Dig Deep & Donate

Australian small businesses and WAHMs all over facebook are donating products, encouraging people to donate, sharing links and spreading the good word to bring as many as people to different auctions where 100% proceeds go to the QLD Flood Appeal. Its great everyone wants to pull their weight - and the lovely at Handmade Kids & Rudy & The Dodo Flood Appeal, Poppyseed Markets, The OZ Material Girls and many more, are donating their time in organising online auctions. There's a lot of love and generosity in the community, its overwhelming!

Chic Mother & Baby have donated Hello Hanna Robot Placemats @ Handmade Kids & Rudy & The Dodo Flood Appeal. Auction starts tomorrow 14th Jan at 11am!

You'll find I've donated my nautical and owl party printables @ The OZ Material Girls. I hope some one places a bid (thats the embarrassing bit if no one bids) - I really just hope to raise as much money as possible. Auction starts 17th Jan.

In addition - we want our customers and fans to know that $2 from every purchase from our online store will be donated to Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal.

POLKA is coming...

We here at Chic Mother & Baby headquarters eagerly await the arrival of POLKA kids - its bold, fun and uber trendy!!! There are dresses, tees, shorts, swimwear, pjs shoes and accessories for your toddler and tween.

Keep up-to-date via our facebook page or see our POLKA page. You can definitely pre-order, simply email us to put one away. We also have a lay-by service so you don't miss out.

Luxury Kiddies in Lillybee

New to Chic Mother & Baby store is the Lillybee range from the U.S.A. The range is luxe cause its a cotton & cashmere blend and pretty stripes but at an affordable price! Super soft quality cotton and cashmere makes you wish these came in adult sizes (I do!) especially the pink and navy cardi.

What caught my eye from Black Eyed Green are these eco-friendly green hangers. As such, every lillybee purchase comes with a bonus eco-friendly cardboard hanger to hang your new Lillybee knit.

Goodbye June...

Can't believe how fast time has gone, before you know we will be shopping for xmas! It has been 6 months now and I am having a blast blogging about all the chic finds locally and from around the globe. I know I have turned some readers into more of a shop-o-holic!

I am so grateful being apart of the blogging community and making new cyber friends who either run a store online or blog. Special mentions to Kellie from Mini Must Have (a real gem!), Magnificent Maddie from L'il Magoolie in the NZ, Talented Suzanna from Montresor, Super stylish Jen from Style Milk, Amazing Alison Lantry from Sophie & Jack, Vesna from My Little Jeidi inspirational Anna from Invite with Style. There is also Kim from Amity Invites, Mel from The Speckled Freckle Party Place, Claire from Frangpani Designs and Christie from BOWtique + many many more! These lovely ladies have all believed in Chic Mother & Baby blog. You will have noticed them appearing on our blog because I want to support WAHM and believe in their handmade creations! There will be more and more local store features so make sure you follow our blog so you don;t miss out.

Tomorrow is the start to Chic Mother & Baby's first Nursery & Toy Month. Excitment plus! Also of course we have to announce the winner ... ! Thank you to all that helped spread the word about Chic Mother & Baby blog and following us. All the comments and followers truly make it all that worthwhile. 

Number #8 Sarah! Please contact me so we can post it to you! Enjoy your fabulous bunting custom made by Amy from Giggleberry. Hopefully everytime you look at them you'll think of Chic Mother & Baby :)

Super Sale News

Chic Mother & Baby have some great news!

1. All sale items are now reduced FURTHER 20% OFF - baby & kids winter clothing
2. Postage & handling is now only $5.50 Australia wide (the cheapest around town at the moment!)
3. Only 13 more followers until we giveaway a custom designed bunting banner by Amy, Giggleberry! All the details here.
4. Not long until Chic Mother & Baby's Nursery Month coming up in July. All things nursery showcased on our blog. Contact us if would like to contribute!

Sneak Peek Nursery + GIVEAWAY

The next two weeks are going to be jammed packed of nursery related posts. {we are making it a nursery & toy MONTH in July} Chic Mother & Baby's blog will showcase nurseries from mums such as Kellie - Mini Must Have, Belinda - Nest Design Studio, Claire - Frangipani Designs and many more. We have a few guest bloggers too! Chic Mother & Baby will also be offering spontaneous specials on nursery products - so you'll need to stay tuned by following our blog or being a facebook fan (as our blog posts feed through to facebook).

To celebrate this period, we have a custom designed bunting that match Chic Mother & Baby's yellow and grey palette to giveaway. Thanks to Amy from Giggleberry Creations and her hardwork searching for the right patterned fabric. We just need to reach 100 followers before I will giveaway this lovely banner, perfect for party or nursery.

