Searching for a nanny? Try Nanny Seekers

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and since I doubt you're in the mood for shopping right now, I thought instead I'd tell you about Clare Redgrove, the inspirational owner of au pair agency Nanny Seekers.

Since 1996, Clare has been finding au pairs in the Czech Republic who are interested in coming to the UK to work. Clare's unique selling point is that she meets all the au pairs before placing them with families. At the end of last year, she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and had to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as having a hysterectomy. But she's just been given the great news that she is in remission.

Clare says, "Many people avoid the subject, but I find it is really helpful to talk about my cancer. Now that I am in remission I am more determined to make Nanny Seekers even better than it was before."

For more information, contact Clare at nannyseekers@tiscali.co.uk or visit http://www.nannyseekers.eu/

Happy Christmas from Nappy Valley

We'd just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and thank you for your support this year.

Don't forget to check out our Lovely Offers (discounts from companies including Mothercare, Lush Baby and The Handpicked Collection) and bear in mind that Nappy Valley is an excellent place to sell all your unwanted Christmas gifts!

Image: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Top 5 Christmas Presents for Pre-schoolers chosen by Nappy Valley

Not sure what to get your little one this year? Here is our top five classic, long lasting gifts with loads of play value. Our top 5 will not only give your little ones hours of fun, they are beautifully made, will last years and sell very well on Nappy Valley when they are outgrown.

1.) Early Rider The best way to get your little one onto two wheels, the Early Rider develops their sense of balance: no need for stabilisers! Available from GLTC .

2.) Brio My First Railway Set A starter set that you can keep adding to each Christmas and birthday. Classic ongoing play value for train lovers. Available from John Lewis 

3.) Mini Micro Scooter Another great gift for tots on the go. Now available in a range of new colours from John Lewis 

4.) Duplo Feeding Zoo The ideal gift for any little one, Duplo is long lasting and durable. It grows with your child: you can play games with the animals, or redesign the whole Zoo! Available from John Lewis.

5.) Radio Flyer Wagon Little ones love being pulled by older siblings in this classic wagon. Fill up with picnic goodies and toys and take to the park. Available from GLTC . 

Lots of cots

I find myself terribly tempted by cots. There are just so many different options: practical, stylish, innovative - parents today really are spoilt for choice.

And there are dozens of fantastic cots for sale on Nappy Valley. From the beautiful Stokke Sleepi to a Nature's Nest hammock and the NCT's Bed Nest Co-Sleeper (pictured), all in good condition and at great prices. There's something for everyone, not matter how fussy (that goes for the parents and the babies!).

Buy a bike for Christmas

I can still remember coming downstairs on Christmas morning to find my brand new bike standing in front of the tree. It's one of my most precious memories.

Bikes are always incredibly popular Christmas presents, but they don't come cheap. Check out Nappy Valley for a selection of great quality bikes and scooters at excellent prices.

There's even a Dawes Blowfish 14 (pictured) in "pretty much perfect" condition. Do you know someone who'd love to find one in front of the tree?

NCT's new Postnatal Line provides support for new mums

Becoming a parent is an exciting time, but it can also be utterly overwhelming. It can help to run worries past a non-judgemental experienced person, which is why NCT’s new Postnatal Line has been set up.

The qualified NCT Postnatal Leaders who staff the line are skilled in providing a listening ear as well as support and information on concerns from baby routines to body image after birth. The helpline number is 0300 330 0773, open 9am – 1pm Monday - Friday. Calls are charged at local rates.

NCT Postnatal Leader Juliet Pollard answers a query on sleep routines from one new mum, below:

“I am a new mum, and concerned that my four-month-old isn’t sleeping for long stretches at night. It seems like everyone else’s baby is able to settle themselves, but Harry is very demanding.

“He only sleeps for a couple of hours before waking up crying. I comfort him, but then feel guilty and worry this will make things worse. Am I making a rod for my own back?

“My partner and I are exhausted. It’s affecting our relationship with each other and our son, as we’re too tired to enjoy him during the day.

“What am I doing wrong?”

Yours Sincerely,

Emily Green

Juliet Pollard, NCT Postnatal Leader, says:

“New parents often feel they are getting everything wrong, while everyone else has the right answer.

“At NCT, we think there is no right answer – except to go with your gut feeling once you think you have enough information.

“As with most parenting issues, there are many different opinions on sleep. Some experts say it’s natural to respond to your baby if he wakes in the night, especially for the first six months or so, while others reckon it’s important to develop a routine by a few weeks.

“Young babies have small stomachs and frequent night-waking is therefore a normal part of development for most babies. Feeding him when he feels hungry and helping him cope with discomfort or distress are important ways of showing him he is cared for. This does not mean you are spoiling him, you are simply meeting the basic needs of a new person.

