Kids Instyle - it was a blast!

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!

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!

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!

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...

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!

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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)

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

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!

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 :-)