And the winner is......

This has been a great fun competition, have had a great laugh at some entries including that Jelly Bean books make Jelly Bean Jam lol and Mums of boys wanting to put clips in their hair!

Special thanks to those that have provided with prizes - Jellybean books, Taylor-Maed by me, Julie - Bright Star kids agent, UP designs, Little Willows, Pinkberry kisses, Joallie Petit, Madeleine Design, Pirouette Dance and Adorable Affordable. You have all been very generous and I've had great feedback about all the stores.

And finally the winner! Congrats to Tania McPherson! I am so jealous and I'm sure your kids will feel like its Christmas again when all the parcels start arriving. I'll be in touch with you shortly.

Thank you all for entering and now I have to think of something even bigger for when we get 78 more likers and hit 1000!!

Spot prize #2

Thought I'd use Spots picture for the spot prize lol.
Did the random differently this time using all those tagged and the winner was.......

Chantelle Trantalis! Congrats Chantelle and please email me at caprice@y7mail.com with your details.

If we get to 1000 likes we will have more to come!

1st spot prize!

OK our first spot prize was kindly donated by Bright Star Kids agent Julie Seccull

Using random.org I put in the 13 photos and it came up with photo 5 then out of the 4 people tagged there (not including myself) it was #3 which is Rexie J Jones! Please email me Rexie at caprice@y7mail.com.au with your contact details so your prize can be sent out!

More spot prizes to come!

The 800 giveaway!

First of all I'd like to thank all my likers, those that shouted the page out, have ever donated to the giveaways or let me blog about their products and those that have actually read a blog lol.

Now down to the fun! You can check out the album of prizes here. *There are also some spot prizes given away during the week, all you have to do is tag yourself in one of the prize pictures and you might get lucky!*

Jelly bean Books
1. Name one Deluxe book (licenced or not) and one giant personalised book from their range.

2. Jelly Bean books doesn’t just do books, what other product can you get?

Pirouette Dance
1. twirling, twirling, round and round, how long is the ribbon on the ribbon wands?

2. Didn’t we all want to be Tinkerbell? What ages does the tinkerbell tutu fit?

Pinkberry kisses
1. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, which apple sweetness is your favourite?

2. You want your child to stand out? What is the approximate size of the Grande Bows?

Taylor-Maed by Me
1. Hoot hoot! Name 2 of the owls in the owl album on facebook

2. Out of the fabric album which fabric would you choose for your Taylor-Maed creation?

Up! Designs Australia
1. Find ‘Biancas birthday party’album and tell us what is picture #12 of.

2. So many fab parties! Have a look through the albums and tell us which party you liked the best and why.

Little Willows
1. cute and cuddly, it’s a Zoobie! What is the name of the gorgeous tortoise?

2. teething already? What type of amber is in the teething necklaces?

Bright star Kids agent Julie Seccull
1. What does the Pre-School & Day Care Labels Value Kit contain?

2. Check out the kids canvas art and tell us which one you would choose for your child.

Adorable affordable
1. Whats with this weather around Australia at the moment? What rainboots would you choose for your little one to splash around in?

2. This is one Macca you would want for your kids! What type of animal is he?

Joallie Petit
1. A Mamie clip for every outfit, which one would you choose?

2. He will hold all your hair clips, you find him at the zoo. What is his name?

Madeleine Designs
1. In the ‘fresh out of the workshop’album what are the bows in picture 3 called?

2. There is a sheep clip, he’s pretty well known, what is his name?

Bub & Moo
1. What fabulous store did Miss J’s new Summer dress come from?

2. Who made Miss J’s Easter dress earlier this year? (look for the chick)

Email your answers, name and state through to caprice@y7mail.com

ENTRIES CLOSE MONDAY THE 27TH DECEMBER AT MIDNIGHT WST.

Winners will be announced by Wednesday the 29th. Prizes may take a few weeks to be sent out as a lot of people are away on holidays.




Goodluck to all!

Coupons for the whole family!

There seems to be a heap of these places around now but I guess the more there are the better the competition and prices!

I have managed to get fruit & vegies home delivered at a great price, lunches at over 75% discount and we couldn't afford to go away for Easter next year until I got an awesome deal for 2 nights accomodation at $99 in a self-contained chalet in WAs south west!

Scoopon has been my favourite so far for great family deals. Pamper yourself in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide & Perth and Scoopon is soon coming to Hobart, Canberra & Darwin!

Zoupon is in 5 of the capital cities with hair removal today in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth & Brisbane people can get a pampering & if you are in Adelaide your car can get pampered!

Spreets today have a photoshoot offer in Perth, go to Masterchef Live in Sydney, fishing in Melbourne, V8 laps in Brisbane and a golf hamper in Adelaide. Theres also Canberra, Hobart, Newcastle & more.

I think it's a great way to get friends and family something special as presents at a fraction of the price or just for you, I'm super tempted by the cupcake offer for Perthies from Spreets.

They all have Facebook pages where you can keep up to date or sign up for the newsletter alerts then you won't miss the best ones.

