We feel extremely lucky to live in a beautiful and protected part of the Australian environment. We’re awoken by birds, possums scrambling across our roof top and what we thought was someone chopping wood at 4 in the morning is actually one of our resident frogs! We have a small pond in our backyard and whilst neglected we have recently cleaned some of the leaf matter out and trimmed some marshes surrounding it so it gets a little sun to keep the mosquitoes under control. As it turns out on close inspection this pond is teaming with tadpoles and I always catch a glimpse of an elegant dragonfly or two which are drawn to the abundance of insects on the menu.

Everything in this pond and its surrounds, live in harmony, the tadpoles and the frogs eat the mosquitoes and their larvae whilst the dragonflies keep annoying small pests in our organic vegie patch under control. Nature is truly amazing and it is so important that we teach our children to respect and admire nature. Not only for the benefit of appreciating the simple things in life but the future of our ecosystems rely on the little people we are rearing to stand up and protect them. The ecosystems can survive without our interference but too often we encroach on the fragile nature of these systems upsetting a balance and causing irreversible damage. Encourage your own little ecosystem in your backyard and admire it with your child, show them how to respect nature and how to observe it. A pond is a terrific example of an ecosystem and your child can watch the development of tadpoles as they grow to be frogs.

Recently we set up a compost bin in our backyard. Thankfully our council promotes the use of a compost bin and doesn’t provide a green bin. We purchased our compost bin for $50 from Bunnings and it has been such a great investment for ourselves and the environment. Once the products of our green waste have been broken down by natural bacteria and heat we can use it in our organic vegetable garden which will save us a great deal on compost! Why throw this brilliant green waste into your council bin?! We have no smell coming from our compost bin, it is airtight and doesn’t smell at all unlike our rubbish bin! No bugs or small critters can get in, it’s perfect and so easy! I was so thrilled with the compost bin system that I nearly purchased everyone in our family one for Christmas! All households should have one, it would be a refreshing exercise for people to re-connect with nature and children would be in awe at how quickly the waste breaks down. Not to mention the joy on their faces when they see the effects of this green ‘rubbish’ on their garden.

Some great links to environmental information:

http://www.environment.gov.au/

http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Environment.aspx

http://www.bom.gov.au/environment/

We recently adopted a new family member of the four legged variety. After doing lots and lots of research on all the different dog breeds available in Australia we finally narrowed our choice down to a small handful of breeds. In order to narrow down the breeds that were most suitable for our family situation we used the following criteria:

• Must be great with kids including young children and babies
• Must not be a breed that is known to bark excessively (we live in a quiet neighborhood)
• Does not require more than a daily walk and a romp in the garden in terms of exercise
• A small breed that will not knock small children over or eat us out of house and home
• Short hair- Low maintenance in terms of coat care and not an excessive shedder
• A great companion that loves to be around people and welcomes all guests into the home

Using this criteria we successfully narrowed our search down to one breed. A breed commonly referred to as the ‘little clowns’ of the dog world, the French Bulldog! After doing our research we felt confident in our decision to start searching for a suitable breeder and we went off to meet some of these delightful personalities in person. Our family loved everything about this breed, their cute faces, the snoring but most importantly their fun loving and comical nature. The perfect dog breed for our family.

After many months of waiting for the right puppy, now we can happily say we have our own French Bulldog and we would like you to meet Fifi the French Bulldog! Adorable, cuddly and charismatic, she is a ball of love and has settled into our family life perfectly.

We’ll keep you updated with photos as she grows!

French Bulldog puppy 8 weeks old

French bulldogs make great family dogs

French bulldogs love children and make great therapy dogs for the elderly

Over the past few years we have noticed a trend toward parents purchasing modern decor to create their ultimate baby space. Modern nurseries are often simple, sustainable, gender/colour neutral, flexible, efficient, child friendly and inspire children’s imaginations.

Here is a simple checklist you can use when creating your modern nursery.

