That Purple Beauty - Beaba Babycook

I was eyeing on this beauty
.

Beaba Babycook Solo

My soulies know me too well (I call my bestfriends soulies because simply said, we are soulmates). They booked it on Petit Suite and surprised me during my Baby Shower. Bless.

My beautiful Soulies
Photo credit : Sabine

Not only did they organize my baby shower with help from Ms All Things Pretty Party Planner aka Ms Babyclopedia aka my super awesome brother's wife, Krystal, they got me the Beaba Babycook Solo. 

One of my soulie is missing here cause she was busy with her thesis in a different part of the world. (Flying kisses to Padfoot!)

They know my love for desserts, Heee.
Photo credit: Sabine

The Beaba Babycook allows me to give Bubs a healthy start with his meals because it is so convenient for me to make them!

During my pregnancy, I pretty much decided that I was going to pureè Bubs food once he was ready to eat. BLW (baby led weaning) has its advantages but like I mentioned in my previous blog on Solids, it's too traumatising for my sanity.

And Ooooooh boy you got to wait for the best part.

We can't deny the fact that these days we need things to get done at a certain speed.

For the working mamas (FTWMs), you want to spend more time interacting with Bubs whereas the homemakers mama's (SAHMs), you would like a little time out once in awhile (note to self-it's ok, stop feeling guilty).

Hence instead of me being in the kitchen for...ever, I just have to Beaba Babycook it!

Step 1

Chop chop.

Pears & Peas

Step 2

Add water in that little hole.

Step 3

Press steam button. Wait 15 minutes. 

The Beaba Babycook lets out a beeping sound to let you know its ready and the steam light flashes.

Keep your distance when opening the lid due to the steam coming out.

Step 4

Blend. Or mash it.

Homemade Brown Rice Cereal & Broccoli
Want to make your own cereal too? Here's the link - Homemade Brown Rice Cereal

Step 5

Give em' to Bubs!

Puree's are smooth

See it's so easy.

Now the washing dishes phase.

Before I continue, did you realise suddenly you have something to wash frequently ever since you had a baby? I swear sometimes I feel that my relationship with the sink and washing machine is much closer than with my man.

Hpmh.

Ok. Back to Beaba. Three things to wash. Thats it.

The blade, sieve and jug. Plus the cover if you blend.

Life just got simplified eh.

I must mention that the blade is removable. This means I'm able to wash it clean everytime after use. Some blenders has its blade fixed, and I can't really give it a thorough cleaning. Unless of course you get a really small brush to scrub, immerse in hot water, bla bla bla...yeah no. Enough time spent at the sink thank you very much.

You must be wondering what's the best part.

Well, it's the fact that you can operate Beaba Babycook with one hand!!

Once it's cooked, you can lift up the sieve using the spatula provided. I find that brilliant!

Our little ones are jolly one minute and the next they can be crying (think teething or growth spurts phases). Not a problem, you can still cook.

Real life saver this Beaba.

My sister is always ready with her manicured nails hence my star hand model there, tee hee.

I think it's important to have a separate blender and steamer for Bubs. This includes utensils when cooking for Bubs. By doing so, I'm minimising the risk of food contamination.

The Beaba Babycook Solo has a large capacity which allows you to prepare a big amount of pureè for freezing. Perfect for working mums like my sister.

In addition to that, this lil' beauty does not take up much counter space. I have a small kitchen thus the compact design is definitely a plus point. The plug-in is safely tucked in under the Beaba Babycook, so it looks neat and most importantly safe.

We are planning to travel next year, little did I know that the Beaba Babycook has a perfect bag. It's big enough to fit in the machine and baby food. It does come with a hefty price tag (Well not-so-hefty if you are a FTWM) but I couldn't resist.

Look at how it sits! Love!

Fits all three types of Beaba Babycook

There are a few Beaba Babycook designs, me and my sis has the solo and my sis in law has the original with size being the major difference. In my review, I'm showcasing two different colours, purple and grey, it does come in other colours too. 

My fellow mummypreneur on Petit Suite no longer orders the Beaba BabyCook, hence the revision of this post. Beaba Babycook however is now available at Happikiddo!!

Yes, that mummy store which is run by a mummy herself! I did a review for them recently and we are now collaborating to offer you a discount on any model of the Beaba Babycook from Happikiddo Stores.

