Babies Go

Beyonce's £1m Baby Shopping Spree

2012-01-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Beyonce and husband Jay-Z welcomed their first child into the world on Saturday and according to reports have already spent £1 million on ensuring their daughter, Blue Ivy, has the best of everything. Star magazine claims that the couple has stocked their three homes with everything the baby girl could want including a rocking horse that reputedly cost £400,000.

"They're really pulling out all the stops. The two of them have been spending like there's no tomorrow!" an insider told the publication. "Together they've bought a Swarovski-studded high chair by Carla Monchen for £10,000, and a Fantasy 'posh tots' coach carriage crib for £30,000. They've even splashed out on a £20,000 magical windmill playhouse for the garden and a mini Bugatti car too." The celebrity couple have also spent £240,000 making each of the nurseries in their three homes identical to ensure the baby feels at home when they travel around America.

The proud parents released an official statement yesterday confirming the addition to their family. "Hello Hello Baby Blue!" the message from the musical pair began. "We are happy to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, born on Saturday, January 7, 2012. […] She was delivered naturally at a healthy 7lbs and it was the best experience of both of our lives."

Meanwhile, a representative for the hospital in New York where Beyonce gave birth has dispelled reports that the couple paid $1.3 million to rent an entire maternity floor of the hospital. "The family is housed in an executive suite at the hospital and is being billed the standard rate for those accommodations. The family does have its own security detail on site. However, the hospital has been and continues to be in control of managing all security at the facility."

The hospital rep also added that they had received no complaints from any other patients staying at the hospital following reports that a father was stopped from entering the intensive care unit to see his premature twins by the stars' security and that mothers at the hospital were considering filing a lawsuit because of the alleged disruption.

You can hear reworked baby friendly versions of Beyonce's greatest hits at http://babies-go.co.uk/babiesgobeyonce.html

http://www.babies-go.co.uk/

Babies Go at the Baby Show For Trade

2011-11-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came up and said "hi" at the Baby Show For Trade at the Kensington Olympia a few weeks ago. It was really nice to see so many people involved with Babies Go in one place and also to meet some new people who've since come on board. Welcome!

It was a busy few days but made all the more bearable by our fellow exhibitors, especially the Nursery Paint Company who were generously giving out cakes to passers by. We were fortunate enough to be just a few stalls down and the lucky recipients of several - thanks guys! It was also great to see some of the Baby Show's younger attendees demonstrating the effectiveness of our CDs, alternately dancing around and snoozing to the soothing sounds of Babies Go CDs.

We'll keep you updated via the blog on all our upcoming trade shows - hope to see you there!

www.babies-go.co.uk

Baby E

2011-08-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

We'd like to send a big message of support this afternoon to Liz Pilgrim at Baby E in Ealing. We were saddened to hear that her lovely shop was caught up in some of the worst of the looting last week meaning she's had to close and is currently busy cleaning up the shop preparing to re-open. We hope to see Baby E back and better than ever in the near future.

If you want to support any of the shops that were hit by the looting, including Baby E, we recommend you go to http://www.delootlondon.co.uk/ and check out the list of shops. Their mission statement is to "make sure that not a single shop that was looted during the riots is forced to close." We are happy to support the website and Baby E in their efforts to return things to normality. We wish them both and anyone else affected by the rioting the best of luck!

www.babies-go.co.uk

Babies Go on Irish TV

2011-08-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Eilis at Hey Baby in Ireland for taking some Babies Go CDs along with her for her recent interview on Ireland AM. The presenter seemed really enthusiastic about the CDs so we were chuffed to be featured.

Babies Go Competition Winner Reports From Wembley

2011-07-13T04:19:00.000-07:00

We had a little competition last month here at Babies Go with the prize of a pair of tickets to Take That's Wembley gig on July 4th. The lucky winner was Carolyn from Southampton and she's been good enough to send us a report of the gig.

