Friday, 28 December 2012

A Sneaky Peek at What’s in Store for 2013


I’m hoping that you’ve all had a great Christmas spent with those you love and enjoy spending time with. We spent our Christmas just the four of us, our first Christmas without extended family for 6 years and it felt good. Sometimes just being a family unit together can be very healing and balancing. We needed that this year.

Over the past few months I have immersed myself in the world of cyberspace and the bloggersphere. It’s been an eclectic mix of tweeting, blogging, and Facebook following! Quite mind-boggling if the truth be known. But it’s incredible how this new world of social networking through the internet allows us to connect with like-minded people quickly and easily.
I’ve found a number of people and companies particularly through Twitter that I never even knew existed. And they are really great finds too. It’s a world that can open you up to so many opportunities. For example, through connecting with one author, Charlie Plunkett, on my personal Twitter account, I was asked to contribute to her new book, 100 Little Words on Parenthood, which is a mix of anecdotes, experiences and words of wisdom on parenting told by parents, grandparents and experts. I was really excited to be part of this project yet this opportunity would probably never have presented itself for it not have been for the Twittersphere.

It’s therefore been lots of fun compiling a list of the companies, people, products and ideas I will be blogging about in the coming weeks and months. Some of them have been waiting in the dusty archives of my head waiting to be brought forth to share with you and others have sprung forth, which I have only just found.

So I thought I’d quickly share some of them with you so you can get a feel of what’s to come:

  • World of Creatures – Toddler Foam Wash and Toddler Body Mousse
  • Sotto E Sopra – Stylish, Casual, Eco Tops for women including a maternity range
  • Flibberti – Gorgeous craft jewellery sets for children (bracelet and necklace)
  • Chuckling Goat – Lavender Milk Soap and Lavender Goats Milk Cream
  • Babyhood - a parenting film that gives you the evidence, reassurance and support to follow your instincts
  • Green People - Men’s Range of Toiletries
  • Merino Kids - Toddler Sleepbags made of 100% natural merino wool
  • Natural Mat – Childrens mattresses made from 100% organic coir and local lambswool, natural latex or mohair or horsehair combinations, providing excellent ventilation and support.
  • Model Art Books – Children’s fashion model books to get them designing and being creative.
  • Tatty Bumpkin - Bamboo Sunshirts
  • BeSafe Car Seats for babies and children
  • Toddler Calm classes
  • Sling Meet - Helping parents around the UK meet other parents, and learn to carry their baby in a sling, learn to back carry, and be comfortable with their carriers.

These are just some of the blog posts I have coming in 2013. It’s really exciting to be sharing all these with you and I really hope you will enjoy reading about them in the coming weeks and months.

I am keen to find more chemical and paraben-free skin care ranges particularly for women and men. Also I would love to find a make up range that is truly natural and chemical free without any bulking agents added. If anyone reading this blog has ideas or recommendations I could look into, please do share in the comments section below or leave a comment on our FB page: SophiasChoiceUK - Thank you xx

Well my lovelies, there you have it. A little taster to wet your appetite. In case you don’t pop back again before the year is out, I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a fabulous New Year’s Eve whatever you do and a 2013 filled with opportunities, joy, abundance and love. We will be celebrating little Jess’ 2nd birthday that day, so more pressies and wrapping paper to play with. Hard to believe 2 years have passed so quickly. I’ll make sure I raise a glass to your good health and happiness that evening. But for now, “Cheers” ! 

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Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Baby Calm™ A guide for calmer babies and happier parents – Competition Giveaway

THIS COMPETITION GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

We are now only 6 days away from celebrating another Christmas with family and/or friends and it always seems to amaze me that yet another year has passed so very quickly.


So much has happened to us as a family unit over the past year or so. For one thing we lost my mother last September to lung cancer and family celebrations seem to be the times when that loss is felt most significantly. Mothers are pretty special aren’t they? And one thing my Mum always said to me when I myself became one was “Always trust your instincts Charlie and you’ll never go far wrong.” And you know something, she was, and still is, right.

