TRAVEL | DAYLESFORD @ ST.ETIENNE

As school holidays crept closer we found out in the last minute that our trip to Tasmania wasn't going to be working out as we had hoped, so we quickly re-arranged our plans to an escape to the charming town of Daylesford, Victoria. We had visited this little gem once before when the kids were really young, but we had done the trip as a simple day venture. This time we made sure we had at least 3 days and nights to explore this wonderful region.

Daylesford is famed for its naturally occurring mineral springs and exquisite local produce invites you to soak up the goodness and enjoy its day spas. There are plenty of restaurants, galleries, wineries, boutique shops and markets. The best thing is you have nature at your doorstep and yet you are never far away from a great cup of coffee or a delicious meal.

We thought we would have some difficulties in finding an accommodation with a family focus (as the main tourism to this regions are couples), but after some searching we finally found a place that had everything we were looking for!  

St. Etienne is a Federation home from 1912, located right in the heart of Daylesford. This three-bedroom home maintains its period features whilst adopting a minimalist and contemporary style in the native surrounds of a woodland garden. Just a five minute walk from Lake Daylesford and 450 metres from the township (Vincent Street), St. Etienne also includes a few creature comforts should you decide to stay indoors including a welcome hamper with locally made treats, Netflix and free Wi-Fi. 

St. Etienne has been redesigned by a husband and wife team with two tots in tow and a mutual passion for all things design. Every room has a history of its own and the careful design choices for each room were so wonderful. The kids loved every second we had here. They quickly found the toy shelf in the kitchen and the playful design choices such as a denim Smeg fridge, colourful artworks by Michel Quarez and the amazing Byron Bay hanging chair in one of the bedrooms were all met by squeals of delight! It was a visual feast and it was so easy to feel the holiday calmness spread over us as there was everything you could have wished for. The delicious hamper that was provided had a great selection of Daylesford goodies and the navy inspired kitchen comes armed with everything you need to cook delicious homemade meals. We especially enjoyed the custom made cabinets and all the state of the art appliances by Miele and Smeg which made it so easy to cook up a storm on the nights we decided to eat at home. The cool communal table created by New Zealand designer Alastair Keating was also a big hit with the whole family. 

It was always so nice to step back into this home after a day out exploring both Wombat and Lerderberg State Forrest and all the great sights around this region. We sipped cider at the Daylesford Cider Company, walked around the beautiful town lake, grabbed coffees at the Larder, shopped vintage finds at Brick Lane Bazaar, took in the beautiful treasures at Bromley & Co and ate several good meals at the many wonderful cafes and restaurants in the area. 

It was an absolute joy to stay at this place (and I assure you this is by no means a sponsored post) it was so nice to find a home that shared our passion for design, yet done in such a great way that you didn't feel uncomfortable sharing it with curious children. it was a marvelous escape and one that made us glad that the original Tasmanian trip didn't go to plan. Instead we left Daylesford, relaxed and eager to come back for more adventures soon!

THINGS WE LOVE | Once upon a time in Space!

It is Sci-fi love on the highest level. The look on the boy when he saw this tee arriving the other day was priceless. Big gaping mouth and massive eyes for a whole minute until finally one word came out of his mouth.... ZAP! Yep, I hear ya... there is a whole lot of zap on that tee buddy.

Not a big gun fan in general but I can see how a kids brains kicks off when they see old classic ray guns. There is so much imagination put into them and they all scream out adventure in space! It's a major TEE crush for us. It also comes in a sweater version.

Find it here:
DALTON RAYGUN TEE by FITN

SPOTLIGHT | Knitwear by MICAELA GREG

I know its in the middle of summer here in Australia but when I see great knitwear for kids, I simply have to share. How good are these soft knitted pants from Micaela Greg? It might be the only thing that could make me wish for colder weather! The pants comes in size 12 month up to 5yrs.