My husband and I arrived at Wembley just after 5pm and our hearts dropped as we saw the queues to get into the stadium. Luckily we walked round the stadium to our gate and we were able to walk straight in without queuing! Our entrance brought us into the stadium at the side of the stage and if we had wanted to we would have been able to stand by the barriers at the front of the stage. Having seen the concert in Sunderland at the end of May (yes, sorry everyone I have now seen the concert twice!), we knew that 70% of the show was at the other end of the stage so moved to a better position (although I was a little disappointed as I could have got so close to Robbie *weep*).
The Pet Shop Boys came on stage around 7.15 and played all the classic Pet Shop Boys hits - West End Girls, Go West, It's a Sin (and also a couple of not so well known ones). They were quite a good warm up act for Take That really, especially when you looked at the median age of the crowd!!
An announcement went out around 8.15 to say that Take That would be on stage in approx 10mins, and as luck would have it, I was standing in a queue for the toilets. The only issue with having all these concerts in Football Stadiums is that they don't usually need lots of women's toilets, they were a lot stricter in Wembley and wouldn't let the women use the men's as I experienced in Sunderland!! But I got back in time anyhow!
The "grand" entrance very low key , Mark, Jason, Howard and Gary walked on stage to a huge cheer from the crowd and launched into Rule the World, followed by Greatest Day (with bursts of yellow ticker tape), Hold Up a Light (with fire swinging dancers) and then Patience. They then disappeared below the stage, which became an Alice in Wonderland type fantasy forest with a huge waddling caterpillar, dancing butterflies and bubbles for a rousing rendition of Shine. The 4 of them then ran back to the stage, and, as if by magic jumped "into" the screen and appeared on it with Robbie, singing and dancing along to a Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club parody. This then turned into a clip of Robbie by himself, and you could feel the hysteria in the air. Robbie then made his entrance by jumping out of the screen onto the stage accompanied by flames and fireworks.....to the biggest cheers of the night. He launched into all his best songs....Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ, Feel, Come Undone and of course Angels. Yes, as reported in all the papers, his language was a little choice, but all in all he put on such a show. It was interesting to see how much more confident, some would say cocky, he had got since we saw him in Sunderland. Was it the Robbie Williams show as some people had been saying? Well for this part of the concert, yes it was, and it was brilliant! The "re-united" 5 then took to the stage to sing The Flood, with a performance that included Robbie abseiling from the top scaffolding. This was followed by SOS, Underground Machine and a fantastic version of Kidz, which turned into a dance off between Howard and Jason.... I'm sure plenty of 20 year olds would kill for the bodies and fitness of those two 40 years olds!! There was then a medley of really old songs (Million Love Songs/Babe/Everything Changes) and Back for Good. It then moved onto Love Love, which in Sunderland had been performed on the moving giant robot, but technical issues must have prevailed as it was performed on the stage, but this song sounds fantastic that loud in a stadium. So from Love Love, to Never Forget, to the Robbie song, No Regrets, dancing and getting down to Relight My Fire and then ending on Eight Letters, which I think was a bit of an anti-climax and the only disappointing part of the show.
Overall though the concert was fantastic. Was it as good as the Circus? Difficult to say, as the theme of Progress wasn't so strong, but they certainly put on one hell of a show and thanks to Babies Go....I got to experience it for a second time!! Thank You!!!

So there we are. Thanks to everyone who entered the competition, we're so glad that the winner had such a great time at the concert.

http://www.babies-go.co.uk

Rocking Babies... To Sleep

2011-06-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

A poll published by The Baby Website has revealed that pop and rock songs have overtaken traditional lullabies as many parents' favoured way of singing their babies to sleep. Modern classics such as Oasis' "Wonderwall" and Robbie Williams favourite, "Angels" were among the most popular songs in the poll of 2,000 mothers. The questionnaire revealed that nearly two-thirds thought pop ballads were more effective for sending babies to sleep than traditional lullabies like Twinkle Twinkle or Rock-a-Bye Baby.

Spokeswoman Kathryn Crawford suggested mothers were being influenced by the music they listen to during the day. "We were really surprised to find that mums would rather sing modern pop tunes than traditional lullabies. I expect most mums put the radio on when at home with the baby and the catchy lyrics make it impossible to sing anything else at bedtime."

Nearly half of those polled said they sang to their little ones to calm them when they were upset, while a third always lulled their baby off to sleep with a song. The poll also revealed 13% of mothers thought lullabies were too old-fashioned, while one in 10 said they could not remember the words to any of them.

