Love JK: Create. Make. Celebrate Magazine

OCT 2013

LOVE JK

04

create

make

celebrate

DANCE PARTY!!

HOW TO HOST A

BABY SHOWER Gardening with kids WITH THE LITTLE VEGGIE PATCH CO.

LOVEJK.COM.AU

Recipes

Party Inspiration

Free Printables

V

E L O

L

E

E

O

V L

V

O

hello!

V

E L O

We have a crazily colourful issue, jam packed with tips and ideas for you and your little people. It’s here - fashion fixes, party pieces and crazy crafting. Welcome to our spring edition!

From Melbourne-based The Little Veggie Patch Co., Mat and Fabian share with us ways to get little green thumbs into the garden. The wonderful sisters from The Party Parlour show us exactly how to create, style and host a picture perfect baby shower. Belinda Nihill of Nest Design Studio wows us with a colour popping kid’s room bound to bring your little one’s space to life.

We help you feed the family without the fuss with deliciously simple recipes, lunch box fun and treats for everyone, with contributors like the authors of Eat Fat Be Thin, Andi Lew and Dr. Natalie Kringoudis.

To top it all off we have two incredible parties to give you inspiration for your next celebration. s!

Contact U Studio Mews, 366 Park St, South Melbourne +61 (0)3 9012 6007

Hip hip hurray!

Jennifer

hello@lovejk.com.au

lovejk.com.au All prices are current as of July 9th 2013. Prices subject to change. © Copyright Love JK 2013. All free printable files are for personal use only.

facebook.com/LoveJKAustralia Twitter: @_LoveJK @Jen_Henderson

Adorable Birthday, Baby Shower and Christening Invitations OOOOM! VVRRR !

02

Isabella is turning 1!

Please join us for afternoon tea On Saturday 13th October from 2pm til 4.30pm At 8 Orangeblossom Road. Applecross RSVP 5th October Kay 0431 024 172 kay@emailaddress.com.au

baby er show

ON SATURDAY 4TH AUGUST 2012 FROM 2.30 – 5.30PM AT 8 ORANGEBLOSSOM ROAD APPLECROSS RSVP ISABELLA BY FRIDAY 27TH JULY ISABELLA@EMAILADDRESS.COM.AU 0123 456 789

Ryan, Jennifer, Gabriella, Lily & Sabrina

Join us to celebrate

Join us as we celebrate the Christening of our son

Natalie’s Baby Shower Join us to celebrate

Elizabeth’s Baby Shower on the 8th August at 3pm

Saturday 28th July at 2pm At 8 Orangeblossom Lane, Applecross Please RSVP Lily by 21st July On 0404 325 453 lily@emailaddress.com.au

Join us to celebrate

Jordan’s Christening on the 8th August at 11am

Christopher David On Sunday 27th May, 2012 at 11am St Therese Catholic Church 440-442 Blaxland Road Denistone East

at 8 Cherryblossom Lane, Applecross

at Our Lady of Mount Carmel 216 Richardson Street, Middle Park

Lunch to follow at The Boathouse Orangeblossom Way

RSVP regrets only by 30th July

Lunch to follow at 8 Cherryblossom Lane, Applecross

RSVP 1st May 2012 joanne@emailaddress.com.au

Jennifer 0412 345 678 jennifer@emailaddress.com.au

V

HENRY IS TURNING 2!

ZOOOOM ON OVER AND CELEBRATE WITH US!

E L O

L

E

E

O

V L

O

V

RSVP 30th July Donna 0412 345 678 donna@emailaddress.com.au

LOVE JK Stylish and Whimsical

V

PERSONALISED PARTY STATIONERY & GIFTS PERSONALISED INVITATIONS, ADDRESS STICKERS, THANK YOU CARDS & GIFT TAGS, BUNTING, MILK BOTTLE STICKERS, & MUCH MUCH MORE!

lovejk.com.au Like a custom design? Call 03 9012 6007 or email hello@lovejk.com.au

E L O

CONTENTS OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE FOUR

Create

16 Little Green Thumbs 22 Colour POP Moodboard 24 Pom-Pom Crazy 25 Plastic Fantastic

Make

28 Pumpkin Pasta 30 Choc-Cubed Strawberries 32 Amazeballs 34 Making Lunch boxes FUN

Celebrate 36 Ice Cream Party 56 Party Favour Ideas 62 Dance Party Fever 79 Oh Baby! How to host a Baby Shower 96 Gift Guide for Baby Shower 100 The Wonderful Cakes of Oz

Merci Beaucoup!

Thanks go to everyone who helped make this issue come together. BIG thanks to Louise, Susanne, Stacey, Clare, Grant, Sophie, Annabel, Kim & Jodie for all of their wonderful efforts!

www.lovejk.com.au

5

Jen Henderson

Louise Weeks

EDITOR & CHIEF KIDDO

SPECIAL FEATURES

OF LOVE JK

EDITOR & BLOGGER

Jen Henderson is a big

Originally from England,

kid at heart who loves to

Louise moved to

draw, create & have fun!

