Mummy's Reviews » Baby’s Favourites

[Mummy & Baby] Year 2011 TOP 10 Favourite Items

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:00:27 +0000

Finally, it’s the last Friday of Year 2011! While my 2 boys are soundly asleep, here’s a quick post on Mummy’s Reviews™ TOP 10 Favourites of the year:

For Pregnant Mummies

Belly Armor The Belly Band: To protect foetus from radiation, especially for the techie Mum

For Mummies

Advante Blackhole Mosquito Trap: Must-have if your home is infested with mosquitoes!
LadyCup Menstrual Cup: If you’d like to ditch pads for good
The Butterfly Pillow: Beautiful multi-purpose pillow. Babies and pregnant Mummies can use it too.
weehuggers Wet Bag – Hobo Bag: As a small and stylish diaper bag

For Babies & Toddlers

Four Cow Farm Baby Wash: Great for those with eczema and sensitive skin
KidzGrow Online: Innovative child development tracking programme
Lego Duplo: We love playing with these!
Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs: Finally found my dream bibs
Love to Swaddle UP: Unique easy-to-use swaddle that helps baby sleep well

Hope you’d find the list helpful in your shopping.
May you and your family enjoy good health and happiness in Year 2012!

Cheers,
MieVee

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To view all our favourites since Year 2009, click below:

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P.S. What are your favourite buys this year? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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[Baby] Swaddle baby easily with Love to Swaddle UP

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:00:07 +0000

Today, I’m reviewing Love to Swaddle UP, provided by SMT Distributors (based in Singapore). It’s a very innovative swaddle that we love and are excited to share with you.

My older boy, Vee, was a very fussy sleeper who had to be swaddled until 6.5 months old! So I was thrilled to review this swaddle on baby Jae, hoping that he’d sleep much better than his brother.

About Love to Swaddle UP Lite

These are the main features of the swaddle:

Fabric: 97% cotton, 3% elastane
Closure: Twin zipper
Country of origin: Made in China (Designed in Australia)

The Lite version is made of material 30% lighter than the Original version. I chose this because of our hot weather all year round. It comes in 3 sizes.

First Impressions

The fabric is very thin and smooth, absolutely suitable for delicate baby skin.

I like the twin zipper design, which makes wearing and diaper changes very easy. The zip is also neatly covered up, so it doesn’t rub against baby.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Laundry: ★★★★ Jae has been using the swaddle every night since 2 weeks old. It can’t be tumble-dried, so I handwash it (in a mad rush) every morning. By evening, it’s usually dry for reusing.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★★ It’s probably the easiest swaddle around. Simply lay baby on it, slip his hands into the corners of the wings, and zip up. Super duper easy. And best of all, baby can’t undo it!

(c) Fit: ★★★★ Size Small is recommended for 3 to 6kg. It has fit well since Jae was 3+ kg. He loves to put his hands to his face, so this swaddle’s design is perfect for him.

When Jae was about 4kg, the swaddle started to fit snugly. He’s now about 4,5kg. Hope it’d really last him till 6kg.

(d) Performance: ★★★★★ At first, Jae would wake up for milk after about 2 hours. The first night he tried the swaddle (at 2 weeks old), we’d to wake him up for feed at 1a.m. and 4a.m.! This miracle didn’t last though. (I wished it did!) Generally, he sleeps very well in this swaddle because it keeps his arms from “flying around” too much.

During breastfeeding, he prefers to cover his face with his hands, so he can feed in a natural position in the swaddle.

It also keeps his hands from scratching me. There’s no need for mittens that tend to drop off easily from his tiny hands.

Diaper changes are easy. Just pull the lower zip upwards. There’s no need to remove the swaddle even when washing baby’s bums.

After 1 month old, Jae started regurgitating milk often, so I bought another swaddle to rotate.

(e) Quality: ★★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. After daily washings for 1+ month, the swaddle still looks and performs as good as new.

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Love to Swaddle UP Lite retails at SGD55.90. The Original version is at SGD49.90. It seems pricey for something that’s used for a few months. Yet I’m all in for investing in baby stuff that facilitates a good night’s sleep, so this is still a good buy. (If you’ve read ALL my reviews on baby sleep products, you’d certainly understand where I’m coming from. Ha!)

A great choice for easy swaddling and for babies who love sleeping with hands up.

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What we like about it:

Allows baby to be swaddled with arms up in a natural position
Baby stays swaddled all night long
Twin zipper design for easy wearing and diaper changes
(Lite version) Very light single-layer fabric — prevents overheating in hot weather
Facilitates breastfeeding even when swaddled up

What can be improved:

We’re very happy with the swaddle!

2 swaddles are usually needed for rotation, so do offer package deals

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Love to Swaddle UP, visit SMT Distributors (Singapore).

