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.

Sydney-siders! Don’t miss out on the fun at The Baby & Toddler Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.

We went last year and also in 2009 – there’s always so many great things to check out whether you’re planning a family, pregnant or have kids already.

I’m looking forward to seeing b.box (I love their nappy caddy design), Gitta Bags (very cool, very compact nappy wallet), Jellystone Designs (BPA Free, Non Toxic silicone jewellery products), Taga (the super cool bike I mentioned recently!) and Kid U Not.

If you’re walking around the Show this weekend, or if you are exhibiting your amazing products or services at the Show – make sure you stop and say hi if you see me

The Baby & Toddler Show – Sydney
Friday 30th September to Sunday 2 October 2011
Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Buy your ticket online today through The Baby & Toddler Show website here – save 25%
How to get to the Exhibition Centre
Parking details here

The next Baby & Toddler show will be held in Melbourne in March/April 2012.

The BuggyBoard Mini™ can be attached to a stroller in minutes, with no tools required thanks to the Easy-Fit system. There’s also a Maxi version if the Mini is too narrow. (To check whether it fits onto your stroller, visit the BuggyBoard Fitting Guide website – it looks like either the Mini or Maxi will fit most, if not all, prams and strollers out there!).

It took me only 5 minutes to attach it to my umbrella stroller and we were out and about in no time! Using the BuggyBoard really helps us keep our 3 year old close to us when we’re out – he loves taking a ride on the BuggyBoard!

Babies Galore have the BuggyBoard Mini™ on sale for AU$99 via their online store. You can also find them at Toys’R'Us and Mothercare stores.

If you haven’t already discovered AVEENO® BABY®, then you might want to pick some up in your next shop soon! I hadn’t tried it myself but was pleasantly surprised when I tested it on my family these past few days.

All of the AVEENO® BABY® products are hypoallergenic, making them suitable for use on babies and infants with dry, sensitive skin – however we didn’t stop there!

With the weather getting colder, even my husband and I popped on some of the moisturiser too and loved it. It’s a treat when you apply moisturiser that both works and doesn’t have a chemical or unnatural smell. The Soothing Relief Moisture Cream was non-greasy and is enriched with natural colloidal oatmeal and rich emollients. The Daily Moisture Lotion makes a great regular moisturising cream – and it’s clinically proven to moisturise for 24 hours.

The Soothing Relief Creamy Wash is tear free and also makes a great every day wash. The AVEENO® BABY® Wash & Shampoo is a tear free, hypoallergenic wash and shampoo which is perfect for bathing baby without a billion different products that just don’t do the trick! It’s lightly scented but still doesn’t overpower you, which means it’s just right for your baby too.

AVEENO® BABY® is paeditrician and parent recommended I really loved that it felt like it was a product made to compliment aswell as soothe dry skin, so I’d have no problem suggesting their products to you all!

For more info about the AVEENO® BABY® products, check out their website at www.aveeno.com.au/pages/baby.

You can find AVEENO® BABY® at all major supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths etc), chemists and specialty stores in Australia.

Clear some space on the dining table, or designate a section of the tiled floor and get drawing!

MÅLA Drawing paper roll $7.99 at IKEA – I love this roll of paper from IKEA, we can roll it out and roll it back in quickly. It’s always ready!

Here are just a few great products at Urban Baby that you and your child will love –

1. Spencil Paint Pen Set $11.95
2. Barnyard Besties Washable Marker Mates $9.95 (Non-toxic & washable!)
3. Micador Early stART Chunky Stampers $7.95
4. Micador Tempera Painting Station $11.95

Even if it’s just a pencil, drawing is a great way to communicate and teach our kids about art, shapes and creativity. You don’t have to be an artist yourself to enjoy painting and drawing

Something that I recommend to try on a fussy toddler, is getting them their own special bowl & plate set. Make mealtimes fun and exciting for them – make them want to participate in breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and give them a bit of independence!

The plates & bowls by Skip Hop are not only adorable but they are also BPA Free, PVC Free and dishwasher safe. They are made of durable melamine so they’ll stay in great condition after many meals.

