KidStyleFile

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 Angela

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For back to childcare/pre-school/kinder/school supplies you just can’t go by Kinder Kaboodle - www.kinderkaboodle.com.au. This fabulous store, run by genuine sweetheart Bernice, is purpose-built to make life kitting your kids as easy as pie.

For backpacks, large enough to accommodate lunch, snacks, art projects, and a change of clothes, whilst still being small enough for a little person to carry, choose from Kinder Kaboodle’s fab range from Rush, Tiger Tribe, Mini Rhubarb, Fleurville (my personal faves!), and Zebra Crossing (now on sale!). For swim bags and library bags, check out the range from Kiddysac. Choose from the cute range of bag tags from The Bag Tag Studio to ensure that your backpack is easily identifiable.

Drink bottles from Alex & Charli, Rush and Tatiri are essential to keep your little one hydrated.

Lunch boxes are another essential, and the insulated varieties are great for keeping food fresh and bacteria free. Fleurville Kids, and Fridge-To-Go lunch bags are just the thing. There are also a super selection of lunch bags from Penny Scallan, Bestever, 4 My Earth (fantastic eco-friendly options!), Crocodile Creek, and Rush.

Many schools are now requesting that your child front up with a hand towel with a loop. Kinder Kaboodle saves the day, with towels from Feef (who also make the world’s best smocks, in my opinion -  *nothing* can soak through these babies!).

Name personalisation services are also available on many of the products at Kinder Kaboodle - Kinder Kaboodle is a full service!

To further sweeten your shopping experience, you can enter ‘KSF’ in the discount code/coupon section at checkout to receive 10% off all orders at Kinder Kaboodle until 31 January 2009.

PS: Don’t forget to check out the Sale section at Kinder Kaboodle for lots of quality goodies for less.

Take 10% off all the prices quoted below with the code mentioned above until 31 January 2009.

A. The Bag Tag Studio Bag Tags $9.95 each
B. Fleurville Kids Backpack $59.95
C. Feef Hand Towels $10.95 each
D. Penny Scallan Lunchbag $19.95
E. Rush Dinosaur Backpack $39.95
F. Bestever Alligator Lunchbag $29.95 $23.95
G. Crocodile Creek Lunchbag $29.95
H. Kiddysac Library bag $19.95
I. Fridge-To-Go Lunchbag $26.95
J. Zebra Crossing Backpack $39.95 $31.95

These top brands are stocked at Kinder Kaboodle: Alex & Charli, Bazoongi Kids, Bestever, Bobble Art, Boys Don’t Wear Bows, Charlie and Lola, Chelona, Chick Pea, Cocoon Couture, Crocodile Creek, Cupcakes Jewellery, Feef, Fleurville, Fruity Faces, Giddy Giddy, Goldfish Gifts, Happy Guru, Hotbods, Jam Industries, Kiddysac, Kids Cold Packs, Little Chipipi, Little Swish, Milestone Press, Mini Rhubarb, Mini Whisk, 4 My Earth, Oscar Blue, Penny Scallan, Rolly Poly Kids, Rush, Smelly Welly, Tatiri, The Bag Tag Studio, Vintage Kid, Western Chief, and Zebra Crossing Club.

Kinder Kaboodle charge $6.00 for parcels up to 500gms and $9.00 for parcels 501gms-3kg, Australia wide. Orders over 4.3kg will display the charge at checkout. Orders over $120 are shipped free!

Posted in Bobble Art, Cocoon Couture, Fleurville Kids, Kinder Kaboodle, Rush, Tiger Tribe
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Here’s some names you won’t forget: Haggus and Stookles - www.haggusandstookles.com.au.

Named for the nicknames H&S’s owners, Donna and Andrea’s kids gave to their younger siblings, Haggus and Stookles equip you to handle every outing with your baby or kids, from a trip to the local park, to a multi-country overseas expedition. You will be oh-so-glad you’ve met them: they will absolutely revolutionise and improve your life!