Melbourne just over two

Having spent her ‘grown

years ago and has truly

up’ career as a designer

found her feet.

in design studios and

With a background in

branding agencies in Europe and here in Australia, Jen

Contemporary Craft, Fine Art & Design and artisan

decided to combine her passions of being creating

foods, she is one very crafty lady! Café manager by

gorgeous designs for kids with her love of branding,

day, cultural creature by night, Lou is the newest

to create her very own range of stationery, wall art

addition to the Love JK team.

and softies for kids to cuddle, love and be inspired by

cultureattic.com

lovejk.com.au

Belinda Nihill

Alina Botoni

INTERIORS EDITOR &

FASHION EDITOR, STYLIST

OWNER OF NEST

& OWNER OF VIA STYLE

DESIGNS

Alina is an international

Belinda Nihill is a qualified

traveler, fashion connoisseur

interior designer and

and styling enthusiast. Her

mother of two who

personal styling business

specialises in nursery

is booming and she finds it

and children’s rooms.

very rewarding when being

Based in central Victoria,

able to give somebody else

Belinda has a Diploma of Arts in Interior Design and

the confidence they deserve. Being a Mum of two young

Decoration and has worked as an interior designer

kids, her new found passion is styling little people. When

for over a decade. Her own business, Nest Design

she can tear herself away from her beloved family and

Studio, began while she was preparing for her first

laptop, Alina is busy searching for the most exclusive

son Hugh’s birth in 2009. Belinda is also mum to

designer party dresses for girls 1-10 years to hire them

Hugh’s younger brother, Charles.

out for special occasions.

nestdesignstudio.com.au

viastyle.com.au

Clare and Grant

Jodie and Kim

PHOTOGRAPHERS,

SISTERS AND

MY LITTLE TRIBE

CO-FOUNDERS OF

Clare and Grant

THE PARTY PARLOUR

photograph your little

Sisters Jodie and Kim

tribe with passion, fun and

have combined their

lots of energy!

backgrounds in design,

Inspiring appreciation of love and life through stunning imagery of your family, pregnancy, new life, childhood and beyond.

My Little Tribe is a celebration of the beauty and soul within us all‌

sales, marketing, business administration and most importantly motherhood and sisterhood to develop a business that they love to be in. Together they have created The Party Parlour, an online store which is packed full of gorgeous partyware and great ideas.

thepartyparlour.com.au

mylittletribe.com.au

Susanne Sleep

Stacey Moran

MUM & WRITER

OWNER MINI PARTY

Originally from London,

PEOPLE

Susanne moved to

Stacey is Mum to two

Melbourne 10 years

young boys and owner

ago. She is a mother to

of Mini Party People, a

a highly spirited toddler,

company who specialise

full of demands and peals

in hiring gorgeous

of laughter. Her writing

furniture for kids. With a

reflects her lifestyle –

large collection of replica

defined by a lack of time and brain power, coupled

Mini Louis Ghost and Mini Panton kids chairs for

with the desire to feed and entertain her child the

hire, styling a party has never been easier. After a

healthiest and happiest way she can.

successful launch in Melbourne, Mini Party People is excited to be opening in Sydney.

minipartypeople.com.au

www.lovejk.com.au

7

stylish children’s furniture for hire Introducing Mini Party People. Adding some style to Children's Party Furniture Hire, with a large selection of replica Louis Ghost & Panton chairs.

Also available children size tables and other accessories.

SYDNEY Richard - 0411 258 568 richard@minipartypeople.com.au MELBOURNE Stacey - 0407 882 577 stacey@minipartypeople.com.au

minipartypeople.com.au

Let the little ones hop, skip and jump into SPRING with this adorable collection from Hello Toes.

Let Mother Nature look after you and your skin this season with the new HoneyMania range from The Body Shop.

Their philosophy is to make ‘fun for little feet’ and with stockists Australia wide you are bound to find the perfect fit. We LOVE! hellotoes.com

S THING

WE

Featuring an indulgent pot of Bubble Bath Melt ($29.95), a rich and nourishing Body Butter ($27.95) and the ever essential Body Scrub ($27.95), this bee-autiful collection is bound to fly off the shelves.

LOVE

thebodyshop.com.au

U TOO!

FOR THE KIDS & YO

Shoohoos by Yaya & Sky, are elastic laces that convert any lace up shoes into a slip-on. Mix ‘n’ match the colours for a super cute bright & fun look for your little one.

Available in multi-colour packs of 14 for $12.95. shoohoos.com.au

What better way to welcome the warmer weather than brightening up your home with splashes of happy colours!

Me & Amber have an array of beautifully hand crafted designs for every aspect of your house.

From table runners to cushions, greetings cards to t-shirts.

These Prints on Ply start at $50

Design House Studio Skinky recently released the fun and stackable Playon Crayon, said to be the perfect first crayon for your child. The non-toxic wax crayon is ideal for any young at heart household, especially as it is stain free!

October sees the release of the Playon StackUp’s, a new stacking mat that allows little ones to have more fun and variety when getting creative with the mighty Playon Crayons! studioskinky.com

meandamber.com

OUT & ABOUT

BY LOUISE WEEKS

Mosman, NSW Mosman Childrens Fair A free event for all the family comes to Allan Border Oval on November 9th. A day of face painting, fabulous fairies and farm animals awaits. For the more grown up kiddies, a teacup ride and story telling are some of the treats in store! Pack a picnic and enjoy a day of fun in the sun! events.mosman.nsw.gov.au/

Perth Little Hands Festival Fairies and Wizards are the theme for this year’s Little Hands Fesitval. Held on October 20th, take the kiddies down to Kadidjiny Park.

With an enchanted garden, carnival rides and all sorts of market stalls, the little ones are bound to enjoy getting lost in the wonderland. Old favourites such as pony-rides, balloon sculptures and craft activities will have everyone grinning from ear to ear melvillecity.com.au/artsevents/

Sydney Sculptures by the Sea Sculptures by the Sea has something for everyone – from abstract steel to giant soft sculptures and colourful quirky statues.

From 24th October to 10th November the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama will be transformed with over 100 sculptures and more from all over the world!

