washing – Hip Little One

Big Baby Shower Day 23 – Boon Inc.

May 232015

Big Baby Shower – Day 23

When you look at magazines you may think that life with a newborn is all moonlight and roses (and of course your baby is totally adorable and gorgeous!) but there are sure to be some less glamorous things too. There is no way to avoid all the scrubbing of baby bottles and sterilising of dummies but you can make the process a lot more fun and stylish with Boon Inc.:

Boon Inc. takes the boring out of everyday babycare with a contemporary range of baby feeding products that is sure to brighten your day, no matter how sleep deprived you are.

Ditch your old-school, white wire rack and add a touch of colour to your kitchen bench with the Grass Countertop Drying Rack (RRP $29.95, 24 x 24cm). This fresh green patch of ‘grass’ holds your baby gear neatly upright so it can air dry and any excess water can drip down into the bottom tray. The rack is easy to clean and free from nasties like BPA, Phthalates and PVC so it’s both safe AND stylish!

You don’t need green fingers to turn your patch of green into a mini garden, just plant Fly, Stem or Twig (RRP $6.95 each) for an instant transformation. These funky accessories for your Grass or Lawn drying racks offer extra drying space for little items like dummies, teats, handles and other small components of bottles and sippy cups while leaving plenty of room underneath for bigger things.

To find out more about Boon Inc. and to browse the range visit www.booninc.com.

For your chance to win a $50 Boon Inc. Prize Pack (Grass, Fly, Stem and Twig) enter our giveaway below:

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Dettol giveaway

Giveaways, Home, Out & About 11 Responses »

Sep 122014

As we’re slowly settling back in at home I am of course very sad that our holidays have come to an end and that it will most likely be several years before we’ll see my family again. We had such a fantastic time with family and friends, exploring beautiful towns, driving through the Dutch, French, Belgian and German country side and enjoying fun days out.

What I won’t miss however are the never ending visits to public toilets. With four young children there is always someone who needs to go urgently, which promptly causes everyone else to have a sudden bladder problem too. I have come to the conclusion that most toilets are simply too small for a parent with multiple children so it was great to discover the dedicate ‘mum and child’ toilets at Singapore’s Changi Airport that offer much needed extra space and are fitted with a special child seat.

These past five weeks I have seen more yucky, smelly cubicles, broken toilet seats, leaking taps, empty soap dispensers and out-of-order hand dryers than in all my 31 years together, I have never been so grateful for disinfecting wipes and my baby bag sized bottle of hand sanitiser! Nothing beats that squeaky clean feeling, fresh smell and peace of mind knowing it kills 99.99% of germs, plus no rinsing required.

The upside of all these toilet breaks is that it has been an excellent opportunity to talk to the kids about good personal hygiene, washing hands, bacteria, getting sick and how things can be dirty even if you can’t see the dirt. I am quite sure the ‘don’t touch anything!’ message finally came across near the end of the holiday, let’s hope they remember it for the rest of their lives!

To find out more about Dettol, to browse the range and to learn all about keeping hands clean and healthy at home and on the go visit www.dettol.com.au.

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Euca giveaway

Eco, Giveaways, Home 7 Responses »

Jun 212014

When you have four young, and very messy, children, laundry takes up the majority of your household chores. Sorting, washing or soaking, hanging, drying, folding and tidying it all away, it is an endless cycle at our house and sometimes clothes don’t even make it back into the cupboard. We do at least one load of washing a day and when you go through laundry products as fast as we do you can’t help but wonder what exactly you are putting in your washing machine every time you add another scoop…

Research has shown that the majority of washing powder contains large amounts of fillers, petrochemical surfactants and synthetic perfumes, doing damage to your washing machine, your clothing and your (and your family’s) health. Euca wants to turn the powder white world of laundry products upside down and inform Aussie families about what’s really in their favourite detergent.

Euca Lightning Products contain Australian eucalyptus oil, well known for its pleasant fragrance and excellent cleaning and anti bacterial qualities, and are 100% soluble. Free from synthetic perfumes, phosphates and enzymes and significantly lower in sodium Euca Laundry Liquid is safer and healthier for your family, better for your washing machine and the environment and ideal for grey water and septic systems. Being 100% concentrate and suitable for cold water you need less of it and use less energy too!

Euca Laundry Powder is by far the easiest laundry powder you’ll find in Australia. Whether you have a front loader or top loader, you want your laundry bright than bright, darker than dark or have got a mixed load, whether you wash hot or cold or need a grey water friendly option, Euca has got everyone and everything covered with one great laundry product. If you or your family members have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies all natural Euca Laundry Powder is perfect for you.

