Mandy Lee Miller – Must Have’s for the Kids

We’ve been talking to some awesome South African parenting bloggers about some of their favorite things for their kids. From places to visit, toys, clothing stores, snacks etc. This time we talked Many Lee Miller from Pregnant in Cape Town. Take a look at some of her must have favorite items.

 

 

 

BeSafe iZi Plus car seat

Child safety in car seats is so much my passion that I created an entire national awareness initiative around it. This car seat is the one that I chose to represent that initiative. A car seat really is the only purchase any parent really NEEDS. There is no alternative available. This particular car seat is the best of the best. It allows rear facing (which is the safest way for any child to travel) right up to 25kgs and 115cm. For most children, that is between the ages of 5 and 6. It is also one of only 2 car seats that allows your child to be safely in a 5 point harness past 18kgs in South Africa. It’s passed the strictest crash tests in the world and I am SO lucky to have one for my daughter.

 

A mirror for the back headrest of my car

…so that Charly can always see me in my rearview mirror and I can keep an eye on her too. I WISH I had thought of this when she was little and miserable in her infant seat, because I have no doubt it would have soothed her and it would have made it so much easier to check on her rather than trying to twist around while driving to check on her. It is even better having it with her rear-facing than it was before I realised she should still be rear facing, and she was facing forward; because even then I had to take my eyes off the road to look back at her to check on her or to calm her by letting her see my face.

 

Shampooheads Raging Rosie 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo and conditioner

We have been using this since we received it as a media drop to try over a year ago. We have tried loads of other products, some of which are really lovely, but this shampoo specifically has no competition as yet. Charly has amazing hair, silky soft with gorgeous curls (that are tangle prone) and she is ALWAYS busy (or sick – thanks nursery-school). By rights, her hair should be dirty after an hour of being washed. But even when she has had awful fevers, her hair stays clean for ages with this and doesn’t ever look greasy or dirty.

 

The Chicco Lullaby Magic camp cot

The gorgeous handmade mahogany giant cot and compactum? We used the cot twice and the compactum has only ever held our clothing. The camp cot was amazing. Recovering from a c-section, the top level of the cot was the perfect height for me to be able to pick her up and put her down from my bed to feed in the night. She used it on the lowest setting for about a year. Then a playpen. When we went away earlier this year, it was SO easy to just fold it down, put it in its bag and pack it in a small space in the boot of the car. We popped it open, and she slept through the night in it next to our bed even after not sleeping in it for well over a year. Recently, she has been sleeping in it next to my bed when she is sick or I am sick and running between her bedroom and ours is just not manageable.

But the very very best thing about it? From the day we brought her home at 3 days old to today at 3 and a half years, we have used the changing mat on it for all nappies, frequent outfit changes, and post-bath drying and dressing. It is the absolute perfect height that lets you do what you need to without killing your back (Brett, my mom and I have all only ever used it for changes).

 

The Chicco Polly feeding chair

We bought this when we were told we needed to start introducing solids at around 5 and a half months. It still has pride of place in our lounge and has grown with her beautifully. Although she does occasionally sit at the dining room table on a chair, she still moves around a lot and has to kneel to sit comfortably over her plate. She (and I) prefer to wheel her high chair up to the table (it is easy to adjust it down to the dining table’s level) when she wants to eat with us. And when she wants to sit and watch Banana’s in Pajamas, I can wheel her over there, pop on the little brakes and Brett and I can catch up on the day while she giggles. Almost the whole thing clips apart easily, so it is insanely easy to clean; which is good because she also uses it for playdough and painting.

 

Catch up with Mandy on her blog and show your support for the #CarseaFullStop campaign.