KidStyleFile

Today is National Premmie Day. Chances are you know someone, or are someone, who’s had a prem baby: each year over 20,000 newborn Australian babies are admitted to Neo-natal Intensive Care Units and Special Care Nurseries owing to their pre-term arrival.

Today is the day to spare a thought – and a dollar or two – for those that toil to save the lives of little babies needing medical assistance, to those tiny little souls who fight so fiercely for survival and triumph over the odds, and to those angel babies who didn’t stay in this life long, but who profoundly touched the lives of those around them while they did.

Elizabeth at La Toriana – www.latoriana.com.au (mum to 3 prem babies herself) is offering KidStyleFile readers a unique opportunity to grab a bargain and support the National Premmie Foundation in their mission to offer support to prem babies and their families.

Make a purchase at La Toriana and receive a KSF exclusive 20% discount, plus a free gift for you. In addition, Elizabeth will donate 10% of your purchase amount to the National Premmie Foundation with an individual card including your name (optional) and donation amount.

Enter discount code ‘premmie‘ at checkout to receive 20% off your order. This offer runs for 3 days only, and ends midnight 27 July, so make haste!

Inspired by Elizabeth’s generosity, KidStyleFile has today made a donation to the National Premmie Foundation. Visit the National Premmie Foundation to make your own donation.

La Toriana sells divine clothing, toys and accessories for little babes from birth, and boys and girls up to 5 years.

Brands stocked include annieB, Britt, Cheeky Little Soles, Dobbin and Drum, Eternal Creation, Finnigan Finn, Hey Baby, Huggalugs, Vanchi, Kee Ka, Lambykins, Oobi, Toys Pure, BumpBuddy, Lazybones, Gertie and Me, Britt, Thurlby Farm, Kids Kitchen, Grommets, Mini Whisk, Annabel Trends, Vintage Kids, Babylicious, Penny Scallan, Tickled Pink, Djeco, Anamlaz, Nana Huchy, Jasnor, Footprints, Tummy Bear, Tea Princess, Alimrose Designs, Fairy Floss Creations, Cuski, and Gaia, and new to La Toriana, Britt, Nanny Pickle, Oopsidaisi and prem baby brands Tummy Bear and Early Birds.

In the La Toriana Premmie Baby section of the store, you’ll find a sweet and thoughtful range of products just for prem babies and their families and friends, including perfect little clothing pieces, and keepsake dolls so you can always remember how teeny your little babe was.

Clockwise from top left:

Early Birds Premmie Jacket $27.95 $22.36 after 20% discount.
Early Birds Premmie Jumpsuit and Hat Set $40.95 $32.76 after 20% discount.
Early Birds Booties $21.95 $17.56 after 20% discount.
Snow White Polar Bear $32.95 each $26.36 after 20% discount.
Cuski Comforter $39.95 $31.96 after 20% discount.
Tummy Bear Keepsake Dolls Weighted: $85.95 $68.76 after 20% discount. Unweighted: $70.95 $56.76 after 20% discount.
Nana Huchy Edwardo the Donkey $25.95 $20.76 after 20% discount.

Of course there’s plenty in store for bigger babies and kids too:

Eternal Creation Boys Tri-colour Long sleeved Tee with Star $36.95 just $29.56 after 20% discount
Finnigan Finn ‘Beth’ Green Cord Winter dress $59.99 just $47.99 after 20% discount

Cheeky Little Soles Superstar $31.95 just $25.56 after 20% discount
Tea Princess Soft Cord Dress Pants $52.95 just $42.36 after 20% discount

Also, La T are now stocking a new jewellery line from Mon Tresor, the ‘Princess Collection‘: delicate bracelets adorned with glass pearls, silver butterfly and dragonfly charms, Swarovski hearts and crystals.

Priced at just $19.95, $15.96 after 20% discount, these make for a very affordable special gift.

You can see all posts and more picks for La Toriana here.

La Toriana charges $7.50 for postage Australia wide. Orders over $150.00 are shipped free of charge. International orders are warmly welcomed, and there is a currency converter on the site so you can shop in your home currency.

Post written by Miki
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Have you had a look around ShopHouse – www.shophouse.com.au – lately?

It’s well worth it – they’re having a big clear-out of winter 08 stock and there are some BARGAINS there.

Yes that’s right: BARGAINS! Big enough to warrant capital letters!

First of all, 45% off the entire range of Mill & Mia! That’s the best price I’ve seen on this extremely popular range, so snap ‘em up folks – they won’t be around at these prices for long!

