KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Angela

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Baby’s Got Style – www.babysgotstyle.com.au – has just taken delivery of Autumn/Winter 09 stock from a whole lots of delicious fashion from Oobi, Purebaby, Ouch, BIG by Fiona Scanlan and more, along with some totally cool accessories, and toys including the coolest retro-styled tin toys – yay! more for my my kids collection

Here are my red hot picks for Winter for girls, boys and little babies. Snap them up before they are gone, baby, gone!

1. You absolutely cannot go past this completely wonderful ensemble from BIG by Fiona Scanlan. Comprised of Frilly Tulle Skirt ($69.95) Pink Milk Leggings ($34.95) and Pink Milk long sleeved tee (coming soon), just add the fabulous Flapper/Showgirl Clara Headband ($17.95) for an irresistible finish. 2. Alex at Oobi has outdone herself with this fab pinwhale corduroy duffle-style Red Peacoat ($69.95) with adorable retro-styled apple lining. Winter perfection! 3. Papoose are a lovely Aussie company who work with artisans in Nepal to produce their range. This sweet ‘Princess and the Pea’ finger puppet set ($27.95) would make a lovely gift, or pressie for your own little Princess. 4. I’ve just snapped up this fully-functional clockwork Tin Toy Merry-Go-Round ($24.95), complete with its little bear passengers. Need I say more? This is COOL! 5. Winter is coming, and your little one will be ready for it with this fabulous minky Dressing Gown ($35.95) from Ouch. Super lush, and well affordable. Buy the size up and roll the sleeves up, and this will do you next year, too. Wish *I* was small enough to fit into one… 6. The perfect accompaniament to the gown, these Uggie Slippers, in Rose, from Ouch ($26.00) are the best winter footcovering out for your kids. This is our second winter wearing ours, and they still look brand new: the plush faux-sheepskin inner is still fluffy and cosy, unlike my real McCoys uggs, which look decidedly scrappy after only a few months. 7. Oobi Clips in co-ordinating fabric ($19.95 a set of two) – accessorise your Peacoat, tame wild hair, or dress up any outfit 8. For those ‘Alice’ days, these Reversible Non-slip Headbands from Locolili! are cute, and are great value at $11.95. 9. Got a birthday coming up? These Customised Birthday Stickers ($25.00 per set), from Global Style, are available in a range of designs, and jazz up invites and goodie bags a real treat.

1. This Navy Peacoat ($69.95) from Oobi will brighten any winter’s day with it’s rich indigo pinwhale cord with duffle-style fastenings and super-cute whale lining. Snug and warm, and super affordable at. 2. This Munster Touring Skull Long -sleeved Tee ($44.95)  will warm your little man, and warm up winter with it’s splash of vibrant red that gives your urban kid a cool edge. 3. Oobi does denim! It’s true! These Red-Stitched Soft Denim Jeans ($44.95) are just what you have been looking for. Lap them up! You’ll be back for more… 4. Papoose Felt Pirate Finger Puppet Set ($27.95) to help your own little pirate discover the buried treasure: X marks the spot! 5. Gee I love this Falling Cars Toy, and is is *such* a bargain at just $11.00! We have one of these, and it is a long-standing source of entertainment. Watch the cars (or supplied marble) roll down from ramp to ramp, making a pleasant wooden xylophone-like sound as they fall. Mersmerising! 6. I am mad about robots, I am mad about retro, I am in love with clockwork! All my joys are fulfilled with this cool-as Robot Man ($20.95). Another goodie that’s heading my way as we speak. 7. More robot love! These customised Robot Design Birthday Stickers ($25.00 per set), from Global Style, jazz up invites and goodie bags a real treat. 8. Winter is coming, and your little one will be ready for it with this deluxe Dressing Gown ($35.95) from Ouch. Buy the size up and roll the sleeves up, and this will do you next year, too. 9. These Choc Uggie Slipper from Ouch ($26.00) are simply the best slip-slips for your kid. This is our second winter wearing ours, and they still look brand new: the plush faux-sheepskin inner is still fluffy and cosy: your little one will not want to take them off.

Boy: Parlez vous Francais? Oh my goodness, your little man will look tres chic in this gorgeous French Navy and White Stripe organic cotton romper from Pure Baby ($59.95), with organic cotton Charcoal Booties ($24.95) and organic cotton Pom Pom Hat ($24.95) to match. Can’t you just picture him in his pram, clutching his gorgeous little Daisy Donkey, from Lark ($59.95), ethically hand-knit in Bangladesh of the softest cotton? It is TOO CUTE – I’m speechless!

Girl: Your own little lamb will be right at home with this Sweet Baa-Baa from Lark ($59.95). Snuggle her up to perfection with this super-soft 100% organic cotton Pure Baby Candy Chick Romper ($59.95), and matching Purebaby Organic Cotton Candy-Stitch Knit Pom Pom Beanie ($24.95). Baby’s Got Style indeed!

