Last October, we finally brought toddler Vee on our first overseas holiday, to Perth in Australia. We’d a relaxing 8 days 7 nights trip, including 1 night at a farm. It was so memorable that Vee still talks about the trip after 9 months have passed!

Why Visit Perth

After shortlisting a few places to visit, hubby and I decided on Perth for these reasons:

1. Relatively short plane ride: 5.5 hours between Kuala Lumpur and Perth
2. No time difference: perfect for fussy sleepers like Vee
3. Good mix of urban city and nature: for Vee’s learning and exposure
4. Modern city with no language barrier: we can travel free and easy to suit Vee’s schedule

Where We Stayed in Perth

For the one week trip, we chose to stay in a serviced apartment instead of hotel. The advantages:

• convenient to prepare some homecooked food for Vee daily
• convenient to do laundry
• more spacious for an active toddler

We stayed at Mounts Bay Waters Apartment Hotel, which is ranked #5 on tripadvisor and has relatively positive reviews. Here’s what we think:

• It’s spacious and clean. During the second half of the trip, we were lucky to get a free upgrade from 1 to 2-bedroom apartment — absolutely huge!
• I like the washing machine and dryer facilities. This enabled us to cloth diaper Vee for most for the trip. Otherwise, we used disposable Flip inserts or GroBaby Biosoakers. (I prefer the Flip inserts because they’re more absorbent and don’t tear at the seams.)
• The kitchen is well-equipped with an induction stove, utensils and cutlery. I brought a small travel steamer to steam Vee’s lunch daily.
• There’s a free Blue CAT shuttle bus that stops in front of hotel — very convenient to reach the train station and CBD area. Otherwise, it’s just a short stroll to the nearest train station.

What to do in Perth with Toddler

1. Kings Park & Botanic Garden: We love this park, which is near to our apartment hotel. It has beautiful greenery and is very clean and spacious — great for young children to run around. Vee had his tea break in front of the large fountain, picnic-style.

2. Aquarium of Western Australia: We were impressed by this aquarium, though it’s a little far off from the CBD — accessible by train, bus, then a walk. There’s a large variety of sea animals, and I was mesmerised by the tank of illuminated jellyfishes. A pity Vee didn’t want to touch anything in the touch pool.

After visiting the aquarium, we’d a sumptuous lunch facing the nearby harbour.

3. Perth Zoo: We visited the Perth Zoo instead of the Caversham Wildlife Park because it’s nearer — accessible by ferry then a short walk. Perhaps the weather was too sunny, many animals were sleeping or hiding in the shade.

Our favourite part of the zoo is its spacious park for lunching at the benches. Vee enjoyed himself running around, chasing birds and mingling with other children. Many families were there for a picnic.

4. Fremantle Markets: Here at the markets, we got a good glimpse of the local culture. There was street performance, interesting things on sale and many dining choices.

Across the markets was a large playground that got Vee hooked.

5. Subiaco: We visited the market in Subiaco on the second day to stock up on fresh groceries. With the large variety of vegetables and fruits, it was easy to plan Vee’s menu. If you’re into shopping, then you’d probably enjoy the place more.

6. Wild Eco Outback Adventure and Farm Stay by Boshack

This is the highlight of our trip — half day of outback adventure, then an overnight stay at a small working farm.

We took a scenic 1.5-hour train ride from Perth city to Toodyay, a very small town. Upon alighting the train, we were awed by how “out of the world” the place seems. Boshack’s owner, Deryck, picked us up and brought us to the outback area.

Our ergonomic Beco carrier came in very useful during the outback adventure, with lots of walking, exploring in the wild and feeding farm animals. We were silly to have brought the stroller along, which ended up in the caravan all the time.

The sunny October weather attracted LOTS of bush flies. There were easily 20 flies on hubby’s back at any point in time!

We were served a BBQ lunch in a huge tent that cleverly kept the flies out.