Donna and Andrea joke that Haggus and Stookles began with ‘a poo in the park’: kids needing to go the toilet at a park with no toilets - who hasn’t been caught out that way when toilet training kids?

Donna and Andrea saw a need for good quality and functional products to handle these sorts of situations, and many others, that parents encounter every day whilst experiencing life with kids. They then searched far and wide for the best products to help make your life easier and more enjoyable when you are out and about with the little ones.

With shopping categories like ‘In the car’, ‘For the pram’, ‘Eating out’, ‘Play on the go’,  Naptime, For bums, ‘Packing for travel’, ‘Allergy Traveller’, and ‘For bums’ (my favourite! I’ll tell you why in a minute!), and an incredible range of top quality products from — hope you’re ready! — 4 My Earth, Aden & Anais, Adore-A-View, Alex Toys, Allergy free passports, Amadeus, Annabel Karmel, Baa Baa Blind, Baby Mel, Baby Nation, Baby Sherpa, Baby U, Bags & Boxes, Bazoongi Kids, Bella Tunno, Boo Boo Buddy, Brolly Sheets, Bubbaroo, Dad Gear, Danish by Design, Design Go, Djeco, Dripstik, Drop Buddy, Easyfeed, Ellaroo, Envirotrend, Fit & Fresh, Fridge to Go, Goldbug, Goober Baby, High Road, Hurphy Durphy, Infantino, Irony Homewares, Kaboodle Bags, Kiddysac, KidsAlert, Kindy Kamper, Kozyepi, Lalapanzi, Lollipop Monkey, Longitude 151, Made by Angie, Made by Mums, Medibuddy, Melissa & Doug, Moochie-Moo, Munchee Mug, My Little Seat, myBagTag, Nest, Oobi, Pigeon, Playgro, Pure Wipes, SIGG, Snug as a Bug, Stuffit, Tantrums, The Mummy Hook, Thermos Foogo, Vanchi, and Woobee, you’ll be set and ready for anything!

Ok, so why is ‘For Bums’ my favourite category? Well, it contains the Potette Travel Potty.

This little item has been a life-saver on many occasions I cannot count. One memorable incident where it came in handy was on a plane, just before take-off, when the on-board toilets were closed, and the seat belt lights were one. Cue a little voice from one of my 2 year olds: “Mummy, I need to do a wee”. Never fear, I whipped out my trusty travel potty, with it’s special liner fitted, and saved the day (and the plane seat!)

This little wonder folds flat, is small enought to fit anywhere - a small handbag, for instance, will save your bacon through an array of toilet emergency locations, and is extremely cheap to boot. This is definitely one for you out-with-kids survival kit!

Another great little innovation is the Design Go Mosquito Bite Reliever. Drug free and effective, add it to your first aid kit; it is sure to come in handy over the summer months.

Fit & Fresh lunch boxes are an essential when you’re on the road, or even for school days, as they keep food nice and cool for 6 hours. No more spoiled yoghurt at lunch!

Sleeping is a major issue, whether at home, daycare, or travelling, and Haggus and Stookles has the perfect solutions.

For little babes, you can’t go past super-stylish Lalapanzi Collapsible Moses Basket. For bigger kids, the Kindy Kamper Day Bed is just the thing. Fully featured with bottom blanket, top sheet, pillow and removable top blanket, it rolls up into a portable swag. (Miki reports it goes perfectly in a portacot, and also uses hers for her son at daycare.)

You’ll also need a picnic rug for outdoor expeditions. The super-luxe Woobee Large Blanket is the way to go! With weather-proof backing, and the snuggliest top layer, it’s great as a picnic rug, a tummy-time blankie, or pram snug.

My super cheap and utterly gorgeous pick of the day award goes to the Envirotrend EnviroShopper bags that Haggus and Stookles are stocking.  They are enviro-kind, incredibly stylish (choose from 4 beautiful designs) and, at just $4.25 each, are an absolute STEAL!

