to Jackson Reece for providing the prizes for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Munchkin Survey - It's The Little Things

Today marks the launch of a new campaign by the fantastic nursery brand Munchkin. It's all about the "second time around" and the differences between having one child and two!

As part of this campaign Munchkin has undertaken a survey of over 3000 Mums investigating the differences between having one child and two!

The study has revealed that 75% of parents feel more relaxed with their second child and are therefore less likely to treat them with 'kid gloves'. Here are five things that mums admitted to doing differently with their second child...

1. leave them to entertain themselves for short periods whilst they get on with some housework.
2. started weaning them slightly earlier than six months
3. more willing to accept second hand clothes
4. spend less money on toys and treats
5. let them watch 'older television' at a younger age than their older sibling

Can you relate to this? What did you do differently when your second child came along? What challenges did you face?

This "second time around" theme got me thinking about my guest reviewer, and very good friend, Liz. Regular readers will know Liz has a gorgeous son, Jonny who is 2 and a beautiful baby daughter Sophie who is now six weeks old. I decided to ask her what life is like with 2 children instead of one and how her attitude to life with Sophie is different from when Jonny first appeared.

Jonny and Sophie

"Well there's a lot of truth in saying you've "been there, done that" and things are just a bit easier as you have more experience. For example the first time we gave Jonny a bath it took ages, checking the water temperature, cleaning him properly, holding him properly.....no such problems with Sophie it's a dawdle!

We used to keep checking on Jonny when he was sleeping to make sure he was ok, we are much more relaxed with Sophie about this. We used to worry about if Jonny was too hot or too cold, now we just know what's right for Sophie or how to make it right. Then there's the pram and the car seat! We had to learn how to operate them which all took time, with a second child it's so much easier as there is much less to learn and to worry about. From Jonny's point of view he's done a lot of growing up since Sophie arrived and he takes responsibility for things, yes he's only two, but sharing attention with Sophie has done him a lot of good.

There are challenges too though, like how do you split your time between them? If one is crying the other one starts...or if Sophie is feeding and Jonny is crying what are you meant to do? If Jonny needs his dinner but Sophie is inconsolable who loses out? The learning process starts all over again. Yes this time you are more experienced but you are not experienced at looking after two children. 

Things that used to be relatively simple like going to the park become a major expedition as you need to constantly watch Jonny on the walk there as well as pushing a pram,  but it's all very worth it!

We are more laid back with Sophie as we have "been there, done that" but equally she's a different child from Jonny with her own personality. She's far more relaxed than Jonny was, has night and day sorted better than he did and she adores her Daddy which makes things much easier for me! 

Overall it's just brilliant having two children. I don't even mind the crying as much as I used to, or getting up through the night with Sophie as I just take one look at Jonny and know that it's all worth it in the end."

I'd love to hear your thoughts on "second time around" so please do feel free to comment on this post. 

Munchkin really got us thinking today and it's good to know that there are other people out there in similar situtations to you...you're not alone!

Munchkin have some fabulous products to help to make your life easier, no matter how many children you have! Liz will be reviewing their Nappy Bin soon so please keep your eyes peeled for that post. In the meantime you can check out their website, follow them on Twitter (@Munchkin_UK) or like them on Facebook to find out more about their survey and the thoughts of other Mums.

No reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. 

Have a Healthy Holiday - Philip Weeks

I have a lovely new feature to introduce you all to today. As of today Rhoda Reviews will feature a monthly article from Philip Weeks. Philip is an expert on natural medicine, a master herbalist and a traditional acupuncturist. He has his own practice and has been asked to write for many magazines. His own book "Make Yourself Better" will be out early next year. You can find out more about Philip on his website.

With the Scottish schools currently on their summer holidays and other schools across the country soon to follow suit, it seems appropriate to begin Philip's monthly feature with his article "Have a Healthy Holiday" as I have no doubt a lot of you will be taking off on your summer holidays soon! So grab a cuppa and have a read....as always comments are very welcome.

"Have a Healthy Holiday

After months of excited anticipation, we pack our swimsuits, and sun lotion only to spend a week inside a darkened room with a bucket and sub titled TV or dabbing our poor child’s clammy forehead whilst holding there limp little hand – and we think was it really worth it?

