Gigi's Disney Princess 4th Birthday Bash

Our Disney Princess Party was a fantastic success this past weekend - all the kids had a ball and looked gorgeous in their little prince and princess costumes. Though exhausted and still suffering the end effects of the flu, I got through all the games and entertainment as planned, managed to get the cake iced and decorated with time to spare and despite a slight wardrobe malfunction and fish tank emergency in the hour before the party, we made it on time as the first guests walked in the door. This is just a quick update to let everyone know how things went and I will be posting all the final party details over the next few days. Overall, Gigi had a wonderful time with her friends - doesn't she make a lovely little mermaid - and Lulu floated from plate to plate scavenging all the food she could get her hands on - which is nothing unusual ha ha. She also had a slight tanty in the morning whilst getting changed - notice in the photo her fancy footwear - despite the beautiful sandals mummy had bought with her Tinkerbell costume, it was Crocs all the way! Aunty Carla cut a lovely figure as the glamorous Belle and me, well, I stopped short of cutting my hair into a bob but I think I pulled off Snow White - what do you think?

Countdown to the Disney Princess Party....

I must confess that for the past few days, with the big party approaching, and Gigi's birthday, I have been very slack with my posts but I am confident that all will be forgiven when I post my first kids party plan guide in the next week or so. I will include all the things you need to know to plan a little girl's birthday party from theming, games, food, entertainment, invitations etc. Watch this space...

Lemon Loves Lime - quirky fashion for little girls

Oh my goodness...Gigi would go CRAZY for this brand - Lemon Loves Lime - available through groovy online boutique Everything But the Princess. Most styles appear to have an in-built tutu and the applique animals are so cute, some with crocheted coordinating jewellery. Their little red combination for Christmas is adorable. Shipping to Australia is very reasonable but I was most impressed with the quirky fashions - there is a definite uniqueness about this label and I look forward to keeping them in my favourites to see what they come up with next season.

Happy Birthday Gigi!

Happy Birthday gorgeous girl - have a lovely day!
Lots of love , Mummy, Daddy & Lulu x x x x x

Kate Finn - Delightful Children's Toys

Both Gigi & Lulu have a matching pony and an elephant in each of their bedrooms from the Kate Finn collection of children's toys. I have been known to give them as gifts to several of my friends with children as the craftsmanship and design are so cute and unique. Kate Finn has been selling children's toys for over 32 years and the prints and colours available in the collection are simply delightful. The rag dolls are beautiful too - if you are lucky enough to find one of them that matches your child's name, it is a great gift idea - every little girl would love a doll named after her. Come on Kate, what about a "Gigi" & a "Lulu" please? In all seriousness, the Kate Finn website is well worth a look.

Suri Builds a Bear

Cute little Suri Cruise, accompanied by daddy Tom, had a great time on Saturday night in New York at the Build a Bear Workshop. We took Gigi when she was a baby to personalise a bear that said "I love Gigi" but we have yet to take Lulu to make hers - slack mummy & daddy! Maybe Santa might help us out in that department. It is also a fun place to go with the kids for a birthday party - all the children get to take home their own bear which is a nice memento from the party - better than a bag full of lollies. Check the Build A Bear website for locations in Australia.
UPDATE: With thanks to Baby Chic 101 - Suri is wearing a Bonpoint dress and with thanks to Suri Cruise Italia, the silver ballerina flats are also from Bonpoint - gorgeous!
Photo Source: Just Jared

Pretty Little Hair Accessories by Pretty Little Pumpkins

My girls have always got some sort of hair accessory in their gorgeous locks - originating from a hairdresser Nonna who has primped & preened their hair from day one. As a result, we have quite a collection but as Carrie Bradshaw would say about shoes, you can never have too many! These gorgeous little crocheted hair clips from Pretty Little Pumpkins are different to the regular resin clips you tend to find - plus, they even have a dragonfly! Follow the link to their website as they have lots of groovy little accessories for your pretty little poppets.

Isabelle Grace Jewelry - Personalised Mummy Jewellery

For something a little bit different, unique & special to commemorate the birth of yours or a friend or family member's first precious child, I stumbled upon Isabelle Grace Jewelry from the US. The ideas in their "Mommy Jewelry" collection are like nothing I have seen before. I particularly like the Circle of Love necklace and the Square "Bling" Tag Necklace. Giving something personalised always adds a special touch and it is something that can be passed on to the baby as a keepsake when they grow up.

Sunday Rose - will we see more of you soon?

Gorgeous little Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban out with mum Nicole & dad Keith in London - more of a glimpse of the world's most sought after baby. Love those little Mamas & Papas striped leggings and there is a definite tinge of red in those baby locks. We hope to see more of you little Sunday..

