Its nearly summer, where did the winter go!?!
As mums to small children, we are asking ourselves these very questions.
After a mini-heatwave in Sydney over the weekend, we started worrying about whether we are prepared for summer. Bring out the notebook….…and cheque book……!
Our list is well underway so we thought we’d share the start of our check list and hope that at least one other mum gets some use out of it too!
1. Keep drinks cold when at the park, beach or out and about with the Thermos Cup range.
2. Create healthy and EASY (!) ice blocks with Qubies (not to mention easy baby size solid meals).
3. Don't lose your toddler in airports and shopping centres, see our cute Harness Buddy’s – they look like a teddy bear, but keep toddler close and out of trouble!
4. Keep hands free to unpack luggage, groceries, whatever with a stylish and comfortable Baby Sling
5. Stop losing toys and your new Thermos Cup while out and about with the Drop Buddy
Because we're excited about this gorgeous weather, we are offering a SIZZLING HOT 15% off these summer essentials til the end of September or while stocks last!!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Introducing Solids - Hints and Tips
As new mums, we are always searching for information to help us make the right decisions for our beautiful children. The best people we often learn from are other mums. Makes sense right?
So…… as two mums, we thought we’d share some of the information we have learnt over the last 18 months of watching our babies grow into wonderful confident toddlers, on introducing solids to your precious baby.
The inside story
Felecia and I both started our solid routines at different time. Felecia started Zach at 5 months; I was extra cautious and waited til 6 months. The Department of Health recommends starting a baby on solids from 24 weeks and no earlier than 20 weeks.
Felecia says Zach was ‘just ready’ to try something new – all the signs that he was ready were there (see below). She also spoke to her local GP who agreed with her. For me, Charlotte was just happy on the breast and not looking for that ‘something else’.
Signs that confirmed our children were ready for solids were:
· Both were extremely interested in what we were eating. Charlotte would put fingers in her mouth and copy.
· Both were opening their mouths when food was offered on a spoon.
· Both could sit on their own and had good head and neck control.
In hindsight, it’s not rocket science, but it felt stressful and difficult to us as we had never done it before.
Exciting Times!
To say we were excited to introduce the new food is an understatement! Because I was the lucky one who got to feed Charlotte her very first meal by breast (and every meal since!), my husband Mark fed Charlotte her first solid meal.
We started with rice cereal. I prepared it, Mark got the bib; camera was ready – and it was pretty uneventful to be honest! Charlotte took one taste, opened her mouth a little wider for the second spoonful and then refused any more!
To be honest, the eating process to begin with was very messy and slow. I guess at the end of the day, babies are learning a new skill and they need to get practice! Our tips for making it stress free and easy are below.
· Start with a single food, & keep trying that for about 4 days before you introduce the next food.
· Right from the start, eating with grown-ups will show your baby good mealtime habits.
· Expecting some mess and playing with food can help you stay relaxed.
· Purchase a plastic mat to place under the baby’s high chair – that way if baby puree does get thrown, your carpets are protected.
· Have plastic knives and forks handy that are made especially for babies. There are some novelty ones on the market that look cool and make sounds (eg http://shops.ecorner.com/epages/kisskisshughug.sf/secqPugg2ZQHw6/?ObjectPath=/Shops/kisskisshughug/Categories/Feeding/SS), but plain old plastic spoon sets will do the trick every time!
Food ideas –prepare, prepare, prepare!
We found that plain old easy to cook up foods worked best for our children and there was no need to cook a variety of offerings to try to tempt her. All it needs to be is smooth and pureed.
When you start on your first veggie or fruit, you’ll probably want to make a big batch so you’ve got meals for a few days (or weeks depending on how much you cook)!
Qubies have got a great product where you simply pour the puree into a container; add the lid and it makes instant cubes for you. Saves filling up ice cube containers – as if you don’t have enough to do right! For more info, click here http://shops.ecorner.com/epages/kisskisshughug.sf/secqPugg2ZQHw6/?ObjectPath=/Shops/kisskisshughug/Categories/Feeding/QB
Best foods to introduce from 6-8 months
· Rice cereal (it's bland, which is good for your baby's first taste of food). You can mix these with water or breast milk or formula.