Depending on your washing machine (top or front loader) and your load (light, medium or heavy soiled) you can get up to 100 washes out of a 2kg pack ($11.95), making Euca a very economical choice for eco conscious families. Larger sizes and refill packages are available for even better value for money.

As most mums will know some stains do need a bit of extra attention, if you have one of these tricky spots to fight Euca Soaker is just what you need. You can add it to your normal load as brightening booster, use it to make up a powerful cleaning paste or create a pre-wash spray; one product, many uses. Unlike most other laundry brighteners it contains no harsh chlorine bleaches so you can get your dirty laundry clean without the nasty chemicals.

Next time you browse the laundry aisle in your local supermarket look further than the size of the box. Don’t pay for fillers, chemicals and other unnecessary ingredients, shop smart and safe with Euca.

To find out more about Euca, to browse the range and to locate a stockist near you visit www.euca.com.au.

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23 stains, 1 washing machine

Eco, Home 2 Responses »

Feb 122014

They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and that’s definitely the case for household appliances. During last week’s 47 hour power blackout I was forced to wash our clothes by hand and you can imagine as family of six we are experts at making dirty laundry! It made me realise how valuable a good washing machine is and how little I know about removing stains.

Panasonic ECONAVI, saving you time and money

I may be a leek in the laundry department but at Panasonic they know all about stains, in fact they’ve designed a fantastic range of super clever washing Panasonic ECONAVI Washing Machines that remove 23 different types of different stains. This unique stain removal technology means you don’t have to break your pretty little head over those nasty marks anymore; simply pop your soiled clothing in the machine, select the correct setting and let the washing machine do its magic.

Panasonic has all your every day stains covered: mud or grass, coffee or makeup, juice or chocolate, blood or tomato sauce, you name it and there is a setting for it. If you have a big and busy family like me this could save you lots of time, frustration and money spent on replacing ruined clothes too. I know what I’ll be looking for when we are in the market for a new washing machine!

Another way ECONAVI Washing Machines can save you money is by automatically adjusting the water temperature, volume and spin cycle to suit the load of your washing machine. This efficient washing means you won’t waste unnecessary water or energy on little loads, which is great for both your wallet and the environment. Panasonic Washing Machines are available in 8kg and 10kg load size with prices starting at $1,249.

For more information about Panasonic, to browse the Panasonic washing machine range and to locate a stockist near you visit www.panasonic.com.au.

Fluffy Buns giveaway

Baby, Eco, Giveaways, Out & About, Sales & Savings Comments Off

Sep 212013

As the weather warms up I breathe a sigh of relief, no more drying racks in the living room! I can’t wait to just put the washing outside and for it to dry in an hour. As we are about to start another toilet training journey I can see plenty of laundry ahead of me, at least on the hot days we can ditch the clothes and she can wear just a pair of training pants. If you have little ones in cloth nappies or ready for toilet training make sure you check out Fluffy Buns for all your fluffy gear.

At Fluffy Buns you’ll find a great selection of cloth nappies and accessories from well known Australian and international brands, handpicked by lovely store owner and mama Misty. If you are new to modern cloth nappies (MCNs) you can count on Misty to provide you with lots of helpful tips and tricks, she’ll have you ditching the disposables in no time. Cloth nappies have come a long way since the terry squares, these days cloth nappies are very effective, easy to use and look absolutely gorgeous!

Weegoamigo ‘World Peace’ Digital Printed Muslin

As well as cloth nappies Fluffy Buns also offers a fabulous range of baby gifts and goodies for mum. The latest label to arrive in store is Weegoamigo, an Australian brand famous for its eyecatching muslin and blankets. The newest collection has just been unveiled and it is absolutely stunning! The stylish printed muslin wraps are selling like hot cakes, hip mamas just can’t resist the unique prints and beautiful colours.

The new Weegoamigo Printed Muslin Swaddles ($39.95) are available in 9 different designs, they’re all equally amazing although I do have a soft spot for the World Peace and Paper Dolls print. The swaddles are a very generous 120x120cm in size, that means plenty of material for wrapping and also plenty of shade when you use it as a suncover on your pram. The 100% cotton fabric is light and breathable, designed to be cool and comfortable in the stuffy Aussie summer.