“If you want to encourage your baby to start settling himself, you could try introducing a bedtime ritual such as a bath, changing into sleep clothes, feed, and then singing a song whilst keeping light to a minimum. Over a few weeks a baby usually associates the order of activities with settling for a longer sleep.

“But if you talk to friends who have a routine, they will probably say it just started happening without them doing anything special. Using your mothering instinct to find your own way with your baby is probably the most used strategy; most of us feel like we make it up as we go along.

“Remember, you are not alone. NCT’s recent postnatal care survey of 1,260 first time mums found that emotional support, physical care and information provided to first time mums was sadly lacking leaving many mum feeling abandoned and uncertain."

It's snowsuit time!

Yes, if the weather reports are to be believed, the first snow of the year will fall later this week so you'll want to make sure you're prepared.

These Bush Baby Hot Tot Waterproof Snowsuits are perfect for keeping kids warm and dry in any adverse weather conditions and there are currently two available on Nappy Valley.

With snowsuits for outdoors and hot chocolate indoors, you won't go far wrong.

Rose Cottage Wendy House would make a great Christmas gift

How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? Started yet? Time is running out, but if you still have gifts to get, don't panic - there are lots of wonderful toys on Nappy Valley, many of them as good as new.

How about this Rose Cottage Wendy House with matching kitchen set including sink, washing machine and cooker? Not only is it a fabulous play space, the two halves can be closed, making it a great storage area for all those new Christmas toys too.

Beautiful Pottery Barn sleigh crib

Pottery Barn may well be best known here thanks to that episode of Friends (The One With the Apothecary Table), but their furniture is absolutely gorgeous.

Just look at this beautiful espresso-coloured sleigh crib on Nappy Valley.

Bought for $700 at Pottery Barn in the US, it's in excellent condition and listed at just £200. Available with mattress if needed, it has three height positions and a movable side rail and would be an extremely stylish addition to any nursery.

Cocoon UK Maternity Support

Having a new baby can leave even the most resilient of us feeling overwhelmed, not to mention sleep deprived (as I well know!).

After suffering from severe post natal depression following the birth of both her children, Louise Moxon wanted to turn her experience into something positive. The result is Cocoon UK, which provides a highly personal service to give new mums as much practical or emotional support as they and their families need during pregnancy and post birth.

Whether you need full time help in caring for your newborn, help with breast feeding or simply a good night's sleep, Cocoon can provide experienced and lovely maternity nurses, night nannies and sleep trainers. Louise interviews all her staff personally and, uniquely, they have all undergone training in post natal depression, so she really can match the right help to the right family.

Visit www.cocoon.uk.com to find out more about the pre- and post-natal services they provide. Nappy Valley users will receive a 50% discount off the registration fee by quoting "Nappy Valley".

My brand new Phil & Teds (well almost!)

There is nothing like a house move to force you to de-clutter. Whilst sorting out the garage before the imminent arrival of moving day, I discovered my beloved red Phil & Teds - 'Perfect I can sell this on Nappy Valley' I thought. However, on closer inspection, I had second thoughts. The buggy had seem better days: two flat tyres, a ripped shopping basket and dirty fabrics would not entice many buyers.

Then to my delight, I discovered this fantastic new business concept - a professional buggy cleaning/valeting service called Buggy Pit Stop, so I put them to the test. I used their efficient courier service to collect the buggy and had it delivered back to me a week or so later. The returned buggy was unrecognisable - rips in the fabric were mended and the chassis, tyres and fabrics were so well cleaned they looked as good as new. The buggy was now in excellent condition and sold very quickly to a very pleased new mum on Nappy Valley.

For more information on Buggy Pit Stop visit www.buggypitstop.co.uk or meet them at The Baby Show at Earls Court 22 - 24 October.

Hit the road with a jogging buggy

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about wonderful Francesca Saccone of New Body, New You, who will come to your house to whip your post-baby body back in to shape.

Another great way to combine babies and exercise is with a jogging buggy and there's a great one for sale on Nappy Valley. Complete with cosy toes for winter and raincover for wet weather, it's just £40. If only I lived nearer, I'd snap it up myself.

Get moo-ving with this ride-on cow

How cute is this cow trike?

Made from solid rubberwood, this attractive wooden ride-on trike has four wooden wheels with a rubber grip to make riding easy and smooth. The soft ears and horns on the front handlebars, soft cow-patterned cushioned seat and tail make it comfortable too.

It's suitable from 19 months + and available from Nappy Valley for £25.

An easier way to lose baby weight

I've just had my third baby and, like many mums, am very keen to lose the baby weight. But it's so hard to find the time to exercise.

That's where personal fitness instructor Francesca Saccone of New Body New You comes in. She not only specialises in pre- and post-natal personal training, but her USP is that she is happy to come to you and help you work out while your newborn sleeps.

