pregnancy, babies & children's expo this weekend

Just a quick note - the Pregnancy, Babies & Children's Expo is on this weekend (starting today!) at the Adelaide Showgrounds, Wayville. Open 10am-4pm today and 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday, the Expo includes stalls showcasing products and providing expert advice. See the website for full details.

nurseries to make you swoon!

I have been neglecting my blog this week and I apologise - things have been very chaotic with multiple appointments and still getting used to life with two littlies!

I have also had very little time to check out my favourite blogs, but have just had a few minutes to myself during which I lept over to my fave design blog table tonic and found these gorgeous nursery photos. Bliss.

Here a few of the nurseries featured, but I urge you to follow this link and check out the other 11!

Images from iheartbaby

juice box boats

I'm loving this juice box boats craft project from gorgeous blog inchmark. I can just imagine making these and then floating them in our wading pool.

Image from inchmark

delicious design - table and chairs from kidsonroof

I'm always on the lookout for interesting children's furniture, and it was love at first sight when I came across these wooden tables, chairs and benches from Dutch company Kidsonroof.

product of the week - hug a bub baby carrier

Shortly after bringing my new daughter home from hospital, I discovered that she is a baby that will often only settle when she is held. Obviously this poses a bit of a problem when also trying to care for ,and play with, a very active toddler. I already had a Baby Bjorn Active carrier, but, just as I had experienced with my first child, this felt a bit unsupportive for such a tiny baby with very little head control! After a lot of research and an afternoon spent trying out slings at my local baby mecca Baby Bunting, I settled on the fabulous Hug a Bub carrier. Basically, this is just a very long piece of lycra that you wrap around your body in a specific way as demonstrated on the dvd that accompanies the carrier (at first this tying technique is a bit time consuming, but, trust me, it quickly becomes second nature).

The beauty of the Hug a Bub is that you can carry your baby close to your body, and it feels very secure and comfortable. By tucking my baby's head under one side of the sling (called the "Peapod" method), I can even bend over without worrying that she will fall out or hurt her neck. There are four carrying positions that are demonstrated in the DVD.

Retailing from $79 upwards, the Hug a Bub comes in various colour combinations, and can be purchased with or without a front pocket. See here for stockists.

Image from http://www.hugabub.com/

delicious design - fabulous bunk beds

I can't remember where I came across this photo recently (it may have been ohdeedoh), but I recall instantly loving the symmetry and clean lines of these bunk beds - they make great use of a small room, and would be perfect for multiples! The addition of drawers under the bottom bunks add practical storage space.

last weekend to visit 'amococo'

If (like me) you haven't yet taken the kiddies to visit Amococo at the Fringe, this weekend is your last opportunity. Based in Rymill Park, 11am-7pm until 14 March, Amococo is a giant inflatable "luminarium" of interconnecting tunnels and domes illuminated by light and colours created by Architects of Air. Suitable for all ages (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult), Amococo has received rave reviews, not least from my cousin who recently took her two little ones (aged 2 1/2 and 1). Entry is $2 per person. Arrive early as lines will undoubtedly be long, and it may be worth taking along a harness for any toddlers who may try to run off!

Images from http://www.fringefever.com.au/

interesting read - "should toddlers do chores?"

I found a link to this article at A Magical Childhood and I thought it was timely given that my toddler is heavily into playing "cleaning". The article discusses the benefits of introducing household chores into a child's life from an early age and suggests a number of chores that toddlers can do around the house. As I read the article, I was especially drawn to the comment that, by incorporating chores into a toddler's life early on, toddlers "get the benefit of having a routine where doing household tasks comes naturally".

I'm hoping that if I nurture my toddler's current obsession with sweeping and wiping spills up with a sponge that I will one day be able to leave all the housework up to him as I put my feet up with a well-deserved cup of tea!

Image from http://www.squidoo.com/businessideasforkids

dress-up drawings

I found this cute art activity over at Made By Joel. It makes a nice alternative to the usual drawing and colouring, and if you're anything like me, you'll have plenty of fabric scraps to use from all your sewing projects! If you don't have anything handy, the fat flats available from quilting stores or Spotlight are an inexpensive way to purchase the necessary fabric.

Images from Made By Joel

delicious design - book plates by Blonde Designs

Whatever happened to the humble bookplate? I love flipping open my childhood books and seeing the beautiful labels inside the cover decreeing that the book belongs to me, written lovingly in my mother's cursive script.

I'm currently coveting these delightful bookplates from Blonde Invitations and Stationery, a beautiful stationery company founded by two graphic designers (and mothers) formerly of Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings magazines (great pedigree!).

Whilst visiting their website, be sure to check out their other products - sublime!

For international orders and shipping enquiries, email info@blonde-designs.com.

