Thula Thula bespoke playsuit

Guess what arrived in the mail this morning! This absolutely gorgeous playsuit by Thula Thula... I found this seller on the Made It website and became obsessed with this little number. The woman behind the label is Naomi and she makes gorgeous things (to order if you ask nicely) and has a new line coming out soon. I'm just about to head off overseas for a family visit and this little suit is perfect for summer frolics. Best dressed baby award heading my way I think...

Cuckoo Nest felt creations

Ooooooh.... these amazingly detailed felt creations from Cuckoo Nest are great! I love them... I don't usually get quite so carried away about toys... honest. But these little pieces are pretty special. I think I'll have to get one for my daughter just so I can have a closer look. Check out the tiny squirrel having tea inside the cuckoo clock. The handbag gingerbread house would make long journeys more attractive to your little one doubling as a bag and a toy house and I really love the strawberry shortcake hedgehog house with its teeny tiny tea set and bedside lamp... cute!

Green apple shoes from Pedrosprout

Oh, the cuteness! Some funky little shoes from a Brisbane seller called Pedrosprout. The shoes are fully lined with no exposed seams... made from, get this, kunin ecospun... what's this I hear you ask? Well, the website says this is a material made from 100% certified recycled plastic bottles! Wow... really? My old water bottles can become these shoes? A-mazing!

Banjo puppets

These puppets make me smile... they're another find from the One of a Kind site. I'm not going to go in to the fact that they remind me of characters from a very popular puppet-based show... no accusations here, I think they're awesome. The plastic arm rods are removable which makes them nice and safe for the wee ones. I'm pretty sure that me dancing around with the puppet will cause much hilarity at home... I need to practice my puppet voices.

Alimrose bird mobile

Oooooh a 3D mobile! Well, I know most mobiles are 3D but the images hanging from them are often only 2D... and this is pretty! The Alimrose mobile would look great over any baby crib... and I know my daughter would be totally transfixed... I think I might be a little transfixed myself. Alimrose is an Australian company... another team of mothers getting creative. It's such a shame that you only really need one of these sorts of things... I already have a lovely mobile. Maybe next time...

Swiss Strolli Rider from Bibi

If you want to inspire looks of envy from other parents then read on... I saw one of these in the library today and it caused a bit of a stir... It's a trike attachment for your buggy. The trike seat is slightly offset so you can still comfortably push your buggy. It was cool... the little girl who was riding the one in town looked like she loved it. The only problem is that it might be too envy inspiring... as the buggy was being pushed through the coffee shop in the library the woman at the helm was stopped about three times by people asking where she got it... and several kids spotted it and made plaintive cries to their parents. Why doesn't everyone have one? Well... it seems stockists might be a bit thin on the ground. Amazon occasionally have some in stock and there are some UK suppliers. If anyone finds an antipodean stockist, let me know!

Petit Flaneur doll house

These doll houses are pretty special... hand made and printed by a talented etsy seller, Petit Flaneur. They have the look of the tall, thin houses you find in European cities, like Amsterdam. I particularly like the modern design of the furniture... the chandelier is excellent. The colour scheme sort of reminds me of my house... it's a little bit Rainbow Brite at my place. A Canadian friend directed me to them on the One of a Kind Toronto site... there are tonnes of amazing hand made pieces here with links to the individual seller websites. Another excellent reason to take a trip to Canada one day!

Moulin Roty collection

I'm teasing you here... it's cruel to post about this amazing store as it doesn't seem to be available outside of Europe... annoying! But I can't help myself... these pieces are really sweet and next week I'm off to the UK, so with one eye on my spare suitcase I'm looking slightly further afield at the moment. This is a hugely attractive range of child-sized furniture along with some excellent toys and dolls... the sort of things children go dotty for... so talk to your family and friends overseas and hint like mad for some gifts to be sent your way. I really like the shop stand (above)... although to be perfect I think I'd need to combine it with a cash register. There are beautifully detailed tool kits, tea sets and a garden range... with everything so well crafted it isn't just for play.

Honey Sticks beeswax crayons

These crayons smell like honey! Made from beeswax and non-toxic pigments they are super safe for your little ones. Weirdly enough I have some beeswax currently sitting in my kitchen... I saw a recipe online which said if you add some talc to heated beeswax and then colour it with pigment you get amazing, easy-to-make crayons... so if you're feeling crafty you could have a go yourself. I think I will... I want to create some cool shapes. The Honey Sticks are certainly excellent shapes for little ones... short and chunky and difficult to break.

You can also make crayons out of soap flakes... not so non-toxic but cool for drawing on the side of your bath tub... the theory being that it just washes off when you're done. We don't need any help in our household to make bath time more chaotic but this idea intrigues me. I haven't tried this yet so I can't swear to the crayon actually washing off...

Reinhard Plank hat collection

Just right for the dress up box but also stylish enough for the little one to want to wear all the time. I love the Robin Hood style feather hats... quite dashing! There are a few to choose from but it looks as though you have to add your own feathers. I feel genuine envy sometimes about the fact that kids can go out in stuff like this and look cool... if I did it I'd look certifiable.