{COMPETITION DETAILS} 

• Spread the love, tell your friends to follow Chic Mother & Baby's blog
• Each time you refer a friend, you triple your chances of winning!
• Leave a comment to this post as to who you are and your friend's name
• Competition ends midnight EST the day it reaches 100 followers
• Winner drawn the following day by random generator

*Competition is limited to Australian & New Zealand residences. Triple your chances (i.e three extra enteries to your name). Prize cannot be exchanged or redeemable for cash. Competition timeframe and conditions may changed.

Invite with Style Winners...

Our two winners are *drumroll* ... and these are their chic mother and baby birthday outfit picks.

• Virginia Edwards (Mum/Toddler/Babe) - Mia
• Mellie - Jayden

Please be in touch with me so Anna can post your prize. We'd love to hear about and see pictures of the next party with these invites and their birthday outfit (chic mother & baby will give your birthday boy or girl a birthday shoutout)

Thanks to the talented Anna Matjasec from Invite with Style who made this giveaway possible. Thank you to all that are Invite with Style and Chic Mother & Baby facebook fans. If you are just tuning into our blog, be sure to bookmark Invite with Style for your next special occasion!

STOCKTAKE SALE NOW ON

Can you believe its mid-year already!? Chic Mother & Baby are joining in the wave of all the stocktake sales. Shop now on Fresh Baked, Run Scotty Run and more! You'd be silly to miss out - including on new winter arrivals too! Happy Shopping.

Chic Mother & Baby Croquet Photoshoot.

Chic Mother & Baby had their first photo shoot at the Cheltenham Recreation Club to showcase the Autumn/Winter range. Croquet is a lost sport and it is unbelievably fun and fit for all ages! It is the perfect weekend activity as it doesn't require that much energy or specialised gear (as much as I love bowling, I always break a nail). The weather was extremely generous to us.

The Cheltenham Recreation Club has sufficient facilities to host your next get-together or even birthday party.

• 6 mod-grass tennis courts
  
• 2 bowling greens
• 2 croquet lawns
• clubhouse available for hire with function room, caterer, bar, kitchen, shower
• ample on site parking

We were lucky to work with some gorgeous baby and toddler models who were not shy of dressing up and posing for our photographer Kimberly Ngo. Although, the hardest part of it was to keep the kids entertained (popcorn, cupcakes, bubbles, flowers) and contained within the area, oh and also not to dirty the outfits.

You can see the shoot throughout the Chic Mother & Baby online store.

This thank you is long overdue. A big thank you to all that helped particularly Leslie from the croquet club and the mums and gave up their Saturday morning to be with us.


Credits: Fashion Stylist - Kristy Boyce. Art direction - Mina G. Photographer - Kimberly Ngo & Partner. Clothes from Chic Mother & Baby store. Location - Cheltenham Recreation Club contact Leslie.

Sophie & Jack Winner

And the winner is.... Eliza Whitton (please email me for your postal address)

Alison from Sophie & Jack and I had a really tough time choosing a winner because everyone had selected great pieces from Chic Mother and Baby. I even said to Alison, I wish I could give something to everyone. Thank you everyone for participating and don't worry there is another giveaway next month (hint: something for the nursery...)

ErgoPouch Sale Alert!

Awarding winning ErgoPouch sleeping bags are a must have this winter! So much so that chic mother and baby have ErgoPouch Bamboo Fleece Sleeping Bags on sale for $50.

These organic unisex sleeping bags are an ideal gift for expectant parents!

To find out more about why ErgoPouch is fast becoming Aussie's mums sleeping bag choice visit our website.

Sophie & Jack: The story + Giveaway!!

+ + + +  G I V E A W A Y  + + + + 

To celebrate our Alex & Ant and Fresh Baked promotion with Sophie & Jack, we have one of Sophie & Jack's latest creations set up for grabs*!

To be in the running to win lovely Sophie & Jack hair accessories set, I'd love to know how you would style these Pink, Purple, Red and Green pony tail hair elastics with any one of Chic Mother and Baby's items. Simply leave a comment below with your chosen chic outfit from our store.

Even if you don't have a little girl, they make a great gift!!


Happy Styling!


*T&Cs: Competition ends next Sunday 23rd midnight (EST) and winner will be announced Monday 24th on Chic Mother and Baby blog. Competition is open to Australia and New Zealand only. If you don't have a blogger profile, please leave your email address in your comment.

+ + + +  T H E   S T O R Y  + + + + 

Here is Alison Lantry, creator of Sophie & Jack and her story...

1. So tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Alison and I live in the beautiful Hunter Valley in NSW with my wonderful husband and my two gorgeous children, Sophie, 4 and Jack, 1.  I design and handmake quality hair accessories that are both beautiful and affordable.  I am extremely blessed and lucky to be to able to work at home doing something I absolutely love, while both my children are young.

2. What inspired you to start making hair accessories? Was it hard to get started?

I started to design and make hair clips for my daughter after finding similar accessories in designer boutiques were quite expensive.