Take That's chart-topper Patience was named as the most popular song in the questionnaire; if you'd like a version of the track which has been specially designed for babies, check out our Babies Go Take That page or for lots of pop songs that have been specially produced for babies, visit our website .

www.babies-go.co.uk

Babies Go on Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Elton John

2011-02-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

We were happy to hear Babies Go on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show again this week, this time accompanying an interview with singer, football fanatic and national treasure, Elton John. The interview was quite eventful, including a bit of controversy, with Elton's famously loose lips getting the better of him, letting out a "f'***ing hell" mid-interview. Apart from swearing a mildly blue-streak, the singer also (rather ironically) was in town to promote new kids movie, "Gnomeo & Juliet", for which he's credited as executive producer. We've included a video clip of some of the interview (listen out for Babies Go playing in the background). You can also check out audio clips of the interview below.

www.babies-go.co.uk

Babies Go Take That on Chris Evans Breakfast Show

2011-01-19T08:48:00.001-08:00

Gary Barlow dropped into the Chris Evans breakfast show this morning to let everyone know about his 40th birthday which he'll be celebrating at the Shepherds Bush Empire tomorrow evening with a very exclusive party. He and Chris talked gigs, songwriting and the band among many other topics but we couldn't help notice the music playing in the background during the interview. We were chuffed (to say the least) when we realised that it was our very own Babies Go Take That CD playing, and if we say so ourselves, it sounded great on the radio! We've included some clips below or you can listen to the whole interview here.

www.babies-go.co.uk

Waaah! More London bring-a-baby concerts

2011-01-17T03:21:00.000-08:00

We read this at the weekend and thought it would be worth passing along...

from Time Out:

By Jonathan Lennie

Something weird is happening. I am in the stalls of Wigmore Hall enjoying the aeolian strains of a wind trio, while my companion is chewing his hand and dribbling on my trousers; meanwhile, the person in front is standing backwards in their seat and staring at me intently. And if that wasn't disconcerting enough, a chorus of wailing is gathering momentum across the room. And never mind the clapping between movements, here there is constant movement, including one audience member who is enjoying an impromptu promenade, standing at the side of the stage eating a biscuit.

The reason for this unusual behaviour might be explained by the fact that half the audience is under one year old. We are at the sporadic 'For Crying Out Loud' concert series - my son, Reuben, making his first foray into the concert hall. Well, he is five months old and I didn't want to leave it too long.

The series, run by Wigmore Hall, is part of its education programme. And what a great idea! For while there are regular family concerts and activity workshops for infants across the city, there are few opportunities for parents with babies to attend live classical music events. And this is definitely one for the parents - today there are about 100 of them, mostly mums, some accompanied by dads, and a handful of grandparents.

Now I understand why, on entering the building with half an hour to kick-off, the ushers looked so nervous. For 15 minutes later the onslaught began, as mothers stormed the foyer with their offspring in prams and slings, and bags bulging with baby accoutrement.

The musicians today are the Fortuna Trio, whose combination of flute, clarinet and bassoon is clearly conducive to small ears as there is a collective hush as they open with a Mozart divertimento. However, despite the wonderful sounds being created on stage, Reuben doesn't seem to notice, being far more interested in examining his feet, which have only recently come into his purview. But such distractions are welcome and he remains quiet until halfway through an arrangement of Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring', when a junior critic on stage right registers his displeasure (some people don't like Bach being messed about with); his cries are met by another on the other side, creating a Doppler effect, which sets the rest of the room off, including Reuben. read more......

www.babies-go.co.uk

Take That On Tour

2010-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

Take That have been dominating the headlines recently amid a flurry of speculation over their lineup, the new Take That album,"Flood", their forthcoming live tour and quite a lot in-between. It all started a few months ago when news of a single co-written by Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams called "Shame" made the internet rounds and got fans salivating over a potential reunion of the band's original line-up. The single was released and promptly shot straight to No. 2 in the UK singles chart, also doing well in the European charts.

Not long afterwards, the group, together with Robbie Williams, publicly announced that they would be releasing a studio album, the band's sixth, due in stores next month. They'll also be embarking on a European stadium tour next summer, taking in huge venues in the UK including Millennium Stadium, Hampden Park and Wembley Stadium as well as huge stadiums abroad like Milan's San Siro and Munich's Olympic Stadium.