Images from Blonde Designs

reminder - mathilda's market in adelaide this saturday

Just a quick reminder about Adelaide's first Mathilda's Market being held tomorrow (Saturday 6 March) from 9am to 1pm at Loreto College, 316 Portrush Rd. Marryatville. Entry and parking is free. . I have already blogged about this niche market that offers unique, stylish and affordable baby & children's goods that are handmade or of limited production. Most of the retailers do not have a shop front, so you know you'll find something which is not widely available.

For a sneak preview, have a look at the website (http://www.mathildasmarket.com.au/) and enjoy a browse through the photos of all participants. Be sure to check out the Little Luv, Sassilu (formerly All The King's Horses), and Pink Apple stalls at the market - I have blogged about all these local mum's gorgeous products in the past.

friday focus - claire richards, children's artist

Today marks the return of "Friday Focus" after a longer than anticipated hiatus. I am excited to feature local Adelaide artist Claire Richards, who specialises in producing children's artwork. Bright, beautiful and often quirky, Claire's products include greeting cards, handmade toys, and portraits. She has also illustrated a number of children's books and was commissioned last Christmas to create the Christmas banners along Jetty Road at Glenelg.

How would you describe your artwork and how did you get started?
I illustrate picture books and quirky greeting cards. I try and put a little bit of humour in all of my artworks. My favourite card I have made says ‘Jack ran out of presents so he gave his brother the neighbour's cat.’ I like making hand made things and telling little stories in my paintings. I enjoy painting portraits.

I started by studying art at TAFE for three years. I wasn’t sure what medium I wanted to do and it was fantastic because I could try a bit of everything - photography, print making, pottery and digital art. I still use clay to make models to draw from. I kept doodling little stories in the back of my art journals. At the end of my studies I had a little exhibition of my cartoons about children and funny looking pets.

When and why did you launch your business?
I launched the business in 2005 because I wanted to share my stories. It gave me the opportunity to develop my style and experiment with paintings. It has led to working on creative projects such as collaborative murals.

What do you enjoy most about being a children’s artist?
I can read picture books and watch Shaun the Sheep as ‘research.’ I really like seeing children’s reactions to my work.

Children are notoriously impatient – how do you manage to get them to sit for portraits?

I make sure they can see what I am doing. Some children like to watch as I paint them. Children are good at observing details and often remind me ‘don’t forget there are pink AND purple stripes on my socks’. Others stay still because their parents have bribed them with food or are jumping up and down and juggling. Because my style is quite loose, it is actually fine for children to be running around while I paint them. 

Where do you work?
I work from a home studio in the garden. This is great because I don’t have to pack everything up each time I make a creative mess. I am quite proud I have built a light table, a rack for drying paintings and use an old cutlery draw to organiser my brushes and pencils.

What do you love about living in Adelaide as an artist?
I like living in Australia because our animals are fantastic for drawing - you can’t find any part of them that is not completely strange! I like working in Adelaide because we have some great little galleries and bookshops. I don’t know if it’s because we are kind of small, but I have found people are very encouraging of young artists.

Where do you find inspiration?
I like spending time in the children’s section of the library. I always feel compelled to create when I come home from looking at an art gallery.

What is your favourite children’s book?
My favourite book for this week is "Dairy of a Wombat" by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley. There are lots of picture books I love to read over and over.

Where can we buy your products from?
I have artworks at a couple of galleries including Urban Cow on Frome Road in the city and Gallery M at Marion. I have cards in a few shops including the Ivy Room at Glenelg and Out of the Cot at Magill.

To contact Claire and view more of her work, visit her website:

http://clairerichards.com.au/

Images courtesy of Claire Richards

abc for kids online - the playground

Have you discovered The Playground on the ABC for Kids website yet? I'd been meaning to try it for a while, but only finally checked it out last week when I was looking for something new to do with a toddler who had been incredibly patient with me feeding my newborn and deserved a treat!

This website is a great introduction to computers for young children, and is also a wonderful resource for parents. The website contains games and activities associated with a lot of the shows and characters featured on ABC for Kids, as well as characters created specifically for The Playground. Games vary in complexity and there are lots of downloads such as colouring in pages and party packs! It also has links to parenting information.

Our current favourite pages are Play School, Olivia, the Wot Wots and Chuggington.

Image from ABC Kids

cozy quick blankie project from the purl bee

The last few nights have been cooler in Adelaide, and this got me to thinking about cozying up with luscious blankets. Blankets are a bit of an obsession of mine, particularly baby's and children's blankets. I just can't seem to resist a beautiful pattern or a splendid fabric.

Although I have very little spare time now that I have two under two, I still dream about new sewing projects. The Purl Bee is a beautiful shop/website out of the USA, and I often visit it to check out their latest tutorials/projects.

Here's a beautiful one that I hope to get around to completing before the cold weather really hits ... a cozy quick baby blankie. The tutorial has detailed instructions and helpful photos, so I'm hoping that it won't be too hard to tackle in the evenings once the children are asleep and I'm still at least half-awake!

Image from The Purl Bee