We were so blessed to receive a box of bright colored, fun goodies the other day. We received some pieces from the Explora series from Tommee Tippee. My littlest one is just 6 months old and not quite ready for ‘real food’–yet. His closest sister is 2 and not quite ready for a non spill-proof cup–yet. The things we received are just perfect for both of them.
First, to appease Miss S, the cup is a water bottle, not a ‘baby cup’. As soon as she was assured that it is indeed a water bottle and not ‘another sippy cup’, she was in love. 🙂 The shape and size are just perfect for her little big girl hands. At 12 oz., the capacity is just right for an active toddler/pre-schooler. I was not refilling her cup numerous times throughout the day–yay! She carried it everywhere with her. She tagged along with her older siblings on a backyard adventure and put the water bottle into her little backpack just like the bigger children. When they came inside later in the afternoon, I was surprised that all her papers and finds were dry. Despite being tumbled about in the backpack, the water bottle never leaked. I have never before had a sippy cup or transition cup not leak when carried other than in an upright position. I think it is due to the no-leak valve and the secure manner in which it is fitted into the lid. Most of our older cups have a (silicone?) valve that pushes into the holes in the lid. This twists/locks into place. I will definitely be using Tommee Tippee cups with Mr. S. You know how little ones like to throw things. Our other cups would have the valve dis-lodged after a few good throws. I do not think that will be as likely with these.
The other items in our box of goodies were the non-slip easy mat and weaning bowls with a lid and spoon. We tried the non-slip mat on a variety of surfaces. It held wonderfully no matter where we tried it–tile counter, wood table, plastic tray of the high chair, and even the inside of the cabinet door. The last one I tried when thinking of how and where to store the mat. It held even in a vertical position. The bowls fit perfectly on the suction cup in the center. Until intentionally released, they could not be removed. Even the bigger kids tried. Their pulling did not even lift the mat–it slid a little, but did not come up. This should withstand the forces of even the most determined toddler. At least until they figure out how to pull on the tab to release the suction. 🙂 I was thrilled to find that some of our other plates even worked with the mat. As long as the bottom is flat and smooth it held well. The bowls are a nice size. The other bowls with lids I have (from my first child nearly 10 years ago) are much smaller. I like the shape and little handle, too. The lid fits well and has an awesome feature. Did you notice in the picture the little flap? It snaps down over the bowl end of a spoon. I love this for a few reasons. No lost spoon. Clean spoon–especially if your bag looks like mine and has crumbs from every snack your children have had in the past month at the bottom. 🙂 After using the spoon and it is dirty, the flap keeps it covered and from getting anything yucky on anything else stashed in your bag. I love this set!
I am planning on getting many pieces from the Explora line by Tommee Tippee. BabysRUs currently has a sale through July 23 on this line. Buy one, get one 50% off. You can check out the sale and the full selection of Tommee Tippee at BabysRUs at this link. My sister is having a baby boy in November and she is planning on using the Closer to Nature line–also at BabysRUs–from Tommee Tippee. We hope she has no problems and that baby will nurse great, but for the occasional pumped bottle or if formula is needed, these bottles look great. I love that there are pacifiers, too. This helps greatly with potential nipple confusion. The line transitions to the Explora line for toddlers/pre-schoolers. This is a feature I look for to help little ones as they grow from bottles to sippys to ‘big kid’ cups–or water bottles.
As a member of Mom Blogger’s Club, we received these items from Tommee Tippee free to review. No other compensation was given and these are my own thoughts and opinions (and my children’s).
Never heard of Tommee Tippee? Since 1965, Tommee Tippee has earned a reputation for its clever ideas, product quality and simply intuitive designs that promote natural development at every age, stage and feeding need. Today, Tommee Tippee innovations provide comfort for babies and peace of mind for parents in 45 countries around the world. It is estimated that Tommee Tippee sells one product every three seconds in the UK and that most households with a child under two own up to 15 Tommee Tippee products. The following is cut/pasted from information made available to me for the purpose of this review.
Tommee Tippee®, the number-one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain, announced that its Closer to Nature® baby bottles, nipples, pacifiers and feeding accessories, as well as its Explora® toddler cups and feeding products, are now available exclusively in all BabiesRUs stores in the United States and online at Babiesrus.com/tommeetippee. As of April, the assortment is available in ToysRUs stores nationwide. Both Closer to Nature and Explora are designed to help relieve common feeding anxieties, with simply intuitive designs and features that address the needs and alleviate the common worries of todays busy moms. Real-world input and experience drive new Tommee Tippee products and innovations. The companys Closer to Nature line of baby bottles, for example, was inspired by nature, and developed in conjunction with midwives, breastfeeding mothers and babies throughout Great Britain to provide easier and more natural feeding. The resulting dome-shaped baby bottle and ultra-soft, ultra-wide and supple nipple closely resemble the size and shape of the breast, allowing the same flex, and movement as breastfeeding. Those attributes make feeding a more comfortable and intuitive bonding experience for parent and child and support easy switching from breast to bottle and back again, an important consideration for parents who want to breastfeed but need the convenience of a bottle. The Closer to Nature line of baby bottles, nipples, pacifiers and accessories includes ingeniously clever and intuitively functional sterilizers, a bottle and food warmer, bottle and nipple cleaner, spillproof weaning cups, portable powder formula dispensers and bibs for children up to 18 months. All Closer to Nature bottles are Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate free. The Tommee Tippee Explora line includes BPA-free toddler drinking and feeding products to help children and their parents through the weaning process from first sips and nibbles to toddler independence and self-feeding by easing transitions along the way and helping to reduce stress and mess at mealtime. Explora products feature advance-flo valves, designed by a physicist to require almost no force to drink from thereby easing the transition to a cup, while still remaining truly spill and leakproof. Each Explora cup is progressively staged with a specific spout and grip to meet the needs of every age while supporting natural oral development. Bright colors, designs and coordinating mealtime products reflect the individual styles of moms and their children, while making drinking and eating fun.