Comfortable Pram Liner

Are you after a comfortable pram liner that will protect both the pram and your bub? Check out this gorgeous range.

I remember shopping for Cassie’s pram like it was yesterday. It was probably my favourite big-ticket item, so I made sure a lot of time and thought went into the decision. I knew I wanted one that turned into a double as we were planning our kids close together. I didn’t want a side by side, it needed to be easy to steer, and it had to look good as well. In the end, we settled with the Steelcraft Strider Compact in Black, figuring the colour would hide all the inevitable mess that comes with children – boy were we wrong! Fast forward two years and I have fallen in love with pram liners. Not only do they look pretty, but they keep the mess contained and you can simply throw them in the wash after use. Easy! And the ones over at Violet and Lily are just divine.

Developing A Bedtime Routine

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Here are some great tips on developing a bedtime routine.

Sleep – is there anything better than when your kids start sleeping through the night? With my girls, I learned quickly on that a bedtime routine was important. This way they knew what to expect each night when it came to bedtime and began to read the sleep cues at the end of the day. Of course, things don’t always go to plan but doesn’t stop us from trying.

SWADDLE UP™ Zip-Up Swaddle

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Getting more sleep with the zip-up swaddle.

When we first brought Cassie home from hospital just over two years ago now, Chris and I both felt like we were acing this parenting gig. We’d had such a smooth ride in hospital, with our perfect angel baby who just slept and fed all day and night, wrapped up snug in her blanket. The Sunday we came home was Father’s Day, a day earlier than we had to but we thought this was the ideal start to our parenthood journey, so we packed our things and walked out happily and confidently.

8 Things to Know if You’re Considering Adoption

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8 things to know if you’re considering adoption.

We cannot tell you how many people have said to us “I’d love to adopt, but I couldn’t”. The reasons they give vary from the emotional to the practical. The emotional ones include anticipated sadness around rejection from your child: “you’re not my real mother!” or a concern that you couldn’t truly love a child that isn’t biologically yours. The practical ranges from structural (for example, in Australia, the system is hard and slow, and if people are coming from years of infertility, they may already be too old to start), to the financial (we understand the cost of adoption in the US can get up to $40,000).

Christmas Present Ideas For Kids

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After some great Christmas present ideas for kids you know? Here is a fabulous list of 10 presents to get you started.

I am the type of person that likes to be organised – doing things last minute doesn’t work with my personality and that includes Christmas shopping. It may not be socially acceptable, but I start scouting out presents for nieces and nephews back in July. It not only helps to break up the cost of Christmas, but it means when the festive season creeps up (which it all too often does without us noticing), I can sit back nice and relaxed knowing I have everyone covered. This year, I made things even easier for myself. I went into Kidstuff (started online then went and visited their store near me), told the staff member the ages of my nieces and nephews, and got some great present suggestions. Everything I needed under one roof with some great help to go with it!

Top Kids Picture Books

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These are our top kids picture books for the month. Check them out!

Cinderella by Jane Ray
Walker Books
I’m not going to lie, I love a good fairy tale and this book doesn’t disappoint. As I turned each and every page I was just as, if not more, excited than Cassie to see the gorgeous 3D illustrations. Cassie loved pulling on each page (which thankfully are quite sturdy) and examining the contents, pointing out all the things she recognised. From ugly step sisters through to beautiful ball gowns it retells the tale perfectly. It’s one of our favourite night time stories at the moment that we enjoyed snuggled up together on the couch.