Cosatto Giggle Pixelate Pram Travel System

I've been a big fan of Cosatto for a long time and was ridiculously excited when we got the chance to review the Giggle 3 in 1 Travel System a 2 way pushchair, pram and car seat carrier. I love that Cosatto's products are functional and practical but don't scrimp on style. I've got an amazing travel system that suits my family's needs but also looks AMAZING.

We chose the pixelate pattern--it's bright, funky and anything but ordinary. I honestly get complimented on it just about every time I leave the house and if I don't I overhear people saying what a gorgeous pattern it is!  The pattern isn't just for looking good though as Baby Girl loves staring at the bright colours, too. 

Both the inside of the carseat and pram are patterned as well (something I'd not seen before) and we all know how beneficial it is for babies to interact with bright colours and shapes.

So the Giggle looks good but let's talk about how it works. I'll start with the Hold 0+ carseat: I totally love this carseat! It is a bit bigger than the one we had for Blondie Boy but it seems much more comfortable for Baby Girl. One of the best features is how it seamlessly clicks into the base in the car. One of the most frustrating things about carseats can be how long it takes to get in and out of the car, making quick trips that much longer. The Hold base easily installs to the car and then the seat clicks in and clicks out quickly and easily.  The Hold can also be strapped in securely with just a seatbelt; it is not difficult at all and can be done one handed, which meant when I was without the car and had to pick up a sick Blondie Boy at school I could strap Baby Girl in to the taxi. The Hold will also click in and work with Isofix fitted cars. The only small downside is that the car seat is quite heavy, particularly with a growing baby in it!

Once you are out of the car the Hold clicks directly into the pram base. For me this is ideal as it means when I'm picking up Blondie Boy at school I can get Baby Girl in and out of the car with little hassle. After my c-section and severe SPD I wasn't allowed to carry anything heavy so carrying the car seat was not an option; being able to clip the Hold carseat into the pram base was essential! I can be a bit of a faff getting the Hold in and out of the base. Ideally you'd like one seamless motion but I have it worked out now that I need to clip in one side and then the other side--the same is true for taking the seat out of the base. You couldn't do it one handed but I'm okay with that because it means  I know the carseat is secure in the base.

The pram base itself is very easy to open up and close down. The base opens one handed using hydraulics although you need two hands to collapse it (it has two buttons plus a safety button)-again you know this means it is safe and secure and you aren't going to accidentally close it while using it. The pram/ cot clips in and out easily. When Baby Girl was first born I wasn't allowed to go up and down the stairs post c-section so she slept in her Giggle in the living room! 

It is roomy and comfy and I love again that there is pattern inside the carry cot to stimulate your baby. Even though it's spacious for baby, we were able to get the carry cot, pram base and all of Baby Girl's stuff easily into my mother-in-law's trunk when we went to visit. There is nothing worse than a pram taking up all your trunk space but the Giggle can hang out in your boot and still leave plenty of room for groceries or other shopping.

The Giggle Pixelate Travel System is available for £430 and the Hold Pixelate Infant Carrier Carseat is available for £125 but for a limited time you get it FREE with any Giggle Travel System!

Let's be friends! Find me here: Transatlantic Blonde were provided this travel system for review but all opinions are our own.

Newborn Essentials

Baby Girl has been here three weeks now and I think it is safe to say there are some newborn essentials I could not live without. Now what I consider essential is most likely different to what baby books say but I know I prefer honest opinions from real people so I thought I'd share what has become part of our every day life these first three weeks:

Shnuggle Moses Basket

Shnuggle is a hypoallergenic and silent modern Moses basket. It is big enough that she'll be able to stay in our room as long as medically suggested but not so large that it inhibits our living space. All of the dressings are cotton and machine washable which means it is easy to clean--great especially since she has spit up and leaked out her nappies a few times! 

The shell is fully ventilated and hygienic so we can feel safe putting her to sleep and since it's not wicker like traditional baskets it can be fully wiped down and sterilised. The stand is also a great height for me as it is high enough that I can easily bend over and get her without straining myself and the dog can't jump up and reach her either.

