Tuesday 20 July 2010

Sophie la Girafe

Have you met Sophie?



I'd read about Sophie on Kami, Tanya, Mo's blogs and lots of my friends had recommended her as well, so when we got the opportunity to review Sophie for Hello Baby Direct, I was pretty excited.

Blondie Boy has been drooling and chomping on his hands for a few months and while no teeth have sprouted, it's clear that he is teething. You can tell when his mouth is sore and I don't like medicating him if I don't have to.

Sophie is billed as a sensory development toy, but I'd call her a teether. To be honest, she looked and squeaked like a dog toy at first glance and believe me the Emma Dog's ears perked up when she first heard Sophie squeak, but she's not a dog toy.






Sophie is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint which means she's non-toxic and supposedly smells and tastes nice to babies.

Blondie Boy's been testing Sophie for the past week and while it took a few days for her to grow on him, he definitely enjoys chewing on her legs, horns and face and swinging her about. I wouldn't say that he prefers her to all other toys, but he does love her. Sophie is much easier for him to chew on that traditional teethers which are often too large for his mouth. Blondie Boy prefers to be able to chomp where his back teeth should be, so Sophie's legs reach that back spot perfectly.

My only complaint would be that the paint on her horns and ears has seemed to rub off which makes me think Blondie Boy has ingested it. I know it's food paint and he's no worse for wear, but it still bugs me just a little.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a teething baby, but don't just take my word, here are Blondie Boy's thoughts on Sophie:



Sophie the Giraffe is available from Hello Baby Direct for £11.99, but Trevor from Hello Baby has kindly donated one for me to giveaway on my site!

To enter:

Comment on your favorite teething remedy and to whom you'd be giving Sophie

Extra Entries:

-Follow my Blog publicly and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

-Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

-Follow Hello Baby Direct on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

-Blog about the giveaway and comment to let me know (1 extra entry)

Make sure to leave each entry in a separate comment.

I've checked out shipping prices and I'm opening this giveaway to all of my readers worldwide! A winner will be drawn at random on July 27th at 12:00 GMT. Winners must contact me within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn. CONTEST CLOSED.

GOOD LUCK!

Transatlantic Blonde was provided this product to review.

96 comments:

Janie Phillips said...

One of the things I did for my son was freezing a washcloth and letting him chew on a corner of it. He didn't seem to care for regular teethers, and they were often too big for him too, so that seemed to work out better.

By the way, I'm following you both on twitter, and am following the blog publicly!

Jelena and Mark said...

I'll play :).
We didn't have any favourite remedies with our daughter, she had a couple of teethers that she didn't really care for, her favourite remedy was her hands :).

And we have a new baby on the way so Sophie would go to baby G :).

And - I am not on twitter but I am following your blog publicly.

Lorry said...

Dagmar liked anything cold when she was teething. We had a teether that we kept in the fridge as much as possible.

But if we get a Sophie, it will go to Maggie Rose, who has all her teething still ahead of her! As well as the whole being born thing, in October. ;)

Lorry said...

I follow you on Twitter as @lorryfach.

Lorry said...

I also follow hellobabydirect.

Lorry said...

I follow your blog publicly (but probably under my other Google Account, now that I think about it…alcyone56).

Lorry said...

I just blogged it on Altered Sky.

Unknown said...

I don't have any experience with having a teething child, but my sisters always used a cold or frozen washcloth on their babies.

I will learn it all soon enough because I have a little one on the way so Sophie will be for him/her.

Unknown said...

Also, I'm following your blog publicly.

Anonymous said...

Right, here goes.
I'd give Sophie to Little Mister - although his favourite teething remedy at the moment seems to be an unwilling person's finger.

Anonymous said...

I tweeted/follow you http://twitter.com/glowstars/status/18995394096

Anonymous said...

I follow your blog too. x

Carolina Peach said...

I have no teething remedies as our LO isn´t here yet, but I´ve heard good things about chilled teething rings. I plan on giving Sophie la Girafe to our baby if I win her.

Kelly said...

We use cucumber slices from the fridge, seems to go down well. If I won Sophie she would become the proud owner of a boy called Piran!

MrsBro... said...

I follow your blog!

MrsBro... said...

I follow you on twitter!!

SaveThePolarBears! said...

Wet washcloths to chew on seem to help.

I would give Sophie to my son, Daven who is currently teething.

SaveThePolarBears! said...

I am following your blog.

C. Rich said...

My favorite remedy is freezing a baby gum massage brush. My son makes the cutest faces when I massage right where I see a tooth coming in. His body relaxes and he just looks like he's in heaven. Then comes the Sophie.

