Everything's in Place With Pacapod

Once you have children, organisation becomes the key to a way through the chaos. When you are out and about, the need to be well organised is even more vital.  We have all spent wasted minutes routing through ill designed bags searching for nappies or baby wipes to avert a messy emergency while a wriggly baby cries and raises the stress levels!  But there is a way of making life easier.  Time is precious and you don't have to waste a moment, due to being disorganised, thanks to Pacapod.

Pacapod make changing bags that are designed to make life easier.  The stylish and contemporary bags look like fabulous handbags, but each one holds a hidden secret.  Open them up to find a 3-in-1 organisation system with a changer pod, feeding pod and integrated changing mat.  The removable pods are packed with features specifically designed for their purpose.  The feeder pod is fully insulated to keep bottles cool and includes a detachable insulated bottle cover.  The changing pod has seven pouches and includes a removable clothing pouch for emergencies.  The bag itself has all the functions of a chic handbag with mobile phone holder and key fob and plenty of space.  The system is versatile and functional without compromising on style.  Rucksacks are also available for dads to use, incorporating all the same features.

There is a new exciting addition to the Pacapod family...the Changing Toy Pod.  This gorgeous mini rucksack is perfect for toddlers to use independently and includes detachable safety reins to keep your toddler safe.  It has four labelled pockets for nappies, wipes etc. and has space for a favourite toy and snack.  It can also be integrated  into the Pacapod system.

Gorgeous design.

We were sent a Pacapod Toy Changer Pod to try.  The first thing that impressed me was the outstanding design.  The durable, weatherproof navy and fawn pod comes in a funky zebra print design with cute ears and has a window to pop in a photograph of the child to personalise the rucksack making it easy to identify.  The backpack straps have a chest strap to make it secure on your toddler's shoulders.  It can also be attached to pram handles.

Integrated pockets

Detachable safety reins.

Photo identity window.

Freddy loved wearing his Pacapod and actually wanted to wear it in the house!  The chest strap made it really comfy for him to wear.  The pod is a good size and free standing making it easy for a toddler to put in their favourite toys.

Comfy fit.

This is definitely a lovely mini rucksack for a toddler to nurture their independence, with the added peace of mind of the safety reins to keep toddlers safe while they explore their environment.  The fact that it doubles up as a mini changer pod within the Pacapod system is a bonus to parents who own the compatible changing bag or rucksack, but it stands alone perfectly well.

The Pacapod Changer Toy Pod is available in Zebra print navy, Leopard print red and Giraffe print pink, all equally gorgeous!  They are just £19.95 RRP and are available from the Pacapod online shop with free UK delivery.  Other stockists are detailed online.

The Pacapod range would make great gifts for mums and dads, and the Toy Pod would be a lovely gift idea for a toddler.  Just pop in some goodies for them to discover inside!

Travelling With Children

Travelling With Children is a one stop online shop, providing products, comprehensive tips and information on all things for child-friendly travel ranging from the school-run to weekends at the grandparents' to long haul flights.  It provides a lifeline for UK parents and parents-to-be and encourages them to share their experiences, strategies and solutions to travelling with children.  Taking the stress out of travel means that families can have more fun together.

All the products for sale are tried and tested, safe, well designed, functional and great quality.  With sections on the site covering topics such as Feeding on the Move, Family Health, Safety and Security and Baby Slings and Carriers it is easy to find what you are looking for.  It is reassuring to know that whatever travel problem you can think of, there is an innovative solution!

With a young baby, keeping feeding utensils and bottles sterile can be a major headache when travelling away from home. Sterilising systems are cumbersome and electric ones might not operate with foreign voltages.  This is a practical solution to that problem.  Each bag is a self contained sterilising unit that will hold up to 4 bottles.  They are safe to use with foreign water and keep things sterile for up to 24 hours.  Each pack has a week's supply and each sachet contains full instructions.  This product is also perfect for camping or overnight stays. The Disposable Steriliser Bags are £12.99 for a week's supply and solve a real travelling problem!

Toddler safety is a real concern both at home and away.  It is all too easy to lose sight of your little one as they wander off to explore.  Nothing is more terrifying than the fear of them getting lost.  The Toddler Mini Backpack and Reins gives complete peace of mind and has won the coveted Mother and Baby Gold Award for Best Safety Product.  The minipack features a three way harness, grab handle, safety reflector, a removable rein and toy or soother attachment.  Available in blue, red, green and pink, it has cute animal embroidery on it making it very appealing to a toddler! At just £15.99 this backpack will help keep toddlers safe and keep them happy.  Pop in a favourite toy and a snack and they are ready for a big adventure!  It is much friendlier than traditional reins and harnesses and gives the child the element of freedom that they enjoy, while giving you the confidence that they are safe.

