nic-nac

Show your creative flair!

2012-02-20T00:32:00.000-08:00

To win one of the final three nic-nac balloon balls, see how clever you are with words, and make up a little ditty using the nic-nac tag line ...

Either using nic-nac nappywrap or just plain nic-nac.

See how you go :-)

Due to posting this much later than anticipated, you have until 9am WEDNESDAY 22nd Feb 2012 to submit (below) your little ditty.

Enjoy! xo

2000 facebook -likers celebration pop quiz

2012-02-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

Well, we reached the 2000 likers milestone, and geee it feels nice to be liked :-) So, as promised - we're holding the nic-nac pop quiz 10 balloon ball giveaway!

the winners will be able to choose their balloon ball from the selection available on our website

The rules are;

you MUST answer all 10 questions (posted on facebook) correctly to qualify to be in the running to win.
Those ten questions will always begin with QUESTION 1 (2, 3 etc).
If there are MORE than ten people who answer all questions correctly, the 10 winners will be chosen using random.org.
The pop quiz will go over a series of days, and the questions will be posted at different times ...
It's not a race. It's a fun pop quiz where it's about correct answers rather than speedy responses!
The answers can all be found either on our facebook page, or on our website.
All answers must be written ON THIS BLOG at the comments section below this post. DO NOT post them on facebook! click LIKE on the facebook post once you have answered.
You might need to be a little bit creative at times - enjoy it!

Enough of the rules!

QUESTION 1: when nic-nac began, what was the FIRST product we created?

Good luck - keep checking to see when question two is up!

Kylie xo

What's in a name?

2012-01-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

What's in a name?

I have long been a lover of interesting names. I have been naming dolls, teddy bears, pets and my little brother for over 30 years now ...

Officially, when my brother entered the world, my parents named him Damian. But that would not do for a 2 and a half year-old, desperate for a sister! So Carmen he became, and Carmen he stayed, (except on days he was Jacinta) until my mother said it was time to stop dressing him up as a girl and he WASN'T my little sister!

When I was very little, I favoured names like Emma, Louise and Justin. As I grew older I preferred to make names up - my favourite teddy was Jameana Bateara. Luckily by the time we had our daughter, I had moved on (slightly) and was giving some thought to what our child might be happy to be named later on in life. Choosing a name for our child was extremely challenging. My husband and I couldn't agree on anything. Luckily, he had the foresight to suggest that if she were a girl, I'd choose, and if he were a boy, he'd choose. I say luckily, because I knew from the moment our little peanut started growing inside me, that she was of the pink variety. And sure enough - she was! However, on her arrival, the three finalists on my list didn't suit her at all (and she'll thank me for that one day!) ... they were; Lotus, Lollie and Cynamon. 12 hours after she was born, in my morphine-induced state, I was tearfully on the phone to my mother in New Zealand, panicking that my 12-hour-old baby didn't have a name.

As she was born on St Patrick's Day mum suggested an Irish name ... my husband was cheering for Guiness, my mum suggested Patricia, and finally when she said "how about Clover?" Richard and I both ecstatically AGREED and Clover she is!

It's a wonderful name - not only is a clover my favourite colour, but also it's really fun having a name that is SOMETHING.

We've had clover themed birthday parties, she writes her name with a clover symbol, people buy her dolls or books that have clover's in them ... and I get excited about clover fabrics!

When she's older, if she chooses to enter the corporate world and isn't happy with Clover, she can easily make it Chloe! But Clover isn't as unusual as some might think - it's actually been around as long as Pearl and Ruby ... And funnily enough, we live in an area called Clover Hill – and yes, she does think the area was named after her!

My husband, had we had a boy, would have named him Ash. Not Ashley, Ashton or Asher. Just Ash. My mother in law was HORRIFIED when we told her that was to be his name if he was of the blue variety. “WHAT?! Like, as in ASHTRAY?” she worried. But no, not ashtray – but Ash, as in the ash family of rainforest trees (not surprising as my husband is a horticulturalist).

His name is Richard (my husband) which is such a STRONG and masculine name. My name is Kylie. That was a pretty cool name growing up, as I’m sure I was the only Kylie in the whole of New Zealand. Likewise when I lived in the UK – there weren’t any around there either. But on moving to Sydney when I was 24, what a shock to find a Kylie/Kylee/Khylee around every street corner! Incidentally, Kylie means boomerang. It was a great support to my loving parents, the meaning of my name when I was an extremely challenging teenager, as they always kept faith that no matter how difficult the stage I was going through, the lovely (if I say so myself!) Kylie would always come back. And indeed I did come back. And there are times I fear my sweet Clover might morph into a horror of a teenager ... and I imagine my parents might watch from afar and chuckle, sitting pretty in the knowledge that karma exists!

