Mamma Reviews

As a blogger my inbox gets flooded with press releases, products updates etc.  While I do genuinely read all that comes through my inbox only a handful generally spark an interest that leads me to do further research myself. One such product is Neebo.

Neebo is an infant care system which purports to provide parents with the most accurate infant data stream on the market including monitoring of baby’s heart rate, oxygen saturation, thermal state and audio environment, as well as a smart alert system. The graphic below gives a great summary of its key features.

My youngest little man was sick quite a lot as a baby and I worried (and still do) so much about him.  We travel a lot and going anywhere meant tonnes of different products however something like Neebo for us at the time would have been amazing, rather than having to take the mat for the cot, the thermometer, the monitor one device would have done.

Background

Neebo is the first product of technology start up Daatrics.  Its founder and CEO Andrey Khayrullaev was inspired to start Daatrics when he became a father two-and-a-half years ago. Nothing like practical experience to inspire a new product.

The product itself is a cool sleek wearable system for baby, an app for parents and a minimalist charging station. The uniqueness of this product is that is it one product which covers the full spectrum of functions any parent needs to give them peace of mind.

In summary it can:

• Check temperature
• Monitor sound
• Enable listening remotely via the app
• Check oxygen saturation levels
• Check heart rate

The associated app will be available on both iOS and Android and the device itself will be available in a number of matte colours including Green, Blue, Pink, Grey and Yellow.  I love the cool matte colours it comes in, fun for baba too.

The device will also be waterproof so no fussing with taking it on and off during bath or playtime. This will be a huge benefit save forgetting to put it back on or leaving it behind somewhere after swimming etc.

The Product itself – the technical bit!

According to manufacturers specifications the product itself is safe with encapsulated electronics, delivered in a durable and heat resistant case.

The materials used in Neebo’s enclosure are soft, breathable, eco-friendly and BPA free, meeting the highest standards of child-safety. Neebo’s wearable unit is built from a medical grade plastic (the same as Lego™), a medical Silicon band and includes no paint. The logo is engraved in a matte finish. Unlike most Wi-Fi/Bluetooth alternatives, Neebo’s autonomous operation and use of propitiatory algorithms prevents it from emitting high or chronic electromagnetic radiation. The specially designed childproof clasp prevents the band being unlocked by a baby without adult supervision. Ideal for my youngest or Houdini as we call him he can literally escape anything!

The verdict

I am really excited to see this product when it is officially releases in 2017, in my view this will be a game changer for me, being able to incorporate so many functions in one small device is a huge benefit.  Particularly for those early days when you are home from hospital with a new baby.  What is even more exciting is that I really think the above is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of functionality.  The ability of the manufacturers to update the devices firmware remotely mean you will have a product that continues to evolve and be market leading in terms of functionality.

For my youngest who was sick so much as a baby this product would have been the ultimate game changer for me, essentially one product versus the 3 or 4 that I would have carried with me when travelling is huge plus.  The ability to use it through an app on your phone is a brilliant feature, as lets face it most of us carry the phone/ tablet with us for most of the day anyway.

Note: This is a collaborative post

( Image Sources: Daatrics)

I have to say at the outset im hopeless at crafts, I don’t think that side of my brain works! I’m an accountant – im a numbers girl!  However I did accept a challenge of creating a Kitty in Boots snow globe!

The Tale of Kitty in Boots is a book written by well known author Beatrix Potter and illustrated by equally well known illustrator Quentin  Blake. The book chronicles the tales of a well behaved young black cat who leads a double life defeating the evil villains.

In summary you need:

• We used glitter but the snow would make it much more festive
• We didn’t have a laminator so used some waterproof clear tape my husband had in the shed (!)
• Its honestly super simple so give it a go and I would love to see some pics if you do try it, you never know I might even pop a copy of the book in the post for the best ones!!!

