The range of products in their Children’s IKEA section is always growing – you’re always bound to find something that’s both functional and funky as you walk through their stores. Now that we have 2 growing kids, we have a multitude of growing toy piles. Yes, piles. So when I’m at IKEA, I’m always looking for great ways to store toys, books, shoes and everything else that could use some organisation.

IKEA have uploaded a short video showing how easy it is to organise your children’s bedroom with a few IKEA products. That’s inspired me to show you what I’d recommend too!

one. KUSINER Mesh basket with lid, red $9.99 Fantastic down next to our rug, we store all of my daughter’s therapy toys in our mesh basket and we can easily pick it up and pop it in the car
two. STUVA Storage combination w doors/drawers, white, blue $250.00 (IKEA FAMILY price $200.00!) A great little cupboard if you need extra toy or clothes storage. It also comes in Pink!
three. FABLER GRODA Wall pockets, gree $16.99 Perfect for small toys, we hang this from a hook behind the door
four. KUSINER Box, green, turquoise $9.99
five. KUSINER Bed storage box, green $14.99 Nice and flat so it slides right under the bed!
six. KUSINER Storage basket, turquoise, green/red $8.99 / 3 pack Functional and educational!
seven. TROFAST Storage combination, white, multicolour $179.00 This is such a great system, you can opt to choose different size and colour boxes to match your existing furniture.

For more great ideas, check out the IKEA Kids Bedroom video and then head over to their website to see what’s new in Children’s IKEA.

(IKEA have also uploaded great tips for Adult Bedrooms, Study and the Laundry too. Worth a quick look if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, especially if you work from home or your bedroom needs a little tidy magic!).

This post is RocketFuel sponsored

Planning a special birthday party for our kids can be tricky – when they’re old enough to have specific interests and search for something to keep them busy, then you’ve got to get creative!

A perfect idea for budding scientists is a science birthday party and this is where Fizzics Education comes to the rescue!

Helping Sydney & Melbourne families hold an educational and fun science party is their speciality – you can choose from a science party, gross science party (more goo!), robotics party, liquid nitrogen party, space party, forensics party and a dinosaur party.

They also hold winter evening science for kids slumber parties, Beebot robotics party for 4 to 7 year olds for Sydney families and a cosmetic kitchen birthday party for girls.

The people at Fizzics Education have alot of experience in working with children and guiding them through the science experiments. They’ll engage the children in a fun and educational way and keep them busy! The sessions last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes (not including set up and pack up time).

Fizzics Education have a good reputation for being the best fun at birthday parties around Sydney and Melbourne!

For more information, please check out the Fizzics Education website and make sure you bookmark it for party ideas!

Fizzics Education
www.fizzicseducation.com.au

Whether the weather is behaving or not, a cooler bag is a necessity for any mum or dad on-the-go. A good insulated cooler bag will store your lunches, drinks and baby bottles safely. A great insulated cooler bag will look cool

Funkykat’s multi-purpose cooler bag features an unique leopard print (in pink or gold) that is such fun to bring out every day with the family. You’ll never lose sight of it in the car, and it looks great hanging from the pram!

The Funkykat cooler bag is big enough for a small picnic – we threw in a whole bag of mini Easter buns, a lunch box of grapes & nectarines and a bottle of water, together with our iced block, with no problems. It also held a couple of bottles, sandwiches and bananas with ample room to spare.

The padded sides kept everything nice and safe (no squished bread here) and the PVC lining means we could wipe clean the inside without hassles. The zippered pouch on the front is a handy pocket for nappies, wipes or any fiddly little accessories you want to keep seperate from the food & drinks.

Funkykat’s cooler bag would be great not only for family days out, but mums on a girls day out or out at training if you play sports or exercise. I love nothing more than a cold drink and a snack, so I would definately recommend checking out their cooler bag if you don’t have one yet.

The Funkykat Insulated Cooler Bag is AU$24.99 and a flat rate of AU$4.95 for shipping within Australia.

For more information, please visit the official website
www.funkykat.com.au

It’s time to check out what’s new across the internet! Button Baby has a beautiful selection of toys and accessories for children, and their new products are no exception With $8.90 next day delivery Australia wide, you can’t go wrong!

one. I’m Discovery Farm House $49.95
two. Hevea Panda Teether $16.95
three. Teamson Magic Garden Standing Mirror $199
four. Very Hungry Caterpillar Backpack $26.95 – great for outings and school! You can spot this one from a mile!
five. Dyles Flip Over Snow White Doll $29.95
six. I’m Lambie Padding Ride On $79.95
seven. b.box essential nappy caddy green $59.95
eight. Alimrose Designs British Guardsman Money Box $24.95

Check out more at Button Baby
www.buttonbaby.com.au

One great website I’ve found is SenseAbilities – SenseAbilities is committed to the provision of equipment and resources designed to assist with the sensory motor development of children. They provide supplies for parents, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapists, Teachers and other health professionals – who are involved with children and adults that need help with their sensory motor development.