These are only a few of the many out there, do you have one that I have missed that you love?

Machiko Baby - Miss J's new summer dress

After 3 girls I'm a little over pink! Though it's Miss J's favourite colour still, once they move past the size 2 stage there seems to be a greater choice of not pink outfits. So when I saw Machiko Baby ask for reviewers on their blog I was a very happy lady! They have such a great choice of cool clothing in a wide range of sizes and I had been eyeing off the Rope tie dress by Fresh Baked for a while. The hard decision was which to pick between the yellow and the stripe. The stripe looks very nautical but as you can see by the photos I went with the yellow.

The dress, in both styles, range from a 0 to a 7 but a few sizes in the yellow have already sold out.

It's a perfect dress for summer, made out of 100% cotton. Great for the playground as it doesn't fly up when running around or going down slides and washes up really well if they do get grubby (which mine always do!). The pattern is of a tree with birds and little red love hearts on their wings and tails. I love the rope tie which makes it stand out from other dresses. Priced at $39.95 I can tell this will be worn regularly over the Summer/Autumn period and could be paired up with leggings or even jeans in cooler weather. The service from Machiko Baby was fantastic, very friendly and made it to Perth in pretty good time for the Christmas period!

The day I took these pictures we hit the park and playground and Miss J loved running around in her dress, she kicked her shoes off and hit the slides, swings and the surfboard without any trouble or any knicker flashes!

Makes sure you also check out the clearance stock section to grab some bargains and keep up to what is happening on their Facebook page.

♫ These are a few of my favourite things ♫

I was just having one of those days, you know the ones where you have some yummy cupcakes hanging around and decide to play dress-ups with your daughter? Or is that just me?

Well anyway I got out all my favourite things for Miss J and took a photo and had to share.

I'll start with the fabulously yummy cupcakes. These are made in Perth by Kustom Cupcakes. We were having a picnic today and I had a voucher to use so grabbed a lolly bag dozen. The Lolly Bag generally has 6 different flavours but we didn't have 2 the same in ours so it was sooooo hard to decide on which one to eat! With flavours like Lemon Meringue, Snickers and Ferrero you can't lose! We had some that don't appear on the website like Rolo which has a caramel centre in the cake and I was lucky enough to pick out that one! Check out the Kustomize page for various combinations you could try. Kylie, the owner/cupcake extraordinaire, is so lovely to deal with and expect to see her cupcakes at a cafe near you soon!

The cute little tea set that the cupcakes are set up on I got around a year ago from Raspberry Bub. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it. It comes in a little wooden strawberry box with tea set for 2 and a yummy looking cake that can be 'cut' up into quarters with strawberries, cream, candles and a Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas sign. The set is currently on sale for $59.95 and totally worth it, will be something to hand down to the grandkids one day as it is great quality.

The Babushka headband is from BOWtique, I love their headbands and clips plus their new BEAUtique stuff is so cool the boys won't feel left out! Also, they don't only do hair products, we have a pettiskirt and pettidress which get commented on every time they are worn out. I've had a sneak peak at the new range and it is all divine! With 3 girls you can never have enough hair clips, bows and bands.

And finally the dress. This is by Eternal Creation and I picked it up in one of their recent sales (well picked a few up). Eternal Creation products are handmade in the Himalayas and arrive direct from there in hessian bags, you can almost smell where it was made and not the chemicals like the sweat factories most other clothes come from. Workers, both male and female, get paid maternity leave even if they are part-time. Nothing cuter than a little bub in an Eternal Creation romper. I could seriously max the credit card on their site! The dress I got Miss J is meant to be for Christmas lunch but I'm finding it hard to resist putting her in it already especially with Perth's warm weather this Spring.

Until next time I have something to write about or if I dress up Miss M next. xx

I love My Teddy

It's amazing how many teddy bears you can end up with when you have kids. I got given 2 big ones at my baby shower for Miss J and each birth have gotten multiple little pink ones. They have all ended up in the cupboard or toy box but sometimes come out for a teddy bear picnic. My Teddy is different, if the kids aren't hugging it you want it out where they can see it.


What sets them apart from any other teddy (besides how gorgeous and soft they are) is the cute little jumpers they wear. It was so much fun making one up for for Miss C (pictured here with her bear, though not ready to be put down!).

You start by picking which teddy you would like. The sizes start at 38cms and go up to a huge 68cms. You won't just find your average brown bear here, there's black, blue, pink, purple and a range of different browns, different fur length and super cuddly up to extra cuddly. If you aren't a fan of bears or want something different check out the cute frog, pig, cow, puppy and monkey. I would love to get Miss M the cow (the moo part of Bub & Moo) and Miss J would love Abigail with her floppy feet but for Miss C I chose the adorable Frankie in fudge.
Stage 2 you choose the colour of the jumper you would like. There are 5 colours and I went with the light pink which you can see well in the picture below.

