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Jack The Giraffe

JackGiraffeOne morning Jack the Giraffe woke up and decided that he wanted to do something different that day.

Normally, Jack spent his day playing in the jungle and eating the leaves from the top of the trees where none of his animal friends could reach, but today he wanted to do something new.  Jack was ready for an adventure.

He decided to go exploring and see new parts of the world.  His mummy and daddy told him to be very careful and presented him with a packed lunch to keep his strength up on the long walk.

And it was a long walk.

It was a very long walk.

The landscape changed as he neared the coast and he spotted a great big ship that seemed to be waiting for him.  The captain was very pleased to take Jack exploring because he really needed someone new to talk to.

The ship sailed away and Jack’s long neck stretched high above the vessel.  He had the best view.

After a few days Jack spotted land.

“Land ahoy!” he cried.

The country was nice and hot, just as he liked it, but the dirt was bright red and the leaves were different.  They tasted funny.  (Lucky he had a packed lunch with him!)

Jack had landed in Australia, right up the top near Kununurra and it wasn’t long before his long legs walked him all the way to MooWoo where the trees had the best and most delicious leaves for him to eat.

Jack decided to stay with MooWoo for a while and continue his explorations from there.

Would you like to show Jack the Giraffe what your part of the world looks like?  You can order him here and he will be with you as quickly as his long legs (or the postman’s little ones) can carry him.

bio fresh fruits and vegetables

Recently I did a post on Sinchies food pouches and thought I would include some healthy recipe suggestions.  These recipes come from the Sinchies blog page which also contains many other delicious ideas.

Mango Chicken

1 chicken breast

1 sweet potato

2 apples

2 carrots

1 cup of fresh or tinned mango

Bake your chicken breast.  Steam or boil the sweet potato, apples and carrot.  Blend all the ingredients together and pour into your Sinchies and serve or freeze.

Recipe from Elise Walton

Creamy Beef & Pumpkin

1 cup of cooked beef

1 tin coconut cream

1 cup steamed pumpkin

2 steamed carrots

Blend it all together and pour it into your Sinchies and you have dinner on the run for your little one!

Recipe from Elise Walton

Let me know what you think of these two recipes and also any suggestions you have for variations.  Do you have any other favourite recipes that you have used?

Hathay Bunano

Hathay Bunano is a not for profit organisation that was establish in Bangladesh in 2004 by Samantha Morshed.  Samantha established this community based business to assist the women of Bangladesh to have reliable flexible work that was close to home and where they are fairly paid so they can support their families.

With the support from Samantha, these women were able to develop their knitting and crochet skills to make the most beautiful handmade crafts that also provided them with sustainable employment.  Over time new production centres and training courses were being established that continued to support the women in rural areas throughout Bangladesh.

Due to the success of Hathay Bunano there was a need to establish its own brand that resulted in the launch of Pebble and this also allowed the story of the products, processes and women to be told.  Furthermore, due to the extraordinary work by Samantha she was awarded an MBE in 2009.

Underpinning these operations is Fair Trade which has a focus on the farmer, manufacturer and artists so they get a fairer deal with their products, how much they receive as well as access to greater markets.

An important issue with Fair Trade is that many of the communities simply want a fairer opportunity to trade their products which is why the message is “Trade not Aid”.  For more information follow the link that provides a background on Fair Trade.

Blanket___rainbo_4dce4687032b6Here at MooWoo we sell a range of products from Pebble Hathay Bunano that includes wraps, blankets and swaddles.  This includes the Pebble Fair Trade Rainbow Stripe Blanket which is bright, colourful and made from 100% cotton.  These are ideal as a swaddling blanket for a newborn or as a pram blanket as your little one gets bigger.

Crochet_patchwor_pinkAlso, the Crochet Patchwork Blanket – Pink is lighter than a fully knitted blanket and is ideal during summer or inside with central heating.  This blanket is also a great example of the extremely talented Bangladesh woman and their exquisite craftsmanship.

These are just some of the products from Pebble Hathay Bunano; follow the link to see many others that we have on offer.  These also represent our small but important contribution to supporting the women and their families of Bangladesh.

Have you seen our Sinchies and Squooshis reusable food pouches?  These are a great idea for giving your kids and toddlers a full and healthy meal or snack in an easy and convenient way.

The Sinchies food pouches can easily be filled with pureed fruit, dinners, vegies, yoghurt as well as smoothies.  Sinchies come with a spout so your child can suck or squeeze the food and as such there is no need for a bowl of spoon.

