KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Miki

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Wheep wheep!! Super bargain alert!!

Buckets & Spades – www.bucketsandspades.com.au – HUGE summer sale has begun, with up to **50% off** high-end baby and kids clothing labels including Fred Bare, Trelise Cooper Kids, BIG and Fiona, by Fiona Scanlan, Diesel, Guess, Little Horn, Eeni Meeni Miini Moh, Tommy Rocket and Two Belles, and much much more, but only while stocks last!

Oh, boy, oh boy!!!…..Ok, must remain calm now!! Here’s the game plan: snap up some bargain summer pieces for now, and  buy in advance for next summer too (work out what size your kids will be in next December,and go for it!!)

Mums of girls, ohhh there’s so much to choose from!  Pretty dresses galore from brands like Fred Bare, Trelise Cooper Kids and Diesel, fashionably cut jeans, stylish t-shirts and loads more.  All the products in the Specials -> Summer category are heavily discounted and won’t last, so grab everything you can now!

Mums of boys, have a look in the Clothes -> Boys section, as it’s easier than digging through all the dresses   I love the funky t-shirts by Diesel, Tommy and Guess, and there are some very comfy-cool shorts to be snapped up too.  For dressier occasions you’ll find crisp button-down shirts by Eeni Meeni Miini Moh.  There’s a good range of sizes from 00 right up.

Zoom over, and start shopping now!

No links today as B&S is a frames based site.  Use the search function to find any products here that you love.

1. DIESEL Tavvri T-Shirt, $69.00 $49.00
2. GUESS Shield Twill Bermuda Grey, $79.95 $59.00
3. FIONA By Fiona Scanlan Worn Denim Jean, $79.95 $49.00
4. DIESEL Diano Dress, $130.00 $89.00
5. Trelise Cooper Kids Settle Petal Skirt, $179.00 $99.00
6. FRED BARE Print Dress, $71.50 $49.00
7. GUESS Love Always Spaghetti Dress, $89.95 $59.00
8. Tommy Rocket Viking Stripe T-Shirt, $44.95 $35.00
9. Eeeni Meeni Miini Moh Shirt, $84.00 $49.00
10. FRED BARE Print Dress, $88.00 $59.00
11. Eeeni Meeni Miini Moh Short – Angular, $79.00 $49.00

Buckets & Spades stock Eeeni Meeni Miini Moh, Fred Bare, GumBoots, Piccolina, Guess For Kids, Petit Bateau, Gant, Kaloo, Alex and Charli, Trelise Cooper Kids, BIG and ‘Fiona’ by Fiona Scanlan, Tommy Rocket, Two Belles and the very finest footwear brands including Diesel, Giocattoli, Garvalin, Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, Lelli Kelly, and Bimbi.

Buckets and Spades’ postage charges are: up to 500g $7.00, and up to 3kg $10.00 for postage. International orders are warmly welcomed; contact Zlata for a quote via the ‘Contact us’ menu option.

Today’s post written by Angela

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I love the Australian artist Mirka Mora. I think I love her philosophy even more than her art.

In her book Love and Clutter, and in an interview recently with The Age she explains that she collects, houses and retains a wild menagerie of objects, from handbags to birdcages, because each one reminds her of a point in time. An event, a person, the thrill of the moment in which she acquired each piece.

I think there is a little of the hunter gatherer instinct still left in us as human beings, and in the Western world this often manifests itself through shopping and acquiring new things. Shopping is basically one of the only thing the average person has left to exercise this instinct on.

I once aspired to minimalism in my life, but I have now let my natural tendency to be a magpie take over, and I’m all the happier for it. These things that surround me, they give me context for my life, who I am, where I am and where I have been.

In my pursuit and documentation of all the wonderful kids products out there I am not advocating buying things just for the sake of it. I am expressing my appreciation for all the love, thought, care and hard work that has gone into the production of each piece.

