KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Anna

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

September heralds the dawn of a brand new season – spring! A month of new sunshine, new growth in the garden and new life. I for one, am loving taking a few deep breaths of the fresh springtime air each morning. In appreciation of Australia’s fresh air and our unique and diverse environment, September is also Biodiversity Month – a whole month dedicated to celebrating the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.

Helping parents take steps in their own families towards protecting and conserving Australia’s rich environment, so that our kids (and theirs!) will get to enjoy all it has to offer, is Jenny Tranter and the clever team behind State of Green – www.stateofgreen.com.au. This online store in itself is a beautifully diverse place, showcasing a brilliant range of modern lifestyle products from around the world which are sensitive to your health, the environment and fair-trade work conditions.  There are toys, nursery goods, feeding accessories, baby care items that are all guaranteed to be planet friendly and still meet your desire for intelligent and beautiful design.

There are a lovely new mix of products in store now including the most spell binding Marble Tree Tower from German brand Grimm’s Spiel & Holz – I just can’t take eyes off it! Beautifully crafted from eco-friendly timbers into a rainbow of leaves, it comes with a timber marble that is designed rhythmically drop down the leaves one by one, creating a beautiful sounds as it falls.

I love the range of plates and bowls from Smiling Planet, available exclusively at State of Green.  Made in the US from 100% recycled high grade polypropylene plastic, these gorgeous items contain no BPA, no lead, no toxic inks, no phthalates and no PVC – just an enormous amount of coolness for a little plate or bowl!

Calafant, who make great cardboard models for little people to construct and decorate have some new designs in stock now at State of Green, including the Pirate Fortress, 3 Little Pigs, Mermaid Cove as well as my two new favourites the Robot and Dolls House. Also new, and perfect for little people to play with in a great range of colours to match their aromatherapy scents, are the gluten free play doughs from Aroma Play.

State of Green also have some gorgeous new nappy bags and laptop bags made from up-cycled billboard signs from label Dyrt (‘Do You Recycle Too’ – this label has an extremely lovely back story).

Sign up to the State of Green newsletter (bottom right hand side of the State of Green homepage) and receive 10% off your first order which can also be applied to all of the items On Sale, too. For Biodiversity Month all of the brightly coloured Itti Bitti MCN (modern cloth nappies) are on sale, so shop until 30 September 2010 for a great price on these beauties.

Discounted prices quoted below are with the code you will receive when you sign up to the State of Green newsletter and are applicable on your first order only.

A. Calafant Robot $39.95 less 10% = 35.95
B. Aroma Play Gluten Free Playdough – Sniff Snuff $12.95 less 10% = $11.65 Aroma Play Gluten Free Playdough – Steady Eddy $12.95 less 10% = $11.65
C. Smiling Planet BPA Free recycled Plastic Bowl – Elephant & Flower $18.95 less 10% = $17.05
D. Itti Bitt D’Lish All In One Jade $29.95 $24.95 less 10% = $22.45
E. Grimm’s Spiel & Holz Marble Tree Tower $75.00 less 10% = $67.50
F. Itti Bitti D’Lish All in One Red $29.95 $24.95 less 10% = $22.45
G. Dyrt Vanity Bag – Red / Yellow $14.95 less 10% = $13.45
H. BAMBU Curvy Servers – Naked $29.95 $20.00 less 10% = $18.00
I. Dyrt Nappy Bag – Grey/Aqua $125.95 less 10% = $113.35
J. Calafant Doll’s House $29.95 less 10% = $26.95

State of Green stock designer and eco-friendly items from the following brands: 3GreenMoms, Aden + Anais, Anton’s Lane, Apple Green Duck, Aroma Play, BAMBU, Belkiz, Bird Textiles, Blue Ginger Designs, B_E_E, Calafant, Coco Boheme, Dandi, DYRT, EarthLust, Eco Cocoon, Ferm Living, Grimm’s Spiel & Holz, HaPe, ITTI BITTI, Kids On Roof, Life Factory, Me and Amber, Miller Goodman, Nature Baby Care, Petiti Collage, Pippijoe, Pocket Carnival, Save Our Skin, Schaaf, SMILING PLANET, Ulimi, Velvet Bean ,Vince, WeilBaby, Who Did That, Yardage Design, and Zaishu.