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They are also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.  As they are made free from BPA, Phthalate and PVC these are not only safe for your child but for the environment when you eventually dispose of them.

Even better, you know exactly what your child is eating and ensure it is safe, healthy and free from additives because you make and pack it yourself.

The Sinchies come in a pack of 10 and you can choose from two different sizes of 80ml or 200ml.

Squooshis are another great idea that can also be used for a snack, lunch or dinner for your toddler or child.  Simply open the super strong zip lock at the bottom to fill with your food as well as to wash.  Each pack of 4 come with 2 walrus Squooshis and 2 panda Squooshis.

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If you are looking for some recipes then pop over to the Sinchies Blog page which has some fantastic and healthy recipe ideas.

Another great recipe idea is this one for frozen yoghurt.  You can freeze strawberry yoghurt overnight and not only will it keep the lunchbox cool but it can easily be eaten the next day when it melts back to yoghurt.

We will share some recipes with you over the next few weeks but if you have your own recipes you’d like to share then post a comment to this blog.  I look forward to reading them.

Library And Swim Bags

1320291719Bobble_Art_Kids_Drawstring_Bag_ButterflyDepending on where you live around Australia, your children may have returned to school this week.  You’ve probably stocked up on exercise books and pencils, but did you remember to buy a multipurpose bag?

Library & Swim Bags are a great accessory for school and we have a great selection available.  These bags are useful  for carrying around the heavy and awkward library books they borrow when at school or when they need to carry their swimming gear and towel when they go swimming.

These bags are made from nylon and are lined with polyester and have an internal mesh pocket.  They also have a draw string opening that means any item placed in the bag will be safely kept in place and not likely to fall out and get lost.  They are also very durable.

rocket_swim_library_bagWhile these bags are suited for carrying library books as well as swimming gear they are also perfect if your kids may be staying over at a friend’s place and they need to take along some spare clothes, toys or anything else they may need.  Plus they are also practical when you are travelling and you need to keep the kids entertained as they can also carry food, games, pens and pencils.

Woodland_library_bagThese bags are also easy to store as they have a hook for hanging and they have an internal name tag so they won’t lost.  Some of the designs we currently have in stock are the Butterfly, Woodland and Rocket bags as pictured here.

Follow this link to the Library & Swim Bags section and have a look at the other designs we have in stock.  These handy little bags definitely make life easier – and take our word for it, you may even need more than one!

craft

With the return of school only a few days away your kids probably have lots of their toys and play things all over the house.  To help get things back in order here are some craft ideas that are practical and easy to do.  In addition, these are also good to do after your kids have gone back to school as they can use some of the arts and crafts ideas they may have just learnt.  Also, combining some activities that your kids have been learning at school back at home may help them adjust to the new environment they are in.

Shoe boxes are ideal for storing all sorts of things like small toys, DVDs or video games.  You can easily decorate the outside of the shoe box with coloured paper, paints or even using textures to draw different shapes or patterns.  Old cardboard tubes are ideal for storing pens, pencils, textures or crayons.  You can cut them to different sizes and join them together with glue or rubber bands and if you have any left over Christmas wrapping paper then that would be a great way to decorate the tubes.

Ice cream containers are perfect for storing things that can be a bit messy such as paints and play dough.  Also, old drink bottles or jars can be used to hold marbles or any other small items although make sure to give them a good clean out first.  Of course, be careful if choosing glass containers.  They are breakable and are not suitable for young children.

If you have some large toys or books then archive boxes can be great for storing them.  You could combine a few together and make a mini storage shelf that not only keeps everything in order but makes it easy to get the toys or books out and importantly, back in.  Use some creativity and combine the archive boxes into interesting shapes and sizes.

These are just some simple ideas but with a bit of imagination I am sure you can come up with some other ideas.  If you can’t, I’m fairly certain your children can!

Let us know what your ideas are and what you may have done in the past. They might help others get organised too.

**Image from www.tigerstores.co.uk/tiger_office/storage/floral_pencil_holder_1501544.html

Thermos Drink Bottles

Living in Kununurra where temperatures often exceed 40⁰C, we sure know the value of keeping cool and having cold drinks.  As such, our range of Thermos drink bottles can be recommended by first hand experience as they have won the confidence of our own sunny community.