Take the kids and the camera, as this is one not to be missed! sculpturebythesea.com Melbourne Kids Weekend at Federation Square 19th & 20th October Find Your Lost Thing: Animation Let the kids’ imaginations run wild with these fun and free workshops featuring The Lost Thing: From book to film by Shaun Tan. Get down to Federation Square over the school holidays for a storytelling session like no other.

Filled with soundscapes and imagery that will keep the kiddies eyes and ears entertained all morning. acmi.net.au/shaun-tan-lost-thing

www.lovejk.com.au

11

05 06

COLOUR WHEEL

04

Bring spring season a splash o

03

02 01

1 KidO Animal Wobble Owl $14.95 tigertribe.com.au 2 KidO Whale Blue $19.95 tigertribe.com.au

3 Tropical Fish Reversible Hat $22.99 pumpkinpatch.com.au 4 Baby Elephant Money Box, $14.95 downthatlittlelane.com.au

We LOVE that NE favourite thin every c of the ra

5 KidO Green Aeroplane, $29.95 tigertribe.com.au 6 Little LadyBug Green Watch, $14.95 downthatlittlelane.com.au 9 KidO Floating Ducks, $19.95 tigertribe.com.au 10 Tulle Skirt, $29.99 pumpkinpatch.com.au

09

10

11

12 13

indoors this n with of colour.

t some of our EW ngs come in colour ainbow!

14

15 17 16

11 Ducky Wool Felt Pillow, $69 bowerandbeyond.com

15 Rokii Animal Red, $169.99 bowerandbeyond.com

12 Printed Spot Bermuda Shorts, $39.99 pumpkinpatch.com.au

16 Fuchsia Saltwater Sandals $69.95 moppit.com.au

13 Bobbletrim Dress, $39.99 pumpkinpatch.com.au

17 Quut Ballo Calypso Pink, $24.95 quutbeachtoys.com

14 Elephant Hanger (set of 3), $25 downthatlittlelane.com.au

www.lovejk.com.au

13

Oh Baby!

Personalised Birth Prints

Framed from $49.95 Shop online at lovejk.com.au

V

E L O

E

L O

V

V

E

L O

V

E L O

LOVE JK

Personalised Party Invitations Bunting, Wall Art, Birth Prints & More!

Shop online at lovejk.com.au 03 9012 6007 hello@lovejk.com.au

Create

Whether or not you’ve got a green thumb, we’ve got the scoop on how to get your kids in the garden. We show you a gorgeous girl’s room POPPING with colour, some fun craft activities plus DIY projects to keep the kids entertained.

LITTLE GREEN THUMBS

E LITTLE VEGGIE

MBER, OF TH TEXT BY MAT PE

PATCH CO.

When luring kids into the garden and into a lifetime of good eating, a left of centre approach is sometimes needed.

It’s worth noting that kids are inherently mischievous and rebellious little creatures, and so tell them one thing and they are likely to do another.

With that in mind, how on earth do you entice your kids into healthy habits without being dictatorial about it? We have given it some thought and these are the ideas that sprouted!

0 - 3 years

t Pember

a and Ma n Capomoll

Fabia

Watering At an age when kids are limited by dexterity and have a clean consciousness, this is an activity all should jump at. Provide manageable tools (small, durable watering can), adequate waterproofing (at least 50% will end up over them) and a method of replenishment so that you’re not constantly filling up. Some youngsters can develop a fear of water around this age, so it’s a two birds one stone activity that will hopefully get them more comfortable with water.

Gnawing

Scarecrow Making The only thing scary about a scarecrow made by your little ones is how ineffective it is at shooing away birds and other pests. But that’s totally besides the point. The activity is great for recycling old clothes, getting them outdoors and allowing them to make a complete mess. We run free scarecrow making workshops at Fed Square Pop Up Patch. For more info go to littleveggiepatchco.com.au/pages/pop-up-patch

There’s something about raw produce that gets

4 - 7 years

our hearts racing and it’s a pleasure kids should

Baked Beans Can

experience from a young age. To make sure your

Ask kids where baked beans come from and

little ones try the produce simply state: “Darling

some may shout “a can!”. An old favourite but a

please don’t put that in your mouth” and it’s

goodie – showing kids where their food comes

as good as gone! Make sure to put anything in

from. Go and buy a can of baked beans, eat the

bite-sized pieces and ensure they don’t have

contents and then grow a bean plant in the can.

allergies beforehand. If the kiddies are too small,

This can be substituted with canned beetroot,

try substituting their doll for a giant zucchini or

corn, carrots etc.

big tomato. www.lovejk.com.au

17

7-10 years Blind Feeling Test I remember doing a blind feeling test with all sorts of gross things – chicken livers, slugs etc – and at a relatively young age too. This does require a willingness to try, and hopefully your child is up for the challenge. Always tie in prizes for the most correct guesses as an incentive to be adventurous.

Scientific experiment I still remember my favourite project at school – how to germinate seeds in petri dishes. Science and fun are NOT mutually exclusive. Get some seeds, set up a ‘test standard’, decide upon some variables and chart the results of germination Colour-in-page Kids love colouring-in anything, even your favourite sofa, so this in an easy one. Pop your budding gardeners in a room with all the right materials and let them go wild!

Snail Challenge

and development. Keep a journal and take photos to go along with them.

Pimping the patch Give your little ones ownership over the patch by letting them decorate it to their hearts’ content.

We’ve always been great believers in competitive gardening and this challenge helps control pests in the garden. Send the kiddies out into the garden and let them discover the snail’s secret hiding places. Whoever brings back the most snails, wins. There could even be a plate of escargot at the end of it all. This challenge can have the snails substituted for caterpillars, but not for dinner.

These fun gardening accessories make getting in the garden even better!