My nieces are; Zia, Honey Belle, Francesca, Ruby, Emma and Sophie. My nephews are Freddie and Louis. What a lovely mix of names we have! My sister is Yasmiin, which is the Estonian (her father’s heritage) version of Jasmine. Having watched others struggle over not just the pronunciation of her name, but also the spelling, I decided long before we had Clover, that our child/ren would have to have names that were easily spelt and pronounced!

Recently, amongst our friends, there has been a big influx of babies. Maverick, Zakai, Sam, Grace, Violet Bessie, Coco, George, Harry and Minty. A lovely mix of the more traditional and the new. We have friends who have called all four daughters names beginning with M. Mabel, Maggie, Maisie and Mary. I love it!

If I’d have been able to have a son, I’d have liked to have named him Ziggy or Oberon. Richard was most unimpressed with those options. Oberon is King of the fairies (which didn’t appeal to him) and Ziggy was because I’d have a lovely dog named Ziggy in my late teens and 20s.

I regularly post on facebook asking nic-nac likers what weird and wonderful names they’ve come across …. Undoubtedly my favourites which have been reported are A-a and La-a. Do you get it? Adasha and Ladasha … Didn’t know it was legal – but there you go, some originality and bravery!

Moving on, here’s a list, courtesy of this website which is a great resource for many things baby related, www.babycenter.com.au/ of the top 20 baby names for Australians in 2011. I wonder what 2012 will bring?

Australia 2011 - 20 most popular names
Chloe	Oliver
Sophie	Noah
Ruby	William
Charlotte	Lachlan
Olivia	Ethan
Lily	Jack
Ava	Lucas
Ella	Charlie
Emily	Joshua
Mia	Thomas
Sienna	Max
Amelia	Riley
Isabella	Jacob
Lucy	Aiden
Zoe	Liam
Grace	Jackson
Isabelle	Cooper
Maddison	Alexander
Emma	Xavier
Charlie (tied with Hannah)	Benjamin

Kylie xo

HELPING HAND nominations and winners ... congrats winners!

2011-08-31T02:23:00.000-07:00

For August 2011, we've been running a HELPING HAND competition. All that was required was for someone to nominate a friend in need - whose life could be made better by the gift of a nic-nac nappywrap. We received some lovely nominations, and all of them touched my heart in some way, but the five we've chosen are below, and their emails also.

Please email kylie@nic-nac.com.au with details for where to send the nappywraps etc ... we're posting them direct to the winners, so please let us know your friends contact info.

One thing that is clear - these winners are ALL lucky to have you for friends. I hope these nic-nac nappywraps go some way to making life a little simpler. Lots of love to you all! xxx

1. Friends of ours have just found out in the last couple of weeks that they are having a baby. Which is such a shock considering he was told he may never have children. You see our friend almost died on valentines day 2 years ago. He had a forklift fall on him, broke his spine, pelvis and severed nerves down to his leg and his spleen burst. He was in hospital for a year, but she was there everyday for him!! Its been a very long road for the both of them and I am so happy for them. I would love to buy one for her to have for the baby but we are in no better situation, It would be great to be able to get them one though

Thanks

Therese Newton

* Therese this story about your friend has really touched me (largely due to the fact that when my husband broke his neck he was in hospital for a year and we had to move away from our little town to a city for his rehab, and life has never been the same since. I KNOW first hand how immense this journey has been for them. I would like to offer a carry-all to this little family as well as the nappywrap. Please let me know their details and whether they'd prefer poppy dot or blueberry spot and I'll post it off on Friday. xxx

2. I'd love to nominate my gorgeous friend Nic for a helping hand. Nic has just discovered that she is pregnant with a very precious baby, a wee miracle who snuck in naturally while waiting to do a second IVF cycle.
Nic has been an amazing friend for me, through every stage of this motherhood journey. Recently, while I was sick, she came over on her lunch break from work to look after Eleanor while I slept. This was huge because I have no local family support and I needed a break, no matter how minor! And she bakes a brilliant cupcake.

So I'd like her to discover the nic-nac love. And I'd like to fill it with gorgeous little newborn nappies!

Cheers

Kath Angus

* Kath you are a gorgeous friend, and I know how much you must mean to Nic. It's lovely that you can be there for each other (and that she bakes a brilliant cupcake!!!! ha ha) Please let me know whether she'd like a poppy dot or blueberry spot, and it will be in the post on Friday.

3. I WOULD LOVE TO REWARD MY BEST FRIEND WITH A NIC-NAC NAPPYWRAP.

I FEEL SHE IS SO DESERVING AS SHE GIVES AND DOES SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE ELSE, ESPECIALLY ME !

I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER GIFT TO GIVE HER THAN A "HELPING HAND" LIKE THE NIC-NAC NAPPYWRAP.

