review this :: designer collection by stuck on you

i received a super lovely package from stuck on you that consisted of a couple of items from their designer collection. i have to say, i absolutely loved what i got! already famous for their name labels, stuck on you have now introduced a gorgeous collection that features canvases, height charts, labels and t-shirts like the one summer is wearing. these t-shirts are fantastic, they're made from quality fabric that i know is going to last my toddler through her adventures!

even through her so called funny new tricks! i love these pair of birdies on the t-shirt, so whimsical and so cute, with gorgeous modern colours. we also got some groovy vinyl labels which we labelled onto summer's lunch box. she thought it was very cool and thought we should label everything that is in the tupperware cupboard, not just her lunch box! the vinyl labels are made to stay stuck, even through the dishwasher and in the microwave. so no more half peeled off labels!

i am really impressed with not only the quality of the products from stuck on you, but also the modern designs and the whole fun factor of it all. you should definately pop on over to their website and check out all the other groovy stuff they have. you won't be disappointed!

it's finally arrived!

our new website that is. just sneaked it in before christmas! what do you think? i love it! i am super happy with everything, especially my colours. lucky, because i have to look at it every day!

wow, what a mission. now, i'm not going to lie to you, it's been an interesting journey for me, rebuilding yummy mummies into a place that not only has fun and funky stock, but also reflects me and my family. i took over the yummy mummies empire early this year and it's pretty much taken me all year to learn the ropes of the industry and finally have a super hot finished product! i have so many lovely people that have been by my side with my venture. sarah from style me gorgeous is an absolute dream to work with. she completely captured the feel i wanted with my site, and i recommend her to anyone and everyone that needs a graphic designer. clayton and the team at vividpink put this gorgeous creation into reality for me. i had fun working with clayton, there's something nice about working with cool people who just get it. so if you're thinking of starting up a website, you should definately jump onto vividpink's site and get a quote. and how bout those gorgeous suppliers of mine, each and every one of you are beautiful and i thank you for your patience with me in getting this site relaunched! i also want to mention a couple of beautiful photographers too. kathy & grant from ashford studio on the gold coast (and soon a studio in sydney) have supplied the gorgeous photography in the gallery and the pregnancy shot on the home page. skye from skye rocket studio in wagga owns rights to the middle photo of miss indi grace. indi is modelling an indi g hair clip, which are of course available from our shop. and last but not least, naomi v photography from brisbane owns rights to the photo of summer in the third box. i of course had to put my own little daughter on my home page!

there are so many friendly and talented people in this industry. i am so glad to be amongst them all. so off you go... pop on over to the site and check it out for yourself =) xx

mika belle

meet mika. isn't she adorable! i loved her entire outfit for these photo's, especially that headband! mika's mum wanted some photo's to give out for christmas pressies, so we (my bff 18 month old daughter and i) popped over with the camera and had a little photo shoot play date.

mika smiled the whole time we were there, i'm sure she would've had sore cheeks by the time we left!

keeping it metro

you may remember my post a few months ago on the babycotpod cascara cot. no? well you best pop back and take a squiz, this bassinet/cot rocked my socks off, and i, for one, have got it at the top of my "next baby list"! i often pop into babycotpod's website, just for a look and to dream about what colour i'll get when they're released, and to my surprise, there was something new there; the metro crib! woah! how colourful and delightful is this gorgeous creation!

the metro crib was made with the not so futuristic parents in mind. as funky as the cascara is, lets be honest, it just may not fit into everyone's decor (although, in my eyes, it'd be a great starting feature to create an out of this world nursery with!). so, the metro is suitable from birth to six months and it rocks at the centre line. however, the guys are working on an option to lock it in a fixed position. it will be manufactured from a mixture of wood, acrylic and steel and be available in a number of colours. it has all the expected safety features that we need for our babies and the soft furnishings will be removable and washable.

but wait, there's so much more that these talented men are working on. there will be a larger cot based on the same styling, and get this... bedroom furniture to match!! love it!! there is no confirmed pricing yet, but the aim is to have the metro available around march next year. babycotpod, i am your biggest fan xx

style file :: mavi

every mum-to-be needs a stylish pair of maternity jeans. am i right? mavi jeans are renowned for their perfect fit jeans and when i heard they launched their first pairs of maternity jeans earlier this year to australia, i knew they would be the perfect jean to stock at yummy mummies, before i had even laid my eyes on them!