Weegoamigo Little Dumpling Muslin (Sorry, no sleep guarantee)

To get back to the topic of laundry, if you are like me and you’re always short of (hanging) space Ezyline ($15) gladly lends a helping hand. These compact little packages unfold to create a 2m washing line ideal for under verandahs, carports, around the house or of course on holidays around caravan or tent. It hardly takes up any space in your suitcase and it is completely pegless (less luggage and no rust spots), so clever!

To find out more about Fluffy Buns, to browse the range and to order online visit www.fluffybuns.com.au. During the month of September all orders receive FREE delivery Australia wide.

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Cold Power giveaway

Giveaways, Home, Mum 13 Responses »

Jun 282013

The most heartwarming smile, the tiniest fingers and toes, big sparkling eyes and a cute little nose, I just love everything about babies except the large amounts of washing they create. Somehow I thought that one little person extra wouldn’t make much difference when it came to my already huge laundry pile, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Just for fun I have collected all the washing I have done this week for the baby only (imagine all the winter washing from the other five of us on top of that!):

Tiny baby, big washing pile

Countless sets of clothes, bedlinen, wraps, towels and of course an enormous pile of burp clothes, our little Sybil is an expert at making dirty washing. Because of our experience with eczema in our older children we are very aware of the first symptoms and unfortunately it looks like Sybil may have inherited the same sensitive skin as the others. When it comes to skincare products and washing powder I try to avoid unnecessary ‘nasties’ that could irritate her delicate skin.

Because I do at least one wash every day we go through our detergent quite quickly so I was pretty happy to receive a bottle of the new Cold Power Sensitive Touch laundry liquid to try. Cold Power Sensitive Touch is hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested and is free from perfumes, something that often triggers irritation of both skin and airways. This ‘gentle’ promise is backed up by a partnership with the Eczema Association of Australasia so I felt confident it was a safe choice for our family. I have not noticed any difference in their breathing or skin so Cold Power has earnt a tick there.

We put it to the test: Approved!

Cold Power Sensitive Touch may be gentle on the skin but of course a laundry detergent is not very useful if the washing doesn’t come out clean. As the name suggests Cold Power stands out from other laundry products by its ability to deliver excellent results in cold water, saving you both energy and money. I will admit that I normally wash with warm water because my kids take out the no.1 prize when it comes to making stains and those stains don’t easily budge without hot water (or so I thought).

I didn’t think they would but the cleaning results with Cold Power Sensitive Touch are identical to my ordinary washing powder, it looks like there are no more excuses for me not to go cold! A small number of really tough stains could not be lifted but to be fair my usual laundry detergent couldn’t get rid of them either (I tried!) so they needed a simple overnight soak, no problem at all.

Cold Power Sensitive Touch laundry detergent is available as a powder ($14.99, 2kg) and liquid ($14.99, 2L) and you can find it in the cleaning aisle of your local supermarket. One 2L bottle/2kg pack holds enough detergent for 44 washes (on average), that’s a lot even for a big family like ours. When you think of the energy and therefore money you save by using cold water I think Cold Power offers great value for money and of course it is better for the environment too. To find out how and how much you could save on your washing costs by washing smarter take the quick Shrink Your Bill test.

To find out more about Cold Power Sensitive Touch visit www.washsmarter.com.au.

This is a sponsored post for Cold Power and Digital Parents Collective. Cold Power Sensitive Touch provided complimentary samples  for this post, however the opinions and content expressed within are completely my own.

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Hip & Hygenic

Home, Sales & Savings Comments Off

May 192013

Here I was thinking my life would get easier once the twins were big enough to reach the tap and wash their own hands. I guess I should be happy they remember to wash their hands after going to the toilet but boy, can these two make a mess. Wet sleeves, wet mirror, wet ground and soap everywhere, now I spend my time drying the bathroom and filling up the soap dispenser. I think I may have to invest in one of these:

MyBaby Touch Free Soap Dispenser ($29.99)

The MyBaby Touch Free Soap Dispenser looks gorgeous and is a great help when it comes to washing hands. Not only does it deliver the perfect amount of soap every time (my little monkeys love using a handful), kids don’t even have to touch the dispenser as it is fitted with a clever motion sensor. While they wash their hands a cute 20 second song will play, the ideal time for a decent clean as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. The music function can be turned on/off and the unit works on 3 AA batteries. Just fill this friendly bathroom buddy up with your favourite liquid soap and he’s ready to go.

Save 10% on all MyBaby by Homedics products at Baby to Toddler, simply enter the code ‘A72R555ES17’ at checkout. Hurry, offer ends May 21, 2013.

To find out more about Baby to Toddler, to browse the MyBaby range and to order online visit www.babytotoddler.com.au.

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