By waiting until sale time, I am not only saving myself precious funds, but extending the pleasure of noticing, and being inspired by, the exquisite beauty within each creation. Treasuring – especially – the things I have waited patiently for, savouring them far more because of it. Maybe there’s truth to that old saying “Good things come to those who wait”…

So, Dear Reader, does this theory resonate with you, or do you think I’m just justifying my large soft toy collection? Drop me a line, I’d love to know:)

Today’s post written by Angela

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Want to get happy today? Head on over to Frock You – www.frockyou.com.au – where you can score a juicy 30% off store-wide!

That’s right, 30% off BabyLegs, Ej Sikke Lej (pronounced “ay-sic-kay-lay”), American Apparel, Amy Tangerine, Baobab, Baby Blend, Cuski, Deadly Girl Couture, Eco Peko, Elodie & Elvis, Fully Stoked, Gabrial Saynte, Itch Design, Little Red, Lucca.P, Monster Baby, Moppit, Smelly Welly, Smirk, Sooki Baby, Tippy Toes, TomTom, and Yunginz (note for future reference: Doll’s Boutique, Freshbaked and Mimosa will land at Frock You in Feb).

But that’s not all, folks! This show ain’t just for the little ones! Mums are catered for too, with a fashion-forward range of women’s wear to funk you up, and put a skip in your step.

Head on over to grab American Apparel, Birds of a Feather, Blue Juice, Dolly Rockers, Fanciulla, GRAB, Little Potty Red Shoes, Living Doll, Mejikuhibiniu, Mermaid Sister, Moe Moe, Nude Footwear, One Teaspoon, Seduce, SUNDAY By Andrea & Joen, Sunny Girl, Tribu, and Vicious Threads, and more, for yourself at a very sweet 30% off!

Use the code ‘KSF‘ at checkout where your purchases will be reduced, as if by magic, by a very lovely 30%.

Peruse the goodness below and make track fast: these goodies won’t last long!

Sale ends Monday 29 December 2008. Terms and Conditions apply: I have included these below for your convenience.

Terms and Conditions of Sale, supplied by Frock You:

-You must enter the KSF discount code at checkout to receive your discount. The KSF code is not valid in conjunction with any other discount code.
-Items purchased with the KSF code are not eligible for refunds, but can be exchanged or returned for store credit only, so please choose carefully!
-Please remember to return to FrockYou after paying with PayPal to confirm your order, otherwise we have to do it manually and you may miss out!
-Remember, once you place an order your are legally obliged to complete it, ie pay! Bank deposit payments must be received within 4 business days. After this time your order will be cancelled. Remember it takes 24-48hours (on business days) for it to clear. If you’re sending a money order, we allow 7 business days for it to arrive.
-With heavy sale traffic on the website, you may order something that has sold out microseconds ago. This is rare but if it happens we will notify you immediately and advise you of your options. Please note we will not be able to re-order out of stock items for you at this time of year, as most of our suppliers are closed until mid-January. But we’ll do our very best to help you out!
-Please feel free to email info@frockyou.com.au anytime with any queries, we’re here to help!

Frock You charge $5.00 for Express Post Australia wide. Orders over $150.00 are shipped free. Check the Frock You site for information on international shipping.

Today’s post written by Miki

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I suspect I’m not alone in having a fussy toddler.  It’s so frustrating to spend ages painstakingly creating a – to my mind – gourmet creation for him, only to have it end up on the floor.  Again.  *sigh*

However, since discovering the kid friendly recipes collection at the brilliant Australian recipe website, Taste – www.taste.com.au – life has become easier for me, and tastier and more nutritious for my little in-house food critic.

Taste is a brilliant resource for recipes of all kinds.  It is essentially an attractive, easy-to-use database of the recipes featured in many of Australia’s top foodie magazines including Delicious, Super Food Ideas, Simply Food, Good Taste, Vogue Entertaining & Travel and Notebook, so the recipes on Taste are from some of Australia’s top chefs and food writers.

I also love how members of Taste (it’s free to join) can rate each recipe and leave comments on how they may have adapted it. I’ve collected some brilliant ideas through member comments.

Now, parents of small people should take particular note of two recipe collections: one is the ‘kid friendly‘ recipes as mentioned above, and the other is ‘kids party food‘.