The Tale of Kitty in Boots is available from Ladybird Books

Its no coincidence that first up in my Christmas guide series is all about books. I love reading and it seems that this has transferred to the boys, we love our time in the evening reading before bed. I have picked our favourites below which hopefully might be a useful guide.

The Adventures of Pippy and Dippy

These are stunningly illustrated books by Cork author Jim Bartley, they chronicle the adventures of two mice named Pippy and Dippy. These book are full of content, a really lovely engaging read for young kids. My oldest is 4 and really enjoys these stories.  What captures the kids imaginations is the sense that the mice go off on adventures while they sleep. For younger readers I think colouful illustrations is so vital to hold attention and these books have it in abundance. Also supporting local business this Christmas another big plus! They are available to buy online here.

Agrikids 4 book set

Sticking with the theme of supporting local, my next recommendation is from Agrikids. Farm safety is something which is of huge importance to us so anything which helps to spread awareness is always good.  There are four books in the series “Tales from Riverside Farm” and priced at €24.99 for all four is great value. Available to buy Here.

Freddy Buttons

Freddy Buttons is a series of book written by Fiona Dillon, its premise is encouraging children to take a more proactive role in good food. The books themselves chronicle the adventures of Freddy who undertakes a number of investigations based around food and where it comes from. The set of six is €25 and available Here.

Personalised books

Personalised books are always a big hit in this house particularly for the oldest who gets so excited when he sees his name in books. Our two favourites in this house  are easily:

• Message in a Bottle, another stunningly illustrated book with a beautiful personalised message at the end,  (see full review Here)

• Persoanlised Peppa Pig book from Penwizard (full review Here). For anybody with Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly or Turtles fans its well worth checking out the options from Penswizard. Most of the current character favourites are available and can all be personlised.

Lots of options above for any other houses with little book worms.

Take Care

~Mamma F

I haven’t posted a Mamma Fairy favourites in a while so thought id blog the four products im loving at the minute.

I tweeted this picture back in September and they are still in daily use:

1. Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

I love my sleep!!! With 2 kids full nights sleep are a thing of the past.  The last few months have been filled with work stress, house renovation and sick kids so I needed something to help me wind down to sleep. Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is by a company called “this works” and I can attest to the fact that it does actually work. Its made of a blend of Lavender, Vetivert and Camomile and you simply spray on your pillow before bed and it really helps you relax.  Its a pricy at €19.50 but im happy to pay for something that does work. My sister is also hooked now!

2 The Body Shop Rose Face Mask

The body shop have introduced a fabulous range of face masks over the last few months and having tried a couple of them the Rose one is a firm favourite. The smell is just divine.  It has a lovely texture, a gel infused with rose petals.   It claims to be plumping and it really is. Priced at €25 and available from The Body Shop.

3 Jo Malone body wash

I  wore Jo Malone Wild Bluebell perfume for my wedding day 6 years ago and the smell really invokes happy memories. Love the body wash as the smell lingers all day. This was present from my husband so im not quite sure of cost but its available in Brown Thomas.

4 Nourella Cream and Tablets

A couple of months back I was asked if I wanted to try out this new product comprising of a face cream and 2 daily tablets, with claims that its proven to reverse the signs of ageing and stimulate the Skin Rebuilding Process long-term, how could I say no! Almost 2 months in I am very happy to have accepted.  Bear in mind this isn’t an overnight miracle, I can start now to see subtle results in my forehead. My skins definitely appears plumper and refreshed looking.  I know something is working well when my own mother comments on my skin! I love the texture of the cream and the results it gives. I wear it under my makeup and it helps keep the skin plumped under make up.  The product itself has been clinically tested, drug free and based on natural ingredients.

Take Care

~Mamma F

As you might have seen from Facebook and Twitter, I am  delighted to join the team of brand ambassadors at Childs Farm. This means over the next couple of months ill be reviewing products from the range on my wee men.

