Thursday 28 January 2016

Morning Sickness Tips

Morning sickness sucks. Like, really sucks. Especially when it becomes all day sickness. Whoever led us to believe it exclusively lasted throughout the morning is a dimwit. Morning sickness, my ar....ahem!

Anywoman who has been through it will remember those days and weeks of staring at the bottom of a toilet bowl, sobbing. "When will this end?". The simplest of smells, like boiling potatoes or mayonnaise, can leave you heaving. It's exhausting and frustrating, but here are a few pointers to get you through:


  • Keep a packet of biscuits by your bed. Ginger biscuits are best - ginger is a natural stomach soother. No, this isn't for late night snacking. Well, it could be. But by having a biscuit handy in the morning and eating one or two before you even get out of bed (which you should consider doing very gradually) you can reduce the chances of running to the bathroom first thing. 

  • Distract yourself. Thinking about nausea often makes it worse. Try to avoid using flickering computer screens for distraction, that can often worsen nausea too. Take up knitting, do the washing up, call a friend... (But make sure it's a friend who won't be completely grossed out when you have to run to vom mid-sentence.)

  • Drink plenty. Just small sips, but however much you don't feel like daring to put anything in your stomach that might be making a sharp reappearance, staying hydrated is crucial. Dehydration will only make things worse. Try for your recommended 8 glasses a day. If you're a fan of herbal teas, try something with peppermint or ginger in to soothe your sickness. 


  • Eat little and often. The blander the better, most find. Just whatever you can, when you can. High carb, low fat seems to work. Crackers, toast, that kind of thing.

  • Get some rest. If that means calling in to work sick, or asking a relative to mind your toddler for a couple of hours, do it. Just do it. Feeling sick and tired is something nobody deserves. Don't feel guilty for having to call for help, either.

  • Hang on in there, mummy! Growing a new baby is no easy thing for your body to do, it will be gruelling and gruesome, but it isn't impossible and you can do it! And just to think... there's going to be a brand new bundle to cherish at the end of it, and admiring the bottom of your loo will be a distant memory. 

baby in a Skibz







Thursday 21 January 2016

5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs Are GREAT!

Last week, mother-of-two and BBC news reader Kate Silverton appeared in Hello! magazine with her children, talking about how she's managing raising a family and returning to work. Go mama! 

But why is this so exciting for us at Skibz? Well, Kate's son Wilbur was sporting the very same Skibz bib that was seen on his big sister Clemency in 2012! How can we be sure that it's the same bib? Because our Raspberry Gingham design has been out of stock for aaaaaaaages. Like, since 2014! It's gotta be the same one, right? How's that for proof that the Skibz bib is made to last?




It got us to thinking about hand-me-downs, and why they're so super-duper!


1 Sharing is caring! So many things, particularly baby clothes, are much too lovely to simply be disposed of, so why not spread the love? Ask friends and family if they have anything that is no longer of use to them that you could have or borrow. Or perhaps consider passing on some of your pre-loved baby clothes to a friend who's expecting. They'll appreciate the gesture, and you'll get that wonderful warm nostalgic feeling (and perhaps broodiness) in seeing your now terrible-two-year-old's cute little sleepsuit used again.


2 Save money. It doesn't matter whether you're pinching at pennies on a strict budget, or absolutely rolling in it; what's the point in throwing it away? Why waste money and perfectly reusable pre-loved items that still have love to give? Lots of products are made to last, but hardly get any use because little ones grow so fast. eBay, Facebook groups, local shop bulletin boards, jumble sales, car boots, Gumtree and Preloved are just a few of the many fantastic places to buy, sell, adopt and give away wonderful second-hand items.


It's for charity. Of course you'll want to buy the odd few bits brand new for best, but you're going to need a whole heap of outfits to keep up with the demand of changes due to nappy leakages and regurgitation. Charity shops are a great place to find beautiful little pieces for a fraction of high street prices and most are barely worn. One quick wash and you're away! (And you've also donated towards a good cause.) Alternatively, if you're convinced that you're done with having babies and no longer have a need for the bin-liner full of babygros that's stuffed up in your loft, why not consider dropping it in to a charity shop? Loft space for you, bargain baby stuff for someone else, funds raised for charity; win, win, win.


