Going on holiday to Spain with a baby ... or two!

My sister is coming out next week for an impromtu holiday with her two very small children and so suddenly needs a huge amount of baby stuff! The dilemma she is facing is similar to that which many families face when taking babies on holiday .... you don't and can't travel with too much and you don't want to have to buy everything when you get there ... so what do you do?

Most hotels will supply you with the basics but there are still things you might need. If you are hiring an appartment as my sister is you will often need to find the basics yourself. My sisters main 'want' was a cot for her 18 month old. We can lend her one cot for her newborn but she still needs a second one. So I started to do some research and came across a company called Holiday Hires who hire out baby equiptment throughout the Costa del Sol.

They have a wide range of baby stuff at affordable prices including wooden and travel cots, high chairs, push chairs and safety items. Holiday Hires do not just hire out baby stuff, if you are coming on holiday to the Costa del Sol you can also use them to hire mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and mobility scooters as well as more general items that you might not think you are going to need on holiday, but suddenly find you can't do without .... eg fans, kettles, fridges, microwaves, fold up beds and even Wii machines!!! So keep their details handy if coming out here on holiday.

My sister's wooden cot costs 35€ for 7 days hire which is pretty good and comes with a mattress and sheets. Holiday Hires were also really quick to get back to me after our initial enquiry and very helpful re drop off and pick up times.

Their team also assemble anything that you order and that's all included in the price! To find out more about Holiday Hires take a look at their website http://www.holidayhires.net/ and have a great holiday!!!

Babybjorn Travel Cot Light

The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is a fantastic travel cot ... it's easy to carry, easy to set up, comfortable, stylish, light and created with the highest safety standards in mind ...

It's not difficult to see why the travel cot is so popular for holiday and has recently become one of our bestsellers.







The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is readily avaliable in Spain but not so easy to buy in the UK, for this reason we have sent several cots recently to UK customers and have several enquiries per week about this product from the UK.



Delivery to the UK costs in the region of 40€ using a secure courier service and takes approx 2 - 4 days!



If you are a UK customer and would like to order the Babybjorn Travel Cot Light for your holiday then please email info@indybel.com for more information. Or check out the travel cot on our website http://www.indybel.com/. The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is avaliable in Blue or Silver and we can also supply the lovely cosy 100% organic cotton fitted sheets ....

New Product News .... The BabyDan Security Starter Set

Babyproofing can be a bit scarey ... there are so many hazards in the home it's difficult to know what to proctect your baby from first without being overprotective ... as parents we want to make sure our little one's are safe but at the same time it's important to let them explore and yes even have one or two little tiny accidents. I don't mean I let my toddler zap her fingers in plug sockets or stick her head in the oven, but the odd fall or knock warns your toddler to be wary of corners and hard floors and reminds them that they are not invincible!

When we started babyproofing our home I bought a whole array of products ... some good, some bad. We went through several table corner pads until we found some that stuck and as our toddler wasn't particularly interested in the toilet or fridge we never needed those locks, although we did need some for the kitchen cupboards, esp those full of cleaning products and the drawers where she seemed to delight in getting her fingers caught!

It's expensive buying so many products, so I'm really pleased that at indybel we now sell the BabyDan Security Starter Set ... this 21 peice box set contains everything you need to get started .... corner cushions, door stop, cupboard locks, plug covers and so on ..... once you know what you really need you can always buy more, but this is a really economical way to start!

Find the BabyDan security Starter set in Spain in our Babyproofing section in the Baby Store at http://www.indybel.com/

Reiny Season

It must be reiny season ...!

I say this because toddler harnesses and reins suddenly seem to be the 'hot' baby product in Spain of the moment!

I used reins with my toddler and found them to be really useful. There is a period when excitable toddlers find out they can just about walk ( or stumble ) and start to really explore the world. This is great fun for them but when you are out and about it can be a worry for parents ... you need to be able to keep a strong hold on your toddler especially in busy places such as supermarkets, parks and markets ... This is where the simple baby harness comes into it's own. It allows you to keep a hold of your toddler while also giving them freedom to explore their surroundings safely.

