Sugarloop artwork

How many prints can I fit on the nursery wall? Probably not as many as I think... I've come across these lovely prints to brighten up a room... this artwork is produced by Auckland based artist Bernadette Sipkes aka Sugarloop and comes in excellent bright colours featuring cool stylized animals and jungle scenes. Buy NZ made!

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!

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...

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!

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!

Free Range Baby winter coats

I've posted about Free Range Baby before and I'm a big fan... how amazing is this jacket? The quilted moss vinyl jacket is a little bit rock and roll, a little bit vintage and a LOT cute! This coat is seriously limited edition... in fact there are only two of them but the makers faithfully promise that they will be producing more during the winter months. They also provide links to their treasured fabric samples so you can put a custom order in. Tempting!

Build your own playhouse

I found these right on my doorstep in sunny old New Zealand (although it's far from sunny today... winter approaches... woe is me). Hamish and Angie run a business making these lovely pieces for children. My favourites are these building boards (above) that kids can easily construct into dens and houses. There's a whole range of great toys, kids furniture and swings along with these cubes which are perfect for clambering over or climbing inside. Definitely something to get the kids moving around.

SpiltMILK

I spotted these in Wellington store, Swonderful... I've been weighing up whether it's nuts to buy things for my daughter she can't wear for two years, but that's how much I love them! Patches seem like the ideal addition to leggings or tights... it's not just that they are super cute, oh no. They also let your little one scramble about without getting scrapes. SpiltMILK design and make all their stylish and functional clothing in New Zealand. I love the colours... all fairly unisex. This lovely cardigan with little heart-print patches is made from merino wool so it will be toasty warm.

Sticky wall art

I love this amazing hundreds and thousands wall graphic for the little one's nursery. Sticky Tiki are based in New Zealand and have come up with some seriously lovely (and very reasonably priced) mural kits which they make to order. Many have a pacific feel which makes them stand out from the crowd, among them this amazing pohutukawa tree design... you can't get more kiwi than that. Imagine getting one of these as a shower gift... beautiful and certainly more memorable than a onesie.

Origami birds and summer overalls

I started looking for things to decorate my little one's nursery when I was pregnant. I didn't know if I was having a boy or a girl and whilst I'm not a major stickler for specific colours for boys or girls I didn't want anything too gender specific. Free Range Baby work out of Wellington, NZ making the most gorgeous small runs of clothes for ages zero to three years along with amazing little decorative items. They use a lot of vintage and reclaimed fabrics to make the pieces and I love these origami birds and think they look amazing dangling over the crib. I'm currently eyeing up these lovely summery overalls.