Cocoon Couture is where it’s at for stunning nursery and kids bedroom decor. ShopHouse stock the whole range, and they have 15% off the lot at the moment! That’s 15% off the massive range of beanbags (which I LOVE), the book-ends and shelf stands, library bags, cushions, growth charts, the lot. You just can’t go past Cocoon Couture for decor; it’s gentle and whimsical with a slight Scandinavian feel to it.

20% off the Winter 08 Baobab range is fantastic as well – the Baobab line is beautiful in its simple, fresh lines and quality fabrics. I’m in love with the Baobab dresses, and their boys gear is just as lovely!

The last one I’ll mention for the moment is Mondays Child Pyjamas. Normally a pair of these top-quality PJs is $49.95, the entire range is now below $35.00! You won’t believe how soft these 100% cotton PJs are – I guarantee the kids won’t want to change out of them all day.

ShopHouse stock some of the hottest kidswear labels around: Annabel Trends, Baobab, IDTee, Kee-Ka, Lil’ Lana, mill & mia, Mondays Child Pyjamas, Oobi Baby – skin and hair care products (Bod and Eco.Kid), a lovely range of toys and decor pieces from Alimrose Designs, Cocoon Couture, Krooom, Little Chipipi, Look at the Wall, Mon Tresor, Little Kitchen, and The Little Experience, must-have accessories from Penny Scallan, PouchMISS and Rileah Design. They even have nappies (Moltex brand) and baby food (from Organic Bubs)!

And just in case all of that wasn’t enough to get you to whip out your credit cards and dive into a shopping frenzy, allow me to mention two more incentives:

1. ShopHouse now offer Express Post Australia-wide for an unbeatable $4.95 per order! And orders over $99.00 ship for free!
2. If you would like to get 15% discount off full priced products at ShopHouse, then use the My Child magazine discount code (not applicable on sale or discounted stock, or in conjunction with any other offer, and available to Australian residents only). It expires on the 31st of July so make sure you make the most of it while it’s still around! If you haven’t got a copy of My Child magazine just flick Angela an email and she’ll tell you what it is.

And last of all, some images of what’s on offer to get you primed for your big shop:

Don’t forget to take another 15% off these brilliant prices with the My Child discount code!
Mill & Mia denim pinafore dress, $71.95 $39.57
Baobab red + white striped bodysuit, $35.95 $28.76
Baobab lilac butterfly dress, $41.95 $33.56
Mill & Mia puff sleeve dress, $69.95 $38.47
Cocoon Couture little foxy navy blue beanbag, $129.95 $110.46
Mill & Mia creepy things tee, $45.95 $25.27
Mill & Mia boys classic jean, $62.95 $34.62
Mondays Child ‘ducky’ pyjamas, $49.95 $34.96
Mondays Child ‘rockin’ rodeo’ pyjamas, $49.95 $34.46
Cocoon Couture ‘gorgeous giraffe’ cushion, $55.00 $46.75
Cocoon Couture patchy bunny spot on pink beanbag, $129.95 $110.46

ShopHouse Express Post Australia-wide for an unbeatable $4.95 per order. Orders over $99.00 ship for free Australia-wide.

It’s time to introduce the new and very wonderful Monkeytail & Wellington – www.monkeytailandwellington.com.au – onto the scene, and boy-oh-boy are your eyes in for a feast!

Monkeytail & Wellington specialise in independent designers, boutique brands and artisan crafted products, some of which have never been available in Australia before.

Vicki at Monkeytail & Wellington certainly has an eye for the unique and exquisite: brands stocked include Wonderworld Toys, Anamalz, Le Toy Van, Dejco, Little Beetle, Imprintables, Mara Mi & Zoomerang Invitations, Walter Foster craft & dress up kits, various books and CD’s, mostly hard to find or imports, Luka Surface Graphics, Lucy and Michael play tents, and the cream of Indie brands and crafters: Sarah Jane Studios, Fall Down Tree art & stationery, Owly Shadow Puppets, Kait Emerson Design clothes, Mountain Aven Baby clothes, bibs & blankets, Cutecumber hair accessories, SW Designs activity mats & bags, Margrietje Jewellery, I Luv U Tutu Much tutu skirts, Monkeytail & Wellington Sock Monkey’s, Little Jenny Wren Waldorf dolls, 2 Big Kids Let’s play mail sets, and Hamb t-shirts.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for Little Hero capes, Lillybean Playfood, The Piggy Story bags, art folios and tableware, Wool Creations hobby horses, and Monkey Do coming soon.

As a big happy hello to KidStyleFile readers, Vicki at Monkeytail & Wellington is offering us all 20%* off plus free gift wrapping off store-wide. If you spend over $100.00 you receive a free gift too!