After lunch, we sat by the scenic lake and watched a group of camping school children play and canoe. Vee had a long, cosy nap in the carrier.

In the late afternoon, Deryck drove us to our host farm, where we were welcomed by a very nice farming family. It was a lovely farm house with modern toilet facilities — miles beyond our expectations. Ha… we were prepared to experience something really rural. And the farmer’s wife is a fantastic cook.

The next morning, our host drove us around in the tractor to look at the farm — a memorable first-hand experience looking at cows, wheat, oats, etc. This was a meaningful way to learn exactly how our food come about. The farmers work very hard indeed.

After leaving the farm and returning to Toodyay town, Vee and us went for the Duidgee Park Miniature Railway – a children train ride. I’m sure all young train lovers would enjoy it.

More Tips & Information

Here’s some more relevant information on bringing a toddler to Perth:

1. Strollers: Perth is very stroller-friendly, so we managed well with a heavy-duty Peg Perego stroller. (Just don’t bring it to the farm!) The buses even have ramps to allow strollers to go up easily. Also, buses and trains have designated stroller bays, and are hardly crowded.

2. Public Transport: There’s an extensive bus, train and ferry network, so it’s easy to get around without driving. Vee had a wonderful time enjoying the rides every day.

3. Food & Groceries: Bringing raw food (including fruits) isn’t allowed into Australia. We brought some toddler packed food to last the first 2 days. Supermarkets, such as Woolworths, in the city carry a comprehensive selection of breads, vegetables, fruits, and baby / toddler jarred or packet food.

4. Milk: Vee decided to reject the new tin of formula milk we brought. No worries though because in Perth, there’s a wide variety of fresh 100% full cream milk and UHT (long life) milk.

5. Baby Changing Room: In major departmental stores, there are huge baby rooms. My jaws nearly dropped when I saw one with a small play yard complete with kids’ tables and chairs! Otherwise, changing tables are common in the toilets.

Overall, we love our Perth trip and are glad that Vee derived many memorable experiences from it.

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Sharing time: Do you have any baby or toddler-friendly places to recommend? Please share in the comment box.

P.S. You may wish to read Travelling with Baby: Tips and Packing Checklist.

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1. Review: Tiny Love Symphony-in-Motion Mobile

Spinkie gave me the opportunity to review The Butterfly Pillow. I’ve fallen in love with it, so it forms Part 4 of the popular Stylish Mum’s Essentials series!

About The Butterfly Pillow

These are the main features of the pillow:

• Upper layer: Made of 100% cotton designer fabric
• Lower layer: Made of minky-dot fabric
• Contents: Polyester fiberfill is recycled, washable, and non-allergenic
• Country of origin: Handmade in the U.S.A.

The Butterfly Pillows are co-designed by Mutya (who co-started Spinkie) and are available in a range of lovely designer prints.

First Impressions

The Butterfly Pillow looks stunning and stands out among the mountain of bolsters and pillows on our family bed. One side is the same type of soft and plush dotted minky fabric as the The Pat-a-Cake Baby Blanket. The other side is made with beautiful designer fabric, which I adore.

There’s a little card explaining the various ways to use The Butterfly Pillow. And I’m happy that the laundry tab says it’s washable!

How We Tested It

(a) Uses & Effectiveness: There’re many ways to use the pillow and I didn’t simply follow what the little card mentioned. Here’s how our family has used it:

1. Relieve blocked nose when sleeping: Occasionally, my sinus problem returns and I get blocked nose at night. Placing The Butterfly Pillow on top of my pillow helps to lift my head up by the much-needed inches and I get to sleep soundly. Its firmness and contour supports my neck well, so I don’t get any stiff neck in the morning. Wonderful!
2. Neck / shoulder support when sitting on the bed: I frequently use the laptop on the bed and The Butterfly Pillow keeps my neck and shoulders comfortable while lying against the wall. There were nights when Vee had blocked nose and hubby had to carry him to sleep while sitting up. The Butterfly Pillow has been a total saviour for his poor neck through the night.
3. Neck support during long car rides: During our 4-hour road trips between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, Vee loved using The Butterfly Pillow in his car seat. Since young, he prefers to sit up REALLY straight than recline on any bed, stroller, car seat or high chair. The pillow supports his neck, allowing him to sit up straighter, and he insisted on using it through the journey.