Next the design you want on the jumper. At first I thought there was just the one page of designs but if you look at the drop down menu at the top there are a HUGE 16 categories! I changed my mind multiple times, the little hand and feet prints look so cute in the examples but the ladybird with its love heart spots was what I kept coming back to.
The final step you choose what you would like embroidered on the jumper. You can have a maximum of 30 characters on the front and 42 on the back. On Miss C's around the ladybird we got her name and date of birth then on the back wrote Lots of Love Mum & Dad.

They are all sent registered post so your teddy won't get lost in the mail or left on your doorstep, I missed our delivery so did the mad rush with all 3 to the post office 10 minutes before closing! They are incredibly soft and cuddly, will be a child's best friend for many years!

These teddies aren't just for kids either! Something different from everyone else's on Valentines day? Have a partner that works away and need cuddles when they aren't there? Having trouble thinking of a Christening gift? Would be a memorable way to propose with 'will you marry me?' on the jumper! I'm sure you could use it for nearly any special occasion and it would be something people would remember.


There's more than just the teddies on the site. Check out the My Family Stickers, I have similar to these on my car and Miss J loves saying who each one is! There's also the cuddly play mats (how cute is the lamb?) and personalised aprons for future masterchefs! Also on the site is the Huggable Pet Pillows which you can get for FREE right now if your order excedes $150! There are so many less than when I looked the other day so you will have to be quick to grab the last ones! I love the dinosaur and the cute little lamb (seem to have a thing with the lambs on this site!).

 And finally there is the Personalised Towel Sets. You can get any name up to 12 characters long printed on them in one of 2 fonts plus some great themes. I don't think I could pick a favourite here! The caterpillar would be cute for a baby boy and the polkadots are very cool for an older boy. The girls ohhh its to hard! Miss J would choose the babushkas hands down, Miss M would probably like the butterflies (or the boats!) and the sweet little baby birds I'd choose for Miss C (yes nearly the whole range!). The towel is 118cm x 60cm and it comes with a matching washer 33cm x 32cm. See further down the post for how you can WIN one of these sets!

 Payment can be made by phone, paypal, credit card, bank deposit, cheque or money order so no excuses!

My Teddy is run by Toni & Chris, they started the business 6 years ago and have done up a whopping 20,000 bears!!! They offer a 100% money back guarantee but have never had anyone request one.

The customer service is right up there with the best stores I've dealt with, Toni has been so helpful and friendly, plus it arrived so quickly you could even use them as a last minute gift!

 

Toni and Chris have been very generous in offering a giveaway for Bub & Moo readers of one of the gorgeous Personalised Towel Sets to the value of $56.00! To enter all you need to do is like their facebook page then tell me what you would buy to get the free Huggable Pillow offer. Entries close the 28th November with the winner announced on our facebook page on the 29th. Winner will be chosen by random. Goodluck!

mmmm Jellybeans!

OK it's time for another blog about personalised products for Christmas. I can't believe it's November already! That means Christmas is next month and I don't even want to think about the fact I'll soon have to remember to write 2011 instead of 2010!

Todays blog is about a great store I found as the result of winning one of the Shopolat hunt prizes and let me add to Miss C's Christmas presents. The store is Jelly Bean Books which specialises in personalised children's books. There are a huge range of titles with a few great ones for Christmas time including Santa and Baby Jesus and a range of licensed characters which include the Sesame Street gang, Spiderman, Barbie and Superman and even a giant Where's Wally book!

The one I chose for Miss C was one of the Sesame Street range and as you can see in the picture below she enjoyed kicking back in her chair reading it before I packed it away to be wrapped for Christmas morning.

The details featured in the story can include the childs name, the suburb they live in, a few of their friends and also a special message.

Miss C has her sisters as part of her story and we put the message ' Love Mum & Dad Happy 1st Christmas 2010' in the front of it. I hope it's a book she can keep forever and one day read to her own children.

The colours are bright and keep the child's attention and has a hard cover so it's made to last. I've bought a few personalised books before but none of them have had a hard cover and 1-2 year olds seem to love ripping things!

Of the non licensed range I love the little Mermaid and Teddy Bear Land which I think Miss J would like with the pink marshmellow bunnies! There is also a My Baby Book for a new arrival which features baby's name, time of birth, hospital, doctors name and more.

Besides books there are cute letters available sent from Santa or the Easter Bunny!  Coming to your child direct from the North Pole your child will know Santa knows where to drop the presents off to!

All prices on the website include shipping so no hidden costs.

Become a liker on facebook as they often have giveaways and special sales.

The fabulous Jelly Bean Books has been extremely generous and offered Bub & Moo readers the chance to win one of the books from either of the deluxe ranges for someone special in their life this Christmas.

To win all you need to do is head to Jelly Bean Books, tell us which book you would choose and who for before the 11th of November. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on our Facebook page on the 12th.

Goodluck!

It's My Light!

I have been eyeing off My Lights for a longggggg time. They look so cool and would complete any child's room.

You start by choosing your box colour. The basic setup of a white, blue, red or green box is $129.95 including postage, then for the premium ones of Champagne pink, Blue sparkle, Golden yellow and Metallic grey it's an extra $10.

