Tried and Tested: Cheeky Wipes, A review - 1 Year 2 Bottoms

The Full Kit

As a mummy to one year old boy/girl twins I feel pretty qualified to now talk about Cheeky Wipes.
We have used these since Gracie and Alfie were just a few weeks old so I think it's safe to say that over the past year they have been put through the ringer.

From my very first use of the Cheeky Wipes I wanted to jump on here and write a rave review about them. I have sung their praises many times on twitter etc but I wanted to give them a really good go to see how they faired over a longer period and if my feelings would remain the same. 

A year later and I'm still raving about them!

Honestly when I bought them I had concerns over if I could get hubby on board with them too, would he find it a bit yucky? He was dubious but from the very first use he declared how much better they were than wipes "and they don't stick together and 10 come out of the packet at the same time". This is my absolute pet hate about disposable wipes, I haven't met a pack yet where I can just neatly remove one at a time - such a waste!

So with this topic I can't avoid the inevitable.... Let's talk about poo.

I love that with Cheeky Wipes I can literally clean a regular poop with 1 cheeky wipe, well ok 2 if it's a bad explosion or maybe even 3 if it's an up the back jobbie or a "jumperpoo" as we like to call them here (you know the poo that happens in the jumperoo and travels upwards with each bounce). But that's nothing compared to the 7 baby wipes I would have used to smear the poop around quite a bit plus to at least quadruple that which came out the packet while I was trying to get one.

I have been there, the messiest of nappies trying to wrestle with a pack of wipes whilst trying to keep one-desperate-to-crawl-off-covered-in-poo baby pinned to the floor whilst keeping little hands from reaching the poop whilst trying to stop the other desperate-to-investigate baby from also getting in the business too! Baby wipes sticking together so that I have to wave my one free hand about like a loon trying to separate the wipes (come one now don't pretend you don't do this, what you wanted to get 7 wipes out?!)

Practical, simple and easy to use, that's all I ask for. I'm pleased to share with you that this is what I get with Cheeky Wipes.

I initially bought two complete sets thinking we would keep one downstairs and one upstairs but I actually found it easier just to rotate the two boxes wash one and use one so that I rarely ran out unless I had poorly bubbas or something and ran behind with my washing hence occasionally reverting to baby wipes.

So in a set you get:

25 - Lovely soft  cloth baby wipes, 15 cm x 15 cm choose from cotton terry, 'Ultimate' cotton & cotton velour or microfibre ( I opted for terry)

'Single-Clip' Fresh Baby Wipes container

'Single-Clip' Mucky Baby Wipes container - with mesh bag insert

Cheeky Wipes Fresh Baby Wipes waterproof out and about travel bag

Cheeky Wipes Mucky Baby Wipes waterproof out and about travel bag - with mesh bag insert

10 ml bottle of Fresh Baby Wipes Essential Oil Blend - choose from Lavender & Chamomile, Mandarin & teatree or Rose & Rose Geranium

10 ml bottle of Tea Tree & Tea Tree Lemon Mucky Baby Wipes Essential Oil Blend 

The mesh bag inside the mucky box

I opted for the terry wipes. They are thinner than terry that u would have in say a face cloth or a towel. You can also get microfibre which I have yet to try.

I love the scent of the oils that you use with each box particularly the one for the mucky box it's lovely and fresh.

You do get a little mesh drawstring bag that sits inside the mucky box with the purpose that you can lift it out and throw the entire bag and mucky contents into the wash. This admittedly I have struggled with and think it could be designed slightly better. You have to loop the drawstring over some little hooks on each corner of the box and I tried and tried with this but found that I was just faffing and fiddling each time I was trying to make up my fresh boxes and it drive me crazy (ain't no twin mumma got time for that) so I now just use the box without the drawstring bag. In my opinion it would be better if the hooks where almost closed off and you had to clip the drawstring in each corner. This would hold each corner and save one (or more) corners popping out of place while you are trying to secure another corner. 

The hook on the corner of the mucky box

One other foible I found (I don't want to say "problem" as I don't have any real "problem" with these but I do like to be totally honest and upfront)  I guess after a good few months of use the rubber inner seal in one of my fresh wipes box popped out so now each time I open the box I'm fiddling and faffing trying to pop that back in too otherwise the box doesn't close properly. I guess I will just have to get some glue out to secure it in place so it's not exactly a big issue. The pros of using them far out weigh any nuisances I have encountered.

Another great thing about these is that when you wash them you don't even need to wait for them to dry if you will be boxing them up and using them straight away you can just pop them in the box with a small amount of water and the oil and you're all set. This is useful especially if you have one box. Just make sure you wash and dry them I guess every few washes.

So after a year of using the wipes on a boy bot and a girl bot I would certainly say we have vigorously road tested them and we still LOVE them. Hubby too, if he had to choose between baby wipes and Cheeky Wipes he would opt for Cheeky every time. On the rare occasion we have used wet wipes I guarantee you will hear exclamations of "ahhhhhh these blinkin things!" (Or perhaps slightly less polite).

I have just read that they have started selling Cheeky Mama cloths - reusable sanitary protection. I would LOVE to try these! I would love to try the weaning kits too! (oops I shouldn't be perusing their website right now!)