Micaela Greg is a knitwear label founded by San Francisco based sisters, Marie and Karen Potesta. The sisters transform spool after spool of yarn into effortlessly cool knitwear by combining modern geometric patterns, intermingling textures, and deceptively simple silhouettes. They strive to design visually bold knitwear, with both an artful quality and boyishly cool aesthetic. The collection is proudly made in California, and constructed of the finest quality Italian yarns with the softest hand feel.

View their kids collection here and their women's collection here.

Favourite Picks | Monochrome Love

It can't get any simpler, black and white, a match made in heaven and something you can match with everything. It is not new yet it doesn't seem to get boring, here is a few monochrome things that we love!

1. Sleep bag by Anatology / 2. Cap by Hugo Loves Tiki / 3. Feathers tattoo by Tattyoo / 4. Sweatshirt by Hugo Loves Tiki / 5. Slippers by Nununu / 6. Toadstool lamp by Heico / 7. Nesting dolls by Wee Gallery / 8. Drawstring  bag by Noe&Zoe / 9. Wild Thing poster by MonoMini / 10. Bat Beanie by Oeuf NYC / 11. Union Jumpsuit by GoatMilk.

READ | Once Upon An Alphabet

Longtime fans of author Oliver Jeffers, we are getting giddy about his release of a new picture book - Once Upon An Alphabet. We love the quirky tales that accompanies the letters in the alphabet and it makes for interesting conversations as you learn the shapes and look of each and every letter.

I love books that entertain the adult reader as much as the child and this one definitely ticks the boxes. Whenever one of my kids come running with one of Oliver Jeffers books you know you are in for a good read and a visual treat!

Once Upon An Alphabet comes out Oct 14th, and will be available in most bookstores and in his official online store too.

Things I Love | Insta Crush

If you ever need some outfit inspiration for your little ones I can recommend the shop Fourmonkey's instagram page - @fourmonkeysandk. There Kinga shares her own styling of the wonderful labels she carries in her online shop, Fourmonkeys. You can also catch photos from behind the scenes and see the clothes in action on her cute daughter.

@fourmonkeysandk / fourmonkeys online store

PLAY | Stack And Scare!

How cool are these stack and scare monster blocks by Uncle Goose? Stack and create your own monsters with this 18 piece set.  Featuring scalloped dowels, scales, robotic diodes, monster heads, hands, feet, patterns and much more. Mix and match shapes or combine with other Stack And Scare sets to unleash endless creature combinations!

Comes in 4 different sets and  are sure to keep your little one (and yourself) entertained for hours.

Shop at:

:: INVISIBLE CREATURES ::

Things I Love | Little Cloud by Friends With You

Being a long time fan of the art collective Friends With You, I couldn't miss blogging about this incredible cute little lamp. Little Cloud is a limited-edition lamp with two different light intensities: cool white and warm white. It includes rechargeable battery or can be plugged into mains, and comes with an European two pin plug. This is is a lamp I think the whole family would fight to have, and as soon as I have saved a bit of mullah, we might just get one!

Shop it here / Scout & Co + Paul Kasmin Gallery

Things I Love | Zip it

Love these zip purses coming this fall from creative genius Donna Wilson. I have had a Baggu purse for a while now and I love it, but wouldn't mind having a back up one as cool as this one.

Things We Love | Wee Gallery

Looking for boredom busters for your next cafe visit or holiday? Check out Wee Gallery's new cute activity books. Find creative ways to dress up the bunny, fox and pig with either pens, paint or why not make a collage? The 5x3.5 inch book is perfectly sized for little hands and can be easily packed for car trips or restaurant visits.

Available at Fourmonkeys.

Close Up | Tiny Whales AW14

When parcels like this arrive in the mail it is indeed a happy mail day! We have always loved the fun prints of Californian label Tiny Whales, and their AW14 collection is packed with them. If you missed the earlier brand presentation of their new collection you can catch it here.

My boy goes through tees like crazy when the warmer spring/summer days arrive so these 3 will go on high circulation as soon as the warmer winds arrive. I love these three prints and so did the little dude who giggled at the donut and I haven't gotten it of him since. The cap has a truly great fit and where most caps seem to go over my boy's ears this one is just perfect.

