KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Angela

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Today I’d like you to meet Plush – www.littleplush.be – from Belgium.

Plush create felt characters and forms like cars, trains and animals, in the form of softies, keychains and appliqued tees and hoodies.

Plush’s cool creations, although simple in form, transmit a large amount of personality and warmth.

Confirmation of this has been provided by one of my four year olds who just commented “Don’t those tiny dinosaurs look wonderful? They’re sooo cute!!”

From the mouths of babes, as they say!

Plush keychains sell for 15 Euro, Plush Long-sleeved Tees are 30 Euro; short sleeved tees are 25 Euro, and  hoodies are 45 Euro. Aks for details of costing for the softies.

Visit Xe.com for currency conversion.

You can buy these products direct from the Plush website. Plush happily ship to Australia. Contact them, providing details of the products you are interested in, for a quote.

You’ve been waiting for it, and now it’s here: it’s mega-discount time at Monkeytail & Wellington – www.monkeytailandwellington.com.au!

In order to clear out summer stock to make way for autumn’s new gear (coming soon), there’s a heap of discounted goodies on offer from a fabulous range of boutique and indie brands.

And not only has Vicki marked down a good portion of her endlessly fabulous and unique products, she’s also giving KSF readers 20% off store-wide!  Yes, that includes sale items!!

To get your 20% off, just enter ‘KSF03‘ at checkout, but as this deal runs until 20 January 2009 only, make sure you get in quickly!!

Now, as I mentioned, a good number of the products at Monkeytail & Wellington are already discounted even before the 20% discount, so let me tell you about them.

Firstly, a whole heap of clothing has been discounted by 15%, with brands including Chase ‘n’ Sky, Winter Kait Emerson and Mountain Aven Baby, plus PJs from Monkey Do and tees from Hamb (love the Sock Puppet tee, see it below).  Add your extra 20% discount to get some fantastic prices!

Toys are also in the discount section, with 10% off some top brands such as Le Toy Van, Djeco and Wonderworld, plus Luka Wall Graphics.

You’ll also find $15 off the ultra-popular tutu skirts from I Luv U Tutu Much, and stationery and mini cards are 20%-25% off!

You can get all your purchases beautifully gift wrapped for $4.95 too – perfect if you have birthdays or other special occasions coming up.

And don’t forget to sign up to the Monkeytail & Wellington newsletter before 31 January to be in the running to win a Sock Monkey gift set!

Prices quoted below are after 20% discount with code as above until 20 January 2009 only.

1. Hamb Sock Puppet Tee sz 2, $39.00 $33.15 $26.52
2. Le Toy Van ‘My First Dream House’, $190.00 $171.00 $136.80
3. Hamb Blue Blossom Dog Tee sz 2, $39.00 $33.15 $26.52
4. Let’s Play Mail Set – Original, $65.00 $52.00
5. Monkey Do ‘V’ Nightie, $48.00 $40.80 $32.64
6. Chase ‘n’ Sky Twiggy Dress, $74.95 $63.70 $50.96
7. Bat Pack Shadow Decorations, $24.95 $19.96
8. Paper Wings Girls Lounge Set, $49.95 $39.95 $31.96
9. Bluebell Stable With Pony, $70.00 $63.00 $50.40
10. Chase ‘n’ Sky Multi Button Pant, $49.95 $42.45 $33.96

Monkeytail & Wellington stock 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, Hamb t-shirts, Little Hero capes, Lillybean Playfood, The Piggy Story bags, art folios and tableware, Wool Creations hobby horses, and Monkey Do.

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

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronan & Betsy Lewin

Although the text in this book is probably best for about 18 months up, even babies will love looking at the illustrations.  Once they do start to understand the story, though, wait for the gales of laughter to errupt!

The premise is a barnful of cows who find a typewriter and start to issue written demands to the farmer.  It develops into a ‘dispute resolution’ scenario, which is great for sparking discussions with the kids about how to compromise.

Kids will love the simple words, vivid pictures and repetition while adults will giggle at the parodies.