Next you put the name you want in. You can choose from 16 fonts and change the spacing and size, if you want it in script like the picture above it's an extra $2 a letter as it takes longer to manufacture but worth the price as it looks amazing! If you have troube deciding hand it over to their capable hands with what they think would look best.

Then finally you get to choose the light colour. They all come with white light or you can choose pink for an extra $10 but if you want to go all out you can get the RGB light. This light comes with a remote control, goes through 16 colours, you can dim it, strobe it or leave it on one colour you like, it's an extra $40 and I must say totally worth it!

We decided to get one for Charlize for her Christmas present (shhhhh don't tell her!) as she already has way to many clothes and there are toys all over the house so we wanted something just for her.

Her one is pictured below and I went with the Champagne Pink box, Corsiva font and spaced it a little and then the RGB light. Let's just say it is so much more awesome than I thought it would be and my bad photography doesn't do it justice! When I told hubby the price he nearly flipped, lol, but as soon as I turned it on he said 'we need to get all the girls one!!!', it felt like a disco in the room as we went through all the different light settings.

We will be using ours as a nightlight as they don't overheat with the LED light strip and only run on 12V that plugs in. I will have it set up on a set of drawers so none of the girls can get a hold of it!

I think this would be the ultimate baby shower gift if the person knew what they were having and had a name picked out as it's something that the child will keep forever and it will always be remembered who gave it to them. Would be lovely to put in as a group of friends or family once bub came along as well especially for those like us that have 3 girls and overflowing drawers lol.

Owned and run by Vanessa and Greg in Adelaide they handcraft each light here in Australia where it is made out of aluminium composite that is recycled from other sectors in the manufacturing industry, they are always trying to make the business as environmentally friendly as they can from around the office to the end product.

Check out the gallery for inspiration or follow mylight on Facebook to keep up to date with any new happenings and sometimes giveaways! They also do laybuy now so no excuses!

Until the end of October we have a special code that can get you $10 off your light! Enter MY10 at the checkout so get designing!!!

Thinking about Christmas? Lets get personal...

Well it's already October which means only 2 months until the Christmas madness! I am totally organised this year and have finished my Christmas shopping already! I wanted to get it out of the way as I can't imagine carting all 3 girls around the shops at that time of year and we have to start saving as we are heading to the Gold Coast on the 3rd January '11 for my brother's wedding.

So the next fortnight or so I'm focusing on personalised Christmas presents. With 3 girls close together I find it hard to think of a present that is just for them without one of the others claiming it for themselves.

I stumbled across ID Tee last year and found their fabulous personalised santa sacks. I had my same one every year that I can remember growing up so wanted the same fun memories for my kids. I'm loving this years new designs and wondering if I should get the cute little Christmas Fairy for Miss C's bag or get the Snowflake reindeer like the other 2 have (pictured below).

Whichever you decide they are all so cute!

The bag itself is made from 100% heavy cotton drill and handmade in Melbourne. The material will last for every Christmas until long after they don't believe in Santa Claus anymore! The size is 65cm x 50cm so big enough to fit most toys in and has a large cotton rope to hold it closed and a little handle so you can hang it up for Christmas morning on the door handle. You can check out the 16 different available designs here.

And shhhhhh a bit of a secret but you can get $10 off until the 20th October with the code SS10VIP. Only one code per customer.
But of course there is more than just the santa sacks! For those of you who have kids that LOVE cooking or are totally into the current Junior Masterchef why not try the personalised aprons?

You can choose any of their designs to put on your apron, I chose the Stars pictured below on Miss J.

Once again they are made of 100% cotton drill but not as heavy as the sacks so the kids can still move easily in them. Aprons are recommended for the ages 2-8.  At $24 rrp I think they are a great price.

Of the current designs I love the girls Dancing Queen in blue and so many great boys designs including the red owl and Cowboy.

ID Tee is owned by a SAHM who prides herself on providing high quality products at an affordable price with great customer service.

Head over and take advantage of the earlybird Christmas offer and make sure you follow them on Facebook for product updates and future special offers.

Now I'm off to choose which one for Miss C......

Miracle gift #3

Our latest addition is here! Well she arrived 2 months ago tomorrow but having 3 has kept me busy!

Charlize decided to go against the trend of turning up late like her sisters and arrived 16 days early. Though she has lots of hand-me-downs from her 2 big sisters I've still shopped up a storm for her. She's well and truly out of newborn nappies and 0000 now and the 000 are even getting tight! Probably because all she still does is eats and sleeps.

Here she is at 5 weeks old, my basket full of joy....

Have been constantly getting comments while out shopping of 'will you try for a boy' and 'you have your hands full', I just smile and think if you could see how full my heart is with love ♥ I would like #4 but still convincing my husband on that one lol.

I've been very neglectful of my blog since having Miss C and going to get back into it before the Christmas rush. Have some fab stores to tell you about.

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring and the gorgeous clothes you can bring out in warmer weather.

xx

Update on our household

Yesterday was week 35 so that means we are on the home straight now! Each pregnancy has gone quicker than the last so this ones been a bit of a blur with some hip pain lol.