In Spain there is quite a negative attitude to reins from the more traditional parents. I think they see them as unneccesary and uncomfortable. Yet while they might have been right in more innocent times, the truth is that in this day and age, as a parent, I want to be able to really keep a hold of my child. It's another interesting culteral difference between Spanish and British parents. That said we are selling reins to the Spanish too, so attitudes are starting to change ...

For parents who don't want to restrict their children too obviously we have recently found a brilliant invention. It's called My First Back Pack and is a toddler backpack which also functions as a harness for parents to hold onto .... toddlers love wearing them and hardly realise they attached to their parents! They also look really cute ....

To buy our Sure Steps conventional toddler reins or My First Backpack here in Spain check out http://www.indybel.com/

New Product Arrival - Sock On's

It's an age old problem....

....When they get to a certain age babies love to pull their socks off .... I'm not sure why they find this so much fun. I think partly because it's something they can grab without moving and have total control of and partly because it really infuriates parents! The reason for this is mainly that as a parent it means you are forever putting socks back on, losing socks and finding your baby with cold feet ....

Happily there is a solution though! The Sock on! Invented by a mother ( of course ) the Sock On is a handy little sock holder oner which keeps the sock on the baby so the baby can't take it off ...

It's as simple as that! Indybel now sell Sock On's in Spain ... visit http://www.indybel.com/ to find out more and buy while stocks last!

Cuddledry Baby Gift Box ....

Recently we've noticed that many of our customers seem to be looking for gifts for friends or family in Spain who have recently had a baby. We are therefore really excited to now be able to offer the brand new Cuddledry Baby Gift Box. Fans of the Cuddledry brand ( you may remember them from Dragon's Den ) will be aware of the fantastic quality of all the cuddledry products which are organic, innovative and award winning!

We currently stock the best selling Cuddledry Apron towel and the cute and cuddly Cuddledry Toddler Towel. Both these items have proved constantly popular since we launched nearly two years ago. We now also stock the Cuddledry Baby Gift Box, a unique and inexpensive gift which is presented in a gorgeous gold gift box. The contents include a natural wood baby hairbrush, a cute natural ducky nailbrush and an organic cotton and bamboo supersoft first facecloth. At just 15.99€ and with more and more new mummies loving natural products, this lovely gift is the perfect choice.


To buy your Cuddledry Baby Gift Box click here!

This month everyone's loving the ....

... Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow ...

Well, we don't know if midwives are suddenly recommending it, or there's been some sort of article or advert in the press, but suddenly customers throughout Spain can't get enough of the Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow ... in fact we've sold out, but don't worry new stock has just arrived ... so order yours now to avoid disappointment ....

Fed up with the rain in Spain ....?

What is going on with the weather at the moment?

Apparently the weather is all mixed up. The UK has snow from the States and we have the UK's endless rain and wind ... great! The problem with the endless rain is that it makes life very difficult for mums struggling with pushchairs, prams, toddlers, babies and bags ...

A couple of years ago at indybel we came across the fantastic buggy brolly ... a brilliant huge brolly taking the UK by (rain) storm that clips onto the bars of your pushchair or pram giving you and your little one protection from the rain ... the clip on design also means you have your hands free to grab your phone, car keys, a toddlers hand and so on ... all in all making life in the rain so much easier ...

The buggy brolly has been a great seller for us and really popular here in Spain. We've only got a few left in stock so if you fancy one, take a look now! Oh yes, the brolly is also UV lined, meaning it doubles up as a great sunshade in the summer ... so really two fantastic products for the price of one! And at just 28.99€ it's a bit of a bargain. What more could you ask for!!

Take me to the buggy brolly at indybel.com

Take Anywhere Chair - Special Offer

We still have our great special offer on our take anywhere portable high chair ... perfect for eating out or at someone else's house .... here's how you can get one for nothing!