· Vegetables: potato, pumpkin, carrot.
· Fruit: mashed banana, mashed avocado, cooked and mashed apple or pear.
· When you’re out and about, Raffertys Garden is a supermarket pre-packed puree which is made of 100% vegetables. It comes in a squeezable tube that is re-sealable so reduces wastage if baby is not hungry. It’s also easy to pack!
A good friend of ours has a fantastic blog that provides entertaining and delicious recipes for babies. Check it out at http://www.feedingflynn.blogspot.com/
So…… as two mums, we thought we’d share some of the information we have learnt over the last 18 months of watching our babies grow into wonderful confident toddlers, on introducing solids to your precious baby.
The inside story
Felecia and I both started our solid routines at different time. Felecia started Zach at 5 months; I was extra cautious and waited til 6 months. The Department of Health recommends starting a baby on solids from 24 weeks and no earlier than 20 weeks.
Felecia says Zach was ‘just ready’ to try something new – all the signs that he was ready were there (see below). She also spoke to her local GP who agreed with her. For me, Charlotte was just happy on the breast and not looking for that ‘something else’.
Signs that confirmed our children were ready for solids were:
· Both were extremely interested in what we were eating. Charlotte would put fingers in her mouth and copy.
· Both were opening their mouths when food was offered on a spoon.
· Both could sit on their own and had good head and neck control.
In hindsight, it’s not rocket science, but it felt stressful and difficult to us as we had never done it before.
Exciting Times!
To say we were excited to introduce the new food is an understatement! Because I was the lucky one who got to feed Charlotte her very first meal by breast (and every meal since!), my husband Mark fed Charlotte her first solid meal.
We started with rice cereal. I prepared it, Mark got the bib; camera was ready – and it was pretty uneventful to be honest! Charlotte took one taste, opened her mouth a little wider for the second spoonful and then refused any more!
To be honest, the eating process to begin with was very messy and slow. I guess at the end of the day, babies are learning a new skill and they need to get practice! Our tips for making it stress free and easy are below.
· Start with a single food, & keep trying that for about 4 days before you introduce the next food.
· Right from the start, eating with grown-ups will show your baby good mealtime habits.
· Expecting some mess and playing with food can help you stay relaxed.
· Purchase a plastic mat to place under the baby’s high chair – that way if baby puree does get thrown, your carpets are protected.
· Have plastic knives and forks handy that are made especially for babies. There are some novelty ones on the market that look cool and make sounds (eg http://shops.ecorner.com/epages/kisskisshughug.sf/secqPugg2ZQHw6/?ObjectPath=/Shops/kisskisshughug/Categories/Feeding/SS), but plain old plastic spoon sets will do the trick every time!
Food ideas –prepare, prepare, prepare!
We found that plain old easy to cook up foods worked best for our children and there was no need to cook a variety of offerings to try to tempt her. All it needs to be is smooth and pureed.
When you start on your first veggie or fruit, you’ll probably want to make a big batch so you’ve got meals for a few days (or weeks depending on how much you cook)!
Qubies have got a great product where you simply pour the puree into a container; add the lid and it makes instant cubes for you. Saves filling up ice cube containers – as if you don’t have enough to do right! For more info, click here http://shops.ecorner.com/epages/kisskisshughug.sf/secqPugg2ZQHw6/?ObjectPath=/Shops/kisskisshughug/Categories/Feeding/QB
Best foods to introduce from 6-8 months
· Rice cereal (it's bland, which is good for your baby's first taste of food). You can mix these with water or breast milk or formula.
· Vegetables: potato, pumpkin, carrot.
· Fruit: mashed banana, mashed avocado, cooked and mashed apple or pear.
· When you’re out and about, Raffertys Garden is a supermarket pre-packed puree which is made of 100% vegetables. It comes in a squeezable tube that is re-sealable so reduces wastage if baby is not hungry. It’s also easy to pack!