1. Set a budget- note down all the essential items you will need for your baby, including items such as the cot, change table, drawers, nappies, bassinet, bath, pram etc. Once you have budgeted for these items you can then start working on your budget for the nursery decorating. It’s a great idea to be browsing magazines, blogs and websites etc for ideas and keep a folder or note pad to jot down your ideas. I have included some great nursery decorating resources at the end of this page.

2. Get organised early- it’s a good idea to begin sourcing where you will purchase your nursery items relatively early to mid way through your pregnancy. Some items may need to be ordered in or custom made and this can typically take 1-3 months in some cases for items ranging from wooden baby names, wall decals up to your essential goods such as furniture. The other benefit in sourcing your supplies early rather than later is that you may be able to shop around for the best price and snag a bargain at a sale.

3. Keep it simple- it’s important to keep in mind when creating your modern nursery that this space should feel like a calming and safe place to your baby. Shapes of furniture and other items should be simple with natural curves and lines, nothing overly flamboyant. Keep the colours neutral, natural tones are perfect. Some of our customers have created amazing nurseries using colours such as beige, which will progressively be livened up with your baby’s toys, floor rug, bedding and wall decals etc. The photo below shows how a neutral backdrop has the effect of highlighting the items used to decorate the nursery in this instance the white furniture, books, toys and wall decals. This wall decal is perfect for modern nurseries as it customisable (choose your own colours to match your nursery colour palette), gender neutral (can be re-used for your next baby or evolve into a kids room), flexible (removable if you wish to re-design the room), adaptable (the branches can be transformed into shelves, saving space- purchase these from Ikea). You can find out more information or buy this wall decal by clicking here.

Use this tree shelf decal to decorate your nursery

4. Use some bright colours- bright colours will add interest to the nursery. Items such as toys, floor rugs, wall decals, clocks and even furniture can add a pop of colour. White furniture on a darker contrasted wall looks terrific and if you prefer brown furniture use a lighter colour on your wall to make it stand out. Customisable wall stickers are readily available and you really should invest some time into thinking about the colours you would like in your nursery. Choosing your bedding and items which are not customisable first may be a good option as wall stickers in most instances can be customised to match your bedding and wall colours. As the image below shows, bright dot decals are the ultimate in adding some instant colour.

Dot wall decals can add a splash of colour to any kids room.

5. Saving space- select decorating and furniture items with a view to creating an open space. For example if you are limited for space, when selecting your furniture instead of purchasing a change table plus a separate set of drawers, choose a change table that already has a built in set of drawers underneath. As shown below.

6. Re-use- Modern spaces should reflect modern goals and sustainability, the re-usability of items is key in the nursery. Select gender neutral colours and the space will be perfect if you decide to welcome a baby boy or girl to the nursery in the future. Some furniture can be re-used for example source a cot that can convert into a toddler bed, saving the need to purchase unnecessary furniture down the track. Other reusable purchases may include your designer nappy bag which can often convert into your favourite handbag once you no longer need to carry about your baby items. Movable wall stickers are a fantastic sustainable option and they can be re-used over and over without losing efficacy. Similarly supporting ecofriendly products such as fabric wall stickers instead of PVC vinyl decals will go a great way to fulfilling the long term goals of a modern nursery. Reusable cloth nappies are fantastic too!

7. Child friendly- modern nurseries should showcase items that are child friendly and usable. With the aim of encouraging exploration and inspiring the imagination. Interactive wall decals are a great way for a child to explore art and learn visually. Alphabet wall decals are educational and make a bold statement in the modern nursery and kids room.

8. Themes can be limiting- avoid creating a nursery around an overpowering theme such a licensed character. Instead allow your baby to develop their own tastes as their modern nursery inspires their imagination and encourages their independence. Some popular themes can be found by clicking here.

9. Personalise the nursery- it is so easy to personalise your baby’s space with customisable name wall stickers and wooden names. For as little as $49.95 you can add your child’s name to their wall as a wall sticker, in your choice of colours and fonts. Painted wooden names can be ordered for as little as $29.99 depending on the length of the name.