the angelina jean uses two side stretch panels that expand with your growing belly. this is a mid rise boot cut style in a dark washed indigo stretch denim. i secretly tried a pair of these maternity jeans on as i'm not yet back into all of my "pre baby" clothing, and i tell you what, they are super comfy and look so damn good on! so i chucked on a belt and a pair of heels, and seriously, it was hard to believe they were maternity jeans. in a word, these jeans are hot, and will be your new bff (well for nine or so months anyway)! you'll find them online with our relaunch, with a reasonable price tag of $149.95, but if you possibly can't wait until then, you can email your order through to me.

kreativ blogger award

i was awarded this kreativ blogger award from the extremely talented lady behind minilala nappies, carli. i'm feeling a bit honoured that carli has picked me as one of her 7 bloggers, thank you carli =)

this is how the award works...
1. copy the picture and post it on your blog
2. thank the person that gave it to you and link to their blog
3. write 7 things about yourself we don't know
4. choose 7 other bloggers to pass the award to
5. link to those 7 other bloggers
6. notify your 7 bloggers

this is a great way for me to spread some blog lovin, so here are just a few of my favourite ladies and their blogs...

:: little pinwheel an amazing woman with an amazing blog, you will fall in love with the little pinwheel story
:: piper + lily handmade baby + children's jewellery, clothing, toys + accessories. and is one of the many new suppliers coming on board for the yummy mummies relaunch
:: little sooti a cool blog with very cool finds
:: little diva designs christine finds the most gorgeous fabrics and creates to die for children's clothing + soft toys
:: skye rocket studio a beautiful photography blog from a talented lady in my home town
:: lil' rockers rock star head wraps and another new supplier coming on board for our relaunch
:: mini stylista jen has a heart of gold and if you're a mum who loves talking about kids fashion, you will love her shopping forum

and 7 things you probably don't know about me...
:: i am a shorty and measure about 152cm
:: i am absolutely totally addicted to the bold & the beautiful
:: i am a country girl, spending most of my life living in hay and wagga
:: i'm scared of the dark (there, i said it)
:: i have 72 pairs of shoes
:: i am a mary kay consultant
:: i've spent 12 years of my working life in admin offices

that was a bit fun, thanks again carli!

shelley's belly

you may remember, quite a few weeks back, that we had the pleasure of photographing shelley in our own wonderful maternity label, lady bump. that day, we also had a bit of fun and dressed up shelley's gorgeous pregnant belly for a few shots too.

i'm probably a little bit naughty for posting up this pic with the pink booties, as shelley & dave didn't find out they're baby's gender. but you know how sometimes you just have a feeling, for no calculated reason what so ever? i have that feeling with shelley, that there might be a little pink baby in that tummy of hers... we'll know if that feeling is right or wrong soon enough, shelley is due on thursday xx

a human birdsnest

i stumbled accross this while getting lost on the internet last night. it's from the series "a green garden" and is titled "a giant birdsnest for breeding new ideas". it's insane and i'm absolutely loving it. lamp and all!

mommy & me photo challenge

i've recently started following a fab baby blog called kenziepoo, and i'm really enjoying reading rachelle's (the mum) finds and thoughts. this week she has posted a challenge, a mommy & me photo challenge. you post a photo of you and your little one/s on your blog and rachelle will pick her favourites and then post to her blog. are you a mummy, mommy or a momie? and up for a photo challenge? then i invite you also, to participate in some fun mum lovin!

this photo is of me and my daughter, summer leonie. we took this photo a few weeks back now, but it's been my favourite ever since. it totally captures summer's character and her sweet cheekyness! she is definately my mini me, although she looks a lot like her dad, every day i see more and more of me coming out in her. she loves to help with the house chores, she likes to push the pram now instead of being the one in it, she has to find her purple big beaded necklace before we leave the house, and the froth off the cappicino is no longer mine! having a baby and watching them grow and develop into little people completely blows my mind. i just love being the mum!

finding freckles through frankie

have you met freckles? isn't he so cute that you could just eat him all up? freckles is a schaffas; a creature of great mystery. freckles was walking by a witch's house that was made of treats when an explosion occured and a giant freckle (a stepping stone in the witch's garden) landed permanently on his head. he tries to cover the damage up with his little silver hat!

i came accross the schaffas in the newest issue of frankie magazine. frankie brings us everything that is art, fashion, vintage, craft, music and so much more of life's findings. so glad i finally decided to take home a copy of this gorgeous mag, both frankie and freckles have a new number one fan!

and the winner is...

