KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Miki

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Dinner time is a funny thing with very young children, isn’t it?  It can be an absolute delight with giggles and stories, gobbling down delicious food - or it can be one of those times where the food hits the wall and you want to tear your hair out.

I can’t guarantee that any of the fabulous plates, bowls and cutlery below will fix that problem, but surely anything that distracts the kids is a good thing!  And this crockery is all so gorgeous that it will make the most hastily thrown together meal look like it came from a Michelin-starred kitchen.

The first collection here is for babies and young toddlers, right from when they are starting solids to when they are learning to feed themselves with a spoon and fork.  Look for simple, eye-catching designs and nothing that’s too hard to clean!  Trust me, you’ll end up with mashed pumpkin everywhere…

These are some of my faves:

1. Babymoov HIPPO Childrens Cup, $23.95  $19.16; Babymoov HIPPO Childrens Bowl & Lid, $23.95  $19.16; Babymoov HIPPO Plate, Lid & Spoon, $28.00  $22.40; all at Metro Mum
2. Boon Catch Bowl, $14.95; Boon Benders Adaptable Utensils, $9.95; both at Bubba Funk
3. Airfork One, $15.95 from Baby’s Got Style
4. Annabel Karmel Large Bowl Set, $18.50 from Baby’s Got Style
5. Funny Duck Plate, $7.50; Funny Frog Plate, $7.50; both from Baby’s Got Style

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Next we come to older toddlers and pre-schoolers, and even young school-aged kids, who are learning to use a knife and fork and enjoy eating ‘adult’ food.  Keep an eye out for tough, strong products, and if they look great then all the better!  Here are some of the best:

1. Boon Modware Toddler Utensils, $9.95; Boon Groovy Interlocking Plate & Bowl Set, $24.95; both from Bubba Funk
2. Dwink Box in Blue and Orange, $9.95  $8.95 each; from Ekidna Kids
3. Mother Hen Spotty Three Piece Meal Set, $16.95; from Chic Kids
4. Tommee Tippee Snack ‘n’ Straw Cup in Blue, Pink and Yellow, $13.95 each; from Baby’s Got Style
5. Mother Hen Rainbow Cutlery Set, $11.50; from Chic Kids
6. Assorted French Bull Plates & Cups, from $9.95 at The Hip Infant

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Last of all I wanted to show you some gift sets.  I recommend always having a funky dinner set in the present drawer as they make great gifts!  Also consider giving one to your kid/s as a reward for special achievements - learning to use a knife and fork correctly, for example, or mastering dinner table manners (and if you achieve this one, tell me how!).  Each mealtime with the special new dinner set will be a reminder of the child’s achievement and will make them feel special all over again!

1. Go Home Food Face Meal Set, $19.95; and Go Home Food Face Meal Set - Fruits & Veges, $19.95; both from My Messy Room
2. Monsieur & Madame Zio Six Piece Melamine Dinner Sets, $49.95 per set; from Urban Baby
3. Crocodile Creek Garden Meal Gift Set, and Crocodile Creek Dinosaur Meal Gift Set, both $39.95 from Chic Kids
4. Mini Rhubarb Sailor Sam Three Piece Dinner Set, $19.95; and Sailor Sam Cutlery, $12.95; and Mini Rhubarb Annie Apple Three Piece Dinner Set, $19.95 and Annie Apple Cutlery, $12.95; all from The Infant Boutique

I’d love to be able to show you aaaaalll my favourites but that could take several pages.  Here are a few more options for you that deserve a mention:

• Itch Design melamine plates, currently on sale at The Rocking Horse.

• Shop Until currently have cat-themed meal set from French Bull on sale reduced from $39.95 to just $15.00. Bar-gain!!

• Urban Baby for their amazing selection of cutlery - no, seriously! Check out their range!!

• IKEA, who have the coolest and cheapest feeding accessories around (plus I can’t recommend their Antilop highchair highly enough!)

Please check individual sites for shipping details.  Also check the KidStyleFile ‘All Current Deals’ page to see if you qualify for any special discounts at the stores above.

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.