KidStyleFile

Written by Jen

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Ok so here’s the scene: two boys, one trolley, the supermarket. Although intended to carry food, the trolley becomes a spaceship with Martians (aka the boys) swinging from all sides. Crazy times ensue. What to do? Rather than lose my mind and my patience, I come prepared. iPhone at the ready I instantly distract the Martians with some of our latest app finds, allowing me a precious window of opportunity to complete the groceries and leave the supermarket with my pride intact.

The Apps currently available for iPhone, iPad and Android are wide and varied and you can now find some really terrific games that are both visually appealing and, above all else, educational. I still find it quite amazing how my 2 and 4 year olds navigate their way around my iPhone without any difficulty. At first I was a little unsure how I felt about them getting involved in computers so early, but then when I thought about how it is such a big part of their growing education, I decided to just embrace it… in small doses, anyway! Here’s a selection of our current favourites…

1. Caillou’s World,  Night & Day Studios, Inc. For iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch. $2.99. Rated 4+
2. FirstWords: Animals, Learning Touch. For iPhone & iPad. $1.99. Rated 4+
3. AlphaTots,  Spinlight Studio. Alphabet Game. For iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+
4. Abby’s Preschool Shape Puzzles – Farm Animals, 22learn, LLC. For iPad. Free. Rated 4+
5. The Grouchies by Debbie Wagenbach, American Psychological Association. For iPad. Free. Rated 4+
6. Miss Rosie Red – What Will I Be?, Dog Ears Ltd. For iPhone & iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+
7. iWriteWords, gdiplus. Handwriting Game. For iPhone & iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+
8. Practice Book: Alphabet, Rock Stars Interactive. For iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+
9. Shapes & Puzzles, Pirate Trio. For iPhone & iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+
10. The Monster at the End of This Book, Sesame Street. For iPhone & iPad. $3.99. Rated 4+
11. The Three Little Pigs Nosy Crow interactive story book, Nosy Crow. For iPad. $5.99. Rated 4+
12. TallyTots, Spinlight Studio. Interactive counting game. For iPad. $2.99. Rated 4+

Written by Leah

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Today is the perfect day to celebrate the arrival of blue skies, longer days and sweet smelling blooms. Take the kidlets to the park and enjoy the sunshine. With such excitement throughout the day, hopefully they’ll fall into a much needed slumber as their heads hit the pillow and their bedtime can provide you with time to engage in some much deserved retail therapy. KidStyleFile has the perfect place for items for both you and your kidlets, with savings you’ll love. Bubba Funk – www.bubbafunk.com.au – is a mecca for all things stylish from new season threads to yummy mummy delights and even cool daddy items.

Right now my focus is on the new Il Tutto Nico in red for $249.95. I’m barely able to contain my excitement for its arrival at Bubba Funk. With Il Tutto’s famous waterproof lining and the signature monster teddy (I just love the new metallic silver colouring with splashes of red), all the amazing features of much-loved predecessors have been maintained. What’s more, this fabulous bag has been shortlisted for Best Changing Bag in the Junior Design Awards 2011 and is currently a finalist in the Practical Parenting Magazine Awards for Changing Bags. For me, this just reinforces my belief that Il Tutto know exactly what’s needed in a Nico to make it both extremely stylish and totally functional.

Spring calls for new season arrivals. The Bebe Abby Sleeveless A-Line Dress – Blue Wave is my pick of the bunch  for baby girls to 18 months. For bigger girls, the Fox and Finch Printed Underlay Dress has lovely flower detailing that will catch your eye. Boys don’t miss out, and I must say I am besotted with the Woof! Checked Boardies in Mustard which are ever so cool. Oh yes, a little shopping is on the horizon.

From today, right through until 9 October 2011, the Bubba Funk team are offering all KSF readers 20% off *STOREWIDE* including both new season clothing and sale items already reduced by up to 70%, while stocks last. To take advantage of this great deal, simply fill up your shopping cart, head to the checkout and enter discount code ksf20off. Voila, instant discount!  Now that’s a great start to the week! Note: This offer excludes il Tutto ‘Nico’ bags.

Prices discounted below are valid with code ksf20off until 9 October 2011, while stocks last.

