Review: Amber Pumpkin

Noah has been a late teether. He has only just cut his first tooth two weeks ago now, at 11 months old. You have been able to see his teeth beneath his gums from a very young age so we had been on tooth watch for months on end. 

On the days leading up to that first tooth Noah was really under the weather. He had a temperature, was really tired and just wanted to cuddle all day long. As soon as the first tooth popped through the second came straight after it. So now he now has his bottom two teeth and by the signs of his red rosy cheeks you can tell that more are on the way.

He hasn't been handling teething very well and I think it's because they are all going to be coming at once now he's got his first two. We've tried many teething aids suggested by family and friends, some products have worked a little for us and some haven't at all.

I had heard brilliant comments regarding amber bracelets, anklets and necklaces so when Amber Pumpkin reached out regarding the possibility of a review it couldn't of come at a better time. 

After browsing on the website and umming and ahhing for a while I decided to go for the Round bead amber necklace in the colour honey. It retails at £15.50 and is described as a luxury amber necklace made from all natural baltic amber. 

How can an amber necklace help with teething? Here is some information I have found online:

Amber is associated with sunlight and warmth and reputed to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and accelerate the healing of wounds and is thus the perfect help for babies and toddlers who wear it when they are teething.

 When a baby is teething and the amber teething necklace is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases healing oils from the amber (a resin) which are absorbed via the skin into the bloodstream. Amber is not a stone and therefore warm to the touch, as well as very comfortable and light to wear. Children wearing amber is a very old traditional custom in Europe and the Far East. Amber is known to reduce inflammation of the throat, ear and stomach and to fight inflammation, infections and respiratory disease. 

After reading and hearing all these positive remarks and facts I had a very open mind and felt very positive about trying out the necklace. On it's arrival the first thing I did was give the necklace a good tug to make sure it would stand firm once Noah was let loose on it. I knew it would be fine as Amber Pumpkin are the leading retailer when it comes to amber jewellery so I knew it would be safe but us parents do like to double check, for peace of mind!

Noah didn't mind me putting the necklace on (which is surprising as he hates to be messed with) and he doesn't mind wearing it either which is probably down to it being so lightweight.

The day he wore the amber for the first time I noticed a definite change in his mood and temperment. His cheeks seemed to be less red and I noticed he wasn't drooling half as much. It was almost like he wasn't teething and you could visibly see that he was having some relief which is a blessing for us parents. 

So all to the skeptics out there, give amber a try! 

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review. However all opinions are my own. 

Silent Sunday

Competition: Win a set of imaginative play Dinosaurs

We were recently lucky enough to be sent some lovely toys from Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys to review. The first being the Wooden Stacking Rings which Noah absolutely loves, you can read more about it here. 

We also received a set of three imaginative play Dinosaurs, a blue stegosaurus, a red triceratops and a green T Rex. They are super cute and are knitted with fair trade materials. They really stimulate your child's senses and imagination being so brightly coloured and textured. 

Our personal favourite is Mr T Rex and Noah likes me to hide him so he can go crawl off and find him. He doesn't really know how to properly play with them being so young but I can envision him having hours of fun with them when he's a little older.

Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys were kind enough to offer the set of Dinosaurs as a prize to give away on the blog as well as the 15% off voucher code Jen_and_Noah to use on their website. 

To enter the competition all you need to do is use the Gleam entry form below. Good luck, they could be another Christmas gift off your list!

Dinosaur

Review: Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys - Wooden Stacking Ring

Today I would like to introduce Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys as it's a store that share's many of the same values as myself. Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys is an independent toy store located in Wales. A Father and Daughter business that was established 11 years ago whilst attending numerous craft fairs. Growing up both Father and Daughter were tired of all the plastic fantastic throwaway toys that were on the market and decided to specialise in wooden toys with a modern twist. Those factors tick all the right boxes for me; family run business and wooden toys, win win! 

Being a first time Mum I was initially attracted and blinded by all the bright, flashing and electronical toys but the novelty soon wore off. Now that Noah is really interested in his toys and books my preference has totally changed and now I am besotted with wooden toys. Not only are they durable but they are usually eco friendly, great value for money, good quality and they allow your childs imagination to really bloom. 

