Potty training... The simple and mess free way it worked for me!

Before I go any further I must emphasise that I am not expert in this field and I am not saying my way is the correct way however within 1 week my 2.5 year old boy was dry and a couple of weeks after that we conquered #2's. What I will say is that I did not have to scrub my carpet or furniture!

My mother had been telling me that the best time to train is in the summer as it's warmer which as it turns out is true... However I would say that I technically started training little T long before he even sat on a potty. He was given a book for his 2nd birthday back in April called Pirate Pete's Potty...

I started reading this book to him a couple of times a week and getting him to tell me the story as we go along. I didn't realise the benefit this would have a few months down the line as it means he sort of  knew the drill! 

When searching for the right potty I went online and had a google around coming across some pretty funky designs with buttons and noises etc but I ended up going for a simple blue 2 piece Mickey Mouse potty from Mothercare as Little T would have ended up spending more time pressing a pretend flush than sitting on the potty itself! 

At this point my son was around 2 years and 3 months... I knew he wasn't quite ready as he had never indicated his need to pee or even really referred to it. I was insistent that nobody get involved and confuse him until I knew he was ready (ie grandparents!). We had some holiday time booked away over the summer so I decided that I wouldn't even approach the subject with him until we are settled back home. 

Come first week of August (T-Minus 4 weeks before he starts a few mornings a week at nursery) and he was happily playing in the bath when he says "T do wee wee"... That was the break through moment when I thought "oh crap, I actually need to deal with this potty training thing, urgh!!) 

Things I bought that proved useful:

Simple blue Mickey Mouse potty (mothercare)

Simple blue Mickey Mouse toilet seat

Step stool for hand washing 

8 pairs of cotton underwear aged 2-3 as I was advised not to go for a small size that's hard for them to put on and off.

2 packs of Huggies Pull Ups

My memory at the best of times is pretty shocking so the first 4 days I made notes of every drop and plop that my son produced to get a rough idea of how frequently/infrequently he went.

I can say that the first 2 days I spent good chunks of the day in the bathroom with the potty in the middle of the room. I brought in a box of Duplo and a few cars in and as it was a super hot day he was just in a t-shirt and no bottoms. The floor is tiled so if he was to have an accident it's easy to clean (unlike my cream living room carpet!) however he never actually did make any mess, as the potty was right there it was a constant reminder. 

When we weren't in the bathroom I put him in pull ups which I called pants so he treated them like pants instead of nappies. The pull ups are great as they have the picture fading logo which indicates when wet. 

We had a sticker chart which he got to stick 1 sticker for a pee and 2 for a #2! It came in this little book:

I carried on this process for the whole week using only pull ups and the potty and watching as day by day he got dryer and dryer to the point where he was wearing the same pair of pull ups all day! At night we were using a regular nappy as being dry all night will take more time.

For week 2 I made the switch from pull ups all day to regular pants and only using pull ups when I knew he was going to take a nap or be in the car for a long time. He was quite happy to treat them like regular pants. I understand why some parents think that pull ups confuse the child but if you treat them like regular underwear so will they. When little T wet his pull ups I would explain to him that he did wee wee in his pants and not his potty and also emphasise that we now have to put on a clean new pair.

Out and about was my fear as I absolutely despise public toilets and avoid them at all costs - now I can't!! I bought this fantastic folding seat that completely covers the front half of the toilet and has handles to avoid any contact with a germ ridden public loo!

I bought it for £6.99 from Boots! 

My essential out and about kit consists of:

Foldable toilet seat

Hand sanitiser

Wet wipes

Spare pants

I taught little T to keep his hand so his head while I set up the folded seat and when I'm dressing him to avoid him touching anything - I'm crazy I know but some loos are truly horrendous!!!!

By week 3 (baring in mind he wasn't really having accidents past week 1) I then had the confidence to switch to regular pants full time with no use of pull ups. He started nursery a week after that and I was happy to tell them he is potty trained! Obviously with all the distractions at nursery he had a few accidents but now a month in I can rest assured the job is done! 

Good luck to all parents that have to go through this, whatever way works for you just go for it!!

Tiana xxx

Baby Changing Bag Review - Il Tutto "Nico" Bag

Before I start I just want to state that this review is based on my own personal experience with this particular baby changing bag over the last 2 years and is not in any way endorsed by Il Tutto themselves.