On a final note for today, be sure to check the Baby’s Got Style Sale Warehouse for heavily discounted previous season’s stock, and make sure you sign up to the Baby’s Got Style mailing list, as every fortnight one lucky subscriber wins a $200 gift voucher – good luck!

Baby’s Got Style cater for kids from birth up to eight years and stock Aka Pipik, Albetta, Alimrose Designs, Annabel Trends, BabyLegs, Baby Cha Cha Baobab, Bebe, Bical, BIG by Fiona Scanlan, BlaBla, Bobble Art, Booghaboo Baby, Children of the Revolution, Moppit, Cheeky Little Soles, Cloud B, Cold Coffee, DripStik, Dan300, Dwell Studio Baby, Elleroo, FLATOut, Fortune Tee, Fresh Baked, Giddy Giddy, Global Style, Haba, Infancy, Little Horn, Little Red by Mr Wolf, Little Twig, Mamas & Papas, mill & mia, Mooo, Mother Hen, Munster, Oobi Baby, Ouch, Pure Baby, Snugglebum, Seafolly, Tiger Joe, Frankie Ray Sooki Baby, Square Peg, Tiny Tribe, Toshi, Totem Kids, Vice Versa, Vintage Kid, and Zoo Emporium. New to Baby’s Got Style are Three Little Trees, Minimonkey Baby Slings, and Paul Frank’s label for kids, Small Paul.

Baby’s Got Style charge from $6.50 -$9.50 for overnight delivery (regional centres may take longer) dependent on weight. International orders are warmly welcomed. Read the full shipping details here.

Today I’d like you to meet the beautiful Mihiri from Generation Wonder. Mihiri lives in Sydney with her husband Raj, and their two children Maya, 6, and Arjan, 3.

Mihiri provides us with the most inspiring eco, organic and Fair Trade products through her specialty store Generation Wonder, and it is truly a wonder to discover these gorgeous goodies accompanied by such uplifting stories of how they came into being.

Mihiri’s passion and care shines through all her choices. I hope you enjoy meeting her, and hearing her story today – Angela.

Mihiri is extending two very special offers to KSF Readers for the next 7 days, ending December 9, 2008:

1. 15% off Zid Zid Kids (one of my very favourite Fair Trade brands!!) Enter ‘KSF Zid Zid’ in the Special Instructions Box when ordering.
2. 10% off the stunning New York artists Ida Pearle’s framed custom name prints. Enter ‘KSF Ida‘ in the Special Instructions Box when ordering.

Hot Tip: To locate all the brands on the Generation Wonder site, I like to use the site map.

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Tell us about your life, and what you did before you had your children?

Right now life is hectic…and I’m loving it!  I think between my husband and I we have more jobs than there are people; we’re still working out why that is!

My life revolves around our little family of four and the communities we exist in.  Generation Wonder takes up a big chunk of the day, we have a small extended family we see often, lots to do with school and preschool life, and a  lovely group of friends we enjoy spending time with.

I’m also thriving on doing voluntary work with a very special charity called Room to Read, which builds schools and libraries for children (mostly in Asia and Africa) who would not otherwise have access to the lifelong gift of education.

Life was certainly moving at a more reasonable pace a few years ago, and before children…well, looking back, it seems like we had all the time in the world, even though we felt very busy at the time.

I grew up in Sydney, then Brisbane, then back to Sydney for University.  I qualified as an Occupational Therapist and worked in the field of mental health for many years before taking up a human resources training and development role in the health sector.

I always had this sense of wanting to do a job that helped people.  I did return to work after my first child but after the second, decided I needed to do something that was closer to home and allowed me to spend more time with the children and less time running them up and down to day care.

You stock only Fairtrade, eco and organic products only at Generation Wonder, and they’re all based around ‘stories’. Tell us a little about that.

As a child, I could always be mesmerised by a story.  My happiest childhood memories are long lazy days reading books under the bed covers.

Of the things I remember learning about at school, much of what I remember is because I learned the story of it, the background, the bit that makes a trivial fact or figure vivid and real.  So when I started Generation Wonder, the love of story, combined with the desire to do a job that helped others, led me to find wonderful products with wonderful stories.

I really believe our littlest citizens have the biggest capacity to make a difference in the world.  Children are so receptive to learning, I feel it’s a missed opportunity not to introduce to them from a young age, stories that connect them to their global community.  I believe that if we give them the opportunity to learn about the environment, or someone else’s human experience, we give them the opportunity of growing up knowing that they matter, and that they can make a difference in the world, just by the choices they make.

Because a major role in the life of a child is play, and that is how they learn, at Generation Wonder, I’ve combined the wonder of play with global stories, and hope that a little learning follows.

