style file : bobbi sunshine swimwear

it's almost always a beach day here on the gold coast. even if it does involve a hoodie and a blanket, i have really grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of living at the beach. my children don't know any different, both of them born and bred on coastal grounds. my girlfriend and i often call it easy parenting at the beach, the kids can run for miles, build sandcastles, talk and screech as loud as they want, and if i've had a particulary difficult or sleep deprived morning, then it lets me calm down and clear my head while they are happy and content to play and explore. i admit, it has taken me probably 4 of the 6 and a bit years i have been living here to be 'ok' with the sand everywhere thing. it's in the car, in your hair, through the house, at the bottom of the washing basket... you get my point?! maybe at that turning point of not caring about the sand, i finally became a 'local'?

 

summer holidays see our beaches at their fullest, and each and every summer our swimmer collection grows. long gone are the days when one, or maybe two {at the max}, swimsuits were more then enough to see me through our swimming days. my kids have at least 5 pairs on the go and i am so happy with the durability and the wear, and secondly important, the designs of the bobbi sunshine swimwear label. this is my second year of stocking the label at my shop and already i'm busting to see what designs and styles are in store for next summer, as i know i will be sticking with this brand. pictured above is summer and marley who are both wearing bobbi sunshine rainbow bunting suits. summer is 4 and a half and is wearing the rashie and bikini pant, although you can't quite see the pant from the rashie covering them, in a size 4. marley is 3 and a half and is wearing the full piece in a size 4 also. so you can see from the styling of the full piece that the sizing is actually quite versatile and marley is going to get at least another one or two summer's out of her pair. summer still has room in her rashie, and depending on what growing she does this year, i dare say she'll be wearing this rashie next summer also. the fabric is 80% nylon 20% lycra with a spf of 50+. this season's full piece is lined inside with another layer of fabric, which makes them so soft and comfortable to wear.

if you're looking for swimwear, pop over to our shopping site {especially if your eyes have not met the yellow chevron full piece yet! and mum's of boys, there is a very cute board short available in the yellow chevron too, sizes 1-12}. i only have a few select style and sizes left in stock, but i can most definately order in your size if it's not available on the site. you'll need to allow about a 3-4 day turn around for delivery on special orders. feel free to flick me an email for more info and if you would like to see the full available range.

super stylin : coast kids gc

what started off as dropping a few ideas to a friend has eventuated into something of a new creative outlet for me. it's always come quite naturally to share and bounce ideas with friends. some being their ideas that just need that second opinion, support and a bit of motivation. sometimes i need to release my own thoughts and i need direction. i love how one idea, one simple thought, mixed with the right people can be recreated into something so fulfilling.

this is how the july cover of coast kids gc came about {top image}.

when i first took over the reins of yummy mummies, keeley from savvy mama was one of my very first business connections. since the day i met for coffee with her, we have worked together on various ideas and at local events, and we have managed to build an awesome friendship {this canadian mama never fails to make me giggle like a little school girl with her way of words and her down to earthness}. keeley has expanded, and along with her savvy mama business, she is now also the owner/editor of coast kids gc magazine.

so after having a fun time helping on the july cover, it was decided i should work together with the team on a regular basis. and why not hey - i'm up for the creative challenge, and i'm up for working with new people and broadening my pathways!

the august mag was then on the schedule, a party themed issue. i learnt quickly that while you may have a particular direction in mind, that it might not always work to the vision had in mind on the day, and that something so beautiful can still happen. the children on this cover are just adorable, don't you think? next is september which is a father's day issue and there are some super ideas flying about for that cover!

i'd love for you to join me on my journey with the team at coast kids gc. i'll of course be promoting it in any way i can, so you'll see me pop a few images up from time to time. do check out keeley's mag online, or if you're local grab one at your nearest kid friendly place!

stepping out

i remember when i was pregnant with my second child, loads of mum's told me that it's much easier second time round. mmm... that hasn't been the case for me. so not the case. the last 12 months has been a long road, adjusting to the multi tasking of two beautiful children and a household, myself and a small business. i am one super organised person, and it has even caught me off guard and disorganised. it takes me approximately 2-3 weeks now to respond to a text. and only today, almost 12 months after my second baby came along, do i feel like i've caught up on the washing. the washing. one small child has thrown the washing regime waaaaaaaaay off track. but today i've caught up. i'm not even going to go there with the gardens (ha-hum, weeds)...!