By now you are probably getting ready for “Back to School” and that means buying bags, lunchboxes and drink bottles.  Before you buy an ordinary drink bottle, take a look at these.  They cost a little more but will last a long time which makes them great value.

duravac_with_lidThe Thermos Dura-Vac is made from stainless steel, holds up to 1 litre and is virtually unbreakable.  Hence the reason it comes with a 5 year warranty and totally replaceable parts in the event something goes wrong.  This thermos also comes with a slip resistant rubber grip and an interchangeable top that allows you to keep drinks either hot or cold depending on your requirements.

foogoThe Thermos Blue Foogo has a doubled walled stainless steel inner and outer that keeps the contents cold for up to 12 hours.  This thermos is also leak proof and has a hygienic push button lid with pop-up silicone straw that is easy to open.  This thermos has a kid proof design with unbreakable stainless steel that is built to withstand the daily wear and tear.  In addition to being dishwasher safe, it has a non slip scratch resistant base and is BPA free.  This thermos holds 355ml and is suitable for ages 18 months plus.

pink foogoFor children a bit younger who are aged 6 month plus then the Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup may be more suitable.  This thermos also has a double walled stainless steel inner and outer that helps to keep the contents cold and fresh for up to 6 hours.  This thermos has a spill proof valve that prevents messes and makes it easy to clean, is dishwasher safe and also has removable handles.  This thermos holds up to 200ml and has a soft drinking spout that is made from “Food Contact Safe” material and is FDA approved.

These are just a small sample so see the range of other Thermos drink bottles we currently have in stock.  I am sure you will find one that is suitable for your child’s needs.

Holiday Memories

superheroThe summer school holidays are a great time for your children and whether you have gone on a holiday or stayed at home there are sure to be some great memories coming out of it.

My children love to hear tales of my childhood and many of my best stories and memories were made during school holidays.  I love reliving them as I tell my kids all about the fun I had.  It’s like being a child all over again.

What childhood holiday memories do you have?  Think of the fun you may have had swimming in the water, building sand castles or just walking along the beach collecting seashells or even along a riverbank where you may have collected some smooth pebbles.  You can almost feel the water tickling your toes again, can’t you?

Other memories may relate to a pet you grew up with.  You might remember times when you played with them around the house or when you took them for a walk.  You may have trained your dog to do tricks such as rolling over or actually returning the stick or ball when you threw it.

The great thing about these memories is that they have stayed with you for a long time and this highlights their importance in your life.  The innocent fun of childhood never leaves us, does it?

During these holidays make sure your children have the chance to create some magical moments of their own that they can look back on years later and remember.  Make sure that you are a part of the magical moments, too.  Join in with their fun and play.  Be a kid again.  These are the moments your children will never forget.

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With the start of school still a few weeks away, now is a good time to start to get your child ready to go back to school.  Importantly, as there is still plenty of time many of these ideas can easily be implemented without the impact of dramatic changes.  As you get closer to the start of school then the routine can increase.

Here is a list of suggestions you can do with your child.

  • Help your child clean up their desk or the area where they do their study or homework.
  • Take your child to your local office supply store and buy some fun things such as colour pencils, folders, pens and desk accessories to go on their clean desk.
  • If you have purchased books and other items from the school, spend an afternoon covering the books and labelling them.
  • If there are text books or novels then have a brief read and find some topics or areas that you can discuss with your child.
  • Try and arrange for school friends of your child to catch up at their place or yours.
  • Drive past the school on a regular basis and if your child is new to the school visit the school so they can become more familiar with the surroundings.
  • As the start of school gets closer, try to establish a routine around going to bed and waking up at the same time they will need to for school and even have lunch around the same time.
  • On a regular basis talk about how great school can be as well as some of your positive experiences you may have had when you went to school.
  • If there is some anxiety, discuss with your child why they may be feeling that way.  Also mention that the feeling is quite normal and that other children may be feeling the same way and often after a day or two they will feel much better.

These are just some tips that hopefully may help going back to school just that little bit easier.  Also encourage good communication with your child and in addition to asking about their day, always ask about how they are feeling.  As we all know going to school can create a lot of anxiety but it can also be a lot of fun.

Merry Christmas

xmas8Happy Christmas!

The holidays are here and the kids are excited about Santa’s visit.  We’ve sorted out the cookies and the reindeer food and everything is in its rightful place.  We hope the excitement is huge at your place, too.

Enjoy the break and we will see you again in the New Year.  We can compare gifts!

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and your family.

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