(b) Laundry: I was eager to try the pillow during our long road trip, so didn’t prewash it. Oops! At the end of the trip, Vee dropped it onto the floor in the car and I subsequently dropped it onto the car park. Gross! Finally, I handwashed it in cold water with a little mild detergent. It was heavy to wring the water off the pillow at the final rinse. Then I laid it flat to dry under the sun for a couple of days. And it looks as good as new.

(c) Overall Value: Each Butterfly Pillow is USD25. It’s multi-purpose, beautifully-designed and very well-made. Anyone in the family from young to old can use it, so I definitely find it value-for-money.

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What we like about it:

• Provides comfortable neck / shoulder support in various situations
• Beautiful design for stylish mums
• Washable for easy maintenance

What can be improved:

• Instructions suggest folding the pillow into half for neck support. I find it too stiff to stay in place after folding, and am happy to use it without folding.

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Win Your Own

To celebrate the launch of Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club, this Giveaway is EXCLUSIVE to Parents Club members. TWO (2) lucky members will win one gorgeous The Butterfly Pillow worth USD25 each!

How to Participate

1. Join Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club (existing members counted)

2. To get 1 extra entry: ”Like” Spinkie Facebook page (existing fans counted)

3. Fill in the online form HERE

Other Information

• This Giveaway is open to subscribers with a mailing address worldwide (except in countries that don’t allow participation in lucky draws / sweepstakes).
• If you’re a winner, the colour / design of your prize depends on the stock available.
• It will run until 25 February 2011 (Friday) 2359hr (GMT+8).
• The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Send in your entries now and good luck. Feel free to get your friends to join in the fun too!

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own The Butterfly Pillow and a wide range of stylish products for baby, visit Spinkie. Be prepared to drool at all the designer prints!

• Special Treat: 20% STOREWIDE discount
• Discount Code: 20MUMMYBP
• Validity Period: Until 15 March 2011

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Disclosure: I received one The Butterfly Pillow for review and Spinkie is a banner ad sponsor at the time of writing.

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P.S. If you’re a new reader, catch the entire Stylish Mum’s Essentials series HERE.

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Our family just returned from a vacation in Singapore and I feel super-refreshed! It’s wonderful to have THREE babysitters (Mum, Dad and sister) for Vee while hubby and I take a well-deserved break. I’ve bought all my Lunar New Year clothes and bags (shopping in Singapore is fanta-bulous!), and we’re so into the celebration mood although the festival is 4 weeks away.

Anyway, back to the main topic. As a follow-up of the recent article “Travelling with Baby: Tips and Packing Checklist“, I’m writing a Travelling Essentials Series. This shall cover our favourite items when travelling with Vee, either outdoors or overseas. The first item reviewed is the Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner Placemat and I’d add to the series as time goes.

About Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner Placemat

These are the main features of the placemat:

• Material: 100% waterproof material; phthalate compliant, lead compliant, BPA free, latex free, PVC free (Please verify with manufacturer’s website, which is down at the time of writing)
• Suction cups: 5
• Scoop in front to hold in the mess
• Country of origin: Made in the U.S.A.

It’s available in yellow, green, blue and pink.

First Impressions

I bought this placemat more than a year ago, when Vee started eating solid foods. As a cleanliness freak, I like the idea of Vee eating off a clean table surface, especially when he loves to mouth things. However, the placemat didn’t work for us for a few months as Vee was only interested in yanking it off the table top. Duh!

When he outgrew the I-wanna-yank-the-placemat-off-the-table phase and became interested in finger-feeding himself at 12 months old, this placemat became VERY useful.