SHE IS A BUSY MUM OF TWO AND EXPECTING NUMBER THREE SOON, YET ALWAYS FINDS TIME TO SPEND WITH ME TOO.

PLEASE CONSIDER HER FOR YOUR GIVEAWAY !

THANKS

Renee Paulson X

* Pauline your best friend sounds like she is very deserving of a nic-nac nappywrap, and thanks for your nomination. Please let me know whether she'd like a blueberry spot or poppy dot, and it will be in the post on Friday.

4. Hi there...what are great idea! This is very nice of you 2 help people u don't know...it's people like you that help the world be a better place:)

I would like to nominate my friend Nooshin who just had a baby girl talia on Tuesday,she had a very long hard labour and at the end of it had 2 have a c section...4kgs baby!!Her husband just lost his job last week...because they didn't have much work for him!This is there first baby and I have a few of your things so I know they would love this:)
Thank you.Xx
Sally Hilsden

* Thanks for the nomination Sally, what a story! Challenging times ahead for this wee family, and I hope things look up for them soon on the job front. Much love to you and your friend Nooshin and her husband and their new (big!) baby :-) Please let me know which nappywrap they'd like - poppy dot or blueberry spot - and it will be posted on Friday.

5. Can I be bad and nominate myself??? LOL

I deserve a free nappy wrap to match my carry-all, but cant afford one as my fiance's work hours just got cut.... And we lose 200bux a week in pay. So no luxuries for us :(
So I'd love to have one to be able to boast about ur products more than I do now when people comment on my carry all (red trimming)
Thanks
Nikki Farimond

* While this nomination wasn't strictly following the guidelines, all of us here at the nic-nac studio have been aware for many months how much Nikki would like a nappywrap, and being such a huge supporter of nic-nac, we'd like to offer her one as she's going through tough times. Nikki - I hope your fiance finds more work hours soon and best of luck to you all! Which one would you prefer - poppy dot or blueberry spot? We hope this nic-nac nappywrap simplifies your life ... and thanks for being such a big fan :-)

Thanks to you all who were a part of this ... we'll be running another HELPING HAND soon, so remember to read the newsletters when they come (spring edition coming out very soon) to find out how to be involved.

Have a great week everyone!

Kylie xo

Winners of the PERTH PBC expo giveaways...

2011-08-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

I love posts like this! It's all give give give ... and on a Friday too - yaay!

So, without further ado, the winners are ...

First prize - RRP $174.90 - nic-nac nappywrap & carry-all

Joanne Desilva

Second prize - RRP $79.90 - nic-nac miniwrap & change mat (not pictured)

Rebecca Newball

Third prize - RRP $54.95 - nic-nac pencilwrap & balloon ball

Rebecca Wall.

Please email kylie@nic-nac.com.au to claim your prizes. Let us know your colour preference (choosing from poppy dot or blueberry spot) and your addresses, and there'll be nic-nac mail winging it's way to you asap!

Thanks to the rest of you who entered the giveaway, we'll be back in Perth next year for the PBC with another great competition! In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our newsletter (sent out seasonly) which has great offers, competitions and giveaways that only newsletter receivers get to hear about, and don't forget to like us on facebook, we love interacting with our customers and holding pop quiz's for great nic-nac prizes!

Have a great weekend everyone :-)

Kylie xo

winner of the Perth $50 nic-nac dollars!

2011-08-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please .... and the winner is .... Bec Firmstone !!

Congratulations Bec - please print out your voucher and bring it along with you to the PBC expo in Perth - and make sure you have some id on you also, we wouldn't want just anyone turning up to claim your prize!

To all of you who participated - thank you very much for being part of the fun, and please print out your $10 voucher to use at our stand which you'll find on our blog (it was mailed out with our newsletter today). If you haven't signed up for the newsletter already - make sure you do (you can do this on the home page of our website www.nic-nac.com.au) so you are the first to hear about competitions, giveaways, campaigns and new products and fabrics.

I'm so looking forward to meeting all the Perth people over the next few days - and have a great weekend everybody :-)

Kylie xo

nic-nac nappywrap winter newsletter emailed out today. Did you receive yours? If not, read on ...

2011-08-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser.

nic-nac newsHave you got a friend who needs help?
Win them a nic-nac nappywrap and
put a smile on their face :-)

Winter / 2011

Crisp, cool days, bright winter sunshine

... love it!

Dear %%customer_first_name%%

User Name ... %%emailaddress%%
Password ... %%customer_password%%

EVENTS
We're off to Perth this week for the Pregnancy, Babies and Childrens Expo from the 12th to 14th August at the Claremont Showgrounds - woohooooo!! For your chance to win $50 nic-nac dollars to spend at our stand, head to the nic-nac facebook page and get involved. Make sure you also print out your $10 nic-nac dollars (above) which you can use anytime over the 3-day expo (we're at stand G60) - see you there!
The Brisbane Baby & Toddler Show is a mere 3 weeks after the Perth expo & is held at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre 2-4 September. If you are in SE QLD then don't miss this fantastic show - we'll have more great offers and some exciting new fabrics!

