Shameful Secrets Exposé
Baba Me bares all:

• No time for a shower? Never fear, Jackson Reece is here! Give your body a spring clean with the wipes paying particular attention to your underarms! (Isn't that right Mary?)
  

• Forgotten to buy De-Icer despite the annoying rants from everyone about how useful it is?  Why not put them to shame by grabbing a wipe from your handbag and watching the ice disappear.  Don't have a car?  Use this as your party trick instead.  Take a wipe to any frosty surface for guaranteed ooh's and aah's!

• Nattering on the phone all day every day leaves your phone looking more like a groggy foundation sponge than a communications device.  Avoid this by giving your phone the once over with the wonderous wipes - it's a good idea to pay attention to the key pad when  in action otherwise you'll end up 'doing a Collette'.  Confused?...  Collette shamefully called the Emergency Services and tried to pin the blame on Jackson Reece!
  

• Like to clean?  We use these wipes on practically everything, and we mean everything!  Although most of the reasons they are used can be applauded, some are real eyebrow raisers such as: removing food lodged between keys in the laptop/computer, and wiping away food that has fastened to forks (less washing up so it's smiles all round)! No prizes for guessing who these two uses apply to.
  

• Are your cleaning habits causing people to stare?  Alice had the same issue, her desire to cleanse her hands meant she was running up and down the stairs so often, we were getting dizzy! It soon stopped once we introduced her to Jackson Reece.  Now instead of running to the sink every two hours, she simply soothes her skin using the wipes.
  

Are you thinking about attending one of the baby shows coming up at Excel, NEC or Earls Court this year?

I am a veteran of a few baby shows now - I went when I was pregnant, when I had a baby (and a brewing bump for baby number 2) and without children in tow! Definitely the easiest is number 3 but this is not always practical and anyway, the baby shows are geared up for those with bumps and babes.

Those with bumps:-
Before you go:
- Have a look who will be there. This is an ideal opportunity to look at things you may not have considered before - a baby sling, professional photography, cloth nappies (!). If you KNOW what you want e.g a certain brand of pram, then research your prices beforehand as most exhibitors offer some fantastic deals (and you don't want to miss out as you don't realise what great offers there are!!!).
- Cash vs cards. Most of the larger retailers will take cards, but have some cash to hand for food and smaller purchases. There will be cashpoints at the sites, but the queues can be long......

On the day:
- comfy shoes, comfy clothes (don't bother with a big coat, if you can, just a couple of layers you can take off and fold into a bag) etc. You will be doing a LOT of walking.
- pop a few snacks into your bag (e.g some unsalted nuts, fruit bars). Also, if there is room (or you have a handy person to carry it for you), a small bottle of water. There are plenty of eateries around, but around the traditional lunchtimes they get very busy, and I remember getting VERY CRANKY when pregnant and hungry. If you can, eat a bit earlier or later, the queues will be shorter!

Those with Babes/Small children
All of the above apply, but in addition:-

- Go early! Fewer crowds, less hassle, shorter queues especially at the popular stands. Children seem to have the attention span of a goldfish, so the sooner you get there. Friday is usually a quiet day as well, so if you can, consider going then instead of the busier weekend.
- Research is particular important, as it is harder to browse, so you may want to choose your route and chosen stands more carefully. Kids don't enjoy shopping, so keep it minimal.
- Divide and conquer! If you have one toddler and mum is pregnant again, get Dad to go to one of the juice stands or watch one of the shows/presentations with little one while Mum investigates nappies etc. They will both thank you for it!
- Snacks for toddler/bottles for baby (if applicable). We had a picnic at the edge of the main hall at the NEC in 2007! The seats generally are where the food stalls are, so a nice quiet patch of ground with some sarnies for our 15month old, and a chance for very pregnant mummy was very welcome. We were not the only ones doing these impromptu picnics. I also took a little Tupperware tub of dried fruit which my toddler nibbled on while we had important conversations with retailers. Everyone is happy.
- DON'T PANIC!!! If you forget something. There will be free disposable nappies, free wipes, as well as samples of other goodies should you forget something. As my Dad said, provided you have some money, you are ok, you can buy what you forget.

For the more eco minded amongst you....
You will be inundated with plastic bags filled with paper - try to resist, ask them for a flyer if there is a product you want, but take a reusable bag instead.
We were also very into our cloth nappies by the time I was pregnant with baby number 2, and we used bumGenius One Size nappies when out and about as they were so easy (and quick!) to put on and off. They were a blessing on the day and admired by other (non cloth using) mums for their pretty colours and how quick we were at changing the nappy!)

I hope you enjoy your Baby Show experience, take it all in your stride and pace yourself. It really is baby shopping heaven :)

Definitely come over to the bumGenius stand - you will be sure of a warm welcome and mention you read the blog!

We've had quite a few questions from consumers and retailers alike regarding Flip nappies. We thought the only way we could really tell you all everything you want to know was to spend time really getting hands-on with the nappy in question!  
After spending an entire day doing almost everything imaginable with a Flip nappy (handling, playing with, pulling, sizing), I've put together some answers to FAQ's.  If there's anything here that I haven't covered drop an email to info@babame.com and I'll soon clear that up!

Similarities

• Both covers are on special offer now - buy 1 + get 1 FREE!
  
• Flip and Econobum covers have form fitting elastic to prevent leaks
• Both covers are made from the same great waterproof fabric
• Both covers have identical snaps (except for colour variations)
• Both covers are made using the same durable elastic
• Both covers are compatible with the Econobum prefold Insert, Flip Stay Dry Insert, Flip Organic Insert, Flip Disposable Insert
  

Differences

• Econobum cover available in white only, Flip cover is available in 3 colours
• Econobum cover has one row of snaps at the top, Flip has two
• Econobum cover costs £8.99, Flip cover costs £10.95
• Flip cover has two contour flaps which the insert fits easily under
• Flip cover has unique butterfly closure tabs