A timely gift

Little Big Cheeks is already heading towards his half-year birthday and it seems like forever since I was lugging him around in my belly. I don't exactly miss being pregnant, but I do wish I'd known about My Pregnancy Digi Time Capsule when I was 'with child'.

The fantastic techno keepsake provides a way to capture and store your pregnancy journey, from ultrasound and heartbeat recordings to video messages and photos of your growing bump. On 4GB, you can document the process of decorating your baby's nursery, record baby showers and gift items, even put down timely details about the world leading up to your baby's birth. From gender predictions to old wives' tales, pretty much anything you can think about plus loads of stuff you haven't can be saved on the My Pregnancy Digi Time Capsule.

Available in Signature Silver & Gold or White Leather, this award-winning product makes a truly original gift for any mama-to-be. What's great is that once you pop, you will soon be able to create My Baby Book Digi Time Capsule with equally comprehensive features. Visit the Digi Time Capsule web site for more details and updates.

So fresh and so clean

Having just come back from our recent trips to Africa and France to a post-heatwave, somewhat gloomy London, I thought I'd maintain a little holiday cheer with a few posts about most useful travel products.

When you're abroad, keeping yourself and more importantly your kids clean and fresh can be a challenge when sometimes even the local water is tainted. You might even resort to using your own spit on a handkerchief (even though you remember how much you hated the feel of your mum's saliva on your face as a child).

Enter MomSpit, the ingeniously named no-rinse cleanser for hands and face, for use on anybody aged two and above. With its witty caption 'Inspired by the original', MomSpit serves to freshen up grubby cheeks and paws, easily removing anything from mud and sand to dried food and drink.

It comes in several flavours, such as the delicious Fig & Green Tea, equally yummy Lemon & White Tea or plain and simple Unscented. When there's no soap or sink available, wash up with just a squirt or two of this magic foam. The residue is slightly sticky at first but fades to a softly moisturising feeling that certainly beats the drying out quality of those alcohol hand rubs.

MomSpit comes in a range of dispensers that are small enough to fit in your hand luggage, baby bag or even your clutch. So put your tongue away and pick up a spit kit from these clever mumpreneurs. Trust me, your kids will thank you for it. Visit the MomSpit web site for more details.

What Dad really wants

It's not the first time I've bemoaned the lack of decent maternity lingerie on the high street. Even finding a good fitting nursing bra can be a struggle if you wear a popular size. So I'm happy to send any readers in search of solid yet sexy undergarments along to Ma Mere, a site dedicated to designer lingerie from Australia and around the world.

With Papa's day approaching, the canny mompreneur behind the megastore is offering a special promotion to help keep the home fires burning: buy any 2 sets of Hot Milk undies and receive a free pair of Milkman boxers for your partner. Now that's what we call the gifts that keep on giving. Check out Ma Mere web site for more info.

No whine dining

Breastfeeding is one of motherhood's simplest pleasures. It can also be truly stressful when you're nursing in public and your little one hasn't yet perfected the art of dining al fresco. Cue failed latches, wardrobe malfunctions and misery all round.

Despite having nursed Mr. Cheeks until well into his second year, I've had more than a few unlucky attempts at trying to feed his baby brother while out and about. So I was thrilled to receive a product called the Breastfeeding Butterfly.

Designed by two UK mamas, this is a nursing cover with a twist: instead of a big stiff apron that screams 'look at me, I'm breastfeeding', you get a chic swathe of fabric that you simply tie across your body like a sash. Secure two knots at shoulder and hip, slide your very hungry caterpillar under the 'Butterfly' and it's bombs (or boobs) away.

In theory, that is. I must confess my first outing with the Breastfeeding Butterfly wasn't quite as smooth as the instructional diagram (cloth tied wrong, baby too unsettled).

So I practised at home until we both got comfortable and now the Breastfeeding Butterfly has become one of my baby bag staples. Aside from its portability (each Butterfly comes in its own dinky carry pouch), what I love about this product is that it's light and airy so you don't feel like your little one is suffocating or overheating. Mine comes in discreet black with pretty embroidery but you can snap up Butterflies in a range of gorgeous prints. Visit Faye and Lou's web site for more info.

Pudding in a pouch

One of my baby essentials since having Little Big Cheeks is my Rhubarb & Custard pouch sling. Even though my chunky Bhudda is too heavy for toting around town all day, my sling certainly makes things easier on my arms and back. Plus I always get compliments on its pretty pistachio print.

Cape Town company Rhubarb & Custard is run by a mother of three who's passionate about babywearing. I met Emilia at the Baby Show in October while trying out different carriers over my bump, and what really sold me on her product was not just how easy it was to wear but her enthusiasm and warmth. Each sling not only comes in a wide range of funky fabrics, but also features her contact details for direct feedback or support.

Rhubarb & Custard pouch slings are machine washable, made with 100% cotton lining and are suitable from birth to 18 kgs. Visit the web site for details on these and other products.

Charmed, I'm sure

With Mama's Day just around the corner on the other side of the pond, it's a good time to scope out pressies for new mothers. We're enchanted by the jewellery at Charming Mommy, a Canadian outfit offering tasteful, handmade pieces featuring silver, gold and semi-precious stones. Each bracelet can be personalised with the name of your child, grandchild, mother or simply an inspiring word like 'Love', 'Courage' or 'Survivor'. Designed by the mother of two children with autism, ten percent of proceeds from sales go towards Autism Charities. Check out Charming Mommy's web site for more gift ideas.

Mother's help

Every mother dreads it: the non-stop crying, fussy and gassy phase that's known as colic and can make your bundle of joy turn you into a bag of nerves. Nobody can explain what causes colic exactly but when it happens the first thing you'll want to know is how to make it stop.

The First Years Colic Massage Pad, by Learning Curve, is a natural solution that some parents describe as a godsend. This battery-operated pad uses a circular motion, white noise and soothing vibrations to keep baby on an even keel. Spread it across your lap or over your shoulder and lay your little one on his tummy to help ease and maybe even release some of that gassy pain. The First Years Colic Massage Pad is soft, easily washable, portable and available at Babies R Us. More info at the Learning Curve web site.