Switching to Nappy Pants (and a Giveaway!!)

This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and BabyLove

I've talked a lot lately about life with a new baby, but there is also another big change going on around here at the moment. At 23 months old, Lincoln is becoming more and more like a little person and much less like a baby. He's moved past walking and now likes to run everywhere, he climbs on top of anything he can find, talks in little sentences and has very strong opinions (which normally involve him yelling 'Noooo' or 'Yeee-uck' at the top of his lungs!!).

 

One of the biggest challenges we're having is getting him to lie still on his change table for nappy changes. When Mum and Aggie (Sean's mum) were staying with us they learnt first hand that he likes to flip over, kick your belly as hard as he can and generally try to escape at every nappy change. I recently moved his change pad off his table and onto the floor, but all it's done is give him the chance to escape even quicker!

Even though I'd been having all these nappy changing challenges I hadn't really done anything about it. I guess I was in the mindset of 'just keep wrangling the baby and get the job done'. So when BabyLove offered to send me out some Nappy Pants it was kind of like a light bulb moment. I've seen the ads on TV, but it hadn't ever clicked that maybe I should give them a go. I guess my thinking was that because he's not ready for toilet training he also wasn't ready for nappy pants.

I've been using the BabyLove Nappy Pants since the package arrived and I can't believe the difference it has been making. I've been telling Lincoln they're his 'big boy nappies' and his little face looks so proud when we do 'standing changes'!! Seriously, toddlers are hilarious!

Even with our new standing up nappy changes I still have to be super quick, his attention span is really short and at any moment he will attempt to take off in search of his next adventure. The nappy pants have tear away sides, so I basically rip them off him as quick as I can and then (thanks to the super stretchy 360 degree waist band) I help him step into the next pair and pull them straight up. A quick pat on the bum and he's good to go!

An added bonus that I've found since starting to use them is that because there are no tabs he can't unfasten them. Link's not a fan of nappy-free time, but he loves playing with the tabs on his nappies. The end result is usually his nappy falling off and him coming to my crying because he wants his nappy back on. The stretchy waist also helps prevent over zealous dads and grandparents from doing the nappy up so tight that his little belly pops out over the top.

Since switching to the nappy pants they're the only type of nappy I've needed to use, I’ve had them on him overnight and they hold up beautifully. Definitely no dreaded leaks! There is nothing worse than waking up to a toddler screaming because his favourite blanket is all wet (trust me, I've been there...). Trying to get that blanket clean and dry on a day when we have to be out and about early is a disaster.

Another thing I am absolutely loving about BabyLove is that they've made this adorable little baby soother youtube video. Now to be completely honest when I first heard about it I thought it was going to be a bit gimmicky and probably wasn't going to mention it. But I played it for Lincoln and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. He danced along with Baby Bud, laughed and clapped his chubby little hands. When it was finished he said 'more bebe mumma'!! So cute! When BabyLove tested it in Japan it soothed 96% of crying babies, I will definitely be trying it on Elliot next time I can't settle him.

More good news, I have a BabyLove Nappy Pants and Wipes package valued at more than $250 to give to one of you! To enter leave a comment below telling me about the tactics your toddlers have used to try and get away during nappy changes. All the Terms and Conditions can be found here.

In the meantime if you want to go out and buy your own pack of Nappy Pants, they're available at all the major supermarkets. They come in Toddler (9-14kg), Walker (12-17kg) & Junior (15-25kg) and can be purchased in either bulk ($16.99) or Jumbo packs ($29.99). Give them a go, if your toddler is anything like Lincoln you won't regret it! If you would like to request a sample, click here.

(Competition is now closed - congratulations Danni)


 

Lincoln Loves Treasures (plus a Giveaway & Nursery photos!)

 ** This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Treasures Nappies - All opinions belong to me, and all adorable chubby thighs belong to Lincoln**

A couple of weeks back I was asked if I would try Treasures Nappies, a thirty year old, leading New Zealand brand that has just hit the shelves here in Australia. Honestly, my first reaction was to say 'thanks, but no thanks'. I tried out a few brands of nappies when Max was little, found the ones I liked and have stuck with them ever since. I didn't even bother trying anything new when Link came along, I just stayed with what I knew. Then I got to thinking, soon I will have two babies in nappies... Which means double the cost (and double the poo...). I figured now was probably as good a time as any to give it a shot.

