KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Angela

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Calling all stylish and savvy shoppers in the Melbourne metropolitan area: get your daily planners out and mark these dates as red-letter days: Friday 22, and Saturday 23 May 2009. These are the dates you’ll be taking trip to the 473 Malvern Road South Yarra Warehouse End of Line, Seconds and Samples Sale, where you’ll be able to score premium designer baby and kids fashion and accessories from Dwell Studio, Littlehorn, Minti, Edenstar, Petunia Picklebottom, Edenstar, Ducky Beau, Claesens Jnr, and Snugglebum from just – wait for it! – *$5.00*!!!!!

OMG. Seriously – this is making me dizzy!! (If you live interstate let me just say that flights are so cheap at the moment (try Tiger, Jetstar and Virgin) that now might just be the time to go on a little retail-therapy excursion to stock up for winter!!)

Ok, let me fill you in on all the details.

The stock is coming direct to you from the designers and distributors, some of whom will be present on the day, so you can meet them – many are Mums just like us! -  so the prices (did I say they start at just $5??!!! Crazy stuff!!) are the lowest you will find, and there will be plenty of current season’s designs available with overstock runs, samples, and seconds at unbeatable prices, with stock levels replenished daily. Each brand will have their own area and pay station within the venue, which will be spaciously laid out to to make your experience pleasant, easy, and quick.

Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

• Claesen’s will be selling their current Winter Fashion Sample Collection at wholesale prices, as well as summer fashion and underwear starting from $5.  Spend $100 and get a further 10% discount or spend $150 and receive a 20% discount!
• Ducky Beau from the Netherlands, specialising in newborn-12 mths will be offering a full range of current season’s winter clothing up to 50% off RRP.
• Edenstar, for girls and boys from 2–10 years,will be clearing seconds, samples and end of season stock at prices to make your eyes pop!
• Littlehorn is re-launching Summer 2010, and are clearing all previous season’s stock including winter 08 which is being shipped from overseas.
• Minti from New Zealand (now in their 10th season, and now entering the Australian market with a splash) will be clearing samples and end of season stock at super low prices.
• Nesting will be clearing a bounty of Dwell Studio soft furnishings and bed linen, Petunia Picklebottom nappy bags, and Moses baskets (these retail at $250, and will start at just $80 for first quality items).
• Snugglebum, makers of gorgeous 100% cotton  pyjamas, are clearing samples, seconds and previous seasons stock from newborn to size 14 years at incredible prices (some below cost!)

Other essential facts for planning your outing:

• Dates: Friday 22 May 2009 (10am-6pm) and Saturday 23 May 2009 (10am-2pm)
• Payment is by CASH ONLY
• The venue is on the first floor of 473 Malvern Road, South Yarra and there are a couple of short flights of stairs to enter
• Pram storage is available; please park under the stairs
• A children’s playroom and entertainment will be available
• Toilets are available on-site
• There is ample on-street parking on Malvern Road, and an abundance of great cafes in the area so you can make a day of it, and treat yourself to coffee and lunch after you’ve scooped your bargains!

Today’s post written by Angela

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When I had my children, and witnessed first-hand the purity of a newborn babe, I vowed to respect that natural state of being, and avoid chemicals and artificial nasties as much as humanly possible.

Five years ago I had to search high and low and go to some extremes to get hold of products that cared for my babies without the use of harmful toxins.

Thankfully the days of fruitless searching are now over, with Ankle Biters – www.anklebitersduds.com.au – specialising in eco-friendly, kid-friendly, and socially responsible products all in the one handy online location.

Ankle Biters is run by Tanya Love, a mum of 5 (kudos!!) who is dedicated to making eco-friendly and organic high quality products easily accessible and affordable to parents.

Tanya personally tests products before they are offered for sale in the Ankle Biters store, and if she doesn’t find them extremely useful and/or as great as the marketing jargon states, then she won’t sell it.

Brands that has passed the test include Tiny Tribe, Natracare, Bokashi, Naturalene, Automoblox, Babyhood, BabyJogger, BabyLegs, Bacche, Barefoot Magazine, Carmaje, Clearly Herbal, Coocoose, ECOtanka, ERGObaby, Folkmanis, Flutterbacks, 4myearth, GreenPack, Huggalugs, La Belly Band, Lanowool, Mishi, Moltex, Nature’s Child, O’Bon, Paper-Go-Round, Seventh Generation, Sterimist, TummyTub, The Pop-In!, Wotnot and World Alive.

