The Kush-ee Mat

We are very pleased to introduce the Kush-ee Mat to our range. This self inflating play mat is a very cool idea and can be taken just about anywhere with you. It doesn’t come in all the cutesy little colours that are associated with newborn babies either. Instead, we offer bold stripes or stars in greens and blues. They look fun and exciting.

The size is very handy at 120 x 120 x 2.5cms and the whole thing weighs in at just one kilo. Since it is waterproof and washable also, there is no need to worry about any little accidents.

Underneath there are some nonslip dots and an inlet for the mat to inflate itself. Another clever feature is that the mat is warm when the weather is cooler and cool when the weather warms up, so the baby remains comfortable and happy at all times.

To change the look of the mat there are spare covers available in both the star and stripe design.

The Kush-ee Mat also comes with a puncture repair kit and full instructions on how to take care of the mat. This, and the nylon strap to keep it rolled – plus a spare one - and the handy shoulder sack to carry it in, all makes for a very versatile piece of equipment that every mother and child will love.

Gift Certificates

We all know how difficult it can be to buy a gift for someone on a special occasion. Unless we know that person very well, and we are aware of their likes and dislikes, chances are we will give them something that they really don’t need or want. However, one way to get around this sticky problem is to consider gift certificates.

In particular, when someone has a child, or is about to give birth, the tendency is for people to rush in with layettes and all kinds of goodies for the baby while it is tiny. Although this is a lovely idea, there are only so many outfits a tiny child can wear before they grow out of them. The mother usually ends up recycling some rather beautiful things to friends and relatives and the child might not even get to use some of them.

We have a whole range of goodies for babies, toddlers and older children and this may be the best gift that any mother could ever hope to get. She can take advantage of any sales that come up or buy the last in a particular line that proved to be very popular, for example. In fact, she could really stretch those dollars on the certificate to get the best possible value and, since babies and children are notoriously expensive, this would indeed be the perfect gift.

The same could be done for children too once they start to care about what they are wearing. Although people just assume a child will wear whatever you give them, most parents know better! A gift certificate will let you and your child choose an outfit together.

The gift certificates could be given for just about any reason and makes gift giving much easier all round.

Australia Day For Kids

There is such a lot happening on Australia Day. Some of the activities around the country are really exciting for kids so we thought we’d share some of our finds with you.

Online

DLTK has a lot of great craft ideas for kids but we love the paper plate crafts because the materials are so easy to find. Your kids might like to make a koala, one of Australia’s most loved symbols.

The Australia Day website has some fun activities for kids, too. Everything from colouring in to crosswords and puzzles; they cover a good age range for kids. Oh, they have ‘join the dots’ as well. I used to love doing those.

Offline

The Australia Day website has details of many of the celebrations being held around the country. Just have a look at the map to see how widespread the party will be.

In Melbourne you can be part of the flag raising ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall. It’s free and family friendly.

In Hobart, spend the day at the Sandy Bay Regatta.

Brisbane has a full day of celebrations including a flag raising ceremony and street performances in South Bank.

Don’t forget to look in your local papers to see what is happening in your area. Someone close to home will have the BBQ fired up with a sausage sizzle to tempt you out of your home to enjoy the day.

Happy Australia Day!

Gearing Up for the New Year

The holiday season is finally over and the New Year came in with a bang. Now that all the fuss has died down, it is time to hit the sales and see what kind of savings can be made in women’s gear.

This is an opportune time to stock up on some new clothing since some of the sales items are going at fifty percent off the usual selling price. Take a look the lovely women’s range that we have on sale.

There are some rather superb dresses at just seventy five dollars or less!

Take a look at the Kahmuh Tuscana Dress which is a ripple of cascading frills right down to the ground. Cut on the diagonal, this strapless dress will accentuate the curves very nicely thank you!

