KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Angela

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

When I had my children, and witnessed first-hand the purity of a newborn babe, I vowed to respect that natural state of being, and avoid chemicals and artificial nasties as much as humanly possible.

Five years ago I had to search high and low and go to some extremes to get hold of products that cared for my babies without the use of harmful toxins.

Thankfully the days of fruitless searching are now over, with Ankle Biters – www.anklebitersduds.com.au – specialising in eco-friendly, kid-friendly, and socially responsible products all in the one handy online location.

Ankle Biters is run by Tanya Love, a mum of 5 (kudos!!) who is dedicated to making eco-friendly and organic high quality products easily accessible and affordable to parents.

Tanya personally tests products before they are offered for sale in the Ankle Biters store, and if she doesn’t find them extremely useful and/or as great as the marketing jargon states, then she won’t sell it.

Brands that has passed the test include Tiny Tribe, Natracare, Bokashi, Naturalene, Automoblox, Babyhood, BabyJogger, BabyLegs, Bacche, Barefoot Magazine, Carmaje, Clearly Herbal, Coocoose, ECOtanka, ERGObaby, Folkmanis, Flutterbacks, 4myearth, GreenPack, Huggalugs, La Belly Band, Lanowool, Mishi, Moltex, Nature’s Child, O’Bon, Paper-Go-Round, Seventh Generation, Sterimist, TummyTub, The Pop-In!, Wotnot and World Alive.

Ankle Biters has a fantastic range of skin and bath care products for babies and kids (you *must* get some of the Tiny Tribe Bubble Bath – so gentle!), Modern Cloth Nappies that save your dollars, and on landfill, or arguably the best disposable nappies on the planet: Seventh Generation.

Anklebiters is also the best online source for all things Baby Jogger in Australia – customers in the South-Eastern states of Australia can receive their Baby Jogger strollers delivered to their door for free!

I also have to make mention of the beautiful organic cotton tops from Bacche (Edwina has some for her children: read her review here), the in-house handmade Ankle Biters Tutus, and the Flutterbacks – cute hand-dyed singlets with removable wings. At a tiny $16.00 I did a serious double take!!

Keep your eye on the New Products section at Ankle Biters for over 200 pieces of new stock to go up on the site, including a stunning new range of extremely funky Fair Trade nappy and school bags that are going to be available from next week.

Until 16 June 2009, all KidStyleFile readers will receive FREE shipping (within Australia) and a FREE copy of Barefoot Magazine. Enter BarefootKidsStyle in the “VIP/Discount Code” box at checkout to redeem. All customers who place orders that reach over $500.00 automatically receive10% off all future orders placed.

PS If you’re going to Greenfest in Brisbane from 5-7 June this year, be sure to visit the Ankle Biters stand where you’ll be able to Tanya and her crew live in person.

A. Bacche Short-Sleeved Saffron Orange Bengal Tiger print Organic Cotton Tee – $32.95
B. ECOTanka MiniTanka Drink Bottle – $22.50
C. Baby Jogger City Mini Single – $449.00 FREE delivery for shoppers in South-Eastern states of Australia.
D. Seventh Generation Disposable Nappies – $29.00
E. Clearly Herbal Bamboo Cloth Baby Wipes – $8.60 per pack
F. The Pop -In Modern Cloth Nappies – $35.00 each
G. Tiny Tribe Lavender and Vanilla Chemical-free Bubble Bath – $12.45
H. Ankle Biters Granny’s Rose Garden Handmade Tutu - $50.00 (do a search on ‘tutu’ on the Anke Biters site to reveal the full range available)
I. Flutterbacks Hand-dyed Singlets with Removable Wings – $16.00
J. Bacche Long-Sleeved Mangrove Green Leopard Organic Cotton Tee – $34.95
K. Tummytub Baby Bath - $52.95 and multifunctional stand $78.00
L. O’Bon Recycled Newspaper Pencils – Set of 10 2B – from $2.50-$7.50 per pack
M. Paper-Go-Round Recyled Paper Making Kit – A4 with Envelope Deckle – $79.95

Anklebiters Duds postage charges are calculated at checkout based on weight. International orders are warmly welcomes. Please See the Anklebiters Duds Postage & Returns page for full details on postage and delivery.

Today’s post written by Miki

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Fair Trade Fortnight started yesterday, and the next couple of weeks will give us us even more reason than usual to contemplate where our purchases are coming from.