As I heard a little more about the nappies I actually started to get excited about giving them a try. My sister told me that she used (and loved them) when she was living back home in good old NZ and I found out they come in at a lower price point than my current brand. A recommendation and the chance to save money, win win!

So here's what happened when Link and I took them for a test run.

First Up - The Acid Test
The nappies arrived just before Link's naptime, so I figured that was as good a time as any to get started. I changed Link's cute little butt into one and put him down for his nap. Two hours later I heard him calling out 'Mum, Mum, Mum, Poo Poo, Poo Poo (as he does!). By the way it kills me that he's dropped the 'Mumma' and switched to 'Mum' so young. I'm sure Max was still calling me 'Mumma' when he was three! Anyway I went in to pick him up and was hit with a wave of poo so I knew it was going to be a bad one. And it was! It was one of those explosive poos that go all the way up the back, and the front of the nappy. Not great, but a perfect chance to see what Treasures could handle. I was seriously surprised (and impressed) when there was no leakage at all. Not one tiny bit. The entire mess was completely contained in the nappy. We were off to a very good start!

Round Two - The Overnighter
Feeling confident that the nappies could handle such a big poo, I decided to put them to the overnight test. Link still isn't a great sleeper and often wakes up in the night wanting a bottle. When he does I don't change him because it gets him too alert, I just feed him and get him back into bed as quickly as possible. Good for my sanity, but it does mean a really wet nappy in the morning. The two things I was hoping for would be that the nappy wouldn't leak (obviously), but also that there wouldn't be a really strong smell. Some of the other brands I tried with Max were terrible for that. When I went in and picked Link up in the morning the Treasures passed both with flying colours, they easily contained everything and there was no nasty all night wee smell. I've used them every night since and am loving them!

Last Up - The Pants Test (aka my baby has a big butt)
Link is a little chunky, in the good way that some babies are. He has deliciously chubby thighs and a big butt to match. Once you add in a bulky nappy some pants can be a bit of a tight squeeze, especially since a lot of his clothes are hand-me-downs and Max always looked best in slim fit clothes. As soon as I put the first Treasures on him I knew they were going to be a perfect fit. I actually found them to be a lot less bulky than our usual ones and I had no problems getting his pants on to his squishy little behind. Three out of three!

So even though I started out quite skeptical and very loyal to another brand I have definitely been won over. Their quality is on-par with the more expensive brands, they're cheaper and I actually like the look and feel of them more than our previous ones. Totally convinced! Plus they're stocked at IGA stores, which is super convenient for me as we have one just down the road from us.

Click the photo to visit the Treasures Page and find out more

Now here's the extra exciting part! I have a Treasures Nappies prize pack to give away valued at over $75. All you have to do is leave a comment (and your email address) sharing a personal tip on how to keep children sleeping through the night with the hashtag #sleepingtreasures. The winner will be drawn after 5pm AEST on 9 April 2014, announced on this post and contacted by email. Don't forget to share your experience with Treasures on facebook, twitter, instagram etc using #sleepingtreasures. Let's get the word out about these great little nappies!

{Click here for the full terms and conditions of the competition.}

Max & Me Giveaway

I'm so excited to share with you that I have just taken my 100th order through my online stores, so excited!!

I still remember loading up my first few items to Etsy and wondering if I was absolutely fooling myself to think that I would get a sale. That feels like forever ago!

To celebrate this little milestone I've decided to hold a giveaway over on Instagram. Head on over there and find me - @tamsyn_maxandme - to enter.

Good luck and thanks for being here to share in my good new!!

xx Tamsyn

DIY Christmas Ideas + A Giveaway

**This is a sponsored post for 3M via Digital Parents Collective. 

As always, all opinions are my own.**

I love Christmas and I absolutely love decorating for Christmas!! All year round I pin ideas and count down the days until I can crack out the decorations :).

This year I was planning a really rustic and nature inspired Christmas, but with a new baby, a full on three year old and my little shop keeping me busy I ended up with a mix of last years beachy decorations and some new (handmade) rustic ones. The end result is a fresh, fun and laid back Christmas style.

