babyurbeautiful

There seems to be a huge influx of preggers friends right now, and all are due throughout the Winter months.
Boo! for rain and wind, but yey for limited edition gingerbread lattes and new baby snuggles.

So it brings me to the awkward burden of; baby shower, new mum and then the new arrival gifts - not to mention the left out older toddler. Leaving you seriously skint even before the baby has made its first appearance out of the womb.

Not that I have any aversion to spoiling my friends and their new sprogs, but my bank manager may haul me up soon and have a 'quiet word' as a £25 budget is never a £25 spend, and times that by three.  Then there's the before and after (her bashed up bits)  gift, travel to the shower, and all the pretty wrapping, cards etc that go with it.
You get me? El skintos.

The baby box hamper was a delight to discover. When you set your budget, they really help you stick to it - £25 is £25 and plentiful. A bit 'boat is boat' - (if you've watched Shirley Valentine you'll know exactly what I'm harping on about) In short, it is what it is.
There's boxes for twins (£40), pure white boxes for the ethereal earth mothers who haven't yet been acquainted with 'korma poo'.

What I love is that, the company source simple and useful items, wrap in a inoffensive brown paper box and  unisex bright red bow and do all the hard work for you.

For £15, for instance, you'll get a Lamaze toy, branded trendy muslin square and a very useful bandana bib - which looks cool even before it's a bib! I've been known to splash £15 on wrapping, plus tissue, a bag and a card - so why not let someone do all the hard work for you and save a mighty load of expense too?

I particularly love Baby's first Christmas Hamper at £40 with a fair isle sleepsuit, hanging ceramic heart, Santa hat, cranberry glass candle (for mum, obvs), obligatory Muslin, dazzle rattle and all packaged and pretty.

https://www.thebabyboxcompany.com/new-baby-gifts.htmlThe Baby Box Company

If you know me you'll know about my penchant for leopard print.
Everyone laughs that I dress my son in leopard print leggings - yes, stare!

I know he'll be partying at Burning man one day, goddesses draped off him while donning his leopard print leotard with full confidence thanks to mummy, dear!

You can imagine how excited I was when I spied a towel by Cuddledry in LEOPARD PRINT, and a few days later, over it was sent to Babyurbeautiful for review purposes.
It's my first ever towel of the particular brand - and I've heard so many good things about them.

Cuddle Paw - adorable

I always thought they were for newborns, but turns out they now make them for toddlers too.

Cuddledry burst onto the scene a few years ago when they introduced an apron towel that made newborn/mummy bath time juggling a sinch.
You attach part of the towel around your neck (like an apron) which leaves your hands free to wrap your little one up warmly with the rest.
Naturally, it was two mums behind the ingenious design.

There should be an earlier review on the blog from one of the other girls, prior to me being a mummy.

After the success of the apron towel, they've created more items which include robes, washcloths, swimming towels and now this one - part dressing up/part drying - and they are designed to suit and go up to around 3 to 4 years old (dependant if you have a giant on your hands).

What I do love about this particular towel is, it's very generous, not one of these minuscule flannel sized things that wouldn't even cover an arse cheek -  Even I have used it and FYI it covered a lot more than that.

But best of all?
IT. HAS. EARS. ON.

Cosy little Snow Leopard

That's one of the reasons you have children, aside from the spectacular straining poo faces, dressing them up in all sorts of gorgeousness, mainly with ears.

I have attempted to take a pic, with no luck - although I'll attach a nice blurry out of focus one for you - just for true representation.
The actual towel isn't just roomy, it's warm and so luxuriously soft. I can see why everyone raves about the brand.

Double Leopard Print - always

It feels part fleecy, part wooly towel - either way it dries the water off super fast and at the same time your toddler thinks he's a tiger/dino/whatever he fancies.
It's made with bamboo fibre and cotton - this makes it 60 per cent more absorbent than cotton alone - and has natural antibacterial properties.
This particular snow leopard design donates a minimum of £1 to the WWF to help with the endangered Snow Leopard species, it retails at £34.99. It's much more than I would spend on one of my Christy Towels, granted.

After escaping from the bath, my little one sprinted up the stairs with it attached to his head crying: 'Raaaa!' (tiger, obvs).
It takes the appearance of a cape, there are other super cute designs too like 'Cuddlesafari' and 'Cuddlepony'.
Despite the price tag, the quality is so good - you'll understand why you'd part with your pennies.

For the next half an hour I grappled with him and attempted to wrestle him down to slap his nappy on (before he pissed on my floor, or worse..)

It would make a great gift, after all any 2 to 3 year-old will be laden with so many books, plastic delights at their birthday - a hooded bath towel will make a welcome addition - and leopard print to boot!

Cuddledry Cuddle Paw Toddler Dress up Towel £34.99

LN x

Maybe if I was this rich I could look as polished?!