Sam Farber’s wife Betsey suffered from mild arthritis in her hands and struggled with ordinary kitchen tools. He got straight to the drawing board and designed ergonomic, trans-generational products that were made using research from the most important people. The people that were going to be using them. In 1990 OXO was born. 22 Years later and they have over 850 products including a whole range for children. Like the kitchen utensils the children’s range was extensively tested by the people they were designed for – the children of OXO staff. When we received the OXO Tot Sprout Highchair to review we were delighted to also receive this box of goodies from their feeding range. They very kindly sent Spud and Spike a plate, divided plate, training cups, flip top snack pots and fork and spoon sets.
Our highchair lasted us well. It was purchased when Spud was a few months old, moved house 3 times and survived his horrific weaning stage. It was still standing tall when we had Spike and it battled through his weaning which wasn’t quite as dramatic until one day last month it gave up. The seat cushion was already looking a bit tatty from being stored in the cupboard during the day and then Spike pushed it over when it was folded and the tray release catch flew across the room. I suddenly had a 14 month old with no where to feed him! He wouldn’t stay seated at the little table and chairs and meal times became a nightmare. I desperately started searching for something to use, feeling a bit annoyed that my old one had given up on me. Upon hearing our plight OXO Tot offered us their award winning Sprout highchair to review. When I read this blurb I almost bit their hand off.
In our box of Nûby goodies we also received the Nûby Nibbler. Suitable from 6 months this little gadget is brilliant for introducing solid foods without the risk of choking. It is also great for teething by filling it with ice or frozen fruits to help sooth sore gums.
Like all Nûby products it is BPA free and the handle is perfect for little hands being ergonomically shaped for an easy hold. It has non slip rubber for added grip and the net is secured with a “Squeeze & Twist” locking system which is child safe to stop little people from being able to open it and get access to the food inside.
I opened it up and decided to try Spike with some new non pureed food. The “Squeeze & Twist” locking system was definitely child proof as even I struggled to get into it! We started with Banana and I really wish I hadn’t. I filled the net and gave it to Spike but he made an absolutely horrific mess with it. He found it very easy to hold and the non slip rubber grip was brilliant because he got covered in banana mush which was very slippery and he didn’t lose his grip once. He had a great time chomping on the banana and he was teething at the same time so found chomping on it soothing for his gums. Once he had turned the banana into total mush and couldn’t get anymore out of the net I prized it from his grip and went to try and wash it. This is why I would never use banana in it again! It was so difficult to clean that I actually ended up throwing the net in the bin. I have since been told by a friend that owns one that it washes very nicely in the dishwasher or the washing machine even after banana.
I have since purchased a set of new nets and used one for frozen strawberries which Spike found brilliant for his teeth. This is a great idea for a product but be aware it is unbelievably messy. The holes in the net are tiny so babies have to turn the contents into mush to get any of it. I understand that babies make mess when weaning but Spike makes a lot less mess with bits of cut up banana, I just have to be extra vigilant to stop help him if he chokes. Overall a great idea and a big thumbs up from Spike but I am only continuing to use it because it’s brilliant as a teether for him.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this review. However, we did receive the product for review purposes. This post is my own honest opinion. For more information please see our Disclosure Policy.
Spike is now only on 3 bottles a day and our big steam steriliser was taking double it’s usual time to sterilise everything. We only have a tiny kitchen so it also took up a lot of valuable worktop space. I wanted to keep sterilising until Spike turned 12 months because he tends to catch every bug going so the lovely people at Nûby very kindly sent us their Compact Mini Steriliser to try out. It is a mini microwave steriliser (260mm wide, 115mm high and 210mm deep) that is perfect for smaller microwaves and as a travel steriliser. It sterilises in 5-8 minutes and has enough room for two bottles and accessories like spoons and dummies.
When it arrived I got cracking straight away. There was a warning not to overload it and I struggled to find out, on both the box and the instructions, how many bottles I was allowed to put in. I eventually found the information on the website and followed the instructions on how to lay the bottles. I am used to sterilisers that have specific slots for certain parts of the bottles so it did feel odd laying it out on it’s side but it allowed plenty of space to add accessories such as dummies, spoons and teethers. The lid clicks on tightly so if you do use it to travel, you can store essentials safetly and securely knowing that it won’t open in a bag.