kirsten meiklejohn! kirsten shared her gorgeous belly photo with us for the yummy tummy facebook competition we held during october. kirsten was 41 weeks + 4 days in this photo, and zach leonard was born another 2 days later, weighing 9lb 7oz! my congratulations goes to kirsten, this is such a gorgeous photo and i'm sure you have given inspiration to those who are pregnant and looking for photo idea's. kirsten has won a $75 voucher to spend in our online store.

thanks to everyone who uploaded a photo for our competition, and thank you to everyone who took the time to look through the gorgeous 31 bellies and voted, or even just left a comment. i really enjoyed this competition, being a woman and having been pregnant only once before, i found myself getting really emotional and very clucky over all of the cute bellies! it really is a significant time in a woman's life, wether you loved being pregnant or didn't enjoy it at all, it's an experience none the less. thanks for sharing xx

peekaboo!

i love nothing better than to sit down with a cuppa and read a good magazine. and since i've become a mummy, magazine time has a whole different appeal to it and is now a luxury item for me. i've been anticipating the arrival of the new peekaboo magazine for weeks now, and today i got my copy, and boy, did it deliver! 40 glossy and gorgeous pages filled with fashion, food, travel, product reviews, awesome competitions and even photography tips. peekaboo is a free magazine, yes free, and i actually felt a little guilty that i hadn't paid for it as it really is a high quality mag! it's got everything i love in a mag; clean pages free from clutter, splashes of colour everywhere, groovy fonts, and information that i actually want to read! peekaboo is brisbane based but should definately not be restricted to brisbane residents. however, i am loving the brisbane shopping map in the middle of the book so i can rip it out without ruining the mag, and keep it tucked in my baby bag for when we're visiting brisbane next time!

photo credit: naomi v photography

i'm also loving page 16... this little angel is my daughter. we were lucky enough to catch a model call out for a photo shoot for the mag, and summer (my daughter) totally rocked the camera on the day (much to mummy's delight). she's featured in the vintage fashion section wearing momie et enfant, princess ratbag, indi g pretty little things and shoes from scarlett jade and jett. we had such a fun little outing with the shoot and loved meeting bianca (peekaboo), candice (momie et enfant) and naomi (naomi v photography). the baby/kids/mummy industry is really something else. every day i find new opportunities, not only for my business, but also for my family. i am grateful that i get to meet gorgeous women like these three ladies i met through peekaboo magazine.

if you would like a copy of this fresh new magazine, then visit the peekaboo magazine brisbane facebook fan page and get in contact with bianca, she'll be more than happy to pop one in the post to you, i'm sure!

style file :: baby base ink

keeping in theme with my streetwear focus this week, i wanted to let you in on one of the funky new labels that will be arriving at yummy mummies upon our relaunch in a couple of weeks. meet baby base ink. funky street smart headwear for the little people in our lives. i love the by-line for this groovy label: small sizes, big personality. and these super cool hats give just that. personality! i know that most of us, at some stage or another, have searched for that piece of clothing or groovy accessory that hasn't been seen around the play ground before, something different and in trend (and especially for our boys). well guess what? we found it!

the photo above is of base, yep, as in baby base ink. a cool name for a cool baby! base's mum has made all of the designs on these funky hats herself. the detail of these designs are something else and the quality of the hats are second to none. now, i just need to find a way to make my 17 month old keep one on for longer than 10 seconds!

on location with shelley :: lady bump photoshoot

a fortnight ago we hit the streets of brisbane with a couple of camera's and a pregnant woman and her dog, in the search of something different for the back drop for our lady bump photo shoot. lady bump is yummy mummies' own maternity label. shelley was the perfect model; 33 weeks pregnant, willing to try my idea's, not afraid to do a quick clothes change behind a towel, and just plain fun!

i have a thing for graffiti walls. i love the rawness of the art and the bold colours. the brisbane powerhouse was our location for this photo shoot. what was once an old power station has over the past decade been converted into a creative arts centre. it worked perfectly for what i had in mind!

we all know how handy a pair of black pants can be when pregnant, especially for work. but i don't think they should be strictly limited for that. i wanted to put a bit of a street wear twist to my label, incorporate that black pant into a new style; just add a pair of converse's, a 2 chix maternity tee, sunnies, and viola, one super stylin mumma ready to go! you can find the lady bump shorts and pants on our website.