Left: Suction cup to keep placemat in place; Right: Scoop to hold the mess

(a) Aesthetics: It looks pretty. The yellow placemat has the picture of a hippopotamus, which is one of Vee’s favourite animals now. The material is smooth and flexible.

(b) Suction Cups: There are 5 suction cups under the placemat, which keep it in place on the table.

(c) Scoop: The scoop in front is for holding messes, which is great if baby’s bib doesn’t come with a scoop or she doesn’t wear one.

Our Experience Using It

(a) Ease of Use: It’s very easy to unroll and stick to a smooth surface. In restaurants where wooden table tops or table cloths are used, the placemat won’t stick. The trick is to roll the placemat backwards and allow it to lay flat on the table (see the first picture in this article, where it’s placed on paper).

The placemat is too big for most highchair trays, so it’s more suitable for use when the highchair doesn’t have a tray.

When the meal ends, I’d brush the remaining pieces of food onto a plate, clean it briefly with a wet cloth wipe, roll in back into the scoop and keep it in a wet bag. The size is fine and fits into our diaper bags, even the smaller ones.

(b) Effectiveness: The placemat is big enough for Vee’s meal. When he was in the finger-feeding phase, I simply poured small cubes of food (such as carrots and apples) onto the placemat and he helped himself. This avoids having bowls with food being thrown or accidentally dropped onto the floor.

Now, he’s learning to feed himself with a fork and spoon and can hold his bowl. So I place his food in a bowl and puts the bowl on the placemat. When he drops pieces of food, he can still eat whatever is on the placemat. (Personally, I’m not comfortable with him eating things off public tables.)

Depending on his mood, he can really make a GIGANTIC mess when eating outdoors, so having the placemat with scoop reduces the mess on himself, the table top and the floor.

(c) Washing: It’s easy to clean with a soft sponge and our usual dishwashing detergent. Till now, we haven’t had a stain on it. After it’s dry, roll in back into the scoop and keep it, to prevent dust from settling all over.

(d) Overall Value: Since we bought it long ago, I think the price was about SGD20+. I felt it was pricey and hoped that it’d work. (It’s cheaper at Amazon.com, about USD10.) Now that it’s a staple in our diaper bag for outdoor meals, I certainly find it value-for-money.

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What we like about it:

• Easy to unroll; easy to roll back into scoop for keeping
• Easy to clean
• Sticks well on a smooth surface
• Scoop is big enough to keep messes off child’s lap

What can be improved:

• I’m happy the way it is. Wish it were cheaper in Singapore and Malaysia, so that more parents would benefit from it. I haven’t seen anyone else use it before!

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Get Your Own

Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner Placemats are available in most major babystores. We bought ours in Singapore and have seen it at the baby department in Robinsons (KL, Mid Valley).

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Kiddopotamus Tinydiner Placemat*

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*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™
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Read more on Feeding Solids.

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If you’re planning to travel with baby some time this year, then this article is just for you. Since Vee was a baby, we’ve travelled several times via road and air between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (in Malaysia). Then 3 months ago, we visited beautiful Perth in Australia. I’ve even survived a few flights with Vee alone.

Comparing our recent versus the first trip, my packing has become much more compact and organised. Hubby’s very relieved at my improved packing skills. (I know this sounds crazy, but on our first road trip, I brought Vee’s bath tub along. Just look at the picture above!) Read on for our travel tips and download an extensive packing checklist at the end.

Travel Tips

(a) Road Trip

1. Choose departure time wisely: depart once baby is freshly-awake or just before nap time, depending on whether baby sleeps well on the road.
2. Try to travel in the day: some babies may fuss over long distances in the dark. In case of any road emergency, it’s also easier to make contingency plans in the day.
3. Always let baby travel in a car seat: you may be a safe driver, but other drivers may be reckless.
4. If baby is awake when travelling in a car seat, stop for a rest after about 2 hours. Use this time to change diapers or feed her.
5. Bring a bag filled with her favourite toys and books. Children’s attention span for each toy could be very short, so entertain her with a new toy often. For toddlers, offer activities such as sticker books and puzzles.
6. Prepare a few types of baby’s favourite healthy snacks. Examples are bread, o-shaped cereals and fruits.
7. Load CD player with many nursery rhymes and sing to baby along the way.

