You'll be able to find us at the Swagger Child Market • Spring 19 in the Western 'burbs on Sunday 18th of August, 2019 from 10AM - 2PM.

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Stepping into the world of baby products can be just as overwhelming as seeing that positive pregnancy test appear for the first time!

With Marie Kondo paving the way on how to declutter and “spark joy” in our homes, Little Wiwa has shared their 10 favourite items to simplify bub’s arrival.

We are so excited that We Might Be Tiny's Catchie Bibs have been featured as a must-have basic essential. Less clutter equals less waste, so we fully support and love this article by Little Wiwa.

See what was listed as the top 10 baby must-haves for the minimalist family.

We Might Be Tiny will be at this year's Finders Keepers Market in Melbourne from Friday 12 July to Sunday 14 July.

We'll be near the Rathdowne Street entrance, stall number B18. Please come and say "hello"! I love meeting our customers ❤️🥰

So what can you expect?

A few exclusives – we are launching our new range of products 🙏which many of you have been waiting SO patiently for - our brand new Stickie Plates and Bendie Straws!

Plus, an exclusive We Might Be Tiny tote bag for any purchase over $50.

See you there! 

More info available: https://www.thefinderskeepers.com

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Our Frostie Icy Pole Moulds have been shortlisted in this year's Junior Design Awards for Best Eco Children's Tableware Design 2019 🙌

The Junior Design Awards are recognised for awarding uncompromising style, design and beauty and celebrating the best-of-the-best in a children’s life. So definitely doing a little *happy dance* over here! 💃🏻

This isn't the first time we've been shortlisted in the Junior Design Awards. Our Placies won Platinum for Best Children's Tableware Design 2017, and our Snackies won Gold for the Best Children's Tableware Design 2018.

Entries will be judged by a panel of experts and juniors themselves. So please wish us luck in the judging phase! 🤞

Starting your baby on solids is a wonderful milestone filled with excitement, discovery, and quite a bit of mess!

So how do you know if your baby is ready, what can you do to ensure the process goes smoothly, and what exactly should you be feeding them?

Is baby ready?

Each baby is different, so it is a good idea to go by your child’s cues and the recommendation of your maternal child health nurse or doctor.

The current health guidelines recommend introducing solids to baby when they:

• Are between four to six months old
• Can to hold their own head up consistently
• Show interest in food around them by watching/reaching
• Open their mouth when you are eating
• Are still hungry after milk
• Have lost the tongue thrust reflex (pushing food out of the mouth with the tongue)

Prior to four months old, baby’s digestive system can struggle to cope with solid foods and their lack of head control makes choking a very real possibility, so it is best not to start early.

Homemade vs processed

Processed baby food is an easy, hygienic, and convenient way to feed baby on the go. Popping a pouch and a spoon in your nappy bag means no need to heat up food, no worries about temperature regulation while it sits in your bag for hours, and usually less mess.

Health officials and nutritionists recommend that you do keep them for outings only and attempt to give baby food you have made yourself when you’re home. This helps expose them to a wider range of textures and subtle variations in flavour that don’t come in standardised products and can help reduce the likelihood of fussy eating when older. However we all know that life throws us curve balls; with other children to care for, the school run, work, and myriad other commitments, so having a few in the cupboard is a good idea!

Puree vs baby led weaning

If you want to skip the puree stage and go straight to finger foods, then Baby Led Weaning (BLW) might be the solution for your family. BLW originated in the UK and is a process by which baby starts eating small servings of the family meal from the beginning. It means you don’t have to cook and mash dedicated meals for baby, and parents who have used both methods report their BLW babies have grown in to less fussy eaters than their puree fed babies.

It is a very personal decision and it is important to do what works for your baby and family.