What are your top 5 bestsellers, and why?

My First Doctor’s Kit and My First Picnic Basket are very popular.  Perhaps it’s the wonderful story of the ladies in Thailand who are supported by a local group of nuns to make these beautiful toys by hand.  Plus they are delightful and imaginative and have lots of stuff in them!

Fair Trade dolls by Lanka Kade – I think everyone can find a doll that looks a little like the child they are buying for, because these dolls represent kids looking different, and that reality is generally not represented very well in children’s dolls.

Crocodile Creek bibs and place mats – These are selling well encourages me a lot.  The message about the value of PVC FREE items for our kids and in manufacturing processes must be getting out there.

Zid Zid Kids Mini Poofs – I’ve barely loaded these on to the website and they are flying out the door!  Zid Zid Kids is a family business in Morocco – their pieces are just beautifully designed, beautifully hand made – the stuff of whimsy and fantasy.  I sigh with awe every time I see them.

The Purple Flower Felt Bag by Third World Craft, Nepal, is tops  – it’s such a gorgeous colour and I think it’s just the right size for a young girl, not too big, not too small, just right.  And teamed with a Lanka Kade skipping rope and a TWC heart purse, it’s a gorgeous, and completely Fair Trade, gift.

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

Can I say putting them to bed at night??  Seriously though,there is something very soothing about that time of night when rapid-fire conversations slow down to hushed whispers and restless little bodies relax into the sheets.

We do love to go to the swimming pool or the beach.  It’s an activity we can all do together, gets us outside, and everyone gets to relax.

Complete this sentence: Generation Wonder is…

…a community of families out to make a difference in the world!

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Generation Wonder stock the following brands:

Hot Tip: To locate all the brands on the Generation Wonder site, I like to use the site map.

Kidsonroof, Barefoot, Zid Zid Kids, Fleurville, Thermos, Crocodile Creek, Craft Aid Mauritius, Essential Angel, Taylor and Khoo, Ethica Accessories,  Global Fund for Children, Global Mamas, Kindred Magazine, Lanka Kade, OBON, Organic Bubs, Papoose, Plato Puzzles, Remarkable UK, Sisters of Good Shepherd, Third World Craft Nepal, Tiny Revolutionary, Turtlegreen, Whole Child Series, and Blessed Earth.

Generation Wonder charge from $7.00 for postage Australia wide. Read the full post charges schedule here. Generation Wonder also ship globally. Contact Mihiri for a quote.

Shopping for babies and kids is a lot of fun, no doubt about it. The range of products out there is quite something. There’s so much to choose from, just how do you choose?

For me, the thrill of the buy is enhanced by knowing something about what I’m buying: who designed it, what inspired them and what their values are; something personal to give meaning and preciousness to what I buy.

I’m not alone. Emerging from the mass-produced, multi-national capitalist model of the last 25 years, is a growing trend by consumers to choose products for babies and kids that are more personal: passionately designed, ethically produced, chemical free, unique and original. (When you think about it these are qualities that out children possess from birth, so it makes sense to surround them with things equal to their natural perfection!)

I just love Generation Wonder – www.generationwonder.com.au – because everything they stand for honours these principles.

From their extraordinarily beautiful website, Generation Wonder offer a magical range of accessories, bags, bedding, clothing, books, games and puzzles, toys and dolls, shoes, stationery all with an eco, organic and/or fair trade stories.

With Fair Trade Fortnight starting on May 3 and running until May 18, it’s a good time to vote with your dollar to create a demand for more fair trade products, and improve the lives of farmers and producers throughout the developing world. As they say: “Taste It, Try It, Support It … Change It, Choose It…. this Fair Trade Fortnight”.

To make the decision to do this even easier for you, the lovely Mihiri at Generation Wonder is offering KidStyleFile readers 10% off store-wide.

All clothing is already on sale 20-25% off and the extra 10% off makes it irresistibly cheap!

To claim your exclusive discount, enter ‘KSF‘ in the Special Instructions Box at checkout.

Generation Wonder have a great Loyalty Program: earn WonderPoints and double-dip on benefits! Also, you will *love* GW’s free gift-wrapping: the way Mihiri does it makes the parcel itself a treat!

Ok, now let the shopping begin! (Don’t forget to take 10% off these prices!)

Taylor and Khoo Delicious Baby Booties $25.00 As seen in Shopping for Baby magazine. Size 3-10 months. Made from Cambodian silk. Comes with sweet drawstring pouch also in cream silk. Supporting Siem Reap children’s orphanage, Cambodia (pictured here in cream, also available in blue, lotus and red)

Giraffe Grow and Zebra Grow $28.95 now $19.95! Organic cotton, No fire retardants used as in man made fibres. Gorgeous on baby boys and girls.

