Babies

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Cuddledry at the Just So Festival

September 2, 2010 in Babies, Bath time by jo.middleton

With the festival season drawing to a close, we couldn’t resist one last weekend away, this time at the new Just So Festival in Staffordshire.

Set in acres of beautiful, ancient woodland, it was the perfect setting for families to get away from everything, and indulge in some quality time with nature. The festival is the first of its kind aimed specifically at young children, so it was a great opportunity for Cuddledry to lend a hand, by providing towels for festival babies to enjoy their evening baths:

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Speed parenting – how to capture those precious ‘firsts’ before time slips away

June 7, 2010 in Babies, Parenting by jo.middleton | 3 comments

Today on the blog – Helen wonders just how to capture those precious baby moments. In papier mache perhaps??

As I spent an hour hairdrying a papier mache earthworm this afternoon (6 year old’s homework – don’t ask) watched by my bemused baby, it suddenly struck me that he is 3 months old already.  Where on earth has that time gone?  I’m sure three months with my first baby felt like three years, but with number three the time has just flown, the piles of outgrown baby clothes mount up, and before I know it he will be on the move and chomping on his first banana.

precious moments

So how do I capture these moments and treasure them?  How can I remember how amazing it feels right now to just put my face to his soft soft cheek, and breathe in his gorgeous baby smell?  I never want to forget but some things just can’t be put in a treasures box, or caught on film.  The magic of his smile and how it can make a sleepless night entirely irrelevant.  The tiny things like the way his whole body moves when he smiles, or the twinkle in his eye when he is enjoying our antics to entertain him.

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Guest post: Muddling Along Mummy on sleep (or the lack of it!)

June 2, 2010 in Babies, Parenting by jo.middleton

Today’s guest post is from Hannah, who blogs as Muddling Along Mummy, where she writes about trying to navigate through life, work, family and still being herself. Her blog is a finalist in the Best Baby Blog category in the MADs Awards, you can vote for her by following this link. Today Hannah is feeling a bit sleep deprived – can you tell?!…

Slllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppp.

SSSLLLLLLLLEEEEEEPPPPPPPP.

SLLLLLLLLLeeeeeeeePPPPPPPP.

Back in the days before babies I took my sleep for granted.

Now with Big 26 months old and an 18 month gap to Little, sleep is my new object of lust; my all time desire, the thing of my aspirations and (day) dreams.

Its definitely a case of you don’t miss it until you don’t have it.  I’m sure I didn’t enjoy lie ins and afternoon naps as much as I should have when I could still easily have them.

Sleep has become the new bargaining chip in our relationship – do I love my husband enough to let him lie in both mornings at the weekend, what am I prepared to do to bargain for an afternoon nap?

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FREE! Top tips for making the most of holidays with kids

May 27, 2010 in Babies, Parenting, Toddlers, Travel by jo.middleton | 2 comments

Tired, stressed and desperately in need of a holiday? Today on the blog, Wendy Shand, mum of 3 , family travel expert and founder of Tots to Travel explains why taking your baby away on holiday has never been easier.  Here are her 7 ‘best ofs’ to get you closer to a relaxing break with your family.

FREE Travel Tips Booklet
What’s more she’s got a free Travel Tips Booklet available for Cuddledry blog readers (while stocks last), that will help you have the most successful family holiday ever.  Click here to get your copy sent off in the post today!

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How to keep your babies and children safe in the sun – the truth about sun protection

May 26, 2010 in Babies, Birth, Parenting, UV Sun protection by jo.middleton | 6 comments

Today on the blog, Helen reveals just how much harm the sun can do your baby’s delicate skin, the best ways to protect children from sun damage, and why sun safety is a subject close to her heart…

My gorgeous baby boy is now 12 weeks old and his skin is the purest, softest, most precious thing.  The purity and tenderness of baby and toddler skin is quite unbelievable.  I just can’t stop touching his soft, soft little arms to my face just to feel it, and to breathe in its indescribably magical scent.  It is so beautiful.  So white, so untouched, so perfect.

I am absolutely terrified of the sun harming it.  The thought of that amazing dewy white skin being touched by UV rays and turning pink is just awful.  And with the sun suddenly shining on us it is my job as his mummy to protect it.  Such a massive responsibility – OMG!

