This is one for the Bugaboo fans - of which we know there are many! Bugaboo have just launched Bugaboo Friends, a new online community for parents, grandparents and anyone who is interested in staying on the go. Bugaboo friends inspires its community to move and explore new places. With this initiative Bugaboo wants to share product information, product performance and functionality through the stories of consumers, your experiences and exciting personal discoveries.

Check out bugaboo.com a fantastic feature of this campaign: three GO films of real Bugaboo users showing how they use their Bugaboo stroller in their own lives.

Keep an eye out for some exciting Bugaboo news coming soon to the bebe blog. In the meantime, check out bugaboo.com. 

17 weeks along now, and getting a little too curious about what gender this little being is.  I’m no good at surprises, so waiting until the baby is born to reveal its gender was never really going to be an option for us. There’s been a few theories from those around me as to what gender this bub will be, and I do sense its gender too, but the proof will be in the pudding soon enough!  Taking the test is easy, just tick those that apply to your own pregnancy and presto… you have your “theoretical gender” according to some people that apparently know their stuff. 

IT’S A BOY IF….

You didnt experience morning sickness in early pregnancy

Your baby’s heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute

You are carrying a lot of extra weight out front

Your belly looks like a basketball

Your areolas have darkened considerably

You are carrying low

You are craving salty or sour foods

You are craving protein  - meats or cheese

Your feet are colder than before your pregnancy

The hair on your legs has grown faster during your pregnancy

Your hands are very dry

Pregnancy has you looking better than ever

Your urine is looking bright yellow in colour

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles

You are having headaches

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

IT’S A GIRL IF……

You had morning sickness early in pregnancy

Your baby’s heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute

You are carrying our weight in your hips and rear

Your left breast is larger than your right breast

Your hair develops red highlights

You are carrying high

Your belly looks like a watermelon

You are craving sweets

You are craving juice/fruit

You don’t look quite as good as normal during pregnancy

You are moodier than usual during pregnancy

Your face breaks out more than usual

Your breasts have really blossomed

Your urine is a dark yellow colour

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

I can’t say I have an official “preggy belly” as such.. just a slightly thicker waist and up-sized bust. I’m told Top Heavy is the politically correct term to describe my current visual stage of pregnancy. With just 90 minutes before the stores closed on Friday afternoon, I set myself the  target of buying a few pieces that could fill out my pregnancy wardrobe, and would see me through much of the remaining 5 months.

Luckily I didn’t have far to shuffle with Toorak Road being quite the pregnancy/baby hub. The first Maternity store presented me with an excessive range of knot tops - a common maternity staple top that twists below the bust, proving both busy and busty in application. Next on offer were the maternity  wrap tops and eerily similar tops that went by other names - crossover tops, kimonos etc. None of these appealed, but before I could slip out the door I was ever so gently eased into the change room by the friendly sales assistant insisting I try on the “best maternity jeans” on the market. I reluctantly obliged, and emerged from the change room breathing a sigh of relief in these comfortable, well fitting and flattering maternity jeans.

Despite the un-expected success with the jeans, I’d seen enough maternity wear for one day. It became evident that if I was to achieve my goal, some creative shopping was required. I raced down to Chapel Street optimistic that I’d discover a few “non maternity” pieces that could pass during pregnancy and beyond. Kookai and Sportsgirl served me exceptionally well with my last pregnancy when I was in my mid 20s. This time around scanning the Sportsgirl racks, I felt like more like someone’s Mum, or worse still, someone choosing an outfit for a Desperate Housewives casting.

Running out of time, I raced over the road and within 30 minutes hit the jackpot at both Country Road and French Connection, succesfuly nabbing a total of seven dresses/tops. The tops all looked great with my new jeans and both the dresses and the longer tops purchased will work well for now pinched in with a belt, and later (sans belt) to accomodate my growing belly.

Check out a sample of a few pieces that I picked up (above), which will hopefully encourage and inspire you to feel confident to think outside the square with your own maternity purchases. 

My personal preggy wardrobe tips are -

-      Smock tops and looser tops do work well in the earlier phases - just remember with longer tops to use a belt to bring in  below the bust, or you will look bigger than you are

-      Balance out looser tops with leggings or straight leg pants/jeans. Baggy top & Baggy bottoms will also result in a less flattering shape

-       Apply above rule to loose skirts. Peasant skirts and wider cut skirts can be comfortable and flattering in warmer months - just remember to balance out with something more fitting on the top.

-       Ensure you wear a well fitting bra both for good support and a flattering line. 

-        Jeans can be one of the most difficult maternity items to buy. Make sure you persist and try on as many pairs as you need until you find the right pair for your shape. Yim, Citizens of Humanity, Fragile Loom and Egg 9 Jeans are all favourites amongst bebe community.

Happy Shopping!

There’s no such thing as being spoilt for choice - the Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is now available in six different base choices and nine topping choices. Fancy yourself as a bit of a stylist? Use our colour chooser below to view how your favourite colours would work for your new Bugaboo Cameleon stroller. Just select your base fabric and then your tailored fabric and watch this stroller change in colour… just like a Cameleon.
 

Find out more about the great features of the Bugaboo Cameleon here..

Most of us dont have the time , or possibly the desire, to spend our weekends pureeing organic vegetables for our child. I recall religiously pureeing on a daily basis with my first child for a few months, then gradually resorting to mashing left overs (which had lost half of their nutritional value within hours of being in the fridge) and worse still, popping open jars of “organic” baby food which was not as fresh as it looked.  There’s just too much happening in that first year to get everything right, and whipping up something healthy and fresh for bubs whilst important, can be very tiring.