Pop the code ‘KSF01′ in at checkout to score your exclusive discount.

There’s so much over at Moneytail & Wellington that I’m going to split my picks into two lots: first up clothes and accessories, and second toys and decor.

Monkeytail & Welllington are featuring a lovely little selection of boutique clothing pieces.

I fell in love with the Hamb Tees at the last LifeinSTYLE/KIDSinSTYLE tradeshow in Sydney earlier this year. Made in Melbourne, the quality is superb, and the prints are quirkily cool.

Only recently Miki waxed lyrical on the joys of Amy Butler fabric, and here’s a stunning example of it put to good use: the Simply Kait Jacket in Lotus Sand. To make it even more irresistible, this jacket is fully reversible. It’s a one-off, and available in size 5.

Want to indulge you little girl’s inner fairy/ballerina/princess? Let loose with the fabulously decadent I Luv U Tutu Much tutu skirts, and pin a brooch from the Margrietje Jewellery line to complete the whimsical look.

For boys the lounge sets cannot be beaten: your little man will look cool and be comfy without hurting your hip pocket.

Finally, if you’re looking for a gift card with added value, head straight for the Sarah Jane Studios mini-cards with pin back button badge attached.

In rows from top left:

Hamb Sock Puppet Tee $39.00 less 20% = $31.20
Sarah Jane Studios ‘I love you this much’ Mini-card $5.00 less 20% = $4.00
Margrietje Jewellery Green Puppy Brooch $35.00 less 20% = $28.00
I Luv U Tutu Much tutu skirts $55.00 less 20% = $44.00
Simply Kait Jacket in Lotus Sand $55.00 less 20% = $44.00
Boys Lounge Sets Prices range from $49.95 - $99.95 less 20%

Now, on to one of my very favourite topics: toys and decor.

The best toys offer open-ended play opportunities to stimulate imagination and creativity, and provide the opportunity to exercise real-life skills. Monkeytail & Wellington have sourced some of the finest pieces available.

Le Toy Van from the UK produce simply the most original wooden painted toys. You can select from Fairyland, dolls house, mini-world, traditional toys, farms, pirate adventure, fantasy, castles and medieval villages. My favourite has to be the Honeybake Set. Let your child/ren bake away happily, and then serve you up high tea: who could ask for more?

More role-playing delight can be found with the 2 Big Kids Let’s Play Mail felted sets, exclusively stocked in Australia by Monkeytail & Wellington.

Other stand out pieces include the Owly Shadow Puppets from Chicago based Andrea Everman who uses her skills as an architectural model maker to produce these laser-cut delights. My kids are fascinated by shadows, and these puppets are at the top of my shopping list.

If you’re looking for a friendly pal for your little one then you can’t go past Monkeytail & Wellingtons very own line of sock monkeys (Vicki and her Mum make them!). Pair it with the chuckle-inducing story-book ‘Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood: A Star is Bathed’ - the story of sock monkey’s journey to receive a special award with one hitch: he has to have a bath first! – and you have the perfect combination.

If you are a fan of Anamalz wooden toys (me me!) then you’ll love this fab offer from Monkeytail & Wellington: 7 Anamalz with Bonus CD, Storage Bag & Collector Cards – bar-gain!!

Monkeytail & Wellington are also offering a new decor solution to the Australian market in the form of Luka Surface Graphics. Select from a great choice of designs to suit from bebes to older kids (and if you’re a retailer reading this, Monkeytail & Wellington are the Australian wholesalers, so contact Vicki if you’re interested in stocking this quality product).

Finally, at the end of the day when your child is pooped out from playing they can retire to the most divine of play tents, complete with paned windows, and parent-friendly aesthetics from Lucy & Michael Play Tents, Houston USA.

Le Toy Van Honeybake Set $96.00 less 20% = $76.80
2 Big Kids Let’s Play Mail 27 piece felted set $55.00 less 20% = $44.00
Owly Shadow Puppets – Owl $15.00 less 20% = $12.00
Owly Shadow Puppets – Toothfairy and Yeti Shadow Puppets with Landscape stand $45.00 less 20% = $36.00
Monkeytail & Wellington Sock Monkey au Naturel $49.95 less 20% = $39.96
Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood story book $24.95 less 20% = $19.96
7 Anamalz with Bonus CD, Storage Bag & Collector Cards – bar-gain!! $59.70 less 20% = $47.76
Luka Surface Graphics Party Animals Wall Decals $69.95 less 20% = $55.96
Lucy & Michael ‘Mack’ Play Tent $350.00 less 20% = $280.00

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Monkeytail & Wellington newsletter to become a VIP’s and be eligible for 10% off all orders OR free shipping on orders over $150.00, plus free gift wrapping and other special offers and pre-order incentives. Read Vicki’s blog to keep abreast of the latest cool additions at Monkeytail & Wellington.