Like a lot of new Mums, even I, who envisaged herself taking to motherhood like a duck to water, struggled with what the reality entailed. And I, like so many before me and so many to follow, looked at times, to others for some guidance. Often that guidance was in the form of a book. Having chosen to read many books, which I have to say have changed a lot over the years, my advice for any new Mum would be to choose wisely.

I wouldn’t read Gina Ford if you paid me ! I know her books have worked for some but her advice goes against every fibre of my being, so apologies if you have found her words of comfort and have found that her advice has worked for you. For one thing she hasn’t had children herself, like Jo Frost, Super Nanny. Before I had my own children I would happily watch Super Nanny on the television and had my own opinions on how I thought other people could parent their kids, until that is, I had my own. It’s very easy to sit back and judge others when you haven’t walked in their shoes. There’s a Native American saying, “Before judging another, walk two moons in his moccasins.” Oh how true those words are.

One of the books I chose to read was “The Baby Whisperer” by Tracy Hogg. There were parts of her book I related to; like introducing your baby to each room in the house so they knew where they would be living, telling them what you were doing at all times so they knew what was going on e.g when you changed their nappy. In essence this was about respecting your baby. Making a connection with your baby was encouraged.

However, there were also those other areas where you were encouraged to somehow make your new addition fit into your world in a way that is, if we are honest just not logical or do-able in the early weeks, months, even years of our little one’s lives. The “pick up, put down” method springs to mind here, which is basically a form of controlled crying. I tried it with my first when I was on my knees with sleep deprivation and was mortified when my beautiful baby girl looked up at me after an hour of trying to implement this technique, with a “what are you doing to me Mummy” look, which made me feel like I’d just had my heart ripped out of my body, and yet in my desperation for sleep with my second, I tried the technique again, but only the once! What was I thinking? My instincts told me to pick my baby up and soothe her until she settled despite my being so very tired. But the book said this wasn’t a good idea. So who do you believe? 

Now I know you need to learn to trust your own instincts. And if you choose to read a book, try to find one that promotes confidence and encourages this instinct too. That's where the book, BabyCalm, comes into its own. I so wish this had been available when I was pregnant with Sophia.


I’m really chuffed to have come across Sarah Ockwell-Smith who is the founder of both BabyCalm™ and ToddlerCalm™. Their philosophy is about empowering new parents to raise their babies with confidence. They run BabyCalm and ToddlerCalm classes across the country and very recently Sarah brought out her first book, “BabyCalm™, A guide for calmer babies & happier parents” and we have kindly been given a copy of this book for our last competition giveaway.

I am part way through reading this book and will be reviewing it properly in another blog post very soon. I was hoping to link the two together here but moving house unexpectedly has meant that this hasn’t been possible. But this book deserves a proper review. From what I’ve read so far and from all the reviews I've seen (click here to read them on Amazon), I'm very pleased indeed to be offering this book as our final competition giveaway. If you are or know of a mum-to-be, then you need to enter this competition to win this great book.

The back of the book reads as follows:

“If you want to find ways to cope with tiring days and difficult nights without putting your baby on a strict routine, or resorting to sleep training, this new, gentle guide is for you.

Full of advice, support, tips and the experiences of other new parents, this book shares the methods of the popular BabyCalm classes and workshops and will enable you to enjoy your baby – and trust your own parenting instincts – from the start."

Contents include:
  • Deciphering your baby’s cues
  • A toolbox of calming techniques
  • The benefits of babywearing
  • Understanding normal baby sleep patterns
  • Gentle ways to encourage your baby’s sleep
  • The importance of attachment
  • Recovering from birth
  • The transition to motherhood
  • Why you should trust your maternal instincts
So, to be in with a chance of winning this BabyCalm™ book, click on the Rafflecopter link below and follow the instructions. 