A good friend of ours has a fantastic blog that provides entertaining and delicious recipes for babies. Check it out at http://www.feedingflynn.blogspot.com/
Exciting news!! Wehave just launched their third product – a breastfeeding pillow that doubles as a handbag or baby bag.
Gorgeous fabrics, a well thought out design and amazing functionality are just a few key features of our breastfeeding pillow.
Basically, we wanted to design a breastfeeding pillow that is comfortable for breastfeeding, looks great and can be used after mum’s days of breastfeeding are over.
Gorgeous fabrics, a well thought out design and amazing functionality are just a few key features of our breastfeeding pillow.
Basically, we wanted to design a breastfeeding pillow that is comfortable for breastfeeding, looks great and can be used after mum’s days of breastfeeding are over.
With the average new parent spending $5,125* on their new bundle, we hope that our breastfeeding pillow will be welcomed by many families due to its ability to be used long after breastfeeding is finished.
While mum is breastfeeding, she can easily carry our breastfeeding pillow in public with her, by tying the straps and hanging over the bars of her pram or simply slinging over her shoulder (see images). Made from light weight fabric and filled with polystyrene beans, this pillow/bag is designed to be light to carry.
Attention to detail means the breastfeeding pillow easily converts to a handbag simply by removing the inner cushion. It also comes with an inner pocket for mum to store her essentials like lipstick, mobile phone and credit cards and is large enough to act as a baby bag too.
Our breastfeeding pillow come handbag come baby bag has two co-ordinating fabrics per pillow and can be mixed and matched depending on what mum is wearing. Featuring gorgeous fabrics, which is fast becoming KissKiss HugHug’s signature, any new mum – or woman - would be proud to wear this bag as an accessory to their outfit.
- Portable with an adjustable arm strap to sling over the shoulder when on the move
- Inside pocket to store credit cards, driving license, mobile phone and lippy!
- Fully lined for easy washing
- Easy to remove inner cushion for use as a handbag when breastfeeding days are over
- 3 colour combinations
* Source: showmummythemoney.com.au
Friday, November 14, 2008
9am on David & Kim
Hi everyone,
Well we did it and got through relatively unscathed! Our very first television appearance on a national television station. In case you missed it, view Felecia and I live on Channel 10's "9am with David & Kim" speaking about the issues women face when breastfeeding in public. We've had a fantastic response from Channel 10 viewers and we'd love to hear your experiences and comments too, so please feel free to add something below.
Enjoy!!
http://9am.ten.com.au/video.htm?vxSiteId=4a40990c-a06c-401b-8663-6f890bb8f3dc&vxChannel=9am%20Just%20Added&vxClipId=1427_9am_670lg1_141108&vxBitrate=300&CMP=LEC-DANCEgetVideoLink
Jacki & Felecia xxoo
Well we did it and got through relatively unscathed! Our very first television appearance on a national television station. In case you missed it, view Felecia and I live on Channel 10's "9am with David & Kim" speaking about the issues women face when breastfeeding in public. We've had a fantastic response from Channel 10 viewers and we'd love to hear your experiences and comments too, so please feel free to add something below.
Enjoy!!
http://9am.ten.com.au/video.htm?vxSiteId=4a40990c-a06c-401b-8663-6f890bb8f3dc&vxChannel=9am%20Just%20Added&vxClipId=1427_9am_670lg1_141108&vxBitrate=300&CMP=LEC-DANCEgetVideoLink
Jacki & Felecia xxoo
Sunday, November 9, 2008
No need to hide away! Be proud when breastfeeding - and enjoy your privacy.
Hi everyone,
We were shocked to hear the recent press concerning the Maroochydore mum who was asked to breastfeed her baby in the public toilets of the pool she and a friend were swimming at.
Breastfeeding is a natural thing and society should respect mums who do decide to breastfeed and are courageous enough to breastfeed in public. We hear from too many new mums who don't go out or try and plan their day around their baby's breastfeeding routines - and this is not healthy.
We know from experience that getting out and about is important to new mum's - and we believe our breastfeeding covers enable new mums who are shy about breastfeeding in front of others to have their freedom and get their life back.
