Winterboots

Winter is here, and Theo started nursery a few months ago. So far he's had some Viking gore tex shoes at nursery - after he stopped wearing trainers that is. They have been brilliant, and we still use them when we just go for car rides etc. They're not really warm enough to play out in anymore, so I've now got him some new shoes.

They're Timberland ones and are lined with wool and fleece. They're quite high up on his ancles, and got two welcro straps on. You can see what they look like here. We've got beige and red ones for Theo, but they're exactly the same boot.

I have some more opinions about play suits, mittens, hats, wool clothes and more, but will save that for later.

Carrying

When Theo was born we lived on 4th floor without a lift. I knew I needed something to carry him in, because carrying your baby on your arm together with shopping and probably other stuff too is a bit difficult. I was searching around a bit before he was born, and ended up deciding on an elastic sling. This is the one I decided on in the end. It's called Babylonya Tricot Slen, and is a 5 meter long elastic sling. It took a bit getting used to tying it, but I sorted that out pretty quick. Theo was very happy in it until he was about 3 months old. There's a lot of advantages with the sling, as it's very comfy to use, and it works as an extra clothing layer for the baby. I never used it in the summer, but I would expect that particular type to be a bit warm. If I was to get a sling for summeruse I'd probably buy a thinner one.

I would probably have used it longer if it wasn't for buying a Manduca. It can be used from birth to 20 kilos, but is best from 3-4 months (65 cm ish). As Theo wasn't overly keen on lying down in the buggy after 4 months, it was great to have the Manduca to carry him in when he was fed up. We carried him on our tummy to start with, and when he rounded 6 months, I started carrying him more on my back as it's easier for me. Torkjel still carries Theo on his tummy, although he's about 11 kilos now. I love the Manduca. The only thing I'm slightly disappointed with is the sleep hood, as it seems a bit tight. It's also difficult to get it up on my own when he's on my back. This is however my only drawback with the Manduca, and we're still using it daily! The fact that it's got clips makes it slightly easier to use than a Meitai. I've also bought this Meitai called Concerti. This was bought as a substitute for the sleep hood that doesn't work very well with the Manduca. So if I need to carry Theo when he's supposed to fall asleep on my back, I use this one. The main differences between the two is the fact that the Manduca has clips and a waistbelt, very much like a rucksack, whilst the Manduca needs to be tied on. I love both of them, but generally use the Meitai if I'm carrying Theo for a longer amount of time.

Before we bought the Manduca, I also bought another pappoose thingie made by Vaude. It looks very much like a Baby Björn that a lot of people use. You can see it here.  It was ok to use until Theo reached 5-6 kilos, and after that it was just uncomfortable. Probably won't recommend that one unless you only want to use it to get to the shops in and out of the car, and at airports. The sling, Manduca and Meitai does the job for us!

Chair from Skeidar or IKEA?

For almost three years we've been looking for a chair to have in our livingroom. The main purpose of the chair is to sit and read books in it. It also needs to be a chair that friends and family can use when they visit. We've been looking all over the place. Every time we've been to a furniture shop, we've tried every chair in the shop. 

A few months ago we found this one in Skeidar, and pretty much settled on it. The only problem was the price. It's not overly expensive, but we decided to wait for a bit. We've also been to IKEA numerous times to see if they've got anything nice. Today we went there again, and found this one, and decided within two minutes to buy it. It is comfy to sit in, and a third of the price of the chair in Skeidar. 

We've now got a nice chair to read books in. We just need to find some time to read them now...

Stonz, pretty genious!

As kids are not supposed to wear shoes before they learn to walk, it can be hard to find something to put on their feet whilst being outside. Stonz was our saviour! Specially since we carry Theo on our front/back a fair bit. He need something to keep his feet warm in winter cold Norway. They are fairly waterproof too, so there's no problem with kids walking on snow with them. 

A huge thanx to the people who suggested buying Stonz. Although Theo has learnt to walk now, we still use them as they're lovely and warm. They're like a small bag you put on your babie's feet, and tighten with straps. 

Have a look at http://www.stonz.no to see what they look like. They are made in Canada, and a lot of people use them in Norway.

Kids winter boots

Just over a month ago we bought Theo some winter boots. They were called GT Tex MIKI. For a month we were really happy with the shoes, until Theo decided that he wanted to walk on snow. The shoes worked like ice skates, and he could not stand up on the snow at all! I went back to the shop and complained, cos when shoes can't be used as shoes, you kinda don't have any need for them. The woman behind the counter said "that's just what they're like" and offered me a discount on another pair on top of obviously having to keep the shoes that didn't work! I didn't agree with this, so in the end she said she could call head office the next day. Torkjel went in to see how that went the day after, and without a word she gave him his money back.

A couple of days later I went to a shop and bought him a new pair for 129 kroner. The first pair cost 499 kroner, so had a big saving. And the new shoes are really good, and he can walk on snow with them too :)

My question is, do you agree that when yo pay 499 kroner for a pair of baby winter boots, you should expect your kid to be able to stand up with them?

New era...

Hmm... well it's a long time since I last posted anything on here. Maybe I should try to start blogging again?

Tommorrow a new era starts for us. Theo is having his first day at the childminders. I'm happy that we've got somewhere for him to go, at the same time as I really want one of us to look after him! I know it'll be worst for me though, and he'll probably love it! He is going to be with one other girl his same age all the time, and they're also going to visit the open nursery (playgroup) every day.

He's now a year old, walking around and also started to talk. He's very cute when he's walking around here. He also shows his temper every now and then, and is good at telling us what he wants and what he doesn't want.

Today has been a good day. The weather has been gorgeous, and we've been for a walk to Sandbakken. Our "local" forrest cafe. Felt like the rest of Oslo was there too, and it was packed with people outside. Eating waffles, skiing, sledging and generally enjoying the lovely day outside. Theo has decided that walking on snow is a bit too strange, so he ends up standing in one place watching what's going on around him until he sits down. I bet he wonders what all that strange white stuff is.