Bambino Mio Cloth Nappies

Since our launch in August we've been overwhelmed by the interest in our natural nappy range. Despite the initial costs involved in buying natural nappies being quite large, we've had a huge number of enquiries about our nappies and a record number of sales. This is great news as it shows mums in Spain are really interested in the benefits afforded by using cloth nappy systems. These benefits include helping the environment and saving a huge amount of money over the two years or so that your child will be using nappies.

So far we've stocked the Imse Vimse range which we feel to be the best all in one natural nappy system on the market. Imse Vimse nappies are 'all in one' ( ie no covers, cloths etc ), so they look a little like disposables and are very easy to put as they follow the same design. They are oraganic and come with a number of accessories including bins, washing nets, sanitiser,

liners and booster pads.

Due to the interest in our nappies we are now delighted to offer a second alternative ... Bambino Mio. Bambino Mio is an award winning brand that has been a front runner in the natural nappy market for some years now. Bambino Mio nappies differ from Imse Vimse in that they are similar to the more traditional cloth nappy system and so you get a number of cloths and waterproof covers. But don't worry there are no pins ... today's nappy sytems are comfy and hygenic and use velcro or button fastenings.

We are delighted now to be able to offer our customers in Spain these two high quality and top of the market real nappy systems. Both are excellent quality, cost effective and highly recommended by parenting experts. We hope that by offering two completely different systems that vary in style and cost, we are able to cater for all our customers needs and lifestyles.

To find out more about our Imse Vimse and Bambino Mio resuable nappy systems in Spain please visit http://www.indybel.com/ and check our our Natural Nappy section in the baby store.

JoJo Maman Bebe arrives in Spain ....

We are delighted to announce that we are currently the first and only Spanish stockists for the popular and well renouned UK baby brand JoJo Maman Bebe!

We have long been fans of this hugely successful brand which has several UK stores as well as a thriving online business throughout the world. JJMB are well known for the quality of their products, innovative products and organic products and we are therefore delighted to be working with them in Spain and hope our customers will enjoy the chance to order JoJo Maman Bebe quickly and easily here in Spain.

We will be launching the range with a small selection but hope to grow by the autumn. Products now on the indybel.com site include a family sized UV tent, gorgeous maternity tankini's which are part swim suit, part bikini! A lovely maternity kaftan which can be worn on the beach or over trousers and the popular organic swaddling blankets ... if these items are popular we hope to expand to include the gorgeous organic clothing range for newborns in the autumn and many other popular JoJo Maman Bebe items.
We are really excited about bringing this brand to Spain and hope our customers will love the products as much as we do!

Check out JoJo Maman Bebe at www.indybel.com in Spain NOW!

Buying a toddler bed in Spain part 2!!!

Having bought our toddler a new Ikea bed we took it home and decided to put it up. When I say we I actually mean I decided to put it up! The good news is that assembling an Ikea bed is ridiculously easy, even for a fairly small female with little DIY experience. It took me just under an hour and required no drilling or anything scary like that! The biggest challenge was working out which nail was which and trying to equate the peices of bed to the not so great pictures in the manual! So the bed frame was done ... hurrah and our toddler was hugely excited. So we dragged the brand new Ikea mattress out of it's plastic cover and were hit by a really horrible, potent, strong smell.

Bella was very excited so we put the mattress on the bed, but after about half n hour the whole room smelt awful and we weren't happy about using it at all. I decided to contact the Ikea online customer services who told me that the smell was from a chemical which was a 'fire redundant' and that the mattress should be aired for 2 days before use. Now, it seems to me that if a mattress should be aired before use to get rid of chemicals then it should say so somewhere, but there is no warning on the packaging and no instructions to air. When I pointed this out to Ikea they agreed with me!! So it was off to our garden for the mattress for 2 days of airing and then we shall reassess. In the meantime it took a lot of chocolate to persuade Bella to sleep in her cot for a few more nights!

The final part of what was turning into a bit of a farce was when I decided to check her new Ikea duvet to make sure that didn't smell of chemicals too ... it didn't ... but when I tried to open it I found the store had left the security tag on. Great, I don't fancy a half hour drive just to remove a security tag so I'm going to have to cut it out and then sew the duvet back up, unless anyone can mail me instructions for removing a security tag at home.