(b) Flight

1. For babies who sleep well anywhere, choose a night flight so that you can rest during the flight. For fussy sleepers, choose a day flight so that baby won’t be screaming the plane down when everyone’s trying to sleep.
2. Book a bassinet seat in advance.
3. If the ticket’s at a good price and budget allows, get an extra ticket for baby and get more space. This is especially useful when Mummy’s travelling alone with baby. (Interestingly, on a few flights, getting an extra ticket is CHEAPER than the admin fee for baby travellers. So check beforehand.)
4. During take-off and landing, let baby suckle at the breasts, drink from a bottle / sippy cup or suck a pacifier. This reduces possibility of ear pain.
5. If you’d like to breastfeed baby during flight (and are travelling alone with baby), consider getting a window seat for more privacy.
6. Check customs’ and airline’s restrictions for bringing baby food and fluids on board. Some allow bringing baby food, milk, water, medication and medicated creams.
7. Check if airline allows bringing stroller until just before boarding flight. For JetStar Airways S’pore-KL route: the answer is yes. If the stroller must be checked in, some airports provide rental strollers. (Give the rented stroller a GOOD wipe before using though.)

(c) Accommodation

1. For long trips, consider accommodation with laundry facilities. This way, you can afford to pack less.
2. If you’d like to cook for baby during the trip, consider getting accommodation with kitchen facilities. Usually, a serviced apartment offers more space, laundry and kitchen facilities, if budget allows.
3. Request for baby cot in advance. Even if you practise co-sleeping, you may use it as a play-pen or a temporary safe zone for baby in a new non-child-proof environment.
4. If you’re travelling with 2 or more children, request for a king-sized bed and extra bed in advance. Also, request for a non-smoking floor to protect baby’s sensitive nose.
5. Upon reaching the place, scan it for dangerous corners, sockets, switches, oven knobs, etc., so that you may take try to baby-proof it.
6. If you’re used to bathing baby in a tub, check whether the accommodation has a tub. If not, consider bringing an inflatable travel tub.

(d) Feeding

1. Breastfeeding baby directly is the most convenient way during travels. Otherwise, bring sufficient milk powder and bottles / cups for the entire trip.
2. If baby has started weaning, bring packed baby food to last at least the first 2 days. The packet or pouch type are more compact, lighter and less fragile than those in glass jars. Examples are Rafferty’s Garden and Organic Bubs. Most supermarkets in urban cities would have baby food on sale.
3. If you’d like to cook for baby during the trip, check customs restrictions whether you’re allowed to bring in fresh produce. Otherwise, buy groceries on the first 1-2 days upon reaching. Essential items in general are vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk and bread. Bring a travel-size steamer for fast and easy food preparation.

(e) Diapering

Disposable inserts or diapers are the most convenient during travels. If you’d prefer to cloth-diaper baby as much as possible (especially if she has sensitive skin), these are the tips:

1. For 2-3 days trip, you may cloth diaper baby as usual. Prepare a large wet bag to bring the laundry home to wash.
2. For a longer trip, consider an accomodation with laundry facilities, such as a serviced apartment or a hotel with D-I-Y laundry room. Hotel laundry services are usually expensive and may not laundry cloth diapers appropriately. A dryer would be useful to dry inserts / soakers and allow you to reuse them quickly.

Some diapering options to save luggage space:

1. All-in-Twos (AI2): reuse shell; replace soaker during change unless soiled
2. Pocket diaper: add a diaper liner to reuse pocket; simply replace insert during change unless soiled

(f) Potty-Training

1. If baby or toddler is going through potty-training, bring a travel potty during trips, so that she won’t have to re-learn her skills after the trip.
2. If possible, encourage baby or toddler to poo in the potty or toilet, to avoid poopy mess on the go.