I will be giving the Sophie to my best friend who just had her first baby girl. They are on a strict budget so I know that a $20 teether is out of the question. I want her baby girl to be able enjoy Sophie just as much as my son does.

I also am now following your blog and am searching for you on Twitter. :)

C. Rich said...

Following your Blog.

Beth said...

our best teething remedy is nursing, it comforts DD when she is in that much pain and refuses to take motrin
I will give it to my daughter :)

Beth said...

I follow you (Beth)

Kristen Suchor said...

Our son's best teething remedy is definitely his own hands and boy they must be yummy, LOL! He'd love his very own Sophie to drool on;)

Kristen Suchor said...

I follow your blog!

imavera said...

We use Hylands teething tablets, but I'm on the search to help us out even more!

I'd give Sophie to my friend who is due in one month so that Jeffrey and his new buddy can munch on Sophie together.

Leslie said...

I give tylenol for teething... but have tried teething tablets as well!
I would give Sophie to my son - he would love her!

Hoping For Hunter said...

Our current teething remedy is to let Hunter gnaw on his own hands. :)

We already have a Sophie, but a friend of mine is pregnant and I would be giving Sophie to her new little one.

Hoping For Hunter said...

I follow your blog publicly as well.

Sal said...

We use Motrin as a last resort, but we LOVE Sophie. We need another b/c she is looking bad and is Sully's constant companion.

Sal said...

Follow you on twitter with @mrstrophywife1

Sal said...

Follow you publicly!

Carol-Anne LaRose said...

Sebastian isn't teething yet, but i will use frozen breastmilk in a mesh feeder thingy. Sophie would be going to Sebastian!
Following your blog publicly!

(first giveaway i've seen to canadian mommas too and i really want a sophie!))

Jenny Kearney said...

I don't have a favourite teething remedy as my little one is only 17 weeks. He is dribbling a lot and trying to chew his fingers so Sophie would definitely go to him if I won!

Jenny Kearney said...

I'm following your blog too!

Jenny Kearney said...

I follow on twitter and RT the giveaway (@jennykearney)

Cat said...

I follow you all over the place. Faithfully I might add!

I have no teething remedies, because I am still on the way to giving birth :) But I really want this Sophie, because you are the second person to tell me about her!

AND..Worldwide hey! Good job. Canada never gets any love!

Xxx

Mandy H. said...

Oh we are huge sophie fans!! For teething we like to offer F some Frozen fruit inside a mesh feeder. We we are really desperate we will use teething tablets.

Sophie (if won) would go to my great nephew who is 4 months old and already starting to teeth

Mandy H. said...

I follow your bliggity blog

Mandy H. said...

I follow you on twitter and I retweeted

Amy said...

I don't have any teething remedies yet, but I have heard of Sophie and I wanted her as soon as I heard of her. For the baby, not me of course!

Sophie would be for the baby, who is due in October!

Amy said...

I follow your blog.

Amy said...

I'm following you on twitter.

Amy said...

I'm following Hello Baby Direct on Twitter.

Kim said...

I don't have any personal experience with teething remedies yet as we had just had our first baby 4 months ago. I would love to win Sophie for him. :)

Marah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marah said...

we use nursing to help with teething. it is a huge comfort for my little boy.

would be given to my little man, of course!

Marah said...

follow your blog.

Unknown said...

One of my favorite teething remedies for a baby that have started "solids" is putting frozen purees in a mesh feeder and letting them chomp. They get the soothing cold on their gums and can enjoy a favorite food (or new flavor) at the same time.

If I am lucky enough to win Sophie she will be for our new little one due in mid-August.

Marah said...

follow you on twitter and tweeted about the giveaway!

Marah said...

follow hello baby and tweeted!

I Heart Cricut said...

We loved those teethers you put in the fridge. Anything cold was a hit at our house. I think my son would love to chew on Sophie!

teach5301@gmail.com

SuperLucky Di said...

My favourite teething remedy is the power of distraction - I start dancing stupidly and it takes his mind off it (bloody exhausting for me though!!)

SuperLucky Di said...

I'm following your blog...

SuperLucky Di said...

...and following on Twitter and have tweeted (@SuperluckyDI)

SuperLucky Di said...

...and folowing Hellobabydirect on twitter (@SuperluckyDI)

Made for play said...

My lil one wears a teething necklace which seems to help with pain but would love a sophie for her to gnaw on.

Made for play said...

following on blog

Made for play said...

retweeted to i'm emmaand3

Unknown said...

Gosh! That's alot of comments/entries! I'm follwing you everywhere! :)

My tip is to freeze a banana , that really soothed Oli's teehing. I would give the girafe to a teething baby that I know.