Our little peanut was being good the whole time staying head down until deciding to somersault at 30 weeks to bottom down! Luckily 2 days later I felt peanut roll over again which was confirmed by my OB at our last appointment so hoping he/she stays that way until the end now!

This time around I've been taking Mummy's view photos as thats the way I remember my tummy looking, below is the most recent taken around 34 weeks. The bottom mustve been sticking out that day as it looks rounder now, not so pointy.

With Miss J and Miss M we got so many ultrasound pics but this one seems to be shy always hiding behind the placenta.

While I'm looking forward to meeting #3 I have not been as organised this time leaving packing of bags and the car seat until the last minute but my husband has definitely gotten the nesting instinct rearranging rooms and cleaning up.

Saving up for my ultimate pram (and hopefully the last as I seem to go through to many!) the Baby Jogger City Select, just trying to convince hubby this is the one!!!

The blog and facebook page will probably be very neglected in the next month or two but I look forward to getting back to shopping soon, so many new stores and products to try!!! xx

Czarque baby shoes

If you want your baby to start off on the right foot the way to go is with Czarque.

Australian owned and made each pair is handcrafted in Sydney of high quality leather, these are shoes you can hand down to your children's kids and will probably still look in new condition!

Miss M has had her Czarque for nearly 6 months now but her foot obviously hasn't grown as quickly as her older sisters did and only started fitting her at 12 months! We have the gorgeous Pink Suede Ballet Slippers (pictured below on Miss M) and they are the softest shoes I've ever felt and were perfect for when she started walking as the bottom moulds into her foot so is almost like walking barefooted. They look so cute with a dress and pair of tights and she receives lots of comments on them when out and about.

There's a whole range for both boys and girls. My favourite pick of the boys range would have to be the Cow Print Loafers, so cool and different they are sure to stand out. For the girls, besides the ballet shoes we have, I LOVE the Red Marble Patent Ballet Slippers, they totally remind my of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and are on my wishlist.

Check out the sizing guide before purchasing to make sure that it's going to be the perfect fit as we all know how much little ones love to pull off shoes!

Also, if you have a wedding or christening coming up and want the perfect outfit for the day their Christening shoes will be the way to make an outfit complete.

Czarque are also up for an award in the Kids Fashion Review Style Awards so if you love them as much as I do you can vote for them there and put yourself in the running for over $10,000 in prizes (including 3 pairs of Czarque shoes!). You can also find Czarque on Facebook where you can keep up to date with new releases, plus once they reach 500 'likers' they are giving away a pair and that looks like it could be soon!

Until next time, happy shopping xx

Happy Birthday Agoo!

Do you have an active child? Do you like dressing your children in comfortable clothing? Do your children spend any time in the sun? If you answered yes to any of these you should be shopping at Agoo especially during their first birthday celebrations!

I don't know if I should admit how much of Miss J's current wardrobe has Agoo in case my husband comes and looks. So far she has the glamour pants which she calls her dancing pants, 3 short sleeve tops and 3 tank tops from the summer range. I prepared ahead for next summer with size 3's and even a size 4 as I couldn't resist the bargains.

Miss M also has her share of Agoo with 3 pairs of the gorgeous bamboo legwarmers and 2 pairs of the socks. You won't find anything softer than these, they just feel silky soft and perfect to protect and warm little legs.

Miss J is pictured below in the glamour pants and one of the short sleeves. I think she looks ready for tennis in this outfit! Move over Venus and Serena!

And onto the birthday celebrations! The sales have started already with such great bargains as buy 2 pairs of legwarmers get the third pair free, buy 2 packs of socks get the 3rd free and buy a jacket or pants and get a tee free!

Even with all those freebies already Agoo wants to give you more!!! Starting the 7th June and going on until the 4th July it will be time to go hunting! A candle icon will be hidden on the sites of 12 stockists/sponsors. 3 icons will be hidden each week and all you need to do is find them, email through and you'll be placed in the random draw. This is for everyone as you don't need to make a purchase to enter.

So, do you want to know the prizes? I think there are to many to list! Some are magazine subscriptions to My Child and LittleONE Baby, Cheeky Little Soles shoes, BabyJo Bamboo outfits and many vouchers including ones for Agoo and A Little Bit of Cheek. Grand total of nearly $1500!

If you do decide to buy you can win there also, email happybirthday@agoo.com.au with your name, item purchased and store purchased from and go into the draw to win prizes from the $1000 prize pool!

So you get freebies while buying, freebies for buying and freebies for just browsing!

Keep up to date with all the latest for the hunt and sales by signing up to the newsletter and checking out for facebook updates.

Phew, this is going to be a long blog but I have to say why you should buy Agoo. Not only do they have the softest products around but the fabrics are UPF50+ sun smart which is needed with our harsh Australian sun, stain resistant which is definitely needed with my 2 messy ones which HAVE to christen each outfit with the foods that are hardest to get out in the wash, made from bamboo so eco-friendly and the feature I love the most is the fact the fabrics don't get all creased and crinkly which means NO IRONING!!!! Woohooo.