To avoid this scenario, many of my patients ask me what natural steps can they take to prevent getting ill on holiday.

Stress makes us ill.  The build up to a holiday can be incredibly stressful.  Packing, shopping, organising, remembering the passport, tickets…..an endless list.  It is easy to get completely exhausted by the time you get to your destination. 

Here are some of the issues that commonly occurring issues and home and abroad.

Travel sickness:

When travelling, eat small amounts and be careful not to overeating.  If there is anxiety when travelling and it brings on the sickness, ‘Rescue Remedy’ can be really very good, a couple of drops on the tongue every 15 minutes until you feel better.

Ginger is a wonderful herb which can dramatically reduce nausea, can be taken in dried crystallised form and chewed during the trip and can also be taken in the form of tea.

For children or adults who get severe nausea the use of ‘seabands’ can be very useful. They are bands that go around the wrist and have a bead that stimulate an acupuncture point which reduces motion sickness.

Sunburn:

The sun can be incredibly beneficial, such as with the production of vitamin D, but can also be destructive, like sunburn.

Excessive sun exposure damages the skin through the generation of free radicals.  Foods that are high in antioxidants help reduce their negative affects.

• Flax seed oil taken orally supports skin healing

• Water melon and red grapefruit contain the skin protective substance, carotenoid.

• Up the amount of olive oil and tomatoes.  A German study showed that those consuming 2 teaspoons of olive oil and ½ cup of tomato paste a day, experiencing 35% less skin reddening from a sun lamp than those in the group eating a regular diet.

• Green tea has been shown to help block DNA damage from UV light in studies involving human skin cells.  Drink a couple of cups a day.

Prevention is better than cure.  However if there is burning the use of aloe vera gel used topically can increase healing time.  The homeopathic remedy cantharis 30 can be taken every hour until the area is feeling better, this can also be taken in cases of mild sunstroke.  Lavender oil, diluted in water and applied, can help to draw the eat

Diarrhoea:

Some cases of diarrhoea can be caused by food poisoning such as salmonella.  This can be serious and if someone is elderly or very young or it is a serious bout they should be seen by a medical professional.  When travelling it is always useful to have some Probiotic capsules (beneficial bacteria), they can be taken every hour until it improves.  They can be taken twice a day as a preventative.  Make sure that you avoid unpeeled fruit, iced water or salads, especially if you are in an area where tap water is to be avoided. 

Grapefruit seed extract added in water and sipped through the day is a natural antibiotic and can prevent the most common tummy bugs.

When suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting re-hydration is totally essential.  You can buy re-hydration salts or you can make the mixture yourself by dissolving half a teaspoon of salt and eight level teaspoons of sugar in one litre of clean water.  In tropical countries, drinking the fresh juice of young coconuts is a traditional remedy for dehydration.

Constipation:

I have known patients who have gone away for 2 weeks and haven’t been even once, making their holiday more miserable the longer they are away!  Most people forget to drink enough, especially when flying which is very dehydrating.  Most people need at least 2 litres a day.  Again probiotics can help with this, as can syrup of figs.  Prune juice can also do wonders.

Flaxseeds which are available from health food shops can be really good in an emergency.  Take 2 tablespoons and add to ½ a glass of hot water, once it cools place in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning drink the whole mixture or you could add a little orange juice for flavour.  This lubricates the gut naturally without having to take strong bowel stimulants.

Fear of flying:

There are a number of techniques that are useful.  However I have wonderful success by asking patients to take homeopathic Aconite 30, an hour before the flight, and every 15 minutes until the anxiety reduces, usually 2 or 3 doses does the trick.  If it very disabling then I have found NLP techniques or hypnosis is able to break the pattern.

Insect Bites:

Insects detect whether you are a juicy feed by chemicals that are released in your sweat.  Some people do attract more bites from midge and mosquitoes.  There are a number of ways to repel them.  One is to take foods, which change the smell of your sweat.  Taking B vitamins can be remarkably affective as it seems to put of many insects biting you in the first place, as does eating lots of garlic, although that can repel everyone else, not just the insects!  Externally, use essential oils, like citronella and eucalyptus." 

Copyright 2011

Philip Weeks

www.philipweeks.org

You can also follow Philip Weeks on Twitter (@naturalphilip)

No reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this blog post. Thank you to Philip Weeks for featuring on Rhoda Reviews.