The new collection will arrive very early September and if you want to make sure you are not missing the release, make sure you check in on their facebook page or follow on instagram at: @tiny_whales. In the meantime check out their great stash of fresh tees and accessories over at:

:: TINY WHALES ::

A Piece...

... we love is our Picnik Barcelona mountain sweat. We got ours from the lovely family of Kidproof blog, but you're in luck because its still available from Zirimola, and it's on sale at the moment right here!

Zirimola is currently offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING with the code FREESUMMER.
To check out their full sale with up to 50% off, head on over to:

:: ZIRIMOLA ECO SHOP ::

Things I Love | Posters by Springstof

Posters are such great, fun ways of making a boring wall interesting. I recently got a few of these lovely illustrations as postcards and I can tell they would be wonderful posters in either a kids room or in the living room for that matter! Printed on 190g white wood-free offset paper, measuring 30x45cm.

Find them here:
NEVERLAND poster / SQUIRREL poster / MY WORLD poster.

INTERIOR | ROOM RANGE from Cotton on Kids

THIS is good peeps! I have longed for a fair priced bedlinen range for kids (because lets face it, kids like to change the look of their room a lot and the bed makes up for such a big place in their room). Like so many other mums I have Oooh and Ahhh to so many of the nice looking bedlinen out there for kids but most of them are in the price range of 130$ and upwards and sometimes it just feels a bit hard on the wallet for a quick room update.

On April 7, Cotton on Kids will launch one of its most exciting categories yet- its first children's bedlinen and room range. The collection, in a burst of print and color, includes a range of stylish and fun sheet sets, reversible quilt covers, cushions, printed paper lanterns, removable chalk boards and other decorative home accessories. All styles are designed to be mixed and matched- inviting kids and parents to explore their creative side and transform any bedroom into a space to dream, play, sleep, invent and most importantly have fun.

The 100% cotton bed linen capsule is available in a range of designs suitable for single, double and queen size beds, ensuring there is something for toddlers to teens, and even the ‘big kids’ in the house who share the same passion for fun, bright fashion-driven prints.

The range launches online on April 7, and in selected Cotton On Kids stores in Australia and NZ from April 10.

:: COTTON ON KIDS ::

Instagram Crush

There is endless of inspiration for outfits on shop owner Kinga of Fourmonnkeys instagram feed.  Focusing on high quality children's wear and toys from around the world it is easy to get lost with some serious window shopping when you visit her website. I love how she combines the different labels and outfits and it is definitely one big instagram crush of mine at the moment.

:: FOURMONKEYS ::

Rain ready with Gardner and the Gang

With winter comes rain, and lots of it here in Melbourne so this winter I thought we better be prepared in style! These classic gumboots from Swedish Gardner and the Gang has been on our radar for a long time, and this season both my girl and boy will rock a pair! I love how these are the perfect unisex choice as the little bit of pink in there will make them sweet enough for the girls to wear, but the skull is tough enough for the boys.

We also got the chance to sneak a peek at their new AW14 range which is coming out in a few months time. How cool is that raincoat!? Lots of great garments with rad prints and comfortable fabrics. New for that collection is that the sizes now come all the way up to 8yrs (yes finally!). Oh and they have something as amazing as FREE WORLD WIDE SHIPPING too!

:: GARDNER AND THE GANG ::

Things I Love | Graphic Black

Oh I am falling in love with the magical selection at Fourmonkeys these days. There is something so crisp and minimalistic that evokes my graphic love for all these labels that owner Kinga has selected carefully from across the globe. Here are a few items that tickles our fancy right now.

Nununu Circle swimming suit /  yo-yo by Playsam / Nununu number hoodie / Be kind banner / Bunny Dress by Bang Bang Cph / Black pompom by Miss Etoile / Shoes by MAÁ / Leggings by Theif&Bandit / Foxy Girl necklace / Plush by Corby Tindersticks / Diamond by Naef.

:: FOURMONKEYS::