Well what are you waiting for? Get shopping and take advantage of all the freebies on offer. Would love to hear about what you buy and if you win the hunt one of the weeks.

Until next time happy shopping xx

Softies fun with Oz Material Girls

A little while ago I decided I would turn into a crafty mum. With no sewing besides patching up holes and sewing back on buttons since high school (a longggg time ago) it took me a while to get started. I dusted off my aunts ancient sewing machine and ordered so much fabric I could probably do both girls entire winter wardrobe!

I decided to start with something fun so cut out all the pieces I needed for the Baby Chibi Doll (pictured below). Miss J decided out of the pile of fabric which colour the doll should be and for the owls tummy. It was much bigger than I thought it would be.

The first bit involved a little hand sewing to put the whites in the eyes, the mouth and the eyes and beak on the owl. Then came my big disaster after changing thread on my sewing machine I just couldn't get things working again, I really didn't think I had the sewing skill gene in me! So that night I sat in bed watching TV and hand sewing the rest of her up! It took quite a while this way but was really relaxing.

The next morning I turned her the right way out so I could put her stuffing in. There are some hard parts to get the stuffing into, like the ear things on top and the corners of the dress but I just used a chopstick to push it all the way in.

Miss J couldn't wait to take her to bed with her that night and as you can see below she turned out great and is a big hit! Think if I can do that one I can do any! Oh, and I found out what was wrong with the sewing machine, I just needed a new needle lol. Going to do the matching boy next once I get the needle and then onto some of the other patterns I got.

Now let me tell you more about the Oz Material Girls. I found this site towards the end of last year as they regularly have great giveaways and free postage offers. Such a huge range of fabrics and patterns they had to open a sister store Patterns Only.

One of the new features of the site I'd love to join in on after my Chibi Doll experience is The Softies Club. For just $49.95 per month you receive 1 pattern, fabrics and premium toy fill, needed to make one toy a month! How fantastic does that sound? Great idea for giving your kids something unique and made with love or for presents for their friends. Overseas buyers can also sign up for it for just $64.95 per month. I think I should be able to get one done every 4 weeks with my lack of skill!

Please let me know if anyone signs up for it as I'd love to compare end results and maybe have some support of another toy making novice.

And last but not least the Oz Material Girls have reached 2000 fans on their facebook page and are having celebrations of 10% off your order and a little gift! So check out the page and their blog for the details on how to take advantage of this offer, get in quick as I think it ends tomorrow!

Until next time happy sewing!

Those things you always lose!

I love that both my girls had quite a bit of hair since birth it's given me a great excuse to buy lots of cute clips, ribbons and ties to match their outfits. It's a pity though when you have them looking all nice and you're walking along and look down to see only one piggy tail sticking out the side of their head and the other tie missing and probably thrown out back in the cereal aisle at Coles!

Facebook has really opened me up to a lot of WAHMs that make their own hair accessories to earn themselves some extra spending money or just for a bit of fun. There must be hundreds on there and new ones popping up every day. One of my latest finds is Pinkberry Kisses with some of the most gorgeous bows on their site. Make sure you check them out on Facebook. The picture at the top of the page is Miss J in one of Pinkberry Kisses creations which goes so well with one of my favourite dresses for her. (wooden strawberry tea set from Raspberry Bub)



This is just some of our collection with a leopard print headband from Baby Bones Clothing (don't mind the brown crepe paper underneath holding it up so you can see lol) the skull print clips are also theirs, the cupcakes (top right) are from Little Bare Bear, the red and white corker on the right middle is made by Cate Bolt for Project 18 so you know your gorgeous hair clips dollars is going to a worthy cause, to the left of that one is some gorgeous ones I received today from Tikiboo kids who I will be doing a blog about very soon and the majority of the ones left are from Flirty Bird as their button clips and ties are just beautiful! Miss J has also decided that a necklace I received from La Bella creations is also hers!


The ones Miss J is wearing below are one of my faves as they say 'Big Sister' and Miss M has the matching ones in 'lil Sister'. They came from Zaras Pretties and only $2 a set!!! If our next one is another girl I might have to get a new set so Miss M can have a big and lil sister as there's no middle sister lol. Miss Js necklace is the one also pictured above from La Bella Creations .

The only problem I'm having now is where to store them? I have a hair clip holder from Pretty Things Distract Me (Miss Js J is in their facebook album!) but the ties I keep losing them! If you have any good ideas of where to keep them out of kids reach but still in easy reach for us I'd love to know. Was thinking maybe a jewellery box instead of my cars glovebox!

Also, if you know of anywhere I should be shopping for hair accessories I'd love to know! Until next time make sure you join our facebook fan page as we regularly have giveaways or let you know when a new blog has been written and sometimes sales I just can't resist! xx

Charlipop moving sale

It's always sad to see a great store closing its doors but in this case we are super lucky that they are sticking around online and the added huge bonus of a 35% off moving sale!

Charlipop Kids is well known by most online shoppers for their great range of clothing and unbelievable sales. Kat finally opened the doors to a real life shop in Coffs Harbour but is now making the move to the big smoke of Melbourne.