A girl has no name said...

I dont have any successful tips...teething was rough and over nursing helped with the mouth but not the belly. Frozen wash clothes helped bc often the teething rings are too big for baby mouths....

I would either keep Sophie (bc I love giraffes) or more likely give her to my neighbor who it due tomorrow!

I follow publicly here

Mrs.ABC said...

My son isn't teething yet but I've heard rave reviews about Sophie and plan on trying it out first. Your son really seems to enjoy her. What a cutie!

I'm following your blog.

Mrs.ABC said...

My son is not teething yet but I have heard rave review about Sophie. Your son really seems to enjoy her. What a cutie!

I'm now following your blog!

Torismommy said...

Currently we use a cold teether from the fridge or she loves to chew on her fingers!
If I win Sophie I would love to give to my daughter Tori as a $20 teething toy is out of our budget!

Carol-Anne LaRose said...

followed you and Hello Baby Direct on twitter!

Sakinah said...

My favorite teething method so far has been the frozen wet washcloth method. My son has also enjoyed literally EATING away at a few of his clean stuffed animals, always fun to watch! :) I'd be giving my acquired Sophie to him.

Kim said...

currently we let her chew on her finger/hands and nurse.

I would give Sophie to my baby girl:)

just another mama said...

Aside from Hylands teething tablets, I would let my daughter gum on a cold carrot for teething. She loved it. I'd be gifting Sophie to my newest daughter, now 3 weeks old :)

Yarnie said...

Our 3.5 month old daughter just started teething (early!) and we're also trying to find remedies when she is in pain. Would love to give her Sophie!

Yarnie said...

Oh and I've started to follow your blog :)

Lindsey said...

DD likes to chew on the rings that connect toys to her playmat as a teether. It seems to work well for her. I have wanted a Sophie for a while though and will give it to my daughter if I win.

Lindsey said...

I follow you publicly now.

Baby B said...

I'm a first time mom of a 3 month old so I don't have any favorite remedies yet but I will be trying the frozen washcloth and I have the homeopathic natural teething tabs. Sophie would be for my daughter Kaylee!

Baby B said...

Also, I am following your blog publicly!

SwishDesigns said...

Comment on your favorite teething remedy and to whom you'd be giving Sophie:

Favorite remedy: highlands teething tabs and frozen fruit in a mesh feeder.
I'd give Sophie to my daughter.

SwishDesigns said...

follow publicly

punkinmama said...

Thankfully, I don't remember having a lot of teething problems with Punkin (maybe I've just forgotten??). But the one thing we did do is have the teethers that you can refrigerate on hand at all times!

HugginsD said...

I love the little teething nets that you can put frozen fruit in for teething. They are so nice and they get a sweet treat out of it.

HugginsD said...

I am publicly following your blog on my google account.

Hay Hay said...

I love to give Lincoln frozen cubes of fruit in his mesh feeder...& Sophie would be for him :) We already have one, but he certainy could se another!

Hay Hay said...

I follow your blog publicly!

Mrs. Firefighter said...

Johnny loves chewing on everything he can right now. His favorite is my finger and frozen bananas.

nzar79 said...

Teething tips: Frozen wet washcloth. I would give Sophie to my new baby girl, Ella.

Mrs. Firefighter said...

I follow your blog.

nzar79 said...

I follow your blog.

Mrs. Firefighter said...

I follow you on Twitter.
@mrsfirefghtr

Mrs. Firefighter said...

I'm now following Hello Baby on Twitter.
@mrsfirefghtr

nzar79 said...

I follow your blog.

Unknown said...

My DD is just starting to get teeth. I am on the hunt for a teether that I can share. This looks perfect!

April said...

my daughter has just begun teething recently (oh, the drool...) and she chews on anything her tiny hands can find, including my fingers!! sophie would be such a relief for my fingers!!

April said...

i publicly follow your super cute blog now!!

April said...

i follow you on twitter! yay :)

April said...

i now follow @happybabydirect and tweeted about this sweet giveaway!

April said...

i also blogged about this great giveaway here:

http://marineparents.blogspot.com/2010/07/ca-ute-sophie-giraffe-giveaway.html


can't wait to find out the winner!!

Unknown said...

My daughter likes nothing better than my knuckle! I've tried everything, but if she can have mommy's fist, she's a happy girl. My husabdn calls her a droolapotomous so a Sophie might certainly be in her future.

Brandy said...

I follow you!

Brandy said...

I have no experience with my own yet but I've often heard the freezing washcloth is great. Teethers are usually too hard and they can't gum around them too well. At least that's what my siblings have told me.