The Little Green Sheep Newborn Baby Pouch

Our newborn special continues today with the Baby Pouch from The Little Green Sheep.

The Little Green Sheep is a company that specialises in baby bedtime products with a difference. They use organic materials in their products as they believe that organic materials are safer for babies (no dyes, chemicals, pesticides), provide better quality and are of course kinder to the environment, by reducing/eliminating the number of chemicals and pesticides used. 

Liz and Sophie were sent one of their Organic Baby Pouches to test out and review. It is designed to allow newborns to gain the same benefits as older children do from sleeping bags. Here's how they got on....

"I have to admit that the first thing I thought upon receiving this product was ‘that’s very strange – how’s that going to work?' However, on taking it out the wrapper I immediately started to love it as it feels so soft that I would quite like to snuggle into one myself!

Sophie in her Baby Pouch

The pouch is lightly elasticated at the top meaning it fits snuggly around Sophie's body and stops her from wriggling out, meaning more comfort for her and less worry for us. What's more once we move her into her cot it should help to avoid getting her legs stuck in between the cot bars.

I love how soft the inside of the pouch is! It's lovely against the skin and Sophie seems to sleep well in it...well as well as babies do!

The Baby Pouch adheres to the ‘Global Organic Textile Standard’ which is reassuring and certainly does give you confidence in the brand. It is unbleached and undyed not only making it safer for babies, but it also makes it a unisex product.

Finally, I was delighted to see those glorious words on the label... ‘machine washable’ - a must for all things baby!

All in all this is a great product, it's beautifully soft, well thought out and great substitute for a sleeping bag."

The Baby Pouch is available in two varieties and tog ratings. The Organic Baby Pouch Flannelette has a  0.5 - 1 tog rating and is available from the website for £19.95. The Organic Baby Pouch Plush has a 2-3 tog rating and is available from the website for £24.95. Both of these pouches can be gift boxed for an additional £2. 

The Little Green Sheep website also offers organic cotton sleeping bags for when your child outgrows the baby pouch. Their range isn't limited to sleepwear though, they also offer organic mattresses, furniture, bedding, gifts and bathtime products! Furthermore they have just released a new range of babywear which is worth a look as every single item in the range, from bodysuit to nightgown, is made from the softest organic cotton and is entirely fair trade too!

I have to share three things with you that I particularly like about this company. The first is that they offer a 30 day money back guarantee on all of their products which is very reassuring. The second is that all of their mattresses come with a 5 year guarantee and you can even have a mattress custom made to suit your needs! Finally, I love the fact that every year their customers have the opportunity to vote for their favourite charity and The Little Green Sheep donates 5% of their annual profits to the "winning" charity - this year that charity is The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID). It's nice to find a company that seems to genuinely care not only about their customers' satisfaction but also about real life issues that affect those customers.

You can find out more about The Little Green Sheep and their products on their website. You can also follow them on Twitter (@GreenSheepBaby) or "like" them on Facebook too. 

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions are entirely our own. 

Nuby Rhythm Electric Breast Pump

This week is National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (19th June - 25th June). It therefore seems the perfect time to post the next of our newborn special reviews...the Nuby Rhythm Electric Breast Pump.

The Nuby Rhythm Electric Breast Pump is a dual action breast pump that allows you to switch between a mains powered electric pump and a one handed manual pump.  It is BPA free with a soft massage cushion to help to stimulate the breast and encourage natural milk flow. It even memorises your personal rhythm. Liz has been putting this breast pump through its paces. Here's what she had to say....

We’re onto our second child and all those repressed memories of expressing milk and the constant sterilising of the pump and bottles have come flooding back. I was never very good at it the first time round so this time I am determined to do better. I always remember the health visitor offering words of wisdom such as ‘make sure you’re nice and relaxed with a cup of tea beside you when you express. That will help a lot.’, and ‘Get someone else to look after the baby whilst you express.’ This is great advice if you’re surrounded by people specifically put on the earth to help you in the weeks that follow giving birth. However, our families don’t live anywhere near and being new parents with a crying child who refuses to sleep is anything but relaxing. Plus, by the time they’ve fed, been winded, changed, the sick has been cleaned up, changed again and comforted it’s nearly time for the next feed. However, that need for a bit of independence and hour of freedom keeps you going such that building up the milk supply in the fridge and freezer is a necessary evil!