Packing Checklist

I did up a packing checklist so that we can conveniently refer to it for future trips. It’s VERY extensive. You may not need all the items, so just pack what you think would be essential for the particular trip.

Download your Packing Checklist HERE (pdf).

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P.S. Feel free to bookmark this page and share it with your friends. Have a splendid year ahead!

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Related posts:

1. [Travelling Essentials #1] Review: Baby’s Portable Placemat – Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner

Before revealing the bag, just a short update here… In case you’ve been wondering, I’m still very much alive. My 1-week vacation back to Singapore has been absolutely splendid!

Besides spending time with family (which means THREE babysitters), I received several interesting product samples from sponsors based in the little sunny island. So stay tuned for these upcoming reviews:

• bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper
• Weehuggers Diaper Cover
• Bummis Diaper Covers, Organic Cotton Prefolds and Liners
• Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts (Updated from the first version reviewed here)
• Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Microfibre Insert
• The Pat-a-Cake Baby Wet Bag
• Bummis Wet Bag
• wee-be-gone™ Hobo Bag from weehuggers
• PUDDLETON BABY Diaper Changing Mat Clutch

Some of the designer fabrics look soooo yummy-licious. Yes, I’d be indulging in diapering Vee for months to come…

The Blunder and The Bag

And while bringing the samples home with Vee, I made a BIG blunder:

It was tough packing all our stuff plus the samples into my luggage and still keep within the 20kg limit. I (very unwillingly) left some Drybees Pocket Diapers, diaper inserts, clothes and Tony Buzan’s book (Brain Child: How Smart Parents Make Smart Kids*) with my Mum — these weighed around 5kg.

To relieve more weight from the check-in luggage, my diaper-bag-cum-handcarry-luggage was stuffed until it nearly exploded.

In total, I was lugging home a 12kg toddler (who napped 2 hours in my beloved Beco carrier), 22kg check-in luggage, 7kg diaper bag, a handbag AND a 6kg stroller. That’s a whopping 47kg!!! The 7kg diaper bag nearly killed my shoulders.

7kg diaper-bag-cum-handcarry luggage that nearly killed my shoulders!

Then upon reaching my seats onboard the plane, I realized I’d 2 tickets, not 1! That means my baggage limit was actually 40kg and not 20kg! Ahhhhh!!! I should’ve dumped the 5kg of left-behinds and more items from my diaper bag into the check-in luggage. Why didn’t I realise this earlier?!?

Now my poor shoulders need a rest. Enjoy your weekend!

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P.S. The bag in the picture is a LeSportsac Extra Large Weekender, which I grabbed at 50% off during a sale. It is my must-have handcarry luggage for every flight with Vee. Cloth diapers, wipes, several wet bags, packed meals and snacks, water bottles, toys and my MacBook laptop fit in, with room to spare. During the trip, it dual-functions as a huge diaper bag. When it’s stuffed till heavy, I hold it by the strap, never by the handles, to prevent tearing. Since it is made of cloth, washing it is a breeze.

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*: affiliate link to help support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

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Perfect solution for semi-cloth diapering during travel

I have finally found a way to diaper Vee partially in cloth while travelling overseas! Vee and I love his modern cloth diapers — he has been in cloth-diapers round-the-clock for so many months that I cannot remember when he used a disposable diaper. When we travel 300+km to visit his grandparents in Singapore, a vacuum bag of cloth diapers and inserts follows us.

The Problem

We plan to travel overseas this year; his sensitive skin means using normal disposable diapers full-time for several days is not a viable option. I am also paranoid about exposing him to bleach, chlorine, dioxin, etc. from common disposable diapers. Cloth diaper inserts need about one sunny day to dry, and there would be no space in hotel rooms to hang them. Using hotel laundry services would be expensive and I think only cloth-diapering mums know the proper way to laundry diapers.