Noah was lucky enough to receive a selection of toys from Lou Lou and Jim Jams Toys and we were both very excited for them to arrive. 

The first toy we began testing was the Wooden Stacking Rings which is an educational toy suitable from 12 months. On opening I was impressed with the quality of the toy as it's really strudy and made out of good quality wood. I can see it easily standing the test of time with a sometimes boisterous boy. It's also bright, attractive and eye catching with it's painted stacking rings and poles. 

Anyway less of what I think lets move onto Noah's verdict.

At first he was a little nonchalant and didn't pay much attention to it but that all changed when I demonstrated how each wooden ring could be removed. As soon as he saw that, that was it, he was obsessed. 

There have been countless ways that Noah has enjoyed himself with the Wooden Stacking Rings. He throws them around, collects them up, takes them off the poles, tries to put them back on, puts them into containers, empties the containers, build and knock them down. He seems to find a new way to play with it everyday. In fact I don't think there has been another toy that has captured his interest as much as this one. 

I thought I would list all the uses of play because I wanted to show how much of a versatile toy it truly is. It is primarily an educational toy that helps your child learn how to count and learn their colours but that's just scraping the surface as there are so many ways to play with it.

It's a toy that grows with your child and I can already see how much of a help it's going to be when we begin learning our colours and numbers. At just £14.99 it is excellent value for money, a real bargain. 

If you would like to stock up on some lovely Christmas gifts from Lou Lou and Jim Jams enter the code Jen_and_Noah at the check out to recieve a 15% discount. It doesn't end there though, keep an eye on the blog for a fab competition to win your very own toy from the store. 

I was sent this item for the purpose of this review. However all opinions are my own.

A week of new tricks and big changes

Last week was such a big week for Noah (2 weeks ago now) 

It's true when people say that babies do things in their own time and sometimes learn everything all at once. Noah has come on leaps and bounds in just one week and we've also made some big changes. It makes me realise he is slowly becoming less and less a baby and more like a toddler. It makes me want to cry.

Crawling - Last month Noah became mobile when he discovered he could manage a backwards bum shuffle. Last week he ditched the bum shuffle and started crawling properly. After so many months of trying to teach him how to crawl it was incredible to watch him finally figure it out, it was like something had clicked into place. Those first few crawls were ever so adorable as he was all wobbly and his hands would make these clumsy footstep sounds with his hands. It didn't take long for him to get the hang of it because the next day and he was crawling everywhere and at a super speed. I think he feels so much better in himself now that he can move about easily. 

First tooth - He cut his first tooth! We had been able to see his teeth through his gums for months on end and thought we would of cut his first tooth sooner. At 11 months we finally have that first tooth (which is on the bottom right) and the second one isn't far behind. It's going to be so strange seeing him with teeth after so many months of that gummy grin. Our teething experience has been a nightmare so far as he's really struggling. (He now has 2!)

Cows milk - He had been going off his formula and I felt he was ready to try cows milk. He had had it on his cereal and in cooking before so I was certain he wasn't allergic and with just a matter of weeks before the "recommended age" I decided to go ahead. At first we offered him a bottle that was just cows milk which he drank an oz of then looked at the bottle in disgust and wouldn't have anymore. I then did half cows milk and half formula and he refused it point blank. The next day I decided to do 4oz formula and 2oz cows milk and as the week went on I decreased the formula and increased the cows milk. We have now made the full switch and he now loves his cows milk. He is now drinking more milk than he ever did formula. We've had no reactions and his nappies have been fine. Very happy with how easy it was for us to make the change. 

Not sterilising - When we switched to cows milk we also decided to stop sterilising too. It seemed silly to switch milk and not stop sterilising because as a rule parents seem to do this at the same time. We now wash his bottles in the dishwasher and then rinse them with tap water after the cycle. It seems to be doing the job. I won't miss sterilising but I did feel a little strange packing away the steriliser (just like I did when I gave Noah his last formula bottle) as it seems like an end of an era.

So now my baby is crawling, has two teeth and is on cows milk! What's next for Noah? 

Silent Sunday