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.

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

I had the opportunity to test out The Noisy Book Games on our iPad this past month and we love it!

There are 4 sections – Discover The Sounds, 1-2-3 Sounds, Memory Games and Noisy Rap. Each section is filled with bright & colourful illustrations and great sounds that are recorded professionally in a studio.

Designed for kids from 2 and up, each game is alot of fun and is easy to use. My 4 year old loved trying to find the train sound, and used Noisy Rap to create a musical symphony of trains & cars.

Ooooh, what’s this?

What was surprising (and fantastic!), was that my 2 year old daughter with Autism really responded to the Noisy Book App also. Similar to our PECS folder images, she loved the simple layout of the images to choose from and loves to see the picture come to life when we’re in Discover The Sounds (see image below). I think that it’s a great way to share time with young kids and introduce them to the world of iPhone/iPad apps. The interaction between parent & child, and then child & iPad is a great teaching tool and the Noisy Book Games have been an asset to our daily therapy sessions at home

Here is a quick summary of the Noisy Book Games sections –

Discover The Sounds – a great place to start out, scroll through all the pictures & have a listen to all the sounds. I found this best for the younger kids or kids that aren’t familiar with iPad/iPhone Apps. You can either listen to the pre-recorded sounds, or you can read to your child.

Memory Games – Three levels of difficulty (Easy, Medium and Hard), which is perfect for all kids (young and old!). Match a pair, and the sound for that illustration will play. (You can also turn the sound off if you want).

1-2-3 Sounds – I found this a challenge myself, great for the memory. The goal is to remember series of sounds, and touch the pictures that make the sounds in the right order. Best to get familiar with the sounds first before you start this one.

Noisy Rap – Choose from 3 different rhythms and get rapping! A good way to introduce rhythm & song creation – my son loves that he can make the train sound over and over

Whilst you can find alot of free Apps, you’ll often get alot more features and use out of Apps that you pay a few dollars for. At $3.99, you’re getting alot of professional work with The Noisy Book, aswell as thought into how children interact with Apps and what would hold their attention. It’s alot of fun and having the 4 different types of games allows the child to find something they like within the 1 App and go for it.

Each of the The Noisy Book Games promotes language and memory – all while having a bit of fun!

If you have a child with Autism, or a developmental delay, it’d be a great App to check out and use as either part of your occupational or speech therapy session or as a ‘treat’ at the end of the day.

To watch the Noisy Book Games trailer (and hear some of the sounds!) – check out the video below

To find out more about the App, log into the App Store and search for ‘the noisy book games’ or click here to visit the webpage. And you can find out more about Europa Apps by visiting their website.

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

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.

If you’re looking for a bit of colour and fun for your kids wardrobes, you can’t go wrong with Kawaii Kids!

Kawaii Kids is very much Japanese & Korean inspired, with a mix of boutique and handmade labels thrown in.
Kawaii is pronounced ka-why-ee & means ‘cute’ in Japanese

Browse through Kawaii Kids and you can find great items like –

one. Party Singlet $25
two. Sweet Treats Long Sleepwear $28
three. Fedora Hat – Multi Coloured Check $22
four. Rain or Shine Jumpsuit $39
five. Little Panda Swimsuit $26
six. Woodlands Friends Puffer Vest $40
seven. Juicy Apple Necklace (Red) $8.00
eight. Princess Castle Ring $4.50 $3.00

Check out more great baby and kids clothing at Kawaii Kids
www.kawaiikids.com.au

It’s almost time to head back to school for 2012 in Australia!

Stuck On You Australia is my favourite place to go online & order personalised stationery for kids headed back to school – and there are some really cute designs to choose from. Browsing through their website, here are my top 4 Stuck On You Back To School accessories for any family –

Stuck On You now have a range of different sized Pencil Cases from Large Pocket Pencil cases to Small Pocket Pencil cases and Personalised Pencil cases. I love the way you can choose your own design and personalise it with your child’s name – it’s so easy and fun!

New for 2012 – I haven’t seen these before but I think I’d want them for myself too! Pencil Puppets are a great way to label pencils and pens. They’re waterproof and each pack comes with 36 pencil puppets so there’s enough for the whole pencil case.

Every school kid is asked to buy some exercise books for school – so why not order Stuck On You Personalised Exercise books! Each pack has a set of 3 A4-sized exercise books for $14.95 – each customised with your child’s name. Another one that I’d want for myself

At the start of the school year, it’s great to organised and find a great family activity planner. Order your customised family planner at Stuck On You and keep track of up to 5 kids or family members in the one planner. I love that they have designs for mums & dads so you don’t have to worry about having something to ‘kiddy’ hanging up in the kitchen.

For more great personalised Back To School stationery, head on over to the Stuck On You website!
www.stuckonyou.com.au

Having a cool lunch packed is essential in Australia – whether your little one goes to big school, or you’re off for a playdate with friends. An insulated lunch bag means the end of warm & questionable sandwiches, banana’s and cheese sticks.

My favourite insulated lunch bag is the Log Cabin by Jane Jenni ($25). We have this for our 2 year old to take to playgroup and it’s just enough to fit a sandwich, fruit and her drink bottle, together with a frozen ice block to keep everything nice and cool.

Made590 also have the Insulated Lunch Bag – Diner and Birds. They’re all Lead free, PVC free, Phthalate free – and not to mention is super cute!

I received our Log Cabin lunch bag very quickly from made590 so I can definately recommend them to you if you’re looking for a new lunch bag that’s both functional and cool

Made590 also have a range of great gifts & homeware, including plates & cups & clothing for everyone in the family. Check them out!

made590
www.made590.com.au