To not think about this aspect when buying an item – any item – is the equivalent of a child assuming that milk comes from the supermarket shelf as opposed to a cow.  Everything we buy is made, produced or handled by people somewhere in the world, and many of those people are appallingly exploited and work in conditions which would horrify us if only we could see them.

Luckily, the Fair Trade movement works to give people like this fair treatment, by paying a ‘fair price’ for their goods or services, and by monitoring their social and working conditions.

As the FairTrade.com.au website explains:
“Fair Trade is about giving disadvantaged people power: by paying producers and workers fair prices for their work, by helping them gain the skills and knowledge they need to develop their businesses and to operate in the global economy, and by challenging unfair trading practices. It is about providing fair go, not charity.”

There are plenty of easy ways for us to support the Fair Trade movement.  I now buy only Fair Trade coffee, for example; it’s on the supermarket shelves and I’m more than happy to pay an extra dollar or two to make a difference to people’s lives.  And Ange and I can both testify that Fair Trade chocolate is absolutely delicious

It’s easy to outfit your kids with Fair Trade clothes and gear too, and it’s never too early to start teaching them about social responsibility.  Check out some of these gorgeous examples, and click on the links below the images to go to some wonderful stores selling Fair Trade kids fashions and toys.

1. Lark Designs Knitted Fleur Tortoise, $55.00 from Lark Designs
2. Purebaby Knitted Dress, $59.95 from Purebaby (NB: Purebaby clothes are not officially Fair Trade, but they are registered with Made-By which works to similar principles)
3. Rock Babies Salt Crystal Lamp, $19.95 $18.00 from Anklebiters Duds
4. Eternal Creation Overalls, $59.95 from Eternal Creation
5. Fire Engine Red Boots, $39.95 from Skeanie
6. Wooden Fruit Basket, $21.95 from Mudd Kids
7. Romantic Ballerina Dress by Piccalilly, $46.95 from Generation Wonder
8 Lion & Friends Finger Puppets, NZD$19.00 from Finger Puppet Heaven (this is a New Zealand site, but they post cheaply to Australia and the exchange rate is on your side!)

Please check individual sites for postage details, and as always, check the KidStyleFile ‘All Current Deals’ page to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck!

Today’s post written by Edwina

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

There have been quite a few occasions when I have bought things for my boys, that they just don’t like. Don’t get me started on the dolls house, which I kept calling a toy house….anyway, it didn’t matter what I called it, because they are just not interested in it.

It happens with clothes as well. I am drawn to soft colours and images, and have to remind myself that often they like different things.

Driven by my boys, I recently took a departure from my muted colour palette preferences, and picked up some bold pieces from US label Bacche. And what a big hit! (There we literally fights over who got what!)

Bacche literally translates to “children” in Hindi, and is an American label that partners with a manufacturer in India to produce 100% certified organic ring spun cotton interlock, that has been dyed using eco-friendly, chlorine free, low toxicity dyes.

Bacche designs are strong and modern, and fuse images and colours from Indian culture with American garment design.  The colours are rich, and have glorious names such as Mud Brown, Masala Red, Saffron Orange and Granite Grey, and motifs include the Cobra, Leopard, Tiger, Camel and Rhino, with swirling flowers for girls inspired by India.

I’ve got to tell you that I am completely in love with our Bacche pieces. Here’s why:

1. My kids LOVE them!
2. The quality is amazing: organic cotton that is thick, soft, and strong
3. They are a lovely cut, and fit beautifully
4. They are well-priced and affordable
5. They support sustainable business that benefits the world around us, our children, and the workers who produce the raw materials used in their garments.

Bacche garment also come packed in the sweetest little bags, reminiscent of traditional rice bags, making them very easy to give as gifts.

The Bacche Winter 09 range is available now online at www.anklebitersduds.com.au. Anklebiters Duds specialise in eco-friendly, kid-friendly, and socially responsible products – have a good look around while you’re there; there’s lots to see!

1. Bacche Girls Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Mangrove Green Leopard $34.95
2. Bacche Boys Short Sleeved T-Shirt – Saffron Orange Bengal Tiger $32.95
3. Bacche Unisex Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Masala Red Camel $34.95
4. Bacche Boys Long Sleeved T-Shirt – Mud Brown Cobra $34.95

Anklebiters Duds postage charges are calculated at checkout based on weight. International orders are warmly welcomes. Please See the Anklebiters Duds Postage & Returns page for full details on postage and delivery.