KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Leah

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Light. Many a Hollywood actress knows the importance of light. Soft lighting, for instance, creates the illusion of youth When it comes to nurseries a strategically placed light can set the mood: calmness through dim lights; sunshine and crispness through bright lights; focal points spotlighted. Sometimes changing your nursery ambiance needs nothing more than the addition of a special light.

First spotted at Kids InStyle in Sydney earlier this year, the Heico Scruffy Puppy lamp is on my wishlist for later this year, and my kids’ current favourite is their Giimo night light. We have Sparky the green and white dog who has become an integral part of our lives – my children won’t go to bed without him lighting their room with his calming rainbow of colours.

There is smorgasboard of wonderful lighting out there for babies and kids rooms and today we give you a head start on sourcing the perfect light source for your needs. Go ahead: light up your life!

1. Giimmo Night Light Indigo (Hedgehog) $44.95 from Metro Mum
2. Lullaby Linen Daisy Lampshade $66.00 from My First Room
3. Heico Scruffy Puppy Lamp $165.00 from Baby’s Got Style
4. Lilly & Lolly Alphabet Lamp$89.00 From The Little Kidz Closet
5. Mini Happle Lamp Red $69.95 From Oranges and Lemons Boutique
6. Light of the Moon Lampshade Was $129.00 Now $100.00 From Sweet Creations
7. Candela Tooli $99.00 From Where Did You Get That?
8. Zzzoolight – Bear $129.95 From Happy Little Hippos
9. Cloud B Twilight Turtle $59.95 From Baby’s Got Style
10. Forest Family Pendant Lightshade $130.00 From Ball and Skittle
11. Car Nursery Lights $49.95 From Cradle Rock
12. Bobble Art Lamp- Dinosaur$79.95 From Gifts4Kidz

Please check individual sites for shipping details, and visit KidStyleFile’s All Current Deals page to check if there are any discount offers currently applicable at the stores listed.

Today’s post written by Miki

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It’s a bit scary for me to think this, but in the not-too-distant future my little boy is going to be moving from his cosy cot in to a ‘big boys bed’.

In some ways I can’t bear to see my baby growing up so fast, but I have to say that the sadness over putting his cot away will be very much overshadowed by my glee at getting to design him a whole new room!  And where better to source the furniture and linen than The Little Kidz Closet – www.thelittlekidzcloset.com.au?

When choosing him a bed, I think it would be difficult to go past the Lilly & Lolly range stocked at The Little Kidz Closet.  They’re really built to last, and with stylish designs ranging from funky to timeless I know I’ll have a difficult time choosing which one take home.

At the moment I’m tossing up between the Circle Cut Out Bed (imagine all the games of hide and seek we could have!) and the adorable Sleigh Bed which would give him the room and independence of a single bed with the snugness of a cot.

Lesley at The Little Kidz Closet is currently offering $100 off all Lilly & Lolly beds, it’s a great time to buy one.  And just a tip: if you’re buying a few pieces of furniture, Lesley will always try to give you a special price!

The Little Kidz Closet also stock Lilly & Lolly bed linen.  Given that it’s 100% cotton (250 percale, no less) and designed and made in Australia, it’s a surefire winner – especially when you look at their crisp, lovely designs.  For Alex’s room I’m thinking the Bubble & Bounce Doona, and then sheeting and accessories to coordinate. Perfect!

Now although I could happily spend hours planning out my big boy’s room at TLKC, I would be remiss not to tell you about their wonderful kids clothing range.

Cocoon Clothing epitomises surfie cool, and in my view it’s the kind of clothing that all Aussie kids should wear during summer!  No boy should be without a funky pair of board shorts, and I think the girls beach hoodies (also pictured below, in watermelon) are seriously cute and would make excellent Christmas presents.

There’s currently 25% off all Cocoon Clothing at The Little Kidz Closet at the moment – take advantage of this great offer to kit your kids out for this summer at the beach.

Oh, and mums of girls: there’s also 15% off the extremely popular Tea Princess! You’ll find beautiful, whimsical party dresses galore in this range.

1. Cocoon Clothing Boys Print Board Shorts – Blue, $34.95 $26.25
2. Cocoon Clothing Fish Tee – Salmon, $24.95 $18.00
3. Cocoon Clothing Watermelon Beach Hoodie, $39.95 $29.95
4. Cocoon Clothing Boys Print Shorts – Grey, $34.95 $26.25
5. Cocoon Clothing Boys Thong Tee – Grey, $24.95 $18.00
6. Monstar Kids ‘Dragstar’ Tee, $29.00
7. Lilly & Lolly Childs Desk, Toy Box & Stool Set, $580.00
8. Lilly & Lolly Dolls House Shelves, $550.00
9. Lilly & Lolly Sweetheart Bed, $1250 $1150
10. Lilly & Lolly Circle Cut-Out Bed, $1100 $1000
11. Lilly & Lolly Ottomans, from $195.00

The range of top quality brands at The Little Kidz Closet includes Baby Vintage, Cocoon Clothing, Monstar Kids, Tea Princess, An Angel at my Table, Mooo, BabyLegs, Lindy Loo, Lilly & Lolly, Treehouse, and Teeny Me.