Baby Eco Organic Cotton Short Sleeved Kimono Top (sz 00 -6-9 months) $20.95 now $14.00!! No fire retardants, pesticides or insecticides here!

Baby Eco Organic Cotton Pants (sz 00 -6-9 months) $20.95 now only $15!! Pair with the top above and you have a low-cost high quality eco-friendly, baby-friendly outfit!

Clockwise from top left:

The Wonder Year Journal $27.95 Generation Wonder’s own special journal to record the wonders of your child from infancy to adulthood. 128 pages text, plus 12 keepsakes card inserts for pasting mementos. Choose your butterfly colour on the front – green, blue or pink. Gorgeous!

Ethica Accessories Jungle Finger Puppet Set with Bag $21.50 From Peru. In 2006 and 2007, Ethica Accessories won the Reed Gift Award for ‘Most Socially Responsible Product’. Too cute, and a great price for these hand-knitted puppets!

My First Picnic Basket $62.00 from Thailand. The purchase of these helps under privileged women earn a fair wage and improve their status in their communities. My kids have this beautiful quality picnic set (and the First Doctors set too! – also a winner), and it is a *big* hit!! They just love to make sandwiches for me, and take me on impromptu picnics.

Minibeast Fair Trade Block Puzzle $22.95 Chunky rubber-wood blocks fit together to make 6 different minibeast pictures. Neat!

I Used to be a Car Tyre Pencil Case $14.00 Made from nicked, lost and worn tyres! Made in UK. Too cool! ‘Nuff said! (pictured in red, also available in blue, green and pink)

Papoose Happy Flags $34.95 – An Australian-Nepalese collaboration, these flags add a festive touch to any child’s room. My girls have the pink and orange variety draped across the top of the window, and this decor piece just makes the room! (Love the Papoose Hair Ties too. They’re only $4.25 each! Check them out.)

Generation Wonder charge from $7.00 for postage Australia wide. Read the full post charges schedule here. Generation Wonder also ship globally. Contact Mihiri for a quote.

The back-to-work celebrations continue, as more of Australia’s best baby and kid e-tailers offer the kinds of sales you just don’t see in bricks and mortar shops anymore.

Pastel Pink – www.pastelpink.com.au – has a doozy sale with 20% off everything store wide and up to 70% off existing sale stock. They stock a great range of brands including Gertie and Me, Gaia Organic, Wee Gallery, Alimrose, Elk Designs, David Fussenegger and more.

My hot picks are:

David Fussenegger blankets 50% off now $24.98

For Windows and For Walls decals 50% off now $18.98/$19.98

Oobi cable knit booties & Oobi cable knit bear with ears hats 30% off now $20.97

Oobi Timorous Beasties: Trashcan Ted and Ruby Rabbit 20% off now $27.96

Gaia selected baby clothing 70% off. Was $39.98 now an incredible $11.99 a piece!!

Pastel Pink post via Express and charge $7.40500gm and under and $10.40 500gm-3kg.

5 Little Monkeys – www.5littlemonkeys.com.au are having a nice little sale. It is a little hard to tell it from their website, but it is there. Be sure to check all categories to uncover the gems. Here’s a sample:

Cocoon Couture beanbags, now $120 (RRP $140)
Ouch brand kids clothing clearance from $10 up. An excellent selection of boys, girls and baby’s pieces from size 0-14 is on offer.

In addition they have the following items not on sale, but at lower prices than you often find them:

Oobi Timorous Beasties $29.95
Tiger Tribe Backpacks $29.95
They also have a great stock of Oobi bibs — which can be a little hard to find at the moment –for $9.95,

5little Monkeys charge $7.95 for postage.

Keeping up the numbers theme…

Ten Little Indians – www.tenlittleindians.com.au – have a lovely range of products including Pure baby, Emotion & Kids, Oobi, Albetta, Alex & Charli, Alibird (note: you won’t find Ali Bird stocked anywhere else; she makes and sells exclusively for Ten Little Indians!) Alimrose, Bebe by Minihaha, Fish lilly, Knox & floyd, Rush, Raff & lulu, Munster and more, and have the following beauties price reduced:

Ali Bird singlets for $13 (RRP $18.95)

Bebe Rupert baseball Cap $9.95 (RRP $12.95 )

Oobi Button Denim Jeans 50% off now $20 (RRP $39.95)

Papoose hand felted toys $9.10 (RRP $12.95)

In addition they are offering for the month of January, the following incentive to spend:

• Spend $70 get 20% off
• Spend $100 get 25% off
• Spend $200 get 30% off

So I guess you can go ahead an knock another 20-30% off the on-sale items’ prices.

Ten little Indians charge $7.95 Australia Wide for Express delivery. They also offer free gift wrapping. And free shipping on orders over $150. That’s service!!

Sometimes you have to spend money to save money. Don’t say you don’t know what I’m talking about