Special Treat: 15% discount
Discount Code: MUM-IVJ9L-99195
Validity Period: Until 31 Mar 2012

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Sharing time: Does your baby love or hate to be swaddled? Feel free to share your experiences and reviews in the comments box.

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Disclosure: I received a Love to Swaddle UP Lite from SMT Distributors for review, and bought another one.

Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give ratings according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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Review: Four Cow Farm Baby Wash & Calendula Remedy [Giveaway #20]

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:00:46 +0000

As you may already know, Vee and I have eczema, so I’m always looking out for high quality natural / organic skincare products that would soothe our sensitive skin. And I’m thankful to review the luxurious Baby Wash and Calendula Remedy provided by Four Cow Farm.

About Four Cow Farm

At Four Cow Farm, a Mother, Grandmother and former Midwife began making creams and balms which were as good and natural as possible for her two little grandchildren. The family decided it was time that other parents had access to baby creams and balms made from only pure, genuine, natural, naturally derived and organic ingredients and nothing else. No artificial additives or chemical hazards whatsoever.

The natural and organic baby skincare line is made out of their farm in Australia.

Our Detailed Review

(a) Four Cow Farm Baby Wash

About the Baby Wash:

Purpose: For babies as an all-over body wash that’s richly soothing and moisturising. Suitable for irritated skin, dry hair or scalp or those sensitive to chemicals. May be used on skin affected by hives or eczema.
Ingredients: Purified water, saponified 100% olea europaea (olive) oil, certified organic echinacea augustifolia extract, citric acid (from citrus fruit).

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: ★★★★★ This largest size (485ml) comes in a squirt bottle, which is very convenient during bath time. One squirt is enough to clean my entire body. (Vee loves squirting the bottle so much that I’ve to stop him from wasting the precious baby wash!)

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ I like that there are minimal ingredients in the baby wash — important for delicate baby skin and in ruling out skin allergies. Hubby and I are impressed by the super moisturising effect from the saponified 100% olive oil. The whole family has been using it as a body wash, and we feel absolutely pampered by it. Hard to swop back to our previous wash (a pure castile soap).

We also use it to wash Vee’s hair, which leaves it very moisturised. I’d definitely use it on baby #2 as well.

(c) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each 485ml bottle of Baby Wash retails at SGD32.90. As a comparison, it’s about the same price as Vee’s previous organic baby wash and double the price of our pure castile soap. Since it’s a lot more moisturising than what we’ve been using, the price is well justified.

A fabulous head-to-toe wash for babies and those with dry or sensitive skin.

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What we like about it:

Very moisturising
Minimal ingredients, with only the bare essentials (less is more!)
Can be used from head to toe

What can be improved:

Offer the baby wash in large 1-litre bottles for bulk purchase savings

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(b) Four Cow Farm Calendula Remedy

About the Calendula Remedy:

Purpose: For calming inflamed or irritated skin. Can be used on skin affected by eczema, hives, bites or contact dermatitis or for soothing minor cuts and scrapes.
Ingredients: Certified organic calendula officinalis (calendula) in olea europaea (olive) oil, beeswax, cetearyl alcohol (veg. fatty alcohol), d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E non-GMO), certified organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, certified organic chamaemelum anthemis nobile (roman chamomile) essential oil, parfum (natural preservative).
Note: As the Calendula Remedy is over 80% organic calendula-infused olive oil, it will turn a little liquid when it’s hot. To add to its itch-soothing abilities, you can keep it in the fridge.

Did it say “parfum”? Where there is a reference to ‘parfum’ in our ingredients lists, that actually refers to a 100% natural essential oils-based preservative (one of the most expensive in the market!) which we use for its naturalness, safety and efficacy. (Source: Four Cow Farm – Our Ingredients)

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: ★★★★★ The round jar is quite standard and suitable for such balms. I always wash my hands clean before scooping a little out. Or use a small spatula.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ I was hit by a persistently dry and ITCHY eczema patch on my shin recently, so it was a great time to test out the Calendula Remedy. Every evening, I’d rub some of the balm onto the dry patch and the itch does go away with the rich moisturising effect. If the itch is really bad, I’d apply some in the morning as well.

After 2 months of using the balm, I’m glad it keeps the itch under control without me relying on steroidal creams, especially during pregnancy.

Vee saw me use the new balm and he wanted to try too. I applied a little on an eczema patch behind his neck. No adverse reaction, good. Since he doesn’t have dry, itchy skin, I didn’t let him continue using it.

(c) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each 100gm jar of Calendula Remedy retails at SGD28.90. In Singapore, it’s about 10-20% cheaper than a popular brand of calendula cream we’ve tried (but which contains methyparaben).