The biggest change this year is that I let Sean and Max decorate the tree. Those of you that know me well will know that is a *really* big deal. I'm normally an absolute control freak when it comes to decorating! They did a really good job though and watching them work together to decorate the tree was absolutely priceless.

You might notice the shell and starfish garland from Max's party is still hanging along the window. It looked perfect with the blues, whites and silvers of the Christmas tree so I decided to keep it up. I hung it using the small 3M command clear hooks. I love that they're completely clear (including the pull down tab), when you stand back you can't even see the hooks, so the focus stays on the garland.

My favourite decoration this year is a rustic burlap and linen wreath that I DIYed. I've been wanting to make one ever since I saw this post, and I'm so glad that I finally got around to it. The wreath makes me smile every time I walk up to the front door! It was super easy to make too.

I started out with a 15 inch foam wreath form, some soft burlap, off-white linen, scissors, hot glue and a paint-brush.

I cut my fabric until little squares, mine were each about 4cm square.

 

To make the wreath I folded each piece of fabric over the end of the paintbrush, added a dab of hot glue to the end and then poked it about one cm into the wreath.

Then I kept going until the entire wreath was covered (with a few breaks along the way to feed Lincoln, my very hungry 5.2 kilo monster baby!!). I love how it turned out!

To hang the wreath I hot glued a long ribbon onto the back of it. The using a small command clear hook (upside down on the back of the door) I looped the ribbon up over the top of the door and then tied it to the hook. Once I was happy with the height it was hanging at I added a sheer silver ribbon over the top of the hook. The 3M hooks are absolutely perfect for using on my big timber door, when it's time to take the wreath down the hook comes off cleanly without taking any of the finish with it. An absolute must in my opinion... I cannot imagine having to re-stain the door, it would be an epic task!

To finish off my decorating I decided to tackle another DIY that I originally saw on pinterest. Using my 3M hooks I made a string tree in our (previously very bare) entry way.

At the point of each 'branch' I used a small command clear hook and then I hung each of the decorations using the decorating clips. I filled the tree with a collection of small baubles and handmade decorations. It was so much fun to make and I love how it fills up my entryway with festive cheer! This is another DIY that I wouldn't have considered with out the 3M hooks, I love that I can put the decorations up without a single nail hole in the wall. Once the 1st of January rolls around you won't even know the string tree was there!

For the DIY decorations I used a combination of these pinwheels that I first saw over at Ella Claire, these ornaments that I debuted over at Chibi Run and the star topper is just made from cardboard, scored and folded and then spray painted silver.

So there you have it, my Christmas decorating done and dusted!

The 3M hooks that I used for my decorating are available in a range of sizes suitable for different weights – including the Mini, Small and Medium hooks as well as the Utensil and Decorating Clips priced from $6.99 (RRP). To see how easily they come off the wall check out this quick 1 minute youtube video (it even has a super cute decorating idea included!).

You can buy command clear hooks at all leading supermarkets and retail outlets across Australia. Or.... you can enter my giveaway and score yourself one of 5 prize packs valued at $36.35 (total value of over $180!).

All you have to do to enter is tell me in 25 words or less what your favourite style of Christmas decorating is. The winners will be drawn at 5pm on the 13th of December and entry is open to all Australian residents. The winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond, so please make sure your comment links to your email address (or include it along with your comment).  {This giveaway has now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered, the winners will be announced shortly.}

Good luck and happy decorating!!

(If you would like to see my decorating from previous years you can click here, here and here.)

Loops n Swoops + A Giveaway!

**This post is sponsored by Nuffnang - All opinions are mine (and Max's)**

There have been a lot of knocks on the door over the last couple of weeks from the postie and various couriers. Almost every single time it's been a little gift for Lincoln, which is amazing and sweet and kind and very much appreciated, but it was starting to rub a certain toddler up the wrong way!

The other day when a courier arrived with a huge package Max asked the usual question 'it's for me Mumma?'. You should have seen his reaction when I said yes, he couldn't contain his excitement, it was so adorable! There may have even been some box hugging involved :)

Once we opened the box and Max saw that it was the Fisher Price Little People Wheelie Loops ‘n’ Swoops Amusement Park he was even more excited. Now that he's three he is all of a sudden crazy about cars and trucks and ramps and all things like that.