You will need to answer one question AND leave a blog post comment below (or on our Facebook page if you have problems on the blog) as to why you would like to win this great book. In addition, you can like our FB page www.facebook.com/SophiasChoiceUK, follow us on Twitter @SophiasChoiceUK and tweet about this final giveaway.

For more information on BabyCalm™ you can visit their website www.babycalm.co.uk or you can follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BabyCalm and Twitter @BabyCalmclasses.


If I don’t see you here again before 2013 begins, then may I wish you all a wonderful Christmas with those you love and treasure in your life. I have lots more to blog about in the New Year and hope to see you here again soon. 

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful 2013.


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This competition giveaway is open to residents worldwide and will run until 4th January 2013. The winner will be announced within 48 hours of the competition end time. The book will be posted out to the winner in the New Year.

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Congratulations to Helen Barrance who is our winner ! I hope you will enjoy reading this great book.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Baby Calm to read, keep and use for this post. All thoughts, feelings and opinions given are my own and no one elses. I always give my honest feedback.


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Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Tidlo High Tea Shape Matching Set by John Crane – Review and Competition Giveaway

THIS COMPETITION GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

It’s been so great being able to run some lovely giveaways in the run up to Christmas and this week’s competition is no exception. Firstly this week's giveaway begins on a very special day indeed; the 12th day of the 12th month of 2012 - 12.12.12 at 12.00am !


And secondly, we have been given this gorgeous wooden Tidlo High Tea Shape Matching Set by John Crane Toys as a giveaway prize in addition to one given to myself and the girls to try out for this review.



It arrived just before we moved house again - we’ve had to move twice in a space of 11 weeks! Don’t ask, it’s a long story ;0) – so I put it away and decided to delay this giveaway by a week giving us extra time to review it properly. One day last week whilst little Jess snoozed, I set about putting it together. It comes with 19 pieces (16 cakes and 3 pieces for the cake stand) and the first thing I noticed when I took everything out of the box was the quality and vibrant colour of the items. They are really well made, there’s lovely detail to each cake and each one is unique.

 

The box says that this set is suited to 3 years upwards because of small parts but I personally couldn’t see Jess (who will be 2 at the end of December) managing to put one of the cakes in her mouth in its entirity. Looking at the make up of each cake, you would have to be quite rough with them to get the decorations off. However, I can see why the age restriction is there. For some children parental presence/guidance is often a must ;0) The toy helps with spatial awareness, hand to eye co-ordination and communication and role play. Each cake has a number on the base and is matched up to the corresponding number on the cake stand. However, many of the cakes fit elsewhere which is great for smaller children who will just place the cake where it fits instead of looking at the number.

Once the cake stand was assembled and the cakes were placed on top I was quite excited about waking Jess to see what she thought. I knew Sophia would just love it. She loves to have tea parties, play shops, etc so this addition to her café set would be most welcome indeed.

When Jess spotted it on the coffee table, she made straight for it taking the cakes off, telling me what toppings they had (strawberries, cherries, apples) and then she proceeded to get her Halloween bucket out and put them all in to carry around with her. She was very chuffed indeed with her new cakes particularly the chocolate ones – she is after all her mother’s daughter ! As I thought, she matched them to any shape that would fit, a bit like a puzzle. Number matching will come later on for her, but it doesn’t stop her playing with it and getting maximum enjoyment out of it.

 

When Sophia came home from school, she again made straight for the cake stand and cakes. She set up a bakery with Jess & I as her customers. As she is 6 she matched everything precisely and was quite bossy when telling Jess she had wrongly placed a cake on the stand. Sibling love eh? ;0)

The following day Sophia wrapped all the cakes up for her beloved cuddly toy doggy’s birthday. Oh yes, we were having a birthday party and the cakes were part of that, placed in party bags. It’s so wonderful to watch children imagination play. Jess however, was a tad miffed that “her” cakes were being wrapped up and hidden away. Not a happy camper !


