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Save The Children - Survive to Five

A letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

Save the Children has been fighting for children's right since 1919. Save the Children is the world's largest independent child rights development organisation, making a difference to Children's lives in more than 100 countries. From emergency relief to long-term development. Save the Children secures a child's rights to health, education and protection. 

The Survive to Five is one of their many initiatives, asking ordinary people to knit one save one. By knitting a 20cm squares (instructions here), 80,000 in fact they plan to make them into 5,000 blankets for children in countries like cambodia and India. 

Now knowing that nearly 9,000,000 children die every year before they reach the age of five, when are you hosting a knit one save one get together?  

Real Parties - Jacob's Circus Carnival Party

Last year my youngest turned 2, I decided on a circus party after I fell in love with the outfit from Little Bubble & Tree. The cupcakes recipe was from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook, I made the toffee apples and lolly boxes and the bunting is from Paper Eskimo available from Complete Party Boxes. The juice bottles are wrapped in wrapping paper as two is the feature paper on the table. The rest was store brought, coloured popcorn, tick tocks, fruit sticks, chocolate sultanas and 100's and 1000's biscuits.

We had a great time playing pin the nose on the clown and eating little mini homemade hamburgers and little sausages in mini rolls. 

Please feel free to ask any questions about the party. If you have great pics from your own party and would like to share, please do.

 

Going Gaga Over - Pretend Play Food

Make pretend play even more special with handmade food from talented crafters or DIY. These pretend play items look good enough to eat and best of all no calories. Cupcakes, fruit, teabags, milk, sandwiches, fish and eggs to name but a few of the wonderful food items to inspire little minds to act like grown ups, unpacking the groceries, having a tea party or baking coffee scrolls. You will find something for every child if you know where to look. 

If you are looking to make your own pretend play items you can try a some of these links, Snazzle Craft, One Inch World or Ume Crafts. 

The pictured pretend play food items are available to purchase from Look Mama Made It (1st) and Bugga Bugs (2nd - 5th)

Aden + Anais Update - New! Cozy Sleeping Bags

Aden + Anais have just added a new product to their range of muslin sleeping bags. The Cosy Sleeping Bag is four layers of super soft muslin to keep your baby or toddler cozy in the cooler months of the year. Aden + Anais have also added new designs to their collection including Alpha Bit, Fairies and Little Men. Mini Gaga will keep you posted with availability details when they come to hand.

Want to know more about Aden + Anais? See here. 

Going Gaga Over - Antons Lane

Introducing Australia's newest nursery bedding label Anton's Lane, which is not only fresh, colourful and captures the memories of childhood and the games that they play, but it's also 100% fair trade organic sateen cotton with a 250 thread count making it luxuriously soft and silky and packaged in a re-usable drawstring bag the same print as the sheets and you are able to purchase matching wall art too. 

Debuting with two collections Garden Grow & Forest Play. Garden Grow was inspired by the old saying "from little things big thing grow" and the whimsical Forest Play was inspired by the charm of children's play. 

Available online at Anton's Lane

Keely's Fairy Princess Party

 

Hayley from Little Pinwheel created the most gorgeous Fairy Princess party for her four year old daughter, Keely. The park set the perfect backdrop for a magical wonderland for little fairies and the odd pirate or bumble bee for good measure to celebrate a birthday. Fairy Skye kept all of the children entertained with fun games and activities like garland making and gave all the children special fairy names. I love that Hayley (you wouldn't think that Hayleys husband is the actual photographer in the family) captured all the children individually. Hayley made the Fairy Princess cake and her dress and wings and enjoyed seeing her daughter the bell of the ball. 

You can see more pics at Hayley's blog Little Pinwheel

From top left:

Alannah Rose Little Fairy Princess boxed invites from Complete Party Boxes

DIY tissue paper pom poms from Martha Stewart

Candy Apples by Amy Altas

Macarons by Evan Kitchen Ramblings

Fairy Princess cake by Hayley from Little Pinwheel Blog 

Sambellina pink polka-dot party cups from Complete Party Boxes

Piourette Raspberry Rockstar Pettiskirt from Little Pinwheel 

 

Going Gaga Over - Coddlelife Glass Baby Bottles

 

Coddlelife wide neck bottles are the lightest glass bottle on the market making it an easy choice when choosing the right bottle for your baby. The new vented teet is designed to reduce colic, reflux and ear infections and are BPA, PVC, lead, Phthalates and toxin free. Add some colour to your Coddlelife glass baby bottles with their silicone covers, that are fully removable and have a little window in the side so you can easily see the milk level.

Due to increasing concerns regarding toxins found in baby products, parents are now more conscious about finding safer alternatives for their children.  Coddlelife share the same vision and believe that safer materials should be used, not only in baby bottles, but also in all other baby products as well.

The creator and owner of Coddlelife is a mother-of-three who has many years of experience in the baby feeding products industry. The collaboration of her special insight, background, and mother’s intuition contributes to the success of the Coddlelife brand today.  As a mother herself, she understands how important it is to make parent’s lives easier.  Her experience and sense in what are the concerns of parents around the world is an on-going daily development for everyone at Coddlelife.

Coddlelife focuses on developing the best baby products in the industry, and is committed to producing excellent quality, innovative, practical, and safe products for the parents of today.  It is a lifestyle brand that celebrates living well and joyously for both parents and child.

Available online at Ash N Juls in Australia & coming soon to Naked Baby in New Zealand.

 

Going Gaga Over - Apple iPad

 

Apple announced today that the newest member of the apple family is on the way and will be here shortly. The iPad is set to revolutionise the way in which we utilize the internet, it really is going to be a great must have device.   

The iPad resembles the iPhone but with a 25cm back lite LCD screen 10 hours of battery life, with ability to watch TV or a movie, check your emails, listen to iTunes, surf the net, store your photos, conduct presentations, calendar, contacts and my favorite iBooks. 

Set to cost $499 US for the base 16GB model and $890 US for the 64GB 3G model, due to available in the US in 60 days, there is no release date for Australia yet.

For more information go to the GadgetGuy

Lunch Box Ideas

Who said that lunch boxes have to be boring and unoriginal? The japanese are neither boring or unoriginal with their lunch boxes. Lovingly known as bentos in Japan, traditionally containing rice, fish, meat, eggs and  pickled items. Although I can not see my children eating a ball of rice or a boiled egg at lunch time I can see them heading back to the class room eating a much more modern take on the popular japanese lunch option. 

Top picture Sandwich Gyoza 

Middle picture Hello Kitty

Bottom picture Cute Bears

Happy Australia Day!!

 

Happy Australia Day kerryj.com

Boys juanssik2

Eyre Peninsula South Australia John White

Bella dog Rivamist

Australia Day Cupcakes Sugarbloom cupcakes