Having a Baby

Advantages: Makes excellent espresso, cappuccino and latte coffee
Disadvantages: Needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly

...I've never been particularly keen on drinking coffee at work - the options usually consisting of either a mug of the instant variety made with water boiled in a disgustingly furred-up kettle, or a paper cup of brown-coloured hot liquid dispensed by a temperamental vending machine - so it was with some relief when I began a new job last year to learn that there was an espresso machine at my disposal, with which to make a cup of 'real' coffee whenever I wanted one. I wouldn't term myself a coffee snob by any means, but I'm a firm believer that there's no competition between the genuine article and its powdered or granular equivalent, despite what the Kenco lady in the television commercials would have us believe. NAMING THE BABY Our machine, the quaintly-named Baby Dose, is made by the Italian company Gaggia, one of the world...

silverstreak 04.05.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Gaggia New Baby Dose

An amazing car seat

Advantages: safe, cosy
Disadvantages: none

...Where to buy: This car seat is readily available. You can buy it from all the shops you'd expect to be able to buy them from including Halfords, mothercare, john lewis', toys r us etc. What do they cost: prices vary depending up on offers and stores but usually this car seat retails at £100. How do they attach? This car seat is different to many of the others on the market. It clips onto a base which is attached to your car, This makes it easy to get the car seat in and out of the car without waking up the baby. The car seat base is attached by the seat belt securing it in place and a metal leg which keeps it stable. Are they comfortable? This car seat is very padded and so a nice cosy seat for your baby. It comes with a head hugger which makes it cosy and safe for a newborn. This headhugger can be removed revealing much...

fearsafe 28.09.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Maxi-Cosi Cabrio Car Seat

great car seat

Advantages: see rview
Disadvantages: expense, heavy

...I bought this when I had my baby as it was apparently the best on the market and I really can't find fault with it at all it has been the most reliable of our baby products and can't rate it highly enough. This car seat is different from others as it is suitable for up to 9 months whilst the majority of others are just up to 6 months. The seat is well padded and has a 'head hugger' so it is safer for newborns. This headhugger can then be removed once your baby is big enough. The straps also can be adjusted once your baby grows so that it is still safe and comfortable. The straps are easy to use- at first they were fiddly but once you have the hang of them then you know what you're doing they're easy! once you have strapped your baby in you then pull on the straps to make them tight so that your baby is safetly in place...

ditzygirl10 13.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Maxi-Cosi Cabrio Car Seat

Becky and her baby!

Advantages: Drew me in straight away, and contains babies!
Disadvantages: None!

...?Shopoholic and baby?, by Sophie Kinsella is the fifth and as far as I am aware the final offering from the shopoholic series (for the time being anyway!). The book starts with a quite pregnant Becky who is going for a detailed scan, if you read the last book you will be aware that there was a particular accident that happened with her ?long lost? sister Jess, that would make any pregnant woman jumpy! After ascertaining that everything is fine with her and her husband Luke?s baby, an a particularly funny incident where she has a quick go at scanning herself to find out the sex, then spending the next ten minutes talking to her bladder (soo funny!), she finally allows herself to do a little shopping?..ok, a lot of shopping. On her trip she over hears two ?yummy mummies? talking about the new celebrity midwife Venetia Carter, she...

sarahbarrow 11.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella

shopaholic & Baby

Advantages: A very good read
Disadvantages: Need to read other books in series if you want some things clarified

...Everything seems to be going well for Becky Brandon, resident shopaholic. She has an excellent job with a new department store, The Look, is happily married to successful businessman, Luke Brandon, and she is pregnant. A perfect excuse for a shopaholic to do more shopping...!!! When Becky discovers a celebrity clinic where she could have her baby, she is delighted - until she discovers the doctor, Venetia Carter, is an ex-girlfriend of Luke's. This is where everything begins to go wrong. Venetia is determined to get her claws into Luke, and tries her best to make Luke go off Becky. Meanwhile, other things begin to unravel. Becky and Luke lose the house that they are going for, Luke's business starts to suffer setbacks and Becky's job is in jepoardy because nobody is buying from the store due to setbacks. Things sort...

jules.34 20.09.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella

Baby's First Steps

Advantages: Worth the money, Loads of entertainment for your baby, helps your baby to walk
Disadvantages: none

