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Argos Pine Toddler Bed Frame
by PerfectPeaches
When it was time for my daughter to finally come out of her cot and into a proper bed we decided to have a look around at what toddler beds were available. Of course there are plenty to choose from ranging in a wide variety of prices which of course does not make the choosing any easier. After a chance visit to our local Argos store we ... noticed the pine toddler bed which seemed quite sweet and not as bulky as some we had seen.
I'd always wanted quite a simple toddler bed for my daughter which was one plain colour, I'm really not into character beds or the larger bulky style beds so when I spotted the pine in pale pink I was eager to purchase it! The bed comes in either pale pink, pale blue or white and is a very reasonable £69.99 (without the mattress). We were able to collect in store but you would need a big car or small van as although the box is quite slim it is also quite long.
The bed does come flat packed so be prepared for a little DIY. I must say though I managed to put the bed together myself and on my own so it is possible! The instruction leaflet can be found inside the box and are pretty straightforward with step by step instructions. If you can use a drill for the screws then great but I used a screwdriver and worked just fine. The bed took me just over an hour to put together which for me was fine, the time is generally taken screwing down the slats.
However, once built you are left with quite a sturdy little pine toddler bed in a lovely pale pink lacquered finish. Given its slightly cheaper price tag than some other toddler beds you can get I certainly wasn't disappointed in the quality at all. Each part I put together was well finished off, no rough or jagged edges and the paint wasn't damaged anywhere so I can't really complain at all. Once fully constructed it's dimensions are 75cm (W) x 146cm (L) x 57cm (H).
To look at the bed is incredibly simple it is one plain colour and has the quarter sized bed guards on either side with slim round spindles (these can be taken off from the bed itself should you not want them on anymore). The top and bottom end of the bedframe is slightly curved to give a little shape and again there are the same spindles as are on the bed guards. Yes, the bed is incredibly basic but it was just what I was looking for, almost quite a chic style which suits my daughter's room perfectly.
My daughter has had this bed for about a year as she was moved to a bed at around 19 months and it looks exactly the same as when I first put it together. The paint has worn incredibly well and shows no signs of any wear or tear and the slats are still in perfect condition (good job as my daughter does bounce around a lot on her bed!). The frame has never needed tightening up at any time and is still incredibly sturdy. My daughter's mattress fortunately was the right size for the bed and fits just nicely on top of the slats.
I clean the bed on a regular basis as we all know children tend to have sticky little fingers and because it does have lacquered finish I do find any little marks come off so easily with a damp cloth and it won't stain the wood/paint or rub it off. My only tiny little gripe which is my own personal gripe is that my daughter's Tomy bed guard does fit quite as well as it should as it is a little too long to fit perfectly due to the guard rails already on the bed and although it fits as well as it can I would have thought most parents making the transition to a toddler bed would use another bed guard and the bed currently doesn't easily accommodate one.
However, on the whole I really cannot complain whatsoever about the quality of the item and a year later it still looks good as new and is going strong. It is incredibly reasonable at £69.99 and although it probably isn't the top of the range toddler bed it suits my and my daughter's needs perfectly. She has always been happy in it right from day one so to me this was definitely a great buy. 4 stars from me, only knocking off one because of the bed guard issue.
== Useful Information ==
Age Range: Suitable for ages 18 months to 4 years.
Price: £69.99
Availability: Argos Read the complete review |
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Izziwotnot Mop & Squeak Moses Basket
by sarahrichmond5
I recently was given the izzywotnot moses basket as a gift from my mother in law. I chose the moses basket myself after doing some research on line and she bought it from a shop on ebay for £75. I shopped around for a while to get this price as it is quite cheap, compared to some other online stores. You can expect to pay anything ... upto £100 for the same basket in other online stores.
The reason that I chose this particular moses basket was mainly based on looks but also the things I had read about the product.
The moses baset itself is gorgeous looking, it is made from really strong wicker you can get it in either dark wood or light wood. I went for the dark wood because I thought it looked best but its obviously down to personal choice.
It comes with everything you need it has a mattress fitted already and has a cover which goes over the baby and a matching hood.
You can immediately see the quality of the product it is certainly an item which will last for more than one child.
I have had other moses baskets in the past and they were very flimsy, this is solid and really well made as well as looking good. You can buy a moses basket stand with the moses basket if you want or you can just buy a universal one as the moses basket is a standard size. My daughter is now 5 months and still sleeps in this as I love it so much I will be so sad when she grows out of it but due to the size you will get a lot of wear out of it. Read the complete review |
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Bright Starts Fun on Safari Portable Swing
by kat1234
Before I had my son and I was buying baby equipment, I decided against a swing. They were pricey and I thought we'd see how we got on with the bouncy chair before we forked out for something like this that we would possibly not need. However, after we had had him a couple of weeks, I really thought that we should try one as we were ... having trouble settling him for naps and I thought that a swing may relax him (and me) and help him to get the sleep he needed.
After looking around online at various reviews, picture and prices I opted for this Safari swing from Bright Starts. This was for a number of reasons. It was priced somewhere in the middle of the range for swing (it was on offer at the time for £45 - it now prices at around £59.99). I had also purchased things from Bright Starts previously and been impressed with the design and quality of them. Finally, I felt the design of this was very attractive. It was largely an aqua blue colour - ideal as I had a boy - with brightly coloured animals on and a toy bar featuring a rattle and a lion. The swing is suitable for babies up to 11kgs.
The swing is easy to make up, with white metal legs that support the swing. The seat has a wire frame with a cushioned, washable seat cover. There are buttons on the side to push to start the swing up and control the volume of the melodies it plays and a timer so that you can select how long the swing goes for. There are 6 speed settings for the swing. There is also a strap for keeping baby in place - a cushioned one for between the legs as well as shoulder straps that all click together. It requires 4 x C batteries to operate (which are not included). The dimensions are H63cm x W23cm x D23cm. It also folds flat for storage.
My son fitted nicely in the swing. By the time we had bought this he was a decent sized baby though - I am not sure if a newborn would fit in quite so comfortably as the seat is quite deep and rounded and there is no head support provided either. He instantly took to the swing though and loved the motion of it - the higher speeds seemed pretty fast though so we stuck to the lower settings. These were soothing to him and some of the melodies were too, although I found these to be a little too loud and stimulating when trying to relax him or get him to sleep so I often used the swing without these. My son really wasn't too fussed with the toy bar either - there isn't much to it - and I would usually remove it as it was really just in his way.
As to whether it did the trick with regards to the napping - this was hit and miss. Sometimes it would rock him gently to sleep but other times we would have less success. However, he would always spend the time in the swing happy and enjoy the motion of the to-ing and fro-ing. It also meant that I could have 20 minutes or so without having to hold him, knowing he was safe and happy - it was invaluable in this way.
Overall, a very good swing that was easy to pack up and take with us if we were visiting others too. It also has a higher weight limit than a lot of baby swings so I probably got a bit more use from it. I would definitely recommend this and I will be using it again should we have any further additions to the family. Read the complete review |