Some people don’t mind expressing at all and are really good at it, but, as I said, I am not one of those people and I always remember getting out a whole two ounces the first time and then dropping it on the floor to which my husband remarked ‘well, there’s no point crying over spilt milk’. Thank goodness I had a sense of humour that morning or I may be referring to my ex-husband instead...

So, as I said, this time I am determined to do better! I was sure we would get into a good routine and I'd be more relaxed as I've done it before. Then, however, Sophie arrived and I remembered just how crazy life with a newborn really is! Only this time there's a toddler about too!

So....onto the breast pump. First, the assembly. Spread out all the parts, sterilise, don’t lose any bits, and put them back together again. Seems easy. Very surprisingly it was (in the world of breast pumps that is) thanks to the pictures in the instruction book and a warm sense of satisfaction fills me! Right, next is working out how to programme the pump. I have to admit I’ve taken a few attempts to get this right but now we’re up and away! However, never lose the instruction manual or you would be lost....particularly if you suffer from baby brain!

The bubbly cushion really does help to stimulate milk flow and I’ve had a lot more success with this machine than with others I’ve tried in the past although I don’t claim to enjoy the process any more!

For me the best thing about this pump is that you can convert it to a manual pumps which has been fantastic for expressing when travelling around. It is easy to convert and this function offers the practicality you need if you're going to continue expressing and want to leave the house too.

I'm really pleased with this pump. It's practical and easy to use....I'm even getting better at expressing those two ounces!

The Rhythm Electric Breast Pump comes complete with two Natural Nurser bottles and six disposable breast pads. It is available to purchase directly from Nuby with an RRP of £79.99. Nuby don't just do breast pumps and bottles, they also do teethers, drinking beakers, tableware, toys....the list goes on!

You can also become a fan of Nuby on Facebook - they run some great giveaways so it's worth checking out!

Look out for our review of the Nuby Natural Touch and SoftFlex bottles coming soon....

For more information about breastfeeding check out the NHS guide.

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art Review & *Giveaway* - CLOSED

My sister was staying with us for a couple of months so she could do her teaching placement at a nearby school. It's fair to say that Kirsty loves her make-up so when a sample of the new GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art popped through the letterbox I thought it only fair to let her test it out.

GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art is a super semi-permanent liquid eyeliner that has been causing quite a stir in the beauty world. Why? Well because it doesn't smear, smudge or budge in any way once dry.

We were sent the black eyeliner to review, just one of the 12 shades available. In my experience liquid eyeliner can be messy and go very wrong.....or maybe that's just me? There were no such problems with this product though - both Kirsty and I found it easy to apply, creating a smooth finish.

The brush is very easy to use. In fact by adjusting the angle of the brush you can change the thickness of the line, meaning you can easily change your look from day to day!

Not only is the GOSH eyeliner easy to apply but once it has dried it really does stay put. So much so that we couldn't remove it...until we read that you need waterproof make-up remover to do the job! If, like me, you are prone to hayfever or welling up at a soppy TV advert then this is for you - no need to worry about damaging your eye make-up!

It's fair to say that we love this product. It's now a permanent feature in Kirsty's cosmetics bag. It's really versatile too, as well as creating different line thicknesses you can even use this for body art or decorating your nails! It's no wonder people are voting this as their "miracle beauty eye buy".

Fancy getting your hands on one of these great eyeliners? Well GOSH Cosmetics have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to win one. There's two to give away! To enter just complete the compulsory entry below.


Compulsory Entry

Pop over to the GOSH UK Facebook page and say hi! Then come back here and leave a comment (with your Facebook name) saying you have done so!


Bonus Entry (must complete the compulsory entry above first)

Tweet about the giveaway including @rhodak09 in your tweet - just click the "tweet" button at the bottom of this post. Then leave a SEPARATE comment below telling me you have done so (along with your Twitter ID).

There are a total of two entries available per person. The giveaway will close at midnight on Thursday 14th July 2011.


There are two GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art to give away, one to each of two lucky winners. The winners will be selected from all eligible entries at random using random.org. Every effort will be made to contact the winners but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at midnight on Thursday 14th July 2011.


GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art is available in 12 shades - purple, black, deep sea blue, aqua, light purple, multi glitter, silver glitter, gold glitter, metallic grey and purple glitter. GOSH Eyeliner - Extreme Art is available exclusively from Superdrug with an RRP of £5.99.


A sample was received for the purposes of this review. Thanks to GOSH Cosmetics for providing the prize for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own. 

Lacura Hand Cream - ALDI Part Three

Today is the final part of my trilogy of ALDI reviews. If you missed the first two you can find them here and here.

I have been using ALDI's Lacura Anti-Ageing Hand Cream for a couple of months now and I really like it. First of all I love the tube! It's so simple but pretty with mint green butterflies fluttering across it.

The cream itself feels soft and gentle. What's more it rubs in well and doesn't feel greasy. This particular cream is designed for mature skin and contains glycerine which helps to form a moisturising film to condition and protect the skin. It also contains Co-Enzyme Q10 and Vitamin E to help prevent signs of premature ageing.

The cream has a nice fresh scent, almost like cucumber. It's nice to apply and does help the skin to feel soft.

Unbelievably this cream is only 75p for 75ml! I think it's a fantastic bargain - at that price you could have a tube at home, one in the car, one in your bag and one at work!

Lacura Anti-Ageing Hand Cream is part of the Lacura Body & Face Care Range and is available from ALDI stores with an RRP of 75p.

A sample was received for the purpose of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Happy 25th Birthday JML - Street Gym *Giveaway* - CLOSED

You all know how much I love JML and their innovative products (see my reviews of the Snuggie, Bounce Fit and Pampered Toes). Well it's my pleasure to wish them a very Happy 25th Birthday!

It's 25 years since John Mills started JML by demonstrating his woodwork vice at the Ideal Home Show. 25 years on JML is an international company with over 300 employees and sells thousands of products in hundreds of stores.

JML will be celebrating their 25th birthday this July and to mark the occasion they are giving away two pairs of their Street Gym shoes to two lucky Rhoda Reviews readers!

Exercising footwear has become all the rage over the past year or so. Now JML have their own version, the Street Gym exercise trainer and the great news is they won't break the bank!

Street Gym are designed with four layers called the Softer Step System which mimics the actions of walking barefoot. The result is a comfortable shoe that increases muscle activity by 30% allowing you to tone your legs and bum as you walk! Not only that but they can help to improve your posture too.

JML have kindly offered Rhoda Reviews readers the chance to get their hands on a pair....perfect for summer!

To be in with a chance of winning 1 of 2 pairs of Street Gym just complete the compulsory entry below!

Compulsory Entry

Pop over to the JML Facebook page and leave them a birthday message on their wall! If you could tag the Rhoda Reviews Facebook page in the post too that would be FAB! Then simply come back here and leave a comment (with your Facebook name) telling me you have done so. EASY!

Bonus Entry (must complete compulsory entry first)

Follow @JML_Direct on Twitter and tweet "Happy 25th Birthday @JML_Direct! I've entered to win a pair of Street Gym on @rhodak09's blog.http://goo.gl/e4963" Then leave a SEPARATE comment below telling me you have done so...remember to leave your Twitter ID too. 

Please remember to leave your contact details (e.g. Twitter ID, Facebook name) in your comment so that I can contact you if you win!

There is a total of 2 entries available per person. The competition will close at midnight on Sunday 3rd July 2011.

There are two pairs of Street Gym to give away, one to each of two lucky winners. The winners will be selected from all eligible entries at random using random.org. Every effort will be made to contact the winner but if after a week we have had no response we reserve the right to select a new winner. The giveaway is open to the UK only and will close at midnight on Sunday 3rd July 2011.


Street Gym are available in white or black for £39.99. You can buy them online or through the JML Direct TV on channel 641. Keep up to date with all of JML's latest products and offers by following them on Twitter (@JML_Direct) and Facebook.

Thank you to JML for providing the prize for this giveaway. No other reward, financial or otherwiae was received in exchange for this post.

Child Safety Week with Lindam

This week is Child Safety Week. It is organised by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) with a view to raising awareness of the number of accidents that seriously injure or kill children every year as well as the steps we can take to help prevent them.