Little Duckling Watering Can $9.95 Boys Gardening Set & Carrier $16.95 Both available from lark.com.au

WHAT TO PLANT IN OCTOBER P

BY SUSANNE SLEE 03 01

03 02

03 03

03 04

1 Beetroot ‘Detroit’ Heirloom Seeds $4.50

Due to disparate climates around Australia,

2 Lettuce ‘Boston’ Heirloom Seeds $4.50

planting differs all over the country.

3 Radish ‘Cherry Belle’ Heirloom Seeds $4.50

However, you can plant the following no matter

4 Carrot ‘Baby Amsterdam’ Heirloom Seeds $4.50

where you are:

All available from littleveggiepatchco.com.au

beans beetroot carrots

Read about how you

herbs

can create your very

lettuce

own Little Veggie

parsnip

Patch at home with Fabian & Mat’s

potato

great book.

radish

$45

For what to plant in a specific region of

littleveggiepatchco.com.au

Australia during the year, go to gardenate.com

www.lovejk.com.au

19

PICTURE POSTIE Want to print your iPhone, Facebook & Instagram photos? Now you can with the Picture Postie Photo Printing app. Developed by a Mum of two in Melbourne, it’s made getting photo prints a quick, easy & enjoyable task!

Save time & order quality prints, canvases, wall decals & more, straight from your iPhone and delivered to your door.

Download this free top-rated app now and get printing! http://tinyurl.com/picpostie

Picture Postie would like to offer you 20 FREE PRINTS with your next order.

Select up to ten 4x4” prints and up to ten 4x6” prints for free. That’s up to $6.40 off. Enter coupon code UDT020 Valid until 31 Oct 2013.

Colour Pop 03 01

Nest Design Studio’s Belinda Nihill

03 02

shares with us a bright & fun girl’s bedroom, featuring this season’s geometric patterns & a POP of colour!

03 03

03 05

03 04

1 Rainbow Garland $70, poppiesforgrace.com 2 Geometric Love Wall Art from $49.95, lovejk.com.au 3 Moroccan Pouffe-Sky Blue $195, ministyle.com.au 4 Stratum Weave Carnival Stripe $575, armadillo-co.com 5 Incy Mae Single Bed, $549, incyinteriors.com.au 6 Rabbit Lamp $176, downtothewoods.com.au 7 Childs Peacock Side Table White $89, thefamilylovetree.com.au

03 11

8 Pink Nounou Happy Cloud Cushion Pillow $40 babydonkie.com.au 9 Vinyl Wall Sticker Decal Art - Small Polka Dots

$23.30, etsy.com/au/shop/urbanwalls 10 Dipped Cushion in Mint $49.95, aurahome.com.au 11 Croc Single Quilt & Pillowcase Set in Pastel $185, kipandco.net.au

03 10

03 09

03 08

03 06

03 07 www.lovejk.com.au

23

POM POM CRAZY!

What you need Wool Cardboard Scissors

Text & Photography by Louise Weeks

Cut two identical circles out of cardboard. Cut a small round hole in the middle of each circle. Place one circle over the top of the other.

Wrap your wool tightly around the circles and then re-trace your steps once more until the circles are completely bound. Do this three or four times to ensure there are no gaps.

Carefully cut between the cardboard circles on the outer edge.

Louise Weeks shares with us her old y favourite craft activity!

Draw a long piece of wool between the two circles. This needs to be quite long, as it will form your hanging loop when the PomPom is finished.

Tie a knot nice and tightly, making sure all the stitches meet in the center hole. Cut and pull away the cardboard ring that’s left behind.

Hey Presto!! You just finished your perfectly puffy PomPom!

PLASTIC FANTASTIC! With Liz Fourez from Love Grows Wild lovegrowswild.com

Get crafty with the little ones and turn their favourite toys into nifty bookends to liven up their living space What you'll need Plastic toys of your choice 2 pieces of 1 x 4 wood to create the bases for your bookends.

Primer Paint

How to Cut the 1 x 4 blocks into four 5 inch pieces and sand any rough edges.

Spray the wood and plastic toy with a primer to ensure that the next layer can be fully absorbed.

Next, spray both the wood and toys in your chosen colour, allowing the paint to dry between coats.

Clear gloss sealer

To protect the paint and to give your bookends a nice, glossy

Wood glue

finish, spray a coat of clear gloss sealer over the paint once dry.

Now, it is time to assemble the bookends. First, lay one of the blocks flat on a table.

Apply wood glue to the long edge of another wooden block and place sitting upright on the far edge of the bottom block.

This should create an L shape.

Hold the block in place for a few seconds to allow the glue to set. Repeat this process with the other two wooden blocks.

To attach the elephants to the bookend bases, use a dab of superglue on the bottom of the elephant’s feet (being careful of little fingers!) Place them centered on the bottom of the wood block.

Hey presto! You, and your little one have crafted your very www.lovejk.com.au own bookends!

25

Make

Stuck for ideas for what to make for dinner or snack time? Here are some delicious and easy recipes to make for you and the kidlets.

Photograph by mylittletribe.com.au

EASY MUMMA FOOD

Mum to a rambunctious 18 month old boy whose sleeplessness is legendary! Susanne Sleep* shares with us some of her recipes that get her through the days when cooking and everything else is just plain hard work.