Puree recipes

If you’re going down the puree road, then batch making and freezing ice cube portions of different food combinations is the most time effective way to go. Here are some of our favourite puree recipes for you to try:

• Peach and Cauliflower with Ginger 
• Quinoa Porridge 
• Green Goodness 
• Sweet Potato and Basil 

Beyond purees

Once baby has successfully navigated purees (or if you’re going straight to baby led weaning), the possibilities for food expand greatly, for example:

• Fruit: Grated apple or pear, soft banana, ripe avocado, seedless watermelon, stone fruits with stone removed.
• Meat or alternative: Meat on a safe bone (chicken leg bone/lamb chop), firm tofu.
• Fish: Homemade fish fingers or fish cakes; flakes of cooked fish with no bones
• Vegetables: Cooked greens such as beans and broccoli, fingers of cooked potato, carrot or other vegetable, grated raw carrot.
• Bread: White ‘high-fibre’ or wholemeal bread, homemade rusks, toast (use any spread sparingly), sandwiches.
• Pasta: Cooked and cooled pasta.
• Eggs: Quarters of hard-boiled egg (yolk or whole), strips of omelette.
• Milk products: Thin slices or grated cheese, yoghurt, custard.

The other end

What goes in, must come out. With the introduction of solids, baby’s poo is going to change and it’s not going to be pretty. You will notice a marked increase in odour, colour, and texture as their digestive system moves from the easy process of eliminating milk to the more sophisticated system involved in digesting solids.

Whilst these changes can be confronting, they are completely normal, as is minor constipation which can generally be alleviated by a few constipation cure purees. Make sure to consult your medical team if the constipation persists or you notice any blood.

Allergies

The increase in food allergies is an alarming trend that worries almost all parents, particularly when introducing new foods. Previously, health professionals thought it best to avoid the major allergens, but newer research shows that providing small, consistent exposure to these can actually reduce the likelihood of developing food allergies.

From six months baby can be exposed to small tastes of cooked egg, wheat, nut pastes, cows' milk and fish (honey should be avoided until after 12 months due to the risk of botulism infection and whole nuts due to the choking risk).

If you have a child with a history of milk sensitivity – either you had to modify your diet to breastfeed or they had to go on a special non-allergenic formula, you should consult your paediatrician before introducing common allergens.

If you believe an allergic reaction is occurring, you should dial 000 immediately as it has the potential to be a life-threatening emergency. Do not get in your own car and drive.

A note on choking

Certain foods have a reputation for being easy to choke on, like cherry tomatoes and grapes and it is imperative that these foods are cut when they are introduced to you child once they are well in to their solid foods. However, ANY food is a choking risk which is why it is always important to supervise baby when eating.

True choking is silent. It is recommended you familiarise yourself with infant first aid with a reputable trainer to ensure you’re ready to jump to action should your baby need it. 

Tips for success

As you navigate this new journey of solids, here are a few tips to help you:

• Eat together
• Use a soft spoon to protect baby’s gums and teeth
• Try foods multiple times
• Let baby play with her food
• Offer a wide variety of foods
• Model good eating
• Eat naked or in just a nappy so there is less washing!
• Keep a list of what you offered and when to track any reactions or allergies

Photo credit: @my.little.cutie.pies on Instagram

How did you approach your first time baby feeding? Let us know below in the comments.

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Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Amy Morrison AKA @loveamymorrison. Born in Adelaide, currently reside in Canberra. Married with two daughters. Run an online skincare business.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a performer as a kid. Always dancing and singing and seeking people’s attention… Actually I’m not sure much has changed since then LOL

Are there any particular traits that you see in your children that are totally you, or your partner?

My eldest looks like my husband, but behaves totally like me. Cautious, and always striving for perfection. The youngest on the other hand is me looks wise, and totally hubby personality wise. Carefree and willing to give anything a go!

What advice do you wish you could give your OLD self about parenthood, before you had children?

Relax and learn to go with the flow. Give yourself a break. Just give the kids love and the rest will work out. Don’t judge others when their choices are different to yours. Everyone’s hard, is hard.

What are your main challenge/s with children when it comes to meal times?

Typical fussy eaters, but not too bad thankfully! Trying to get veggies into their meals is tricky so we get creative. The grater is our best friend.

What's your favourite recipe/mix to make icy poles/ice creams using our Frosties?