So many great new brands have popped up for Winter including Agatha Ruiz de la Prada which is bright and bold to make your child stand out in any crowd and Mac & Molly which has great every day wear like the Giraffe top pictured above on Miss J.

Suppose I should hand out this code for the 35% off so you can get shopping! At the checkout enter the code 'movingsale' and it will take the percentage off your total. First in best dressed so get shopping!!!

If you are still reading make sure you also become a facebook fan to keep up to date with all the latest sales news, competitions and new ranges coming in.

Great fun for the wetter weather - Playsand!

It's not often I blog about something the day I get it but had to while my excitement was still fresh with this one.

Playsand would be a hit in any household with kids between 2-10 or any age really! I had so much fun helping Miss J out with her butterfly (pictured below) earlier today. A single pack, like this, is just $6 plus P&H.

If you want something different for your child's birthday party and for the guests to take home as a souvenir there are party packs for 10 or 15 children (pictured below) where they get 2 cards each to do. It would probably be messy with the younger ages unless they each had an adult to help them but older kids could do it themselves.

Start off with the darker colours first before doing the whites and yellow last. We started with the black border then randomly did colours, going back to some as J decided where they all went. I think no matter where you did certain colours the picture will always come out great! There are actually 50 different card designs and 18 sand colours to choose from! Sure you could find something to match your birthday party theme. I think a take home kit would be a lot nicer option than a lolly bag.

Fundraising options also available, your school/daycare/fete keep the profits of what is sold and can return the unsold cards.

If you are in Perth they can also come out to your birthday party!!! (please invite me lol)

Really can't rave enough about this activity it is just so much fun. Make sure you check out the site and keep up to date with the latest news and giveaways on facebook. Let me know if your child does one as well as I'd love to see the results or if you know of a unique, wet weather activity like this please share.

Owl addiction

After heading to Mathilda's Market last week I couldn't believe how many of the stalls had owls in their clothing, toys and accessories.

Miss J is currently obsessed with owls thanks to Giggle & Hoot on ABC2 and the first stall we saw at the markets was MillaRuby Designs with their gorgeous owl toys. The owl pictured below from MillaRuby is actually called Hoot the Owl! Think it's telling me to buy it! The photo really doesn't do it justice, in real life they are so cute even hubby wanted to get it for Miss J. Lucky they were so busy I could hardly get in near the stall so saved my pennies for another day. Make sure you also check out their owl headbands and nappy stacker. If you ask Caddie on her facebook fan page she could probably whip you up something owl related as she has a heap of wall pictures with onesies, boys sets or maybe one of her pinnies.

OOBI have a heap of owl prints available in their fabulous clothing range, check out Shophouse for some lounge sets, caps and hoodies.

Another one from Mathilda's was Dotty Spot Designs, check out their Hoot the Owl personalised canvases. Hayley and Rachael can put your little owl addict's name in the owl tree. I love the green one.

Cocoon Couture is another store where you can get something to hoot about! Pictured below is one of their gorgeous beanbags, with multiple colours you can find one to match your child's room or playroom. The owls are also on their bag range for kindy or the library, room accessories (check out the Enchanted Tree also pictured below) and funky wall art. You could do a whole owl room from the one place!

I love looking through madeit for something different and to support WAHMs and stumbled on this gorgeous owl apron and teatowel set.

Bebe Online is where you can get the Cocoon Couture owl range direct and also the beautiful owl linen from Dwell Studio. The linen comes in a stroller blanket, Duvet set and cot linen.

Would love to hear from other people who have owl loving kids and what you have found around the web.

Are you all owled out yet?

Hoot, hoot, hoot.

MillaRuby designs - handmade gorgeousness!

If you are yet to discover the wonderful world of MillaRuby then you are missing out!

Caddie is a SAH mum to two girls (Millana and Ruby hence the name MillaRuby). I'm sure these must be the best dressed girls in Western Australia by what I've seen come out of Caddie's sewing room!

If you want to keep up with what's going through Caddie's mind make sure you become a fan of her facebook page, the things coming up for winter are just divine!

Below is Miss J in her newest dress made just for her! I've been running around after her when she wears it like a headless chook trying to stop her getting a smudge of dirt on it. It's going to get so much wear this Autumn and into Winter will look great with some tights and a long sleeve shirt underneath. The photo really doesn't do it justice, it really is beautiful. Perfect Easter dress for my little chick.

If you are in Perth you might see Miss J wearing it this Sunday when we head to Mathilda's Market. It will be held at the Cottesloe Civic Centre from 9am until 1pm. I'm thinking I might have to get down there early to make sure I get first dibs on what's available! There are plenty of other great stores showcasing their products as well including Raspberry Bub and Dotty Spot.

MillaRuby is also celebrating their first birthday with a HEAP of giveaways! Spend $40 or more and receive a $5 lucky dip and spend over $80 and get a $10 one.

Can't find exactly what you want? Why not contact Caddie and talk to her about it? I've seen her come up with a zebra taggie that someone asked for, all types of designs on her pinnies and even giftsets if you know someone due to have a baby.