Both have an enormous collection of delicious recipes perfect for the little ones. I enjoy browsing through Taste every few days finding new ideas for lunches and dinners – after all, it’s fun to try new dishes, and it’s especially satisfying when the plate gets virtually licked clean at the end of the meal!

Below are some of the recipes which have been a big hit in our household over the last couple of months:

1. Mini Ham & Cheese Quiches
2. Carrot, Zucchini and Parsnip Frittata Fingers
3. Cheesy Bean Subs
4. Fruit Soup (I let him slurp this out of the bowl with a straw)
5. Capsicum Boats
6. Chicken Zebra Sandwiches
7. Coconut Banana Pikelets (he’d eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him)
8. Tuna Sweet Potato Cakes

Credit for all recipes and images goes to Taste – www.taste.com.au

Today’s post written by Kat

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Quite frankly, you’re probably completely sick of cards at this time of year: the 30 or so Chrissy cards you had to find for your kids’ classmates, the neverending list of obscure relatives requiring Season’s Greetings, the burgeoning stack on the mantle piece that keep falling off whenever you brush past them too closely, the holiday postcards with never enough space you must send/recieve, the pile of useless business cards at the bottom of your bag from the round of work Xmas functions…

But these cards, these cards my friends are strictly for the discerningly chic, the Yummy Mummy of the new millenium. Which is funny, because the idea and custom is from centuries ago – a quick and polite way of getting your  particulars out there.

Well, that’s not exactly how Jane Austen put it, but that is essentially what a Mummy Card is: your (and your family’s) contact details, important info and any other tidbits you may like to add. Incredibly useful for playdates, parties, school and meeting other parents, I love the idea of good old fashioned etiquette-made-modern with stylish options such as these…

Mummy Cards is chock-full of beautiful, original designs of, you guessed it, Mummy Cards, as well as Kids Card’s (particularly handy when it comes to things like allergies and medication) as well as photo options. Choose from over 30 design options and personalise the front or back with whatever info you see fit.

This little elephant (yes, elephants again, sorry) caught my eye, but I can easily see the Pink Snow design looking slick in my purse, or my daughter whipping out the Hip-Hop Polkadot at playgroup in a sort of “Get my Nanny to call your Nanny” moment.

Mummy Cards charge $80 for 100 full colour, professionally printed, double sided and celloglazed (do i know what that is? No, but it sounds good. And shiny) cards; or $50 for 100 Kids Cards. Check out the Price & Payment page on the website for more info.

Have a bit of fun over at Moo designing your own cards (and stickers, notecards, postcards…) from $19.99 for 100 cards. Or, you can swipe the designs already there and pass them off as your own, yay! (I jest, they are legally there for the taking).

I know a stack of people in ‘the industry’ who regularly use Moo and swear by it, so be confident in the quality of product you’ll get back. Plus, if you like being crafty but your scrapbooks look, well, scrappy, and needlepoint just makes your fingers bleed, here you can try being cyber-creative, it’s less dangerous!

Editors note: I received some samples of these, and the quality is tops: a nice satin laminated finish. Also, you can have a different design on every card if you want – how’s that for choice!!?

Moo charge $6.99 to ship 100 Minicards all the way from London, but they have a huge array of shipping options and discounts, so have a look at their FAQ’s page before you order.

Mum’s Card is a comprehensive website which allows you to not only personalise your chosen design, but also gives lots of hints and tips on using Mum Cards, as well as a regularly updated blog. Mums Card developer Tanya Duncan sums up the idea behind these new-age calling cards on the website:

“To be honest names are not my forte – add a couple of pregnancy mushy brain effects, kids running and crawling in different directions (usually a dog to keep an eye on as well) and I find peoples names just don’t tend to stick. It also gets a bit embarrassing once you have spoken to someone a couple of weeks in a row at Playgroup or Childcare and you want to organise to see them outside of that environment or follow up on some information that they had and you have to re-ask their name. If everyone had a Mums Card it would make this exchange of personal information so much easier.”

Simple, really; now why didn’t I think of that!?