my bestie goes out for a coffee every day. sometimes twice. truth be told, sometimes she even goes three times, depending on her day! it might only be a takeaway, or she may sit in. but this is her thing, the thing she likes to do for her. and sure, she no longer has a baby in her arms, her babies are walking and talking, more independant. and right now, for maybe quite possibly the first time yet, i miss my own independance. i miss me, i miss real coffee, i miss "having the time".

so i decided that one day a week i would go exploring this beautiful city i live in. get myself out of the house for an hour, away from the nursery and the routine, away from the chores and abc 4 kids, and into the fresh air. to go and find a place i have yet to visit. somewhere new, somewhere different, somewhere hidden. somewhere that might brew coffee, so i can skip my usual nescafe that day, and sit with my little people, sipping on awesome espresso, people watching and exploring. meeting and greeting.

so i started doing this a few weeks ago and thought i would blog about the places i have visited, and share my finds with you. i've got three to catch up on, stayed tuned...

hot spot : little kickers gold coast

i like to take summer to the occassional activity lesson. i don't like to fill her week with activities, there's plenty of time for a social life once she gets a tad older, i'm sure! she currently goes to swimming lessons, and more recently she has joined little kickers.

what's little kickers? play not push - a fun and imaginative introduction to soccer for children aged 2 years to 5 years. devised in the uk in 2002, little kickers has arrived down under to benefit our little aussies.

it's so much more than kicking around a ball. the idea is to use soccer as a fun medium to help the kids learn social skills like listening, sharing, taking turns and teamwork; practice learning skills like colours and numbers; and fine-tuning their basic balance, agility and co-ordination skills.

it's heaps of fun, and although it's not just all about kicking soccer balls and scoring goals, this does happen and let me tell you, there are some champion goal scorers in our group! i have to tell you about one of the little kickers... in one of our first sessions, he was scoring goals and then doing the whole lift his shirt over his head and running off with his arms in the air thing. seeing a 2 year old do this had me in stitches, what a legend!

we sit in circles at the beginning and end of the lessons and say hello and goodbye to each and every player. we pass the ball around the circle, putting all of those above mentioned social skills into play yet again.

and... they even get stickers and stamps to go home with! can't get much better than that!

the coaches are awesome. our coaches at southport are coach amanda and coach dane. coach abbey {in the middle with summer} and hubby coach brad are the ones who have brought little kickers to the gold coast.

sound cool? sound like something you'd like to take your mini me along to and check out? well your first session is a free trial session, so why not! for us gold coasters, there are currently sessions on saturday mornings in southport and pac pines. classes are at 8am, 9am, 10am and 11am in both locations. you will need to contact abbey on 07 5574 9027, 0457 602 219 or goldcoast@littlekickers.com.au to reserve your free trial spot and to find out more information. little kickers gold coast have also recently started up a facebook page, so if you're on facebook pop over and like their page to keep in the loop and up to date with classes and little kickers goss.

check the little kickers website for other locations accross the nations. i noticed there are loads of nsw locations to choose from.

hot spot :: gov's espresso

last week we met up with local super star, keeley from savvy mama. we tried out the newest hot spot on the gold coast, gov's espresso, for a cuppa and a chat, little ones in tow. i always love hanging with keeley, not only is she all over what's happening around town, but she is an absolute crack up, always making me laugh.

gov's is a big ol' house that's been converted into a meeting spot that oozes in vintage style. you can relax inside with a game of chess or sit and read your current novel. sit in the rustic courtyard at the front by the fountain. book the studio room for a baby shower or the private room for your business meeting. or how about organising your next mother's group in the back sunroom or yard! we sat out in the backyard in the morning sun so miss addi and miss summer could draw on the big chalk boards or play in the cool boat in the sand pit (even though they preffered to play grown ups and sit with us and sip babycinos). my favourite was the old bed frame in the yard to lounge on (the vintage day bed, love it). there are also lots of collectables available for purchase in the front collectables room.

with loads more additions being added, including a new big chalk board along the back fence and story time for the kids aged 2-5 on mondays, gov's is a great place to meet with friends, no matter what the occassion. they are open every day from 7am - 3pm and are located in mermaid beach at 2457 gold coast highway. i recommend!