This high tea cake set has been played with a lot since its first appearance and I am fairly sure it will be coming out many more times in the future. The lovely thing about it is that your child can grow with it. They start by playing with it for what it is; a matching set, but then when they can read numbers they learn to place each piece in its correct spot not just where it may fit. They can also role play with it, using their own imagination; cafés, shops, tea parties, picnics. The options are really only limited by them.


The set is vibrantly colourful and beautifully made. The more wooden toys I see, the more I fall in love with them. I know some people say “But they are more expensive”, but I’d rather save up, give my girls less items and buy wooden than have a room full of plastic. The selection of wooden toys out there now is vast, and there is something for everyone.

So, to be in with a chance of winning this delightful Tidlo High Tea Shape Matching set, simply click on the Rafflecopter link below, answer the question AND leave a blog post comment below as to why you would like this High Tea Shape Matching Set (or on our FB page www.facebook.com/SophiasChoiceUK if you have difficulty leaving a comment on the blog).

You will need to complete these 2 bits correctly for your entry to be valid and to be in with a chance of winning this prize.


In addition, you can tweet about this great competition, and like John Crane's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JohnCraneToys - these are optional.

This competition giveaway is open to UK and Ireland residents only.

Good luck x

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To keep up to date with what’s happening on with Sophia’s Choice you can “like” our Facebook page www.facebook.com/SophiasChoiceUK, follow us on Twitter @SophiasChoiceUK or follow the blog. It would be great to have you here :0)

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About John Crane:

“John Crane was established in 1984 as a family business. It was the start of a long and fruitful relationship with wooden toys. John Crane are proud to be associated with some of the best loved brands, offering top quality, timeless toys.”


Congratulations to Becky Gower who won this fabulous competition !




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: I was given a Tidlo High Tea Shape Matching Set free of charge to test out for this review. In addition John Crane will be giving one away for our competition giveaway. I’d like to extend my thanks to them for this kind donation. All opinions given in this post are my own and no one else’s.



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Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Shea Mooti Mama and Baby Goodies – Review and Competition Giveaway

THIS COMPETITION GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Whilst on the hunt for new products to try out for Sophia’s Choice I happened upon Shea Mooti via a Janey Lee Grace video post on their Shea Butter Baby Soap. You may well know Janey Lee Grace from Radio 2’s Steve Wright show but did you know that she’s also an advocate of natural, alternative products – take a look at her websites: www.imperfectlynatural.com and www.janeyleegrace.com/.


I wanted to know more about Shea Mooti and after taking a look at their website: www.sheamooti.co.uk I contacted them to see if they would let me test out their Shea butter baby soap and whether they would like to be part of our Christmas giveaway. I was privileged enough to speak to Violet, the founder of Shea Mooti, herself and it was so lovely to talk to someone who is obviously very passionate about what she does, and who is also still so very down to earth.

The Shea Mooti story like so many others I have come across, started with her own children. Alex her eldest son suffered with dry skin, cradle cap and was prone to eczema. Steroid creams and shampoos prescribed by the doctor only provided temporarily relief and products labeled “natual and organic” only made things worse. Undeterred, Violet enrolled on a natural soap making course and came across a very important ingredient, Shea Butter. This ignited a passion to make her own natural products for her son and fast forward several years, a couple more children and family placing orders for her home made products and Violet decided the time was right to share her great products with the world and Shea Mooti was born. You can find out more about the Shea Mooti story on their website.

Violet kindly agreed to send me a couple of their products to test out and review; their Baby’s Pure Shea Butter Soap (unscented) and Mama’s Soothing Leg and Foot Cream in addition to a lovely giveaway prize.