family holidays

we turned the computer off yesterday afternoon and hit the beach. ok, so it wasn't a real beach on the shore line with waves and all that. but it was still a beach! some of my family members are here on holidays so my daughter and i took the afternoon off to hang out with them at the lovely resort they are staying at. i love a beach like the ones at resorts; real sand, sun chairs, coffee shop and a lovely pool that gives you that beach feel minus the wash and waves. being on holidays is the best feeling. i haven't had a "real" holiday for about 4 years now and after hanging out with my family on their holiday, i'm now itching to plan a first family get away of our own! any suggestions on the best holiday spots when you have a toddler?

style file :: indi g - pretty little things

i was meant to be saving these for the relaunch of our new look website that will be up in a few weeks time... but they're just too damn pretty to not share with you straight away!

so let me introduce to you, indi g - pretty little things hair clips, a darling little creation from a wahm and her mum! made in my home town of wagga, you have the choice of a single packaged hair snap clip, or a duo package which contains a single hair snap clip and a press stud button feature in the same design, so you can attach it (sew on) to another garment. you might like to stitch the button feature onto a singlet, a top, a hat or a headband, or anything really, to make a cute matching combo with the clip. or, if you like, a little tip for if your baby has little or no hair, just clip the hair clip onto her headband!

these are going to make fabulous christmas stocking fillers for any little girl (or big for that matter)! and stay tuned for some groovy (and not over the top) christmas clips coming soon!

you can see more of the collection on our facebook page or our website. single clips are $6.95 and the duo packs are $12.95. be quick as there is only one of each style! xx

doin the boo

bugaboo. the name says it all. the label has it's own cult! shopping for a pram ended up being quite an easy decision for us. i dreamed of owning a bugaboo but decided i would settle on the strider, that was until we went pram test driving. in a word - wow. the bugaboo has it all. one hand 360 degree turning circle, check. slim body width to fit through those shopping isles, check. low handle bar for us short mummy's, check. light and easy to pack in and out of the car, check. my partner was the one who suggested we lash out and get the bugaboo for all of the great benefits we saw in the pram. it was on layby before he even finished the sentence!

our daughter is nearly 17 months old and we haven't had the need to buy a stroller, she still fits into her bugaboo cameleon and will for a while yet. i have nothing but good things to say about this pram. if you're like me and get bored easy, then no worries, change the colour toppings and it's like a new pram all over again! and the accessories... cup holder, parasol, foot muff, snow wheels, breezy, sunshade and just recently bugaboo has launch its new revamped wheeled board.

the new wheeled board can be attached to the cameleon, the bee, the frog and the gecko. it makes it easy to roll with two by attaching the board to the chassis with just two clicks. the max weight on the board is suggested to be 20kg's and the rrp is around $165 and will be available in australian stores within the next few months. which means i don't have to give up the bugaboo for if and when second bub comes along. love that!

yummy tummy facebook competition

wouldn't mind winning a $75 voucher to spend at our online store? then this competition might just be for you! share a pic of your pregnant tummy on our facebook fan page and you could win just that, a $75 voucher to spend at yummy mummies & mini me! but wait, there's more! you'll be spending your voucher in our new styled gorgeous website that we are currently working on. we're hoping for a re-launch at the end of this month and we think you will be delighted with what you'll see. not only will it look fabulous, and we'll still have our favourite suppliers with their cool threads, but you'll find lots of fresh new labels coming on board too!

the competition will run for the month of october, finishing on saturday the 31st at midnight (that's australian queensland time, which is non daylight savings time).

how to enter:
1) strike a pose
2) write your full name, and if you like, a little blurb about your tummy, on our wall and click attach photos to upload

how to win:
3) gather up all of your facebook friends and ask them to become a fan of our facebook page (you can also send out friend suggestions which is located under our logo on our page)
4) ask your friends to find your photo by clicking on the photo tab box (or you could always send them a direct link)
5) get your friends to place their vote by adding the word "vote" in the comments section under your photo

the person who has the most fan votes wins!

all facebook fans can vote! if you see a yummy tummy that you think is fab, just leave your "vote" in the comments section. don't have a yummy tummy of your own to upload? don't worry, we will have another great competition later on this year for you to enter in to win. don't know if you're a facebook fan already? click here to be taken to our page to become one.