Great for soothing dry and itchy eczema-prone skin.

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What we like about it:

Very moisturising, suitable for soothing dry and itchy skin

What can be improved:

Beeswax is added to make it a balm and to add to its emollient properties. If possible, use a non-animal related substitute?

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Win Your Own

To thank supporters of Mummy’s Reviews™ Parents Club, this Giveaway is EXCLUSIVE to Parents Club members. TEN (10) lucky members (5 from Singapore and 5 from Malaysia) will win one Four Cow Farm Baby Kit worth SGD49.90 each!

(Note: Of the 4 items in the Baby Kit, we’ve only tried the Baby Wash.)

How to Participate

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

2. Fill in the online form HERE

Other Information

This Giveaway is open to subscribers with a mailing address in Singapore or Malaysia.
It will run until 28 October 2011 (Friday) 2359hr (GMT +8).
The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Submit your entry now and good luck!
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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Four Cow Farm natural baby products, visit Four Cow Farm.

If you’re from Singapore:

Special Treat: 10% discount AND free delivery for purchase over SGD35
Discount Code: MUMMYSFARM
Validity Period: Until 17 November 2011
How to Order: Visit Four Cow Farm Singapore Online Store (indicate discount code upon check-out)

If you’re from Malaysia:

Special Treat: 10% discount AND free delivery (within KL and PJ) for purchase over RM80
Discount Code: MUMMYSFARM
Validity Period: Until 17 November 2011
How to Order: Visit Four Cow Farm Promotions and email waiquan@goodnessme.biz (indicate discount code in email subject)

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P.S. Read more on 29 Tips to Fight Baby’s Eczema here.

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Disclosure: I received these items from Four Cow Farm for review — Baby Wash (485ml) and Calendula Remedy (100gm).

© 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: Four Cow Farm Baby Wash & Calendula Remedy [Giveaway #20]. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

[Stylish Baby's Essentials] Cute bibs inspired by cloth diapers

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:00:06 +0000

Finally, I’ve found the perfect bib to contain Vee’s self-feeding mess. These are Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs, lovingly handmade by an Australian mum, Rachel.

Since Vee started eating solids at 6+ months old, I’ve made wearing a bib a MUST. We encourage him to self-feed, so at least the bib helps to minimise badly-stained clothes, shirt drenched in soup, and pieces of food dropped everywhere. Less frustration at the dining table makes me a happier Mum.

We’ve tried a rubbery bib with scoop and several other plastic bibs.

Problem #1: The inside of the scoop turns mouldy after a few weeks because the bibs are neither machine washable nor sunned regularly.
Problem #2: If the plastic bib comes with velcro fastening, Vee would rip them apart once he’s done eating, tearing the seams easily.

I’d enough of the conventional bibs and started searching for the perfect bib, if there’s such a thing. Since we use cloth diapers full-time, I suddenly thought it’d be wonderful if some Mummy made a bib with beautiful fabrics, water-resistant fleece backing and snaps.

So imagine my excitement when I found Loopy Loo’s through Google! (I bought 5 bibs and was given 1 to facilitate the publishing of this review.)

About Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs

These are the main features of the bib:

Front: Printed cotton
Back: Fleece
Closures: 2 snaps behind neck, 2 snaps at lower part of bib to form a scoop
Country of origin: Handmade by a mum, Rachel, in Australia

Interesting, Rachel was a full-time cloth diaper user with her last baby. That’s what inspired her to use printed cotton and stay-dry fleece on the bibs!

First Impressions

I was very excited when the mail arrived because I’ve chosen prints from Vee’s favourite books such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Cat in the Hat. The bibs look as good as they do online.

Here are all the 6 lovely designs:

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Laundry: ★★★★ The bibs are easily washable by hand or machine. If Vee is eating something that would stain easily (e.g. pasta with tomato sauce), I grab a dark-coloured print. (The black doughnut print is virtually stain-proof!) If a light-coloured bib is stained, I’d rinse it after the meal, hang dry, then machine wash it the next morning.

Tip: There was a period when I did laundry every 2 days and sometimes left damp bibs in a wet bag. This led to mildew problem. To keep the bibs in tip-top condition, it’s best to air-dry them after every meal and wash by the next day.

(c) Ease of Use & Fit: ★★★★★ It’s easy to put the bib on — just snap the front buttons to form a scoop and snap the back buttons behind child’s neck. I love the snap button behind the neck, which means Vee can’t pull off the bib anymore.

Also, the soft fleece is very comfortable around Vee’s neck and doesn’t irritate his eczema spots like plastic does.

Once, I was eating cherries and didn’t want to stain my shirt. I actually managed to snap the the bib around my neck. Vee got hilarious looking at me. Haha!

