Today’s post written by Miki

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Regular KidStyleFile readers will be used to us waxing lyrical about the wonder that is the Trunki.

After all, both of Angela’s daughters and my son have Trunkis, and we just wouldn’t be without them - in fact, Alex loves his Trunki Towgo so much that he insists on it staying in his bedroom with his toys: no getting packed away in the cupboard for this little suitcase!

For those who aren’t familiar with them, Trunkis are adorable little ride-on suitcases aimed at 3-6 year olds (although any kid over 18 months should have one in my opinion).  An English brand, they are designed with a whole host of kid friendly features, and they make long waits in airports and stations a million times more bearable.  They can also be used as cabin baggage on flights.

Last year Trunki brought out a limited edition model: Frieda The Cow.  Frieda sold like hotcakes in all over the world, and as a result of her popularity, Trunki have now released a new limited edition model:

Introducing Trunki Tipu!

The Trunki Tipu the Tiger model isn’t expected to land in Australia until May 2009, but - trust me - he will sell out fast when he does! You can pre-order Tipu the Tiger at Metro Mum - www.metromum.com.au where he will retail for $89.95.

If you’re interested in purchasing Frieda The Cow, or the Trunki Terrence, Trixie or Towgo models, check out Ekidna Kids, The Hip Infant and Haggus and Stookles as well as Metro Mum, and scope the KSF All Current Offers section to see if there are any discounts that will help you out.

Please check individual stores for postage and delivery information.

Today’s post written by Miki

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Silver Cross - www.silvercross.co.uk - have been at the forefront of baby product design since 1877, and it’s not hard to see why. The latest fabulous product to come out - in fact, it hasn’t even hit the shops in the UK yet, so it’s super-new - is the ‘Doodle’ high chair.

Designed to be both a high chair and a child-sized table & chair set, it can convert between the two modes in 10 seconds, and comes with a raft of accessories included: crayon cups, storage basket and plastic blanking inserts (nope, I don’t know what they are either!), as well as a magnetised, removable top tray.

You can even buy extra ‘Doodle chairs’ to add to the package, so you can seat two or three or more children around the generously sized table for snacks or art if you want to.

The SX ‘Doodle’ isn’t available in Australia yet, but here is a link to the Silver Cross stockists in Australia.  If you’re interested in this product, contact your local stockist and ask them about ordering it in.

Today’s post written by Miki

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We at KidStyleFile recently come across the Cubi-Q - www.cubi-q.de - and I have to say, it looks like a seriously awesome toy.

The Cubi-Q is a modular activity box which can be unpacked and assembled into almost any toy your kids can imagine.  Staircases, winners podiums, tables & chairs, trolleys and cars, dolls cradles, grocery shops, theatres, the options look to be absolutely endless!  It has won some quite prestigious design awards too.

It’s suitable for ages 1.5 to 8 years, although I’m sure plenty of adults would have a great time building toys… ‘for the kids’, of course!

Just before you head on over to the Cubi-Q site, I should let you know that the site is in German (German-speaking KSF readers: please check out the site and leave a comment on this post to fill us in a bit more on this great product.)

PS Turn up the volume for the full Cubi-Q experience, complete with very jaunty song!

The Cubi-Q is constructed of sealed birch wood, is 50 x 50 x 50 cm in size, and sells for 499 Euro.

Stay tuned for more details on, and shipping information for, the Cubi-Q.

Today’s post written by Miki

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We’ve recently come across the remarkable design work of Stephen Procter, originally a Kiwi but now a resident of Sydney.  His designs are notable for their extreme minimalism, both in terms of appearance (the pieces have a very cool ‘back to the future’ look about them) and in their absence of superfluous features.

Procter became one of Australia’s foremost young designers - he’s 36 years old - in 2007 when his groundbreaking nursery furniture and stroller received the top prize at the Salone Satellite in Milan.

The main point of difference for his furniture is its ability fold down to be remarkably compact and/or to be flat-packed, making it cheap and easy to transport.

The high chair, for instance, is a full-sized high chair when in use but folds to be only 4cm thick meaning that it can easily slide in to be stored between the fridge and the wall - ideal for people with limited space in their kitchens.

The mini cot is also a great idea.  Larger than a bassinet but about half the size of a normal cot, this one still fits a child until they’re ready to move into a big kid’s bed but fits into the parents’ bedroom.

Proctor’s work is still in the prototype stage at this point, but Scandinavian, Japanese and Italian manufacturers have all expressed an interest in producing his work.

We’ll let you know when it becomes available to purchase!

Shown here:  the Bassinet-Cot, the High Chair, the Change Table and the Stroller.