Ankle Biters has a fantastic range of skin and bath care products for babies and kids (you *must* get some of the Tiny Tribe Bubble Bath – so gentle!), Modern Cloth Nappies that save your dollars, and on landfill, or arguably the best disposable nappies on the planet: Seventh Generation.

Anklebiters is also the best online source for all things Baby Jogger in Australia – customers in the South-Eastern states of Australia can receive their Baby Jogger strollers delivered to their door for free!

I also have to make mention of the beautiful organic cotton tops from Bacche (Edwina has some for her children: read her review here), the in-house handmade Ankle Biters Tutus, and the Flutterbacks – cute hand-dyed singlets with removable wings. At a tiny $16.00 I did a serious double take!!

Keep your eye on the New Products section at Ankle Biters for over 200 pieces of new stock to go up on the site, including a stunning new range of extremely funky Fair Trade nappy and school bags that are going to be available from next week.

Until 16 June 2009, all KidStyleFile readers will receive FREE shipping (within Australia) and a FREE copy of Barefoot Magazine. Enter BarefootKidsStyle in the “VIP/Discount Code” box at checkout to redeem. All customers who place orders that reach over $500.00 automatically receive10% off all future orders placed.

PS If you’re going to Greenfest in Brisbane from 5-7 June this year, be sure to visit the Ankle Biters stand where you’ll be able to Tanya and her crew live in person.

A. Bacche Short-Sleeved Saffron Orange Bengal Tiger print Organic Cotton Tee – $32.95
B. ECOTanka MiniTanka Drink Bottle – $22.50
C. Baby Jogger City Mini Single – $449.00 FREE delivery for shoppers in South-Eastern states of Australia.
D. Seventh Generation Disposable Nappies – $29.00
E. Clearly Herbal Bamboo Cloth Baby Wipes – $8.60 per pack
F. The Pop -In Modern Cloth Nappies – $35.00 each
G. Tiny Tribe Lavender and Vanilla Chemical-free Bubble Bath – $12.45
H. Ankle Biters Granny’s Rose Garden Handmade Tutu - $50.00 (do a search on ‘tutu’ on the Anke Biters site to reveal the full range available)
I. Flutterbacks Hand-dyed Singlets with Removable Wings – $16.00
J. Bacche Long-Sleeved Mangrove Green Leopard Organic Cotton Tee – $34.95
K. Tummytub Baby Bath - $52.95 and multifunctional stand $78.00
L. O’Bon Recycled Newspaper Pencils – Set of 10 2B – from $2.50-$7.50 per pack
M. Paper-Go-Round Recyled Paper Making Kit – A4 with Envelope Deckle – $79.95

Anklebiters Duds postage charges are calculated at checkout based on weight. International orders are warmly welcomes. Please See the Anklebiters Duds Postage & Returns page for full details on postage and delivery.

Today’s post written by Miki

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The thing about Eternal Creation – www.eternalcreation.com – one of the many things – is that when wearing anything from the range, your kids look great on the outside and you feel great on the inside.

You see, when buying from Eternal Creation you’re supporting over 70 Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian staff and their families, all of whom work under carefully monitored ethical conditions in the Himalayas.  No sweatshops are involved in the making of these beautiful clothes and accessories. Knowing that my kids are wearing ethically produced pieces always puts a smile on my face!

And then there’s the look and feel of what comes out of Eternal Creation’s workshop.  You only have to have the barest glimpse of their wonderful site to want to order absolutely everything there! For a start there are the divine new season Winter knits in stunning, warm colours.  There’s a blend of chunky cotton knit, crochet and finer knit rib, and I love love love the results!  If only it could be winter all year round…

There’s so much more that I can’t even begin to do it all justice, so I’ll just say this: make sure you look at pyjamas for boys and girls, at the adorable floral dresses, the boys’ button-down shirts, and the sale sections for boys and girls.  Also don’t forget that Eternal Creation have a womenswear section – why should the kids have all the fun?!

There’s even a special offer running at the moment: place an order worth AUD$50.00 or more (before postage) and receive a FREE cosmetic bag set valued at $39.95!  These bags are just gorgeous; you can see them at picture no. 1 below.  This offer only runs ’til 25 May 2009, and you need to enter the code ‘KSFSET’ at checkout to claim your bags.