(d) Performance: ★★★★ Vee eats 5 times a day, so he uses about 1 to 3 bibs daily, depending on how messy he gets.

The bib provides a wide coverage and the scoop manages to catch most messes. The fleece is indeed water-resistant and keeps Vee dry even when he’s dripping soup or milk.

The front snap buttons allow me to “open” up the bib to knock off solid food. For stickier mess, it’s quite easy to pick them up by hand or rub them off using a cloth wipe. No more food trapped in corners of a bib scoop.

The downside is Vee has learnt to unsnap the front buttons when he’s bored after a meal! So I’ve to remove the bib quickly before he does that.

(e) Quality: ★★★★★ The sewing and workmanship is excellent. We’ve used the bibs for more than 4 months and they still hold up well. Of course, the beautiful bibs attract quite a bit of attention from other mums!

(f) Overall Value: ★★★★ Each Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bib retails at AUD13. So far, these are the only such bibs I found. They’re made of good-quality cloth and reusable over many uses, so I concluded having a stash is worth the investment, just like cloth diapers.

We’re still loving the Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop bibs every day — our must-have during each meal for a sane Mum.

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What we like about it:

Snap closure behind child’s neck, which he can’t remove
Wide range of attractive printed fabrics
Machine washable for easy cleaning
Comfortable fleece against child’s body, instead of plastic

What can be improved:

Make it a little longer for an older and taller toddler

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs, visit Loopy Loo’s.

Special Treat: 20% discount on any order
Discount Code: LOOPY20
Validity Period: Until 25 December 2011

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P.S. Read more on baby feeding items here.

Sharing time: Does your baby have a bib or feeding item that you rave about? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Disclosure: I received 1 Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bib for review and paid for the other 5 bibs. Postage was waived.

© 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: [Stylish Baby's Essentials] Cute bibs inspired by cloth diapers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

[Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:00:14 +0000

LEGO and Mega Bloks are the two best-selling plastic interlocking blocks for children nowadays. When I was 5 years old, an aunt gave me my first small box of LEGO, which quickly became my favourite toy.

After LEGO’s monopoly in the market for so long, Mega Bloks arrived as a formidable competitor. So which should you buy for your precious toddler — LEGO DUPLO or Mega Bloks? Today’s article shall compare the two to see how they have met up to toddler Vee’s and my challenges.

Why Play with Blocks?

In my opinion, simple building blocks are among the best toys for a child because they:

encourage creative play — her imagination can run wild building things she thinks of, do role play, etc.
help her learn about colours, shapes, sizes, dimensions, balance and more
develop fine motor skills (especially pincer grasp) and strengthen the hand muscles when she fixes and takes the blocks apart — pre-requisite to learning how to write, and with neat handwriting
develop social skills — pour out a bucket of blocks for a group of children and they’d need to learn to share the pieces, while interacting with one another’s building project

That’s why when young children drop by our place, I’d definitely bring out lots of blocks. They’d usually get super-excited and start entertaining themselves.

About LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks

Currently, Vee has 4 sets of LEGO DUPLO, 1 set of Mega Bloks maxi and 1 set of Mega Bloks mini:

LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176
LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538
LEGO DUPLO Legoville Deluxe Train Set 5609
LEGO DUPLO Legoville Garbage Truck 5637
Mega Bloks Classic Bag (maxi) 80 pieces 8468
Mega Bloks (mini) Thomas at the Sodor Fair 10516

In case you think we’re that crazy over blocks, half of the above are gifts for the boy.

This is a quick comparison of the general features:

	Mega Bloks maxi	Mega Bloks mini	LEGO DUPLO
Material	Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source)	Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source)	Primarily ABS plastic Started phasing out PVC since 1986 (Source) PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free, Lead-Free and Fire Retardant-Free (Source)
Starting age	From 1 year old	From 3 years old	From 1.5 or 2 years old
Variety	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets	Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets
Price of basic blocks	~USD20 for 80 pieces	~USD10 for 80 pieces	~USD20 for 80 pieces
Country of origin	Made in Montreal (Canada) and China	Made in Montreal (Canada) and China	Made in Denmark, Hungary, China and The Czech Republic

Notes:

LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks mini are of similar sizes and are compatible with each other.
The regular LEGO bricks and Mega Bloks micro are smaller and also compatible with each other, meant for older children above 4 years old. Both are not compared in this review.

Our Detailed Comparative Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: This compares the packaging for basic bricks only.

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi comes in a large zippered plastic bag. Though the bag is reusable, it needs adult help until the toddler can open and close the zip around the bag with ease.

Mega Bloks mini comes in a large zippered plastic bag or plastic bucket. We haven’t tried both because the box we have is a Thomas Train set, packaged in a cardboard box. Toddlers tend to rip such boxes apart easily, so I prefer more resilient packaging.