PUMPKIN PASTA Serves 4

Ingredients

Method

25 g unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 180c

1 tbl sp olive oil

Chop pumpkin into bite sized pieces, roughly 1.5cm squared

400 g pumpkin

Melt the butter and olive oil in a frying pan and cook the

400 g spaghetti

pumpkin, covered, over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes

4 tbl sp soft goat cheese (I use Meredith Dairy’s goat cheese, but any soft goat cheese will do)

Turn the pumpkin and cook for another 10 minutes, until

Optional for grownups

golden and tender when poked with a fork In the meantime, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions Place a tablespoon of goats into the bottom of each bowl

1 clove garlic, finely chopped and lightly fried 1/2 birdseye chilli, finely chopped and lightly fried

Drain the pasta - for grownups, stir the garlic and chilli into the drained pasta Mix the goat cheese and pasta Add cooked pumpkin to the top of each bowl and serve If your child is still very young and you’re still steaming their food, you can steam the pumpkin until very tender

During sum

mer month

exchange p

zucchini. It

umpkin for

adds a love

fresh flavo

comforting

prepared in

ur to this

s

ly,

and puree with the goats cheese before adding the cooked pasta.

Have leftover sausages? Chop it up and add in this dish as well, delicious!

dish and is

exactly the

same way.

*Yes, this is her real surname. The irony of the situation is not lost on her! www.lovejk.com.au

29

CHOC-CUBE STRAWBERRIES Ingredients

Method

12 strawberries, hulled

Melt chocolate until liquid

250 g raw chocolate recipe below (or milk, or white, or Toblerone!)

Half fill each hole in the ice cube tray with melted chocolate Place one strawberry into each hole Pour chocolate carefully into the ice cube tray (the chocolate should overflow into the spaces around the holes and pool together) Place the tray in the fridge until the chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes Eat before the kids see it!

RAW CHOCOLATE

Gluten and dairy free

There are a lot of raw chocolate recipes out in the world. As a dark chocolate fan, this one is my absolute favourite for being supremely choc-lety while not too sweet.

Ingredients

Method

1/4 cup coconut oil

Melt coconut oil over a low heat

2/3 cup cacao powder

Remove from heat and sift in cacao powder

2 tbsp agave nectar

Whisk until completely combined

5 drops chocolate stevia

Add the agave nectar and chocolate stevia. You can replace these two with maple syrup if you’re not fussed about raw ingredients, or honey if you’re not vegan Pour into container and set in fridge for at least 15 minutes

Everyone’s got an ice cube tray handy, so why not use it for something a little sweeter. This is one of the easiest recipes to make and will keep little and big tummies happy!

Roll on

WONDERSNACK TIME! With the success of two specialised recipe books under their belt we ask the fab and fit authors of Eat Fat Be Thin & Eat Fat Be Lean Natalie Kringoudis and Andi Lew, to share their Amazeballs recipe.

AMAZEBALLS

By Dr. Natalie Kringoudis & Andi Lew Jam packed with essential fats and dried fruits and nuts, these are a super sugar-free snack for both you and your little ones!

Recipe makes 12 -15 Balls

Ingredients

Method

2 cups quinoa oat flakes or Forage porridge (gluten free options), or rolled oats

Put all ingredients apart from the water into a food processor

1 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped

to roll into balls.

½ cup shredded coconut

Roll into desiccated coconut to make the outside look pretty and

½ cup sultanas

store in an airtight container in the fridge.

½ cup almonds

Can keep in the fridge for up to one week.

2 tbs organic peanut butter 1 tbs cocoa powder 2 tbs honey 2 tbs water 1 tsp vanilla extract

and blend until it has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add the water and continue to process until it becomes sticky enough Use a tablespoon to measure the mixture and roll into firm balls.

Note You’ll need to make sure the peanut butter is a good quality, pesticide-free kind. If your guests are anaphylactic and cannot consume peanuts, you may like to use a different type of nut butter or cold-pressed organic coconut oil instead. www.lovejk.com.au

33

Making

LUNCHBOXES fun!

With the start of the new school term,

here are some fun ideas to keep the kid’s

lunchboxes looking a little more enticing!

by Vanilla Pod Café & Deli

Lunchboxes don’t need to be a chore to prepare, nor a bore for your kids.

By simply using colourful picks & edible glitter, an ordinary lunchbox can turn into something that will be the envy of all the kids at school!

Here are some fun ideas: Pop stickers onto fruit & write messages too!

Bananas are especially good for this Use egg shapers to make boiled eggs super cute

Get your cute lunchbox accessories from Vanilla Pod online facebook.com/VanillaPodCafe/app_139114646178872

Cut up sandwiches using cool sandwich shapes

or, if you live in Brisbane, pop in and try

Get some fun containers to showcase your

some of their delicious treats for yourself!

delicious lunch time creations.

Celebrate Here we share our tips and tricks on how to plan and host a fantastic celebration. From baby showers to birthday parties for the older kids, we have everything covered. Take a sneak peek at our three parties for some sweet inspiration!!

scream for ICE CREAM WE

Photography Clare & Grant Of My Little Tribe, mylittletribe.com.au

Styling Jennifer Of Love JK, lovejk.com.au, Stacey Of Mini Party People, minipartypeople.com.au and Jacinda Of Jacinda Jones, jacindajones.com

Keeping the kids entertained at parties doesn’t have to be a tedious task. Getting them involved in preparing tasty party treats is bound to bring out the mini master chef in every single one! From making ice cream and funky fruit skewers to dipping and dunking with chocolate fountains and lamingtons - There is plenty you can do that will keep the kids sweet!

Liz Long of Melbourne’s Lucious Affairs, shows us how it’s done!