The next morning I went into the garden to sniff at the mattress and it still smelt very strong to me, so I contacted Ikea again and again they confirmed it was a fire chemical, that it would need a few days airing and that it was totally safe for a child to sleep on the mattress. For anyone having a similar problem here is the transcript of my conversation with Ikea!

User (10:43):
Hi, I bought a sultan dromma mattress for a 2 year olds bed. When we opened it yesterday it had a terrible smell, really strong and potent. I spoke to a lady on this site who said to air it for a couple of days as it was a chemical. This seems very odd and I am becoming increasingly worried about a child sleepign on this mattress. It has been airing for 24 hours now and still smells very strong. Can you please confirm that this is normal and that it is safe for a child to sleep on or should I consider a different mattress?
Sara (10:48):
Yes this is normal with all of our mattresse''s, it is a fire retardent that they put on it. you need to air it for a few day''s but it will be fine.
User (10:49):
Why is there nothing on the packaging about airing it? And is it safe to use this kind of chemical on a child''s mattress?
Sara (10:52):
It is safe it''s just unfortunate that it has a bad smell. Im not sure why it doesn''t say to air it on the packaging. I do apologise about that.
User (10:54):
So even if it still smells in a few days it is safe to use with a child? I think there should be a warning on the packaging and I don''t think these types of chemicals should be used in bedding? Have you recieved any other complaints about this or has anyone got sick from sleeping on your mattresses?
Sara (11:00):
We have had a few asking about the smell but we have had anyone complain about being sick because of it.
User (11:00):
Ok, so finally can you please confirm that this chemical is definitly 100% safe for a toddler to sleep on.
Sara (11:02):
Yes it is.
User (11:02):
thank you
Sara (11:03):
Is there anything else I can help you with?
User (11:03):
No thank you
Sara (11:04):
Ok thank you for contacting IKEA.

Well ...maybe I'm being over cautious but it does seem very strange to me!

If anyone else has any experience of this please do let us know....

Pregnant in Spain?

We currently have a special offer on our Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea ...

50% Off!!!!

The tea is reduced to clear and expires end of July 09.

A great offer for those in the last stages of pregnancy and looking to drink the tea now! To take advantage of this great offer visit our new sales section at http://www.indybel.com/

Buying your toddlers first bed in Spain ...

Finally our two year old is getting too big for her cot and the time has come to buy her first bed!

This seems like a really momentous occassion, not just because of the practicalities involved in choosing the right bed, but because she'll now have the freedom of independence! She'll be able to roam about as and when she chooses and life as we know it is over!! This is where baby proofing really comes into it's own and even in her 'child's' bedroom I have realised that there are numerous 'bits and bobs' that are going to have to be moved to higher levels.

But change is a good thing and there is no stopping this change, even if we wanted too, as shortly her feet will be banging on the bottom of the cot!

So where do you start with a toddler bed? After some research it seemed to me that we had two options. Firstly we could buy a childs bed, these in many ways seemed 'better' as they are lower, safer and designed to help children adapt to a 'big bed' ... or we could just buy a normal bed and use a bed rail. This option seemed more cost effective as there doesn't seem to be a lot of point in buying a childs bed that will be outgrown in a few years ... so many decisions and so difficult to know what is right.

When I spoke to all my friends ( poor Bella is the last one still in a cot! ) they all had one word for me 'Ikea' and so off I went.

The choice at Ikea is great and the prices are good, but be warned, bed prices are for the structure of the bed only and don't include the slats, mattress or covers etc ... A couple of my friends had gone for bunk options, the ikea bunks are great as they can be started off on the lower levels or as a single bed with the upper levels added later. We weren't sure about bunks and had decided to go for the adult single bed option, but when I actually went to Ikea and saw the children's extendable beds I changed my mind.

I had seen these on the internet and discarded them as too much trouble and also wasn't sure whether I'd have to buy numerous mattresses, but actually you just buy one mattress with extendable peices. As children's beds they were low and had small rails to help your toddler stay in. The extendable beds have 3 options ... cot size, 165cm and 200cm. As normal beds go to 200cms this seemed like a good deal, this bed has the same lenght as a normal bed ( although slightly smaller width wise ) and has the added advantage of being lower and having a built in bedrail. In the end we decided that this bed would be fine for at least 3 -5 years and hopefully after for a second child. So the 160€ which included bed, slats and a thick mattress ( there was a cheaper thinner option ) seemed pretty good value...
All my friends have been pretty happy with their Ikea beds and all their toddlers have adjusted really well. We'll be putting ours up next week and fingers crossed our little todder likes hers just as much as her friends!