LEGO DUPLO comes in cardboard boxes or plastic buckets. I like the bucket, which is lasting and keeps the blocks well-organised. The 4 round knobs on the cover allow Vee to easily open and close it.

Overall, my favourite is LEGO DUPLO’s plastic bucket with handle.

(b) Size:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi pieces are HUGE. These are good for Vee from 1 to 2 years old when he was just learning to fit pieces together and fingers aren’t that strong.

From about 2 years old, he started playing with Mega Bloks mini and LEGO DUPLO, which are of similar sizes, and require stronger fingers.

Mega Bloks mini may contain small parts not meant for young toddlers still mouthing things, so are more suitable for 3 years old. Actually, I think they should remove these parts and make the mini suitable for 2 years old.

Though the LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538 states 2+ years old, it contains 4 small flowers, which are definitely not meant for toddlers mouthing things. You may want to keep these flowers away.

LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176 doesn’t contain the small flowers, so the labelled 1.5 years old is age-appropriate.

Here’s how the sizes compare:

(c) Fit:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi fit rather loosely together. This means a 1-year old can easily put the pieces together. But some pieces fit very loosely, so the structure would come apart when holding it, which would frustrate an older toddler. Perhaps that’s why Vee doesn’t play with the maxi blocks anymore after he started with the tighter-fitting DUPLOs and minis.

Mega Bloks mini fit tighter but don’t click together as perfectly as LEGO DUPLO. 1 small piece at the ferris wheel carriage keeps dropping off, which irritates me.

LEGO DUPLO has an almost-perfect fit. Vee’s structures hold up well, while he can take them apart rather easily too. The secret ingredient to this:

In the manufacture of LEGO bricks the machine tolerance is as small as 10 my (0.01 mm). — LEGO Group, 2010 (Source)

(d) Compatibility:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi is compatible with Mega Bloks mini and DUPLO. Just make sure it’s right on top.

Mega Bloks mini is compatible with the even smaller Mega Bloks micro. It’s also compatible with LEGO DUPLO and the regular LEGO pieces.

Essentially, this means an older child can play with a mixed buffet of Mega Bloks (maxi, mini and micro) and LEGO (DUPLO and regular). Though he might ignore the maxi ones like Vee because they do seem quite babyish.

Below shows Mega Bloks mini fitting well with LEGO DUPLO:

(e) Quality:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

I like the bright basic colours of the Mega Bloks maxi in the Classic Bag. They allow 1-year old Vee to differentiate and sort the colours easily. The quality of the blocks is also good.

Mega Bloks mini has fainter colours — not to my liking. The plastic feels more light-weight than LEGO DUPLO, and the Thomas Train set we have is certainly not as well-made.

LEGO DUPLO has bright solid colours; the pieces feel very sturdy with a highly-consistent quality. As a reference, my LEGO blocks are still in superb condition after 20+ years. They’ve been washed and Vee plays with them at granny’s place!

And I was the one who fell in love with the Deluxe Train Set 5609. Super thrilled when we finally bought it with a stack of credit card shopping vouchers that halved the price. The eye to detail in its engineering still wows me when Vee and I play with it.

(f) Overall Value:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

This is a close fight.

Mega Bloks maxi has no competitor right now since LEGO has discontinued its QUATRO range in 2006. (FYI: The 75-piece LEGO QUATRO Bucket* has gained collector’s status, selling at a whooping USD499.90!) For a 1+ year old, maxi is a good choice.

Mega Bloks mini is less perfect than LEGO DUPLO. The lower price (almost 50%!) justifies the difference. If on a budget, this is suitable, but more for 3 years old because of potential loose pieces.

LEGO DUPLO is of top-notch quality, available at higher prices. If you want the quality at a budget, then go for the basic blocks in cardboard packaging. These are good from about 1.5 years old.

Overall, this are my preferred choices:

1 year old: Mega Bloks maxi
1.5 to 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO
3 years old: LEGO DUPLO then Mega Bloks mini

As a cost-conscious Mummy, I’d give cartoon character sets a miss (be it LEGO or Mega Bloks) because they cost significantly more with no added educational value.

Personally, I’m wary of buying very low-priced blocks from unknown manufacturers. I’ve seen wheels fall off from similar blocks of poorer quality, which could pose a choking risk. Also, these could contain harmful chemicals such as PVC and lead. Stay safe!