So....today we published the following press release. There has been considerable interest so far so we thought we'd share it on our blog. Here is a link or read it below!
http://www.prlog.org/10138836-no-need-to-hide-away-anymore-be-proud-to-breastfeed-and-maintain-your-privacy.html
No need to hide away anymore! Be proud to breastfeed - and maintain your privacy.
November 10, 2008 – A mother from Maroochydore has approached the anti-discrimination board after being told to use the toilet block to breastfeed at her local pool.
Felecia Tappenden, Director of KissKiss HugHug, has also been faced with uncomfortable situations when breastfeeding in public – and on one occasion actually did breastfeed her baby in a public toilet while out for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.
Felecia said “While it’s important for women to feel confident breastfeeding in public, unfortunately not all women want to be crusaders in the ‘free to breastfeed anywhere’ debate if it means they might accidentally ‘flash’ at a stranger. We receive feedback from customers who say they are (rightly) proud to breastfeed but the risk of accidentally flashing at strangers really puts them off breastfeeding in public.”
In fact, a recent survey of over 600 men and women conducted by KissKiss HugHug found;
- 40% of women would feed their baby formula to avoid breastfeeding in front of friends and strangers
- 54% of women hate breastfeeding in public so much that they plan their day around it
- One in seven women breastfeed at home only
- One in four women always use a parents room to breastfeed their babies when one is available
KissKiss HugHug’s revolutionary breastfeeding cover, with its unique neckline that provides mum with privacy and the benefit of seeing baby while he or she feeds, is an extremely useful tool for new mothers who are nervous about breastfeeding in public. It means nervous mums don’t have to find parent rooms when their baby is hungry – they can comfortably and confidently pull out their breastfeeding cover from their nappy bag and breastfeed anywhere anytime, proudly.
KissKiss HugHug Director Felecia Tappenden believes breastfeeding covers may encourage women to breastfeed for longer as it frees up their life by enabling them to get out and about when it suits them – and not have to plan their day or be stressed about breastfeeding when baby gets hungry.
Real life case studies available on request.
We were shocked to hear the recent press concerning the Maroochydore mum who was asked to breastfeed her baby in the public toilets of the pool she and a friend were swimming at.
Breastfeeding is a natural thing and society should respect mums who do decide to breastfeed and are courageous enough to breastfeed in public. We hear from too many new mums who don't go out or try and plan their day around their baby's breastfeeding routines - and this is not healthy.
We know from experience that getting out and about is important to new mum's - and we believe our breastfeeding covers enable new mums who are shy about breastfeeding in front of others to have their freedom and get their life back.
So....today we published the following press release. There has been considerable interest so far so we thought we'd share it on our blog. Here is a link or read it below!
http://www.prlog.org/10138836-no-need-to-hide-away-anymore-be-proud-to-breastfeed-and-maintain-your-privacy.html
No need to hide away anymore! Be proud to breastfeed - and maintain your privacy.
November 10, 2008 – A mother from Maroochydore has approached the anti-discrimination board after being told to use the toilet block to breastfeed at her local pool.
Felecia Tappenden, Director of KissKiss HugHug, has also been faced with uncomfortable situations when breastfeeding in public – and on one occasion actually did breastfeed her baby in a public toilet while out for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.
Felecia said “While it’s important for women to feel confident breastfeeding in public, unfortunately not all women want to be crusaders in the ‘free to breastfeed anywhere’ debate if it means they might accidentally ‘flash’ at a stranger. We receive feedback from customers who say they are (rightly) proud to breastfeed but the risk of accidentally flashing at strangers really puts them off breastfeeding in public.”