I asked her some questions about working out post-birth:

How soon after birth, should you begin working out? What about c-sections?

After the birth, the mum must wait for her GP/midwife check up. For natural birth the guidelines are 6 weeks and for C- section is 8 weeks. I always advise my clients to wait to be signed off by their midwife/GP before undertaking a structured training programme.

In the meantime the mum can start some specific exercises at home to strengthen the core or inner unit, with particular emphasis to the Transverse Abdominis and the Pelvic Floor, both for natural birth and C-section.

Can any amount of exercise get rid of the stomach overhang (flap) above the c-section scar?

I have also had a c-section (mine was unfortunately an emergency one, after enduring 36 hours of labour) and although my abs are strong and toned, the area between my belly button and my scar is slightly flabbier than the rest of my stomach, but you will definetely be able to lose the flap with a structured training programme and some nutritional tips (I don' t mean DIET!).

You are happy to go to a client's home for a session while the baby sleeps? Does this work in practice - what if the baby wakes up?

I do visit clients' homes and I can train them either whether their baby is asleep or awake! I tend to work around client and baby's needs.

What geographic areas do you cover?

I currently cover Clapham, Balham, Wimbledon, Putney, Fulham and Surrey (A3 only).

More info can be found at : www.newbodynewyou.co.uk

Win tickets to The Affordable Art Fair

The aim of The Affordable Art Fair is to make contemporary art accessible to everyone, and to show you don’t need to be an art expert or a millionaire to enjoy and buy art.

The fair takes place in Battersea Park (21-24 October) with 120 galleries featuring artwork to suit every taste and pocket in a relaxed, unstuffy environment .

But it's not just about buying art. The Education Programme offers a whole host of different activities from illustration to participating in a collaborative wall painting, all of which are fun, informative and, best of all, free!

The theme for this Autumn’s Education Programme will be ‘Food, glorious food’, exploring the representation of food in art through artist-led workshops, open-access activities and fun-filled Kids’ Activity Packs. This is also a great opportunity to teach children about healthy eating and growing your own fruit and vegetables with the inclusion of ‘Fun to Grow’ seeds with Kids’ Activity Packs.

There's even a free crèche for younger children to stay in whilst adults explore the fair.

If that's encouraged you to start your own art collection, we have two private view tickets for Wednesday 20 October to give away!

For a chance to win please email your name and address to hello@nappyvalley.co.uk by Friday 8th October.

Bloom's beautiful baby bouncer

Bloom's baby products are just delicious - beautifully designed and stylish, but eminently practical too.

The Coco is their bouncy chair, moulded from a single piece of wood and suitable from newborn to 12kg/26lbs. The cosy seat - with 5-point safety harness - is built in so no assembly is required.

You can currently find one for sale on Nappy Valley with a Snug insert included for just £100.

Multi-purpose muslin squares (and 10% off at Lush Baby)

When I was expecting my first child, I'd read that muslins were an essential purchase, but couldn't really understand why. I bought them anyway and ended up finding them completely indispensable.

These award winning oversized swaddling wraps from Aden & Anais bring muslin into the 21st century with colourful, stylish prints and an effortless design.

Made from 100% luxurious cotton muslin, the light, open weave allows a baby’s body temperature to regulate itself naturally helping to prevent overheating. They offer the ultimate in breathability and softness, as the more the more you wash them, the softer they get.

The wraps can also be used as burp cloths, nursing and pram covers, portable cot sheets, tummy time blankets, change table covers, and more and are firm favourites of many celeb mums including Gwen Stefani, Isla Fisher and Jennifer Garner.

Visit Lush Baby to view the full range of muslin baby products. Nappy Valley users can benefit from a 10% discount. For discount code click here.

Ikea kitchen for budding chefs

This Duktig Mini-kitchen from Ikea is one of best looking toy kitchens I have seen. It looks very sturdy and even has hot plates that light up!

It actually comes in two pieces - the bottom half with the sink, cooker and hot plate costs £65 and the top section with shelving and microwave is £24.

Recommended for ages from 3 years, the legs are height adjustable to three different positions so it will grow with your child. There's also a great range of accessories and kitchen utensils in the DUKTIG series.

Grab one soon for Christmas before they sell out!

Swing your baby to sleep

My sons both loved swinging cradles. In fact I actually bought a hammock instead of a crib for the second baby. But if you're not convinced about full-time hammock sleeping (although I would HIGHLY recommend it), how about just for nap times?

The Fisher Price Butterfly Garden Cradle Papasan Swing features side to side or front to back swinging motion, along with a sheer canopy, 16 different sounds/lullabies, a butterfly mobile and a detachable play tray. Great for calming a fractious young baby.

Genius reusable nappies from Bumgenius

These reusable nappies had me at the name. "Bumgenius" is, well, genius.