Upon visiting their store, all you have to do is mention my blog " That Skinny Elephant" and provide the discount code above. This offer is valid from 2nd of June 2015 till 15th of June 2015.
It's only running for two weeks, so be sure to get it by then yes!

www.Happikiddo.com.my is under maintenance hence the code is only applicable for in-store purchases of the Beaba Babycook.

I hope you found this review somewhat helpful for you in someway.

To all Mamas & Papas starting their Bubs on solids, happy experimenting!!

Waiiiit!

I decided to run a contest called Guess 'That Purple Beauty' item/product I was going to review. I had so much fun reading through all your guesses and interacting with you. Thank you so much for your participation and support. I might just run contests regularly just cause it feels good making someones day.

It's was pretty hard choosing a winner, most of you got it right!

Here it is, introducing our first ever That Skinny Elephant lucky winner, Ms Angel Ng!!!

Hit me up with your contact details Angel, your mystery gift awaits! 

Thank you once again for joining in the contest. More to come in the future ;)
Kisses of mushy broccoli from That Skinny Elephant.

*This post on Beaba Babycook Solo is a personal review based on my experience with this awesome machine. It is not sponsored a post

Solids - Bubba's 7th Month

Puree combination month!

Its all about mixing it up.

Annnnnnd we've discovered Bubba's favourite fruit, Golden Kiwis!

Bubba is much more acceptable to the idea of solids and spoons this month. So that means he is finally eating, yay!!

In my previous post, I've mentioned that he liked the taste of bananas. So instead of giving him a single fruit puree, we mix in some bananas.

He's not such a big fan of sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree, but after lining the spoon with banana, he ate more than usual. Yes, we are tricking him just a little bit and it works! Tee hee.

During one of our baby store visits, I came across the most ingenious tool, Kidsme food feeder! Bubba loves chewing on it. Just stuff a fruit in it, and walla, chomp chomp time!

Fruits I've put in ;

• Bananas
• Plums
• Avocado

Best part about it, no need for steaming or cooking, just good ol' fresh fruits.

Now the Purees, I pretty much started combining fruits and vegetables that he had tried previously and introduced some new fruits.

The following are his 7th month solids menu :

• Pumpkin Puree + Mashed Banana

 

• Pear Puree + Mashed Banana

• Mashed Avocado + Banana

• Golden Kiwi

This was his first time tasting Golden Kiwis, he sure did love it! Thanks to my Ms Babyclopedia (Sis-In-Law), for the suggestion!
Green Kiwis are tart and may be too sour for Bubs to handle. Golden Kiwis on the other hand are sweet. Among other benefits, kiwi fruits are a great source of vitamin C and potassium.


When introducing a new type of food, I like to let him get a feel of what he's having. Before doing that I have got to mentally prepare myself for the aftermath. Refer to picture below, lol!

 



• Purple carrot puree + Mashed Banana

I still feed him once a day because he'd just started familiarizing himself with the idea of eating and chewing. Occasionally I stuff a fruit into the food feeder and let him chew on it in the mornings.
I want milk to be his primary source of food hence will continue with once a day meals for now.


Today we have stepped into Bubba's 8th month. He really is comfortable with solids now, even gets excited, tee hee!


So till the next post, (I'm thinking homemade brown rice cereal :D ), I'm sending all the sweet momma's a whole load of tissues, baby wipes and a mop! Meal times has just got even messier, haha!


Kisses of mushy pumpkins from That Skinny Elephant.




Solids - Bubba's 6th Month

Oh my Bubba.

Officially going bananas.

I started Bubba on solids when he was 6 months. If you are following my blog, I mentioned that he
hardly took in any. Just enough to taste.

I practised the 4 day rule for every new food that I introduce to him. I believe it's the best way to test for allergies. Most pediatricians and mommas will recommend the 4 day wait rule. Here's a write up
from Momtastic.

With regards to introducing solids, every mother has the right to feed their babies according to what they feel is best.
It's nice to hear mothers sharing their preferences, but sometimes some go a little overboard stating that their way is the right way.
Now, my point here is to share the choices that I have made. It does not mean it's the best but its what I believe is suitable for my boy.
Plus aren't we all here to learn, relate, and share together? What mothers could use from other mothers is support.

Okay, said my peace now steering back to Bubba's solids introduction. Heh.

The following are his first foods. I chose to start him off with fruits and vegetables pureè. I mixed in a little breastmilk to liquify it.