Trunki comes to Spain ....

Ever since we saw Trunki on Dragon's Den some years ago we've been big fans!

For those of you who aren't sure what we are talking about, Trunki is a suitcase for toddlers ... the fab thing about Trunki is that your toddler can pull them along, ride on them or carry them. There is tons of room in them, they are hand luggage approved and they are most importantly mega cute ...

Yet despite Spain having the busiest airports in the World, up to now it's been virtually impossible to buy a Trunki here in Spain ... yes, we said up to now, because happily Indybel now stock the Trunki.

Of course I bought one straight away for Bella and she loves it. We haven't travelled with it yet but she rides up and down the living room on it and it's a huge fav already. We are planning to take it the UK with us at Xmas because I'm told that it's a great way of keeping kids occupied at the airport too. Another friend also told me they are fab for overnight visits to the grandparents or family.

Since we started stocking Trunki they've been hugely popular ... customer loved them at the recent Mother, Baby and Toddler show and only this morning I delivered one to a playgroup, only to come away with orders for more next week ...

So, if you are thinking of travelling anytime soon ... don't leave home without a Trunki!!

Buy your trunki in Spain now at http://www.indybel.com/

Time to start thinking togs!

Last night for the first time in weeks I put socks on my toddler when she went to bed and covered her with a sheet ... my husband wanted to get the duvet out but I don't think winters here quite yet!! The evenings have got noticably cooler though ... a welcome relief after months of sweating at night ... and little one's do feel the changes, so it's important to monitor the temperature in their bedrooms and adjust their sleeping outfits accordingly.

All this reminded me that our indybel delivery of new JoJo Maman Bebe sleeping bags should be here any day now! Like everything else, baby sleeping bags are not always easy to find in Spain. We are really excited about our latest products ... these gorgeous sleeping bags come in three different designs and two different togs ( 1.5 for warmer temperatures of 22 - 24 degrees and 2.5 for the cooler months when the temperatures even in Spain do drop below 21 degrees at night! ) We are also going to be selling them in two sizes, 0-6 months and 6-18 months ... all the details will be on our site in the next week or so, so if you are thinking of buying a sleeping bag for your little one this winter don't forget to check ours out. They are a lot cheaper than Grobag, but of the very same high quality!

Here are the 3 designs we're expecting ... all three are perfect for either girls or boys. nb the colour of Carousel is beige/cream.

Noah's Ark Sleeping Bag, coming soon to http://www.indybel.com/ in 2.5 tog size 0-6 months

Carousel Sleeping Bag, coming soon to http://www.indybel.com/ in 2.5 tog, sizes 0-6 months and 6-18 months

Rainbow Sleeping Bag, coming soon to http://www.indybel.com/ in 1.5 tog, sizes 0-6 and 6-18 months

All designs gorgeous for girls or boys!!!

Perfect potz take the worry out of weaning!!

When I weaned my baby here in Spain the biggest headache was finding little pots to store the food. When you are weaning it is more practical both time wise and financially to make large amounts of puree's up at once than to cook everyday. So you need lots of little different sized pots which are also freezable and easily washable. I couldn' t find anything much in the shops here, you either got 4 or 5 pots which cost a fortune or a few plastic pots which were cheaper but less safe.

In the end I got my mum to send stuff over from the UK where there was an assortment of stuff avaliable. So she sent me little ice cube pots with lids, a set of 8 or so pots which were far cheaper than here and so on ... but to this day as far as I am aware, weaning pots or those for taking food out and about are still not easily avaliable in Spain. The best pots for taking food out I could find were mini tupplewares which again were both expensive and too big, so impractical!