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Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Ideal for age 2.5 upwards, this heartwarming story features a giraffe who just wants to boogie at the annual Jungle Dance.  Unfortunately due to his long legs, knobbly knees the other animals mock him, which makes poor Gerald very downhearted.

This story has a very happy ending, and it’s a lovely one for discussing individuality with your kids. The illustrations are especially lovely, bright and bold and very engaging.

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Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy, the lovable teddy bear who lives in a department store, is now being adored by his second generation of children. Full of positive messages and warm fuzzy feelings, it’s one of those bonding books for parents and children to read together – I think it’s especially suited to bedtime.

Great for ages 3+.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

A classic tale of one small boy who has ‘one of those days’, where everything goes terribly, horribly wrong.  Yes, we all have those days, your kids included, so it’s great to be able to read about them in a humorous way and then discuss with your children ways in which Alexander might have dealt differently with his day, and how great a role his attitude may have played.

This one is great for kids aged four upwards.

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Dot in Larryland: The Big Little Book of an Odd-Sized Friendship by Patricia Marx

Dot in Larryland is so hot off the press that you’ll be hard pressed to find any review of it online – I actually had to get my local bookstore to order in a copy especially for me based on a recommendation from a librarian friend overseas.  The store manager read it while waiting for me to collect it, and was so impressed that she then placed a large order for the store!

It’s a quirky little story about two very unlikely best friends, and Roz Chast’s distinctive illustrations really add to the slightly off-centre, but very endearing, feel.

Kids aged 4+ will get the most out of this one.

The links in the post lead you to Fishpond Online Bookstore, which offers books at discounted prices on a permanent basis – yay! Fishpond Bookstore charges $5.99 flat rate postage Australia-wide. Orders over $50.00 are shipped free.

I’ve been having a lovely time playing stylist at Baby’s Got Style – www.babysgotstyle.com.au.  It’s one of my favourite pastimes, but today I set myself the extra challenge of making every outfit come from the BGS ‘Sale Warehouse’ section rather than the rest of their fabulous categories.

I did it no sweat, as the Baby’s Got Style Sale Warehouse is full of gorgeous finds – Baby’s Got Style rocks!!

The stock in the Sale Warehouse category is from the last couple of seasons, of course, but let’s face it: true style never goes out of fashion. Given the flawless taste of Daniela and her team you’re safe buying anything at BGS no matter the season.

Since – believe it or not – we’re gearing up for winter fashion again already (more on that below) I got into the spirit of things by making fun little winter outfits.  Bring on the hot chocolates and marshmallows, I say!

Now on the subject of winter fashion, Daniela is also starting to get excited about the new lines (hint: they’ll be arriving in-store mid February).

Although she’s normally not one to get enthused about putting the swimsuits away and wrapping up in woolies, Daniela tells me that the new lines from new and existing brands are so cool that Baby’s Got Style kidlets will be wanting to wear 20 layers every day.  I can well believe it too, given how unfailingly hip the BGS stock always is.

As a final note, make sure you’re signed up to the Baby’s Got Style newsletter, as then you’ll have a chance to win a $200 BGS gift voucher twice a month!!  Look for the mailing list link on the far right of the home page. It has a little bird on it to help you find it.

Here are a few of the outfits I’ve found for babies:

Baby girls:
BRITT Design Cuddles Vest, $48.95 $35.95
Ouch Lace Front Shirt Dress, $41.95 $30.00
Nowa Li Ballerina Tights, $24.95 $19.95

Baby boys:
Bebe Fly With Me PJs, $33.95 $14.95 (that’s a Bebe growsuit for less than fifteen bucks!!)
Sooki Baby L Learner Bodysuit, $34.95 $27.95

And here’s some of the great gear for stylish kids:

Girls with style:
BIG by Fiona Scanlan Pom Pom Dress, $84.95 $42.95
Zacheria Bier Heart Leggings – Black, $28.95 $15.00

Groovy guys:
Toshi Earmuff Beanie – Charcoal, $27.95 $18.95
Freshbaked Stripe Scarf – Khaki/Cream, $20.95 $15.95
Ouch Army Cadet Jacket, $49.95 $39.95

And some of my full-priced favourites to throw in the cart – why not? You’ve saved a bundle!! Have fun!