Blocks and jigsaws by Fidoodle

We got a present! Some friends have just returned from Canada and they brought us back some city mini building blocks made by Toronto company Fidoodle. These are great... my daughter isn't quite able to stack them yet but she loves to watch me knock down towers and she's very fond of chewing on them. What I really like are the amazing double-sided designs... they are simple but very different from the usual suspects you see around... and not too cutesy! Lucky for us they are for sale on etsy so you don't have to trek to Toronto.

Floral belt by Black Eyed Susie

OK... I'm officially buying things for my daughter that I secretly want to wear... look at this pretty, pretty belt! I found it on Made It... everything here is handmade and there are some absolute gems. I mentally spent about $500 in the first half hour I looked at it and had to put my trusty laptop away. I've already ordered a bespoke little playsuit from another seller Thula Thula (but more about this talented lady later). I know when you see some of the simpler handmade items on these sites you might think, "I could make that"... but, will you? I find that the prices are seriously reasonable for these lovely, often bespoke items and well worth it. I urge you to buy your baby gifts from sites like Felt, Made It, or Etsy. The bonus being that your gift won't be duplicated and it will help support these cottage industry crafty people.

Bloom baby lounger

Pretty! This rocker comes in lots of colour ways but I think this one is my favourite... the idea of using cream coloured leather for a baby seems luxurious to me... and perhaps a tiny bit foolish. It's certainly a LOT prettier than our baby lounger at home. My daughter is not what you might call a mover... slow to roll and even slower to crawl so I haven't had to use our rocker much, but a friend who's son does amazing commando crawling along the floor at quite a pace swears by hers. Good for when you want to take a shower and don't want to leave the little one unattended.

Wooden fishing play set from MOMA

Ah, sweet! This is a lovely update on something I remember from my childhood. I've seen several plastic fishing games in stores but this is worlds apart from those... I'm a big fan of wooden toys and this looks beautifully crafted. The magnets are carefully set into the wood to make it safe for your little one. I just wish it came with two fishing rods so it could be a race to see who hooks the most sea creatures... one rod means taking turns. Hmmmm... well, we can but hope.

Mini Margot by Erica Tanov

Brrrrr.... it's cold down here in the southern hemisphere. I just got an email from a friend who works in town and he said he sees snowflakes drifting past his office window... in Wellington! It never snows in Wellington. So these lovely winter coats hold a lot of appeal right now. Trench coats look amazing with almost every outfit so I'm very tempted by the plaid number. The only problem... no hood!

The mini-e chair from Little Nest

Oh my! Just look at this! Our household has had a long and involved obsession with Eames chairs... we have hovered over them in sales rooms many many times, debated the various merits of the reproduction versus the original and argued over which wood finish we should choose... and now it seems we may be destined to have the mini version.

This chair will instantly appeal to certain types among you... I'm one of them, it makes me feel happy just looking at it. I can already picture my daughter sitting along side her daddy in their matching chairs.

Amoretti Designs - Frou Frou with a capital F!

These pretty dresses and skirts are just on the right side of girlie. I'm all for having a tonne of jeans and tshirts in my daughter's wardrobe but every little girl needs a gorgeous party dress. I love the crossover detail on the back of the dresses... extremely stylish. And I'm always a sucker for twirly skirts. Rebekah, the woman behind the label, is from Idaho and lives in England... the combined influences seem to have produced elegant clothes that make me think of market days in Italian villages... if only they came in my size!

Blik wall decals featuring Threadless designs

Clever clever clever! I'm a big fan of Threadless... if you haven't heard of this company before, it's an excellent online tshirt store where all the designs are submitted by you, the community. If your design scores highly it gets printed and you get paid! And now, they have paired up with Blik to turn the designs into pretty stunning wall art. I love how the moon image above pops from the wall. It's such a cool way to edit the look of the nursery without spending too much cash. You never know, maybe it will be your design that makes it to the printing stage...

Seedling experience kits

When I was a kid my mum used to take my cousin and me to a pottery class every week... we used to make some seriously ugly pieces but we loved it and after a while we started to make things that looked pretty good. Some of those bits of pottery are still knocking around my parent's house and I smile whenever I see them. I recently came across this New Zealand company which brought those creative experiences to mind. Seedling produce these great little packs which contain everything you need to grow a vegetable patch, bake cupcakes, design tshirts or build a wormery (plus tonnes more options). The beauty being that this is something creative to sit down and do together with your little one. Seedling can help you find a stockist near you so get in touch!

Wooden tree houses by Tree Blocks

As much as I love the idea of one of those fancy manor houses for my daughter's dolls I think this wooden tree house is a pretty funky option that would appeal to both boys and girls. With rope ladders and working winch cranes, there is a lot of attention to detail and it looks perfect for mini adventures. They have a great range of rustic wooden furniture too which, in my opinion, is much more attractive than the frou frou, pink, plastic Barbie versions. A quick google search reveals quite a few stockists and the makers have both a US and a UK site. Check them out!