So what are they like I hear you ask? Well, I struggle to find good, natural, organic soaps to use on the girls. I like shower gels for myself and use them on occasion with the girls but there is nothing quite like soap to get your kids clean when needed. However, I don’t wish to coat their bodies in chemicals or dry the skin out, which so many soaps do. The beauty with this baby soap is the Shea butter along with organic coconut, olive and sunflower oils. The soap doesn’t leave the skin dry, in fact the skin is left feeling soft and smooth – something I wasn’t expecting. The skin is not stripped of its natural oils as with so many other soaps. The soap also stands up to two kids manhandling it. My youngest daughter even decided to try to eat it at one point when my back was turned ! Aagh, thank goodess it’s natural and not loaded with chemicals ;0) Another thing I noticed was that when left on the sink or a soap dish it doesn’t get all soggy and sloppy as so many soaps do. It dries out and holds its shape. A small point maybe, but as far as I’m concerned an important one. There’s nothing worse than picking up a soggy, cold piece of soap to wash your hands or body with ! The soap is unscented, has a gentle, creamy lather and lasts a long time. I’m impressed with it and glad to have found a soap I can use on the girls.


So, what about the Mama’s Soothing Leg and Foot Cream? Well, since having kids I’ve noticed that my knees probably look more like rough elephant's knees than the smooth examples they used to be. I've lost count of the pairs of jeans I've gone through from wearing holes in the knee area. Scrabbling around on the floor plays havoc with your skin so would this cream help? I also have a varicose vein on one of my legs which can make my legs ache on occasion, so would this cream help that too?


I loved the fact that the cream came in a pump bottle making it easy to use. A little bit of the cream goes a long way and it has a lovely texture which sinks easily into the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy film. The skin is left feeling hydrated and smooth and after a few days of application, I was impressed by the difference in the dry flaky skin on my knees. It really made a difference. The scent is lovely – it almost has an antiseptic quality to it. This is from the Niaouli oil which is stimulating and uplifting. The cream has a slightly cooling effect on the skin and I can imagine when pregnant and suffering with aching legs at the end of the day, that putting this cream on would be a welcome relief. The cream also has the added benefits of Shea Butter which Shea Mooti ethically source from Afrikids’ Daughters – a collective of women’s co-operatives in northern Ghana. I really like the cream and felt it definitely helped the aches I sometimes get with my varicose vein. I will definitely invest in some more once this bottle is finished.


And my lovelies, you could be in with a chance of winning some of your very own in our third competition giveaway. Shea Mooti have given us one of their Baby’s Pure Shea Butter Soaps, a bottle of their Mama’s Soothing Leg and Foot Cream and a natural extra soft sea sponge all worth approx. £25. To be in with a chance of winning, simply click on the Rafflecopter link below and answer the question on Shea Mooti and leave a blog post below as to why you would like this fabulous giveaway. You can also tweet about the giveaway and like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SophiasChoiceUK.

The competition runs for 7 days from Wednesday 5th December and the winner will be announced within 48 hours of the competition ending. This competition is open to residents worldwide. Good luck.


Congratulations to Victoria Leith who won this competition giveaway ! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Disclaimer: I was given a Baby’s Pure Shea Butter Soap and a Mama’s Soothing Leg & Foot Lotion free of charge to test out for this review. In addition Shea Mooti gave us a Baby’s Pure Shea Butter Soap, Mama’s Soothing Leg & Foot Cream along with a natural extra soft sea sponge for our competition giveaway. I’d like to extend my thanks to them for this kind donation. All opinions given in this post are my own and no one else's.


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Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Green People “Hello Baby” Competition Giveaway


THIS COMPETITION GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

If you’ve been reading my blog so far, you will already know that I am a big fan of Green People. They were the first company I came across when looking for baby creams, shampoos, baby washes that were free from parabens, SLS, phlathates, lanolin, petrochemicals, colourants etc for Sophia. I was living in France at the time, and struggled to find these sorts of products out there. We still use their products almost 7 years on and I’ve come to trust them as a company. If you wish to read my first blog post on Green People, then click here.

As we’ve been planning a few giveaways in the lead up to Christmas, I was keen to include the lovely Green People so asked if they would like to be involved and luckily for you guys, they happily agreed and have sent us a “Hello Baby” gift set as a giveaway prize worth £15.95. This gift set was recently launched in October 2012 and you can buy it in Baby Blue for boys, Blush Pink for girls or Unisex if the sex is unknown. 

