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Since becoming a mum I have added two new hobbies to my repertoire of interests: kids fashion and competitions; so you can imagine my glee when I came across Babies and Kids – www.babiesandkids.com.au – and discovered their expansive range of children’s fashion labels AND a range of competitions and giveaways!

You too will be rubbing your hands together in anticipation of a number of fabulous deals open to you when you cruise on over to the site- and many of them don’t require a purchase!!

To begin with, Babies and Kids have some gorgeous summer ranges including Minihaha dresses and Woof! tops and boardies; Eternal Creation; Toetum‘s new floral range (preorders available); Ohme-Ohmi; Bacche, Bright Bots and Max and Tilly (which are both nearly sold out already!)

I don’t know about you, but for me I just love competitions of any sort – the idea of doing barely anything in order to take home something fabulous is only surpassed by the actual win!

At Babies and Kids you are rewarded just for being a fan! Subscribe to the Babies and Kids newsletter (go to the sign-up box on their homepage) between 19 October and 9 December 2009, and instantly go into the draw to win a Christmas hamper valued at over $1000!

The centrepiece of the prize pack is Patches, the Mamas & Papas Rocking Horse, valued at over $500, which is suitable from three years. If your little one is too young to ride Patches he will make a beautiful statement in your nursery until your little cowboy or cowgirl is ready to climb into the saddle. Other components of this porize include a Comfy Easy PC system, two Alex and Charli water bottles, a Little Beetle Kinder bag, a $200 clothing voucher and a Mamas & Papas Christmas stocking

If you are already a Babies and Kids subscriber send Heather at Babies and Kids a message with the comment “Count me in!” to enter the comp. Effortless, yes?

But wait, there’s more!

No summer outfit is complete without a pair of coordinated shoes! I personally recommend Old Soles as they were one of only a handful of brands that fit my Dear Daughters chubby *wide* feet.

Spend $50 or more on anything in-store at Babies and Kids and go into the draw to win one of two pairs of Old Soles. The two winners can choose the size and colour (subject to availability). Spend $100 or more and go into the draw to win a $300 shopping spree!

And just when you thought there couldn’t possibily be any more….

Babies and Kids have also created their own blog. To celebrate they have some super hot deals on b.box (10-50% off or FREE). Visit the blog for more details.

Expecting a baby? Contact B&K with your name, email address and expected due date (or their age), and you will receive monthly emails with offers and discounts exclusive to Baby Club members. The Baby Club will also have a big focus on helpful information for new mums including interviews with parenting experts on hot topics, such as overcoming sleep problems and when to start solids. And if you spend $100 or more at Babies and Kids you’ll receive 10% off all purchases for a year.

What else, you ask?

For ongoing, monthly and once-off specials click on ‘red hot specials‘ at the bottom of the Babies and Kids website, and finally, all orders $50+ placed at Babies and Kids until 31 October 2009 will be shipped absolutely free! Phew! It’s *all* good!!

1. Ohme-Ohmi Helicopter Tee $39.95
2. Minihaha Bengal Bay V-Neck Dress $63.95
3. Eternal Creation Coralie Party Dress $38.95
4. Old Soles Hip Hop Jogger $49.95 Old Soles Mary Jane Butterfly Shoe (Hot Pink) $49.95 (Enter the draw to win when you spend $50+ in store)
5. Minihaha Salvador Frill Dress $64.95
6. b.box Beep Beep Nappy Wallet $34.95
7. Toetum Red Frill Sleeved Tee $29.95 Toetum White Frill Skirt $34.95
8. WOOF Hibiscus Board Shorts $39.90
9. Bacche Baboon Tee (2-6 years) EXCLUSIVE to B&K $34.95
Christmas hamper WIN ME!
W. A Little Beetle Kinder bag
I. Mamas & Papas ‘Patches’ Rocking horse
N. A Comfy Easy PC system
M. Merino Kids Sleeping Bag (exclusive to KSF winner!)
E. Two Alex and Charli water bottles
AND a $200 clothing voucher and a Mamas and Papas Christmas stocking

Babies and Kids stock a wide range of labels including: b.box; Pure Baby; Gaia Oragnic Cotton; Max and Tilly, Marquise, Plum, Minihaha, Woof!, Bebe, Tiny Minymo, Minymo, Eternal Creation, Baobab, Bacche, Agoo, Mamas & Papas, Yunginz, Ecoboo, Toetum, Piccalilly, Old Soles, Pram Rock, Pink Chicken, Merino Kids, In the Round, Uttam, Ohme-Ohmi, Alex and Charli, Books to Wear, Cozibug, Bright Bots, Cozyosko, 5 Star Baby, Itzy Ritzy, Little Beetle, and Little Amigos.

Babies and Kids charge $7.65 flat fee Express Post delivery Australia wide. Orders over $50 are shipped free until 31 October 2009. International orders are welcome: delivery charges are $15 to New Zealand, and $20 to the rest of the world. Click here for full postage and delivery information.

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I have a most wonderful store to introduce you to today: KidStyleFile readers, meet Babies and Kids – www.babiesandkids.com.au. I’m sure you’ll be great friends, with many happy ‘playdates’ together.

Here’s why: Babies and Kids stocks a stupendously beautiful, colourful array of quality clothing for children from newborn through to 8 years, and a well-thought selection of toys and accessories.