Monkeytail & Wellington’s postage charges start at $6.00. International post is also available. View the Postage Charges Info page for full details.

*Offer ends 31 July 2008, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer (normal VIP offer resumes after this time.)

For a burst of Northern hemisphere style, head on over to the Baby Goes Retro - www.babygoesretro.com.au – big winter sale.

Established by two Swedish-expatriate Mums, Baby Goes Retro is the real McCoy, stocking a fine range of Scandinavian baby and kid labels from 0-4 years, including Nanoou, Katvig, ej sikke leg (pronounced ‘ay sic-kay lay’), Danefae, Plastisock, Snoffs and Elodie Details.

The colour palettes are strong and inspiring, and the clean print Scandinavian folk-style designs are effortlessly cool, while staying true to the innocence and imagination of childhood.

Your babe will be stunningly turned out, and you will have cash to spare with up to 50% off!! Jump over to Baby Goes Retro to snap up the goodies!

In rows from top left:

Katvig Knit Top $69.00 now $44.85 A very stylish way for your little girl to stay snuggy warm this winter. Love it!
Nanoou Organic Big C suit $42.00 now $31.50 I absolutely adore this suit, and little babes look just great in clean modern prints.
Snoffs Little Piggy Bib $12.00 now $10.00 Too cute! ‘Nuff said
Elodie Details Stroller bags $175.00 now $134.25 The funkiest foot muffs on the block. Kit your stroller out with this bag for a unique statement.
‘Snoffs Skummis Tee $35.00 now $26.25 I dig this print big time. Bargain price now too: snap it up.
Snoffs Ants in Your Pants Trousers $31.00 now $15.50 Perfect with the Skummis T and cheap as chips too!
Ej Sikke Lej Toadstool Tee in Blue $45.00 now $33.75 So sweet! Work it with the sailor pants and red socks and little boots and your ray of light will shine even brighter!
Plastisock Sailor Pants in Blue Denim $59.00 now $44.25 So cool with their sweet button detailing – works back superbly with all the tees.
Plastisock Beanies $19.95 now $9.50 Pictured in ‘Pink Fairytale’. Also available in ‘Yellow Circus’, Blue Peace and Green Fairytale.
Ej Sikke Lej Denim Dress $78.00 now $46.80 Gorgeous cute with trans-seasonal practicality. Wear it as a top when your little one outgrows it as a dress. You’ll get years of wear out of this one.
Nanoou Organic Splash Tee $32.00 now $24.00 Such a cool print, and oh-so-comfy and soft organic cotton. Buy both these separates and mix and match back with the other pieces (would look so sute under the denim dress, for example).
Nanoou Organic Splash leggings $33.00 now $24.75

Baby Goes Retro charges $5.00 $7.50 for express shipping for postage Australia wide. Baby Goes Retro love to ship internationally – check the Orders & Delivery page for charges.

Post written by Miki
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For those of you who are decorating/redecorating/spicing up your kids’ bedrooms take note: there are only two days left to take advantage of the 20% discount off the whole room & decor section at Kids Gift List – www.kidsgiftlist.com.au, plus a FREE gift too!

That’s 20% off* all wall art, all wall stickers, all shelf stands, all book ends, all growth charts, all everything in the Room & Decor category! But only until Wednesday July 23, so don’t delay any longer!

Enter ‘KSFRD20‘ at checkout to take advantage of this awesome offer!

My personal favourite is the Coco Boheme elephant chalkboard wall sticker. I think it’s such a brilliant idea – wall art you can draw on! – and it wouldn’t be limited to the child’s bedroom or playroom. I can definitely picture one in my kitchen, it’d be perfect for shopping lists and for distracting a toddler while I’m trying to cook dinner. But hey, it’s a removable wall sticker! If I don’t want it in the kitchen any more then I can just move it into the playroom. That’s the kind of product I love; funky and flexible!

The wall art at Kids Gift List is fantastic too: a great range from ‘Look At The Wall’ which has a wonderfully fresh, organic feel to it and as every piece is handmade from specialty papers they’re all unique.

The deservedly-popular Little Chipipi wall stickers are there as well (20% off is a great deal on them!).