Speaking of steals, have a look at the great range of free activities for kids you can download from Haggus and Stookles, including colouring in pages, dot to dots, travel games and a fantastic travel diary for when you are on holidays. Also, make sure you check out Haggus and Stookles’ Tips for on the Go: there is a wealth of knowledge there on being out and about with the kids in the car, on holidays, international and plane travel and for general outings to the park, shops, toilet training when out and much more!

From top left in rows:

Design Go Mosquito Bite Relief $29.95
Adore-a-View Baby Car Seat Mirror in Teddy Bear $49.95. Also available in Butterfly design
Fit & Fresh Lunch on the Go Lunch box $12.95
Lalapanzi Collapsible Moses Basket in Retro Red $325.00, pictured with co-ordinating Lalapanzzi Blanket $70.00 , and Lalapanzi Travel Sack $70.00. Also available in Chocolate Sage colour- way
Danish by Design HandySitt $139.95 Available in Beech and Cherry
Annabel Carmel Small Bowls Set $14.95
Envirotrend EnviroShopper bag $4.25 Available in 4 designs
Potette Travel Potty $14.95
Kindy Kamper Day Bed $54.95
Sigg Drink Bottle $22.95
Moochie-Moo ID Bands $4.95
Baby Mel Camille Nappy Bag in red $99.00
Super Woobee Large Blanket in Chocolate/Pistachio $132.00

Haggus and Stookles’ poistage charges are based on weight, and start at $7.50. Express, registered, and international post options are available. See the Delivery information page for full details on shipping.

School’s almost in! Are you sorted yet? Never fear, Kinder Kaboodle - www.kinderkaboodle.com.au - is here!

A new concept store especially for the pre-schooler, school age and creche-going child, whether you need backpacks and bags, drink bottles, sun-wear, rain-wear, art-ware or sleepover supplies, Kinder Kaboodle is the place for you. No more rushing around different places looking, it’s absolutely all here!!

With an incredible selection across brands including Penny Scallan, Feef, Smelly Welly, Vintage Kid, Crocodile Creek, alex & charli, Western Chief and Bobble Art, and the award winning Little Swish Dream Kits, there is something for every taste and need.

Here are some picks close to my heart; we use these in our house, and they are all life-savers:

Penny Scallan, with her beautiful limited edition fabrics encased in practical easy wipe PVC (we have the Groovy Spot - pictured in Library Bag $17.95 - Paisley and Flower prints going on in our house)

Feef, who make the *best* smocks in existence. I know this from experience; we have literally 10 different kinds, and the Feef smocks are the only ones that don’t soak through. They are a made from a thick, but soft, coated fabric that really protects clothes; no more Napisan-ing after playgroup! Garden Art Kids Smock pictured $34.95 (also comes in Beetle Car print)

Kid Cold Packs BumpBuddy; once again I sing the praise of the Starfish Bump buddy; they turn an injured crying child into smiling fully recovered child in 2 minutes flat! Starfish variety pictured $9.95 (also comes in funky flower, dinosaur and soccer ball designs).

A product I don’t have yet, but will be snapping up soon, is the not-a-moment-too-soon 4 My Earth eco-friendly Sandwich and Snack Wraps ($9.95 and $6.95 respectively), an easy and non-toxic product that keeps food fresh and dry. These environmentally friendly Sandwich Wraps can be used to wrap lunches and snacks over and over again, are much easier for little fingers to get open than cling wrap, and reduce landfill and water pollution caused by discarding plastic.

What an incredibly brilliant idea - just like Kinder Kaboodle itself!

To get 10% off the purchase price storewide, simply enter ‘KSF’ in the discount code section at checkout.

Kinder Kaboodle charge $6.00 for parcels up to 500gms and $9.00 for parcels 501gms-3kg, Australia wide. Orders over 3kg will display the charge at checkout. Orders over $120 are shipped free!

International shipping is available. Contact Bernice at Kinder Kaboodle for a fast and friendly quote.