I will note that it’s best that you first spend some time with your therapist before you buy any toys for a child with additional needs. You need to know what works for your child first.

I ended up buying a few whistles and bubble blowers, because that’s what we’d been using at therapy and what my daughter responds to most. But there is such a range of sensory toys at SenseAbilities, it did get tempting to buy myself some fun toys!

Whether it’s language development, fine motor skills, thinking skills or visual motor skills, SenseAbilities has it covered. Any of the toys there would also be great for a playgroup or kindy class, they’re all fun and educational in their own way.

I’ve found SenseAbilities to be value for money and the shipping was super fast. All things you would want in an important resource like this

Have a browse through SenseAbilities and make sure to bookmark it if you’re looking for great toys to use with your kids!
www.senseabilities.com.au

Now with Borders closed (oh, how I loved to take the kids there and wander around all morning!), our next best book store is Dymocks. When we can’t get out to our local store, Dymocks online is the place to go. Browsing through the $10 and under children’s books section makes it easy to find a bargain! Here are my favourite 10 books that are $10 and under at Dymocks today:

World of Eric Carle: Eric Carle’s Opposites $9.95
My Very First 100 Words $7.99 – great bright pictures for the early readers
My Very First 100 Animals $7.99
Say Ahhh Finley Pig $7.99
Three Little Pigs $4.95 – can’t go wrong with a classic!
Dr Seuss On The Loose $5.00
Animals $5.99
Blue Hat, Green Hat Boardbook by Sandra Boynton – we love Sandra Boynton, such a fun series of books
Richard Scarry’s Chipmunk’s Abc $7.95
Baby Touch – Smooth $9.95

We’ve ordered books from the Dymocks website a few times in the past year and they’ve always been right on schedule. Individual books will have their own estimated shipping date, so just make sure you’re aware of when to expect your new books when you place an order

For more great children’s books, visit Dymocks online
www.dymocks.com.au

It’s always time for a refreshing drink, or a yummy popsicle and Alchemy Cordial is on the menu!

Alchemy’s tagline is ‘Transforming Refreshment’ and you can taste it in their Classic Cordial range This summer we’ve been having iceblocks to cool off in the heat, and I’d begun to tire of the same flavours you find ordinarily in the supermarket. When I was asked to try out their cordial range – I could not pass it up.

From a Sunday market stall to an internationally distributed range of gourmet cordials and syrups, Alchemy is still proudly family owned and operated. They operate out of Cleveland on Brisbane’s bayside and their products can be found in all the best stores and cafés across Australia and online.

Alchemy’s Classic Cordials contain -

• NO Artificial Colours
• NO Artificial Flavours
• NO Artificial Preservatives
• NO Emulsifiers

They are also Gluten Free, contain no Genetically Modified Organisms and once you dilute them with water, they have about half the sugar content of soft drinks. Fantastic for sugar-conscious mum’s like me who don’t want to load their kids (and themselves) with more sugar than you want.

We tested Mambo (yummy Mango & Lime), Dewdrops (my new favourite – Honeydew melon, lime and bitters) and Love (gorgeous Rose Petal & Lime) in the Popsicle Mould that’s also available via the Alchemy website. After pouring the mixtures into the moulds, we popped them into the freezer for around 5 hours and out came our refreshing & tasty treats for the afternoon.

Yum! The other flavours Hula (pineapple and coconut) and Heat (chilli!!) were perfect after dinner drinks served cold with lots of crushed ice. Heat was unusual, definately one to try if you’re looking for something different.

Alchemy Cordial is perfect for families with kids – I love that it’s free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours and is made with the best all-natural ingredients. The flavours are fun and unique, and it doesn’t leave your mouth & head with that fuzzy ‘too much sugar’ feeling. As a family, we all enjoyed their cordial together and it’s become our favourite treat to grab when it’s getting hot!

I’m very happy to announce our next competition. Up for grabs is an Alchemy prize pack worth over $100!

To win, just leave a comment below telling me which Alchemy Classic Cordial syrup flavour is (or could be) your favourite!

The competition closes Wednesday 8th February midnight and the winner will be drawn at random. Please read the T&C below for more info.

The Competition has now closed! No more entries will be accepted as of this message.

Alchemy are also giving away a free gift with every Classic Cordial purchase when you use the code BLOGGERPOP during the checkout. You’ll receive a free set of popsicle moulds whenever you purchase any of the Classic Cordials online.

So go on – enter the competition or go straight to the source and purchase your next favourite cordial today and score an awesome popsicle mould!

For more information about Alchemy Cordial, please check out their website
www.alchemycordial.com.au

Terms and Conditions
Competition is open to Australian residents only and winner must have an Australian postal address.
Winner must reply via email to accept prize within 5 days of notification or competition will be redrawn.
The winner will be announced on my Facebook page after the 9th February 2012.