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Summary of Review:

	Mega Bloks maxi	Mega Bloks mini	LEGO DUPLO
What we like about it	Only oversized blocks for 1 year olds in today’s market Easy for young toddlers to handle	More affordable than LEGO DUPLO if you want a large number of basic blocks	Very good quality, likely to last till your grandchildren are born
What can be improved	Include more larger pieces in pack, reduce number of smallest piece	Better quality, especially no loose-fitting pieces. This would make it suitable for 2-year olds.	Remove small flowers that are a choking hazard for 2-year olds

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Toddler Activities

Download LEGO Duplo colouring and activity sheets here
Download Mega Bloks colouring pages here

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Get Your Own

LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks are available in major departmental and toy stores.

You may also check the prices at Amazon here (below are affiliate links*):

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P.S. Coming up next: More reviews on Vee’s blocks and building toys

Sharing time: What are your favourite blocks? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Disclosure: Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give marks according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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Special Announcement: Singapore’s Takashimaya Baby Fair has started again from 27 Jul 2011! For details, read this updated baby fairs list (item number 6). Happy shopping!

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Review: Track kid’s development with KidzGrow Online

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:00:23 +0000

I’m excited to share this review on KidzGrow Online with you! Like many parents, since Vee was born, I’ve been tracking his developmental milestones. It isn’t about reaching his milestones earlier than anyone else. Instead, it’s about helping him reach the best of his potential while being amazed at how fast a baby grows.

Now, I’m using KidzGrow Online to achieve this easily at home. No need to read thick parenting books, scour the Internet for information and getting overloaded, or engage a home-visit nurse. What’s more, I’ve got a GREAT deal to give this to you free of charge! Read on…

About KidzGrow Online

This site offers a comprehensive child development tracking programme designed by a team in Singapore. It aims to empower and equip parents in their personal involvement of their children’s development from 3 months to 6 years old.

For a one-time fee, parents can access all 6 years of professional advice, suggestions and recommendations covering Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Cognition, Speech & Language and Social Skills development.

It’s supported by a group of therapists and professionals in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, psychology, education and teaching, I.T. and Management. The programme has undergone a trial involving more than 800 parents, and has shown positive results mentioned here.

First Impressions

Until Vee was about 20 months old, I engaged a professional home-visit nurse to check his development every month. This service was very useful in the early months when I was grasping the ropes of motherhood. However, it reached a point where Vee has progressed very well and the nurse is unable to give us much value-added information anymore. That’s when I decided to stop the RM100 monthly visits.

Shortly after, KidzGrow Online approached me for a review and I found it an interesting way to keep up with Vee’s development. After some Googling, I realised that 60% of the project’s funds were contributed by The Enterprise Challenge (Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore). Read details here.

Registration: There were some initial hiccups while registering for the service. Perhaps because I was using an Apple MacBook, I received an error message when keying in Vee’s birth date. After I tried using a Windows PC, there was no confirmation page and email after clicking “Check Out”. The project manager promptly asked the developer to send me a confirmation manually.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Design: ★★★★ There’re slight design issues such as the ones I faced during registration. After successful registration, I could log in using an Apple MacBook, but the logout button doesn’t work, so I’d to simply close the window.

Upon logging in, I was impressed by the colourful animation, clear instructions, and simple layout. The animation is very kids-friendly and attracted Vee’s attention every time he sees me checking the programme for updates.

Only once, a task couldn’t load, so I’d to exit the window then it worked when I logged in again.

(b) Ease of Use: ★★★★ The programme is easy to navigate, from 3 months to 6 years old. It clearly shows Vee’s exact age and suggests the months that I should be reviewing. Updating particulars and password is a breeze.

Initially, I kept forgetting to log in to use the software. Then I set my electronic calendar to remind me to log in every 2 weeks.

(c) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ At every 2-week age group, there are several ideas on age-appropriate activities. This is very useful for any parent — either homeschooling or simply finding meaningful activities to do with your child after work. For each task, there’re detailed steps, things you need, animation, choice of appropriate response, therapist’s comments and suggested activities.

Besides Shichida classes 1 hour a week, Vee is homeschooled. The various areas on motor, cognitive, speech and language, and social skills give me ideas on new activities to try out with him. As an example, it took much practice before he could thread a lace through 3 consecutive beads.

Sometimes, it’s easy to get used to mothering a child and some gentle reminders are useful for helping him instil independence. For instance, the programme prompted me when was a good age to let Vee start putting on his shoes and pulling down his pants.

Because I can view activities for all age groups, in areas where Vee is more advanced, I can move on to the activities for higher age group. Where Vee is behind, we can simply keep reviewing and practising the activities.

I like that the indication of a “normal window” for a child to achieve the task. This way, I’d know if Vee needs any special intervention by a therapist.