Drop by the nic-nac stand (Perth or Brisbane) and let us demonstrate why the nic-nac range of products is ideal for your family and how it really can simplify your life.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A HELPING HAND?
We know that not everybody can have everything they want or need, so we'd like to help out in some small way. If you know someone who could trulybenefit from a nic-nac nappywrap we'd like to hear from you. To nominate someone, simply email us WHY they could benefit from having a nic-nac nappywrap with HELPING HAND in the subject line, we'll review the stories at the end of August, and choose FIVE deserving winners.
The winners will be announced on our blog on the 31st August. Email kylie@nic-nac.com.au
with your nomination, and please check that they're happy for your email to be published on our blog and/or website. (no name needed)

FACEBOOK - 2500 LIKER GIVEAWAY & POP QUIZ

Please share the nic-nac facebook page with your
friends ... When we get to 2000 likers we're holding a pop quiz and giving away 10 nic-nac balloon balls and when we get to 2500 we'll giveaway 5 nic-nac change mats, and 2 nic-nac carry-alls - yeeehaaa!!! Feel free to get creative and tag us in your post.

Facebook seems to be constantly changing the rules, and as we don't want to lose our page, we're going to play by their game! Winners will always be announced on our blog, sale albums will always be on facebook and payment for ALL sale items will always be via paypal.

PENCILWRAP GOODIES FOR NIX
It was so popular in June, we're going to do it all over again!
For the month of AUGUST 2011, when you buy a nic-nac pencilwrap, we will FILL it for you for FREE, not just coloured pencils, but also a notebook, teensy erasers, pencils, pens etc. All the bits you need. Cool! Keep it in your handbag or nappybag or school bag. Great for all ages.

WANT A FREE CARRY-ALL?
Another 48 hour newsletter special - For 48 hours only,
buy a nic-nac nappywrap and receive a FREE
co-ordinating nic-nac carry-all (RRP $89.95).
From 8pm Wednesday August 10th until 8pm Friday August 12th.

Order online Only while stocks last.

NIC-NAC FABRICS - FANCY YOURSELF AS A FABRIC DESIGNER?
We are submitting our new designs for fabrics to be printed by the 10th August, and while we have THREE new fabrics ready to go, we need one more. Do you see yourself as a bit of a budding designer? If we choose your design to reproduce into fabric for balloon balls, nappywraps, miniwraps and carry-alls, you could win a package of the whole lot! YES that's right - if we love your design, as soon as it's produced, we'll send you a nic-nac balloon ball, miniwrap, change mat, nappywrap and carry-all! Send a pdf to kylie@nic-nac.com.au before the 10th August if you want to take part in the design challenge!
NIC-NAC MEDIA APPEARANCESIf you see us in print somewhere and can be the first to let us know, we'll reward you!
If you are the first to email us that you've spotted us in a blog, a magazine, newspaper or baby guide, email us the details (name, page, issue) and we'll post you a nic-nac balloon ball! Some clues; Look in ... Mother & Baby, Practical Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth, Studio Bambini, Bambini Directory, parenting and baby blogs, for a helping hand!

Thank you for supporting nic-nac nappywrap and Australian and ethical manufacture, make sure that your next purchase helps an encomy, a village or a family. Your purchasing decisions effect people's lives.
Wherever possible - don't show your support of child labour and sweat shops.

We welcome feedback at any time.

Have a great day :-)

Kylie Mowbray-Allen
Owner / Designer

Studio
p : 02 6687 0743 (9:30-3pm M-F)
m : 0404 751 850
e: kylie@nic-nac.com.au

Shop online at ...
Website:
http://www.nic-nac.com.au
Find us on ...
Facebook . Blog . Twitter . Pinterest

Ethical . Functional . Practical

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nic-nac nappwrap
7 Paperbark Place . Clover Hill . Bangalow . NSW 2479 Australia
studio . 02 6687 0743 | E-mail: kylie@nic-nac.com.au
Web: www.nic-nac.com.au

When one balloon just isn't enough!

2011-07-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a whole bunch of them. Every time we bring a balloon ball out in a new fabric combo, she wants that one too! And that's perfect - she's a brilliant tester! At eight-years-old, she's pretty rough with them. We live in a cul-de-sac so they get kicked around for a little soccer, thrown into the hoop for netball practice, the boys in the street bounce them off each other's heads, and the littlest neighbours sit on them.