All of this got us thinking here at Babies Go HQ (no need to look so worried) : amid all the hype and excitement surrounding the release and the Take That Flood Tour, how are the band members planning on taking care of the crop of rugrats that have sprouted since the last time the band were touring? It's all good and well partying like rockstars without dependants but what about when Mark Jr. needs to be in bed by 7 but he can't sleep?

We know that Howard will be able to rest assured in the knowledge that whilst he’s away, his children will be able to drift off to lullaby versions of Take That’s biggest hits. Howard recently picked up a copy of Babies Go Take That from Their Nibs, the rather stylish baby boutique in Notting Hill.

Keep an eye out for Take That concert tickets and concert ticket giveaways over the next few months for your chance to see the band live.

Not Over 'Til The Wee Baby Sings

2010-09-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

We've covered a couple of festivals for the miniature pop and rock fans out there but what if your baby is a bit more discerning. If you live anywhere near Glasgow or Edinburgh then you should get yourself and the little ones down to Baby O, the opera that's made especially for babies. The events are put on by the Scottish Opera but don't worry if you're not from north of the border, Baby O takes their show on tour from time to time having been in London earlier this summer with plans to go back on the road towards the end of this year. Performed especially with babies in mind, Baby O is the perfect way to introduce your baby to opera. Whether you've got a baby Bach or a mini Mozart, you're unlikely to find a more child-friendly atmosphere to introduce your little ones to high culture.

Baby O use pieces that have been composed especially for the event focusing on tones more than words and allowing the babies to get excited about the sounds themselves. Organiser Jane Davidson explains, "We have three performers and the music is entirely vocal, using sounds and words that babies will recognise and understand, with these classically trained singers creating baby-friendly noises. The parents all comment on what it feels like to have their baby in their lap for 25 minutes watching the performance – though there is always the occasional slightly older or more adventurous child who will crawl over to join in – moving their arms, wiggling their feet.”

Visit their website for more details.

http://www.babies-go.co.uk

Top 10 Baby Sleeping Tips

2010-08-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

1. Sleep Sounds

Music is a great way to help your baby drift off to sleep. Choose something that you and your baby both enjoy and play it at low volumes while drifting off. Light, relaxing music is preferable but it depends on your baby's taste.

2. Swing of Things

Babies are practically programmed to fall asleep when they experience motion. This mimics the sensation the baby had in the womb - Mummy moving around meant it was time to get some shut-eye; Mummy staying still meant it was time to exercise and have a party.

3. Dark Room/Light Room

Babies don't immediately understand the difference between day and night. As mentioned above, Babies are wired to relax during the day when Mummy's moving around, then get some exercise at night when Mummy's still and sleeping. Making sure it's dark during sleep time and light during waking hours should help the baby build up an association between the two.

4. Close To Your Chest

Consider using a sling to keep your little one close, especially during the day - a relaxing day is more likely to be followed by a relaxing night. Not only will the baby be able to see what you see, hear what you hear and smell what you smell, but you will be able to react quickly when your baby communicates with you.

5. White Noise

Although it may seem strange, monotonous soft noises, usually termed "white noise", is music to a baby's ears. The sound of a hair dryer or washing machine creates the perfect swirling soundscape for your baby, a convincing replacement for the sounds of the womb.

6. Just Right

Cold beds are bad news for a sleeping baby, especially during winter. Make sure that whatever surface you lay your baby on is not cold to the touch and make sure the room is around 21°C. It can also help to make sure the room is not too dry or too humid; a relative humidity of around 50% should do it.

7. Night Rider

This is more of a last resort but if all else fails it may be worth taking your wee one out for a late night drive. The change of scenery might be just what he needs and will give you a chance to get out of the house for a short while plus the movement should rock him off to sleep in no time. When you return home it may be worth bringing the car seat in to the house with baby still asleep inside. No point in ruining a good thing - if the baby is sleeping then that's what really counts.

8. Location, Location, Location

Despite what you may have read, there is no right or wrong place for a baby to sleep. If a baby is struggling to get to sleep , anywhere that helps the baby drift off is a good place for him or her to grab some Z's. If the baby can't sleep in a crib in their own room, maybe it's time to move the crib into the parents' room. Some might prefer it the other way round and some might even prefer to sleep snuggled up to Mummy and Daddy in the parents' bed. It's best to experiment.

