I Was A Mother And Baby Magazine Award Tester

At the start of the year, I was browsing Facebook one day when I saw an announcement from Mother And Baby Magazines Facebook page saying they were looking for parents to be testers in the 2014 awards. So on a whim, I filled in the application form and applied, I never in a million years thought that I would get picked as I had never reviewed anything in my life, it was before I even set up this blog.

Anyway a few weeks later I received an e-mail from Mother And Baby asking if I would be interested in testing out some products for them. At this point, I had no idea what product I would be testing. I replied saying yes that would be fine and then I received another e-mail a week or so later saying that I had been selected to test highchairs and I would be testing three for a couple of weeks with my friends and then we would have to fill in some  questions about each product after we had tested them.

 In May three highchairs arrived, a one we had to return and a Nuna Zazz, and Stokke Tripp Trapp. I have to be honest and tell you I fell in love with the Tripp Trapp, it is amazing that it will last from birth to adulthood. So we tested the highchairs out and then filled in the questions about the products. I packed all the highchairs away to be sent back as I never in a million years thought I would be able to keep them, but I only had to send one back and was allowed to keep the Tripp Trapp and Nuna Zazz - yay!

 I thought that was the end of it but I then received an e-mail asking if I would like to test some more highchairs and of course I said yes as it had been great fun trying new products. This time we were sent the Munchkin Booster Seat, Knuma 4-in1 Connect, Graco Duo Diner, Joie Mimzy Snacker and Kiddicare Munch. We were meant to be sent another highchair but that somehow got lost by the courier. So we tested them out for a couple of weeks and filled in the questions back in early August, just days before baby Jacob was born.

And I was allowed to keep all the highchairs, I couldn't possibly keep them all so I gave some to the people who helped me test them and I kept the Graco for Sophia as she loves it. The Tripp Trapp I kept for Jacob and the Munchkin has gone to granddads house. I also kept the Knuma as I love it and the Nuna Zazz as the other half loved that one. I know I am crazy having four highchairs when I only have two babies. But since testing so many different highchairs I now love highchairs and I know what I like and what I don't like about them. I really am becoming a bit of a highchair expert.

We tested the highchairs in May and July but the results were only announced this week and I was eagerly awaiting the results on Twitter, I had no idea which highchair would win as there were also ones shortlisted that I never tested. I had a few favourites so I was not entirely sure which would win and the winner was the Graco Duo Diner, which was Sophia's favourite highchair, she really loves it and it is the one she took a shine to out of all the ones we tested.

I have loved being a tester for the Mother And Baby magazine awards and I have learnt so much, I think that it has made me a better reviewer on my blog as I now know what is expected in a review and what the brand is looking for in a review and also what us mums and dads are looking for in a review too. If anyone fancies being a reviewer next year I would recommend applying, its lots of fun, you get to try some great products and you learn a lot. Don't just do it hoping you will get freebies though as I never in a million years thought I would get to keep one highchair never mind nearly all of them, as it really does depend on what you are testing if you are testing a high-value item the chances are you will have to send it back. But if you see the advert next year I say go for it just apply and be yourself and you never know you might be lucky and get chosen just like I did.