The Little Kidz Closet postage charges start at $6.95. Clothing orders over $150.00 are shipped free of charge. Visit The Little Kidz Closet Information page for full details.

Today Kat delivers part 1 of a fabulous 2 part features on the most beautiful bedding for babies and kids. These designs capture the essence of fun that all kids want in their rooms, while being kind to adult eyeballs. Leave the bedroom door open, and enjoy! Read Part 2 here.
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Your tot might think a Bob the Builder or Iggle Piggle doona cover is the height of coolness, but if you’d prefer their rooms to look a little less an ABC Kids merchandise stand, here’s a rundown of the bestest, brightest and most beautiful bedding out there (sans Thomas the Tank)…

Kideko

I absolutely adore the modern and achingly cool designs by Kideko. My fav is the Sunshine design in bright yellow with “rock’n'roll typography”, closely followed by the red and pink Love retro heart print. They also do matching posters ($28), cushions ($56) and utility bags ($44)!

Sunshine Bed Set $125
Love Bed Set $125
Love and Sunshine Cushions ($56 each)

Dwellstudio

The gorgeous Tiny People stock a huge range of the equally-gorgeous Dwellstudio. With patterns that are chic and colours that appeal to tots, choose from cot or duvet sets as well as towels, cushions, rugs, stroller blankets.

For a neutral décor, try the warm and sweet Chocolate Dots print comes in both a Cot Set and Duvet Set; for baby boys the Transportation Cot Set is suitably fun in classic colours, and girls can have something pretty without overdosing on pink with the Geometry Primrose Cot and Duvet sets.
Chocolate Dots Cot Set $290
Chocolate Dots Duvet Set $230
Transportation Cot Set $290
Geometry Primrose Cot Set $290
Gemoetry Primrose Duvet Set $250

DIY

Here’s an idea: if you’re nifty with a needle and thread, unlike myself, and get hives from the cluttered mess of Spotlight, like myself, check out online fabric stores such as Duckcloth, Quilt Fabric Delights and Reprodepot and get sewing to create a unique and special keepsake. The ranges are huuuuuge and you’ll be able to find everything from cutesy to cool, vintage to designer.

Or, put aside a few days and hit Etsy for other people’s handmade treasures from around the globe – check out the gorgeous designs at Pollywoggers (from about $50) or shop around for one of the thousands of talented artisans who’ll custom make one for you.

Red Plum

Everything you could ever want for your little one’s room is over at My First Room, including a great range of one of my favourite linen ranges, Red Plum. Aside from having chic styles in every colour of the rainbow, Red Plum also do a great customizing service to truly personalize your little one’s room.

Try the gorgeous printed Cot Sheet Sets or Cot Duvet Covers in your choice of fabrics, and move on to equally stylish Single Sheet Sets and Duvet Sets as they grow.

Red Plum Boys Cot Printed Sheet Sets $123
Red Plum Cot Duvet Cover $118
Red Plum Single Sheet Sets $197
Red Plum Custom Duvet Single Set $168

Olli and Lime

I’m sorry but I could not go past the very girly and oh so cute (yes, I do want one for my bed) Carrie range at UK label Olli & Lime – and, it’s all organic and eco-friendly! At £80 (around $187) for the quilt set, it’s cheaper than a pair Manolos…or for a bright, retro feel that looks amazing with neutral décor, the Billie set is spot-on for boys or girls! Contact Olli and Lime for shipping details.

Olli and Lime Carrie Bedding (sheets set approx $105; quilt set approx $187)
Olli and Lime Billie Bedding (sheets set approx $105; quilt set approx $187)

Lilly & Lolly

Lilly and Lolly manchester is exclusively designed and manufactured in Australia, with an aim to “keep kid’s bedroom doors open”. You can pick up a great range at the Little Kidz Closet – for boys the cool Bubble & Bounce or the Chambray doona cover beats typical prints hands-down; and girls will love the sweet hues of Pink Fizz or the French-inspired Tilly print. Each style naturally comes with a matching sheet set ($130) to complete the look.

Bubble & Bounce Doona Cover $130
Chambray Doona Cover $130
Pink Fizz Doona Cover $130
Tilly Doona Cover $130

Milk Linen Design

Finally, if you’ve had enough of flowers and trucks or pink and blue, I thoroughly recommend Milk Linen Design . Designed in Tasmania, made in Australia (I guess they mean the big island ), the wonderful mix of vintage and contemporary will grow with your kids, and complement any décor.

