Competition corner

The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition

Michelle Pope from the United Kingdom was the winner of May's Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition with her recipe for Sweet 'N Savoury Chicken - just what you need to persuade your tot to eat his veggies!

Thanks for sharing, Michelle - and congratulations on your win!

The winning recipe - plus other recipes for

• Peachy Banana Rice Pudding
• Cauliflower Cheese
• Pureed Apple and Pork

Do you have an original baby food recipe you'd like to share with other Mums?

Then send it in using this simple form - you could be June's winner of a $20 voucher from Amazon!


Baby of the Month

Thank you SO much for all the wonderful entries last month for our Baby of the Month competition.

You can visit this month's winner and see more of our favourite entries on our Baby of the Month page. You'll also find the entry form and details you need to submit YOUR baby's photograph!


Baby Product Reviews Contest

Lori Harrison from Atlanta, Georgia, was last month's lucky winner of the Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier. She told us "WOW!!! I am so excited!!! Thank you so much!!! My family will really enjoy the carrier as it will make our little one more ‘portable’. I look forward to using the carrier as soon as it arrives!"

Congratulations, Lori!

Check out the article at the top of this newsletter for your chance to win the current prize of a Peapod Indoor/Outdoor Travel Bed.

Join Us on Facebook

If you haven't done so already, don't forget to visit our new Homemade Baby Food Recipes Group on Facebook.

We will be regularly updating all group members with what's happening on our site - and it's a great way to connect with other parents going through the ups and downs of introducing solid foods.

Join now!

Don't Miss the Summer Sale at Robeez

If you're currently going through the phase where your little one's shoes just won't stay on his feet, then check out the cute, stay-put designs from Robeez!

And there's never been a better time, because they've just launched their 'Spring into Summer Sale', which includes FREE shipping on any purchase of 2+ pairs of shoes and some great savings across lots of their collections.

Robeez ship to Europe, the US and Canada - so take advantage of this limited time offer by visiting the link below...

Free Shipping* on orders of 2 pairs of Robeez Footwear or more!

Safety Recalls

Here's a round up of recalls and warnings posted to our blog since our last newsletter. If you (or someone you know) has any of the items listed below, then please click on the link to visit our blog for more information.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to anyone else who you believe may be affected by these recalls.

Children's Knitted Hats (US)

Whole Cantaloupes (The Carolinas/Virginia)

Eddie Bauer Play Yards (US/Canada)

Mothercare High Chair Toys (UK)

Warning to breastfeeding/pregnant women re vitamin supplement (Canada)

Baby Quilts (Australia)

Target Jungle Friends Rattles (Australia)

Featured Product - Electric Baby Food Processor

There are two main reasons this is our featured product this month!

1. It is amazingly good value!

2. It is one of the most convenient baby food processors we've seen!

The Electric Baby Food Processor by Dex reminds us of the Magic Bullet, in that you put the food that's to be blended into the processing cup, screw on the blade, then turn it upside down to put it on the base. Just press it down to turn it on and hold it until the food has reached the desired texture. Simple!

What's better than the Magic Bullet is

1. The price (it's much cheaper)
and
2. The fact that the processing cup is microwave safe and has a flat base.

So what's so good about that?

Well, it means that if you cook baby's food in the microwave, you can cook it in this cup, then just screw on the blade and puree it - no extra pots required.

If you prefer NOT to cook your little one's food in the microwave, then you can simply feed your him straight from the processing cup (the flat base means it's easy to use it as a feeding dish). Or you can just screw on the lid and pop it into the fridge to serve later.

It comes with three 6 oz bowls with lids - or you can go the extra mile and order a set of Stay Fresh Baby Food Containers from One Step Ahead - they have screw tops and fit perfectly with the system.

The Electric Baby Food Processor is easy to clean, takes up very little space in the kitchen and has a high quality and robust design.

We love it!

Featured Website - Why Buy When You Can Rent?

In our efforts to find as many ways as possible to beat the recession, we found a site this month that allows you to rent items you may otherwise have bought.

Whilst renting can sometimes work out MORE expensive than buying, short term renting can be a very useful way to try out something before committing to buying it.

If we'd bought everything we were told we would need when we had our first child, we would have spent a fortune - yet it's often the case that the things everyone tells you are "must haves" are the things you don't use much at all!

So step in www.zilok.com!

Zilok - which covers the US, the UK, France and the Netherlands - allows you to search for ANY item (not just baby items) available to rent in your area. And you're not limited to renting from costly rental companies - the site is primarily set up for ANYONE to rent out their items.

This, of course, means you can rent out YOUR household items, perhaps making use of something you've had sitting in the loft for months! At the moment, listing is free.

The site uses an evaluation system similar to eBay's, where renters and owners rate the items rented AND each other.

For more information, visit the site in your country...

United States
United Kingdom
France
Netherlands

Recipe of the month - Frozen Fruity Yogurt

The warmer days have arrived for most of us - so this month, we have the perfect recipe to help keep your baby cool!

This Frozen Fruity Yogurt recipe makes a healthy alternative to the not-so-healthy ice-cream, not just for baby, but for the whole family too!

To make Frozen Fruity Yogurt you will need...

1 medium, ripe banana
1 ripe peach
8 oz (1 cup) whole milk yogurt*
1 tsp vanilla extract

*We have specified whole milk for two reasons...
1. It is better for baby - and here's why
2. If you freeze the yogurt, the texture will be better.

Peel the peach, remove the pit and cut it into chunks.
Peel the banana and cut it into chunks.
Place the peach and banana on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and freeze (3-4 hours).
Once the fruit is frozen, transfer it to a food processor.
Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately, or place in the freezer in a covered container and save until later.

TIP: You can also put the prepared mixture into popsicle/lolly molds for older babies.

Don't forget - you can make the yogurt yourself, too - it's so much easier than you might think and tastes MUCH better than shop bought!

Learn how to prepare homemade yogurt