It's not just for parents, it's for anyone that works with children. So if you work with children in a nursery, school, GP's surgery, community projects or even if you are a grandparent or friend Child Safety Week is for you.

Serious accidents can cause injuries to children that take months or even years to heal. The psychological damage caused to children and their families often lasts a lifetime. Yet many of these accidents could be prevented by taking a second look to make sure that hot drink is out of reach, the household cleaning products are stored high out of the way, the bath is unplugged or by keeping an eye on the speedometer in the car. For this reason the theme of Child Safety Week 2011 is "Take a second look for safety".

Child Safety Week runs from 20th June to 26th June giving you the opportunity to get involved. There are events and activities scheduled for across the country this week. You can find your nearest event here. From free child car seat checks to mini bus driving tuition for teachers, free fire safety checks to first aid courses there is something for everyone.

Child Safety Week is sponsored by Argos and Lindam, an award winning safety specialist. Regular readers will remember that back in April we reviewed the Lindam Toddler Bed Rail. Well to mark Child Safety Week we will be reviewing the Lindam Home Safety Kit.

Lindam Home Safety Kit - £9.99

It's a horrible feeling when you are constantly nagging at your child telling them not to open this or not to touch that. A child should be able to investigate and explore their own home in safety to allow them to learn and become more independent. It's therefore very important that as a parent we have done everything we can to make this possible.

The Home Safety Kit contains a selection of 21 different guards to help you protect your little one at home. Containing 1 door stopper, a general purpose safety latch, 4 corner cushions, 4 UK Socket Covers, 4 European Socket Covers, 1 appliance latch and 6 cupboard and drawer latches this kit contains everything you need to toddler-proof your home!

What's more as it's Lindam it really is a brand you can trust. With 20 years of experience they know what they are doing!

The Home Safety Kit is available to buy from Argos either online or in-store for just £9.99. You can find out more about Lindam and child safety by following them on Twitter (@Lindam_UK) or Facebook.

Keep an eye on Lindam's social media pages this week for more information about Child Safety Week as well as information about offers and even giveaways!

A sample was received in exchange for this post. No other reward, financial or otherwise was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Mini Club Clothing

I've loved helping Liz sort out all of Sophie's baby clothes and arrange them in to catagories, it's amazing how tiny those clothes are! There is some really cute baby clothing about at the moment and we have been lucky enough to receive some fine examples from mini club to review!

Mini club is a children's clothing range exclusively available at Boots. Their summer collection is a bit different from some. Instead of baby pinks and blues and plain old beige they have injected some serious colour into their clothes offering you and your baby something a bit different!

Liz and Sophie were sent two items to review, the cute "I love mummy and daddy romper" and the gorgeous "little star orange dungaree and bodysuit set". Want to see how they got on? Well here's what Liz had to say...

Liz, Jonny and Sophie

How cute are these? Newborn clothing that isn't pastel colours and unisex clothing that doesn’t have to be all white! With our first child we used ended up with a lot of different brands of baby clothes given as presents and bought by us. Even though we used a lot of cheaper products it is fair to say you get what you pay for, and the clothing that has lasted has been the mid-range clothing rather than the cheapest stuff. You can certainly feel the quality in these mini club clothes compared to others. 

Little Star Orange Dungaree & Bodysuit Set - £12

As all parents know, easy opening has to be the most important aspect for a baby's clothing which is why I love the little star orange dungarees – poppers rather than buttons, and top and bottom openings. The material is so soft and gentle on Sophie’s skin and the little design on the stitching and word motifs are just lovely. Boys and girls alike would look gorgeous in this wee outfit! The dungarees set is certainly well-worn as it seems grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends always pick it out to dress her in!

The ‘I love mummy and daddy romper’ is very cute and the detailing of the bears on the arms and bottom just adds a little sparkle. Plus, when Sophie has been crying for what seems like the entire day it’s always good to look down and read the words to remind yourself that it’s all worth it in the end! 

I Love Mummy and Daddy Romper - £7

All in all we love mini club clothing, the quality, the design, the feel of the fabric and the colours! I do have to say though that we tend to look for offers when buying it as it's not the cheapest, but like I said...you get what you pay for. Mini club clothing is one of those ranges that I buy as gifts for new babies as I know I'm giving a good quality present and if I can purchase it in one of Boots' deals then even better!