Please let me know if you find something you love from MillaRuby Designs as I love to hear about others shopping addictions! Hope to see a few of you at the Market on Sunday.

Happy shopping!

Kids In Australia winners announced!!

OK if every competition sponsor was like this the world would be a very happy place!

I was having a hard time trying to decide which 5 entries should win as they were all deserving so put it on the lovely Kristin from Kids In Australia to decide.

So she finally came back to me with the list of winners and they are......

drum roll......

everyone!!!

So all 9 entries are winners! Congratulations to you all. Please email me at caprice@y7mail.com with your contact details and we will send them out ASAP so you can get eating and visiting all the great places!

For those of you that missed out make sure you check out Kids In Australia for their latest competition where they are giving away 50 monster goodie bags!!!

Stay tuned for more competitions to come and join us on facebook for some freebies there.

Kids eat free!

When we have children those spontaneous dinner dates don't seem to happen anymore. Hubby and I used to love trying out new places but now I just never know if they will have highchairs, suitable food or even welcome families. Luckily Kids in Australia are here to help us out!

The new Kids Eat Free Card has a list of places you can take the kids where you will be welcomed and the kids get some great food for free! Much nicer than the times you order them a $15 meal which they only eat a mouthful of!

Not only is there food offers but also zoos, wildlife parks, play centres and other tourist attractions to help work up an appetite! I'm looking forward to taking my girls to the Fun Station Playcentre where one will get entry for free. Miss J wants to go see the pineapple but think that one will be a bit more than a day trip from Perth!

New restaurants and attractions are getting added all the time so even if there isn't something very close to you now keep an eye out as I'm sure the list will soon be huge and you will be spoilt for choice!

Thanks to Kids in Australia we have 5 Kids Eat Free cards to give away! Each card is valued at $29.95. All you need to do is be a blog follower then head over to Kids in Australia, have a look at the places you can visit with the Kids Eat Free card and then come back and tell us which one you would take the family too.

Entries close midnight WST Sunday 14th March 2010 and winners will be chosen at based on skill. Only open to Australian residents. Please leave contact details, email, twitter name etc.

Cheeky Chickies

Cute, colourful & comfy is how I would describe Cheeky Chickies clothing. Great quality, organic cotton this is the perfect clothing for kids to be kids in.

I first came across Cheeky Chickies last year when they were having a competition to name a new design and they chose mine for the fabulous Hearts r Hatching and we received a gorgeous long sleeve shirt and bright red skirt in the design. I can't say that it has been worn to death because it still looks as good as new! Numerous trips to the park, playing in the sandpit or chasing the dog hasn't come close to wearing it out and think it will do daughter number 2 and then the Good Sammies very well.

Below is Miss J in her latest CC outfit, the Rise n Shine tee with the 3/4 pants (she was dancing up a storm when the pic was taken). She's actually in the pants right now which reminded me to write this blog! This is the best play outfit as she can run and tumble, get grubby and it all washes out, it's so comfortable I want a pair of the pants too! Best of all its unisex so even if #3 turns out to be a boy we will still get lots of use out of it all.

I can't wait to see what Cheeky Chickies has in store for us next! Judging by the colours shown in the blog the new range will be amazing!

I love to support Australian companies and even more so when their products are Australian made. All Cheeky Chickies fabric is made in Australia. The dyeing process is done in a special way so it is colourfast to last.

Sign up to Club Chickie to get all the latest gossip about what's happening in the range plus specials and competitions!

If you want the best for your little chick Cheeky Chickies is the place for you.

mmmmm chocolate!

I LOVE chocolate, like most other people out there.

I discovered Harry's Rocky Road on facebook last year and was constantly tempted by Ben (aka Harry or willy wonka), his pictures and 'signs you love chocolate'. Always good for a giggle in your news feed and also regular competitions so you can try it for free!

A friend and I decided we would go in together to save on postage so I added 2 of the sample packs (pictured below), the licorice for my licorice mad dad, Dark Mint and Cookies & Cream for me. Had to try the white, milk and dark chocolate to make sure which one I liked best. It lasted a grand total of a fortnight, I knew I shouldn't have taken one of the samples to a playgroup meet! Next order I'm not sharing!!

Some people say the postage is a little high but seeing as it's generally next day delivery (2 days for Perth) and packaging and you must sign for it so that your chocolate doesn't end up a puddle I'm not complaining!

Next order (hopefully hubby will be thoughtful and make an order for around the time our next baby is due as I will need the chocolate to survive 3 kids under 3!) I am definitely planning on trying the Banana and Peanut Butter which both seem to get raving reviews from other fans.

From tomorrow on the site Easter Eggs will be listed. These are half eggs filled with 130grams of rocky road. Coming in 8 flavours including Cherry, Peanut Butter and Raspberry, I know what I want the Easter Bunny to leave for me Easter morning!

If you've gotten this far without licking your screen to death or ordering what are you waiting for? Hope you become a Harry's chocoholic like me!