Check out Ikea in Spain at http://www.ikea.com/

Don't forget indybel also stock a range of bedrails for toddler beds at

http://www.indybel.com/

Spoil Yourself!

As mums we have very little time to spoil ourselves these days, we are always rushing around and concerntrating on the little one's .... if you have cash to spare it inevitably goes on something for your children rather than for youself and yet we all need a little boost now and again. And so today it was with a big smile that I dropped my daughter off at nursery and went to my hairdressers for a well earned morning of pampering.

I am not someone who gets my hair cut very regularly, so when I do I really enjoy the 'experience' and make the most of a sitting down with a magazine and a cut of tea.

My hairdresser is based in Fuengirola and is fab. His name is Calvin and the salon is david glen hairdressing ... the telephone number is 952 472 641 and is based near the horses fountain / roundabout.

I discovered Calvin about 3 years ago after visiting numerous hairdressers in Spain and haven't looked back since. He's an excellent colourist and a great hairdresser and his prices are REALLY reasonable. My hair always gets great comments after a visit to Calvin's and so I hope he'll be around for a long time yet and not thinking of rushing back to Manchester!

So if you're a mum and feel like a boost, take a little time off to spoil yourself and get your hair done ... it does make you feel better .. promise!

Real Nappy Week ...

The 27th of April see's the start of Real Nappy Week ... and a great opportunity to raise awareness of the environmental issues surrounding nappies and to promote natural nappy systems here in Spain ...

For example did you know .... ?

* It is estimated that ONE disposable nappy takes between 200 and 500 years to decompose

* When you consider that 8 MILLION nappies are disposed of EACH DAY in the UK ... that's a lot of nappy waste laying in landfill sites!

* Using natural nappies should save you nearly 900 euros during a 2 year period!

* Natural nappy systems today are easy, hygenic and simple to use. No pins, no fuss ... soft and user friendly nappies that can be easily washed along with your family washing.

In support of Real Nappy Week from 27th April - 3rd of May, we'll be taking 10% off both our Imse Vimse and Bambino Mio resuable and natural nappy ranges, including buckets, sanitizer and accessories.

To find out more visit http://www.indybel.com/

Bug's and Moo's ... Coming soon to Spain

Cuddlemoo towel available soon at www.indybel.com

Is your toddler a bug or a moo?

Cuddlebug towel avaliable soon at www.indybel.com

So cute ...

Buy bug's and moo's at http://www.indybel.com/ / in stock end of April 09

Perfect for bath or beach! The latest best seller from Cuddledry ... for little one's who love to dress up and dry!

Pregnancy and Baby Gift Boxes in Spain ... finally here!

It's long been a plan of our's at Indybel to create pregnancy and baby gift boxes to send as presents to family or friends celebrating a new baby or pregnancy in Spain, so as you can imagine we are delighted to finally launch our Gift box collection.

The gift boxes are particularly important to us because it became clear when we had our own babies that there are a lack of practical, unique and beautiful gifts that are avaliable on the market to celebrate pregnancy and new baby, hence you tend to receive a lot of baby gro's, teddy bears and flowers!

Our pregnancy and baby gift boxes have been specially created and filled with all the things we would have loved to have received. They can be delivered to the home or hospital making a truely unique present. At present our gift boxes include

I'm Pregnant

Babies as Nature Intended

Luxury Hosptial Gift Box

The gift boxes are quite 'large' items and are ideal as a present from a group ... so for example a group of siblings may want to send another sibling a gift box, a group of work colleagues may want to mark a pregnant colleagues leaving with a gift box, a group of friends may want to send a box to another friend to celebrate their new baby or a generous husband may just want to surprise his pregnant wife.

We hope you enjoy our new Indybel Gift Boxes and we are 100% sure that any new or expectant mum will be overjoyed to receive one.

I'm pregnant Gift Box available at www.indybel.com

Check out our new gift wrapping too .... only 3€!!!!! Simply select a gift or present from any of our stores and add the gift wrapping to your cart. We'll do the rest!