As part of this review, I was sent a Alchemy Cordial Intro Kit. My opinions remain strictly & deliciously my own.

If you’re looking for cute girls clothes made in Australia by an Australian, make sure to check out the labels Pippa Little & Little Miss Pippa. I posted about Pippa Little sunsuits last year, and they’re still the most gorgeous ones I’ve seen

I’m also proud to be on the competition judging panel for the Pippa Little & Little Miss Pippa Street Style Competition that is running. Four girls aged 1 to 10 years old, will become the new faces of the label aswell as an awesome mini holiday and photoshoot! Check out the competition details here on the official website. Entries close February 15th – so there’s still a little time to get your Pippa Little or Little Miss Pippa order and take an amazing photo of your little girl.

A few of my favourites from the label include –
Strapless Ruffle Maxi by Little Miss Pippa, Blossom Maxi Dress by Little Miss Pippa, Lemon Pea Top by Pippa Little and Kitten Dress by Pippa Little.

To find out more about Pippa Little & Little Miss Pippa, visit the website
www.pippalittle.com

The joy of a newborn baby in your family is an amazing time. Finding gifts for newborns is probably the most fun anyone could have – everything is super cute! For newborns, you have the option of buying something for now (cute onesies, tiny baby shoes etc) or find something that will last them years like name puzzles, soft toys or books.

It’s easy to find great newborn gifts online (and offline), but if you’re having some troubles here are just a few ideas to steer you in the right direction:

one. bud – heirloom slipper charcoal $29.95
two. Alimrose Prince Doll $49.00
three. New bundle birdies set $30.00
four. 3 Sprouts Organic Hooded Towel Chicken $39.95
five. Brio Bell Rattle $12.95
six. Baby Bell Roller Dog $21.00
seven. Nappy pants – Sooki baby Fast cars Was $26.95 On Sale! $16.00

How do you talk about toilet training without mentioning poop stains? You can’t.

Any parent or carer will know, toilet training can be a messy business. The transition from nappies to bare bottoms can often result in tears and it can take a while before our little ones learn to clean themselves properly after each toilet visit.

Kleenex Cottonelle Kids Wipes are designed to help kids in the toilet training stage. They’re just like baby wipes, but they’re flushable and are fantastic right next to the toilet! The easy to use pop-up tub is perfect for little fingers, and it only dispenses the Kids Wipes one at a time – which saves us toilet paper & doesn’t clog up the toilet.

The Kleenex Cottonelle Kids Wipes are alcohol free and contain Aloe Vera which is great on the skin and is gentle for all skin types.

The Kleenex Mums website has a great section on toilet training tips called Poo Poo Island – genius!!!

Here’s a great video Kleenex have posted up on YouTube featuring their Flushable Wipes and a serious focus group -

We were lucky enough to try out the Kids Wipes this week and my 4 year old son loves them – they’re much softer than toilet paper and he’s found it easy to use. Jasper still has a tendency to roll out more toilet paper than needed (hello, clogged toilet) so the pop-up tub has been a godsend when teaching him that 1 wipe is enough.

As a parent, I love that they’re kid-friendly and most importantly flushable. It’s a great stepping stone towards full toilet training and I’d recommend having a tub handy if you’re about to get started with potty or toilet training in your house. It’s inevitable that they will be accidents and ‘leftovers’ so the Flushable Wipes are a great addition to the bathroom.

Kleenex have been very generous and I’m happy to announce my next giveaway today! One lucky winner will receive 2 two tubs of the wipes along with four refill packs. They’ll also receive a super cute Kleenex Puppy plush to cuddle

The Competition has now closed! No more entries will be accepted as of this message.

To enter, just leave a comment below with your toilet training story! Was it horror story? Or did you transition without too many issues?

For an additional entry, post the following on Twitter –
Kleenex Cottonelle Kids Wipes giveaway! Check out http://sh1ft.org/babyblog/?p=3765 via @ozbabyblog

Or you can share the following on Facebook –
Kleenex Cottonelle Kids Wipes giveaway! Check out http://sh1ft.org/babyblog/?p=3765 via The Australian Baby Blog

And then post a comment here to let me know you’ve tweeted or shared on Facebook.

The competition will close next Monday 6th February at midnight, with the winner drawn & notified on Tuesday by email. Please make sure you leave a valid email address that you regularly check!

For more information about the Kleenex Cottonelle Kids range, please visit the Kleenex Mums website.
http://www.kleenexmums.com.au

Terms and Conditions
Competition is open to Australian residents only and winner must have an Australian postal address.
Winner must reply via email to accept prize within 5 days of notification or competition will be redrawn.
The winner will be announced on my Facebook page after the 7th February 2012.

As part of this review, I was sent some Kleenex Cottonelle Kids wipes. My opinions remain strictly my own.