One health minded US mum has recognised a gap in the market and established Pomme Bebe, an organic baby cafe serving fresh, organic home cooked meals for babies and toddlers.   Pomme Bebe prides themselves in offering great tasting and organic baby food that is freshly cooked on the premises and containing NO nasties! We love that this cafe features a Baby Lounge and Baby Tasting bar (shown above)  which is aptly decked out with Bloom Fresco Loft High Chairs for a true baby comfort and style. If you dont have time to “eat-in”, they’ll even bring it to your car, curb side or deliver to your front door.

Pomme Bebe is located in Newport Beach, Los Angeles (Orange County - how’d you guess?!). As fellow baby business entrepreneurs, we think it deserves a big thumbs up and definitly a stop by on your next family trip to Disneyland.

Eating out with kids can be fun, but can often prove stressful  when littlies have an attack of the wriggles and will happily poke out their eyes with chopsticks if it means they get to leave the venue faster. 

My family eat out at least four times a week, and our little one looks forward to this ritual, always enthusiastically choosing a take-along toy to bring. Colouring in books were a cafe favourite, however this activity was abruptly bought to an end when he “tagged” a microsuede upholstered chair with a charcoal texta marker.

Below are my  favourite take-a-long toys for dining out with kids. These ones work well both as “self amusement” toys, but also for some one on one play with a loving family member.  These toys are all compact enough for handbags and resiliant enough to handle the inevitable babycino spills.

AGE 0-1 YEARS

Rattle Ring by Bajo

This natual wooden rattle is sized perfectly for little hands. Great for the teething baby as well as those that like to play their own music by giving the rattle a good shake

 AGE 1-2 YEARS

Pull-along Snake by Plan Toys

A stack of fun can be had with this toy - from watching his body wriggle as he’s pulled along, to learning of colours and counting the beads that make up his body.

AGE  2-3 YEARS

“My First” Shorty the Dog by Brio

Brio’s Take along toys and train sets have endless play options including pulling along the magnetic wagons and make believe play. Shorty the Dog’s stomach is un-zipped and used as storage for other small take-along toys.

AGE 3-4 YEARS

Auto Transporter by Bajo

This four piece set includes movable cab and two cars, meaning making it a perfect activity toy that captivates the imagination

AGE 4-5 YEARS

Dado Cubes

My son is obsessed with building using these cubes. Given that they pack into themselves, they are the perfect size to bring along in the hand bag. My tip for restaurants is to perhaps bring a scaled down version (half of the amount of cubes), to prevent any sky scraping projects.

 AGE 5 YRS +

Brio Labrynth

The object of the game is to navigate the marble through the maze - concentration levels on this one may just require extra babycinos for brain power!

We’re excited to welcome a new member to our blog team - renowned parenting author Pinky McKay. Pinky is an International Board Certified Lactaction Consultant, infant massage instructor, mother of five and author of five baby and parenting books which are a reflection of Pinky’s hands on experience with parents and babies.    

I first discovered Pinky and her wisdom 5 years ago, several weeks into walking the floor with my crying baby. I was at my local book store, money in hand and ready to purchase yet another book on parenting -hoping this time around to find something that respected babies.  It was then that I discovered PInky’s book  ”100 Ways to Calm the Crying”.  Even in my sleep deprived and somewhat helpless state I couldn’t help but quietly honor the marketing genius behind such a book title! Luckily for myself and thousands of other mothers worldwide, this one proved to be practical, useful and most of all consistent with my own intuition.   

Pinky will enlighten us with her tips for pregnancy, babies and toddlers in a weekly bebe blog post which I know will restore faith in the parenting abilities of many, just as it did my own. 

Watch this space for some “Pinky Wisdom ”.. coming soon!

Managed to squeeze into the first weekend of the latest (and greatest!) screening of Batman movie “The Dark Night”. My lovely spouse took our little boy and allowed me to witness what I believe to be an Action Movie Masterpiece. Heath Ledger was, tragically, every bit as good as the reviews have described - quite chilling yet charming and humorous at the same time. Only an actor with both talent and wit can pull that off.  The movie was compelling, engaging, thought provoking, but most of all entertaining. It was certainly an escape for me and an enjoyable break from my regular Dad Duties.

So Daddas everywhere will enjoy… Mammas for the most part would not enjoy as much as Sex and the City, or the soon to be released chick flick  ”The Women”.

NB: Please be aware this is definitely an adult movie and is rated M for this reason. No kiddies in sight.

Since very early on, Ive always tried to limit the amount of TV my child is exposed to.  For the first couple of years it was only switched on after he went to sleep or momentarily for quick “baby-sitting duty” when an important phone call was required.  Im not sure if Ive contributed to the outcome, however my son has now become one of those children mesmerised by the television (see exhibit A above for Liam in his TV Zone out). There’s kids that like TV, and there’s kids that go into the Zone.

We’ve all read about the effects of too much TV on kids of all ages, and do our best to ration TV and  ensure that only quality TV is watched. There is now new research showing that even background TV - the TV which is always on (just “for noise”) can disrupt a child’s normal development and impact their ability to sustain attention.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that when children were given toys to play with while the television was on, the children played with each toy for “significantly shorter” periods of time.  Focussed attention during play was also shorter compared to when the TV was off.  So according to the research, even when a child is not overtly watching the TV (especially the younger siblings playing on the floor), they are still inavertedly being affected developmentally.

Time for some further TV rationing I say.