9. No sudden noise.

Sudden noise is a disaster for a sleeping baby. Babies' ears are more sensitive than adults' and sudden, piercing or loud sounds will be quite unusual to them, considering they're more used to the relaxing, monotonous soundscapes of the womb. It's best to keep a relaxed environment around your baby, especially when it comes to bed time.

10. Be Flexible

It's important to know that no 2 babies are the same; every single infant has their own unique personality with their own quirks. Be adaptable and understand that no child expert knows your baby better than you do. All baby-rearing books and lists therefore should be taken with a grain of salt. You may come up with a list of essential techniques for getting your baby to sleep that don't even figure on this list. Also, understand that your baby is growing at a remarkable rate. What works at 4 weeks won't necessarily work at 4 months so it's important to be responsive and sensitive as he or she grows up.

www.babies-go.co.uk

Camp Bestival

2010-08-02T04:14:00.001-07:00

Carrying on from our previous post, we have news of another festival put on especially for young children and families, Camp Bestival, which took place this past weekend. A family-friendly spin-off of the hugely successful Bestival, this is the third time the event has been held at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, attracting over 30,000 young revelers and their parents. The entertainment included music from The Human League, Ellie Goulding, Friendly Fires with Madness providing top billing.

Camp Bestival founder Rob Da Bank of Radio 1 fame said "It's the friendliest crowd I've seen this year. I’m pleased, it’s quite nerve wracking because of the responsibility of having all the kids here but as soon as it starts you see how friendly everyone is."

With a myriad of activites for kids including an insect circus, a giant bubble creator, a magic meadow and educational activities like the literacy tent and the Gin Carriage where children could write a poem or draw a picture in return for a free drink (non-alcoholic of course), there was plenty to keep the little ones occupied.

Don't worry if you missed it, tickets are already on sale for next year, so the three-year old tradition shows no signs of stopping. “When you find somewhere where you set on so well with the people, you are not going to disappear." says Rob. "I still want to be here doing this when I’m 60.”

www.babies-go.co.uk

Lollibop - The Big Bash for Little People

2010-07-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

With Glastonbury just passed and Bestival, The Big Chill and more coming soon, festival season is in full swing, so what better time to pass along news of a huge event especially for the younger generation? Lollibop is a festival with a difference, the main one being that it's aimed at under-10s (and their parents). "The big bash for little people" is packed with activities and full of surprises too: Jarvis Cocker (!!) is playing a DJ set at the appropriately named 'Miniscule of Sound' and comedian, Phil Kay, will be a guest story-teller. Besides the celebrity performances, Lollibop will be home to a multitude of activities including a circus Big Top; 'Dr. Doos Little Zoo' with baby animals of various kinds; the Lollipolympics for athletic babies; all of which can be followed by some R&R in the VILP (Very Important Little Person) room.

If you're interested, you can buy tickets here. They cost £14.50 per child, £9 per adult or £42 for a family ticket consisting of 2 children and 2 adults.

17th & 18th July 2010
11am - 7pm
Clissold Park
Stoke Newington
London N16

For more information, visit the Lollibop website at http://www.lollibopfestival.com.

Music: A pacifier that works as a painkiller, too

2010-06-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

Came across this story in the Globe and Mail from Canada. It's quite old but an interesting report on the benefits of music for premature babies.

Music: A pacifier that works as a painkiller too

Zosia Bielski

From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, May. 28, 2009 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Friday, May. 29, 2009 3:42AM EDT

Brahms's Lullaby might be good for much more than a heavy-eyed baby.

Music played to premature infants may help lessen their pain and ease the transition to bottle feeding, according to a new review study by Canadian researchers.

The findings, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, suggest that the trend of bathing babies in music is paying off.

Increasingly, neonatal units around the world are playing lullabies and sounds that mimic those that fetuses hear in the womb, hoping the music will improve the babies' behavioural and physiological outcomes, and alleviate pain during circumcision and other common procedures.

The benefits are said to include calmer infants (and parents), a stable condition in the child's functions, higher oxygen saturation, faster weight gain and shorter hospital stays. Popular preemie music includes recorded versions of Brahms's Lullaby and Hush-a-bye Baby.

Some of the studies combined lullabies with what the fetus would hear in utero, sounds such as heartbeats and blood flow, said Manoj Kumar, an assistant clinical professor at the neonatal division in the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta. More...

www.babies-go.co.uk