When I shop for a new handbag I like to have something different, something that I won’t see every second person carrying. I also like something that has been well thought out and it must feel luxuriously soft to touch. I am so excited to introduce you to the gorgeous range of baby nappy bags by Carmelina. So why am I so excited? This nappy bag range epitomises everything that I think a nappy bag should be and most importantly the designs are original. Carmelina is an Australian designed diaper bag range created by mother of two, Carmel Margaritis. Carmel developed her range of changing bags when her first child was born. She was inspired to create a stylish, functional and fashionable product- I think the future looks very exciting for this brand. What do you think?

Carmelina Jezebel Black baby nappy bag

So what features are included in the stunning Carmelina Jezebel nappy bag?

• Detachable PU leather studded clutch
• Quick drop key pocket with security chain
• Two insulated pockets for bottles/drinks
• Three small pockets for baby needs
• Two large pockets for nappies/wipes/food
• Zipped large pocket to store change mat or iPad
• Water proof lining for easy cleaning
• Press stud decorative belt for easy access dummy holder
• Zipped waterproof wet bag
• Two pram hooks
• Change mat
• Baby Travel Blanket

Carmelina Jezebel Taupe baby nappy bag

The size of the Carmelina Jezebel is generous and aids in the functionality of the design.  H: 30cm W: 39cm D: 13cm

Carmelina Scarlet Nude nappy bag

The gorgeous Carmelina Scarlet nappy bag also embodies many, many features to make life for mums a little easier.

Carmelina Scarlet Black Nappy Bag

This range is manufactured using premium materials and I feel the price tag is very reasonable and affordable. The Carmelina Jezebel retails for $229 and $289 will secure you a beautiful Carmelina Scarlet diaper bag. If you’d like to find out more about this exciting new range of nappy bags please visit the full range in the Totsntales store. Perhaps something to add to your Mother’s Day gift wish list?

On another note, lest we forget on Anzac day. Please take a moment to pause today, to remember those who gave their lives and those that are in service today or have been in the past. I admire you all and I am ever so grateful for what you have given and continue to give.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Totsntales is giving away a free il tutto neon mini with all il tutto nappy bag purchases over $249! Hurry, we are selling out extremely quickly and this offer won’t be valid for long. This giveaway is just too good to refuse and has had mums to be, rushing to secure their gorgeous il tutto nappy bag purchases while our neon mini stocks last. The neon mini is such a stunning bag and they are available in the most yummy colours!

Il tutto neon bag giveaway with all il tutto purchases over $249

Why do we love the il tutto  neon mini? Here’s why:

Are you looking for a  mini bag for running those essential errands or a quick trip to the park ? Perhaps a new little spoil for yourself that you can take to work functions and parties ? Then look no further. The latest release from il tutto is a reliable, well crafted mini bag with an essential dose of cool. This hands free mini bag is the ideal companion for all occasions.

It features:

• Large front pocket – perfect for storing your keys and phone
• Front zip slip pocket
• long adjustable strap,
• Back wallet that holds 8 credit cards, notes and a central zip compartment for coins.

Okay, so by now you’re all screaming, “which il tutto nappy bag will I need to purchase in order to get my free neon mini bag?!”

Well, if you’ve had your eye on any of these stunning diaper bag designs, you are in luck:

il tutto mia nappy bags available in cream, black and red

il tutto georgia leather hobo nappy bag

We love the il tutto nappy bag range. What’s not to love!? They are Australian designed and made from the MOST luxuriously soft Italian leathers. The workmanship on these nappy bags is second to none- yes they are a little pricier than some of the more common nappy bag brands on the market, but they are extremely durable and when you hold one in your arms you can feel the quality of the materials. We are yet to have any warranty issues with this range, we believe this is a testament to the quality of the workmanship and materials used to manufacture the il tutto nappy bags. I also admire the love and hard work that goes into designing each il tutto nappy bag. The founder of il tutto, Lucie Trinco, tediously designs each nappy bag, starting from scratch with hand sketches! Her passion and flare for design along with her experience in the fashion industry has culminated into what I believe has created one, if not the, most sought after nappy bag brand in the world.

Check out Lucie’s blog, you’ll see just how committed she is to her craft and I love that she is so personal with her posts and you can really get to know the person behind the brand.

Be sure to browse the full range of il tutto nappy bags by clicking here. Remember to place your orders quickly to redeem the offer of a free neon mini bag!

Just a quick note to let you know that our March giveaway is to be drawn on the 31/3/13 and the winner will receive a custom made wooden name in their your choice of finish. Our custom made wooden names are available in raw, painted and fabric covered options. This is one of our most popular products and we’re so proud to be able to offer this quality, Australian made product.