In fact, a recent survey of over 600 men and women conducted by KissKiss HugHug found;
- 40% of women would feed their baby formula to avoid breastfeeding in front of friends and strangers
- 54% of women hate breastfeeding in public so much that they plan their day around it
- One in seven women breastfeed at home only
- One in four women always use a parents room to breastfeed their babies when one is available
KissKiss HugHug’s revolutionary breastfeeding cover, with its unique neckline that provides mum with privacy and the benefit of seeing baby while he or she feeds, is an extremely useful tool for new mothers who are nervous about breastfeeding in public. It means nervous mums don’t have to find parent rooms when their baby is hungry – they can comfortably and confidently pull out their breastfeeding cover from their nappy bag and breastfeed anywhere anytime, proudly.
KissKiss HugHug Director Felecia Tappenden believes breastfeeding covers may encourage women to breastfeed for longer as it frees up their life by enabling them to get out and about when it suits them – and not have to plan their day or be stressed about breastfeeding when baby gets hungry.
Real life case studies available on request.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Travelling mums can join the Smile High Club this summer
See below for our latest press release or click here!!
http://www.prlog.org/10129708-travelling-mums-can-join-the-smile-high-club-this-summer.html
With the holiday season fast approaching, many women across Australia will be faced with the prospect of breastfeeding next to a stranger on a plane or having to breastfeed in public toilets or hotel rooms just to abide by local customs in foreign countries.
With holiday destinations in conservative countries such as Dubai and Thailand growing in popularity, a KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) can mean the difference between a stressful breastfeeding experience and a relaxed one when on holiday.
“Having recently travelled to the UK and Dubai” commented KissKiss HugHug Director Jacqueline Scott, “I was faced with breastfeeding on a long haul flight where my fellow (and very close!) travellers could see everything, along with the prospect of breastfeeding in a country with conservative laws concerning women. With my KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover in hand, travelling was made extremely easy.”
The KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) is 100% Australian made and designed, and is a stylish cover for mothers to wear when breastfeeding their babies in situations where they may feel uncomfortable. Its neckline enables mother and baby to maintain eye contact while feeding, while providing mum with much-needed privacy.
KissKiss HugHug (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) has also recently launched trendy Dummy Savers that clip to baby’s clothes so dummies don’t fall on the ground – also ideal for the travelling baby.
“When flying on a plane, sterilising a dummy is not an option. Having a KissKiss HugHug Dummy Saver handy meant I only needed one dummy for the entire trip as there was no risk of dummy’s being dropped on the floor.” Jacqueline said.
Hints and tips to make travelling with a baby easy;
• Be prepared for the plane trip - take extra clothes, favourite toys and books, plenty of food, nappies, wipes and water. And don’t forget your KissKiss HugHug breastfeeding cover and Dummy Saver.
• Avoid over-packing – second guess what you will need but remember most items you need will be available at your destination (yes, babies are born world-wide)
• Relax – babies make life unpredictable. They also enrich your life. Remember this and enjoy the trip.
http://www.prlog.org/10129708-travelling-mums-can-join-the-smile-high-club-this-summer.html
With the holiday season fast approaching, many women across Australia will be faced with the prospect of breastfeeding next to a stranger on a plane or having to breastfeed in public toilets or hotel rooms just to abide by local customs in foreign countries.
With holiday destinations in conservative countries such as Dubai and Thailand growing in popularity, a KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) can mean the difference between a stressful breastfeeding experience and a relaxed one when on holiday.
“Having recently travelled to the UK and Dubai” commented KissKiss HugHug Director Jacqueline Scott, “I was faced with breastfeeding on a long haul flight where my fellow (and very close!) travellers could see everything, along with the prospect of breastfeeding in a country with conservative laws concerning women. With my KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover in hand, travelling was made extremely easy.”
The KissKiss HugHug Breastfeeding Cover (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) is 100% Australian made and designed, and is a stylish cover for mothers to wear when breastfeeding their babies in situations where they may feel uncomfortable. Its neckline enables mother and baby to maintain eye contact while feeding, while providing mum with much-needed privacy.
KissKiss HugHug (www.kisskisshughug.com.au) has also recently launched trendy Dummy Savers that clip to baby’s clothes so dummies don’t fall on the ground – also ideal for the travelling baby.
“When flying on a plane, sterilising a dummy is not an option. Having a KissKiss HugHug Dummy Saver handy meant I only needed one dummy for the entire trip as there was no risk of dummy’s being dropped on the floor.” Jacqueline said.