I used reusables with my second son and found them really easy and convenient. And of course they're much cheaper and kinder to the environment than disposable nappies.

You can currently find a set of 10 Bumgenius nappies (along with accessories) at Nappy Valley.

My pregnancy best friend - Gaviscon

Throughout all three pregnancies I have suffered from horrible heart burn. The build up of acid indigestion is most severe at night time. I don't know what I would have done without giant bottles of Gaviscon by my bed. I went through 500ml bottles at an alarming rate - couldn't get it down quick enough! I have to admit, I often resorted to swigging direct from the bottle!

At over £10 a bottle it could be an expensive nine months, so was delighted to find out that you are entitled to Gaviscon free on prescription with a valid maternity exemption card, which also entitles you to free prescriptions and dental treatment. To apply for the maternity exemption card, ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor for Form FW8.

I would recommend Gaviscon Advance (liquid form) in peppermint flavour.

Apparently heartburn it is a sign you are going to have a baby with lots of hair! Did that turn out to be true for you? Tell us in the comments.

Scoot and squirt with a Water Blaster

Spice up the summer holidays - and cool down overheated children - with this Water Blaster Scooter accessory.

It attaches easily to my son's beloved Mini Micro Scooter - just don't get in his way! This one costs £19.99 from Amazon.

And if you haven't yet got a scooter, there's a very funky pastel pink Micro Light Scooter on Nappy Valley.

Little Dish launches cookbook and fresh purees - win a month's supply!

Nappy Valley was asked to review the new range of purees just launched by Little Dish along with their gorgeous new cookbook.

Purees

Chief Tasters:

Jasper (7 1/2 months) tried sweet potatoes, parnips & leek - absolutely loved it and was rather fond of the packaging too!

Martha (12 months) All purees were a big hit especially the fruity ones!

The main advantage the Little Dish purees have over their competition is that they are "fresh"! So much better for baby than a product that has been sitting on a shelf for months! They are very transportable too - they keep fresh for up to 4 hours when out of the fridge - so they're great for feeding when you are out & about.

Cookbook

I was very excited about the launch of the book as my son loves the Little Dish Chicken Curry toddler meal and have always thought I should make it at home myself, so I was pleased to discover the recipe on page 75.

This book is great in that it covers everything from simple purees for the weaning stages right through to family meals everyone can enjoy. I was particularly inspired by the large section on family dishes - one of my main daily gripes is having to cook twice at meal times, once for the children and again for hubby & me. It's a refreshing alternative to Annabel Karmel who has dominated this book market for years.

The only downside is the lack of photos but the clear layout and beautiful illustrations easily make up for this.

Copies of the book are currently available at Waterstones.

To celebrate the launch, Little Dish have kindly given us 3 Little Dish branded rucksacks to give away each with vouchers for a month's supply of their new fresh purees. For a chance to win please email your name and address to yummy@nappyvalley.co.uk by Friday 6th August.

Is the Stokke the most covetable cot?

Since having children, I've had a bit of a thing about cots. I love them. They're just so smart and cool and cosy and tactile.

My favourite is the Stokki Sleepi, mainly, I think, because it looks like both an egg and a nest - such a great environment for a small baby. But the best thing about the Sleepi is that, with the addition of the Mini Kit and the Junior Kit, it will last your baby from birth to approximately age 10. No, it's not cheap, but it does represent good value.

You can currently buy both the Sleepi and the accessories kits on Nappy Valley.

Accessorise your Bugaboo with an iPhone holder

One of the great things about Bugaboo is how many accessories are available, making it easy to make your pushchair fully customisable and unique to you.

With cupholders, footmuffs, changing bags and more - all in a range of fab colours - investing in a few new accessories is a great way to spruce up a secondhand Bugaboo.

The latest addition for the technology-loving parent is the Bugaboo iPhone Holder, which is available online at Mothercare. Visit Nappy Valley's Lovely Offers for Mothercare discount code.

You'll also find lots of nearly new Bugaboo Accessories (transport bags, parasols, buggy boards etc.) on Nappy Valley.

Are Crocs the perfect summer shoe?

A few years ago, Crocs seemed to come from nowhere to become a summer staple, particularly for little ones.

They really are the ideal kids' shoe: great for the beach and swimming, children can put them on themselves easily, there's no need for socks and they can even be cleaned in the washing machine at 30 degrees! Plus with so many colours and styles, you'll be able to find a pair to suit even the fussiest child.

The only downside is to make sure your little one doesn't wear them on escalators (there's a risk of any soft, pliable shoe getting caught in the side of an escalator).

There are currently some nearly new crocs for sale at Nappy Valley.

Or buy a new pair and get 20% off all styles at www.lookatmycrazyshoes.com with promo code CROCS20 - until 18th July.