Here’s the module introduction for a 28 months old:

And a summary of tasks for a 29 months old:

(g) Overall Value: ★★★★★ The fee of the programme depends on the subscription length — from as low as USD72 for 72 months (average USD1/month) to USD22.50 for 6 months (USD3.75/month) for the first child. Subsequent children can be enrolled at a discounted fee. Considering I’m getting so much ongoing information from KidzGrow Online and was paying RM100 per month for nurse visits, this is superb value for money!

With a big range of suggested activities, easy navigation and an attractive fee, I’d highly recommend using KidzGrow Online through a child’s first 6 years.

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What we like about it:

Big collection of age-appropriate activities, with therapist’s detailed comments
Easy to navigate
Excellent value for money

What can be improved:

Slight design hiccups — ensure the programme functions well with Apple computers

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Get Your Own (FREE for Parents Club members!)

To get your own account to track your kid’s development, visit KidzGrow Online.

EXCLUSIVE privilege if you’re a Parents Club member:

You’d receive an email on 21 June 2011 (Tuesday) 0700hr (KL/Singapore time) giving you an exclusive discount code. The code would be valid until 30 June 2011. You may choose to get a free 6-month membership worth USD22.50 or 35% discount off USD72 (worth USD25.20) for a 72-month membership.

If you’re receiving this article with a Parents Club logo right on top, then you’re already in the club and simply need to wait for your special email.
If you’re reading this article with no Parents Club logo on top, then join in the club now before the email is sent out. Submit the simple form below or visit here.

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Disclosures: I received a 72-month KidzGrow Online membership for review. I found it of great potential to help parents, so also provided marketing consulting service to KidzGrow Online.

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Year 2010 TOP 10 Favourite Items

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:00:04 +0000

Whoo… After a long marathon, we’ve reached the final week of Year 2010! Here’s a round-up of Mummy’s Reviews™ TOP 10 Favourites of the year:

For Pregnant Mummies

For Mummies

For Babies

Hope you’d find the list helpful in your parenting journey.
May you and your loved ones have a fantastic year ahead!

Cheers,
MieVee

P.S. What are your favourite buys this year? Feel free to share in the comment box.

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Review: I can’t survive a day without this VeeBee Play Yard!

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:13:35 +0000

Baby-safe play zone in the room

Ok, the title is exaggerated. I can survive a weekend without this play yard, since hubby helps out. We have been using the Vee Bee Play Yard for 8 months and thought it is a good time to share this review with you.

Why Do We Need a Play Yard?

When Vee was younger, he loved playing at his Tiny Love Gymini. At 7 months old, Vee started crawling forward rapidly. One month later, he was pulling himself up to stand.

He refused to be confined in the small baby cot or play pen. When I needed to do something without babywearing him, he screamed in the cot / play pen. Letting him roam dangerously around wasn’t an option either.
He repeatedly did these: pulled himself to stand in the cot, let go of his hands and fell against the wooden rails. I was paranoid that he would get concussion soon!
I like to give him some independent play time daily and needed a baby-safe zone for his free play sessions.

How Did We End Up with this Vee Bee Play Yard?

As usual, I shopped around and narrowed my options to the Haenim Play Yard and Vee Bee Play Yard. Key differences:

Haenim 6-Panel Play Yard: about S$174 (USD126), made of PVC
Vee Bee 6 Sided Play Yard: about RM999 (USD312), made of steel and fabric

I nearly bought the Haenim until I read that it is made of PVC (see note at the bottom). After viewing the Vee Bee Play Yard twice, we decided to invest in one.

About the Vee Bee 6 Sided Play Yard

These are the main features of the play yard:

Dimensions: 180cm hexagon
Country of origin: Made in Taiwan (by Valiant Enterprises Pty Lyd, an Australian company)

So far, we have only seen it sold at First Few Years (Paragon, Singapore or The Curve, KL, Malaysia).

First Impressions

My husband was responsible for setting up the play yard and it was up in a short while. I was sooooo excited to see it in the room as it spelt F-R-E-E-D-O-M for me… finally! It is huge and can comfortably fit all three of us in.

Although the play mat is thick, it cannot cushion a fall on the head well enough. Therefore, we place foam play mats below it.

Our Experience Using It

Best Time: The best time to place Vee in it is when he is freshly awake in the morning or from his nap. The boy would be happy to play with his toys inside while I rush to clean up, sort out the laundry and do stuff at lightning speed. He could be so engrossed with his toys until I need to coax him for his bath!

Safety: When Vee was learning to stand / walk and falling a lot, I threw 3 pillows into the play yard to cushion his falls. Sometimes, he would fall and hit the steel rods at the base but nothing serious.

Cleaning: Every 2 weeks, our domestic helper washes the play mat. It usually dries over the weekend. Vee loves to suck the horizontal rails (gross!) and I figured the only way to sanitise it is by using an electric steamer. Erm… I am guilty of not doing this. Good for building Vee’s immunity?