Some inspiration for your nursery project:

Tree wall stickers for the home or office

Birdcage wall stickers can be customised to suit your home decor.

Owl wall stickers are customisable to suit all nurseries.

Woodland wall stickers for kids rooms available in 4 designs

Some resources that you may find helpful:

Baby nursery ideas on pinterest

Chic and Cheap nursery

Project nursery

Lay baby lay

Baby room ideas on pinterest

Don’t forget to enter our competition on Facebook by simply liking the Totsntales fan page and sharing the competition post on your Facebook wall. We will be announcing the lucky winner on the 27/9/12. The winner will receive one of our gorgeous owl tree wall stickers measuring approximately 110cmH X 91Wcm and manufactured in their choice of colours!

This wall sticker is made in Australia from premium quality fabric wall sticker materials making it BPA & PVC free. Not only is it printed on non toxic materials the inks used in production are also eco friendly. Application is a breeze, simply peel and stick and move the decals around as you please- they are removable and repositionable over and over again.

If you simply can’t wait till the 27/9/12, you can purchase your very own owl tree through our store for as little as $53.96 simply click here to view this product.

We have an exciting new wall sticker design to kick off the new week – an Australian Outback Animals scene by Wall Craft.

This design is perfect for young kids to learn about some of our most famous native wildlife that exists in Australia, such as kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, cockatoos, echidnas, wombats, frill neck lizards and more!

Spanning a huge 3 metres in width, this mural would add colour and excitement to any children’s bedroom and is a design that could be suitable for many years beyond early childhood.

Click here to view this design in our online store

Wall Craft has released another boy’s wall sticker design in their latest release “Dinosaur Adventure”. This design features an abundance of prehistoric life including dinosaurs, plants, palm trees, clouds and an active volcano! This is a design that will bring a little boy’s room or nursery to life through the addition of colour and the adventures of the dinosaurs.

Available from just $49.95 and you’re proudly supporting an Australian made & owned product in Wall Craft wall stickers. You can also rest assured that these wall stickers are safe to place in your child’s room or nursery because they are PVC and BPA free and unlike problematic vinyl wall stickers that you may have purchased in the past, they are unlikely to peel and turn at the edges.

Please click here to find out more about this design.

If you’re looking for some cute wall stickers for your little boy’s room look no further! We have a great range of boys wall stickers including air transports, combi vans, trucks, trains, cars, planes and hot air balloons just to name a few.

Here’s a quick preview of some of our most popular designs! All of these designs are easy to apply, simply peel and stick and they are removable, movable and can be re-used over and over again.

Please feel free to click here and view our entire range of boy’s wall stickers.

This classic design by Wall Craft features an Aussie icon, the combi van! A design that makes the perfect addition to a boy’s room or nursery. This is a design that your child won’t outgrow overnight. It looks just as great in the nursery as it does in a teenage retreat!

Support an Australian business and reap the benefits of a premium quality Australian made product. BPA & PVC free, easy to use and perfect for little hands!

To secure your Wall Craft Combi van wall decor or to learn more about this quality range please click here to be taken to our store.

We have received 2 new designs from our Australian wall sticker company, ForWalls. These include one stunning French design for little girls and an engine addict design for all the little boys! We’re sure you’re going to love everything about these designs, the colours are gorgeous and would suit most rooms. Your child won’t outgrow these designs within a few months, they will still look fantastic for years to come. Retailing at $42.95, these wall stickers are removable and easy to apply, simply peel and stick!

Now available at Totsntales, please click here to these designs.

Forwalls have released some funky new designs in their canvas storage solutions. These designs match up with the Forwalls range of wall stickers and make the perfect addition to any kid’s room. There’s something for both boys and girls rooms. The space design is great for boys and the mushroom design will look beautiful in a girl’s room.

Made from all natural 100% cotton canvas. Designs are made from felt with cotton stitching and designed in Australia.

Size: 50cm diameter x 45cm high

To view or purchase these gorgeous storage solutions and matching wall decor please click here.