Cosatto Giggle Pixelate Travel System

Since you have to limit the amount of times you go up and down the stairs after a c-section, baby girl has been sleeping in her Cosatto Giggle Pram downstairs. It is a great height for me bending down and the pram base is large enough for her to sleep comfortably. One of the things I love the most is the pattern on the inside of the pram base; Baby Girl has kept herself occupied staring at the colourful patterns on several occasions. It's an extra feature I'd never have thought of but is so clever.

NotBlondeHusband has been raving about the Hold carseat and base as it is so easy to click her in and out. With Blondie Boy we had a carseat we had to strap in with a seatbelt every time we got in and out of the car so this is so a vast improvement! We keep getting tons of compliments on how bright and fun the pattern is too, again another improvement from the bog standard black seat we had 4 1/2 years ago!

Thurpenny Bits Feeding Pillow

When we came home from the hospital I didn't have any sort of feeding pillows or supports and was sort of stacking various wedge pillows together and well it just wasn't working. Thurpenny Bits Feeding pillow has made such a difference to helping me support Baby Girl and taking pressure off my incision when feeding.  The portable pillow was invented by Mum Melissa Hyatt-Fosbury out of necessity for something supportive and stylish. It can be carried like a bag and ties at the back so it won't slip off. The cover is washable and can be re-used as a toddler bag (if you remove the pillow) once your baby is older.

HM Nursing Tanks

If I'm at home I like to be braless but when you are breastfeeding that is just not an option; my best friend mentioned how she slept/lived in nursing tanks so I had NBH take me to HM to grab some and honestly I never want to wear anything else. They are super comfortable and my feeding convenient. They give me the right about of support without being overly restrictive and are much preferable to bras to sleep in.

Tommee Tippee sangenic Nappy Disposal System

The nappy disposal bin offers anti-bacterial protection and odour control in a uniquely coloured tub. All you do is put in the nappy, twist and it is wrapped and sealed killing 99% of germs and sealing in smells. It makes night-time nappy changes super easy and means we don't have to rush to get nappies out to the outdoor bin. It is so simple and effective I'm not sure why we didn't have one with Blondie Boy.

Volvic Touch of Cherry Water

I'm perpetually thirsty (maybe a breastfeeding thing?) and have become obsessed with Volvic Touch of Cherry water. I will drink normal water from the tap but instead of pop or juice I've just really gotten into flavoured water. I couldn't tell you how many liters I've gone through but the stuff is good.

Vitamix Professional Series 750

In general I tend to follow medical advice but I refuse to take iron pills because of their *ahem* unsavoury side effects. So instead of taking the iron pills I was prescribed for blood loss/anemia I've been supplementing my diet with added iron. We've been having lots of red meat, fortified cereals and most of all green smoothies. The Vitamix seriously makes green smoothies the easiest thing ever. I throw in a handful of ice, some berries, a banana, handful of spinach and a splash of almond milk and it does all the work for me. All the spinach is blitzed down and I end up with a thick frozen smoothie like you'd get from a shop. Best of all it even has a self-cleaning setting so I don't have to worry about clean up either!

Tommee Tippee Breast Pads

Not the most glamorous item but wet patches are even less glamorous. NBH brought these home for me from the hospital and when they ran out we grabbed a supermarket own brand to replace them. The supermarket own brand were smaller, not individually packed and I still leaked out. Literally every time I used them I wound up with wet patches, not nice. I've gotten more of the Tommee Tippee pads and am much happier and drier now. I wouldn't think there would be a difference between generic and name brand breast pads but I was definitely proven wrong!

....and most important 

My husband

I honestly don't know what I'd do without him being home these past three weeks. This has been a totally new experience breastfeeding but he's been amazing and getting up to change her in the middle of the night when I get up to feed her. It makes SUCH a huge difference especially since I'm still stiff and sore bending over. I can't drive still post section so he's been on the grocery runs, taking BB to and from school--not to mention just entertaining the boy in general--making dinner, taking Baby Girl off me so I can grab a shower. Honestly he is by far my most important newborn essential but unfortunately for you can't buy him in any store; I'm a lucky lady.

What newborn products could you not live without?

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Transatlantic Blonde was provided the linked items for review but all opinions, on review or non-review items, are our own. I'm too tired post baby to be anything but truthful!