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Childlike wonderment – the best thing since sliced bread…

May 24, 2010 in Parenting, Toddlers by jo.middleton | 2 comments

Today’s post comes from Jo – Cuddledry’s Marketing Manager, aka Slummy Single Mummy.

As a single working mum, I often find myself bogged down in the day-to-day nitty-gritty of parenthood, so busy finding everyone matching shoes and remembering to at least offer fruit regularly, that I forget to notice the wonder of life.

One of the joys of having children though is that they make you stop, think, and see things through their eyes. Their enthusiasm and imagination is infectious and if you spare some time to step into their world, you can gain a whole new and inspiring perspective on what you would normally take for granted.

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Precious baby moments – why you should cherish every minute

May 17, 2010 in Babies, Parenting by jo.middleton | 6 comments

Today our Marketing Manager Jo Middleton reflects on why you should enjoy every minute of those precious early days – they don’t last! Jo also writes a personal blog – Slummy Single Mummy.

When my second daughter Belle was born, back in the days before the Cuddledry apron towel was even invented (if you can imagine such a time), it would be fair to say I struggled.

My first daughter had been the perfect baby – perfect in the sense that she rarely cried, smiled a lot, and slept 12 hours through the night from six weeks old. (That’s her in the photo – cute isn’t she?).

On reflection, I can see she was a fluke, but I was your typical smug first time parent, preferring to put her calm demeanour down to my ‘laid back parenting style’. What a fool I was…

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The joy of soy…

May 5, 2010 in Babies, Parenting by jo.middleton | 5 comments

Polly Marsh is the other half of the Cuddledry partnership. Polly took back the reins when Helen’s third baby was born this year, even though she has her own six month old! However much hard work is involved though, Helen and Polly seem to thrive on the ‘tag team’ approach to running a business!

Polly will be sharing the blog with Helen, so you can keep track of both mums as they juggle business with, er, baby sick…

As a busy working mum, I’m afraid my own blog posts have not been as regular as I’d like!  I hope everyone has enjoyed our guest bloggers’ posts over the last month though – great to have so much talent writing for us – but shows up the rest of us!

And so to life with my baby – who is now 6 months old!  I can’t believe it.  Time obviously flies when you are having fun – or is it having no sleep that does it?  I’m reading an interesting book on quantum physics about space time  (yeah OK I’ll shut up) – back to DD3…

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Single Parenting – when baby makes two…

April 30, 2010 in Parenting, Pregnancy by admin

Sandra Hart is a single mother and blogger at The Under Fives Network. In this post Sandra talks about her experiences of single parenting and challenges some common misconceptions..

Parents are often one of the hardest working sectors of Great Britain and, more often than not, the most forgotten. Many reports come out telling us that we’re doing a bad job, that our kids are going to grow up into horrible people who will either turn to violence, drink or drugs – or all three.

But this isn’t always the case. I think that most parents will agree that whatever we do it is always going to be wrong. So why do we do it?

Most people have children because they have always had this yearning to be a mother or father. There is a primeval need to produce children and keep the world going, to have someone to nurture and care for. Other people become parents because they’ve had a horrible and unloved childhood and have an overwhelming need to be loved.

Some just forget the contraception once and bingo – baby makes 3.  Or is it 2?

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Baby’s first smile makes it all worthwhile

April 27, 2010 in Babies by jo.middleton

This week Helen and her family have been enjoying some smiles from the new baby…

Those first weeks pass with your new baby in a blur – feeling like months in some ways, and like seconds in others – and everyone awaits the big moment.  Baby’s first smile.  Lack of sleep, painful boobs – all of that fades into total insignificance at the moment that titchy face creases slowly into the first smile.  And I don’t just mean those fake ones they do when they fart or whatever is going on, but the first REAL smile when they look at you and you just know they are responding to you.  It only lasts a moment too, but my goodness isn’t it just amazing?!!!!!!

We counted the weeks and waiting patiently for the ‘official first smile age’ of six weeks with our little chap, and then we all started to go totally berserk trying to entertain him and be the one to get THE smile.  Facial contortions, singing, ooo ooo ing, and genuine goo goo gaa gaa-ing paid off, and eventually, with a cheeky sideways glance, his tiny face creased, a little dimple appeared in his cheek, his eyes lit up, and his mouth curled up into the most gorgeous smile.  Wow! Just wonderful!  Worth the morning sickness, worth every pregnancy ache and pain, every contraction, each night time of constant feeding – just magical, nothing quite like it.

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