Being a 'slight' bag obsessive person pre-baby, I knew that my choice of baby bag that I was going to be using on a daily basis was not one I was going to take lightly....yes yes I know its just a bag but its not really lets be honest! It needed it to be the right size, shape, material, colour and a touch of celeb status to make me happy - no judgement for my shallowness please haha.
After many weeks of mother-daughter shopping trips we strolled into Blossom Mother and Child on Walton Street in South Kensington - and there it was.... The "Nico" bag in Navy Blue, sat on a pedestal.
It was exactly what I was looking for, a discrete Mary Poppins Bag that would easily contain all baby's and my bits and pieces yet still look stylish! Not to mention the fact that the blue was a perfect match for my Bugaboo Cameleon.Being only 7 months pregnant at the time I was yet to find out just how much "stuff" I would eventually be stuffing in this bag!
Firstly what I loved about it at first glance is that it did not say "mummy" or "baby" anywhere on the bag, the fabric is a patent leather that to this day still looks brand new and shiny. With 2 outside end pockets and a zip along the back these would prove to be very useful for those frequent use items such as keys, soothers and bibs!

It comes with a changing pad, insulated bottle holder, clear plastic zip pouch for wet items however I do warn mums that if you are using Tommee Tippee Bottles then they don't fit in the bottle holder sadly however the inside pockets are wide and deep so I used to put bottles there no problem.

The inside lining has a zipper along the bottom so can easily be removed for wiping down and cleaning crumbs....many MANY crumbs! With many inside pockets I had a place for everything so nothing was floating around getting lost...spare socks, baby bottles/sippy cups, mini Tupperware's with snacks, mini first aid kit... you name it, it was in there! The central cavity of the bag was really very spacious so when little T was at the age of very likely spit up, I had to carry around half his wardrobe which was never a problem.

The long strap is adjustable so I would often have it at its smallest so it would hang over the Bugaboo handle bars without getting in the way and easy to carry on the shoulder too.

The likes of lovely lady's like Dannii Minogue and Denise Van Outen also carried the Nico in Navy!

The Nico has been on many travel adventures with us from Beirut to Dubai to Monaco... very well travelled bag (and baby!) Here are some pics i've dug up!

My proud moment - putting together the Bugaboo Cameleon on my own and hanging my new shiny bag on it, dreaming of the little person i'd soon have :)

At Hyde Park with little T (he's wearing a baby Steiff romper with Trumpette socks - those were the easy days at the park! Now I have to run!

My little curious monkey stealing his snacks (he's wearing a Chicco blazer, Diesel white top and Jacadi Paris jeans)

In Dubai visiting my parents, the Nico survived high heats, sand and probably a fair amount of chlorine!

In Monaco sneaking in some shopping with my mum during nap time!

The Il Tutto Nico Bag can be purchased from:

Babes with Babies: http://www.babeswithbabies.com/

Harrods Baby Department

Mamas and Papas Stores and Online

It retails from £149 - £199.

I simply love this bag and I couldn't recommend it more!

www.lepetitbonbon.co.uk 

p.s this is also a good daddy bag!! Daddy D had no problem carrying it when he was out and about with little T as its pretty neutral! 

New beginnings...

So I have made the decision to start this blog from scratch and make it more relevant to my life and my work. I'll start by introducing myself in bullet form to save me from dragging on and losing your interest before i've even started:

• I'm 29 years old
• Wife of  5 years 
• Mum to a 2 year old little boy Little T
• Trained Interior Architect
• Lover of most unhealthy food choices 
• I have a big, loud and over caring Middle Eastern family 
• I'm a tad OCD and a control freak 
• I love all things creative and made by hand, hence my new career path
• I knew very little about running a business when I set mine up 2 years ago
• Photoshop lover
• I watch Neighbours religiously and I keep up with the Kardashians - Judge me all you like...
• I love my little boy more than the air I breathe and every day I spend with him is amazing even though we are most definitely dealing with the terrible 2's.
• I vow to be honest and every opinion I state on this blog is my own...

I've been an avid user of facebook for many years now but Twitter has opened up a new world for me in the last 5 months. I've met some amazing and inspiring small business owners and some lovely mums  that I can really relate to. 

I would also like to write reviews on things that I believe have been invaluable to me in the last 2 years of being a mum, I have found these sorts of reviews so helpful since joining Twitter so I hope to help out other mums in the same way.

A little about Le Petit Bonbon...

LPB was born not long after we decided to start a family. I knew from the beginning I wanted to be at home with my baby until he was ready to go to school but I also knew I wasn't able to be "just a mum", I didn't want to lose my identity and everything I had worked so hard for until that point.

It all started with the decorated chocolates, a traditional Middle Eastern tradition used for engagements, weddings, new babies and most celebrations really. I wanted to bring this tradition to the UK as they are just so unique and not to mention delicious. After many MANY different chocolate suppliers I have finally found one who's chocolate is to die for and I spend many hours experimenting with lots of unique designs. It is only in the last few months that we have evolved into specialising in the "New Baby" market which is where my main interests and passions lie and I am currently designing a whole new range of new baby gifts that are totally unique! 

I hope you will follow me on this journey and I look forward to your comments and making new friends.

Tiana xx