Spotted in the hands of the most influential babies, Sophie the Giraffe has become the latest arm candy in Hollywood and beyond.

Sophie the Giraffe is a natural rubber teething toy which is cute and easy to hold for young children.

Since 1961 more than a 50 million have been sold across the globe and its appeal still remains strong today.

We road tested Sophie on some Lasoo babies and it received roaring accolades from all. Many of the children seemed to love and respond well to the little squeaks the giraffe made and parents felt safe knowing their children were chewing on a toy made from non-toxic materials.

Ranging from around $20-$40 the Sophie Giraffe range is a must-have for parents!

Do you have a Sophie Giraffe? What are your thoughts?

Celebrating their 21st Year in 2012, The Wiggles are set to captivate future generations of tots with their catalogue of toys, music, DVDs and live shows.

Now that The Wiggles have come of age, we thought we’d take a look at the best they currently have to offer your little one whether it’s bath, bed or play time!

The Wiggles iPad App

Kids are becoming astoundingly comfortable with technology at a very young age. The new Wiggles iPad App is full of Wiggly fun and helps them learn in a fun and engaging way for only $2.99

Cold Spaghetti Western / Wiggle Bay DVD

As they say in rock ’n’ roll circles, this one’s a classic! Features two discs of old-school Wiggles’ hits.

The wiggles my first guitar

An interactive guitar that lets your child dance and sing along to their favourite Wiggles’ songs.

The Wiggles Music Instrument Kit Set - Let’s Rock & Roll

Kick-start your child’s love of music with this six-piece set.

Three-piece Melamine set

What else would a Wiggles fan use to eat their yummy, yummy fruit salad?

Tommee Tippee Wiggle N Sprinkle Bath Toy

In the tub, tub, tub you can scrub scrub, scrub and have fun with this push and pull action bath toy.

The Wiggles: Learn, Sort & Classify Puzzle Cards by The Wiggles

As former early childhood educators, Murray, Jeff, Greg and Anthony know children learn best through play.

The Wiggles Projector

Includes six-mini slide discs featuring eight Wiggles pictures.

The Wiggles Big Red Boat Inflatable Pool Toy

What else would you take to Wiggle Bay?

The Wiggles Dinosaur Magic Night Light

There’ll be no tears before bedtime with this comforting night light.

The Wiggles Mobile Phone

Want some peace and quiet while you make a phone call? This is how you get it.

Does the concept of a baby drinking the breast milk of a stranger make you feel uncomfortable?

Hospitals around the world are beginning to seek donors to donate their breast milk and this is proven vital for the health of some newborn babies.

The donated breast milk is then pasteurised and and frozen until required and is used for babies who need it throughout Australian hospitals. This is becoming vital for hospitals who need breast milk to help feed premature babies, giving them a great start to life.

Often mothers who suffer trauma during childbirth are unable to product milk to feed their baby. According to an article by Nikki Haynes from Nine months, the benefits of breast milk include:
• Babies in the Special Care Nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who are fed breastmilk progress to normal health 25% faster than if they were fed formula.
• The protein in breastmilk is more easily digested than that of formula.
• Babies fed breastmilk are better equipped to fight infections because breastmilk enhances immunological development.
• Premature babies fed breastmilk are six times less likely to suffer a life threatening gastro-intestinal condition called necrotising enterocolitis.

Although the practice of producing human milk for distribution is becoming more and more accepted by society, we are a long way from seeing breast milk being sold in our local grocery store.  However, when you stop and think about it, society and our cultural norms are a little bit puzzling- where we think it is socially acceptable for us to drink milk from a cow and are shocked about the concept of drinking milk from a human.

With more women returning to the workforce soon after the birth of their child forcing children to be fed using formula, and the evidence of the benefits of breast feeding becoming more apparent, there may be an increased desire to be able to purchase breast milk in a more convenient way.

Did you breast feed your baby? Would you have bought it from the grocery store if it was available?

The good thing about creating a fantastic indoor wonderland for your little ones is that it doesn’t require more toys.