First up is the Childs Farm Nappy Cream. The first thing that struck me about this is the packaging – I love the squeezy tube and size wise its perfect for throwing in the changing bag.  The texture of this is really lovely and in my opinion its super hydrating.  I’m in the prevention is better than cure camp and I understand this product works by keeping the cells plump to form a barrier against bacteria. As an aside I actually used this on my legs pre-tanning and it really hydrated them, I have really (really!) dry skin on my legs!

The product is suitable for newborns and upwards, dermatologist approved for sensitive and eczema-prone skin and  also listed as ‘cloth safe’ by the UK Cloth Nappy Library Network.

Childs Farm Brand

The brand itself uses natural ‘free-from’ ingredients and essential oils to produce mild and seriously good smelling products from newborns right up. The products are paraben, SLS free and are made with 98% naturally derived ingredients. A big plus for me.

Mamma Fairy Verdict

Overall thumbs up for us for Mamma and baba use. Lovely texture, really hydrating and it works for even the most sensitive skin. The big man has skin like leather but the little man is a lot more sensitive and no issues whatsoever with this product.

Note: I am a member the Childs Farm Brand Ambassador Team for which I review products to trial on the wee men.  All opinion are my own as always.

For those travelling this bank holiday safe motoring. For those staying put like ourselves, below are some Netflix picks to keep the kids entertained over the long weekend.

For the Kids

• The old reliables Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and Fireman Sam are all now streaming. The return of Fireman Sam was big hit in The Mamma Fairy house! 
• New to Netflix is a seried called Word Party. Word Party is a vocabulary building show from The Jim Henson Company that follows four  baby animals as they sing, dance and play. See link here  for a peak. Its very catchey and keeps both my litte men entertained.
•  My little niece loves both The Magical School Bus, for which Seasons 1-4 are now streaming as well as Masha and the Bear which will have Season 2 from 1 August.

So lots of variety to keep the little ones entertained.  See some of our previous Netflix posts here and here to see what else has been keeping my little men entertained on Netlfix over the last couple of months.

For the Family

Netflix also has plenty family shows and films, some of our favourites include the Fireman Sam movie, Charlottes Web, Shark Tale, Chicken Run and the Shrek films.  Keep an eye out for Beat Bugs which launches on 3 August. Im looking forward to this myself!

Beat Bugs is a new animated TV show inspired by music from The Beatles, incorporating songs from the Lennon/McCartney ‘Northern Songs’ catalogue sung by musicians including P!nk, James Corden, Aloe Blacc, Sia and Eddie Vedder.   See the show’s theme song here

The Grown ups

Im looking forward to starting to watch Strager Things. Have heard so much about this series so cant wait to get stuck in! Its a Netflix-original drama staring Winona Ryder.

There is plenty to keep kids and adults alike entertained this long weekend.

Take Care

~Mamma F

Team Umizoomi App – “zoom into numbers”

The big man loves this show. Its a firm Favourite on Netflix therefore I was delighted to see there was fun educational app to go with it.  This App has passed many long cross country car journeys for us.  Its really user friendly and continues the theme of the show – Milly, Gio and Bot use their Math powers to solve games around Umi city. As you solve the games,  new games unlock. The app teaches basic number concepts from addition, subtraction to number ordering.  The blurb states its for ages 5+ however my nearly 4 year old seems to be managing ok. From memory this App cost around €5. Money well spent in my book, it has got lots of use in our house plus its educational value cant be faulted for pre-schoolers.

Aquafresh – Make brushing fun

I received some press information about this one and thought i’d have a look. Its a free to download app.  In our house no matter what I do, the big man thinks brushing his teeth is such a core! I showed him the app, more specifically Captain Aquafresh dancing and he roared laughing.  The song (and the dancing!) is very catchy.

It’s a brilliant idea to get the kids interested in brushing. You can unlock more features the more you use it, this part has my son hooked! Tonight we unlocked a new dance which he was pretty impressed with. In our house its been surprisingly difficult to keep the kids brushing for the recommended two minutes however since Captain Aquafresh has joined the routine this isn’t the case.  They are enjoying the catchy tune and love unlocking the new features. This App gets a big thumbs up from the Mamma Fairy house.