1. Women’s Cosmetic Bag Set – $39.95 or FREE with purchases over $50 using the code ‘KSFSET’ until 25 May 2009.
2. Dress – $59.95, Pants – $59.95, Hair Clips – $9.95
3. Kimono – $84.95, Pyjamas – $54.95
4. Slippers – $49.95
5. Dress – $59.95, Leggings – $29.95, Hair Clips – $9.95
6. Dress – $54.95, Hair Clips – $9.95

Eternal Creation ship orders to you wherever you are in the world direct from their Himalayan workshop. Freight is calculated on the gross weight of your order, and your shipping costs are shown on the delivery information page during check out. You can proceed through the checkout to confirm shipping costs prior to placing your order.

Today’s post written by Miki

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Hi, my name’s Miki and I’m a self-confessed kids’ shoe addict.

I’m not alone: KSF readers Jodi and Melanie recently requested a post on shoes and boots for little feet, and I am more than happy to oblige! (In fact, I have been wanting an excuse to sit down and hunt out some awesome little shoes as my son (nearly two) has just grown out of his last pair of Pedipeds and his Walnuts are still too big for him – and that’s not as rude as it sounds!)

So, where to begin?  Well, with winter approaching it seems sensible to look for boots – after all, we mums love to wear our boots in winter so who’s to say that the kids don’t too?  Luckily there are boots galore in all sorts of sizes to suit all sorts of ages, and both girls and boys.  Have a look at the image collage below for some of my faves.

Sneakers are always a goer regardless of your child’s age or gender.  Take them anywhere, do anything in them; they can be teamed with the girliest of tutus or the most macho jeans and shirts you can imagine.  I think every child should have at least one or two pairs of sneakers!

Don’t forget that babies and young toddlers should be in soft-soled shoes until several months after walking has been established. Plenty of research shows that babies’ feet develop best when they learn to walk barefoot, and soft soled shoes are a good alternative where bare feet just aren’t practical.  The soft little leather shoes from brands such as Robeez, Star Child, Beautiful Soles and Skeanie are also great for protecting crawlers’ feet.

Well without further ado, here are my picks for the cutest kids’ shoes and boots this season! Enjoy!

1. Baby Chick Pink Boots, $95.00 from Kounia-Bella
2. Luxurious Cream Loafers, $49.95 from Skeanie
3. Morgan & Milo LTT Oxford – Red/Orange, $44.95 $39.95 from Where Did You Get That?
4. Walnut Desert Boots – Navy, $59.95 from Urban Child
5. LelliKelly Iris Laces Sequinned Boots, $114.00 $109.95 from Where Did You Get That?
6. Beautiful Soles Silver Rock Star Baby Shoe, $39.90 $29.95 from Bubba Funk
7. Star Child Cherry Baby, $39.95 from Chic Kids
8. Scandeez Baby Leather Brown Moks, $35.00 $21.00 from Soda Pop Kids
9. Walnut Mary Janes – French Navy Spot, $29.95 from Urban Child
10. Samvara Navaho Cowboy Boot – Chocolate, $114.00 from Bubba Funk
11. Fire Engine Red Boots, $39.95 from Skeanie
12. Robeez Guitar Soft-Soled Baby Shoes, $57.00 from Kounia-Bella
13. Jack & Lily Love Birds – Chocolate, $54.95 from Little Styles

PS Polka also make a gorgeous girl’s boot, the Mika-Lu, which Ange’s girls have for this winter, for just $88.00. Hit up Raspberry Rascals to behold the goodness. Check sizing with them before your purchase.

As always, please check individual sites for postage details, and have a look at the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best deal on your purchase.

Today’s post written by Miki

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WOW! When Mariana at Bubba Funk – www.bubbafunk.com.au – goes on the hunt for hot new products she always turns up some crackers!

Have a look at some of the new brands she has arriving in store as we speak: Samvara Kids is a fantastical blend of princess and cowboy chic, with uber trendy boots and oh-so-girly tutus combining to create a look that any girl would cheerfully sacrifice her My Little Ponies to achieve.

Chalk n Cheese is another lovely one. Proudly manufactured in Melbourne, thus supporting local industry, these products are designed to go into a washing machine and coming out looking brand new every time – and if that isn’t a mother’s dream then I don’t know what is! I’m really loving the Girls Coat in Chocolate; I can’t think of a snugglier, more stylish way of keeping a little girl warm this winter.

There’s also new stock from Tiny Mammoth, Marquise and Heavenly Creatures, and Mariana tells me that she’s had a waiting list as long as her arm for the Moppit Bluey Jeans to arrive: well you can all hurry in and snap them up as they have finally arrived!

As if you needed more reason to shop at Bubba Funk, lucky KSF readerscan take 15% off store-wide at Bubba Funk until the 31st of May 2009. This discount *includes* new season’s stock AND sale items. Yeah!!! Use the code ‘KSF222′ at checkout to redeem.