On a rainy day a balloon ball goes to school. Remember those rainy days at school and everyone had to stay inside? BORING! Well, my daughter's class LOVE it - Clover takes a balloon ball in her school bag, a little bit of puff and tie the balloon off, and the kids are all into it. Her teacher thinks it's great, it keeps the kids moving, engaged and laughing, and balloon balls are SAFE. They're not knocking things down, and they're something EVERYONE can enjoy together.

This month we have some new fabrics coming out ... and in celebration of love and luck, we've got a selection of CLOVER fabrics ... Clover's with bumble bees, clover's with love hearts, ladybugs, and on their own. Oh, and some stars, and rainbow love hearts too! Choosing fabrics is so fun, I can never get enough of it!

Which is why we've decided to extend our repertoire of our own nic-nac designed fabrics, and add to our collection. Because my other love is DESIGNING fabric! The signature nic-nac fabrics - the poppy dot and blueberry spot are fabrics we've designed and printed in the exact hues which we love, and now there are three more fabrics joining the party. While I can't show you just yet, I can give you a clue to one of them ... what might it have all over it?! You guessed it - CLOVER's! The fabrics will be ready by September, and will be available in our full range. nic-nac nappywraps, miniwraps, change mats, carry-alls, balloon balls and possibly even pencilwraps. Yeeehaaaa ... to celebrate their arrival we're going to run a fantastic competition - so keep a look out for it!

And on that note, the 1500 nic-nac facebook liker giveaway winners are ... DRUM ROLL PLEASE :-)

BALLOON BALLS:
Sarah Misko
Christine Morris
Kate Manley
Amie Nicholson
Kathy Amanda Cantrell

CHANGE MATS:
Sarah Rowley
Lana Whittington

Melissa Allen
Tanene Maddies Mum Donnelly
Colleen Carpenter

Would all you winners please post your email addresses below, and your colour preference too (poppy dot or blueberry spot - you can find piccies here) and they'll be posted out this week!

Have a great week y'all!

See you on facebook for an awesome competition starting SOON!

Kylie xo

nic-nac . keep it simple . the pencilwrap is the way to go!

2011-06-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

What is a nic-nac pencilwrap, and why is it better than a regular pencil roll?

Simple! Because it fits everything you need, and nothing you don't need!

12 coloured pencils or markers, some "grey lead's" (that's what my daughter calls them at school - back in my day we just called them regular pencils!) small stapler, small sticky-tape, erasers, stickers, notes, small ruler, notepad, and more!
They can be machine-washed (cold water) when they get grubby (which, let's face it - anything where kids are involved, gets grubby!) and are so handy they can be used in almost any situation.

Personal favourites;

Handbag (or nappy bag) - whip out your pencilwrap when you're at a cafe, restuarant, meeting, bank - anywhere that your child needs to sit still quietly while you're occupied with something that needs your attention.

Car - keep it in the glove box or back-seat organiser, and there's always something fun to do while on short or long trips.

School bag (or tote tray) - keep pens and pencils neat and stops them getting lost! in a nic-nac pencilwrap there's a place for everything, so things don't go missing!

Head to the nic-nac pencilwrap page for more information, or to order now. For the month of June 2011, all pencilwraps come complete with notepad, erasers, grey leads and 12 coloured pencils.

But I haven't answered why they're better than a regular pencil roll yet... well, pencil rolls are great, there's no doubt about that. They encourage kids to put their pencils away (kids love creating the rainbow as they slot their pencils in each spot!) and keep things neat and tidy. But that's all they keep. So you still need a bag or pencilcase etc for your sharpener, eraser, note pad or colouring book and all that other "stuff"... that's why the nic-nac pencilwrap is so cool! It fits EVERYTHING you need and nothing you don't!

Here at the nic-nac studio we love stuff that is PRACTICAL and well-made. These are built to LAST!

Enter PBCSALE at checkout for 25% off (until June 30 2011) and we'll throw in a notepad, erasers, grey leads and 12 coloured pencils for good measure. Enjoy :-)

Kylie xo

p.s. my daughter (8) gives one of these to any of her friends having birthdays. boys or girls, young or really young, they are a great gift and so practical. One of these and a nic-nac balloon ball and she's chuffed with her present giving :-)

Kids Instyle - it was a blast!

2011-02-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

Our blueberry spot nappywrap collection on display... pity i can't figure out how to turn the pic around!

What a big week it's been for us here in the nic-nac studio... launching our new website (and a myriad of teething problems), flying to Sydney for our first trade show - Kids Instyle - which was a bigger learning experience than anticipated and so inspiring, arriving back and unpacking, and now - to go through all the orders from the show. Such an exciting time for us, I think we need a team of TEN not five!!!!! But as we don't, and need to remember the work/life balance, I thought it appropriate to post on that topic.