These are my picks for decor:

Prices quoted are after 20% discount:

KGL Wooden Wall Hanger ‘Butterflies’, $9.95 $7.96
Book Ends – Early Bird, $84.95 $67.96
Height Chart – Woodland, $44.95 $35.96
KGL Bookend – Green, $19.95 $15.96
KGL Room Thermometer – Pink, $9.95 $7.96
Shelf Stand – Enchanted Tree, $84.95 $67.96

Another gorgeous section at Kids Gift List is ‘Gifts under $10′. As with the rest of Kids Gift List’s range, everything in here is great quality and it all represents outstanding value. Below are pictured just a few of my ‘must haves’.

The My Child magazine discount code* is still running at Kids Gift List too, so you can use it to take 15% off (excluding the decor and room accessories products) the rest of Kids Gift List’s fab range of products. (If you can’t get a copy of My Child, email Angela and she’ll whisper it to you. )

Prices quoted are after 15% My Child discount:

KGL Bright Castanet Ladybird, $2.95 $2.51
KGL Animal Clap Elephant, $5.95 $5.06
KGL Bell Ring Red Stripe, $6.95 $5.91
KGL Combi Peace Blue, $9.95 $8.46
KGL Pull Along Pal Elephant, $9.95 $8.46
KGL Bookmark Car, $1.95 $1.66
KGL Pull Along Pal Pig, $9.95 $8.46

Kids Gift List stock fine products from Alex Designs, Baufix, Cinti does Vintage, Cheeky Little Soles, Dobbin and Drum Toys, Edenstar, Heavenly Creatures, KGL Gifts, Knox and Floyd, Lark Designs, Isa Toys, Like A Bike, Little Blue Fish, Little Chipipi, The Little Experience, Little Kitchen, Little Red Pear, Maiike, Merrigold, Oobi, Raggidy Rag Dolls, Rockabye Baby, Rosie Flo, Rubys & Robots, Sooki Baby, Sparrowkids, Sudo, Taltrade, Tee P, Tiny Revolutionary, Tiny Tribe, Tonic Baby, Trunki, and Zacharia Bier, so there are heaps of fine products for you to select from.

Kids Gift List deliver Australia-wide for $6.00 per order – that’s outstanding! See here for further delivery details.

*Please note that these discount codes apply to Australian residents only.

Post written by Miki
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Vitamin waters have been around for a while, but there’s a new one making a buzz in the US at the moment.

It’s called Y water – www.ywater.us – a USDA organic certified, vitamin-infused, low calorie, flavoured drink which comes packaged in a cool Y shaped bottle.

It’s been designed especially for kids as an alternative for parents who are worried about sugary, high calorie drinks, and on face value it does look pretty fantastic.

Instead of the usual flavours for children’s drinks, Y water comes in four rather different ones: Brain water, bone water, muscle water and immune water. Each of these contain ingredients linked to improved performance and development in the targeted body part; for example, the brain water contains zinc, vitamins B6, B12, C and Molybdenum.

The tastes themselves are sophisticated for a children’s beverage: Bone water, for instance, “combines a shot of calcium with organic white grape juice, organic hibiscus, organic banana and strawberry flavors, and a touch of organic spearmint oil”.

Crikey!

Besides the beverage itself, the bottle is perhaps the most innovative part of the whole package. Rather than just scaling down an adult-sized water bottle, the Y bottles were designed to be a 9oz (260ml) bottle which is both easy for kids to drink from and then becomes a toy once it’s empty. The bottles can be linked together with biodegradable rubber ‘Y Knots’, and from there the forms that can be built really are only limited by the child’s imagination.

At the end of the day when the kids have finished playing with the Y bottles then customers can register on the Y water website for a free mailer in which the bottles can be posted back for recycling.

All of that sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it! A healthy, fun drink which is good for the kids, environmentally sustainable and becomes an awesome toy – what’s not to love?

As a mum myself, I do have to take a step back from the hype and wonder what the downsides could be. I did some research, and here is some food for thought.

If a child has a balanced diet then they shouldn’t need extra vitamins. Having too many can actually place a strain on their kidneys.

Some vitamins can affect medications, rendering them either less effective or increasing their efficiency. Apparently doctors already have problems with patients not telling them about natural supplements they take, and something as seemingly innocuous as a bottle of water could make this problem worse.

Also vitamin waters could actually counteract what they aim to improve: consuming vitamins through water could potentially create complacency along the lines of “My kids are getting vitamins through their water, so it doesn’t really matter if they don’t have a balanced, healthy diet and an active lifestyle.”

I don’t know – what do you think? Would you buy Y water if it were available in Australia?

Y water currently retails in the US for USD$1.69 per bottle. It is currently not available in Australia.