We love mixing fruit into yogurt to freeze in the Frosties! Nice and easy and always a hit.

What's your go-to mid week meal when life gets hectic?

Creamy Pesto Pasta is always a hit with the kids, and is nice and easy to make. We also manage to hide baby spinach in their too so it’s a winner from all fronts.

What are some of your favourite local brands that you think all mamas need to know about?

Ohhhhhh where do I start?! I LOVE Instagram and all of the special brands and people I’ve met on the platform. And knowing I’m supporting small businesses with my purchases makes it all the more special.

How can we best connect with you?

Connect via www.instagram.com/loveamymorrison or www.facebook.com/loveamymorrison

I'm all about SHARING THE LOVE at We Might Be Tiny, so over the next few weeks, we are going to share ALL THE LOVE with our community favourites: long time friends, followers and fans of We Might Be Tiny.

This week? We have featured Rosie from @ohmywildhearts (formerly @alongcamefox). 

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Can you tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Rosie Harris and I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. I am married to a lovely guy called Richie and together with our three kiddies (Mia 13, Eli 14 and Fox 2.5) we live in beautiful Canberra. My day job is as an Executive Assistant and I love it but my passion is photography, supporting small and sharing our daily life on Instagram through my account @ohmywildhearts.

What were you like as a kid?

I am the oldest of three girls and was (still can be) pretty bossy as a child. I have always had a pretty addictive personality, I remember as a kid spending hours cutting out letters and pictures from magazines and then categorising them in little envelopes. I forget why to be honest, if there even was a reason. I could never really just be. I always had to be doing a few things at once and would usually draw or something while the tv was on. I went through a stage of wanting to be a fashion designed haha.

Are there any particular traits that you see in your children that are totally you, or your partner?

My kiddies are all very different but little things like the way my daughter sucks her bottom lip in when thinking (all her father), my middle son questioning everything (all Richard) and Fox well he is just a daredevil (again from Richard). Mia probably looks the most like me though and is an organiser like me too.

What advice do you wish you could give your OLD self about parenthood, before you had children?

Oh goodness. I was only 18 when I had my first child so had no idea what I was doing (I still don't really) but my biggest advice is not to sweat the small stuff. Kids are tough. Tomorrow is a new day and no one has this motherhood gig down to a fine art really.

What are your main challenge/s with children when it comes to meal times?

Mia is my fussiest eater and has been since she was about 2. She is getting better though luckily because Richard and I really butt heads over how to tackle the issue. They are all very different eating wise, Mia loves raw carrot whereas Eli prefers it cooked. Mia isn't a big meat eater but Fox devours anything you put in front of him. I think the key is remembering that each child is different and you have to adjust your style of parenting to suit that.

What's your favourite recipe/mix to make icy poles/ice creams using our Frosties?

Oooh now we are talking – we LOVE making our own ice creams in your sweet moulds. I usually just blend together banana, some milk, a little honey and some cinnamon to make easy banana ice creams. Then I will add in some berries for texture in the moulds.

Any left over smoothie tastes great though and a Moscato or Rosè icy pole for mama isn't unheard of in our house.

What's your go-to mid week meal when life gets hectic?

Richard actually does most of the cooking in our home (super lucky I know) and his go to is spaghetti bolognese packed with grated carrot and zucchini. It is great because it can be made in bulk and used as a back up on those days no one feels like cooking.

What are some of your favourite local brands that you think all mamas need to know about?

I have so many favourite Australian brands but a few that spring to mind are @modernmonty for lovely wooden / silicone teethers and amazing learning resources for kiddies, @kisschaseydesigns for rad handmade clothing for littles and @goodnessmebox is my fave healthy subscription box plus they have released a kids box with is amazing!

How can we best connect with you?

I have a few ways - you can follow me on Instagram @ohmywildhearts, email me at ohmywildhearts@gmail.com or visit my blog www.ohmywildhearts.com.au

With a little bit of planning, school holidays can be an amazing time full of creative fun that will become treasured memories for all of you.

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