So it is with huge delight and excitment that Indybel have discovered Babypotz ( pictured above and below ) ... these fantastic baby weaning pots are currently taking the UK and Ireland by storm. The brainchild of mum Lesley O'Mahony, Babypotz are everything you need them to be! Which includes BPA free and microwave, dishwasher, freezer and sterilizer safe... More than that they come in a boxes of 50 pots ( divided into 5 different handy sizes ) so you'll never run out. And believe me, as a mum who has weaned, you need a lot more pots about than you think! Each pot has it's own lid too so you can seal them securely in the freezer and take them out with you as they are.

Babypotz in our opinion are one of the best baby products we've seen for a while. They are practical, safe, look great and are also fantastic value for money. http://www.indybel.com/ will shortly be selling Babypotz on our site for 22.99€ for a box of 50 pots, that means each pot will only cost you 46 cents!!!

Check out http://www.indybel.com/ soon to find out more about Babypotz, or to reserve a box simply email info@indybel.com telling us how many boxes you'd like to reserve!

Sales and Special Offers at www.indybel.com

We now have a Sales and Special Offers section on the site .. don't forget to keep checking this section as we will be constantly adding and changing the contents!!

Currently the Babydan playden is in this section and is reduced from 189€ to 152.50€ ...!!!! Get yours now while stocks last!!

Swaddling

As in the UK, swaddling is suddenly popular and fashionable again here in Spain with more and more midwives, hospitals and mums realising and recommending the benefits of swaddling. But what exactly is Swaddling and how do first time mums learn to swaddle?

What is Swaddling?

Swaddling has been used for thousands of years to help newborns adjust to life outside the womb. The idea is basically to ‘swaddle’ or wrap your baby so that they feel warm, secure and comfortable when sleeping. Many midwives throughout the world are fans of swaddling and often teach new mums to swaddle in the hospital.

The popularity of swaddling has risen again in recent years due to research that has suggested swaddling aids more peaceful sleep in babies as swaddling recreates the secure environment felt in the womb and prevents babies waking themselves with reflex movements.

Studies have also suggested that swaddling can help to enhance development in low birth weight babies, reduce the risk of cot death, sooth over stimulated babies and also help to reduce symptoms of colic by applying gentle pressure to their abdominal area.

Swaddling - A mums experience of Swaddling

One of my good friends who now runs the website http://www.kidsinmarbella.com/ swaddled her son until he was 5 months old. Here she shares her experience of swaddling ...

"I hadn't really thought of swaddling before. My son was wrapped up tight by the hospital staff after he was born, but I thought nothing of it, but looking back it made sense considering where he had been for the last 9 months!

I started the swaddling in earnest when I was running out of ideas and family members magic rocking knees, to try and stop my son crying with what we think was a touch of colic.

I read somewhere that swaddling babies with colic can help, so it was well worth a try. It comforts them, reminding them of the safety of the womb, all wrapped up, warm and safe and this definately helps to calm them down

I swaddled my son till he was 5 months which is slightly longer than recommended but he loved it, in fact he couldn't sleep without it and it guaranteed me some time off.

I would definately recommend trying it to anyone whos baby has colic or has problems sleeping, there is something primative about swaddling, that gave both me and my son a feeling of comfort."

How to Swaddle?

You can swaddle with a normal sheet or blanket, but many new mums find 'ready made' swaddling blankets or robes easier to use as they are designed to 'swaddle' your baby in just a few easy movements ... particularly handy if your baby is resisting, overtired or irritable.

At http://www.indybel.com/ we now stock the JoJo Maman Bebe organic swaddling robe.( pictured above )

The JoJo Maman Bebe swaddling robe is pre-folded and easy to use with Velcro™ fastening. It helps babies feel snug and secure.

Suitable from birth.

100% Organic Cotton.

Useful Swaddling Tips

Always ensure your baby’s swaddling is not too tight by checking you can slip your fingers down the top of the sheet.

Additional sheets and blankets are not normally required on top of swaddling, unless in very cold temperatures. You may however want to adjust the clothing your baby is wearing beneath the swaddling robe to the time of year.

If your baby resists swaddling you can try swaddling from the chest down so the baby's hands and arms are free to move around.

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!

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!