Gift Wrapping now available for your pregnancy and baby presents at www.indybel.com

This gorgeous gift box, gift wrapping and more can be found in the Indybel Gift Box section on http://www.indybel.com/

Oh and don't forget to check out our ideas for 'perfect presents' too

Buying a gift for a new mum or pregnant friend in Spain has never been so easy!

Dr Berral

A few weeks ago I sadly suffered a miscarriage with my second pregnancy. The miscarriage was what is known as a 'missed miscarriage' or silent miscarriage, in other words there was no sign of the miscarriage until the scan and the miscarriage was not going to happen naturally and so I was advised to go to hospital for a D&C.

As with all things in Spain nothing was simple and after several rather stressful visits to the hospital my D&C was arranged. The day before the operation the hospital gave me some tablets to take during the night, they would begin the dilation process therefore making the procedure easier and less painful. When I got home that afternoon it occured to me that I had never heard of taking tablets before a D&C and so of course I did the worse thing possible and googled the tablets!!! I was confronted with a number of horror stories about these tablets, their side effects and what may happen to me during the night if I took them! I have to say that this was not the best afternoon for me to be reading these kind of stories and as you can imagine being in a rather fragile state emotionally anyway, I was beginning to get seriously stressed!!

I realised that I did not have to take these tablets, that the procedure could be done anyway, but in my fragile emotional state after several days of waiting was worried that if I didn't take them the hospital might refuse to do the op. I tried phoning the hospital but the 'helpful' receptionist ( not! ) wouldn't put me through to anyone and told me that in her 'medical opinion' I should take the tablets. My own gynocologist was unavaliable and so in desperation I decided to ring Dr Berral.

Dr Berral is a British trained Gynaecologist and Obstretrician who I had visited twice at his private clinic in Marbella. The first time for a 4D scan during my first pregnancy and the second time when I was having some gynaecological problems last year. Both times I found Dr Berral very helpful, professional and kind. I was still worried about calling though as with regards to the miscarriage I wasn't his patient and it was late at night by this stage.

When I called however Dr Berral couldn't have been more patient, helpful or kind. He talked me through why the tablets were given to me, what would happen if I took them, he reasurred me that if I didn't take them it shoudn't make any difference and spent a good ten minutes or so calming me down and making me feel better about it all. Just after I spoke to him my gynaecologist ( who I had left about 15 messages for ! ) rang back and also reassured me as to what would happen. Having spoken to both these doctors I felt much better and did take the tablets ( but naughily a lower dose than I was supposed too .... the next day at the hosptial they didn't even mention them!!!! Typical! ).

I am immensly grateful to Dr Berral for taking the time to take my call, it's really nice to know that there are dr's out there who are happy to help and can give impartial and realistic advice.

If you are looking for a gynaecologist or obstetrician in Marbella then here is some more info about Dr Berral

Dr Berral is a British trained consultant, Gynaecologist and Obstetrician based in central Marbella. He offers a range of women's services including a well women clinic, pregnancy support and private deliveries. The specialised ante-natal care includes blood testing on site, 3D/4D ultrasounds and advice on all aspects of the health of mother and baby. Antenatal classes are also avaliable along with help on making a birth plan and arranging a private delivery if you wish.

To visit Dr Berral's website or make an appointment click here...

New Organic Trade Fair comes to Malaga - Soy Natura

This Thursday is the start of Soy Natura in Malaga, the first health, quality of life and sustainable development fair of it's kind in this area.

We are definintly planning on going as it sounds like a great day out as well as being a really useful source of natural businesses and products for all the family.

The exibitors include children's products and toys, handicrafts, foods, health, recycling, renewable energy sources, natural cosmetics, gardening and really every area you can think of!

In addition the organisers say that Soy Natura is a family event where parents can find out more about eco friendly products and children can participate in a number of activites especially organised for them and spend time in a special 'thematic' playroom!

The event takes place at the Palacio de Congressos in Malaga from the 16th - 19th April. For more info on opening times and entrance please visit the official website at http://www.fycma.com/index.asp?idLenguaje=1#/goEvento/Soy%20Natura//Informacion_General/

Sounds like a great and interesting day out for all the family ... maybe we'll see you there!