We are giving away a Unisex gift set in this competition.

This set itself contains:

100ml Lavender Baby Wash & Shampoo
30ml Dry Skin Baby Lotion – unscented
30ml Lavender Baby Salve

Click on the above links to find out more about each individual product.

We have used all 3 of these products with both Sophia and Jess and still do.
  • The Baby Salve - Lavender is fabulous stuff. It’s great for the nappy area but I’ve used it all over their body after a bath to really hydrate the skin. It melts in your hands as you apply it and smell lush ! We’ve used it when the girls have had very dry, sore skin around the mouth area in winter time too and it sorts it out within 24 hours. Really good stuff. It’s water resistant so is great at keeping dampness away from baby’s skin in the nappy area and you can also use it as a nipple cream. It contains organic shea butter, hemp, beeswax, calendula and lavender.
  • The Lavender Baby Wash and Shampoo smells yummy and we use it as a bubble bath too on nights when playing with bubbles is high on the agenda. A lot of the time we simply use water in the bath. The great thing with this wash is that as it has no chemical nasties in it, if the girls decide to eat the bubbles, which kids just seem to insist on doing - I seem to remember doing the same at their age, however it was with Mr Matey in those days ! How scary is that? – you know that they are not ingesting parabens, SLS, phlathlates etc. A big plus :0) This baby wash contains organic aloe vera, chamomile, yucca, mandarin and lavender.
  • And finally the Dry Skin Baby Lotion. This is not a heavy cream. It’s a light easily absorbable lotion that doesn’t leave a greasy film on the skin. The skin actually drinks the lotion up and is left feeling smooth and soft. We used to buy the one with Lavender in but I notice that this is no longer available. That smelt good too. This lotion has organic aloe vera, shea butter, cocoa butter and calendula amongst it’s ingredients.
All these products are great for sensitive skin and those prone to eczema, psoriasis and skin that is irritated easily. But even if your baby doesn’t suffer with sensitive skin or any skin allergies it’s just great knowing that what you are putting on them is free from all those horrible chemicals that the skin so easily absorbs.

For more information on the lovely products that Green People produce visit their website: www.greenpeople.co.uk or go to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GreenPeopleOrganic. Alternatively, you can follow them on Twitter @GreenPeopleUK.

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To be in with a chance of winning this lovely “Hello Baby” gift set, simply click on the Rafflecopter link below and follow the instructions. 

You will need to answer one question AND then leave a blog comment below as to why you would like this gift set. Liking our Facebook page and tweeting about the competition are up to you and an added extra. 

This competition is open to residents Worldwide. The winner will be announced on the blog and our Facebook page within 48 hours of the competition end date/time. Good luck.



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This competition is now closed. 

The winner is Attachment Mummy. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy your Green People "Hello Baby" Goodies.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



I would like to thank Green People for kindly giving us a “Hello Baby” gift set for this competition giveaway.


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Wednesday, 21 November 2012

BecoThings Beco Baby/Toddler Feeding Set - Giveaway and Review

THIS COMPETITION GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Having started Sophia’s Choice just over a month ago I really wasn’t anticipating being able to offer you competition giveaways in the run up to Christmas, let alone five of them. How wonderful to have made connections with some great companies who are doing their bit for organic, natural and eco-friendly baby products and who are happy to share the love and donate some lovely bits to our giveaway pot.


Our first offering is from the lovely people at BecoThings. I briefly mentioned these guys in my potty training post. They produce a fabulous eco-friendly, bio-degradable potty which you can plant in the garden when you have finished using it along with some seeds and watch them grow. Such a wonderful idea.

BecoThings also produce hangers made from recycled cardboard which bio-degrade, pet products (bowls, toys, cat litter etc), and baby/toddler products (potties, feeding sets and steps). All their products are made from eco-friendly, bio-degradable materials. Apart from the hangers, all other products are made from natural plant fibres. Approximately 80% of the material is made up of fibres from bamboo and rice husks. Rice husks are a by-product of rice production and as bamboo grows incredibly fast it can be sustainably grown and used. The BecoThings range of products are a replacement to plastic and are BPA Phthalate free.