remember, this competition is just for fun. your photo doesn't have to be a professional one, in fact some of the most gorgeous photo's taken are happy snaps from our pocket sized digi camera's! take my photo above for example... tacky? maybe! having fun while taking it? definately! so search your hard drives, scan those old photo's or grab your camera this weekend and start snapping! have fun and good luck! xx

sorry, but i have to include some terms & conditions:
~ you may enter the competition as many times as you wish
~ your photo must be of reasonable quality and must not contain nudity or be unlawful, indecent or objectionable in any way
~ by uploading your photo you agree that you are the owner of the photo and the person appearing in it, and that you give us full permission to use your photo and details to announce as winner on facebook and for a future blog article
~ final decision will be based on fan votes only

style file :: quack maternity

quack maternity has designed a super stylish range of breastfeeding clothing that has revolutionised the way we breastfeed today. they are so stylish that i've even had non pregnant ladies buy them because they are on trend and just super comfortable. the elastic ruching at the sides of each garment gives you the stretch you need whilst your belly grows, and the quality and blend of viscose and lycra that quack uses feels soft and delicate on your skin. it really is an experience to wear.

when shopping for maternity clothing, versatility is key. you may want to invest in a few pieces of clothing that are suitable for pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond. establishing breast feeding may be one of many challenges you may face when becoming a new mum, and if you have the right clothing ready on hand for when that time comes around, it might just make it a little easier to meet baby's needs without showing any more skin than you want to. quack's design makes it easy to nurse, you just lift up the top layer of fabric under the bust to access discreet nursing openings to feed your baby. my favourite part of the quack range is the cute little signature duck that's printed on the underneath panel so that when you lift up to feed, baby has something to look at.

you can browse our range of breastfeeding tops here along with many other fab pieces of maternity clothing.

baby's first credit card teether

heelarious brought to us her first high heels; soft crib shoes for infants 0-6 months. then came out the cowboy boots, complete with spurs and all. and just when we think we've seen it all, out comes baby's first credit card teether; a 100% non toxic silicone teether that's of course bpa and phthalate free, with a bumpy texture on the back of the card to help sooth baby's gums. love it or hate it, it's definately a subject supporting a lot of controversy. heelarious came from two mum's that are childhood friends, one who had a complete high heel obsession, the other not knowing if she even owned a pair. reminiscing about heels and talking about kids parties, they joked about how hilarious it would be if they took their baby to a party supporting a pair of heels. and then it was born. heelarious.

an apple a day

i love that my daughter is loving apples at the moment. as soon as she hears the fridge door open, there's the pitter patter of her feet on the tiles, and she's there, into the crisper and helping herself to an apple. with a sense of satisfaction, biting into the apple she's just scored, she toddles back to what she was doing and carries on. however, i later on find trails of biten off apple all through the house, or wherever we are! maybe she likes the sound the apple makes, or the freshness of it in her mouth, but just doesn't want to actually eat it! it's really cute to see my little baby grow to become so independant, especially with her foods. at 16 months old, i sometimes wonder how long it will be before we experience the age of the terrible two's... or is that just a myth?!

babycotpod

bugaboo. check. dior dummy. check. inglesina high chair. check. babycotpod. check! with it's futuristic design, this modern piece of nursery furniture is going to be the first thing on your new baby check list.

shaun milburn is a 33 year old dad and a design engineer (if you couldn't already tell). he built this funky piece of furniture after his second son was born, when he found there was a gap in the market for a modern looking bassinette. the cascara (pictured) can sit supported on the 'tang' stand, which will be available in wood or plastic moulding, or can sit by itself directly on the floor. it has an in-built hood, a retractable carry handle, easy to grab handles for lifting on and off the 'tang' stand, is ergonomically designed to provide ultimate safety and comfort, and has removable and washable fabric inserts in a variety of colours; so you can change your mind on colours as often as you like!

although you can't actually snap one up just yet, the word on the street is that the babycotpod will be available to purchase early next year for around 160 GBP, kicking off with a product launch at the harrogate nursery fair in the UK. i'll be sure to keep you posted on where when and how we can all get our hands on one! how cute would a doll size cotpod be, now there's a thought...?!

thoughts on a monday

i'm thinking about diamonds again today. a couple of my partner's mates have recently popped the question to their girlies, and it's got me thinking about when my time will come! i fell in love with the georg jensen centenary ring about, gee, probably about 6+ years ago now...! and today i still love it. we've even tried it on and i will even accept it in the platinum or the white gold if need be (i've always been a rose gold girl).

how bout this heat!! it's heading for around 30 degrees on the goldie today! it feels like it's january already! i'm loving it.

i'm obsessed with the colours yellow and peach at the moment. has to be the bright vibrant yellow, and the peach, a pinky peachy colour, soft or fluro.