What to do when work is screaming for attention, and there aren't enough hours in a day, BUT your family is also needing your time, energy and love, and you're torn limb from limb?Well, for me, I start by remembering to BREATHE! Then I sit and write a huge list, and figure out what can get done after the family have gone to sleep, and before they awake in the morning, what I can do on the laptop in front of a (kids) movie during some quiet time (this way they THINK and FEEL that you're present with them as you sit beside them, but you're still typing away!) and then I put something in the slow cooker, so it's ready for dinner time with little fuss or effort.It's not easy! Then I put off what I can, deal with what is urgent, make a few phone calls, send a few emails, and give out as many hugs as needed. When kids feel important and that their needs are being met, they slowly drift back to a relaxed state and are happy pottering (in my experience anyway) on their own, enabling you to get on with what you need to, with them nearby.I let my daughter have a day off school today - she'd missed me for five days, and many more before that as I was preparing for the show, so I thought it was fine for her to have some me time - but needing her to understand that I'd also need to do some work too. As soon as I involve her she feels important. "what do you think of these photos of the nappywrap?" or "Why don't you be in charge of deciding what we'll make for lunch together?" and she loves it!Hope you manage to keep your work/life balance working well for you and your family, and if you have tips and ideas to share - don't keep them to yourself! Share the love :-)The photos in this post are of our Kids Instyle stand - our theme was PICNIC and it was exciting shopping for goodies for our "picnic" from the food markets at Fox Studios, as well as the most amazing grocer (max something?) we found near our hotel in Surry Hills. YUM!Have a great week everyone,Kylie xo

the nic-nac nappywrap display at kids instyle - come join our picnic?! xo

new website - new piccies - good times!

2011-02-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny what excites different people... for me it's clean floors in my house, a day off to spend with my family, and new photos of nic-nac products! (many more things too - but not wanting to bore you with the long list!)

We were lucky enough to have the gorgeous gals from Giggles Photography do a photoshoot for us this week, (the 2nd they've done for nic-nac) and this time they used their own babies as the models (last shoot they were both pregnant!) so I'm sharing a few of my favourite shots - for the rest, head to our website. Thanks Josh and Peyton - you're both totally adorable! (and isn't that the most beautiful grass you've ever seen?!!!!)

Peyton with a nic-nac poppy dot carry-all

Josh on a blueberry spot nappywrap

Peyton on a poppy dot nappywrap

Today we launch our new website, and are thrilled to be offering a launch special - 20% off the whole range (which we've never offered before!) for 48 hours... ending midnight 13th Feb 2011. There are lots of new ways for our beloved customers to save with nic-nac; we're offering a rewards system, cheaper postage with no packaging costs, and more... head over and see for yourselves and grab a bargain while you can! nic-nac nappywrap

Our theme for the year... simplify your life. Over the coming months we'll be sharing ideas and hope you'll share yours too - let's make 2011 less complicated so we can all spend more time with our families!

♥ Kylie ♥

Kids Instyle - here we come!

2011-02-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Woooohooooo less than 2 weeks until we leave for our first trade show - kids instyle in Sydney, can't wait!

we're in serious preparation mode here in the nic-nac studio, and every day we've got new products arriving. photos below are of our new pencil wraps and baby change mats - they're available now on our website http://www.nic-nac.com.au or head to http://www.facebook.com/nicnacnappywrap and become a "liker"...

blue gingham pencilwrap

chocolate gingham with blue trim pencilwrap

chocolate gingham with red trim pencilwrap

funky flower pencilwrap

lime spot with pink trim pencilwrap

lime spot with red trim pencilwrap

minipink pencilwrap

tulip pencilwrap

red spot pencilwrap

red star pencilwrap

and the new change mats are available in the following colour combinations;


pink gingham with pink trim (looks great with the tulip miniwrap), pink gingham with red trim (looks great with the flower fairies miniwrap), chocolate gingham with red trim (looks great with the flower fairies miniwrap), chocolate gingham with string trim (looks great with the blue leaf miniwrap), bottle green (looks great with the green leaf miniwrap), baby blue (looks great with the vintage cars miniwrap)

On sale this month we have the army fabric - nappywrap (save $10) and miniwrap (save $5)

army fabric in the miniwrap style

Good luck to you all in north QLD awaiting the cyclone... we're all thinking of you down here on the north coast of NSW, as we struggle through a crazy heat wave - a bit of a shock after months and months of rain.

Here's to a better weather month for the whole country NEXT month! (and stay safe while we're coping through these next few days and weeks)

Kylie xo

end of 2010... what a year!

2010-12-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hi and here's my last post for 2010... Not that I have posted that much, having a new business, updating the online store and a nic-nac facebook page have ensured there's not much time left for other stuff, but I do like the idea of blogging, so my new years resolution is to be more active on here!

I like the idea of hints & tips, sharing ideas on parenting, recipes, good ideas for cheap fun, how to get creative with your kids... because most of all I have learnt one thing this year;

Too many people feel negatively about parenting, and it's time to remind them why they wanted kids in the first place, and help them reconnect to the FUN that is parenting.

