KidStyleFile

Post written by Angela

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The Big Day is here; it’s December 25. Time to down tools; to take a break; to celebrate and cheer ‘Merry Christmas’!

Whatever your beliefs, and however you celebrate, we wish you the kind of day today that would be memorable at any time of year: fun and joyful and filled with the laughter of your nearest and dearest.

If you’re looking for a spot of retail therapy during the afternoon when everyone else has flaked it then click here for joy and certain bargains, and stay tuned: the post-Christmas sales start tomorrow. See you then!

With love from all of us here at KidStyleFile xxxx

Post written by Angela

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To help me find the perfect picks this Christmas I asked some of our favourite online stores what their hot picks for kids this Christmas are. I am delighted to share part 6, the final instalment, with you today. Enjoy!

Read all Christmas 2010 coverage to date here. View our 2009 coverage here.

		“There is always something a little special about a new pair of pyjamas for the holiday season. Australian made and designed I have just fallen in love with Huckleberry Lane Pj’s. So cute, so comfy!” - Penny at BillyLids.com.au Huckleberry Lane Pyjamas, from $39.95
“The Lulu Reversible Can-Can Skirt is layers of ruffles for extreme va-va-voom! With grosgrain ribbon tiering, an elasticated back for fit and comfort. To reverse, just flip the skirt inside-out, cut off the tags and voila!” – Angela at CheekiBrands.com.au OOBI The Lulu Reversible Can-Can Skirt Pop Dots or Retro swirl, $54.95 $29.95
		“Little girls will feel like real ‘eeni’ fairies on Christmas day in the popular eeni meeni miini moh Pirouette dress, available in the new season’s colours of Pure White, Peony Marle and Gris. ” - Elizabeth O’Connor-Cowley at EeniMeeni.com.au eeni meeni miini moh Pirouette dress, size 6 mths – 5 years $95.00-$99.00
“Colour, learn and play with Stuck on You Personalised Learning Books. Your child’s name is featured throughout, encouraging them to develop their literacy and numeracy skills.” - Victoria at StuckOnYou.com.au Stuck on You Personalised Learning Books, from $19.95
		“Our Bubble Dress is just perfect for summertime festivities and comes complete with three gorgeous detachable rosettes.” - Melina at StellinaCuteCouture.com.au Stellina Cute Couture Bubble Dress, $125.00 Mint shown- also available in frost white, vanilla, fairy floss and lilac blossom

Please check individual sites for postage details and be sure to survey the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

As part of our Christmas coverage this year we are sharing with you our own personal picks for our kids. Today it’s my turn to reval what you’ll find under our family tree this year. I hope you have enjoyed seeing what the KidStyleFile team will be popping under the tree for their little ones this year and that you have found some good ideas for your own little ones. – Ange

Read all Christmas 2010 coverage to date here. You can view last year’s picks here.

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Ange and her 6 year old twin girls

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Our tree – the one my nan bought for me for my very first Christmas and a true 70′s artefact  – is up and has been decorated with vigour, stockings and lights adorn our mantel and our front porch is filled with a flurry of home-made white pom pom flowers (thank you Martha Stewart!) and a smattering of bought red and white polka dot lanterns for good measure. It may not be a styling masterpiece but it’s fun, it’s festive and it’s *us*.

Christmas celebrations are happening at our house this year and we cross our fingers that we’ll get good weather so all the grown ups can put their feet up and watch the kids bomb around the garden while we graze on casual fare mixed with traditional treats from noon ’til night-time.

Thanks to online shopping I have completed our Christmas shopping already – the cleaning is another story, though! – and the process was nothing less than truly enjoyable and relaxing. Here’s what my girls will find for them under the tree this year.

1. Lundby Stockholm Doll’s House $189.95 at Lundby Australia. I got the idea for this gift when I was writing a piece on these amazing doll’s houses recently and little eyes, as big as saucers, peeked over my shoulder and saw it and were enthralled by the detail. This is a gift to share along with a couple of accessory packs to get the party started.

2. Baobab Mesh Dresses $54.95 at Baobab. Christmas isn’t Christmas without a New Year’s Eve dress and these Baobab organic cotton and tulle mesh confections are the perfect pieces for ballet inspired elegance while undertaking tree climbing adventures.

3. Plastic Swan Pen $18.00 from Made590. You may think 18 bucks for a pen is a bit rich, but these pens aren’t your ordinary biro! The pen pulls out of the neck of these palm sized beauties and when it’s not in use it just looks *cool*. The perfect pressie for little girls who love to write, draw and do sums on a whim!