Freshbaked Navy Stripe Figher Plane Tee, $28.95
Built NY Munchler Lunchbag – Benny Tiger, $19.95
Automoblox Minis Set, $52.95
Dwellstudio Mind Block Soft Set, $64.95
Built NY Munchler Lunchbag – Lefty Dog, $19.95

Baby’s Got Style cater for kids from birth up to 8 years.  Baby’s Got Style stock Aka Pipik, Albetta, Alimrose Designs, Annabel Trends, BabyLegs, Baby Cha Cha Baobab, Bebe, Bical, BIG by Fiona Scanlan, BlaBla, Bobble Art, Booghaboo Baby, Children of the Revolution, Moppit, Cheeky Little Soles, Cloud B, Cold Coffee, DripStik, Dan300, Dwell Studio Baby, Elleroo, FLATOut, Fortune Tee, Fresh Baked, Giddy Giddy, Global Style, Haba, Infancy, Little Horn, Little Red by Mr Wolf, Little Twig, Mamas & Papas, mill & mia, Mooo, Mother Hen, Munster, Oobi Baby, Ouch, Pure Baby, Snugglebum, Seafolly, Tiger Joe, Frankie Ray Sooki Baby, Square Peg, Tiny Tribe, Toshi, Totem Kids, Vice Versa, Vintage Kid, and Zoo Emporium. New to Baby’s Got Style are Three Little Trees, Minimonkey Baby Slings, and Paul Frank’s label for kids, Small Paul.

Baby’s Got Style charge from $6.50 -$9.50 for overnight delivery (regional centres may take longer) dependent on weight. International orders are warmly welcomed. Read the full shipping details here.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Want to feel the love today? Head on over to Itty Bitty Yuppy – www.ittybittyyuppy.com.au – where Kim is dishing the warm fuzzies left right and centre with her incredible January Clearance Sale!

Itty Bitty Yuppy is *the* location for hot and hip retro-inspired and contemporary boutique US/OS and local brands for babies, boys and girls.

The IBY sale ends on January 31, 2009, so do not delay in heading over there! Before you go, here’s the lowdown on the sale.

There are 225+ items on sale at 60%, 35% and 25% off. SU-PERB!!

• The 25% off brands are: Baby Bonkies, Claesen’s, Cuddlefish, Cuski, Fleurville, Munster, Sooki Baby, Tipitipi, Tiny Tribe, and Three Little Trees.
• The brands that are 35% off are: Abe Jones, Baby Bean Vintage, Buisjes en Beugels +++, Chase n’Sky, Chic papoose, Clothpony, Egg + Avocado, fresh baked, Infancy, Knuckleheads, Lucca p. Mill and Mia, Parisian Ballets, Pink Chicken, Polka, Ses Petites Mains, Willow & Finn, and Wonderboy.
• The items that are on sale 60% off are last season’s stock – check Tiny Tribe, Moppit, Edenstar, and Abe Jones for hot examples.

My picks? Abe Jones toddler dresses (such beautiful fabrics!), Tiny Tribe rompers for little babies (you will fall over yourself to get to these once you see the prices too!!) Buisjes and Beugels +++ dresses (understated quirky cool from Holland – look great on), Pink Chicken and Polka dresses (beautiful light fabrics and cuts), Knuckleheads, Munster, Wonderboy, and Moppit for street-wise little boys, and Fleurville backpacks, complete with lunchbags, for boys and girls alike – we have these and just love their multiple configurations, and super-cool designs and eco-friendly fabric.

Itty Bitty Yuppy stock the cream of overseas brands, including Baby Bonkie, Buisjes en Beugels +++, Ses Petites Mains, Sooki Baby, Chic Papoose, Fleurville Kids, My Little Seat, Tiny Tribe, Abe Jones, Baby Bean Vintage, Dirty Laundry, Finger In The Nose, Knuckleheads, Pink Chicken, Rock & Rattle, Wonderboy, Chase n’ Sky and Zoobie Pets, and the best Australian designer labels including Edenstar, Eggheads, Fresh Baked, Claesens, Infancy, Cuddlefish, mill&mia, Moppit, Polka, Tipitipi, Munster, Parisian Ballets, Il Tutto, and Willow and Finn.