We were sent one of each of these key products to try out for ourselves.  Freddy was delighted with the back pack.  It fitted comfortably with the padded straps and the reins are unobtrusive, so they didn't annoy him!  The size of the backpack is perfect for a toddler and would be great for nursery, days out or holidays.  I like that we can keep hold of him without infringing on his independence.  I also like the reflector feature for when it gets dark outside.

Ready for an adventure!

The information guides on the Travelling With Children site cover topics such as where to go, travelling when pregnant, travelling by air, road, boat or train, health and safety and a guide to packing.  Not only is the advice informative, it is also encouraging and makes it all seem very possible!  Managing director Annie Jones has a wealth of experience travelling with her own son Rory and has designed the site to help other parents.  When it comes to the happiness, health and safety of our children, only the best will do, and Travelling With Children aims to faciliate that with the best advice and the best products to make travelling with children as stress free and enjoyable as possible!

Travelling With Children are offering a 15% discount on Lodger Products which includes adorable hats, Fleece Wrappers and the award winning Wrapper Motion.  Just quote discount code LODGER.

Find out more at  http://www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk.
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Keeping Toddlers Safe With A Baby Dan Safety Starter Set

Toddler Safety in The Home

Life with a toddler has many challenges!  Things we took for granted before, suddenly become fraught with peril.  Curious little people with inquisitive minds and a determination to seek out all things dangerous, hone in on everything we'd rather they didn't touch.  Little fingers poke, pull and push and seek out anything they can get hold of.  Nothing is safe, nothing is sacred!  This is the time when we, as parents, need to take precautions to protect our precious bundles with regards to safety in the home.  Toddler proofing your house is quite a minefield which is why a company like Simple Safety Solutions is invaluable.  They say:

"We are passionate about providing quality child safety products as we believe that all children have the right to live, learn and play in a safe environment. All our child safety products provide simple solutions to the every day concerns you may have about your children's safety. We aim to provide the biggest and best selection of child and baby safety products so that you have one less thing to worry about."

My son is now 16 months old and he is eager to explore every square inch of his environment! Some days we have quite a battle to keep him out of drawers and cupboards.  He may have a toybox filled with bright, colourful safe toys, but the contents of my kitchen cupboard is far more enticing.  So when I was offered the chance to try out the Baby Dan Safety Starter Set by Joanna at Simple Safety I was very keen to give it a go!!

This set consists of 21 pieces, with the basics needed to baby proof your home.  The first item we used was the Fingersafe that fitted to the top of the door to stop it from slamming shut on little fingers.  One of my nieces actually had her fingertip removed in a door related accident, so this is something I am very aware of.  The device was discrete, easy to fit and did the job perfectly. 10/10 for its simplicity and effectiveness!

The Socket Plugs were quite different to the ones I had used in the past.  They sit flush in the electrical socket, preventing children from inserting anything into the power supply.  A unique twist and pull removal system means that they can not be removed by a child.  Previous designs I have seen had small integral handles and I had witnessed Freddy and his 2 year old cousin pulling them out...it was an intriguing game for them!  The Baby Dan covers need to have a second one locked on to the three corresponding holes on its face to remove it from the socket.  No toddler has managed to remove one yet! Quite ingenius!

The corner protectors sit on the sharp corners of tables or work surfaces and stop nasty knocks on baby's heads.  They did exactly what they said on the packet! They were easy to put on with adhesive pads and did the job!

The drawer/cupboard locks were slightly fiddly to fix as they screw directly into the drawer or cupboard front and sides, but once fitted were very secure.  The opening mechanism was very effective, you just reach in and flick the catch to open the drawer. My son has done battle with them and has not managed to gain access.  So I am impressed with their effectiveness! 

The on/off lock is easily installed with the double sided sticky pads onto the fridge door.  It seems sturdy and strong which impressed me.  The catch attaches to the locking mechanism which slides up and down to secure or release it.  This simple switch allows the door to be opened or locked shut.  I was surprised that it worked so well to be honest and is our favourite safety device in the set. Again it has not been defeated by Freddy!  Thumbs up!

As this picture shows Freddy is intrigued with the contents of my plate cupboard and is regularly removed before he uses my plates as frisbees.  This is obviously a problem that needs to be overcome!!

Baby Dan's solution to this problem is the Cabinet Lock.  It consists of a plastic clamp-like device that fits around the two handles and is then tightened to prevent access.  I don't know if possibly my cupboard door handles are further apart than the norm, but the fit was quite loose meaning that Freddy could pull back on the doors creating a gap between them into which he could have inserted and trapped his hand.  Also the ratchet mechanism was quite difficult to use and was also sharp on little fingers. Using the screw-in door/cupboard locks has proven to be more effective and much more practical.  This is the only piece of the safety set that we are not using, as it didn't seem to be effective enough on our double fronted cupboard.