Kidloland

This is a jam packed app, with over 200 songs, over 300 games all including tonnes of interactive features.  This is THE holiday app. You don’t need Wifi or parental controls like you would do with YouTube. From nursery rhymes to puzzles there really is something to entertain your toddler. We have been trialling it for the last number of weeks and we have barely made a dent in the huge variety that comes with it. We were lucky enough to receive a years subscription (approx €30)  and I can tell already this well be one of those “well loved” apps.  Both the 1 year old and the 3 year old have enjoyed playing with different parts of it.  The one year old loves the songs, the great thing is they are also interactive which keeps him interested. The 3 year old loves the games and the colouring. Both are educational, teaching a variety of skills such as fine motor skills and problem solving. Its well worth the yearly subscription in my view.  I understand the App itself will be continuously updated with new content.

Note: Of the above Apps I received a subscription to Kidloland, however all opinion are my own or the boys where relevant.

A couple of weeks back the boys were sent some name tag stickers from MyNametags.ie    Kids love to see their name on things.  The little man is too young and he just wants what his big brother has but the big man…he recognises his own name now so was pretty excited to be able to label everything ( that includes the sitting room window too!!).

The order process is really simple and straight forward, you simply pick your type (iron on or sticker) and the quantity. You then simply choose your design and text and away you go.  The process itself is quick as was delivery.  Literally a couple of days later they popped through the letter box.

With summer camp season upon us. I find these really handy.  My oldest loves to go to things (from sports to parties to play centers) but for some reason rarely comes home with everything he went out the door with!

The great thing about these labels for me is their durability. He used them to stick on his hurl and his football, both items spent quite a few nights out the back in the worst rain I have seen for a July and they are still firmly in place.  the MyNametags.ie labels are know for their quality and the clothing label comes with a 10 year guarantee which is really impressive.

Definitely getting a thumbs up in the Mamma Fairy House.  Price wise at €16.95 for a set of 56 id have no hesitation in recommending.

With Summer holidays finally here, I thought it would be a good time to look at our current favourites and some new to Netflix shows which are here just in time for summer.

I guess the boys are creatures of habit like their mother! Team Umizoomi, Paw Patrol, Lego movies and to a lesser extent Peppa Pig are the recurring favourites. We have had some new entrants in the last few weeks!

Curious George

First up is Curious George and his buddy “The Man with the Yellow Hat”. Curious George in its current format dates to 2006 however it traces it origins back to the 1940s. Quite hard to believe its longevity, celebrating 75 years old this year! The series chronicles the adventures of the mischievous monkey named George and “The Man with the Yellow Hat” who cares for him. There are no special effects, little dialogue just the central them of the curious monkey exploring which often leads to trouble and with the help of “The Man with the Yellow Hat” all is forgiven. I like this one myself and oddly enough both of my boys enjoy this one. Its probably the only show I can really say that grabs his attention.

Shark Tale

This is a Dreamworks animated film with loads of big named voices – Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black to name a few. The story in summary tells the tale of Oscar who falsely claims he killed a mob boss sharks son (!!). Oscar craves a life of luxury and gets up to many schemes to try to do this. For me the highlight of this film is its soundtrack, we bopped around the room to it! Like most of the Dreamworks films, the feel good factor is there. Its easy watching for chill out days! The bigger man really enjoys this one.

New for summer

• Paw Patrol Season 2 arrives on the 12 July. This is sure to go down well here.
• New Shrek films will be screened from 15 July. We haven’t watched any of these films yet but will be adding them to the list for summer.
• New Season 2 Lego Bionicle will be here at the end of July, big Lego fans here.

So lots to keep the kids entertained on Netflix for those (inevitable) rainy Summer days!

Note: I am a member of Netflix StreamTeam for which I receive a subscription to Netflix, however all opinions are my own or the kids where relevant.