State of Green postage charges are based on weight and are displayed at checkout. Orders $250+ are shipped free, Australia wide. International orders are most welcome. Click here for full postage and delivery information.

Today’s post written by Miki

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Modern Cloth Nappies (MCNs) are becoming more and more popular as parents start to look for sustainable and easy to use options rather than disposables.

While the good ol’ flat white squares of cotton are still a viable option, the new breed of MCNs require no folding, are less bulky, don’t involve scary pins and – let’s face it – just so much more attractive!  Have a look at some of the beautiful options below and you’ll see what I mean.

There are multitudes of options when it comes to MCNs, and without all the information it can seem quite confusing.  There is an excellent and easy-to-read guide explaining the different sorts here at Oz Cloth Nappies which I recommend reading.  Each brand of MCN is different though, so make sure you read carefully on each manufacturer’s website to make an informed decision about which is the best for your needs.

Here are just a very few of the most popular:

bumGenius!

Nappies from bumGenius! – www.bumgenius.com.au – come in two varieties.

The All In One (AIO) cloth nappy, which has won industry awards for being so easy to use (put it on the baby, wash dry, put it on the baby again – no folding or extra bits to add in at all).  These nappies are sized from XS for a newborn to L for a toddler/preschooler.

The One Size 3.0 cloth nappy is new and improved and, as the name suggests, is one size fits all from newborn to preschooler.  It comes with two inserts to adjust the size, and is one of the most popular MCNs world-wide.

Itti Bitti

Itti Bitti nappies – www.ittibitti.com.au – are becoming hugely popular. In fact they have their own Facebook page with nearly 450 fans at last count!

Itti Bittis come in three varities:

• Classic Snap AIOs which are designed to be ultra trim, and thus fit like a disposable nappy under clothes.  They’re sized to fit babies from about six months up to 1 year (size M) and 1 to 3 years (L).
• The Bitti D’Lish which features a soft waterproof outer layer, a stay-dry inner of suedecloth and optional snap-in or sewn in soaker pads. The Bitti D’Lish is sized S to L.
• The Bitti Boo which has an outer layer of polycotton velour, inner layers of cotton and bamboo and snap-in hemp boosters (which are topped with bamboo velour to make them soft on the baby’s bottom).

Green Kids

Green Kids nappies – www.greenkids.com.au – are an Australian-designed and made option which are renown for their ease of use and – I have it on good authority – their Minkytimes and Anytimes nappies are meant to be some of the best on the market for overnight.  All Green Kids nappies require absorbant inserts which are sold separately.

Green Kids nappies come in three varieties:

• ‘Anytimes’ nappies are the most versatile of the Green Kids range, and can be used overnight.  They have a waterproof outer layer and a stay-dry inner layer.
• ‘Funtimes’ nappies are designed for daytime use only and feature some great prints (see the image above to get an idea).  They’re great for showing off – the nappy, a singlet and your baby is all set for a summer’s day.
• ‘Minkytimes’ nappies can also be used day or night, and have a lovely soft Minky outer layer, and inner layers of waterproof PUL and soft suedecloth. They have plain colours and some great prints!

Mini La La

Carli, who runs one of my favourite online stores La La Baby, now also has her own line of MCNs which are rapidly gaining in popularity, so much so that she has had to stop taking orders for the time being.  She’s expecting to start again in the next couple of weeks though, so keep an eye on the site: Mini La La – www.minilala.com.au.

Mini La La nappies come in OSFM (one size fits most) pocket nappies – add bamboo or microfibre inserts, and sized nappies (S, M & L) which are an AIO design.

I’m told by a happy customer that Carli’s nappies are beautifully designed for a great fit and – the best thing! – come in the most delicious designer fabrics!  Although they’re a boutique nappy at this point, watch for them to grow rapidly in popularity once Carli is ready to take orders again.

Please see individual sites for stockists, prices and postage details.