Prices below include the 15% KidStyleFile discount using the code ‘KSF222′, and are valid until 31st May 2009.

1. Chalk N Cheese Classic A Line Dress – Ornate Print, $79.95 $67.95
2. Samvara Navaho Boots Napa Milling – Tan/Bronze, $119.00 $101.15
3. Tiny Mammoth Caveman Hoodie – Green, $64.95 $55.20
4. Luna Ninos Cotton Tree Cot Blanket – Indigo/Silver, $135.00 $114.75
5. Il Tutto Stella Nappy Bag – Red, $429.00 $364.65
6. Luna Ninos Wool Tree Bonnet – Birch/Wallaby, $57.95 49.25
7. Chalk N Cheese Wool Crossover Vest – Oatmeal, $89.95 76.45
8. Tiny Mammoth Panel Spray Jacket, $99.95 $84.95
9. Il Tutto Nico Nappy Bag – Black, $249.00 $212.45
10. Moppit Bluey Denim Jeans, $69.95 $59.45
11. TOOLI 2-Set Nightlights – Orange/Fuschia, $99.00 $84.90
12. Samvara Saskia Tutu – Baby Blue/Pink, $62.00 $52.70

Bubba Funk’s stunning range of brands include Aden + Anais, Annabel Trends, Babu, Baby Brands, Beautiful Soles, Bod, Bod for Bubs, Boon, Britt, Bud by Designroom, Chalk n Cheese, David Fussenegger, Egg Baby by Susan Lazar, Fish Lilly, For Walls, Grobag, Heavenly Creatures, Il Tutto, Isoki, John Crane, Sproutdesign, Little Chipipi, Luna Ninos, Marquise, Missi Missi, Moppit, Nature Baby, Oobi Baby, Present Time, Quilt Baby, Ramalama, Samvara Kids, Skeanie, Tiny Mammoth, Vice Versa, Walnut Melbourne and Well Spotted.

Bubba Funk ship Australia-wide starting from $7.95 per package, depending on weight. Please see here for more information.

Today’s post written by Angela

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As of May 4, South Australia blazed the trail for Australia by being the first state to ban lightweight checkout-style plastic bags. With this initiative there will be almost 400 million less plastic bags in South Australia.

Many countries around the world have moved to eradicate plastic bags due to their damaging environmental impact, and I am sure that the rest of Australia won’t be far behind South Australia.

Australian company Envirosax are a world leader in light-as-a-feather, robust, go-anywhere eco bags, and they offer a smorgasboard of beautiful designs for every taste. Retro? Botanical? Chic? Kiddy-cute? Why choose – have one of each! Starting at a mere $9.95 each (or $42.95 for a five-bag pouch) you cannot go wrong.

Cheryl at Adelaide-based Pastel Pink – www.pastelpink.com.au – got on board early with Envirosax, and is offering KidStyleFile readers a very special opportunity to snaffle up some bags and save a buck or two while also saving the planet.

Here’s the deal:

• Buy an Envirosax 5-Bag Set with Pouch and enter code ‘KSF-ECO’ at checkout to receive FREE shipping
  Buy 5 individual Envirosax and enter code  ‘KSF-ECO’ at checkout to receive FREE shipping
  
• In addition, the first 15 orders of the above products who enter the code as above will receive a FREE Envirosax in addition to the free postage – very nice, Chez!
• End date for this promotion is midnight Friday 15 May 2009.

Also, don’t forget to sign up to the Pastel Pink Newsletter and place your first order to join ‘Club Pink’ and receive 15% offall subsequent orders (before postage is applied). If you have placed an order with PP before all you have to do is make sure you are signed up to the newsletter and you’ll get 15% off automatically – woo!

Above: Selection of Envirosax Eco-Bags at Pastel Pink. All designs featured are $9.95 each.

Pastel Pink stock Alimrose Designs, Alluring Linens, Bebe by Minihaha, Cold Coffee, David Fussenegger, Elk Accessories, Spiegelburg, Louenhide, Gingerlilly, Emotion & Kids, FlatOUT Bears, Gaia Organic Cotton, Gertie and Me, Hess-Spielzeug, Huggalugs, Keptin-Jr., kikki.K, Little Chipipi, McMillan, Mitsy Accessories, Nesti Dante, Oobi Bab, Skeanie, and Wee Gallery, Tkxi Surf and Three Little Trees.

View the Pastel Pink delivery information page for full details on shipping.