Previous Page

Soffritto Glaze Mechanical Scales in Pink

Mini Cake Pop Cones by

$49.99, house.com.au

Burnt Butter, burntbutter.com.au

Opposite Page

Nana Huchy Domestic Bliss Apron

Ambrosia Koko Small Bowls

$30.80, nanahuchy.com Pink & White Striped Ice Cream Cups 12 for $6.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

$5.99, house.com.au Frills and Frosting Plates Doilies $9.95, lark.com.au

This Page

Mini Meringue Ice Cream Cones by

Snack Heroes™ Ice Cream Maker

Burnt Butter, burntbutter.com.au

$39.95, sunbeam.com.au

Snack Heroes™ Chocolate Fountain

Scullery Silicone Spatulas - Set of 3

$39.95, sunbeam.com.au

$8.99, house.com.au

Ice Cream Party Food Tent Cards $1.15, lovejk.com.au

LOVE Snac Ice Cre Chocol for m m

01

We E Sunbeam’s ck Heroes™ eam Maker & late Fountain making food more FUN!

Triple layer pastel white chocolate mud cake

by Burnt Butter, burntbutter.com.au

y t r a P PLANNING TIPS

by Liz Long Liz Long, Managing Director of successful catering and events business, cooking school and café, Luscious Affairs, and award winning author of The Junior Gourmet has certainly hosted her fair share of parties.

Here are her 10 tips to take away the stress and provide the perfect home party that all your guests (and even you!) can enjoy: A party isn’t a party without party food!

It’s time to enjoy the sweeter things in life – cakes, chocolates and lollies. With that said, be mindful of guests with allergies or intolerances. Make sure that you provide something for everyone, with a balance of healthy foods and the expected sweet treats. It’s not as hard as you think.

Mini Meringue Ice Cream Cones

by Burnt Butter, burntbutter.com.au

A lovely dip and crudité platter, fresh wraps, sandwiches and salads should do the trick nicely. And balance out all those fizzy sugar drinks with water. A few slices of lemon, lime and orange add a hint of flavour and look the part too.

If you set a theme early, all else will follow From here you can easily decide on the right fit for your catering, games, music and party favours. Some of my favourites are: The 1970s (Disco & Hippies), Under The Sea, Cowboys & Indians, Fairies & Princesses or a single colour e.g. A Pink Party.

Entertainment is very important for your party Ask around amongst your friends with children for recommendations. And always ask your children!

Communication is key - there’s no point in hiring that clown, magician or fairy if they feel they’ve outgrown it. When

Keep the kids happy with their choice in entertainment!

in doubt, karaoke is a crowd favourite with all ages, and doesn’t break the budget.

Decide how long the event will last Always have enough fun and games for twice as long. That way you’re never caught for ideas mid-party. Plan a mix of traditional games (‘pin the tail’ and ‘pass the parcel’) with activities (treasure hunts in the garden) and something hands-on like cupcake decoration, which is fun and tasty.

Reduce stress by planning your party music in advance If you’ve gone with a theme, follow this and it should be easy. Just plug in your iPod and you’re good to go. Like the party games, allow for double what you think you’ll need!

Think about photography / videography A professional can capture those moments that you’ll treasure forever. If you’re on a tight budget, get the kids Traditional games like Musical Chairs are a great way to get them into the party mood!

involved with disposable cameras. Give them free reign with their camera but ask them to leave it behind. You may find a few gems once you have the film processed. At the very least, they’ll have a lot of fun taking happy snaps.

Decide what your plans are with the parents.

Will they stay to enjoy the party or just drop off and pick up?

If they’re staying ensure that you have suitable catering for them too. And make sure that everyone knows what time the party ends by confirming with everyone who ‘drops off’.

Make sure that all potentially dangerous objects are put away, the kids cannot access pools, and animals are out of the way (if only for their own sanity!). Try to keep the party in an allocated area and ensure adult supervision at all times.

The end of a successful party brings with it a sigh of relief from the host and party favours for the guests. Again, themes work best but honestly, kids are hoping for more of that sweet stuff, so there’s no need to overthink it.

Finally, enjoy yourself. That’s what parties are for! If you’ve

Have the favour bags all ready to go

followed my suggestions you should have everything taken

at the end of the party

care of for the big day. www.lovejk.com.au

43

VANILLA ICE CREAM

by Susanne Sleep

Ingredients

Method

1 cup whole milk

Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of the thick cream and the salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and add the bean to the mixture as well. Cover, remove from the heat and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups thick cream Pinch of salt 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise 6 egg yolks (keep the whites for meringues) 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the remaining 1 cup of thick cream into a large bowl and place a fine-mesh sieve on top. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a rubber spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula.

Pour the custard through the fine-mesh sieve and stir it into the cream. Place the vanilla bean into the custard and stir in the vanilla extract. Leave until cool (about an hour) When cool, remove the vanilla bean from the custard and freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer.

WIN!

Thanks to our friends at Sunbeam, we’ve got a Snack Heroes™ Ice Cream Maker and Chocolate Fountain to give away!

For your chance to WIN ENTER HERE

Competition open to Australian residents only Competition closes at midnight AEST, October 31st 2013 For full terms and conditions, please visit lovejk.com.au

Pretty in Pink...

Dunking deliciousness! Jazz up the everyday lamington with a hint of PINK! Get your apron on and get baking.

Pink

LAMINGTONS

by Liz Long, of Luscious Affairs lusciousaffairs.com.au

Method Cream the vegetable oil and sugar Add eggs one by one

Ingredients 2 cups self-raising flour 500 ml vegetable oil 500 g castor sugar 600 g plain flour plain 20 g baking powder 12 g teaspoon salt 7 eggs

Add sour cream Sieve flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl Add to wet mix Add vanilla essence and stir well Pour into greased and lined lamington tin (25cm x 25cm x 5cm) Bake in oven for 25 - 30 mins. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

500 g sour cream

For the pink dipping sauce

20 ml vanilla essence

In a bowl combine raspberry sugar crystals and hot water to

For the pink dipping sauce

make the jelly, slowly adding the hot water whilst whisking into a smooth, runny liquid.