1. Il Tutto Nico in red  pre-order NOW by emailing mariana@bubbafunk.com.au (note: 20% discount offer does not apply to this product)
2. Fox And Finch Printed Underlay Dress $57.90 LESS 20%= $46.32
3. Woof! Beach Holiday Tee Tomato  $31.00 LESS 20%= $25.70
4. Woof! Smart Striped Short Slate/White $44.00 LESS 20%= $35.20
5. Fox and Finch Willow Print Square Neck Top $47.00 LESS 20%= $37.60
6. Woof! Floral Printed Boardies White/Blue  $39.00 LESS 20%= $31.20 
7. Woof! Surfing Singlet Sky Blue $29.90 LESS 20%= $23.92
8. Fox and Finch 3/4 Skinny Canvas Capris Lava $47.00 LESS 20%= $37.60
9. Bebe Cindy Tiered Sleevless Bodysuit Cindy Print $33.00 LESS 20%= $26.40
10. 3 Pommes Sunshine Tunic Top in Yellow Print $65.00 $32.50 LESS 20%= $26.00
11. Bebe Abby Plain Bloomer with Bow Marine $23.90 LESS 20%= $19.12

Brands stocked at Bubba Funk include: 3 Pommes, ABCD Industrie, Aden + Anais, Annabel Trends, Baby Brands, Beautiful Soles, Bod, Bod for Bubs, Boon, Britt, Catimini, Chalk n Cheese, Cuddledry, David Fussenegger, Egg Baby by Susan Lazar, Fish Lilly, For Walls, Heavenly Creatures, Il Tutto, Isoki, John Crane, Kandy Crew, Kas Australia, Koda Lighting, Korimco, L’il Fraser Collection, Luna Ninos, Marquise, Melobaby, Milk Bands, Minihaha, Minimonkey, Missi Missi, Moppit, Nature Baby, Oobi Baby, Quilt Baby, Ramalama, Samvara Kids, Skeanie, Sprout Design, Tiny Mammoth, Vice Versa, Walnut Melbourne, Well Spotted, Woof! and Zephire Generation.

Postage at Bubba Funk is provided by TNT couriers for gift boxes and e-parcel through Australia post for individual orders. Shipping is determined by weight/size, and the average charge is $7.95. See the Delivery and Postage section for full details.

Written by Leah

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The KidStyleFile Facebook page has been a hub of activity this week as we continue to surprise you with a bevy of finds and style bargains. The “quiet-book” craft activity proved to be very popular, as did the release of the Spring/Summer collection from Tea Princess. We discussed kids’ party food delights, how to remove nail polish from clothing, and we talked about our favourite Roald Dahl books as we celebrated the author’s birthday. Don’t forget to complete the KSF Annual Reader Survey to go into the draw to win 1 of 50 prizes worth over $20,000. Woo!

Post written by Anna

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World renowned for fostering independent thinking and design, Melbourne is a hothouse when it comes to creativity. This rings true in so many spheres of life and design, and is especially true when it comes to beautiful and unique items for babies and children.  Have you ever wondered if there is a place online that brings all of Melbourne’s most beautiful and innovative designers of baby and infant clothing and accessories together? Well there is: introducing Baby Be Natural – www.babybenatural.com.au.

Proprietor Loene is passionate about top quality, innovative designer clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers. She has bought together an amazing array of local labels and products all made by seriously talented mums and dads. At Baby Be Natural there is a strong focus on environmentally friendly, fresh and fun designs.

Nestled in at home at Baby Be Natural you will find some labels well known to regular KidStyleFile readers, as well as some special new finds. The list currently includes Oishi-M, Luna Gallery, Little Lamb, Little Chillies, Keepcup, Mini Envy, Ettitude, Bambooty, Humble Bumble, Sheeps Clothing, Jolie Petit Chose, Lima Bean, Serina and Lily, Aka Pipik, Hugs and Inspiration.

Exclusive to Baby Be Natural are the stunning Limited Edition Owl Mobiles created by local mum Jodie from Jolie Petite Chose. Be one of only a few that have this amazing finishing piece for your nursery or buy it as a special gift for a lucky close one. The Jolie Petite Chose soft toy range is gorgeous too.

Baby Be Natural offer custom made baby pack gift sets starting at just $100. You can tailor to your requests for a truly unique and special baby gift. They also cater for Christmas and Christening gifts too. To enquire, simply shoot Loene a quick email. Baby Be Natural couldn’t claim to love all that Melbourne has to offer without noting it’s famed cafe scene. Perfect for a famous ‘baby chino’ (and a brilliant birthday or Christmas stocking filler) is the KeepCup- Piccolo in blue or pink. Love!