I have also noticed they are having a flash sale so here is the link if you would like to have a look: quick thought it ends 1st July!! http://www.cheekywipes.com/blog/cheeky-wipes-flash-sale-25-percent-discount.html

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Buddies and Bikini Lines

I think I may have found a friend today?
Here on camp as people only live here for around 3-5 years there is a group for selling unwanted items. You get a certain allowance for shipping your belongings back to the UK and it's pretty minuscule. For that reason also we didn't bring our sofas out here with us (they are in storage in the Uk. We were going to buy a new sofa out here but as my mum pointed out that's probably not the most sensible decision while Gracie and Alfie are small, better to buy something you don't mind getting little people paw prints on/them building forts with the cushions/ or using as a trampoline ;0) . Then we could leave that one here/sell it in when we return to the UK. So looking on the selling group I found a sofa that looked like it fit the bill today and asked the lady of I could come and see it.
Off Gracie, Alfie and I strolled in the heat about 20 minutes away.
On arrival we were ushered in and offered drinks, she said take the babies out of the pushchair and let them play around. I said I didn't want to impose but she was so friendly. They had the cutest little 3 year old girl and a gorgeous little dog. Their little girl was immediately besotted with Gracie and Alfie and Gracie was immediately besotted with the dog (as was I!).
We got chatting and were probably there for an hour or more. Their little dog completely in love with Gracie in particular kissing and cuddling her and so so gentle it was beautiful to watch. Gracie was giggling away at her.
The potential friend (is that the right way to put it??! Hahah) was really nice also very enamoured with Gracie and Alfie, playing with them as if she were an old family friend, making them laugh etc (this is perhaps the most important thing to me, I want my friends to adore my babies- as my friends do! ) I realise that may sound strange but apart from my family I feel very blessed that in the UK we have such wonderful friends who love our babies so much and take such interest in them.
I also realise that this is starting to sound like when someone lines up a potential date hahha but weirdly that's kinda what it is like. I have a difficult time trusting women, I'm not one for bitchiness and gossip I just like genuine people. I wear my heart on my sleeve and have a tendency to get pooped on. Coming out here I was determined I would not let that happen, leaving behind such amazing friends back home (you know who you are) made me realise that there are people out there with the same values and ideals and who would treat me as I would treat them. So these days I like to hang back a bit and suss people out before I get involved.
So we were chatting and playing with dogs and babies and seemed to have a lot in common. She said she was going to the beach tomorrow and would we like to go too. In my resolve to say "yes" more and not turn down opportunities because of my anxiety I said we would love to. So potential friend said her friend is picking her up in the morning and she will knock here on the way. "There will be a few of the girls going so you can meet them", she said.  Ah, the clanger,  the game changer, the stuff of fear.
So now I'm even more nervous than I was. So I know that she seems nice, but what are the others like? Will they judge my "hippy" ways? Will they question why I'm still Breastfeeding? Why I don't want to have a night out and be apart from my babies? Why we co-sleep? Think I'm a weirdo for baby wearing etc etc.
I thought being married and out of the dating game anxieties over dates were long gone now it anxieties over play dates!!!
As I was packing our beach bag and getting ready tomorrow it even crossed my mind "oh no I need to do my bikini line!!!" So what? Now I even have to worry about my bikini line for play dates too hahaha. This whole date/play date analogy just got serious.
So, as I'm getting ready for bed I'm thinking about that cute lil dog (who I offered to look after if they are away, obviously!) and feeling nervous, like I'm walking onto the lions den in a freakin bikini! first dates are hard enough but a first play date in a bikini which is like practically your underwear, can u get any more vulnerable? Will they like me, will I like them, will they judge me, will they think I'm a freak, a weirdo, an idiot?
Oh and I don't think we want this sofa, I'm going to hold out for a grey one.
Do other mummies have these thoughts when trying to make mummy friends?
I'm off to shave my legs, Veet my bikini line and quickly paint over the 4 week old chipped nail polish on my toes.......

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For My Husband On Fathers Day

 It's 23:15 on the eve of Father's Day.
I'm working on some last minute gifts for Andy from Gracie and Alfie tomorrow.
With all the chaos of moving and getting set up here in Cyprus this day has come around much quicker than I realised.
I'm sat here whilst Andy,Gracie and Alfie are asleep. I am watching them on the monitor.I'm trying to gather my thoughts to write something special to my husband for Father's Day.
Watching my husband and our precious children all snuggled and sleeping as my inspiration for writing this.

With tears in my eyes and a heart fit to burst try as I might I simply cannot find the words.
How do I translate what this man does with his heart every day?
I have had the privilege of watching this amazing man become the father he never knew he would be.
I have had the pleasure of seeing every moment of sheer love and joy he has had with our babies for the past 1 year and 11 days. That is 1 year and 11 days my husband has held our babies,  loved them and laughed with them and yet every day it's is like he is seeing them and holding them for the first time.
The happiness and love in this mans heart knows no bounds.
The love that he has for our diddy people makes my heart melt daily. As soon as his eyes open in the morning they are drawn to the diddies laying between us and a light is turned on that is met by a smile.
I didn't have a very good example of what a father should be but I know one thing, Gracie and Alfie are so lucky and this amazing man will make sure they know how much they are loved, how clever they are, how beautiful they are. By his example they will know joy, love, happiness, silliness, courage, determination and strength. They will know how to be brave, how to be kind, how to be loyal. They will also know of health and well being by his example. He will show them how hard work pays off and how to always do the best they can and take pride in everything they do. His laughter and smile will warm their hearts (as it does mine) and dry their tears. They will know their daddy is there for them and that he always will be.
When we married we never knew where our path would take us. Yet I always knew this man would be an amazing father. I'm so proud and grateful in so so many ways that I get to ride sidecar with him on this amazing adventure and watch him be that father every day.

So it's not a poem. It's not an expensive gift. The gifts I give him tomorrow are handmade with anything I could get my hands on locally while most of our belongings are in shipment. The greatest gifts we could have hoped for arrived 1 year and 11 days ago, these two little miracles that made him a father. He holds these gifts in his arms every day and will hold them in his heart forever.

To my husband on this Father's Day. I love you and I am so so proud.

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