Pureè line up :

Sweet potato pureè + Breastmilk
I thought it was nice and sweet, he thought what in the world is this!!

Mashed Avocado + Breastmilk
He actually had a teaspoon. My gawd that was victory.

Mashed Banana + Breastmilk
Had quite a bit from finger feeding. Not much from a spoon. I'd say he quite liked it.

Pear pureè
Hooo mama..probably a waste of time. Ended playing with the bowl of pureè rather than eating. 

My observations:

• He wasn't ready to receive food from a spoon. He eats more when fed using my finger tips.
• If he ate, it would be 1-3 teaspoons. Which is fine because I presume he is still learning to understand the idea that there are other food than the usual breastmilk.
• He is much more acceptable to the idea of eating about an hour after breastfeeding and when active. I avoid giving him solids when it's approaching nap time (super cranky + food goes everywhere but in his mouth, lesson learned for momma).
• Accepts the taste and texture of mashed bananas but not quite ready to eat yet.

In between I stopped on and off (1 or 2 days) and reintroduce solids again. I don't want to force him if he's not ready.

To my surprise, in his 7th month, he ate half a bowl of mashed bananas!!!(added a little breastmilk).

I realised all I had to do was be patient and he will show me when he is ready and comfortable with the new idea of solids.

Fascinating isn't it how babies are all created to just 'know' what to do and when.

Instincts.  Powerful tool.

That pretty much sums up the solids experiment for Bubba at his 6th month.

I plan to do some mixing of pureès for his 7th month. Will definitely share it on my next solids post.

Baby Led Weaning on the other hand, has its advantages, but the method is too traumatising for my sanity. Haha.

Happy experimenting to all the mommas who have just started your lil ones on solids!!

My only advice, patience :)

Kisses of sweet potatoes from That Skinny Elephant.

Solids

Bubba has two teeth on its way up up up!
My breastfeeding journey is at a whole new level now. Whatever you are thinking, my sentiments exactly.

When Bubba turned 6 months, breastmilk is still his primary meal. I introduced solids as a complementary meal to encourage the exploration of tastes and textures.

No he did not eat much, or any in fact. Tried sweet potato, banana, pear and avocado, all pureèd. To be honest, I had this whole vision pictured out that he will eat a few spoons and we will all be merry. But nope.


Im just wondering, could it be because he was teething or simply not ready? Either way, I shall wait. Wait for his cue.

Even after researching, I did get worried, because his weight was stagnant.
Soooo I had a word with Ms Babyclopedia, my sis in law (my brother's wife). Heh.
What she said was simple. She reminded me 'food before one is just for fun!'.
I couldn't agree more.

Those days were different though. Old folks be like if a baby is looking at you while you are eating or tries to grab your food, means he is ready for solids.
Wrong (from my experience).
If that was true, Bubba will be eating solids at 3/4 months. Which kind of explains why some parents feed their babies by  the 6th week.

Babies will look and grab anything. They are curious!

I'm not a doctor or a lactation consultant but after doing a little online googlin' and inputs from Bubba's pediatrician, I feel it is wise to pro long the introduction of solids.

Why I choose to wait?

1. Digestive system is still maturing.

2. Babies will be able to indicate when they are full by moving their head away and/or using hand gestures as they are much more steady.

3. May interrupt efficient iron absorbtion.

4. May trigger allergies.

5. Keeps moms milk coming and may lower risks of pregnancy.

6. Has better control in swallowing

Here are some links that provides thorough explanation:

KellyMom

Ask Dr Sears

La Leche League International

I have received numerous advice from ladies telling me to try feeding Bubba some sort of cereal at night. Apparently it will help him sleep through the night.

I take these advices openly, and appreciate it because they genuinely care.
Generally, that is what people think. Even me, before I learned about introducing solids of course. Matter of fact is that cereal is not as nutritious as milk(breastmilk/formula).I would rather wake up, again and again...and again.

Today at 7 months plus, Bubba went for it. He went towards the spoon!!!! Hooomygah!!

I swear I was so excited that I had to pause for awhile to understand that he is finally ready.

 The solids experiment begins. Boy oh boy, it's going to get messy and exciting!
If you'd like to follow me on this journey, the following are the links to Bubs month by month meals:

6th Month
7th Month
8th Month

Enjoy the read!

Kisses of mashed bananas from That Skinny Elephant.