4 Protect the environment. In a throwaway society there is just so much quality going to waste. By accepting and sharing hand-me-downs you're doing your little bit to keep the cost to the environment (and yourselves) down. Dress your baby in second-hand with pride!


5 Create heirlooms. What better way to keep our favourite things in circulation than to hand them down to the next generation? Vintage, retro, antique, none of these things would exist if it weren't for previous generations passing on their much loved belongings. Pass your lovely things through your family, and keep the love rolling on, and on, and on...




Thursday 14 January 2016

3 Reasons Mummy Was Late

It never ceases to surprise me just how quickly time flies when you have children. From positive pregnancy tests to fourth birthday parties, it seems like no time at all. So is it any wonder that as parents we're often running out of time? You can have your super-organised head on and yet still be late for the ball. Here are some of the reasons mummy, or daddy, might be running late! (Please feel free to comment your own suggestions!)

1 The baby pooed. Yes, that does account for the 20 minute delay. It was like an explosion in a houmous factory! I spent 5 minutes sitting in awe of the first human being to have ever managed to poo on their own ear. And the car seat. And my sleeve. And the cat. I changed my clothes faster than a pantomime actor carries out a costume change, and bundled everything into the washing machine and cleaned the baby up in record time. We were barely even going to be late at all... Until it happened again.

2 My toddler had a meltdown. I swear down, half an hour it took me to peel my toddler off the floor. She wanted to wear her pink coat. She doesn't even have a pink coat. Her bottom lip wobbled. I was quick to act and thought I'd saved us from an epic tantrum by conjuring a pink scarf as a compromise. She put on her navy coat and the pink scarf and looked rather smug... and then I looked outside. It's like 40 degrees, she's going to bake wearing a scarf in this weather. I had to tell her to take it off and leave it behind this time. You'd think I'd just told her that I murdered Iggle-blinkin'-Piggle! And then all hell broke loose. She was just screaming, sweating, snotting, all over the place! Her sobbing eyes just glazed over and stared right through me like she was sayin', 'You ain't no mother of mine!' - oh the guilt! And then, after her mammoth hissy fit, she fell asleep in a pile of shoes. Have you ever tried to pick up and fold a sleeping toddler into a car seat with a changing bag over your shoulder? 

I forgot, okay? That's why we were an hour late. You try living on less than 3 hours of disturbed sleep every night, and then having to remember to feed and clothe yourself, as well as a small child, and tell me you have enough memory left to remember that thing you were going to write in your diary... Until there was the distraction of an explosion in a houmous factory.

Thursday 7 January 2016

9 Reasons Your Baby NEEDS These!

Until a few years ago, baby bibs were boring. Scrappy bits of flannel that tied around a baby's neck. That's why and how Skibz came about; the bandana scarf style bib that looks funky but remains functional.

Here are 9 reasons that they have become a must-have accessory!



blue spot bib


1 They're the perfect accessory for dribbling babies. (And we all know how much babies dribble when they're teething!)


cow print bib


2 Bandana bibs keep babies comfortable and content by drawing moisture away from their chins, necks and chests, keeping them free of soreness and chafing that dribble often creates. 


stars bib


3 Rather than the boring, traditional bibs, bandana bibs make your baby look stylish! Sometimes toddlers still dribble, but whose toddler wants to wear a baby bib all day? There comes a point where they've got to maintain their street cred, mum. The bandana bib looks more like a fashion accessory than a baby bib, so they can still look cool when they drool!


pink spot and green floral bib


4 They preserve your baby's favourite clothes, keeping them dry for longer periods of time and preventing the need for multiple outfit changes.


leopard bib


5 That in itself means less washing for mum to do...Winning! 


blue gingham and navy stripe bib


6 There's a design to compliment any outfit! From gentle denim to bold, bright stars, you can keep your baby bang on trend!

blue and red stars Skibz

7 Did I mention that they're great?


Cars and blue spot Skibz


8 Celebrities have been seen using these bibs for their babies. That counts for something, right?

Rhino Skibz


9 Skibz were the first to market the scarf-bib. It has since been imitated by many different companies, from Mothercare to Joules. Why? Well, because it's such a fantastic bib design! That's a reason in itself... 



Go forth and treat your baby to a bandana bib! Of course, we'd thoroughly recommend the Skibz range for their originality and award-winning status *cough* but there's a bandana bib out there for everyone!