Allow the jelly to cool completely, but not set.

1 packet of raspberry jelly

Put the desicated coconut in a separate bowl.

2 cups desicated coconut

Dip the vanilla cake squares into the sauce, drain on a rack for a minute then toss through the coconut, covering all sides. Allow to set in the fridge.

www.lovejk.com.au

47

Ice-cream

SANDWICHES Is there anything more delicious on a hot day than an Ice cream sandwich?!

Our baking beauty, Lisa from South Melbourne’s Burnt Butter shows us how to add a bit of shimmer and sparkle to this fabulous, and oh-so-easy frozen treat!

01

02

03

04

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES 01

Ingredients Your favourite ice cream Coles 100s & 1000s Mini Biscuits

Method 02 Allow ice cream to soften Spray baking tray with canola oil and cover with cling wrap Once softened, spread the ice cream into the baking tray using

Utensils

the palette knife Dipping the knife into warm water will help to create sandwiches

Cling wrap

of the same height

Round biscuit cutter

Refreeze ice cream with another layer of cling wrap on top

Deep baking tray Palette knife

03 When the ice cream has re-frozen use your biscuit cutter to cut

out your rounds. Cleaning the cutter after each cut will assist in creating perfect rounds Hot tip...slightly warm the cutter by dipping into a bowl of warm water to make the cutting easier

04

Place frozen ice cream round inbetween two Coles 100s & 1000s Mini Biscuits and they are ready to serve. When making in advance, the completed item can be frozen for a day or two.

Place ice cream sandwiches on party table just prior to children being seated.

Burnt Butter is run by a Glenda and Lisa Flegeltaub, a mother and daughter team, based in South Melbourne.

Helping parents create delicious magic, they make the most beautiful array of cakes, biscuits, cake pops, push pops and party catering. Find out more at burntbutter.com.au

INSPIRATION PRETTY PAMPER PARTY

01

Ice Cream Party Look 1 Ice Cream Party Invite $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au 2 Mini Milk Bottles Hire for $1 ea, or buy for $4.95 ea Pink Chevron Straws, 50 for $12.95 minipartypeople.com.au Ice Cream Party Milk Bottle Stickers, $1.49 ea, lovejk.com.au 3 Trees for hire $10 ea minipartypeople.com.au 4 Ice Cream Thank You Gift Tag $0.99 ea, lovejk.com.au Powder Blue Lolly Bags 12 for $9.95, minipartypeople.com.au 5 Ice Cream Bunting Flags $1.99 per letter, lovejk.com.au

02

03

04

05

C

A

M

I

L

L

A

07 06

08

6 Frills and Frosting Plates 12 for $9.95, lark.com.au 7 Frills and Frosting Plates Doilies $9.95, lark.com.au

MAGICA

L FAIRY

8 Ice Cream Cups 12 for $6.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 9 Large White Ceramic Cake Stand Hire for $10 from minipartypeople.com.au

FAIRY G

ARDEN

10 Ice Cream Party Tent Cards $1.15 ea, lovejk.com.au

09

DUST P

INK

GREEN

11 Ice Cream Party Circles $0.99 ea, lovejk.com.au FAIRY G

ARDEN

GREEN

11

11

10

13

12 Pink Ghost Chair Hire for $4.00 per day, minipartypeople.com.au 13 Nana Huchy Domestic Bliss Apron $30.80, nanahuchy.com

www.lovejk.com.au

53

e l y t S Tips

Decorate the walls Frills and Frosting Plates Set of 12 for $9.95 larkstore.com.au Ice Cream Bunting $1.99 per letter lovejk.com.au Decorate hellium balloons with sheer fabric Paper straws can be used as a skirt for the table!

Put little posies of fresh flowers into mini milk bottles to decorate the tables.

Milk Bottles by Mini Party People Hire for $1 ea, or buy $4.95 ea minipartypeople.com.au Decorate the tables with cute little bunnies. Hire from $2.50 ea minipartypeople.com.au Hire Trees from $10 ea minipartypeople.com.au

Online Children’s Party Directory www.lifeslittlecelebrations.org Source unique & stylish suppliers around Australia for your next little celebration!

!"#$%&"#$'(%)%*"'+,%-./+01/$(%)%2$!.'%)%*3.+.4'"*3$'(%)%*'05+"-6$(% )*"'+,%30'$%)%$7$5+(%(+,60(+(%)%$5+$'+"05%&$5+%)%7$5/$(

www.facebook.com/lifeslittlecelebrations lifeslittlec@gmail.com

PARTY FAVOUR

ideas

TANYA CASTELLINO of Life’s Little Celebrations Children’s Party Directory

Favours are a chance to give little party goers a piece of the action to enjoy at home. Lollies, sweets and treats are often a popular choice to hand out, however, most kids will devour them in seconds.

Giving kids a non-edible party favour offers them something to enjoy for days, weeks or months to come!

There are so many unique party favours that children can keep, use and appreciate rather than ending up in their tummy or in the bin.

Photograph by alexandrenaparker.com

1 Rainbow Slinky $2.50 ea

01

Slinkies are a great favour to give to both boys and girls. It’s a timeless toy which kids love. thepartyparlour.com.au 2 Gift of seeds, $8.95 These cute seed packs from Love the Occasion

02

ensure kids get out and enjoy the sunshine!