Mums Card charge $40 for 50 matt laminated cards or $75 for 100, and $10 shipping within Australia. Check out the FAQ’s page for more info on the ordering process.

Alannah Rose is a gorgeous stationery boutique with a small array of Mum & Dad calling cards, in simple, chic designs that include photo options. 100 will set you back $90, but while I was browsing in the name of research I was taken by the gorgeous range of Party Invitations and Keepsake Cards, so chances are you’ll find more than just Mummy Cards to whack on the plastic! Shipping is $20 in about 3-6 weeks.

And lastly, for something truly unique that everyone else in your Mother’s Group won’t have, hit Etsy for little gems like Mommy Cards, which are about $35 for 50 cards. The designs are original, simple and striking, and there is a certain warm and fuzzy feeling you get when supporting independent designers. Like Candicenkatiesart who’ll send you 36 of these little gems for just $11, or amyzo who does these gorgeous family cards for just $15 for 50!

Today’s post written by Angela

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Ok, holiday is over, and sales are ON! That means it’s time to shop smart for summer and the year to come.

Where Did You Get That? – www.wheredidyougetthat.com.au – has the big red light flashing with a *huge* 35% off the Clothing,  Shoes, Belts, Bags ands Hats, and Girls Swimwear categories.

Use code: ‘KSF-35′: enter at the ‘ Redeem Discount Coupon section’ at checkout. Discount applied at checkout. Excludes stock already reduced. Sale ends 2 January 2009.

Get kitted out for summer and beyond with stupendous bargains from Tea Collection and  Daily Tea (from the US, and superb quality. I love this brand – buy with confidence!), Aussie staples Tommy Rocket & Two Belles, and the fab Girls 4 Sport chlorine-resistant swimwear range (note that the board shorts will not be available in Australia next year due to the Aus dollar, so snap ‘em up before they’re gone for good!).

In the shoe department score Lelli Kelli (if you’re not familiar, Lellis feature heavily beaded detailing – OTT brilliance!), the fabulous Zid Zid Kids Moroccan ‘babuche’ ballet shoes, and my personal favourite shoe brand for kids, Morgan & Milo from the US.

Seriously cheap at 35% off, aside from their super-cool looks, Morgan & Milo shoes have excellent foot support for small feet, and are very robustly made (love the reinforced toe coverings!) We thrash ours, and they still look good!

For boys, the must-have shoe is the ‘Flames’ design – help’s your little man go faster! Wear them laceless for the ultimate in laidback urban cool style.

For girls you cannot go past the insanely sparkly ‘Glitter’ design. These are super comfy too as they feature and elasticated heel: no more blisters!

Out of the realm of the discount code, as they’re already discounted by up to 50%, the items in WDYGT’s Winter Clearance section includes the Yummy Mummy Handbags, Tiny Tea Layettes, and BOD products, including the fabulous stretch mark oil. DO NOT MISS THESE!

Also ineligible for the 35% off code, but worth knowing, is the new stock at WDYGT: Tooli Candela, new style binkers from Bella Tunno, new shipment of Djeco Poem Tree Wall Stickers and Magical Dresses (sold out everywhere else!), two new styles of Coo Clock, Meow Coo and Whinny Coo, Thermos Foogo and Funtainers, and the complete range of Enchanted Faeries has just landed!

PS Don’t forget to sign up to the Where Did You Get That? newsletter to go into the draw to win a lovely Zid Zid Kids camel bag!

Where Did You Get That? stocks a huge range from the following designers: Aden + Anais, BabyMoov Bebedelice and Lovenest, Bella Tunno, Bod and Bod for Bubs hair and skin-care, Coco Boheme, Coo Clocks, Deglingos, Djeco, eco.kid,  Enchanted Faeries figurines, Girls 4 Sport swimwear, Goorin Borthers, Lelli Kelly, Moppit, Morgan & Milo, Opal London, Pink + Blue Yummy Mummy, Star & Rose, Tea Collection, Thermos, Tommy Rocket, Tooli, Two Belles, Zid Zid Kids, and Woolbabe sleeping bags.

Where Did You Get That? charge a flat rate of $7.95 for standard postage Australia-wide.