How cool is the Moo Moo black and white Cot Quilt set (also available in Single) or the beautiful Hot Pink set?! They also do gorgeous sheet sets – check out the Vintage section for some real stunners, including the regal Prince William design for true provincial chic.

Moo Moo Cot Quilt Set $125
Hot Pink Cot Quilt Set $125
Prince William Cot Sheet Set $98 (also available in single)

Please check individual sites for postage and delievery details.

Today’s post written by Angela

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There’s a gorgeous new kid on the block that I’d like you to meet: The Little Kidz Closet – www.thelittlekidzcloset.com.au.

The Little Kidz Closet online store has just launched, and specialises in  lovely range of baby and kids fashion (Baby Vintage, Cocoon Clothing, Monstar Kids, Tea Princess), toys (An Angel at my Table, Mooo, and some very affordable wooden toys) and accessories( BabyLegs and  Lindy Loo).

Most notably, The Little Kidz Closet stock an extensive range of quality children’s furniture and decor pieces from Lilly & Lolly, Treehouse, and Teeny Me. This is a great boon for parents living out of major metropolitan areas: you now have a choice, and these fine pieces can now be delivered right to your door.

Lesley at The Little Kidz Closet is offering KidStyleFile Readers the following treats until 25 December, 2008:

• Cocoon Clothing 25% off
• Tea Princess clothing 15% off (excludes shoes, belts)
• FREE postage on At Angel at My Table Teepees

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Where do you live, and what’s your family life like?

I live in Silverdale NSW, with my  husband Chris, and my two children Joshua 5 and Emma 2. Chris is a builder, and I currently am working part-time in the finance industry. We live on acreage with our Guinea pig spotty , and 3 chickens Popper Bindi and Noisy. (You guessed it: the kids named them!!)

You’ve just launched your online store. Tell us a little about it.

The Little Kidz Closet was established not by chance, but from the constant battle of shopping with 2 children whilst juggling work and home duties. I enjoyed shopping, but the reality is I can’t shop practically with children. So to save time, parking, travel, petrol, long cues, time limits, and children having to be brought along, I created a solution to my problem – The Little Kidz Closet.

My passion is children’s fashion. I Just love it. I love to dress my son and daughter and stand back and look how gorgeous they both look. I constantly have people stop me at places to ask me where I purchased their clothing. And so my love has been now divested into my business.

Our store’s promise is to provide you not with every brand on the market, but brands that we guarantee are of the highest quality.

Being a mother of 2, purchasing, wearing and cleaning clothing, I understand the quality needed to help in all these aspects.  Through research, meetings, traveling, and maintaining constant connections with many suppliers, I have had the ability to provide what I believe is a great range of quality priced clothing.  Once you have purchased the product you won’t look back, rather you will be waiting the next seasons’ range!

Other accessories for children’s bedrooms, gifts, toys and other items have also been incorporated into my business to help mothers find what they want with little fuss.

“The Little Kidz Closet is…”

A high quality affordably priced children’s shop, where customers will be able to find something special and unique.

What have the challenges been in starting your own business?

Starting your own business is a challenge and commitment and so requires vast quantities of time, motivation, understanding of products and customers, marketing strategies, and customer service.  All these areas provide their own challenge but are vital as they come together to provide the product the market wants.

What are your  favorite products for baby and kids right now?

1.      My Favorite would have to be An Angel At My Table Teepees. An heirloom that could be passed down through the generations.

2.      Tea princess Enchanted garden dress. This is the dress to have. The images are beautiful but still don’t do it justice. See, touch, and feel, and you will also fall in love with it. My little girl thinks she is actually a princess in it!! The Enchanted Garden Muslin & Crochet Dress is always perfect for little girls who love pink!

3.      Cocoon Clothing beach Hoodies – These are great for the beach or swimming lessons. The quality is superb, and hard to do justice to in photos. You have to feel it to believe it – it’s incredible!

4.      Lilly and Lolly Furniture – This furniture is made to last. When I met with the owner I was very impressed. I have just purchased the sweetheart bed for my daughter.

5.      Wooden Toys – The Animal Bowling set is a great present for Christmas. Mind you, the Insect Bottles are too – who would have thought that something so inexpensive would be such a big hit! These keep the kids entertained for hours catching, and examining (without harming) the little creatures they find.

What’s your favourite thing to do with your kids?

Cook – both my children love to cook. Once or twice a week I make the effort to do some cooking with the kids. We always have fights at the end over who gets to lick the spoon, but in the meantime the glow it brings to their faces is priceless.

The Little Kidz Closet postage charges start at $6.95. Clothing orders over $150.00 are shipped free of charge. Visit the Little Kidz Closet Information page for full details.