The Solution

I google-ed around for a solution and voila… stumbled upon disposable inserts! Three common brands are:

1. gRefills (by gDiapers)
2. Gro Baby Bio Soakers
3. Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts

After comparing reviews, prices and availability, I bought a pack of 18 Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts from Whoopeekiddies to try. (Usual price: S$7.50; special offer: S$6 including postage) The delivery was very fast, and I love shopping from Whoopeekiddies.

Why I Bought Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts

They simply replace regular diaper inserts, are dye free, fragrance free, and are made of only non-woven bamboo viscose, filler, wood pulp, SAP, and starch-based glue. (I like that the SAP content is low.) The price of S$0.42 (during promotion: S$0.33) per insert is also reasaonable.

First Impressions

Each insert looks like… erm… a maxi pad. It is trim and long — covers the whole of Knickernappies 2G Large.

Simply lay insert on a cloth diaper

How We Tested Them

The inserts have been tried with:

• Drybees (Medium) — no adjustable rise, scrunched up a little, fine for 1.5 hrs when changed
• Moo Moo Kow — on lowest rise, usually maximum rise, fine for 3 hrs when changed
• Happy Heinys — on lowest rise, usually second rise, fine for 2 hrs when changed

Poo was well contained and could be easily rolled off the insert into the toilet before disposing the insert. (Yes, poop belongs to the sewage system instead of the dustbin.)

After the experiments, these steps work best:

1. lay a fresh insert ON a cloth diaper with adjustable rise (such as Moo Moo Kow or Happy Heinys)
2. adjust the rise setting to 1 to 2 snaps SHORTER than usual (ensure a snug fit)
3. if the insert is too long, fold it a bit at the front or back
4. put the diaper on baby and he is ready to go

With a smaller rise setting, the insert is kept in place and can perform its job well.

Over one entire day outdoor, Vee needed only 2 pocket diapers to rotate and reuse, and 4 disposable inserts. For Vee, each insert could last up to 3 to 4 hours, when he would be changed. It would take little time to hand-wash and dry two pocket diapers in the hotel each day.

With the hybrid system (cloth diaper and disposable insert), most of Vee’s bums and waist are covered by cloth. The inserts have been gentle on Vee’s sensitive skin, and I am very relieved.

Flip disposable inserts can be used together for higher absorbency, which is essential during nights. (We have yet to test them out for night-time. Vee is a persistent-night-nurser-cum-super-heavy-wetter, and I am not ready to sacrifice previous sleep yet!)

Overall, I am very satisfied with these inserts and would be stocking them for our trip. While placing an order, I was informed that these are out of stock at Whoopeekiddies. A new version of wider inserts would be shipped and I hope to lay my hands on them!

How do you diaper your little ones when travelling overseas? Any tips to share?

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What we like about them:

• Trim
• Long enough for Large diapers
• Made of materials gentle to baby’s skin — no bleach / dye / fragrance, and little SAP
• Absorbent
• Stay-dry surface
• Work with existing stash of one-size diapers
• No pungent smell with urine
• Can be combined for higher absorbency

What can be improved:

• Scrunched up a little in front (Tip: use with one-size diaper and smaller setting on rise)
• A little fibre stuck to genital
• For a greener effect, I would prefer fully biodegradable inserts
• Offer an option of larger packs (e.g. 30) for cost savings

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Update on 22 Dec 2010: A new and longer version of Flip disposable inserts is now available. We used it for one week in Perth and love it!

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Semi-Cloth Diapering During Travel (Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts). Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Review: GAD One-Size Hemp Inserts
2. Review: Wahmies One-Size Microfibre Inserts
3. Review: GAD One-Size Microfibre Terry Inserts

Before plopping Baby V into a highchair when we dine out of home, I would wipe (more like scrub) the seat thoroughly with a wet wipe. However, there are occasions when being armed with wet wipes is not enough:

• One Japanese restaurant had ONLY 2 highchairs when there are 3 children in our dining group
• One eatery had many highchairs, which were full of RUST (I didn’t even want to touch them!)
• One restaurant had highchairs without straps (Baby V was constantly turning his entire body around and I was paranoid that he’d fall out of it any moment.)