What it does need is great storage solutions that make it easy to keep the mess at bay – as much as possible.

Use a colourful table and chairs set as the centrepiece of the room where kids can create and play.

Make space for a reading corner with a low set bookshelf, lots of colourful cushions and a fun rug. Add a cozy flip-out sofa for rest time.

Wall stickers are great for revamping a room without repainting and are easy to remove when no longer needed.

Extras such as a chalkboard or mini kitchen will keep them entertained for hours.

If you have space, try designating an area of the room to dress ups. A toy box will keep it all together and costumes and clothes are much easier to find in a box than toys.

Fuel their love music by scattering the room with musical instruments such as a guitar, keyboard or easy to use CD player. And, if your house is large enough that you can escape the cacophony, a drum set.

For some design inspiration you can check out the full IKEA catalogue.

At Lasoo we know how important it is for you to find the best products for you and your family.

Choosing the right high chair for your little tot certainly tops the list of important purchases and Lasoo has the tips that will help you find what you need at the right price.

High chairs are no longer the eyesore of the kitchen that they once were, and Lasoo has chairs in all different styles from basic to gadget.

Tips for choosing your high chair

Adjustability

For the best value for money try buying a high chair with adjustable measures. This can see your tot through from 4 months to 2 years. At all times you want the high chair to be at a height that’s comfortable and supportive while your child eats.

Try looking for these options in a chair:

· Waist and crotch straps

· Easy to operate trays

· Table base

· Wheels

· Adjustable heights / reclining backs

Security:

A fall from the high chair is a parent’s worst nightmare but easily avoidable with diligent use of crotch and waist straps. These will stop a young baby from sliding off the chair and an older tot from standing up on the chair.

Easy to clean:

Try to ensure your high chair has a tray that is easy to operate and can be handled with one hand. Quite often you will find yourself holding the baby in one arm as you place them in or take them out of the chair, so make sure that the tray can be removed easily for access.

Baby carriers are very popular - but a recent newborn death of a baby boy in a sling has put the spotlight on choosing the right one, and using it properly.

When it comes to safety, first things first. A baby carrier/sling is not something to purchase before your baby’s birth. Not is it something to give as a present before the baby is born - however well-meaning. The reasons being, carriers are very individual as to what feels both comfortable and safe for a parent to use - and you need your new baby with you so that you can check for proper fit (for both you and the baby).

The most important safety issue when choosing and using a baby carrier for a newborn, is be sure that you can constantly see the baby (never wear it under clothes), ensure their head faces outwards and that there’s no fabric covering the baby’s face. The chin must not rest on the chest, nor should the nose and mouth be obscured in any way. Always check to see if the manufacturer has issued any specific instructions for use - and bear in mind that, as yet, there are no safety standards for baby sling manufacture in this country - and there are safety concerns around their use. Some experts go so far as to recommend that newborns under 4 months don’t go in carriers, but only lie-down prams.

Above all, do not buy a sling or pouch that claims to keep baby in a `foetal-like’ position - it’s normal for the baby to lie like this in the womb, but not OK when he needs to breathe independently in a pouch! A pouch should hold the baby as a parent normally would.

Basically, there are 3 main types of baby carrier:

Before you buy a carrier, make these decisions:

Who will be the primary user of the carrier? Buy it to fit them. Most carriers are adjustable to be used by others - however the primary wearer must be the most comfortable user.

Will you be using the carrier primarily on your own? If so, it’s crucial to be able to undo the carrier straps easily - preferably one-handed while you support the baby. Clips are better than straps with ties.

How old is the baby/child in the carrier? Each baby carrier has weight/age requirements. The carrier must be able to support your child’s weight properly. Some will support up to 12Kg, others up to 18Kg.

What activities do you want to do? Breastfeeding is usually done best in a fabric sling rather than a pouch. Lots of walking will be more comfortable with a pouch. Check for a broad hip or waist strap to take some of the weight off shoulders and limit sideways movement of the carrier.

Find baby carriers on Lasoo.