It's Diabetes Buzz Day!

Friday, 19th September is Diabetes Buzz Day - a day to support Diabetes Australia in raising much needed funds that will go towards Diabetes awareness, research, education & advocacy programmes. In their words - to take the "sting" out of Diabetes. Not only was I borderline gestational diabetes with Gigi but also one of my very close friends has recently had her gorgeous 9 year old son, Ryan diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, so this charity is close to my heart. Ryan is a fantastic kid - he has taken everything on board and is coping really well with his injections and special dietary needs - and it is important that we all know more about this condition as it affects around one million Australians - some statistics suggest 50% of those affected don't even know they have it. The Buzz Day awareness programme has several items of merchandise, such as pens, key rings etc available to buy through various retail outlets or you can get some of the cute plush toys featured above through their website - http://www.buzzday.com.au/

Trumpette Mary Jane Raincoat & Wellies

Our friends at Trumpette have created another unique concept in baby & toddler fashion - the Mary Jane Wellies & Raincoat Collection! After discovering their baby sock range when Gigi was a baby (I have talked about them in an earlier post), I was so excited to see this new product from Trumpette. I found them stocked in a fantastic US based online baby boutique called Arte Bebe. They come in 3 colours and they can be purchased with a gorgeous matching rain coat, umbrella & rain hat. Perfect for those wet & windy days - makes splashing in puddles much more fun!

Bling Baby - You can never have too much bling!

Gigi just LOVES sequins and at BlingBaby there is no shortage of them. They have sequins on such things as clothing, accessories, shoes, pacifier clips and even wipes cases & thongs (flip flops for our US friends), just to name a few. One of my favourites is the personalised baby bloomers - or rufflebutts, as they are called - and also the onesies that have such sayings as "Q T Pie" & "Baby Chic". You also can't go past the "bedazzling" Converse sneakers - very chic! The best part is they ship to Australia so make sure you have a peek at their site

Disney Princess Birthday Party - Update

It has been a very busy few weeks - but the plans are well under way for Gigi's 4th Birthday party. Invitations have FINALLY gone out and I am now sourcing prizes and costumes for the games and theming. I have some great ideas for the games - without giving too much away, I can reveal there will be six games all themed around each princess and of course my annual "Daddy's Game" - basically where the all the dad's get to be funny & silly - the kids love seeing their daddy's goofing around. I have purchased two brand new Disney princess costumes on ebay for Gigi & Lulu - and they both arrived this week and are gorgeous. I am still waiting on mine - but you will have to wait and see on that - it's a surprise...
Photo courtesy of Disney

Was there ever a more gorgeous way to "tszuj" up a pair of Ugg Boots!

If I may borrow a word from Carson Kressley from "Queer Eye for The Straight Guy", what a great way to "tszuj" up a pair of plain ol' baby ugg boots. What a shame they don't ship to Australia. If you know anyone in the States, check out the Penelope Wildberry website and place your order because there are lots of cute designs - for mum too. A great, fun idea for a unique look - takes me back to the old Hobbytex on the school bag days - or maybe I need to get out and dust off the Bedazzler...

Sunday Rose in Serena & Lily

Like everyone else, I am curious to see what that beautiful Kidman-Urban baby looks like. With such a gorgeous mix of genes, I am sure that little 2 month old Sunday Rose is very cute! With mummy, Australian actress Nicole Kidman, (no sign of daddy, Australian country singer Keith Urban) the pair popped out for a stroll in London on the weekend, with little Sunday Rose safely snuggled in a Serena & Lily Baby Market Sling in Flax/Sky Blue colourway. The lining of this lovely, hand embroidered baby sling is 100% organic cotton and comes in 2 other colour combinations. With her mum's auburn hair, I wonder if Sunday Rose has/will have a pretty red tinge to her locks - strawberry blonde looks gorgeous on a little baby girl - I know, I have two of them!

UPDATE - Gelati Art - Canvas Paintings for Little Princesses

Following my post last week on Gelati Art, I decided I couldn't resist the ballet slipper art for Lulu's bedroom - it was the pink sequins that reeled me in - and I ordered it then and there. To my delight, I received it in today's post and needless to say, I am a very happy customer. Vanessa & her team have been fantastic from a customer service point of view and the actual artwork itself is just beautiful. Definitely worth taking at look at the Gelati Art website - they have many variations of colours & themes for both boys & girls.