UV and summer product launch at indybel.com

At Indybel we care deeply about protecting babies and toddlers from the strong sun but at the same time allowing them to enjoy their time outdoors and to really benefit from living in Spain. For these reasons we are proud to launch our new summer/beach range of UV protective products including cool baby sunglasses, cute sunhats and mulit purpose sunshades. We are also really exicted about our new range of washable baby swim nappies which are both environmentally friendly and cost effective. At the end of April we'll be adding the fab new toddler towel from the Cuddledry range which is perfect for beach or bathtime and a family sized UV tent which is great for both beach and garden and can be used for feeding, sleeping, changing and playing!

BabyBanz Sunglasses and Sombrero’s

… Baby Banz products have been recognized for the outstanding protection and UV damage prevention all of their products offer children ages 0-10.
Their products have won awards the world over for both innovative design and sun protection safety. Baby Banz were originally designed in Australia for one of the world’s toughest UV environments. Clinically tested by one of the world’s leading authorities on sunglasses, Baby Banz have passed the most stringent standards on sunglasses in the world.

The gorgeous sunhat range is UV tested, size adjustable and excellent value for money. The long rim ensure babies neck and eyes are protected too. Sunglasses and hats are available in various sizes and colours, prices start at 17.95€ for sunglasses and just 12.50€ for sombreros!!!!

Buy Shade-a-babe in Spain

Features include UPF50+ sun visor – the highest Ultraviolet Protection Factor fabric rating available. This gives your baby 98% protection from the sun’s UV rays / UPF10 glare shield to protect baby’s eyes / UPF3 lower mesh protects from insects and wind and filters UV rays entering through lower half of the pushchair, whilst still offering good vision and ventilation.

A one stop complete and total sun protection solution for the modern mum in Spain. An absolute must have or a great gift.

Imse Vimse Washable Swim Nappies – These cute award winning Imse Vimse swim nappies are perfect for beach or pool and long summers in Spain! They are ultra comfy for your little one's and the washable design means they are both environmentally friendly and cost effective. A great summer buy at just 13.80€ per pair. Available in 3 cute designs for boys and girls.

We recognise that protecting your baby and toddler from the hot summer sun in Spain is of the utmost importance to all mums in Spain and so have strived to find products and brands that are world renowned for their effectiveness in sun protection as well as being cost effective for the customer.

All the above products and more can be found NOW on our main site www.indybel.com

Baby Showers in Spain

Last week a friend of ours threw a baby shower for another friend who is expecting next month and we were delighted to go along and celebrate her nearly imminent arrival!

Baby showers are largely an American concept and a favourite for celebrity mums in particular! But they have recently become popular in the UK and are now starting to be heard of here in Spain. The idea is to 'shower' mum to be with gifts and to have a bit of fun before baby arrives and mum is too tired to get together with all her friends!
Baby showers are very flexible concepts, you can organise as much or as little as you like! Traditionally they are thrown by friends, not by mum to be herself and are normally held at a friends home. Showers can be relaxed and simply involve a cup of tea, a gossip and the giving of gifts or it can be more elaborate with games, food, music and a real party atmosphere.

We had great fun at our friends baby shower and it was lovely to 'send her off' to motherhood in style.

At Inybel we now offer a baby shower service. This includes organising a shower for you or helping you to organise a shower and bringing a selection of gifts along for mum to be to choose from on the day. This way guests don't have to worry about what to buy and what mum to be needs or doesn't need as they can simply purchase something she really loves on the day! Mum can also make up a list and guests can purchase from our site at a later date, we'll then deliver everything gift wrapped to mum to be on a date of her choice. We can also organise games, food and music if desired and a few little extra's like our Indybel Baby Shower guest book.

We took one of these along to the baby shower we attended the other week and all the guests wrote lovely messages of good wishes and advice to the mum to be and she loved it!

If you'd like to find out more about our baby showers, check out our baby shower article in the main menu on our homepage

Or drop us a mail at info@indybel.com and we'll get back to you with more information!

Skip Hop bags now avaliable at www.indybel.com

They've arrived!! The gorgeous skip hop bags are now avalaible to buy at indybel.com ... if you are a new parent in Spain or looking for a gift for a new mum or dad in Spain then you won't want to miss the opportunity to purchase one of these fab changing bags ...

Don't forget to check our our HUGE introductory offer on the City Chic model ...normal price 120€ ... our price for a LIMITED PERIOD ONLY just 90€!!!!