The game changing products…
If you have a toddler, then you’ll know just how messy eating times get. And if you don’t – well let’s just say it’s roughly like three food fights have gone down in your kitchen. As a first time mum, I’ve never been very clued up on what products to buy for Ru. It’s all such new territory (even now 18 months on!) and with all the choices on the market – how the hell do you know what to go for? I ended up with a highchair that I got from Mothercare and I absolutely hated it. It was one of the more affordable options out there but jeez, it was shit. I put up with it for a few months before I got sick to death of how hard it was to clean and how bulky it was, taking up so much space in my kitchen… so I sent it to the tip! When Reuben was old enough, I opted for a booster seat thing instead that you attach to a normal dining chair and I loved it. However, he’s still such a messy eater that he was covering my nice white dining chairs with food from his grubby hands constantly and he started using the table to swing himself back on the chair which was quite dangerous and not ideal. Anyway, last month I received a highchair that completely changed the game for me and I honestly wish to death that I had got my hands on it when I first weaned Reuben. Even my mum is impressed so that says something from a woman who’s had 5 kids and has seen it all! Today I’m going to talk about said highchair and the other products that are getting us through the messy eating stage…
BabyBjorn are a swedish family-owned company and I was sent one of their products to test out, having no idea what their stuff was like and no idea just how much I would fall in love with them. No word of a lie, this high chair is a game changer. If you’re not very clued up on the best baby products out there then this is one of them. To sum it up in one sentence; it’s lightweight, easy to clean, folds flat and LOOKS GORGE. There are no straps. I repeat, no straps. If you’ve ever had a highchair with straps then you know what a bitch they are to clean when your little one has literally covered them in food. How did I not know that a highchair with no straps even existed before now? The tray literally turns down with the squeeze of a button, you pop your child in the chair and then flick it back up and it clicks into place. They cannot escape which is the best part, and believe me, my one year old has tried. It stops them from being able to stand up or push against the table with their legs which is the biggest problem I had with Ru. The tray also adjusts as your child grows which is even better since you can use this from 6 months up to 3 years – this means we have another year and a half of it yet and I couldn’t be happier since I love it so much. The highchair is only 25cm wide so it’s super easy to store or pop in the boot of your car if you’re going on a staycation.
I think the winner for me though, has to be the fact that it’s SO easy to clean. The number one thing I cannot stand about having a child (even though I obviously put up with it because I love him) is food mess. UGH.Β The absolute worst. There’s no nooks and crannies that food gets into like there was with my last high chair and cleaning up after dinner time has never been so easy. The tray is designed to fit snugly against your child’s tummy to prevent food falling into their lap so long gone are the days where his clothes were covered in food and it was all stuck under his bum when I took him out of his chair. It’s honestly the dream for any clean freaks out there like me. A wipe of the tray and a sweep of the floor underneath it and we’re good to go. Maybe his grubby hands too but that’s no biggy. The tray can actually be detached for cleaning and is dishwasher safe which is also a plus if you have one. I don’t so that doesn’t really apply to me, but if I did (I wish I did) I would be loving life. If you are pregnant or sick of having a bulky hard to clean high chair then this is 100% worth buying. I don’t think I’ve ever spoke so highly of a baby product before but I am not joking. I love how it looks in my kitchen, it fits in so nicely with my decor and doesn’t look out of place, it’s lovely and modern. Don’t even think about it, just buy it!
I also have to give a shout out to Little Dish in this post. They kindly sent us (Ru) over some bits to try out and he’s loved everything so I’m here to give feedback on his behalf. Little Dish are a brand that sell healthy and delicious meals for toddlers – fresh meals that you keep in your fridge and not the cupboard. I’ll begin by expressing how much of a fussy eater my Reuben is and sometimes we will have good periods but we also have the very bad where I will slave over a hot stove for hours just for him to throw the food back in my face. It’s not ideal. We also have lots of days where I just don’t have the time to cook him up fresh, healthy meals. As a lone parent and one who also works from home, I am v v busy during the week and I try to cook as much as I can but sometimes I will have so much shit to do that it just isn’t happening. That’s where Little Dish have come in to save the day, their meals are perfect for me because I know that Ru is getting a fresh healthy meal that’s just as good as anything I could cook him up. His favourite meal from the ones we were sent over was the cheese & tomato ravioli which is no surprise as this boy loves his cheese. He also loved the cottage pie which is another one of his favourite foods. They are so easy to prepare, you literally take them out of the fridge, pierce the film and heat them up for about 2 minutes. Not only that but they actually come in little dish like plastic pots so not only do you save so much time cooking, but you can save up on washing up too… which is definitely a plus for someone like me who rents and doesn’t have the privilege of a dishwasher. You can see the little pot in the pictures above, Ru was so good when he ate from them, he didn’t mess about like he usually does with a plate!
He also tried out their fruity bites which he was a massive fan of. I actually tried them myself and wasn’t a fan but Reuben just can’t get enough which is fab as he’s far healthier than I am. The fruity bites are snack bars for toddlers made with whole fruits, wholegrain oats, quinoa, and seeds. There are no added sugars and they have the benefits of wholegrain and fibre which is perfect for Ru as a healthy snack, especially when we’re out and about. He absolutely loves them so they will be a staple in our kitchen cupboard from now on.
Have you tried out anything from these brands?
