loving : children of the tribe bags

i'm on the hunt for a new handbag and the process of finding just one perfect candidate (i was hoping for at least a two option situation) is proving more difficult than first thought. welcome, handbag, you've now been placed into the category where 'it's time for a new pair of sunnies' resides; a place where an item needs to be delegated time, patience and constant attention, which then normally results in an extremely happy owner once desired style is found (mainly because it's taken so damn long to find).

 

sigh.

 

but i am loving the new statement bag from children of the tribe that i've come across in my bag travels. i loved their sleepover and swimming bags, and now the goodness bag is just so much more versatile.

 

perhaps an 'in-between-handbags' candidate? hmm...

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.

review this + giveaway : stuck on you drink bottle

in my few years of parenting i have been through a ridiculous amount of sippy cups and drink bottles. recently i have test driven the stuck on you drink bottle with my 4yo daughter, and to be really honest, my 18mo daughter too!

i need my children's drink bottles to fit a bit of a criteria. might sound silly, might sound a bit o.t.t., and well that's just part of my makeup! the low down on this drink bottle... it fits in the drink holder on miss 4's carseat. check. and in the front of the car too. check. i've had a couple that have been too big around the base to fit in snuggly, so i love this point. second win is that i have ditched the nappy bag and am now on handbag status again. this drink bottle is a 500ml capacity, so it fits standing up in my handbag, so is easy to keep organised and can be grabbed straight out with no fumbling around. love that. the pop cap is still quite firm for miss 4 to open and close herself, which i like because it means i know that a certain 1yo can't sneak it away and tip water all over, well, everything! the designs are so pretty, love it personalised with a name, means it's easily recognisable at daycare, or anywhere we go that involves other drink bottles. it's stainless steel and bpa free. check, check and check.

 

miss 18-months-going-on-4-years {sheesh}, has proven her ability to drink from this drink bottle also. which is great. big girl status! so a frankie design will be hiding under our christmas tree for her this year.

 

i've teamed up with stuck on you and we are going to give away one personalised drink bottle, valued at $24.95 and posted free to you. wanna know how you can go in the draw to win one? firstly, go visit the stuck on you website :: www.stuckonyou.com.au :: find the drink bottles and choose your favourite. come back here to this blog post and leave a comment below {if you are leaving a comment as anonymous, please leave me an email address, or even email it to me, so that if you win i can contact you} with what design you will choose if you win one. pretty easy, and well worth the effort if you do win!

 

i will randomly draw out a winner on monday morning {december 10}.

 

good luck!

loving : we are handsome {yet again}

last year i was a bit smitten with the ladies protector series from we are handsome's the memoirs 2011 collection. so when i first spotted this childrens one piece on instagram yesterday, well you could probably imagine my reaction!

 

loving : saltwater sandals

loving the new mash-up saltwater sandals in tan and turquoise, exclusive to lady pinwheel. if you're quick, you can save 10% on a pair aswell as go into the draw to win a free pair!



loving : the birdhouse print

pants or tank. i can't decide which i like the most. i just know that i am loving this silk birdhouse print from milk from a thistle's spring/summer collection.

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!

threads on thursday

are you doing the instagram thing? if you are, would you like to join in with us on a thursday to share your wardrobe style? ...or your kids style, or your nans style, or even a sneaky stranger shot style {you get where i'm going with this?!}. the bestie and i thought we'd try and drop some more fun into the instagram thing and start a hashtag : #threadsonthursday.

it's not about designer clothes and showing off. it's about giving yourself a little push into your wardrobe and mixing some outfit combo's you might not have pulled off before. it's about $15 kmart mint jeans. it's about those new shoes you just couldn't resist. it's about sharing style idea's. it's about having some fun. it's about getting creative with your camera. it's about replicating your pinterest boards into your real life. for me, it's about neon and blazers right now {because i am an obsessed neon freak, but you already knew that if you follow my pinterest boards}.

in around-about way, this started from 4 years of wardrobe neglect. i am certain i am not the only mum out there who has been obsessed with dressing their little people in gorgeous, adorable, too cool for school ensembles. it brings me so much pride to have my little people looking their cutest. i love my kids, i love fashion. it fits together. but i lost "me" along the way. somehow. i had style in my 20's, for years i was all about the denim with heels and a tee. along with many new years resolutions this year, one of them was to re-build my fashion style and add some new clothing pieces to my wardrobe. and now, i'm seeing my old style peeking through at me from my wardrobe and you know what, it feels awesome to want to get up and push my wardrobe limits each morning.

we'd love you to join in and play along too, you don't need to be asked to hashtag your image, just chuck the hashtag on and mingle with some instagrammers like yourself, who have "stuff" in common. if you're a private user, you can still play too - only your followers will see your image in the hashtag gallery, anyone who doesn't follow you won't see your image. and of course, all public profile images are there to be seen by anyone {this is the mingling part i was talking about}.

i'm on instagram as @becwatts - i'll see you tomorrow!