by Ellie on September 1, 2010
Boxes upon boxes line the spare room. Stacked floor to ceiling in a higgledy piggledy fashion.
Crammed with possessions, untouched but not unloved. Old exercise books, artwork and essays, Grandma’s ornaments, old photographs, clothes and out grown toys. Thirty five years archived.
Decades passed, time stood still, every nook and cranny almost filled. Yet more we hoarded. So many things. Held on to out of sentimentality, attempting to hold on to memories, afraid to lose fragments of an ever distant past. Belongings that make us feel like we belong somewhere. Anywhere. Here?
But the spare room is no longer spare. There is a Little Girl almost ready for her own space, filled with her own pretty things. A bright open space with room to grow and play.
Decisions must be made. But what to do? Unwilling to throw away remnants of the past but needing to move forward into our future, how can I choose which memories to throw away? The decisions are too raw and too hard to make.
Yet decide I must. If only I had a spare room….
by Ellie on September 1, 2010
This is a review and giveaway post.
I’m a sucker for a great baby product. From snack traps to pushchairs, baby seats to interactive toys, if it’s new and innovative then I’ll be coveting it from a far
I was recently contacted by Emily at 4mums online who asked if I’d like to try out this years biggest news, the mamaRoo.
The mamaRoo is the ultimate baby seat. Designed around the movement a parent makes when picking up their child to soothe and comfort, the mamaRoo is revolutionary in its design and functionality. Instead of bouncing or vibrating, like most infant chairs and recliners, the mamaRoo sways, just like many parents instinctively do.
Suitable from birth to when your baby can sit unaided (or 11kgs), this is far more than your basic equipment. The mamaRoo is controlled via an easily navigable LCD display on its base. It has five different motions (Car Ride, Kangaroo, Tree Swing, Rock-a-bye, Ocean Wave), can be set at five different speeds, and reclines at any point along its axis. There are five different soothing ‘white noise’ nature sounds and you can even hook your mp3 player or iPhone up to its speakers and play your own music.
The seat itself zips off and is fully machine washable. The detachable mobile features 3 super soft balls, one half black and white, the other vibrant colour, featuring the art of Van Gogh, Monet and Seurat. The balls are easily popped in and out of the mobile so your baby can have a good old nosey at them.
The mamaRoo really is a beautiful piece of equipment. Its design is aesthetically pleasing, it’s sleek, stylish and really is a top notch baby gadget.
After spending the afternoon playing with ours we completely fell in love with it. Little E is a bit too old for it now but we had fun nevertheless. I wish we’d had this when Big E was small and would only be rocked to sleep! We think it’s the bees knees!
The mamaRoo isn’t cheap by any means. It’s a quality, aspirational product which is reflected in the retail price of £199.99, and is available in the UK at Mothercare.
Would you like to be one of the first people in the UK to own a mamaRoo? Then look no further!
Thanks to 4mums online I have a mamaRoo to giveaway to one lucky reader! All you have to do is leave a comment below. For an extra entry you can tweet:
I’m entering the @4moms #mamaRooGiveaway @InsomniacMummy – http://wp.me/pO1G4-t6
And, for further entries you can become a 4Mum’s fan on Facebook, or Follow @4moms on Twitter. Please remember to come back and comment again for each extra entry so they can be added to the draw.
Good luck!

Terms and conditions: Entries are limited to five per person. The competition will close at 8pm, Friday 10th September 2010, and the winner chosen using a random number generator. The winner will be announced later the same day. The prize includes one mamaRoo in silver, pink or red. The winner’s details will be passed on to Emily at 4mums, who will contact you directly to arrange your prize. The competition is open to UK residents only.