I saw a tweet recently (yes - twitter - we’re there as @napnaphq and @reallyecobaby) talking about how their 3 year old had insisted she had to go to the loo at her grandma’s and had even gone as far as getting her coat and shoes on. I think Grandma lived about 30 mins away by car. I have no idea how all that was contained in a tweet but that was the gist.

Between us at NapNap we have 5 (and nearly 6) children between us. And whilst lovely they all drive us up the wall. If it isn’t the non-walking 16 month old, it’s the bossy boots 3 year old. If it isn’t the non-lunch-eating 4 year old, it is the imperious 17 month old who sits in her throne, giving orders in a language that only she understands.

How to survive? Well, we would love some tips because, believe you me, we are not masters at this game. Is anyone? However, I do think a bit of creativity goes a long way and if you involve them in something (particularly when they are a bit older) then an impasse can sometimes (sometimes!!) be crossed.

I have a generally quite itchy 3 year old. She had horrible eczema as a tiny and now that she has chicken pox, I’m surprised she hasn’t taken most of her skin off. Chicken pox in the scalp? Who would have thought it. But not only is she itchy, she is also completely resistant to having cream put on. Why I have no idea. I promise I didn’t give her cream trauma as a baby by dunking her in buckets of the stuff (although that would have probably helped). My tactic this time is I have made sticky labels for the lotion bottle with her; quite a lot of fun and she likes trying to write her name so that has given it a really personal touch. She is still not particularly keen but we have managed to put some on with much less of a battle than before.

Admittedly, I have also been deceptive Mummy by secretly putting coconut oil in her bath - worked a dream ha ha ha.

I’m sure I’m not the only one to take this sort of approach, but for anyone tearing their hair out today, I thought I’d share that with you. Good luck!

Coconut oil is available at our online store: Really Eco Baby, along with other lovely, eco, ethical fairtrade gifts and products for babies and families.

Since we told you that Cotton Baby was the latest retailer to accept NapNap Vouchers, I am sure you have been on the edge of your seat waiting to discover more about them. Who are they? What do they like?

Or maybe you already know everything there is to know since Cotton Baby (www.cottonbaby.co.uk) was founded by Nicola 8 years ago which makes it one of the longest established real nappy companies. They have a team of nappy advisers around the UK and they pride themselves on spending time to help you find the product that's right for you and your baby.

Nicola says "I was introduced to the idea of using real nappies over 13 years ago, by a midwife when pregnant with my 1st child. She was the one who spoke about how long they would take to degrade in landfill and for me it was a light bulb moment as I already recycled, as most people do, however I thought it would be a bit ridiculous to recycle with one hand yet throw something into landfill with the other that would have a far greater impact. Also, I didn’t like the idea of putting something not made from natural fabrics against my baby’s skin. The main attraction is how much money stands to be saved by using washables and how easy to use they are. "

Cotton Baby has won awards for their commitment to the environment (their strapline is "Caring for your baby and the environment") but they are most proud of what their customers have to say, for example "Great choice of 'real nappies' and all accessories needed for using them. Excellent advice about using all the different products available. Highly recommended. "

So now, to the nappies they sell: firstly you should check their Facebook page for the latest products news and the sale page on their website. Nicola absolutely loves  MioFresh nappy cleanser as it does a great job keeping nappies fresh, whilst deodorising & cleaning them too. It is degradable and contains none of the harsh chemicals found in some nappy sanitisers. Just 1 small scoopful added to the wash allows you to safely wash nappies at 30 degrees, rather than 60. At just £4.50 for ¾ of a kilo it’s amazingly good value too. Additionally, she is very pleased to have found Baba & Boo nappies too: "It takes a lot for nappies to make it to the Cotton Baby site but these nappies are just fantastic and the fact that they look beautiful too is an added bonus! The biggest dilemma is which colour to choose as there’s such a wide choice!" 

You can feel how passionate Nicola is about cloth nappies; It then makes sense for Cotton Baby  to work with NapNap "as it’s good to promote real nappies as widely as possible. Parents want the best for their babies without spending a fortune and NapNap vouchers are a good way for parents to get the nappies of their choice, whilst grandparents & friends know they are contributing to something which the parents really want and need." We could not have said it better ourselves. Thank you Cotton Baby and let's change the world together.

Green tip from Cotton Baby:  "I’ve kept some of my children’s nappies (we gave loads away to help friends start their own real nappy adventure) and use them for cleaning windows (use the inserts if you had pocket nappies), dusting, mopping up spills, you name it they are have a use!"

Got a bit excited this morning - new nappy on daughter. It doesn't happen very often but I am sneaking a few new ones into my stash for when number 3 arrives in April. If you can guess what it is, you will be put into the pot to win a £5 NapNap Voucher. Ends tonight at 10pm. Just leave a comment here or on our Facebook page. Good luck :-)