Review: Jumperoo

Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo

I had heard loads of good things about the jumperoo, so was thrilled when my cousin offered to get her daughter's rainforest one down from the loft for us. FP don't provide an age recommendation to start from, just that the baby needs to have good head control. Marianna certainly does, and with her number one favourite activity being kicking (preferably a person...) it seemed just the kind of thing she would enjoy.

The jumperoo is so bright and colourful her face lit up as soon as she saw it. And when we swivelled the seat around to the lights and sounds workstation she looked positively amazed. She's too young to bother much with reaching out for things, but she enjoys watching the lights and when the more up-tempo tune comes on she likes to kick a bit. I'm sure that she'll work out the joys of actually bouncing in it over the next few weeks!

As the above picture shows, the jumperoo is a large and sturdy structure. To my mind it's safer than a door bouncer, and has the added advantages of letting us a) shut the door and b) not getting us into trouble with the landlord for marking the door frame. Marianna's not quite big enough to be able to reach the floor whilst in it, so we put her mat and blanket underneath it. The jumperoo is suitable for babies up to 25 lbs so she will have plenty of time to grow into it.

I really have to go with the vast majority of reviewers on this one, it's great. There are lots of colours, lights, noises, and things to reach for. There's dangling toys, and spinning toys, and the ability to bounce. It's safe and secure, and even at this age Marianna is happy to sit in it for 20 - 30 minutes before wanting out. You can expect to pay £80 - £115 new, but if you're able to collect you can pick them up for around £10 on eBay.

New Phone!

The weather was great today, stuff happened and things got done but, really, today was just the day I (finally) got my new phone. I'd had a contract with Orange for years and decided to end it and look for a better deal. ...I ended up back with EE, just with a new handset and £5 extra in my bank account each month. Result. My new number is:  07940 434654

The 13MP camera is plenty decent enough for everyday use.

Choosing which handset to go with was pretty easy. I hate touch screens so, short of giving up and buying a Doro PhoneEasy, Blackberry is always the obvious option. I'd read mixed reviews on the Blackberry Passport, even taking into consideration the fact that most tech reviewers seem to be of the opinion physical keypads should have gone out with the pull up aerial. Then I saw how it handled a spreadsheet. I use my phone mostly for reading - online, offline, plus agendas and supporting docs for work - so the BB's selling points of 60 characters per line and good PDF handling were really big draws for me.

There is also a 2MP selfie camera on the front of the handset.

Size wise, the Passport is big. They say size doesn't matter, but obviously both ways have their pros and cons! The screen is excellent for browsing, watching and reading, and using it feels like having a mini tablet rather than a big phone. On the downside it is a little more awkward to use one handed. But, I did manage to download Instagram, the lack of which was one of my only criticisms of my last Blackberry. I think we're going to get on well. :)