Baby Be Natural is currently in the midst of a massive sale with great reductions on clothing, gifts, bedding and decor items. PLUS for a very short window, KidStyleFile readers are being offered an *exclusive* further discount of 5% off items already discounted by up to 33%. You will need to enter discount code naturalstyle at checkout to have your discount applied…and you’ll need to be quick: this offer must end midnight Tuesday 20 September 2011, and is only while stocks last. 

Discounted prices quoted in red below are only applicable while stocks last and with code naturalstyle until midnight 20 September 2011.

a. Jolie Petite Chose – Limited Edition Grey Owl Mobile WAS $145 NOW $110.00 less 5% = $104.50
b. KeepCup- Piccolo Pink $10.00
c. Baby Be Natural Baby Girls Gift Box custom made, starting at $100 email to enquire
d. Little Chillies – Hoodie Jacket WAS $111.00 NOW $92.00 less 5% = $87.40
e. Humble Bumble Winter – Ruffle Pants WAS $30 NOW $20 less 5% = $19.00
f. Luna Gallery – Tomato/Oyster Cotton Spot Blanket WAS $95 NOW $85 less 5% = $80.75
g. Evie LaLa – Into The Wild Shoes $38.00
h. Oishi-m – Wishflower Skinny Jean WAS $54 NOW $45 less 5% = $42.75
i. Humble Bumble Play Dress – WAS $26 NOW $20 less 5% = $19.00
j. Hugs and Inspiration – Prima Ballerina $129.95

Baby Be Natural ship within 24 hours of your order being placed, and use Express Post shipping to deliver your order for $7.50 Australia wide. Please see terms and conditions for more information.

Post written by Miki

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Kawaii Kids – www.kawaiikids.com.au – is everything a children’s boutique should be: it’s bright, fresh, well laid out and full of all sorts of amazing goodies you just won’t see everywhere else.  The store has had a facelift recently, and the new changes really improve the shopping experience – it’s so easy to find what you’re looking for, and I love the ‘you’ll love…’ suggestions at the bottom of each product page – they were spot on for me!

New in-store at Kawaii Kids are the utterly adorable Misala Handmade coin purses for mums (although I can think of a number of little girls who’d love one too!) and come in all sorts of gorgeous colourways and shapes.  Some of my favourites are pictured at the top of the image collage below – seriously, who could resist the Chocolate Brown Cow Clutch Purse?

I also have to make mention of the fantastic range of shoes stocked at Kawaii Kids.  Not only are they totally different from anything else you see around for kids’ feet, they’re also extremely affordable.  I just love the Panda & Butterfly Shoes, and how cute are the Hi-Top Sneakers in Aqua? I also have to give a special mention to the Gracious May MJs for baby girls, simply because I have to stifle a squeal of  ”OMG, soooooo cute!” every time I see them.

Kawaii Kids are celebrating their gorgeous new look site by offering KidStyleFile readers 10% off all orders *and* FREE registered post! Just make sure your order is in by midnight on 30 September 2011, and use the code KSF at checkout to redeem the discount. 

Prices below are valid with code KSF at checkout, until midnight 30th September 2011, while stocks last.

1. Misala Handmade Chocolate Brown Cow Clutch Purse, $28.00 less 10% = $25.20
2. Fedora Hat – Black & White Check, $20.00 less 10% = $18.00
3. Misala Handmade Little Lion Clutch Purse, $28.00 less 10% = $25.20
4. Misala Handmade Fairy Tale Farm Coin Purse, $27.00 less 10% = $24.30
5. Hip Hop Stereo Bag – Silver, $28.00 less 10% = $25.20
6. Panda & Butterfly Shoes, $30.00 less 10% = $27.00
7. Hi-Top Sneaker – Aqua, $40.00 less 10% = $36.00
8. Gracious May – Sweet Strawberries Mary Jane, $42.00 less 10% = $37.80
9. Slap Watches, $12.00ea less 10% = $10.80
10. Cars Canvas Boots, $45.00 less 10% = $40.50
11. Green Frog Sandals, $40.00 less 10% = $36.00

Kawaii Kids stocks some lovely brands including: Babyushka, Bobo Chooses, Cocoon Couture, Fabulous Goose, Gracious May, Milky, Misala, OB Designs, Olive’s Friend Pop, Pinwheels & Pearls & Tenshi.

Kawaii Kids ships registered post for FREE! Express Shipping is $8, NZ shipping is $10 & International Shipping is $15. Kawaii Kids Delivery and Payment options.

