Before Ameli was born, I was told repeatedly to stock up on bibs. We had a drawer full. I expected waterworks. As it turned out, we rarely used bibs. Even during weaning, Ameli just wasn’t a messy baby, and certainly not a drooly one.

So a year or so passes, and we start doing crafts and messy play, and along comes the Bib and Splash Mat set from By Carla.

I thought this hand and foot print set was simply gorgeous. It consists, as the name suggests, of a bib and splash mat, and comes in a little carry bag for transport or storage.

So first off, we’re dealing with two plastic sheets here, and I had fears of PVC, BPA and other chemicals breaking down around my child/ren, but these sheets are made from 100% PEVA. Yeah, I’ve never heard of it either.

Apparently PEVA is a chlorine-free vinyl that’s starting to be used in lots of products like toys and baby bibs as a replacement for PVC, along with EVA, PVA and PVB. Its lack of chlorine doesn’t make it (or the others) perfect — they are still petrochemical products full of untested chemicals — but it’s a step in the right direction in the attempt to find green polymers and PVC alternatives. (Thanks, The Daily Green, for the info.)

The bib and splash mat are soft and pliable, and the hand and foot prints are just too cute. They’re well made and durable and put up with a fair bit of abuse. Ameli loves carrying them around in their ‘hand bag’ the carry bag – and they wipe clean quick and easy.

The bib has a catcher for meal times, if you wish, and it can be turned inside out – or outside in, actually – to just be a splash cover for painting. The floor mat is 70×70 cm, so it fits nicely under the chair if you’re having a potentially messy meal and don’t want to have to wash the whole floor once you’ve all finished eating.

The bib has long sleeves which is great for protecting the arms, but the back is open so there’s no chance of over-heating. There’s a Velcro tab at the top behind the neck to keep it on, but it’s easy to take off, even one handed.

For some reason I can’t quite figure out the tag says that these are suitable for children over 12 months, but I can’t see what makes them unsuitable for the under 12 months. I think we’ll be using it with Squidgy as soon as we start Baby Led Weaning around six months – or the mat under the chair, at least.

All-in-all, I think it’s a lovely set, Ameli loves it, and you don’t even need a couple of them, as the quick wipe clean means it doesn’t need washing and drying time.

The By Carla Bib and Splash Mat is available from a host of retailers, and costs around £13 – something my husband and I were both surprised at as we’d valued it between £20 and £30.

Competition

For a chance to win a By Carla Bib and Splash Mat, head over to their website, have a look at the styles available, then come back here and let me know which you prefer.

For an additional entry, which is not underwritten by or supported by Facebook, you can like By Carla’s Facebook page and let them know that I’ve sent you by writing on their wall.

The competition end at 23:59 on 19 December, and the winners will be chosen at random using Random.org.

WINNER IS JANINE ATKINS

By Carla have a Facebook page, you can ‘like’ to find out about special offers and new products. If you do, please let them know I sent you! You can also follow Diary of a First Child on Facebook to keep up to date with future competitions and other news. If you follow either on Facebook, leave a comment below so that I know you have!

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