We were given the opportunity to try out one of their feeding sets, which we are also giving away in our competition this week. For our sins we used plastic bowls and plates for Sophia when she was initially weaned and as we had them stored away they came out again for our youngest. However, I wanted to find a natural alternative which would be affordable, practical and look great. I think I may just have found one option for you.

The BecoThings feeding set is available in 3 colours; green, blue or pink. It contains a high sided plate, an easy grip slim design cup for little hands. This has a high curved rim which helps to reduce spills, and a shallower bowl than normal all in a fun, practical design.

So, were they up to the challenge of my 22 month old toddler? Let’s find out.

BecoThings Plate, Bowl and Cup

First impressions were that the set is really robust and well made. I’m not sure why but I expected the set to feel like firm rubber. It doesn’t. It is hard and if you knock it with your clenched fist you get a very satisfying rat ta tat tat sound from it ! Jess loved it straight away and was very excited by her new plate, cup and bowl. As soon as it appeared at tea time the cup was scooped up and I was very impressed with the ease with which she handled it. Very confident handling indeed . Because the design is slim and not round, Jess was able to get both her hands around it easily. My husband was a bit dubious that because of its design it may be prone to getting knocked over easily, but so far this hasn’t been an issue.


The plate is a great size; one that your 6 month old baby can grow with into their younger child years. It has high sides allowing them to scoop the food off the plate onto a spoon easily and independently. The bowl is a little shallower than I was expecting but it works. It is deep enough for cereal, soup, casserole etc, but shallow enough to let your little one see the contents they are eating. Many bowls are too deep, meaning your child has too lean over it to see what’s lurking inside!

Our set has been washed up and been in the dishwasher several times. I forgot to let hubby know that it was only dishwasher safe on the top shelf, so the plate and bowl ended up going through a cycle on the bottom shelf and I’m pleased to say they survived ! Phew.


One idea that my husband and I had was that this feeding set would make a great alternative to melamine for the kids in our caravan. We currently have melamine plates, bowls, cups etc for us all but this feeding set would work really well for the girls instead. Maybe BecoThings could look into making an adult range for camping and caravaning too. Everything has to be light weight in the caravan so the plant fibre material used in BecoThings products would lend itself well to this. Worth a thought don’t you think? Maybe a new product line for you ;0)


As previously mentioned the BecoThings products (except the hangers) are BPA Phthalate free but what does that mean? Phthalates are the chemicals used in plastic and help to make the plastic pliable for example with rubber toys like rubber ducks. BPA means Bisephenol.  It is a chemical used in plastics and is often made into baby bottles, sippy cups and water bottles. It is not a problem until heated. The chemical can then leak into the liquid and therefore be ingested by your little one. Thankfully, more manufacturers are now making products that are BPA Phthalate free.

So there you are. A great alternative to the usual plastic offerings we normally find lining the shelves of supermarkets and shops. I really rate this feeding set and will be investing in another one. They are reasonably priced at £11.99 per set. I think that’s a great price given that its eco-friendly too.



We have a lovely blue feeding set to give away in our competition this week. Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter and follow the instructions to be in with a chance of winning. This competition is open to UK and European residents only. The winner will be announced next Wednesday 28th November. Good luck !

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You can find out more about the products BecoThings make by visiting their website: www.becothings.com or on their Facebook page or via Twitter: @BecoThings.


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This competition is now closed. 

The winner is Helen Barrance. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy your Beco Feeding set.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Having approached BecoThings about their products and whether they would like to be involved in our competition giveaway, I was given a Pink Beco Feeding Set free of charge (in addition to the one given for the competition giveaway) so I was able to review the product properly. The views given are my own personal views and no one elses.



UPDATE: BECOTHINGS ARE NO LONGER MAKING BABY PRODUCTS HOWEVER THEY ARE STILL MAKING PET PRODUCTS.



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