Why do so many people COMPLAIN about being parents? we spend so much time trying to get pregnant, love the baby stage, and then as soon as these little humans evolve as toddlers with tantrums or throw food, or kids with attitude, suddenly it seems the arguments start between the parents, "you don't do enough!" "it was your idea to have these kids!" and I really don't get it, and it makes me sad.

Motherhood for me is the best thing I have ever done. It's the thing I'm most proud of. Watching my daughter and my husband interacting is something really special, and I encourage things they can do together - just the two of them. While I still have an element of grief in me over not having another child, the gift of our daughter is magical, and I am forever grateful to have her in our lives.

(Clover (on our holiday a couple of months ago - Vanuatu) weaving on the beach... she lights up my morning and makes me smile.)

Each stage she gets to (she's now 7) I feel a little sad at what has passed.. maybe that's due to only having one child, so you don't get to do the baby stage again, the toddler stage again, the fun play dates and picnics at the beach during the day... but I LOVE being involved in her school, doing canteen duty or going on a class trip. Homework - spelling and home reading, inviting her friends over for afternoon tea and sleepovers, watching movies on a Friday night or baking up a storm. We can now have serious chats about serious things... and her favourite thing when we're on long car rides "tell me a story about when you were little mummy..."

Juggling being a working mother, a wife, a carer, trying to build my business, having a social life, time for family, time for my husband, catching up with friends, finding time to exercise (ha ha!) and time to myself to relax (ha ha ha!) is often a struggle, and I do have to work through the guilt I feel at never being enough, giving enough, doing enough, BUT at the end of the day, ALWAYS making sure I can go to bed knowing I have helped someone, made a difference somehow... even if that's just making sure there's a healthy meal on the table, and a hug and story before bed.

Being a mum sure is a challenging job at times. But it's the biggest gift we can ever receive. The opportunity to bring a child into the world and to teach them and enjoy them so that they grow to be mindful, respectful, thoughtful and confident as they go out and explore the world.

As this year ends and another begins, our children are a bit older (so are we!!), and time is marching on. Do you make the most of the time with your child/ren, and do you tell them how much they are loved and cherished?

Best wishes to you all for a beautiful 2011, and a wonderful festive season.

Kylie xo

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." Mignon McLaughlin

a great documentary on pregnancy...

2010-10-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

We've been living in such rainy times lately up here on the north coast (not quite as bad as south east qld though!) that there's been a lot of iview watching at ours... and i found this one which was too good not to recommend.

if you get a chance (it expires on iview in 8 days) it's well worth a watch.

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/64999

we were at the baby & toddler show in sydney at the beginning of October which was a great 3 days of talking everything nic-nac - great fun - and awesome to meet lots of interesting people - both shoppers and stall holders alike.

Byron Bay markets this weekend.... Sunday. See you there if you're in the area!

Kylie xo

The FIVE cup cake. YUMMO!

2010-08-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

i have an awesome recipe to share; it's called the five cup cake and that's literally all it is!
1C self raising flour
1C milk
1C coconut OR almond meal
1C fruit/vegie
1C brown sugar (which mostly i've missed out and it still works).

My favourite combos so far; mango & almond meal, grated carrot & coconut, grated beetroot & almond meal, sliced banana & coconut... oh they're all delicious!

Mix it all together, bake at 180 degrees for between 20-40 mins, depending on whether you're cooking in muffin tins, loaf tin or a cake tin.

I have found I can whip these up before school so easily - and off she goes with a piping hot teensy cake full of vegies! (yes, I tend to mix the beetroot and the carrot, and if you put vanilla soy milk in you can skip the sugar altogether!)

enjoy :-)

Cleaning baby toys SAFELY...

2010-08-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Clean Baby Toys safely - Not wanting to be super-precious and wipe and clean everything every minute, and finding that the 1 minute rule sometimes stretched to 5 minutes - it was important for me to research and find some safe alternatives to cleaning bubs toys.

Oh, so simple!

For wooden & plastic toys;
1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
Mix together and put in a spray bottle - either spray the toy directly then wipe with a cloth, or spray on the cloth and wipe. Vinegar is safe for little ones (it's edible!) and the smell goes away relatively quickly!
For hard to move stains and sticky bits on toys, use a few drops of eucalyptus oil mixed with water on a cloth - and hey presto - gooey bits are gone! use the vinegar solution afterwards...