To prepare ourselves for the many dining out occasions ahead, we shopped around for a portable booster seat and decided on the Fisher-Price Healthy Care™ Deluxe Booster Seat (bought at Chubby Chubby, listed price RM199). It was easy to assemble out of the box and the simple rounded edges mean easy cleaning. I like that the tray comes with a cover to keep the surface clean, and it is adjustable to accommodate bigger tummies as the child grows. The height of the seat is adjustable as well.

We keep the portable seat in the car and have used it twice at neighbourhood eateries. One of the straps dual-functions as a shoulder strap to carry the seat around. It took only a short while to secure the seat onto an adult chair. Once Baby V is in the booster seat and secured with a three-point harness, I can enjoy my meal in peace knowing that he is in a safe and clean chair.

An improvement that the seat needs is the way the tray is clipped onto it when it is to be carried via the shoulder strap. The tray clips on rather loosely and may fall out easily. Otherwise, we are rather satisfied users of this booster seat.

Update on 11 Jan 2011: We love the booster seat so much that we just bought another one! One for the dining room and one in the car boot, so that we won’t forget to bring it along.

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Pros:

• Adjustable options allow the chair to ‘grow’ with the child
• Easy to use outdoors
• Easy to clean
• Shoulder strap makes it convenient to carry about

Cons:

• When carrying the seat, be careful as the tray may fall out (Tip: Fasten strap over tray to keep it in place)

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Get Your Own

Fisher-Price Healthy Care™ Deluxe Booster Seats are available in most major department and baby stores. We bought ours in Chubby Chubby (KL) and Isetan (KLCC).

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat*

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*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™
—

Read more on Feeding Solids.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Fisher-Price Healthy Care™ Deluxe Booster Seat. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Review: Bumbo Baby Seat with Play Tray
2. Review: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker
3. Review: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

What can be improved:

• I wish the price were low enough to get two so that it can be washed more regularly

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Get Your Own

In Singapore, Beco carriers are available in at Cozy Babies (distributor) and Baby Slings and Carriers (retailer). Both stores deliver to Malaysia too.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Beco Butterfly II Baby Carrier*

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*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Beco Baby Carrier (Butterfly 2 DUO). Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Special Treat: Baby Slings & Carriers Discount
2. Review: Pupsik Studio Baby Pouch Carrier [Giveaway #10]
3. Review: Moms in Mind Sarong Sling (Baby Carrier)

Since Baby V started teething more than three months ago, he has been drooling heavily and we were always running out of bibs. A common problem with his bibs is that they cannot absorb much liquid, unlike face cloths or cloth wipes.

By chance, I was offered Snapt Bib Clips by Babe Hause at a good discount (listed price: S$15) and I bought 1 set to try. My husband and I love the clips! They cleverly turn any piece of cloth on hand into a bib, so we no longer run out of bibs. I also like the adjustable strap that allows the clips to ‘grow’ with Baby V, which helps to save money on buying larger bibs in future.

As Baby started on semi-solids recently, the bib clips become useful during meal-times as well. On our recent trip to Singapore, we also need not worry about not washing bibs quickly enough.

Pros:

• No more running out of bibs
• Saves money on buying larger bibs in future
• Great for travels

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Update after 1-2 months of use:

Vee (or Baby V) started pulling out the cloths from the bib clips to play with the bib clips. Hmmph! We have to stop using the bib clips, perhaps until he is not interested in playing with them anymore.
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Get Your Own

I bought Snapt Bib Clips from BabeHause.com during a clearance sale.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Snapt Bib Clips*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Snapt Bib Clips. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

No related posts.