i'm loving every little bit of the kids summer fashion that has been released over the last few weeks and i've already ordered in a few things for my daughter for xmas. do you think i'll be able to control myself and save them til then?! a few things i've ordered: chalk n cheese tier dress, li'l ludy swimmers, moppit playsuit and a pair of trumpette andy tracks shoes in the hot pink. love shopping, it makes you feel so great!

our mavi maternity jeans shipment should arrive any day now!! also expect to see some maxi dresses and cuffed work shorts on the website very soon!

xx

style file :: little diva

gorgeous. divine. unique. yes yes yes. the work that comes from little diva is nothing but! little diva is another top australian small business sewing up a storm for our consuming pleasure. the fabrics that christine brings to us are so unique and funky that you're more than likely not going to see them on any other little girl in the play ground. when i asked what inspires christine, she answered "most of my inspiration comes from fabrics. there are so many beautiful fabrics out there with the most delicious colour combinations and patterns that i really have to stop myself buying them all. i also get inspiration and ideas from my children and the things they love and need".

sitting right alongside these gorgeous pieces of girls clothing are the intruiging members of the snigglebottom family. sniggle who? the snigglebottoms came from a desire to use up every last piece of fabric and a love of sewing with felt. on combining the two, the snigglebottom family was born and has kept growing ever since. they are one big happy family of brothers, sisters, cousins and the odd stray! no two are ever exactly the same which is why there was a need to name each and every one. pop on over to our website to see the gorgeous work from little diva.

style file :: huggalugs

you can imagine my excitement when our huggalugs order arrived last week. i've been busting to try out the new legruffles on my little girl, check her out, cool or what?! (she's totally loving it too)! how do you wear them, what are their purpose, i hear you ask... wear them on the legs and on the arms, for warmth or for fun, under skirts, over pants, with your modern cloth nappies, or just for dress up's! the legruffles are super girly and come in vanilla cream, smitten kitten, so pink and funky black. but we musn't forget about the little men in our lives either, the leghuggers are a cool twist to add to your boys wardrobe, in designs like dinosaurus, jo bomber, egg head and cheeky monkey. jump on our website to see our full selection.

style file :: pram rock

check out the cool shirt i won from pram rock for my little bubbalicious mini me. too cool for skool that's for sure. pram rock offer some wicked threads for bubba's and if you're looking to add a bit of street style to your baby's wardrobe, then these shirts are for you! dribble j, skate brat, croozin for a snoozin and funk soul bubba are a few of the designs on offer and you can grab your pram rock t-shirts from our website!

danielle and her husband matt started the business using their combined graphic design and printing skills, along with some experience in the surf industry. all designs are 100% original and each t-shirt is hand printed using silk screens, available in sizes 00 - 2, short sleeve and long sleeve. Street, punk and funk baby tee's for the style conscious bub! Seriously cool.

baby & kids market

yesterday we held a stall at the baby & kids market on the gold coast. this was my first attempt at a market stall and i had such a fabulous time meeting other mum's and dad's and goo-ing and gaa-ing over tiny babies and pregnant bellies, that i think i will definately have to do it again. the baby & kids market has been running for 6 years now, and attracts a great crowd of parents and expecting parents. they predominantly sell high quality pre-loved goods; from cots to high chairs to linen to shoes to books and clothing. if you want it, it's there! they also have a number of local artists and designers (me included) that come along to showcase their own product range.

we shared a stall with the gorgeous keeley from savvy mama. savvy mama sends out a free e-newsletter for busy gold coast (and surroundings) mum's and dad's, keeping you in the know with short blasts of helpful, hip information. it's a bit like getting an email from one of your mum friends. keeley keeps you informed and entertained with cool, new and undiscovered products and services, aswell as kid friendly places to hang out. she also emails out a weekly guide to family events on the coast, so if you're local (or local enough), this is one newsletter that's worth signing up for.

another local talent i wanted to share with you is michelle and her family from sustainable hemp products. more and more mum's are becoming educated on the virtues and common sense answers that hemp, bamboo, organic cottons and wools can provide for our families. michelle has such a massive range of products on offer; hemp/organic cotton blend, wool and bamboo mum and bub products like cloth nappies and accessories, adult clothing and accessories and personal care products. with the demand on modern cloth nappies increasing by the day, michelle's specialty is just this. but something else that took my fancy were her breastpads. we know that bamboo has highly absorbent, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties, so this along with the combined softness of the 3 layers of bamboo/organic cotton velour that these breastpads have, make them a super comfy, cost-effective solution to breast-feeding needs. had i known these were available when i was breastfeeding, i would have definately purchased a few packets!