One item that every self respecting siren should have is the one shouldered cocktail mini-dress. The Sass Zoey One Shoulder Dress, in a lovely shimmering silver colour, has a bubble shaped skirt and a waist tie too. It is the eye catching ties on the shoulder which makes this item stand out from the rest - and the price of course - which is just fifty dollars!

We have tops, skirts, formal and informal clothing on sale now. Why not pick yourself up a little something - or two!

Slapping On The Sunscreen Still Necessary

Most adults will remember the slip, slop, slap campaign that came out some years ago in the ever increasing fight to keep ourselves safe from sun damage. In fact, the campaign is now considered one of the most successful in changing people’s attitudes to cancer and other skin problems.

The Cancer Council added another phrase onto the original format. Seek and slide was added to encourage people to seek shade whenever they could - and slide, to slide on wrap around sunglasses to protect the eyes from damage too.

For kids, the message is even more important because it has been found that even one severe burn on tender young skin could cause problems in the future. Getting boys in particular to keep slapping on the sunscreen may be an uphill task, but considering the consequences, who cares?

For the little ones, there are things that we can do at home. Make them keep hats on, slap on high factor sun screen and get waterproof creams if they are likely to be in the water. In fact, if you start this practice early, it will become a natural habit. It’s boys who are new to the idea of sun screen who usually object to it.

Boys hate sticky things on their skin (unless it’s swamp mud or dinosaur blood) so find a sunscreen that is smooth. You can even find colourful zincs and sunscreens now which can be applied like ‘war paint’.

Just remember that boys are wriggling bundles of energy and that their sunscreen (and hats) will come off frequently. Keep the slip, slop, slap happening and encourage them to explore in the shade.

Dollcake on Special

If you are new to About A Boy you might be surprised to know that we stock some lovely products for girls. Well, we can’t let the boys have all the fun. We know how left out their sisters would feel!

If you have a little girl you need to check out our specials. We have those gorgeous Dollcake outfits on special. Dollcake clothing and accessories are frilly, feminine, a little retro and totally lovely.

Just look at this skirt. Dollcake’s Dollface Skirt is one of my favourite items. It’s so very pretty with its rainbow pastels and tiered layers. This full skirt has an adjustable waist which will last your child for years. It also features a gorgeous satin sash with pastel coloured tulle. It is on special because we only have limited sizes left.

Dollcake's Dollface Cardy is a beautiful pink knit with cotton lining so it doesn't irritate soft skin. It truly is just a divine little cardy - I wish it came in my size! There are pink lace ruffles on the bodice and sleeves and a little pinwheel feature completes this top.

There are other items from the Dollface range in our specials area so have a good look through them all. They really are a very special range.

Boys Are ‘Crafty’ Creatures At Christmas

There is possibly nothing better than showing kids how to create things from very little. Indeed, it is the art of making Christmas gifts, especially for boys, that will often follow them into adult life where they will use skills learned from way back when to make things in their very own homes, etc.

It can be tough deciding on what boys will actually like, but anything that involves making a mess is a sure fire winner! Most boys like anything slimy and messy so be ready to clean up afterwards. However, if it encourages their creative juices, does it really matter?

One such project, which is not messy at all, is the Paper Bag Reindeer. This is easy to make and doesn’t take much hunting around for ‘ingredients’. There is a guide at About.com that will show you how to make your reindeer.

All you need is a brown paper bag, some soft coloured cardboard like project paper and decorative elements like little bells and pompoms.

Don’t make your boys stick to the same style of decoration. Let them experiment so try to have a mix of craft items available for them to work with. They will have fun with this one.

Lastly, available from the same site, is a Candy Cane Mouse Holder. This clever little trick allows boys to learn the craft of sewing while they are making a gift for someone. The mouse looks quite cute when finished and the candy canes actually form the tail of the mouse. You will need a hot glue gun for this one, so you’ll have to help them out.

There is no need for your kids to be bored at Christmas time - whether in the lead up or even the aftermath. Get them involved in making decorations and fun Christmas-related crafts and you’ll all have fun.