So if you’re looking to personalise your child’s room, there’s no better way than with one of our sturdy, eye catching, customised wooden names. Why not enter the draw, simply head on over to our Facebook fan page, click “like” to become a fan and then follow the instructions on the giveaway post. Here is the link to our Facebook fan page.

Best of luck everyone! Here’s a small selection of some of the designs we have created for our customers.

Custom made wooden name fabric covered

Custom made wooden name for baby nursery or child’s room

Custom made wooden names for kids rooms

Also available in a range of painted finishes- why not complete the room decoration with a matching custom made wooden shape or numbers?

Painted wooden names and matching shapes

For the best custom made wooden names available in Australia, visit Totsntales.

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 have a new range of Kid’s bedding at Totsntales, the Australian designed Whimsy linen. With a number of designs for both boy’s and girl’s rooms you won’t be stuck for design ideas anymore! Some of the designs include Daisy Chain, Doe a Deer, Blossom, Double Decker and Sail Away. Whimsy releases stunning new designs on a regular basis so you’re sure to find something that will suit your child’s taste. The Whimsy range comes in Single, King Single and Double sizes, with matching sheets sets, quilt covers, pillow cases and cushions.

Pictured below are just some of the designs we now have in store, ready to ship. We have some great specials running at the moment so grab a bargain while stocks last. Spring is the perfect time to dust away those cob webs and redesign your child’s wonderland. We have a huge range of wall decor, floor rugs and furniture to match the Whimsy linen range so be sure to sit back with a cuppa and browse through our store.

Click here to view our Kid’s room decor selection.

Recently we have expanded our range of Skip Hop products. The new range of products now available on our website includes funky kids bags, “Playspot” Floor Tiles, the “Central Park” outdoor blanket / messenger bag, and cool new colours of the ever popular Skip Hop Pronto baby changer.

Check out a few pics below, and click here to view our entire range of Skip Hop products.

We’re extremely excited to reveal the latest Tree design by Roommates Wall Stickers, the Scroll Tree Wall Mural. As with our other Roommates designs this mural is completely removable and reusable, without damaging your walls! Simply peel & stick to apply and reposition whenever you like.

This mural will suit any child’s nursery and can be matched up with our owl, bird and woodland animals wall stickers. The mural has a whimsical nature about it and the design is very pretty, making it perfect for the home, nursery, kid’s room or office.

We’re receiving our first shipment of the design this week and we expect the design will be a real hit!

Scroll tree wall mural sticker

Please click here to view the Scroll Tree Wall Mural in our online boutique.

we’re giving away a MOR cosmetics Summer of Love Gift pack (pictured below) to a lucky Facebook fan. Simply tell us what you would do with this gorgeous pack if you win by commenting on Facebook! Entries close Sunday the 9th May 2010, 9pm. The winner will be announced on Monday 10/5/10.

To join in on the fun and enter this competition please click here.

MOR cosmetics Summer of love Gift pack that we're giving away

Yesterday we received our weekly Wallies order and we were thrilled to find some new goodies inside. New designs include the Swirly Clouds, cute Buggy Cars and Groovy Flower cutouts shown below.

Buggy Cars by Wallies

Swirly Clouds by Wallies

Groovy Wallies wall stickers

Finally, we also received some new chalkboard wall sticker designs, including the gorgeous butterflies and thrilling Raceway chalkboards also pictured below.

butterfly chalkboard Wallies wall stickers

raceway chalkboard wall stickers

New designs from the Wallies Wallplay range include the Dino Park and Fairy princess peel & stick Wall murals. We love these designs and we’re sure your children will spend hours applying and repositioning these wall stickers to their hearts content! Of course all the Wallies Wall stickers are completely removable without damaging your walls, making them perfect for renters and those who like to change their minds.

dino park wallies wall mural stickers

Fairy Princess Wall play mural

Finally Wallies has released their first peel & stick designs giant growth chart and it features our all time favourite Woodland Jungle Animals!

woodland growth chart by Wallies

Please click here to view the entire Wallies Wall sticker range in our online boutique.

Well we are now well into the festive season and we love nothing more than wrapping your selection of gifts. It is a delight to see after careful selection what our customers have chosen to give their loved ones and the messages carefully worded to be written in the gift card often bring a smile to our faces and we can only imagine how chuffed your recipient will be!

After many requests we can now confidently offer gift wrapping on most of our items, including nappy bags. I love wrapping the lush range of Willow and Finch body soaps and butters, MOR lip delights, and Mind to Body candles, the aromas are heart warming and our gift boxes filled with crunchy coloured tissue paper make for an exquisite presentation.

Here are some of the items that were gift wrapped in our boutique this week. We use a beautiful blossom wrap, perfect for “her” and a fun Jungle wrap perfect for kids and newborns.  We have a gorgeous christmas wrap arriving shortly and cannot wait to be wrapping your christmas gifts.

To view our boutique, click here