4. Rotating Seesaw $49.95 at Deals Direct. My sister and I had one of these when we were kids and it was soooo much fun we wore a track in the grass where we span round and around and around on it. This will be a brilliant addition to our outdoor arsenal.

5. Hopscotch Kids non-toxic nail polish $15.00 each from Tribe Store. My girls have been wanting me to paint their nails for ages, but I’ve put it off on the basis that regular nail polish is full of nasty poisons which then require even nastier remover to get off. Hopscotch Kids have invented a water-based non-toxic variety which allows kids to have colouring fun and then remove it without the chemical side-effects. You might even see *me* with painted nails this summer

6. Ruby Luxe necklaces $29.95 each from Gifts4Kidz.  I love necklaces and I just *love* these playful necklaces for kids. Will look fab with the Baobab dresses.

7. Sparrowkids Red Sparrow DIY Bag $29.95 each at Lark. I have had these stashed for ages just waiting for the girls to get to the right age to make them. I had a similar kit when I was small, so this is another blast from the past.

8. O’Bon L’Artiste Professional Pencil Set $15.50 see the Obon website for stockists. Like most girls of this age, my two love to write, draw, and scribble. We have an extensive range of coloured pencils, but this set of environmentally friendly ‘grey leads’ will be their first set of real artist’s graphites.

9. Sukie Stationery Box $14.27 and Sukie Sticky Notes $9.98 from Book Depository.co.uk. The perfect acccompaniment to the Swan Pen and Obon pencils, my kids will have lots of fun using these stationery items to send letters and notes to all and sundry. Although Book Depository sells books they also have a super selection of stationery and kids craft sets, all of which are radically below RRP, and with free post worldwide you can’t do better.

10. Richard Scarry Books from Book Depository.co.uk. We heart books and Richard Scarry is the man of the moment. Richly filled with quirky, lovable characters and bright and exciting text, these Christmas books are sure to capture the imagination and be loved all year round.

Please check individual sites for postage details and be sure to survey the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

Post written by Edwina

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Children love to get involved in the preparations for Christmas – think of them as your own household elves! With a few objects from here and there you can put them to work stamping wrapping paper for the presents or making tags, or making their own gifts for family or their friends.

If your elves like to cook, you might like to suggest they whip up some Christmas Cookies. The paper bag stamped with the string of lights is a lovely gift bag for baked goodness and only requires a potato, a marker and some ribbon! Handmade Christmas cards are also a fun project for kids and the perfect bite-sized canvas for their creativity.

The Crafty Crow has a huge library of festive crafts suitable for kids; a few of my favourites are highlighted below.

The Crafty Crow craft posts are published monthly in the middle of each month. View more The Crafty Crow posts on KidStyleFile here.

Project Links (Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Rocking Santas
Flower Rings
St Nicholas
Jingle Bell Flowers
Reindeer Cards
Snowman Tags
Colour-in wrapping paper
Laser Cut Stamped Paper
Stamped Gift Bags

You’ll find many more great craft ideas at The Crafty Crow. If you have a project that you would like to submit then send it to Cassi – details are in the right column on The Crafty Crow.

Post written by Angela

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To help me find the perfect picks this Christmas I have asked some of our favourite online stores what their hot picks for kids this Christmas are. I am delighted to share part 5 with you today. Stay tuned for more instalments happening every week until Xmas. Stay tuned for more instalments happening every week until Xmas.

Read all Christmas 2010 coverage to date here. View our 2009 coverage here.

		“Made from soft organic cotton this dress is just gorgeous on and is perfect for our fluctuating summer weather – can be worn on the hottest days, but also offers enough cover to be comfortable on cooler days. I love this dress.” - Belinda at Baobab.com.au Shirred Swallow Organic Cotton Dress, $54.95
“This portable blackboard is perfect to bring everywhere over the holiday season. It will keep the little ones happily busy for hours on end while they design and invent games.” – Aliscia and Larissa at DesignChild.com.au Seedling Blackboard Chalk Mat, $23.95
		“A dash of Christmas colourings mixed with some seriously cool style is the very funky boys ‘Elgin Striped Tee’ by Polka Kids – a must have summer essential for the hip little mister!” - Jenny at HopscotchBoutique.com.au Polka Kids Elgin Tee, size 2-8 yrs $45.95
“Junior Master Chef. The perfect gift this Christmas. A great way top keep kids entertained and get them into healthy eating habits Each pack contains cooking utensils and recepies.” - Jamey at MiniChatterbox.com.au Junior Masterchef Kits, from $17.95
		“Softies “Summertime” t-bar sandal shoe is the cutest dress shoe for Christmas. Perfect for any little girl, in a scarlet red super soft leather with a pale pink flower on the side. The sole is made from non-slip suede and the elasticised ankle trim gives great support.” - Janni at SoftiesBabyShoes.com Softies Baby Shoes – Summertime Shoe, $19.95

Please check individual sites for postage details and be sure to survey the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

As part of our Christmas coverage this year we are sharing with you our own personal picks for our kids. Today we’re featuring Leah’s picks. Enjoy! – Ange

Read all Christmas 2010 coverage to date here. You can view last year’s picks here.