Elf Creations - Embroidered Singlets for Beautiful Baby Girls

When Gigi was a baby, my mum embroidered some pink roses in bullion stitch on our Bonds singlets and I loved that a plain old singlet could be given a beautiful face lift with some creative needlepoint. Learning how to do bullion stitch is on my life's to-do-list as I hope to one day do the same for my grandchildren. In the meantime, I was delighted to come across Elf Creations as I Googled around to learn how to do this type of embroidery. Lana has some really gorgeous singlet & sock sets, among other things, and I have shown above my favourites for little princesses - the butterflies, pink nappy pins, pink rattles and of course, the roses. Lana's website is well worth a look, as there are lots of great gift ideas for a new baby (boys & girls) if you want something with that added personal touch.

Unique Toys - Cirque Du Soleil "Duolido"

My husband and I went to see Cirque Du Soleil "Dralion" on Wednesday night and we got this gorgeous bendy, magnetic toy, one each for the girls, called "Duolido". It is also available at the BabyCenter Store. We are big fans of the Cirque Du Soleil shows - during both pregnancies we went to "Quidam" & "Varekai" respectively - and when I saw this toy, with it's beautiful bright colours and unusual shape, I couldn't resist. If you are looking for a toy for a little one in your life that is a bit left of centre & unique, check out the other Cirque Du Soleil licenced toys - so cute.

Trumpette Baby Socks

I absolutely love the Trumpette range of baby socks for little girls - both Gigi & Lulu had a couple of sets each. The featured Pixie & Ballerina ranges are among two of our favourites - they come in a set of 6 different colours, perfect for mixing and matching outfits. We used to get lots of comments in the shopping mall when people saw these cute little socks that look like shoes. The Mary Jane style is worth a look too. Little Honor Marie, daughter of actress Jessica Alba is also obviously a fan - she was spotted out and about with mum this week in 2 different styles. They come packaged in a cute little box so are a nice gift idea for any trendy little princess.

BabyCenter - A great resource website for mums & mums-to-be

When I was pregnant with Gigi, someone sent me the link to the US based website, www.babycenter.com and I am still registered with them for updates on both my girls. You get weekly update emails, for example: "Your 18 month old: Week 4" filled with lots of progress milestones, handy tips & hints and a great community forum to share advice with other mums. I went through a tough time mid pregnancy with Lulu and it was through conversing with other mums-to-be who were going through the same issues as me, that was extremely comforting and reassuring. It is particularly great to get the pregnancy weekly updates as they have pictures of what your growing baby could be looking like at certain times of the pregnancy, roughly how big it is etc and my hubby used to love the little weekly update I would give him, for example "hey, guess what, the little peanut has fingerprints on it's fingers now!" They have a local link in Australia now too. One of the best resource websites I have found - I would definitely refer it to my pregnant friends.

Harlow Madden rocks C&C California!

I am always on the lookout for bold & bright prints, especially in lilac or green hues, as they funnily enough look gorgeous on my little strawberry blonde's. I came across this C&C California baby girl's dress only this morning, and I fell in love with the print, in particular the little blue peace symbols - so cute! Coincidentally, just today, little Harlow Madden, beautiful little daughter of Nicole Ritchie & rocker dad Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, stepped out with mummy for coffee in New York in this exact dress from the C&C California kids line.
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Gelati Art - Gorgeous Artwork for Little Princesses

I am always on the lookout for original artwork & bits and pieces for Gigi & Lulu's rooms - G has a mermaid theme, in lavender hues, and L has a baby pink ballerina theme. In both rooms I have canvases of pictures related to these themes, some created by me or some commissioned by creative friends or people I have found on the web and only recently I came across Gelati Art and was very impressed with their cute and original artwork for little girls. They also theme for boys so well worth checking out their website if you are looking for something a little bit different for your little one's bedroom or playroom.
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BabyBoxes - A Beautiful Gift for a New Baby

I am a very big fan of prepared baby gift boxes for a new arrival and I have sent many from different companies in the past. Some come with cute little flower arrangements of singlets rolled into rosebuds, or nappies rolled into a "nappy cake". None, however, compare to the one I received from babyboxes when Lulu was born. For starters, the gorgeous gift box itself is perfect as a baby keepsake box - I keep all Lulu's cards in it. Secondly, the gifts are very practical - muslin wraps, soft 100% cotton baby singlets, a bodysuit, beanie, baby socks etc. The little toy puppy is very soft and gentle on the baby's skin - Lulu will still sometimes sleep with hers. But most of all, my favourite item in Lulu's gift box was the little slogan singlet that read "Little Sis" - soooo adorable! You can get variations such as "Milk Rocks" or "Daddy Dressed me Today" - very cute! The boxes themselves have different colour themes to choose from. The other bonus from the particular package that I received is the Mummy gifts - the goats milk & vanilla soap was so luxurious on the skin in the shower, like nothing I have ever used before; the lavender milk spray - very relaxing & pampering for new mummy's; and you can't go past Lindt chocolates for a nice finishing touch. I would definitely recommend checking out all the great gift variations on the babyboxes website.
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Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day in Australia so we thought we would pay tribute to our fave celebrity little ladies with their daddy's - there are some really touching photos showing the love between a father & his little girl. BTW - Happy Father's Day Daddy, and Happy Grandfather's Day Nonno, lots of love Gigi & Lulu x x x








Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark with half-Australian little Princess Isabella, daughter of "our" Crown Princess Mary

Superstar actor Will Smith along with daughter Willow (and son, Jaden). Clearly a daddy's girl, following his footsteps into acting - what a fun household this would be with funny guy Will as daddy!









Gorgeous little Shiloh Jolie-Pitt with daddy, actor Brad, mummy is actor Angelina Jolie








..and Daddy Brad again with other daughter Zahara...not forgetting gorgeous new twins Vivienne & Knox, and two more sons, Maddox & Pax, Brad is one busy daddy!












Joel Madden, lead singer of rock band Good Charlotte, with tiny little Harlow Winter Rose, daughter with Nicole Ritchie, and grand daughter of singer Lionel Ritchie






Golf superstar,Tiger Woods with his beautiful baby girl, Sam. It has just been announced in the media that little Sam will be getting a new baby brother or sister in the new year
















Definitely a daddy's girl, cute little Suri Cruise with superstar actor dad Tom. Mummy is actor Katie Holmes










Aussie favourite, actor Hugh Jackman and his little cherub, Ava











Spanish hunk, actor Antonio Banderas with Stella, his lovely daughter with wife Melanie Griffiths












Super trendy Lourdes Leon, strolling in New York City with personal trainer/actor dad Carlos Leon, looking more like mum, Madonna, everyday



Singer Seal with delightful daughter Leni (and son Henry). Mum is Project Runway host and Victoria's Secret model Heidi Klum




Spiderman actor Tobey Maguire is obviously a fun-loving dad to cute little Ruby Sweetheart







Devoted Daddy, actor Ben Affleck with beautiful little Violet, his daughter with actor wife Jennifer Garner








Actor Matt Damon with daughter Isabella. He and wife Luciana have just recently had another little baby princess named Gia














Smiling Miley Cyrus, teen star of Disney's Hannah Montana, with country singer dad Billy Ray Cyrus


Finally, the drop dead gorgeous English soccer superstar David Beckham and his 3 sons - Brooklyn, Romeo & Cruz...yeah, I know, he doesn't have a daughter and this is a blog for little girls but hey...he is one hot papa!

Its been decided - a Disney Princess Dress Up Party it is!

It's been decided - we are having a Disney Princess Dress Up party for Gigi's 4th birthday. I managed to talk her out of the Bratz party idea (in my opinion, we should save the Bratz idea for when she is a little older) and with some gentle persuasion and promises of Daddy dressing up in a Disney character like her, Gigi is getting very excited about it and driving me nuts asking everyday "when is my party?" Having said that, I look forward to sharing my ideas with you soon as I work on Operation 4th Birthday Party. I am now off to surf the web for party favours and costumes....watch this space : )

Celebrity Tots Style Watch #2 - Suri Cruise

On a play date with mum Katie Holmes at Chelsea Piers in New York, Suri Cruise, daughter of actor Tom, in yet another "splendid" little dress - available from online boutique, Tutti Bella. View more cute styles from the Splendid Littles range at http://www.splendid.com/
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Celebrity Tots Style Watch #1 - Violet Affleck

Stepping out in Brentwood, California with mum-to-be Jennifer Garner, gorgeous little Violet Affleck, daughter of actor Ben, wears cute little pink canvas Superga Sneakers - click here for stockist in the US.