I poured the water in, secured the lid and popped it into the microwave for 5 minutes where it sterilised my bottles to the same standard that my steam steriliser used to. Obviously, like all sterilisers, there is a risk of scalding if you don’t wait for it too cool down.
It is a great product that has saved us a lot of time and space. It will come in handy when I go away and at only £9.99 it is excellent value for money especially with its multiple uses.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this review. However, we did receive the product for review purposes. This post is my own honest opinion. For more information please see our Disclosure Policy.
When naming our child we never thought just how much his name would suit him. I will let you into a secret and tell you that Spike’s real name is Oliver. We have had many jokes about the musical and I often quote lines of it myself when he is flapping his arms for more food.
When Spike was born he took to breastfeeding like a duck to water. I was very lucky but then at 2 weeks got told to stop because that’s what was causing his problems. Naively I did as I was told. Another 4 weeks later I was told that he actually has Silent Reflux and was prescribed Gaviscon. Ever since he was born he has been a gannet. Recently he has been trying new foods and we have found ourselves saying “Oh Spike quite likes this……..Spike quite likes that.” In fact SPIKE JUST LIKES FOOD! We are yet to find something that he doesn’t like and he is at his most happy when he is stuffing his face so here is a little video for you to enjoy!
Nûby sent guzzle guts Spike a 2 pack of Snug n’Dry Feeding Bibs. They are Phthalate free and made from 75% cotton and 25% polyester making them extremely soft to touch.
They have a super absorbent neckband which is a brilliant feature. Spike has always guzzled his bottles and often dribbles getting all sorts of gunk stuck in his neck folds! The neckband stops the milk from going anywhere near their necks preventing nasty skin rashes. They fasten firmly at the back with Velcro and still fit Spike who is a very large 7 months old (I think he is probably the size of an average 1 year old!)
I wish that I had known about these when he was tiny as we definitely would have benefitted more from them before he was weaned and cut down some of his bottles.
A great product which would have prevented his sore red neck and at only £3.99 for a pack of two they certainly don’t break the bank.
I tend to feed Spike shop bought baby food because I’m pretty lazy and can’t be bothered to spend hours every week making a huge mess of my kitchen by pureeing. Now that he is 7 months old and well and truly weaned I decided that we might try and let him eat what we eat. I was looking around for a small blender that would mush enough for one portion at a time without filling my whole dishwasher. (I strive for an easy life!)
When we were asked to review the Wean Machine we were thrilled. It looked like the perfect solution for quick easy meals.
When it arrived we were very impressed by the size of the Wean Machine. It is big enough to fit the perfect sized portion in and small enough to throw in a bag for feeding on the go. It comes with two different sized grills and a spoon that fits nicely inside the splash guard which means that it will stay clean and you won’t end up digging around at the bottom of a bag. You can also buy an accessory pack that contains two extra grills and a spoon.
We decided to start easy and mush a banana. I popped it into the Wean Machine and actually got quite excited as I saw it become the perfect consistency for Spike to eat! I always have problems mushing bananas down with a fork but the Wean Machine produced lump free banana without the need to add any milk. The thing that I absolutely loved about the Wean Machine is that there is no need to put the food into a bowl, it is a brilliant shape to spoon the food out directly saving time and washing up!
The Wean Machine is BPA, Phthalate and PVC Free. It can be easily sterilised and is “top-shelf dishwasher safe.” The instructions were easy to follow as it is pretty much self explanatory. I was very impressed with the “Squidgometer” list of suitable foods for the Wean Machine that can be found on the website.
The Wean Machine retails at £19.99 and the accessory pack retails for £4.99 which is well worth it for such a fantastic product. I was very impressed and it is going to save me time, money and washing up!
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this review. However, we did receive the product for review purposes. This post is my own honest opinion. For more information please see our Disclosure Policy.