Cleaning soft toys; Often these will have cleaning instructions on the tag, but if they don't, and if they're home made toys, this is a great (and gentle) cleaning option... Put the toys in the washing machine with vinegar & bicarbonate soda - this is great for smelly sneakers too! Always check the toys for holes or tears, as the machine will be a little rough on those "injured" treasures. For heavily stained toys sprinkle a little bicarb soda and wash, adding 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Most soft toys are fine in the dryer too, but i'm partial to a little outside sunshine and fresh air. Oh, and a great way to get rid of dust mites if the toys have been stored for a while, or if you've picked up some from a garage sale or op shop is to put them in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer for a week. For wool toys I recommend spot cleaning only, using a mild wool soap and a cloth and dry it in the sunshine. I would never put a wool toy in the machine or dryer - better to be safe than sorry!

Voila! clean, refreshed and germ free toys :-)

cute pics i have found...

2010-07-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

oh, it's times like this when i wish my little girl was a baby once more... i found this blog which i LOVE - check it out, it will bring a smile to your face! milasdaydreams.blogspot.com LOVE IT!!!

tips for fun with babies, toddlers & kids

2010-05-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

How easy is Play Dough??!!

All kids love play dough, (I do too!) and it’s so simple (and cheap) to make and lasts for ages. When you look at the ingredients you'll see it's safe for bubs too, if it goes in the mouth!

This recipe makes a small tub of play dough which is easily doubled for more. You can add essential oils to make it smell good too, in fact I've made it where each colour I've made a different smell.... it's so fun to play with!

What do you need?
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon oil
few drops of food colouring
1/2 cup boiling water

What do you do?
Mix it all together and knead until reaches dough consistency.

To store it you can use lunch boxes, old takeaway containers, plastic snap lock bags or anything air tight.

essentials for a baby shower...

2010-04-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

well, obviously a nic-nac nappywrap! but i have been thinking, as so many people buy for baby showers at my market stall and ask "what else might our friend need?" that there were lots of things I needed, but many that i didn't "need"... so, i'm going to start compiling a list, so if anyone wants to add to it - that'd be great! email kylie@nappywrap.com.au or post on here. thanks :-)

Bangalow market - new spot

2010-04-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

After seven years in the same spot at the Bangalow markets, we've moved! we're now up in front of the ferris wheel and the merry-go-round, beside the massage guy and clairvoyant, and near the food.... a great spot!

Come see us there, we have lots of new products for little girls and boys, toddler and baby toys, and of course our nappywraps, miniwraps and carry-alls.... always popular!

This weekend coming up - Byron Bay markets.

See you there :-)

new products...

2010-04-20T02:19:00.001-07:00

well, the time has come, the play mats are on their way, the pencil wraps are in production, the new fabrics are out in force, and nic-nac is pumping!!!!

i'd like to start putting info on here about pregnancy and baby-time... but i'm waiting for a few more followers so, if you want to share this link, go ahead, there's lots of info waiting in the wings!

Kylie xo

Mathilda's market this Saturday (17/4/10)

2010-04-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

yaay - just found out we got a spot so we're going to be showcasing our new products at Mathilda's market in Brisbane this Saturday - yipppeeee!

It's my favourite market, so much fun, and I'm so excited to have our new products there on show... and all the old fabrics on sale!

come see us there, or look online to see some of our new goodies - rest will be going up over the next week.

Kylie xo

Photo shoot for new products up the coast

2010-04-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

12th April

Wow! What an amazing venue for a photo shoot - the Gold Coast Botanic Gardens at Benowa. Giggles Photography (http://www.gigglesphotography.com.au) did the shoot for all our new products and 2010 fabics yesterday. Searing heat, heaps of mums, dads & bubs, 2 photographers, and the nic-nac crew - this time consisting of me, my mum and my daughter :-) what a day!

It's amazing when a photography company are so professional that they take care of the whole thing! They co-ordinated baby after baby, had them smiling and looking cute and all with no tears or whingeing - amazing!

Can't wait to see the pics... will post on here soon!

Oh yeah, and today's my birthday and the day to celebrate being me :-) happy days with my family!

nic-nac nappywrap... made it to blogging!

2010-03-31T03:28:00.001-07:00

AWESOME!!!! we made it onto blogspot...

So, what's happening for nic-nac?

This Sunday - Byron markets - we are showcasing our brand new products and fabrics. What does this mean?

The long awaited playmats - just WAIT 'til you see them - they're soooo cool - and their friends - the organic toys (fruit & vegies) - which can tuck away inside the playmat. The fruit and vegies are so cute I could honestly have a set beside my bed! (yes, weird) They come as singles, or in a wooden vegie crate or cotton fruit tote.

Also making a much anticipated appearance - our new fabrics in the miniwrap, nappywrap and change mat AND the new pencilwrap - my 7 year old LOVES them.

Combine the new products and fabrics with our market tent's new roof & sides - and the excitement is truly unbearable - ba ha ha.

So come see us at the Byron markets this Easter Sunday, or keep checking in on our website www.nappywrap.com.au as our new products make their way online...

happy parenting :-)