You can buy the Skip Hop plates and bowls seperately (they coordinate with entire ZOO tableware collection) or you can buy them as a set (set includes cup, divided plate and stripey cup)

Pictured above is the –
Skip Hop Melamine Zoo Bowl Bee $6.95 from The Hip Infant
Skip Hop Melamine Zoo Divided Plate Monkey $10.95 from The Hip Infant
Skip Hop Melamine Zoo Set Owl $19.95 from The Hip Infant

I love that you can get different animals and design your own zoo – mix and match the Dog with the Bee, or the Monkey and the Owl – there’s a Skip Hop dinnerset for every kid!

For more info on the Skip Hop feeding range, please visit The Hip Infant
www.thehipinfant.com.au

When it comes to routines, I’m a big fan. Not routines planned by the minute, but I definately like setting goals for days and weeks that I know are going to be busy (and ultimately NUTS!). So when Jo & Robyn from Magnetic Moves contacted me about their kid’s activity chart products, I couldn’t help but get excited to see that other mum’s agree with me too!

Magnetic Moves was started in 2009 as a discussion between sisters about how we manage our busy homes, and help our kids develop independence throughout the day.

We came up with the concept for Magnetic Moves as we had both created home made charts. One chart to help our kids move through the busiest times of day and another to help the little ones at home who wanted to know what they could expect throughout their day.

Magnetic Moves currently has a range of beautifully designed activity charts available to purchase from their website (a stockists list is also here). They include –

My Busy Day Children’s Activity Chart – a colourful and fun chart designed to help your pre-school age child (3-5 yrs) have input into their day. AU$29.50 plus postage.

My Busy School Week – Designed for the school age child to give them a pictorial view of what is happening in their school week from day to day. Events such as music lessons, library day, tuckshop, swimming and others can be noted in the weekly section at the top of the chart. AU$29.50 plus postage.

My Busy School Week – My Weekend Pack – New to Magnetic Moves the Weekend Pack is 10 magnetic tiles designed to accompany the ‘My Busy School Week’ Chart. AU$5.50 plus postage

My Toilet Chart – Children’s Toileting Chart – Magnetic Moves “My Toilet Chart”, is specifically designed as an aid for children of all ages that are ready to start toilet training. I personally love this one as a helpful tool for toilet training your toddler. With my son, I find that if I can give him something to concentrate on other than the messes or the tantrums, then the better the day goes! AU$29.50 plus postage.

Magnetic Moves have posted a short YouTube video to show you how simply the chart works – but definately head on over to their website. There’s more info on their activity charts, workshops and even some playtime ideas.

So if you’re looking for an activity chart for your household, Magnetic Moves is who you should see!

Magnetic Moves
www.magneticmoves.com.au

Let’s face it – kids are going to be kids. And watches are going to be too daggy, too dull, easily broken or water logged within an instant.

But not when it comes to the ‘Too Late’ original watches at Sillycone!

Available in a range of amazing colours, the Too Late digital watches are shock-proof and anti-scratch, and are also waterproof! They are made to endure all kinds of wear and tear, which makes it perfect for any kid this Christmas.

Each watch comes with a 2 year warranty and are available in 2 sizes. They’re made from silicon, so they’re stretchy and have a rubber feel to it and are really lightweight.

Find out more about the Too Late watches by visiting the Sillycone website.

Sillycone
www.sillycone.com.au

I love finding out about great initiatives for children, especially those in need. Over at Baby’s Got Style, they have put together some great Christmas gifts for the kids at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with some help of some of the best children’s suppliers around.

And not only that, that have collaborated with Australia’s top kids labels Oobi and Minti, to produce two limited edition melamine dinner plates. We can support The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, by buying these designer plates for AU$10 each – with 100% of the proceeds going directly to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

So if you’re looking for great Christmas presents, are in need of some new plates for the kids or just want to show your support, head over to Baby’s Got Style and read about Style A Smile today!

Baby’s Got Style – Style A Smile
babysgotstyle.com.au/styleasmile

Today my little boy turns 3! And being a big photography lover myself, I couldn’t wait to give him his first camera – the Fisher Price Kid-Tough™ Digital Camera.

I know there are a heap of cheap digital cameras (for grown ups) that I could of gotten him that have a better resolution and are cheaper, but I’m a firm believer in keeping kids as kids for as long as I can. So this toddler friendly style of digital camera is what I wanted for him – big buttons, simple controls and it’s drop/shock/water resistant.

I think photography is a great way for kids to explore their world in a creative way – my son is so curious about my own photography and it’s a great rainy day project to do together

For more information on Fisher Price products, please visit their website
www.fisher-price.com/au/