Twinkle Wrap favour box kits

I really like this idea... Twinkle Wrap have come up with a nifty way to package the little goodie bags given out at birthday parties. Ecological consciousness is very important to these guys and they use materials that are about as safe as anything can be, with a stringent certification process that tests for over 100 harmful chemicals. So why not get something a little bit different for your party favours? This creative bunch also do some amazing matching onesies... they'd be super cute on twins but I'd happily buy the set just for my daughter.

Cranky Pants from Mahar Dry Goods

OK... time to post about one of my favourite sites... Mahar Dry Goods sell a great collection of vintage and artisan crafted items and is well worth a browse. What do you think of these woolly cranky pants? Personally I think they're lovely... they are hand knitted by a woman who has set up a fairtrade wool supply from Peru. Do you ever wonder where all these arty people get their energy from? It must take so much work! Anyway... if you need more convincing just imagine your wee one crawling around with a monster face on their bottom.

The ultimate lunchbox

This is the ultimate in lunchboxes... modelled on the tiffin and bento style boxes it is perfect for school lunches and picnics. The top layer is divided into 4 sections... perfect for some loose nuts or a dipping sauce. I just love it... I already have a japanese bento box but I think I like this even more. It certainly has more space... I'm tempted to get one just for family picnics. I've seen 2 layer and 3 layer versions around but My Messy Room is carrying only the large at the moment. Fine by me...

Blue Fields Locket

Check out this pretty locket. Maybe you're thinking... this isn't for children... and you'd be right. I thought I'd share a good child-related gift tip with you. Last Christmas I made some lockets for the new grandmothers with miniature pictures of my daughter in them. Jewellery making is super easy these days and I'm not even particularly crafty. You don't need any tools... I picked up a couple of vintage ball brass lockets from etsy.com and then bought the chain and loops from a local craft store. All I had to do was twist everything together and it was done. You can jazz it up with some beads and ribbon if you like. If you're struggling to get good quality, mini pictures for this, get an index or proof sheet done of the pictures you want - each picture will be very small and perfect for using in the locket. And if you don't feel up to making one you can buy one ready made from Pretty Peonies... easy! The grandmothers love them.

Pixie mushroom house

This pixie-sized house is the sort of thing I would have begged for weeks for my parents to get me when I was little. I had this fascination with all things miniature and my friends and I would build houses for little dolls and animals everywhere... sometimes out of shoe boxes in my bedroom or out in the garden using whatever came to hand. This mini mushroom dreamhouse from Teddy Tree would have been perfect for our home building efforts. I'm sure it would appeal to today's wee ones too. Teddy Tree also make some mini creatures to live in the houses including fairies and wizards but my favourite has to be her tiny bears. Check them out.

Bo Mini Moo Boots - Tan & White

I think these are a little bit Hollywood for me but no doubt they will appeal to the more fashion forward amongst you. Each Bo Boot is unique with patterns varying between pairs... I can picture them on the trendsetter babies down at Oriental Parade in Wellington. They are pretty cool, huh?

Animal Farm ceramic range by Cat Chapman

A New Zealand made range of ceramics for kids? Yes please! This bright and colourful collection of plates, bowls and mugs will make any meal time more fun. And knowing it wasn't made in China will give you a warm glowing feeling inside each time you use it.

Standard Issue knitwear for kids

I am a BIG fan of Standard Issue... I haunt Starfish in Wellington waiting for the new pieces to come in. If you haven't come across it before it is the best knitwear around. They work in merino and cashmere. I have the most amazing red cardigan which has somehow been knitted into little crinkles... it's beautiful and I love it. I've just noticed they have a kids wear section which is pretty exciting. I like this poppy-coloured hooded dress... imagine how snuggly it would be in this current weather we're having. The blue striped hoodie is a great staple for winter. It's a New Zealand label and there are lots of stockists but here's a good online shop. The grown up range is certainly worth a look too!

Acrylic tiles from Quyen

These acrylic laser cut tiles from Quyen are seriously pretty... my plan is to hang some on the windows in my daughter's bedroom. Light shining through them will create lovely patterns on the floor. These would look good in any room I think but I'm sure they'll catch the eyes of the little ones. They come with wire attached, ready for hanging and are very reasonably priced. [Via]

Baby it's cold outside... Sudo winter collection

I think Melbourne must be one of the creative centres of the southern hemisphere. So many amazing designers have set up shop there. I live in Wellington and I always imagine Melbourne to be Australia's equivalent to this place. I love these winter coats from Sudo. I think my favourite is the grey ruby coat (above). It's simple and elegant... this is another one of those things I wish came in my size. The purple trench coat is amazing... quite glam. Your little one would feel as though they were playing dress up when they put this on, which could be useful during the put-your-coat-on struggle. Sudo also do a lovely leather jacket for boys which would look great over the red Alex shirt (below). This shirt feels very antipodean to me.