Do you use a playpen?

Playpens have rather fallen out of favour, haven't they? I could be wrong, but I don't know anyone who uses one and I think it might be because parents think they're too restrictive (same reason you don't see baby reins so much anymore). But I think they're really useful for those times when you just need to keep your child in one place - even just for a minute!

We recently went "glamping" (glamorous camping, in case you're not familiar with it) and I reserved a travel cot with the intention of using it as a playpen because the trouble with tents (however "glam") is that they don't lock. And keeping a 2-year-old contained is really hard work! And Joe was perfectly happy in his playpen, as long as he had something in there to keep him entertained.

I think the playpen pictured is rather lovely. It's from Mothercare and can currently be found on Nappy Valley for £50. And if that one's not your style, there are plenty more.

Babylicious review - yummier than mummy makes at home!

I was excited by my third baby starting to eat proper food but daunted by the prospect of having to cater for him every mealtime along with the hungry appetites of my two other boys and hubby.  Keen to find quick, nutritional alternatives to endless days of puree making, I was delighted to discover the Babylicious baby food range available from Ocado.

The Babylicious range consists of freshly frozen baby food products for stages 1 and 2 of weaning. The products are made just as you would at home with no additves, or added salt or sugar.

Barney (above) who is 9 months, tested all 10 of the stage 2 meals ranging from Tomatoey Bean Casserole to Lancashire hotpot. Every meal was a winner - if the food wasn’t coming quick enough, I was greeted by flailing arms and legs in anticipation of the next spoonful.

What is great about these meals is that they take just 3 minutes in the microwave to prepare. They really do taste delicious – I would happily finish the bowl (if there was any left!) and you get to give your little one a wonderful variety of different wholesome dishes that would take hours to prepare at home.

The Babylicious range is currently available from Ocado and selected Asda stores.

Sophie the Giraffe is 50!

I love Sophie the Giraffe. She's just so cute. And she is - according to The Guardian - "the baby accessory du jour".

The squeaky teether has been produced by Vulli, a company based in the Haute-Savoie region of France, since 1961 - making her 50 this year. And in this time, she's remained utterly unchanged, her retro style being part of her charm (along with, I assume, her cheery expression!)

She's hand-made from natural rubber and non-toxic paint and over 30 million Sophies have now been sold. You can find her at Born Gifted with free delivery.

Pop up travel cot perfect for holidays

This pop-up travel cot by Samsonite was one of the first things we bought when we had our first child. In fact, we bought the smaller version first and got a lot of use out of it, so then bought this bigger version later.

It's a really excellent product and both our children slept well in it and we had no worries about them trying to climb out. It's also light and compact enough for the smallest car and really easy to put up and dismantle. My only worry was that the baby might crawl inside it and travel around the room like a hamster in a ball, but that never happened (I may have an overactive imagination).

You can find a few Samsonite pop up travel cots on Nappy Valley at the moment.

Introducing... fabstuff4kids

When we find something wonderful and different we just want to share it with you and that's why we're telling you about fabstuff4kids.

The aim of this family-run business is to provide a platform for smaller / less well-known designers of children's clothes (plus toys and accessories) giving the consumer access to limited edition runs on unique products unavailable anywhere else in the UK.

They now feature over 50 designers from all over the world and are also hoping to launch their own product line sometime in September. They also have two market stalls running in conjunction with the website: one at Portobello on Friday and one at Merton Abbey Mills, on a Saturday.

And, as you can see, they sell some beautiful items.

Oh no. It's potty training time.

Oh potty training. I appreciate it has to be done, but the idea of it fills my heart with dread. Unfortunately my 2-year-old has started asking for a potty and so I'm going to have to take the bull by the horns (and buy carpet shampoo).

But first I have to decide how I'm going to do it. Casually leave a brightly coloured and comfortable potty in every room so he can go whenever he feels the need? Sit him down and encourage him with star charts and rewards? Skip the potty altogether and introduce him directly to the loo? I've no idea. Wish me luck!

Blackout blinds for easy sleeping

I think portable blackout blinds are one of the best inventions of the past few years. The first time we went on holiday, our eldest was up until past 10 each night because his room was bright and he was frightened of missing anything. Next time we went away, we took blackout blinds and managed to pretty much keep him in the same routine he has at home.

In fact, they made bedtime so much less stressful, that we use blackout curtains at home now too. There's a rather fabulous pink sparkly pair on Nappy Valley at the moment.