Gaia Organic Cotton Gorgeous Ruffle Jacket

I have been a fan of Gaia Organic Cotton products since we were given one of their satin trim blankets as a gift and when I saw this delightful little ruffle jacket, I fell in love - guess what the little chicklets will be getting in their Santa sack this Christmas? The little winter cord pinnie is lovely as well. The philosophy behind the label is the support of an environmentally friendly product, that is, 100% Certified Organic Cotton. It is soft and durable with easy care instructions. It is gentle on the skin and as Lulu suffered from eczema quite badly as an infant, the blanket was one of the few things that did not aggravate her skin condition. The Gaia Organic Cotton website explains in more detail the benefit of choosing organic products.
Source: Photos courtesy of Gaia Organic Cotton website

Tickled Pink Pretty Summer Dresses

Surfing around the web I found this gorgeous Australian label, Tickled Pink by Mayadesign, who make frilly & fabulous little sun dresses. With cute little embroidered fairies and flowers, your little girl will love wearing them. Check their website for more details & stockists.
Source: Photo & logo courtesy of Maya Design website

Pumpkin Patch Spring/Summer 08

Bright colours, bold prints, cute florals & groovy denim. That is the look for spring/summer in the Pumpkin Patch collection. Pinafore dresses and leggings, shirt dresses, nautical inspired stripes - there is something for everyone. My personal favourite is their signature full skirt. You can see why Pumpkin Patch continues to be a leader in children's fashion. Check out the Pumpkin Patch website and you can even create your own personal style guide.
Source: Photo and logo courtesy of the Pumpkin Patch website

Robeez - The Original & Best Soft Footwear

Over the past few years there have been alot of cheaper imitations of the style of soft leather footwear Robeez is famous for but you will always come back for the quality and gorgeous variations of footwear in the Robeez collection. Above are some of the current styles, including some of their best sellers, and I can vouch from experience that the pink baby booties, with the teddy bear fur lining are just divine. The little owls are very cute too and I just LOVE red shoes for little girls so check out the Tredz Mary Jane on the Robeez new arrivals page. The black velvet bow is the perfect finishing touch!
Source: Photos courtesy the Robeez website

OObi Baby, Uber Cute!

Oobi Baby has been around for 8 years and their collections always get my attention. With lots of great prints and soft fabrics, we have had a few of their dresses over the years. Notably, the striped retro knitted pinnie, which saw Lulu through her first winter last year and we even brought it out again this year. Another good reason to support this great Australian brand is that they donate some of their profits and products to the Wurli Wurlinjang Health Service which assists Aboriginal women and children in remote communities. They also support the Malawi Project which is a Youth Centre for Orphans of HIV, World Vision and WSPA. Follow the links to find out stockists of Oobi Baby as well as to see the great work these charities do. Source: Photos & logo courtesy of the Oobi Baby website

Every Little Girl (and Big Girl) Needs a Pandora Charm Bracelet

Having a Pandora bracelet of my own, I was delighted when my girls received their own bracelets from their Nonna & Nonno as a gift from a recent holiday. The bracelets are tiny for little wrists and both have the new clown charm to start them off. Personally, I think the little baby pram, tea cup and little birdie are cute charms for gorgeous little princesses. As a child I had a charm bracelet - my first charm was a little book worm wearing a university graduation hat with tassel and it was from that moment on, I have had a fascination for charms bracelets. Pandora Jewellery is a modern take on the traditional charm bracelet and in my opinion, much nicer to look at and also more secure to wear - no more catching sharp charms on designer woollen sweaters..
Source: Photos and logo courtesy the Pandora website

Tea Princess Vintage Look Baby Dresses - Divine!

Every now and then I come across a gorgeous item that reminds me that it is OK that I dress my little girls in feminine, vintage looking baby wear as opposed to recent trends like black anything, denim jackets and tummy baring tshirts. There is a time and a place to look trendy but I just love to dress my girls in outfits that remind me of my baby photos and are obviously made with love and attention to detail. I came across Tea Princess in the latest Shop 4 Kids Magazine and this little babydoll dress had me written all over it! The double frill hem, the corsage and the matching bloomers - just beautiful. Very similar to clothes I either make myself or have a lovely aunt make for me. By the way, my pet hate - baby girls in dresses with their Huggies hanging out - come on mummy, get some frilly knickers!
Source: Photo courtesy of the Tea Princess website

Gigi+Lulu - Party Ideas for Little Princesses

Coming Soon: I am going to publish some articles I am in the process of creating which will outline how to throw a fantastic birthday party for that little princess in your life. Gigi is coming up to her 4th birthday and so far I have thrown a Mermaid Princess Underwater Adventure Party (1st Birthday), a Princess Garden Tea Party (2nd Birthday) and a "Gigi the Great" Circus Party (3rd Birthday). For Lulu's 1st birthday this year we had a Prima Ballerina Princess Brunch. I will show you how to create a great theme, draft your own fantastic invitations, formulate a guest list without inviting the whole planet, offer great food & entertainment ideas (my forte!) and not forgetting my perennial party favourite activities - the mandatory Dad's Game (you will love these!) and our craft station ideas - a must so that all the kids get something to take home that they made themselves. With a background in event management, this is my all time favourite thing to do with my kids every year so watch this space.