Last Minute Stocking Fillers from Life Style Sports!

Buying Christmas for teenage man children is not always an easy task. Firstly they refuse to answer the question 'What do you want off Santy' with anything other than a bewildered stare and secondly they work, so throughout the year if there's anything they really, really want, they buy it. Yep, that's a first world problem but it's a very real one too when you're a busy Mama and haven't the time to invent a telepathic machine to scan their brains for answers! 

The Importance of an Infant Car Seat ~ Road Safety Series.

Being a first time mam can be pretty daunting in and of itself. There’s just so much to take in- advice by the bucket load and so. much. stuff. to buy. The very first decision we make for our little one’s safety is their car seat. Most Irish maternity hospitals now ensure you have a seat before they allow you to leave the ward, so I thought we’d talk a little about your options when it comes to your first purchase. To save money down the line it can seem ideal to buy a convertible seat (one that rear faces while baby is new born then converts as baby grows) but we’ll take a look today at why it’s a much safer option to start out with a car seat specifically designed for infants.

Why Do I Need an Infant Child Seat?

There are two distinct advantages to a specially designed infant car seat over the convertible option. First being far and away the most important- safety. Babies by their very nature are top-heavy, their little heads making up the majority of their body weight when born. A rear-facing child seat reduces the risk of injury in a head-on collision by more than 80%* when compared to a conventional forward-facing seat, as infant car seats are specifically cushioned with this weight difference in mind. This means that the force of an impact is distributed evenly over a large area.

The second advantage is convenience. Compact, easy to install infant car seats are now sold as part of newborn travel systems. The detachable seat can be transferred to pushchairs with ease. When the last thing you want to do is wake up a baby who hasn't slept for more than two hours at a time, then you best believe it's convenient to lift them from the car without disturbing their slumber.

The Difference between Infant Seats and Others

What Differentiates an Infant Car Seat?

· Usually smaller than their convertible counterparts. Most will have a carry handle, especially if they are bought as part of a travel system.

· The 3 or 5 point harness means baby will be as secure as possible in the seat. Some models recline, though you may pay more for that feature.

· ISOFIX bases are by far the most convenient part of Infant Car Seats. The base is easily clicked into place and you can be secure in the knowledge that they are fitted correctly. The base also remains in the car at all times, so you have the convenience of one click safety. You can buy more than one base for the same seat should you be using more than one vehicle in the family. 

These seats are used for infants up to 22 to 40 pounds, depending on the model. 
Should be used only for travel (not for sleeping, feeding, or other uses outside the vehicle). 

The most important feature of whichever car seat you opt for is fitting. As Infant car seats will mostly have carry handles, it’s important to note that the carry handle position can sometimes be critical in fitting as this acts as a rebound bar in the event of sudden braking or a collision.

Why Choose Extended Rear Facing Over Forward Facing?

It can be tempting to urge our children toward the next milestone in age and forward facing in the car is one of those perceived milestones. While laws are being gradually introduced to make extended rear facing the norm in Ireland and the UK, we really do need to consider just how much safer it is to extend rear facing travel. As mentioned above, if a baby travels in the car facing forwards, their relatively heavy head is unrestrained in a forward collision. Rear facing group 1 seats are 5 times safer in a frontal collision. They protect the neck and head by distributing the force along the back of the seat and are much more effective at protecting internal organs.*

We mentioned in our first post (HERE) the large percentage of car seats seen by the Check It Fits teams that are incorrectly fitted. However, another common issue they encountered was newborns in the wrong seat e.g. a seat that is designed for a much older child.

There are several ways of ensuring your chosen seat is fitted correctly but if you are ever in doubt, a visit to the Check It Fits service will put your mind at ease. This can be done before baby is even born to ensure you’re ready for your new arrival. Check your nearest Check It Fits team stop HERE. We'll be visiting the Check It Fits service on site in January to show you exactly what's involved and just how easy it is to ensure your little ones are as safe as possible, while in the car. 

Tell us: are you about to purchase your first infant car seat? 

Do you have any hints or tips to add on this topic?

Be sure to join in the Road Safety conversation & get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or right here below with any questions or comments you might have.

*Source 

Disclaimer: 
This is a paid for social media 
safety collaboration with the RSA. 

Things That Rustle My Jimmies

Shout out to those that messaged about an absence of Jimmies being unrustled last week & for those that unrustled their own in that absence. Truthfully, I was up more stressed than I've been in a century and thought it better not to have digital Hiroshima up in here. 

This week though? This week we're back! In no particular order of pissiness: 

1. Complaints about the unseasonable warmth

2. 'Hey, I know I said we don't have budget for that sponsored post but could you retweet 

our next three tweets?'

3. Trying to post actual post in a post office 

at Christmas time. 

4. 'In a world of Kardashians be an Audrey' - 

Eh how about you be 

WHOEVER THE HELL YOU WANT TO BE?! 

CHRIST!

5. 'Too [Youtube] Famous to Serve Brunch'

The assumption by some that online 'fame' automatically equates to dollars in the bank 

rustles ALL THE JIMMIES!

I'll be popping up a Snapchat Q&A about Jimmie #5 this evening over on ItsCherrySue but tell me, can you relate to any or all of the above? 

What's been rustling your jimmies this week? 

WIN ~ No7 Ultimate Collection Set with Boots! #CherryChristmas

Helloooo, Nurse! Day 17 of #CherryChristmas has arrived thanks entirely to everyone's leading health & beauty retailer, Boots! It's their Star Prize for this week, no less, the No7 Ultimate Collection Set. This amazing product is the star gift of the week and is available in store from today ooooor it could be winging it's way to you for nathin'!

Should you want to pick up this beauty bounty with 9 full sized, much raved about No7 products, it's half price at €52.50, down from €105 . Like all of Boot’s Star Gifts, this is going to be in sky high demand, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Should you want to avoid the stampede though, alls you need to do is pop a comment below and tell us 'Do you prefer to shop online or in store with Boots & why?'. 

For postage reasons this one is ROI only & usual T&Cs apply. 

Good Luck!

(for more info on our #CherryChristmas extravaganza & to see how you can transform one prize into a GRAND PRIZE see HERE)

WIN: Your Choice of Sparkle & Stationary from The Dotty Lemon! #CherryChristmas Day 16

It's Day 16 of #CherryChristmas and in the spirit of the season we're celebrating home grown business once again. Aisling is the brains and the brawn behind your newest favourite gifts n' pieces website, The Dotty Lemon. We're all for women kicking ass and taking names and if they curate a site as beautiful as The Dotty Lemon, while they're doing it then more's the better. 

We've teamed up today to give you an exclusive all access choice of Aisling's outstanding selection of necklaces and notebooks. That's right, you pick your own prize! Ideal as a gift for an sparkle loving friend, or perhaps you've finished your Christmas list and deserve a little self treat instead? 

Simply choose the necklace that most tickles your magpie-alike pickle HERE and the notebook in which you'd most like to document your nefarious deeds big plans for 2016 HERE and pop them in a comment below today! (be prepared to be transfixed for a while, it's happened to me, more than once!)

Open to UK & Ireland this time with usual T&Cs applying. 

Good Luck!