Before heading to sunnier climes, I was invited to attend an Olbas Round-table event, hosted by sleep expert and child paediatrician, Kathleen McGrath. Now Pickle hasn't always been the best sleeper. Kathleen (who has also worked with The Sleep Council) gave advice that was logical and common-sense, but sometimes it's good to hear from someone "qualified" that I was doing the right thing. Since a couple of weeks before Christmas, Pickle began to Sleep Through The Night. Yes, this deserves capital letters, as I'd previously been surviving on less than six hours of broken sleep each and every night!
Any disruption to Pickle's sleep not only means we could both be cranky in the morning, but also that his recovery process will be longer. While he has a pretty good constitution, he has been prone to the odd cold, and is only just learning to blow his nose. Snot Suckers are fantastic - I'm sure there's a more official/marketing preferred name, but that's what I'm going with - we have a basic one, which looks like a miniature turkey baster. Totally gross, but strangely satisfying at the same time - a few other trusted Mummies agree, so it's not just me, OK! I've known of and used Olbas Oil with Pickle, placing a few drops on the corners of his cotbed sheets, as well as in his humidifier.
Made with a combination of essential pure plant oils, such as eucalyptus, mint, clove, juniper-berry and cajuput, Olbas products are formulated to help noses large and small breathe easy and aid in a good night sleep. What I didn't realise was the variety of products in the Olbas range. As well as the usual Oil, there is a lower strength version for children, an Inhaler, Pastilles and Lozenges, a liquid for the Bath (from 3-years old... so I might be pinching some of this for my own use) and Tissues (though I've been warned to make sure these aren't the only tissues in my bag if I'm caught short at a public toilet sans toilet paper - eyes wincing at the thought).
Here are Kathleen’s Sleep Easy, Breathe Easy tips...
And while we are in Oz, Pickle has had a night or two with a stuffy nose after catching a chill post-swimming or just from getting caught in the rain (it is the wet-season after all) - so I am very glad I decided to pack the Olbas Oil in our luggage.
I'd love to know any other suggestions you have to help kids with blocked noses? Or just assisting them to sleep better generally?
Cheers, KangaRue :)
Disclosure: Sponsored post, though all views are my own.
Last week, Pickle and I were lucky enough to be invited to a Sudocrem launch at the lovely Bill's Cafe in Covent Garden. Firstly, this shouldn't be confused with Sydney Bill Granger's new London restaurant which I visited earlier in the month. The cafe-deli-restaurant will definitely be getting a return visit though, as it looked lovely, and the staff were friendly and approachable; while busy and bustling, they couldn't have been more baby-friendly and pram accommodating, which I was somewhat amazed at for such a central venue. But back to the point...
Meet the Sudocrem Mousse mascot: Bruce the Moose!
I'm a huge fan of the Sudocrem cream, and have a pot at both changing stations at home and a sample pot in the baby-bag. But the launch was for the two new Sudocrem mousses: a moisturiser and a 50-SPF sunscreen. Made especially for babies and children, the mousse format is quickly absorbed, and you only need the teensiest bit - a little goes a long way.
It's nasties-free, so no colour, scent or parabens, so I've been happy to use the moisturiser on Pickle both after his evening bath and before we go out in the cold and wind; with snow due any minute, it's protecting him, especially when I'm baby-wearing. He also gets dry skin on his legs, and the moisturising mousse is good at preventing eczema.
You'll be able to find the Sudocrem mousse at Boots and independent pharmacies
We've got a trip to Australia planned in a couple of weeks to meet the Grandparentals, so the sunscreen will come in very handy! It's got the highest rating possible, which is so important to use as an adult, let alone on a baby, as most skin cancers are caused through damage done as a child. I've lost a good friend to melanoma, and as an Aussie I understand how important it is to slip-slop-slap. As the mousse is so quickly absorbed, we can go out straight after application, with no need to wait half an hour before exposure - I'm sure this will be beneficial with impatient kids excited to get outside to play!
Cheers, KangaRue :)
Disclosure: I received complimentary moisturising mousse and sunscreen mousse in order to review the products, and Pickle received a moose toy, that he loves drooling over. All views are my own.
I regularly fill out prize applications and the like - you've got to "be in it to win it" as they say. So I filled in a Dove survey for a free sample, and a full sized product arrived in the mail. I was seriously impressed by the bodywash - I use Dove soap and bodywash already, but their (at that point in time unreleased) new product Dove VisibleCare really did make a difference to my skin. I filled out the response form online and clicked the "yes I'd be willing to be in promotional material" box - thinking that nothing would ever really come of it.
Lo and behold I got an email asking if I'd be willing to take part in a photoshoot. Would I?! I took a day off work, met some great people and generally had a laugh. No, it's not on TV or anything quite so flash, but it is online. You can see me if you look quickly at the moving image, but I'm on the second "page" of the testimonials - click on the "next" link and I'm in the front row, second from the left.
I haven't been paid for this, but I'm still using the product, and can seriously recommend it. And yes, Dove really does use real women!