...INTRODUCTION Ethan is now 9months old and trying to walk. Ethan as always wanted to be on his legs for as long as I can remember; you can't get him to sit for more then 5 minutes. This is where I decided to buy a walker for him to help him balance when he is trying to walk. Since buying this for Ethan he hasn't stopped playing with it. ABOUT THE BABY WALKER The walker is very simple and easy to assemble and takes matter of minutes to put together. The activity centre is easy to detach from the walker and to put back to the walker, just lift the blue clip on the walker to release the activity centre and just clip it back onto the walker once you have finished with it. The walker is made from hard plastic which makes it very hardwearing which is what you need in a child's toy. The red textured wheels and the blue and yellow...

AngelEyes76 27.04.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of VTech First Steps Baby Walker

Baby Prison

Advantages: three-in-one playpen, fireguard and room divider
Disadvantages: takes a while to convert from one thing to the other

...Well, you might not think so, but Leah certainly did - she objected strongly to ever sitting in her playpen and playing for more than about two minutes. A playpen was one of those things I thought I would never actually use - and although I don't use it often, it's a very useful thing to have when you have a mobile baby and you need to answer the door, put the washing out, or just need two minutes to get on with something. What's a Babydan? ------------------------- It's a large, hexagonal metal playpen made of six sections. They divide into two lots of three, and can be "folded" like a zizag, allowing you to make whatever shape you like (useful for cordoning off an awkward area of a large room.) One of the sections functions as the door to the playpen, or can be used as a separate stairgate. The playpen has a comfortable blue...

molelover 01.10.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Babydan Baby Den

O Sweet Baby!

Advantages: Fun Colours, Suitable From Birth, 5 Point Harness
Disadvantages: Recline Mechanism Sticks, Small Shopping Basket

...Despite having purchased a tandem pushchair to use when my new baby was born last year I wasn?t confident in my ability to be able to push it and so I decided at the same time to buy a separate pushchair and a buggy board to match, so when I was out on my own with the little ones I would be able to manage as it would be much lighter and also allow my little girl the freedom to walk for as long as she had the energy. After much research I decided on the Obaby Atlas stroller in blue circles. The Atlas stroller is suitable from birth which was a very important aspect when it came to my buying decision, I wanted a nice buggy that I could use straight away knowing my little boy would be comfortable and able to lie back when he needed sleep but also a buggy that would last, have space from him as he grew and that would simply be a bit more...

piggypine 08.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of O Baby Atlas Stroller

Oh, Baby Baby!

Advantages: cute, nice poem
Disadvantages: retired

...When I was younger, my friends and I were addicted to teddies, more in particular those in the TY Beanie range! TY make a lot of soft toys, in all forms, including animals bears, and Beanie Boppers which are like little people. My friends and I loved the TY beanies, and between us probably had nyone all of them! The bears collection was not like grizzlies and polar bears, but more like, well, teddy bears! The traditional style, like. There are lots in the range too! One of them is Baby Boy. I bought that one for my brother when he was first born back in February 2002, and I loved it so much! I decided I had to buy the Baby Girl for myself! Baby Girl is a baby pale pink shade. She sits on her bum with her arms sprawled by her side. She has a gorgeous little face, with two small ears and a button nose. Her little black beady eyes are...

Amy69 28.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of TY Baby girl

Premaxx Baby Sling

Advantages: Free hands for mum!
Disadvantages: Strap can dig in to your shoulder

...When I had done all the main shopping for my forthcoming baby, I was left thinking 'what else can I buy that I might possibly need'? This is when I came upon the idea of a baby sling. I considered other more traditional style baby carriers, but thought that a sling might be easier since I was planning to breastfeed. Also the sling is purported to 'hold baby in a more natural position', & provide comfort since they are more cocooned & in a foetal position. This was a big plus point to me since it's not good for baby's spine to be sat in a more upright position. I did my research & really liked the sound of the Premaxx baby sling. Probably mainly because I'm a sucker for European design & the Premaxx sling does look really funky! I chose the 'Sporty' version - I think perhaps it's now discontinued - the only place I could find it was...

sambam000 07.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Premaxx Baby Bag Sling