Written by Raquel

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September rolls on, which can only mean one thing. Yep, time to dig out the cossies and make plans for the beach! While you’re there, pull out your notepad and start scribbling down some Xmas ideas, because after September comes October… and well, you know the rest… This month’s Green Guide includes some out and about essentials and one or two things to jot down for the Big Man in Red. Enjoy!

The Green Guide is published on the second Friday of each month. Read previous ‘The Green Guide’ posts here.

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1. If you thought cork was only good for 4” platform shoes, kitchen trivets and bottle stoppers, then take a gander at Bambu’s latest offering. The unique Cork Bib get its retro-ish looks from cork fabric, an innovation that is not only soft to touch, but machine washable, stain resistance, hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial too. Which begs the question: are cork playsuits next?
2.  Homemade baby purees will travel, thanks to Beaba’s nifty lil’ solution, the Babypote. Made from ultra squeezable silicon, the handy design has a snap on lid, wide neck for filling and cleaning, and is BPA-free, making it an ultra eco friendly alternative to the many, slurp n’ toss options overtaking supermarkets. Not yet available in Australia, until then, you’ll need to nab one via an international e-tailer or cajole a holidaying friend into bringing bubs back one.
3. Here’s something totally rad that’ll put a big smile on kids’ dials – in fact, grab a pencil, because these guys are ace additions to the Chrissy list. Sumobot, Gyrobot, Daisy Diplodocus and Terry Triceratops are a kid-tastic, moveable wooden toy made from sustainably sourced Beechwood. Available in small and large sizes, the characters are the latest release from Australian company Go Home Junior and come chock full of play possibilities, not unlike the kids themselves.
4. Designer-mum Laura Stevanz freely admits to channeling her northern European sisters to create Little Bossy Boots, an awesome local solution for tikes who like to flash a bit of Scandi cool without clocking up the air miles. The organic range for 0-4 years includes bodysuits, tees, dresses and blankets, all freshly lit with funky prints and touting affordable prices parents will really dig.
5. Take two creative friends with two children and an itch to create a unique collection of apparel for mums and their brood, and what do you get? Two, which in my books equals twice as nice, thanks to the combination of playful prints and gorgeously shaded organic cotton. Made in New York, Two’s kids’ tees for 1 to 4 year olds feature cheeky designs silk screened with eco inks – there’s a donkey, a necklace and the odd, rogue moustache .. perfectly happy, whimsical wear for imaginative kids.
6. Pretty and cooly chic, The Measure’s clever revamp of men’s Oxford shirts is a splendid breath of lovely, complete with poppy-licious embellishment and comfortably smart styling. In sizing from six months to six years, options include checks, stripes, blues and pastels, plus three different sleeve lengths. There’s also a super sweet ruffle design, and both looks are terrific for shirting around in on meltingly-hot summer days.
7. Wet swimmers and cars, happy parents do not make. But help is at hand, in the form of Beatrice and her equally charming counterpart, Patrice: adorable organic cotton bags who also happen to be your beach day saviours. Just gather up the drippy results of the kids’ water antics, the goggles, sand encrusted sunblock and throw ‘em all into their awesomely practical, water proof pockets. Dandy and handy, if they look familiar you may remember artist Caroline Castagna-Suarez’s (aka My Name is Simone) super zero plush doll from here.
8. If you’re been wondering whether to bag it or not, Swedish brand, If You Care, has the ecologically sound and healthy answer. Their unbleached, chlorine free lunch bags are made from renewable spruce trees and come in handy bundles of 48, kindly packaged in unbleached, recycled boxes. Go ahead, bag up those school lunches .. and know you’re doing it in good, green conscience.
9. Awww, how cute – from dull and ugly, to soft and lovely, plastic bottles have never been more adorable! Poppa the Puppy’s sweet face is animated with a hand stitched nose and freckles, the handiwork of fair trade artisans in Sri Lanka, and while her super snuggly organic cotton contours are filled with recycled PET bottles, it’s a fair bet this is one huggable pup who’ll never end up on the waste pile.
10.  Need an easy way to eye-tag the kids in a crowd .. throw ‘em in this visual clanger from London label Boys & Girls. Awesomely cool, organic, inexpensive and in sizing all the way to ten years, Aussie nippers can now spruce up for summer in these blindingly bold, fair trade duds – yes, they’ve arrived, kids get your UK fashion fix here.

The Green Guide is published on the second Friday of each month. Read previous ‘The Green Guide’ posts here.

Please check individual sites for pricing and postage details and be sure to survey the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal. Need to convert currency? Use the Xe.com currency conversion tool.