Itty Bitty Yuppy ship via Express Post for a flat free of $7.50 Australia Wide. Orders over $150.00 are shipped FREE. International orders are warmly welcomed. See the Shipping Info page for full details.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Wooo-hoo! It’s the Where Did You Get That? – www.wheredidyougetthat.com.au – summer clothing sale.

Nab 30% off ALL summer fashion from Tea Collection, Daily Tea, Tommy Rocket, and Two Belles while stocks last (if you’re savvy you’ll also check in with some winter threads up to 50% off!)

Tea Collection, from 2-8 years, and their baby label Daily Tea, for bubs from birth to two years, are among my favourite US baby and kids clothing brands.

Tea Collection draws inspiration from a global cultural pool, with each collection reflecting a particular region of the world – this summer it’s Africa.

Tea’s fabric quality and cut is always superb, and they come up with the most beautiful prints and thoughtful detailing  – tucks, pleats, pockets. You can buy with great confidence here: I have never been disappointed, and I’m sure you won’t be either.

Tommy Rocket and Two Belles are Aussie girls and boys designer ranges inspired by surf and pop culture for boys, with hippy-bohemian styles for girls.

Tommy Rocket and Two Belles pieces are easy wear, and well-price, while looking seriously cool. Dress them up of down, as your needs demand.

What do you get when you mix it up with Tea Collection, Tommy Rocket and Two Belles? Literally dozens of outfits that complement each other with individual style.

I have had a ball putting together the image collages below for you.

Please note that the Morgan & Milo, Lelli Kelly, and Zid Zid Kids shoes featured in these pics are not currently on sale….but if you’d like 15% off them, sign-up to, or check your KSF weekly newsletter (out every Tuesday) for the My Child magazine code details, which will give you a chunk off! Note that this code isn’t applicable on already discounted items.

Ok, into the clothes now. I’m focusing on Tea Collection and Tommy Rocket and Two Belles, which start at 2 years and run up to 10 years of age. For gorgeous clothing for babies, and girls and boys under two please head over to WDYGT? for a look at the gorgeous range from Daily Tea, by Tea Collection.

Okie dokie, boys first.

Boy Mamas, you will weep with joy with what Toni and Melony at Where Did You Get That? have for you here.

If you were to buy every piece I have featured below you would have yourself a complete summer wardrobe that gives you an extensive combination of outfits – around 30 of them, all completely cool!

You’d have your Tommy Rocket board shorts for the beach and backyard, TR checked shorts and shirt for city slicker cool, Tea Collection polo and cargo shorts from a preppy look, cargos and skeletons for holiday fun, and a crisp while shirt and black pants for more formal occasions, all with co-ordinating shoes from Morgan & Milo, my footwear of choice for kids: mine have the laceless girls, and pink pull-on shoes – they are sooo robust, and have great foot support and traction.

Girls now, and aren’t we spoiled for choice here?

Take any of the tops and bottoms from Tea Collection and Two Belles pictured below, and mix and match them up as much as you please for stunning combinations that will draw endless compliments where-ever you may be. (Note that I don’t discriminate by gender what I think is cool: the blue shorts in this image are in the boys section, so look for them there )

Wear the dress with or without the leggings, any of the tops with any of the bottoms, and any pair of shoes with any outfit to stunning effect. Your little miss will be able to run, jump and play, or attend the swishest summer soiree in in stylish comfort.

Did I mention these are all 30% off? Buy up, and you’ll be laughing!

Subscribe to the Where Did You Get That? newsletter (fill in the subscription box on the WDYGT? homepage) to go into the draw to win a copy of ‘ABC3D’ by Mariona Bataille, drawn at the end of January 2009. If you are an existing subscriber you will automatically go into the draw.

Read more about this amazing prize here.

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.

*30% sale discount excludes already discounted items winter/clearance stock, Books & CD’s and Enchanted Faeries. 15% My Child discount not applicable on sale/items already discounted.

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