Once I started, I found I enjoyed and loved creating these gorgeous accessories so much that I decided to make them for friends and family and it really just grew quite quickly from there. The hardest part was having faith in my passion and love for Sophie & Jack Designs and taking the leap to put my products in the public eye. However, my fear was unwarranted as the response has been wonderful and beyond even my highest expectations.

3. So as a WAHM, how do you manage it? What’s your day like?
Busy!  I do most of my creating during sleep times and at night when both children are in bed.  There is also alot of time spent on the computer, emailing, sourcing and shopping for supplies, and processing and packing orders.

And then of course, there are two children and a household to run... let's just say the ironing pile is growing larger by the day!  

4. Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by (or in general)?
Fabric, fabric, fabric!  I love all the cute Japanese fabrics and I spend way too much time browsing the multitude of fabric designs and gorgeous supplies.

There are also a collection of amazingly creative people on madeit.com.au, which is another favourite place I like to spend time browsing. 

5. Which piece is your favourite?
Oh, I really do love them all!  I am very fussy in choosing what I make and only sell pieces that I truly love!  I particularly love the hair ties because they are practical and can be used every day, plus they have the added bonus of being gorgeous!  Probably the "Dear Little Deer" hair elastics are my favourite - they are so cute!

6. What’s next for Sophie & Jack?
I have so many new ideas and designs in mind and I look forward to getting crafty and making them a reality.

Visit Sophie & Jack's store to see their wonderful collection and definitely join their facebook page to see their latest creations!

Free Sophie & Jack Hair Accessories*

Chic Mother and Baby are excited to announce free Sophie & Jack hair accessories with every Alex & Ant dress and Fresh Baked girl bottoms. Your little toddler girl will adore the entire ensemble.

HOTmilk's Mothers Day Offer

Can you believe it is May already? Well Chic Mother and Baby have teamed up with HOTmilk's latest promotion starting today... Every full set of HOTmilk lingerie purchased will receive a free pair of HOTmilk comfie pj pants. While stocks last of course. Start shopping now.

Chic Mother and Baby Mother's Day Gift Guide 2010

With 30% off storewide* and Mother's Day just around the corner, we've put together some gift ideas. We hope you'll find what you need for all the deserving mums and mums-to-be in your life at Chic Mother and Baby store. Including yourself!

Anna from Invite with Style has also put together a great collection too!


- M A S S I V E   S A V I N G S -
We've done the math for you after the 30% of: {1} Very Sisters Love Necklace = $86.80 {2} Vanchi Nougat City Sling Bag = $97.30 {3} Sexy HOTmilk lingerie {4} HOTmilk PJs Cami = $32.16 Pants = $34.96 {5} Vanchi Dr Nappy Bag = $125.50

30% OFF STOREWIDE MOVING SALE

Chic Mother and Baby is moving at the end of this month (thats only a couple of days away!!) so we are hoping to clear out our stock by offering 30% off storewide!! There is something for every mum, toddler and baby. Shop for upcoming birthdays, mums-to-be, special occasions and of course mother's day! Shop Alex and Ant, Vanchi Nappy Bags, Run Scotty Run, ErgoPouch, Fresh Baked, HOTmilk and much much more.

Take advantage of this sale as it includes new arrivals and current sale stock! Enter MovingSale at checkout. Valid until May 2nd, 2010 so hurry!

*Excludes Aden & Anais, Ellaroo, Seraphine, Fertile Mind, BYOG, Dandelion and Bottoms Up Range. No laybys.

We have two winners!

A big thanks for everybody's input via facebook, blog and email. It was one tough decision - I really wanted to give vouchers to everyone who commented! I actually have two winners.

Winner #1 is to Miss Laurelle J (who doesn't have a URL link so I hope she is reading this please get in contact with me!) If not it will go to the runner up...(I now have an image of the runner up with their finger's crossed :)

Winner #2 is Miss Kellie from Mini Style Hive who emailed me the winning b'day present that I have decided to purchase but I can't say yet or the birthday boy's mum will see!!

Again thank you all who put in suggestions - I wish I could give away more.

Cool Jewellery

New to Chic Mother and Baby and all the way from Paris is elegant and gorgeous Very Sisters Jewellery. This is our best pick for Mother's Day gift!!!


Found cool jewellery pieces via design boom too made from pencil bits to shape it to wearable design accessories.

Ecoweek Roundup

Well it’s the end of Chic Mother and Baby's first Eco-week but the good news is that the 10% ECOWEEK discount is still available until the 31st of March. So do have a browse around the organic and eco-friendly range. Yay!

Thank you to everyone’s support and post comments. We have had a lot of fun researching and sharing with other mums and mums-to-be some of the eco-friendly and organic products that are out on the market. While it can be difficult to adopt green habits, any hints and tips you take on board does makes a difference! We'll still be posting green and eco-friendly posts amongst all our inspirations and product features.

We hope you have enjoyed eco-week at chic mother and baby.