Hints and tips to make travelling with a baby easy;
• Be prepared for the plane trip - take extra clothes, favourite toys and books, plenty of food, nappies, wipes and water. And don’t forget your KissKiss HugHug breastfeeding cover and Dummy Saver.
• Avoid over-packing – second guess what you will need but remember most items you need will be available at your destination (yes, babies are born world-wide)
• Relax – babies make life unpredictable. They also enrich your life. Remember this and enjoy the trip.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Welcome!!
Welcome to our very first communication on behalf of our company KissKiss HugHug!!
To say we’re excited would be putting it mildly, so lets just say we’re exhilarated to be in a business that’s goal is to make it easy for women to breastfeed their beautiful babies in public.
Who are we? We’re two new mum’s who’ve been friends for well over half our lives (which is scary!) who had issues breastfeeding their babies in public. Some people stared, others didn’t know where to look – and some people even commented! It got so bad, Felecia even found herself breastfeeding in the toilets of a Chinese restaurant to avoid breastfeeding in front of others.
So here we are, with our own business hoping to solve the same problem for many other new mums out there. Our aims when we started out were;
• First and foremost we aim to make it easy for women to breastfeed in public. With our unique design, mum and baby can watch each other but still enjoy an element of privacy, feeling confident and self assured.
• Secondly, its all about mum! We want women to feel stylish, not frumpy when they breastfeed their baby. There are other breastfeeding covers on the market, but these are either designed with baby in mind or not designed at all!! That’s why we treat our brand as a fashion label, hand picking all of our fabrics with the stylish mother in mind. Its even reversible so mum can mix and match it with different outfits.
• Thirdly, we wanted to create an affordable solution for new mums. Instead of having to purchase loads of specialized breastfeeding tops, you only need one Bosom Buddy in your wardrobe – and to top it off, it rarely needs washing!
• Finally, we want to solve the problems we faced as new mums for other new mums out there. That’s why we’re continuously thinking about new ingenious inventions we can launch in the future.
So there it, our very first blog – watch this space for more updates from KissKiss HugHug. In the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing some survey results about how people feel about women breastfeeding in public, some serious stuff about what are the laws and some fun stuff like Must Haves for new mums! If you’d like to subscribe to our blog, click below!
To say we’re excited would be putting it mildly, so lets just say we’re exhilarated to be in a business that’s goal is to make it easy for women to breastfeed their beautiful babies in public.
Who are we? We’re two new mum’s who’ve been friends for well over half our lives (which is scary!) who had issues breastfeeding their babies in public. Some people stared, others didn’t know where to look – and some people even commented! It got so bad, Felecia even found herself breastfeeding in the toilets of a Chinese restaurant to avoid breastfeeding in front of others.
So here we are, with our own business hoping to solve the same problem for many other new mums out there. Our aims when we started out were;
• First and foremost we aim to make it easy for women to breastfeed in public. With our unique design, mum and baby can watch each other but still enjoy an element of privacy, feeling confident and self assured.
• Secondly, its all about mum! We want women to feel stylish, not frumpy when they breastfeed their baby. There are other breastfeeding covers on the market, but these are either designed with baby in mind or not designed at all!! That’s why we treat our brand as a fashion label, hand picking all of our fabrics with the stylish mother in mind. Its even reversible so mum can mix and match it with different outfits.
• Thirdly, we wanted to create an affordable solution for new mums. Instead of having to purchase loads of specialized breastfeeding tops, you only need one Bosom Buddy in your wardrobe – and to top it off, it rarely needs washing!
• Finally, we want to solve the problems we faced as new mums for other new mums out there. That’s why we’re continuously thinking about new ingenious inventions we can launch in the future.
So there it, our very first blog – watch this space for more updates from KissKiss HugHug. In the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing some survey results about how people feel about women breastfeeding in public, some serious stuff about what are the laws and some fun stuff like Must Haves for new mums! If you’d like to subscribe to our blog, click below!
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