Brands include Bacche (organic cotton of the finest quality), Baobab (one of my favourite Australian labels), b.box (so clever!), Bebe by Minihaha, Minihaha, WOOF!, Books To Wear, Bright Bots, Brio (they are stocking the Brio mini Dachshund – yay! We call ours ‘Dashy’!), Comfy PC, Cotton Kids (organic cotton), Cozibug, Cozyosko, Ecoboo (organic cotton), 5 star, baby!, Gaia Organic Cotton, Gund, Honeysticks Crayons (non-toxic, sweet smelling quality crayons), Itzy Ritzy (a celebrity favourite, and now Aussie mums and dads can say farewell to prosaic car seat covers too!), Leg Huggers, Little Amigos (the best knitwear out), Marquise, Mamas and Papas, Max and Tilly, Meccano, Merino Kids, Minymo and Tiny Minymo (fantastic colour combinations, and your eyes will pop at the pricetags: so affordable!), Mobilo, Old Soles (cool-as Melbourne-made shoes), Piccalilly (organic cotton), Pink Chicken, Play-doh, Purebaby (organic cotton), Toetum and Yunginz. Coming soon are In The Round, Eternal Creation, Plum, Ohme Ohmi and Uttam.

Babies and Kids is run by husband and wife team Heather and Raj Saxena. Raj is no silent partner – he is involved in the buying so there is ‘daddy approval’ rating on all stock. Son Neal also helps out; look out for him on the Babies and Kids homepage.

To welcome you to the Babies and Kids experience, Heather and Raj are giving KidStyleFile readers 10% off storewide, including sale stock, until 31 August 2009. Enter discount code: ‘ksfbabies’ at checkout to redeem. Orders over $50 will also receive free postage until 31 October 2009. Babies and Kids will also gift wrap your order for free! I also highly recommend that you stop by Babies & Kids’ stacked sale section: there are impressive bargains to be found there, and the 10% discount applies to this section too.

My hot picks for boys at Babies and Kids:

A. CoZibug eco-Cozi Pram Blanket ‘Orbit’ – $64.95 less 10% discount = $58.45
B. Bacche Organic Cotton All-over Rhino Print Tee (6mths-6yrs) – $39.95 less 10% discount = $35.95
C. Piccalilly Organic Cotton Camper Van Top (6mths-3yrs) – $32.95 less 10% discount = $29.65
D. Minymo Stripe Jacket (9mths-4yrs) – $57.95 $49.50 less 10% discount = $44.55
E. Tiny Minyo Bunnies Onesie – $15.95 less 10% discount = $14.35
F. Old Soles Street Show, Red – $49.95 less 10% discount = $44.95
G. Minyo Dylan Fleece Jacket (3-4yrs) – $44.95 less 10% discount = $40.45
H. Honeysticks Crayons – $12.50 less 10% discount = $11.25
I. Minyo Dylan Jean (2-4yrs) – $61.95 less 10% discount = $55.75

My hot picks for boys at Babies and Kids:

A. Pink Chicken New York Dress Rebecca Dress in Pink colourway (also available in green colourway – 12mths-6yrs) – $88.95 less 10% discount = $80.05
B. Bacche Organic Cotton Eggplant Elephant Tee (6mths-6yrs) – $34.95 less 10% discount = $31.45
C. Minymo Daisy Print Dress (12mths-2yrs) – $39.95 less 10% discount = $35.95
D. 5 Star, Baby! Babyushka Denim Skirt (4-8yrs) – $49.95 less 10% discount = $44.95
E. Minymo Pink/Lime Tights – $9.95 less 10% discount = $8.95
F. Tiny Minymo Bunnies Bibs – $12.95 each less 10% discount = $11.65 each
G. Itzy Ritzy Reversible Car Seat Cover - $149.95 less 10% discount = $134.95

Babies and Kids charge $7.65 flat fee Express Post delivery Australia wide. Orders over $100 are shipped free. International orders are welcome: delivey charges are $15 to New Zealand, and $20 to the rest of the world. Click here for full postage and delivery information.

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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.

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There have been quite a few occasions when I have bought things for my boys, that they just don’t like. Don’t get me started on the dolls house, which I kept calling a toy house….anyway, it didn’t matter what I called it, because they are just not interested in it.

It happens with clothes as well. I am drawn to soft colours and images, and have to remind myself that often they like different things.

Driven by my boys, I recently took a departure from my muted colour palette preferences, and picked up some bold pieces from US label Bacche. And what a big hit! (There we literally fights over who got what!)

Bacche literally translates to “children” in Hindi, and is an American label that partners with a manufacturer in India to produce 100% certified organic ring spun cotton interlock, that has been dyed using eco-friendly, chlorine free, low toxicity dyes.

Bacche designs are strong and modern, and fuse images and colours from Indian culture with American garment design.  The colours are rich, and have glorious names such as Mud Brown, Masala Red, Saffron Orange and Granite Grey, and motifs include the Cobra, Leopard, Tiger, Camel and Rhino, with swirling flowers for girls inspired by India.

I’ve got to tell you that I am completely in love with our Bacche pieces. Here’s why:

1. My kids LOVE them!
2. The quality is amazing: organic cotton that is thick, soft, and strong
3. They are a lovely cut, and fit beautifully
4. They are well-priced and affordable
5. They support sustainable business that benefits the world around us, our children, and the workers who produce the raw materials used in their garments.

Bacche garment also come packed in the sweetest little bags, reminiscent of traditional rice bags, making them very easy to give as gifts.

The Bacche Winter 09 range is available now online at www.anklebitersduds.com.au. Anklebiters Duds specialise in eco-friendly, kid-friendly, and socially responsible products – have a good look around while you’re there; there’s lots to see!

1. Bacche Girls Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Mangrove Green Leopard $34.95
2. Bacche Boys Short Sleeved T-Shirt – Saffron Orange Bengal Tiger $32.95
3. Bacche Unisex Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Masala Red Camel $34.95
4. Bacche Boys Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Mud Brown Cobra $34.95

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.