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Leah, Miss N (2….going on 30) and Master R (4)

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December is my absolute favourite time of year. Not only do the school holidays swing into action, but the air becomes electrified with the holiday spirit. In my household, we have a melding of European cultures so we get to celebrate Christmas *three* times! Firstly, Christmas Eve where we eat a traditional Polish cuisine including Borsch soup (that’s beetroot soup), sing carols, and sometimes make it to midnight mass. Christmas Day follows in true Aussie style: a very early visit from Santa, a big seafood feast, and a game of backyard cricket. Fast forward to 7 January and we celebrate Christmas Day *again* in traditional Macedonian style. Behold the wonder of a multi-national family!

The constant at all these events is a presssie or to. Check out the gifts that will be gracing our celebrations this season.

1. Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer, $19.18. Master R can’t get enough of Olivia.He finds her vivaciousness extremely entertaining (who can forget her trip to Venice and her quest for the perfect souvenir?) A Christmas themed book is perfect!

2. Sovereign Hill Tickets This year I am adding an “experience” to our Christmas gifts. With a trip to Victoria planned I think it is time I introduced the kidlets to a little Australian history.

3. Personalised ceramic bauble, $24.95.  One of our family traditions is the addition of a new decoration to a cache of Christmas treats. I pounced on the Ensparkle Ceramics baubles this year. They are simply delicious.

4. Ann-Paper Doll, $3.50. I absolutely adored paper dolls when I was a young girl. This year I am introducing Miss N to her very own set.

5. Juicy Hamburger Pack,$40.00. Pretend play has become a favourite past time for Master R ever since he started preschool. The addition of a few fat-free fast food selections will go down a treat.

6. Kids Electronic Rock T-shirt, USD$29.99. Think Geek have outdone themselves with this revolutionary t-shirt for boys. It really plays! A great stocking filler.

7. Under The Sea, $25.00. Nikki Catalano is fast becoming my most favourite children’s illustrator ever. Seriously talented with an eye for magic, any one of her fabulous prints will dress up a nursery or be a very special gift …and she takes commissions too!

8. ERGObaby Doll Carrier in Galaxy Grey, $42.00. My little poppet has grown a sudden interest in dolls and their accessories. Just last week I found her ‘babying’ one of our chickens and attempting to carry it around in a crudely created sling (made from he jumper). Enter the ERGObaby doll carrier. I think Miss N is going to love this pressie

9. A Key for Santa in a custom bag, USD$28.00. Master R has just caught on that we don’t have a chimney “how will he get inside mummy?”. Paloma’s Nest to the rescue with this super cute magical key for santa.

10. A Lifetime of Christmas Memories: An Annual Journal, $29.95. Record your Christmas adventures each year and create a family tradition. Brilliant!

11. Hopscotch Kids Watercolour Nail Polish, $19.95. Growing up I was quite the tomboy. I am watching in wonder as Miss N develops into a real little princess. This non-toxic, kid friendly nail polish is a must have for her growing cosmetic collection (joining her Lip Smacker lipgloss!)

12. Custom Made Waldorf Doll, $145.00. I’m not sure who will love this more – Miss N or me! I adore Waldorf dolls. Select your hair colour, eye colour and special features when ordering to create a mini-me version of your little girl (or even boy) for a doll that is ready to be loved.

13. Small Soccer Goals, $89.00. Master R hopes to grow up and play for Chelsea FC (much to my DH’s bewilderment being a strong ManU supporter and all). These goals will help him practice his drills and are portable, so we can even take them with us to the beach.

14. DwellStudio Stamp set – farm, $34.95. Fits comfortably in a suitcase making it the perfect companion to pull out in moments of apparent boredom.

15. Fun In The Sack Egg and Spoon Race, $29.95. This game is heaps and heaps of fun! (you’ve played it, right). Master R has developed the motor skills to pull this one off, so I’m thinking an egg and spoon race will be a hoot on Christmas Day (do you think anyone will notice if I blue-tac Miss N’s down?).

Please check individual sites for postage details and be sure to survey the KidStyleFile All Current Deals page to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.