We got started on putting it together and I have to say it was probably one of the easiest toys I've ever assembled. I'm talking '7 days post c-section and it only took me 15 minutes' easy. Got to love that!

Max couldn't help himself and started to play with it before I'd even finished setting it up!

At just over 2 feet tall it's the perfect height for Max, he lined up the little cars and trucks at the top before sending them all shooting down the two-sided ramp in quick succession. It came with two new amusement park themed wheelies (four wheelers, perfectly sized for little hands!), once he saw them Max realised straight away that were similar to the ones he already had and went and grabbed them all from his room :). The more the merrier I guess!

Once I showed Max how the cars would go down the (gravity defying, 360 degree!) loop he was all over that too. He even made up a little song that I had to sing every time before he would push the button to send the car down the loop. Seriously, there is nothing sweeter than a toddler's imagination! He worked out pretty quickly that you can lift the ramp at the end of the loop so that the cars do a jump at the end as well.

After we'd played with it for about 20 minutes, I suddenly remembered (baby brain ftw) that it took batteries (3 AAA) and popped those in. Max loved the 'muse-lic' and sound effects and lights that starting playing as the cars went down the ramp. It was like I took his favourite thing ever and then added chocolate to it, toddler heaven!!

Later on in the afternoon Max's cousins came over and started playing with it as well. I loved seeing how they all had different favourite things. Ava liked the bottom level where you can drive the cars up to the ticket booth, fun-house mirror, food stand and lift gate, Emmy loved taking the little colourful flags and moving them around to different parts of the amusement park and Max just kept on sending those cars down the ramps!

Days later Max is still loving it. We have it sitting in the lounge room and whenever I sit down to feed Lincoln Max will happily play on the floor. He's started building block towers at the end of the loop the loop for the sole purpose of watching the cars crash into them. Boys, huh!

Now for the best part, just in time for Christmas I have one Little People™ Wheelies™ Loops ‘n’ Swoops Amusement Park to giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why your little one would love their very own one of these.

The giveaway is for all Australian Readers and is open until the 14th of December. Good luck!! (Full terms and conditions are here.)

{This giveaway has now closed. A big congratualtions to the winner - Rachel T. I hope you're little guy loves this as much as Max does!}

40 Weeks (tomorrow)

Tomorrow is my due date, I will have officially made it to 40 weeks!

I'm feeling a little angsty today, I've been sitting on the couch most of the morning alternating between hugs with Max and Cooper. I have so much on my to-do list that I want to get done, but I can't quite seem to get moving.

The anxiety I'm feeling is coming from the appointment I have with the obstetrician tomorrow. The appointment where I think he is going to tell me that time's up and I'm having a c-section. When I originally asked him if I could try for a vbac instead of repeat elective c-section he said 'yes, but if you go past 40 weeks you'll be having the caesar'.

I had one with Max, I know it's not that big a deal. But this time round I really wanted to experience what it's like to go into labour...

I'm trying to stay positive though, I still have 27 hours left before that appointment and I'm sure they won't admit me to hospital on the spot. So I figure I have a couple of days left to somehow convince this baby to come out on his own :).

Cross your fingers for me!!

{Don't forget I'm also giving away a $400 Visa Gift Card!! Entering is super easy and you've got to be in it to win it!}.

$400 Christmas Giveaway!

That's right, I've teamed up with some very awesome bloggers to give away a $400 visa gift card this holiday season (as well as two $20 visa gift cards as runner-up prizes)!! I hope you're as excited as I am :)


To enter you just need to leave a comment below (and then use the rafflecopter widget to validate it, sometimes it does take a few seconds to load so please give it a moment), plus you will earn a bonus entry each time you follow one of the blogs listed below on either facebook or pinterest (or both!). It's such an easy way to earn extra entries and you'll be able to check out some fabulous blogs along the way! (Please note if you enter via a bonus entry, they will be verified should you win.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
   


Entry is open to anyone in Australia, the USA and Canada.  Good luck and Happy Holidays!!