Irritating Velcro tabs: Inside the play yard, the fabrics are attached with strips of Velcro tabs, which Vee would curiously undo all the time, which irritates me to the core! Outside the play yard, the play mat is attached to the steel rods via 6 strips of fabric with Velcro tabs (AGAIN!!!). Vee would happily go round the play yard, pull off the 6 strips of connectors and leave them all over the place, like a treasure hunt trail for me. If cloth diaper makers can use snap buttons, why can’t Vee Bee?!?

Alternative Uses:

Child Outside, Toys Inside: When Vee is roaming freely outside the play yard, I keep some toys away from him in the play yard to prevent a mega mess in the room.
Everyone Inside: When I am exhausted, such as during the recent fever episode, I rested in the play yard while he played around me. Full confidence that he would be safe even if I fell asleep.

Some Mums have a tough time getting baby to play independently in a play yard, here are some tips I have learnt over time:

Tip #1: From the time baby is a newborn, allow her to have some independent play time daily (about 15-30 min). This gets her used to playing by herself occasionally.

Tip #2: Fill a new play yard with baby’s favourite toys to give her a sense of belonging.

Tip #3: Accompany baby into the play yard, get her interested in a toy. Excuse yourself by telling baby you need to do a small task such as switch on the fan or close the door. If baby is fine playing on her own, then let her do so for a short while.

Tip #4: Use the play yard for mainly for independent play. If you are in it with baby too often, baby may associate it with Mummy-time and may need you to be in it with her.

Tip #5: Do not leave baby crying badly in the play yard or use it as a “Naughty Corner”. If baby associates the place with negative experiences or emotions, she may dislike being in it.

Overall, we find the Vee Bee Play Yard a worthwhile purchase, which allows me to do chores with ease for short periods every day.

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What we like about it:

Extra large size gives baby ample room to play without feeling too confined
Easy to set up
Only fabric is in contact with baby
Play mat is easily washable
Bright and cheerful colours (play mat) keep baby interested
Light-weight frame — easy to shift play yard when cleaning the room

What can be improved:

Use snaps instead of Velcro tabs (hook & loop closures)

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Read why PVC is known as “The Poison Plastic” here

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Question: Where do you leave baby when you need to do chores?

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Review: Lamaze Jacques The Peacock

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:20:10 +0000

Great for entertaining newborns outdoors

Before Vee was born, I started researching on best value toys by reading reviews written by other parents. One of the top picks for newborns was Jacques the Peacock (RRP: USD13.99) by Lamaze. You should have seen me searching for Jacques at the stores. When I zoomed to the rack of Lamaze toys, there were Eddie the Elephant, Marina the Mermaid and Morgan the Monkey, but where was Jacques?!? He is THAT popular.

Description

The bright colours on Jacques are visually stimulating, just take a look at it again. Vee is especially attracted to the back, which has patterns made of red, black and white. He loves the crinkly plasticky sounds when the left wings are rubbed. The tiny mirror gets his attention too. The button on the right wing sounds like a horn when pressed and Vee likes to hear that. This is an all-in-one soft toy suitable for outdoor trips.

We love the visually stimulating colours at the back.

How We Played With It

For many months, Jacques lived in the car, so that it could entertain young Vee during our rides. When he got fussy, I would start trying every part of the toy to distract him. Usually, the horn won hands down. Jacques was also hooked to his car sear travel system / stroller, to entertain him while we shopped.

Toddler Vee has finally outgrown the soft toy. I took it out again just now; he held it for a second, then flung it away. Duh… poor Jacque!

One complaint is that it can only be surface cleaned (which means no washing). This is challenging when babies like Vee chew / bite / suck ALL his toys. Therefore, I wipe it with a clean damp cloth and use a steam cleaner on it occasionally. It looks as good as new and shall entertain the next baby.

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What we like about it:

Visually stimulating
Many different parts to entertain baby
Very well-made
Attached hook makes it easily portable with car seat & stroller

What could be improved:

I prefer soft toys that can be washed

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Get Your Own

Lamaze Jacques The Peacock is available in most major babystores such as Isetan and Robinsons. He’s hot among parents and often out of stock.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Lamaze Jacques the Peacock*

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

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P.S. Read more toy reviews here.

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Year 2010 TOP 10 Favourite Items

Review: Semi-Cloth Diapering During Travel (Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts)

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:08:09 +0000

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:

gRefills (by gDiapers)
Gro Baby Bio Soakers
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:

lay a fresh insert ON a cloth diaper with adjustable rise (such as Moo Moo Kow or Happy Heinys)
adjust the rise setting to 1 to 2 snaps SHORTER than usual (ensure a snug fit)
if the insert is too long, fold it a bit at the front or back
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!

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