The mini club range is available from Boots stores nationwide. To check if your local Boots is a stockist just click here. You can also follow mini club on Twitter (@miniclubclothes) or like them on Facebook to keep up to date with all of their latest deals and products!

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Spiced Sencha Tea

Since I gave up dairy I've not really been drinking tea much, I find that soya or rice milk tastes much better in coffee. However when I do get tea cravings I turn to the Spiced Sencha I was sent to review.

A few months ago I reviewed Chocolatea by tea4life, if you missed the review you can see it here. Tea4life have generously sent me their Spiced Sencha to try and it's gorgeous!

The Spiced Sencha is a combination of Sencha and Genmaicha, both of which are Japanese teas. Tea4life have added the fruit and spice flavours of orange, cinnamon, ginger, plum, cherry and vanilla to this tea to create a lovely fruity flavour.

I really enjoy this tea. I love the combination of flavours and the smoothness of the tea. I find it to be very refreshing, perfect for summer! Moreover it has the properties of Sencha tea - high in polyphenols, catechins and antioxidants.

Spiced Sencha tea is available to purchase directly from tea4life with an RRP of £5.95.

A sample was received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Tristel Protect

As part of our ongoing newborn special we were sent some Tristel Protect to review. Tristel is a range of infection control products that have been used for over ten years in more than 700 UK hospitals and in 20 countries worldwide. They have recently introduced a new range of high performance disinfectant products for families at home.

The new range is aimed to help full term and premature babies who are at risk of many types of infection. 

Tristel products use a unique chemistry that kills all types of germs including bacterial spores.  The disinfectants are available in two forms Sporicidal Foam and Bactericidal Wipes. We were sent both of them to test out and review. 

Liz has been using them for the past few weeks, with a four week old and a 2 year old in the house she's a great candidate to test out Tristel Protect. Here's what she had to say.

This product has become a ‘must-have’ part of the change bag. I certainly do not consider myself to be overly concerned about germs and still think that children have to be in contact with them to build up their immune system. However, it is when you’re out and about that you look at certain highchairs, or other surfaces and would never let your child eat off them or play on them without giving them a good scrub first. It’s amazing how some ‘child-friendly’ places have kept their hygiene licence! With a four week old in our house though we are more particular at the moment and Tristel has been a great addition to our household cleaning regime.

The sporicidal foam has been a life-saver during a recent bout of sickness all over the pram and car – sometimes baby wipes just don’t cut it! The bottle has been really well designed with a transport lock so that it's not likely to explode all over the changing bag, and with more than 10 years of disinfecting experience I definitely trust this product. I would certainly recommend this as a vital part of the baby kit. My only negative comment is the use of the word ‘sporicidal’ on the front of the bottle. Although I could roughly guess what it meant, I have to confess I looked it up in a dictionary which didn’t have the word in it, so then looked it up on the internet. For those of you who wish to know, the definition I found was ‘lethal to spores’. Manufacturers please remember that mummy’s brains are generally quite scrambled during pregnancy and after giving birth! Incidentally, this product is clinically proven to be sporicidal within 30 seconds!

The bactericidal wipes are also fantastic and take up little room in the changing bag. They are easy to use and are fantastic for giving grubby looking surfaces a wipe down before allowing your child near.

Using the foam and wipes together makes cleaning surfaces much easier. The wipes are strong and big enough so cleaning in the most awkward of places is made easier which, as said above, has been fabulous during sickness bugs. I really like how the two products can be used together but also separately. Most of the time the wipe will do the job, but when you need a proper clean I do trust that using these two products together gives you what you need. 

The packaging is much simpler than other products which does give me greater confidence in the products...despite the unfamiliar words! 

I have been very impressed with these products, they are easy to use and have certainly made me feel more confident about the cleanliness of high chairs etc when we are out and about. I do, however, think that the products are very expensive. That said where premature babies particularly are concerned you really do want a product that is safe and effective.

Tristel Protect products are available to purchase directly from the Tristel website. The Sporicidal Foam retails for £23.70 and the Bactericidal Wipes retail for £7.00.

You can keep up to date with news from Tristel on their Facebook page or by following them on Twitter.

Samples were received for the purposes of this review. No other reward, financial or otherwise, was received in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are entirely our own.