They come in a range of different flower options. lovetheoccasion.com.au 3 Soap buddies, $2.50-$4 ea Send the kids home with a gift they won’t mind being scrubbed with – custom all natural soaps in a range of designs and letters. facebook.com/SoapBuddies

03

04

05

06

07

09 08

4 Lollipop elastics, $8 ea

7 Customised crayon packs

A little bit of sweet without the sugar. Hair

A super cute creative keepsake available in your

elastics disguised as a lollipop

party theme

charlimae.com

etsy.com/au/shop/BespokePartyProducts

5 Mega Bubble Wand, $1 ea

8 Favour packs, Made to order

For an inexpensive option, these bubble wands

Made to order favour packs from Little Sweet

are a fun favour to give to little ones.

Styling, featuring cookie receipe, cutter and more

kmart.com.au

littlesweetstyling.com.au

6 Penguin Lip Gloss, $4.95

9 Craft packs, $7 ea or 6 for $35

Super cute little lip glosses from Seed make

Kids can enjoy some hands on craft with these

for a perfect favour for little girls.

mini craft packs. A few options to choose from

seedheritage.com

include this cute fabric kit! mylittletable.com.au www.lovejk.com.au

57

10 11

12

14

13

10 Pom pom wand, $7 (mini), $12 (standard)

13 Ribbon wands

Little girls will love to twirl with this gorgeous

Can be enjoyed by young boys and girls alike, a

tulle wand.

fun favour for imaginative play

pompomprincess.com.au

dunnewithstyle.com

11 Customised chalks, $1.80 ea

14 Fairy Dust bottles, $5.20

These adorable chalks will provide hours of fun

A litte bit of magic to take home from a fairy,

for the little party guests. They come in various

princess or woodland party.

shapes and colours to suit your party theme

pieceofcakeparties.com.au

chalkchook.com.au 12 Party bags Various themed based party bags filled with fun

The Life’s Little Celebrations party directory

novelty items. This spooky themed bag would be

is a fabulous place to find a range of

perfect for a halloween party.

vendors for all of your party needs.

partyideasinabox.com.au

Take a look at lifeslittlecelebrations.org

www.mumsgrapevine.com.au SIGN UP FOR SALES ALERTS. YOU’LL NEVER PAY RETAIL AGAIN! Enjoy a sale or a special deal?

Mum’s Grapevine gives you the inside scoop on all the big sale events. � Secret boutique sales � Pop-up

sale locations � Warehouse direct clearances � End of season sellouts � Ticket only events. Get the pick of the crop on Mum’s Grapevine!

Register now IT’S FREE! We Facebook & Twitter

WIN FABULOUS PRIZES!

“Hear it first on Mum’s Grapevine!

Save on maternity, bubs and kids wares”

EASY VANILLA BISCUITS

f The Iced Biscuit

By Jacqui Marks o

Ingredients

If the temptation for sweet treats still prevails, get

250 g butter

the kids into the kitchen and create your favours

1 ½ cups sugar

together. Jacqui from The Iced Biscuit shares

2 eggs

her super easy vanilla biscuit recipe for everyone

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

to enjoy.

1 teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon salt

Method

4 cups plain flour

Preheat oven to 170 degrees

1 packet royal icing mix

Line baking trays with parchment paper

Disposable piping bags and tips

Cream butter and sugar

Food colouring in your favourite colour

In a separate bowl mix together the salt, baking powder and flour

Hundreds & thousands, sanding sugar or other decorations

Add eggs and vanilla extracts

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix again Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in cling film Refrigerate for at least an hour Roll out dough and cut shapes using your favourite cutter

ip Jacqui's T

posable ’t have dis n o d u o y If me ply put so im s , s g a b piping snip off lock bag, ip z a in icing d the ti­p an g. start pipin

Bake in the oven for about 10 – 12 minutes until the edges start to turn golden Leave to cool on a rack before icing with royal icing. (See packet for directions. You may want to add extra water to make the icing spread easily onto the biscuits) Decorate with your choice of sprinkles, sanding sugar, cachous or other decorations Pop them into a cello bag, tie with a ribbon and attach a gift tag for an easy party favour. www.lovejk.com.au

61

DANCEfever!

PARTY AT ELEVATOR STUDIOS

With kids full of beans and ready to bop, make sure your next birthday celebration is a dance party!

Dancing to their favourite beats and learning new moves is just the beginning – A dance party can be as basic or extravagant as you like. Create jazzy backdrops with shimmering materials, let the big kids dress up as their ultimate pop idol and get movin’ and groovin’ to a game of musical stars!

PHOTOGRAPHY Clare & Grant of My Little Tribe mylittletribe.com.au STYLING Elevator Studios elevatorstudios.com.au & Love JK lovejk.com.au FASHION Viastyle viastyle.com.au

TOP: Girls Valetta Fur Vest & Floral Jeans, $59.95 ea, both available from havocdenim.com BOTTOM: L Scotch Rbelle Beach Dress $90 M Scotch Rbelle Sequin Shirt $115, Scotch Rbelle Print Pant $110 R Scotch Shrunk Straw Hat $40, Scotch Shrunk Life’s A Beach Tee $40 OPPOSITE: Scotch Rbelle All in One Sally $90, Petit Bateau Button Front Cardi $88 all available from juniorbrands.com.au

Tailored parties can make everything super simple for you. By having themes such as Hip-hop, Princess or even Michael Jackson, the costumes and music are taken care of.

Get the kids warmed up and ready to roll. After that, it’s jazz hands and star jumps galore!

TRIP THE LIGHT

fANTASTIC!

Shake it like a polaroid picture!

CREATE YOUR OWN POLAROID FRAME AND LET THE KIDS REVEL IN BEING A DISCO QUEEN (OR KING!) SAY CHEESE!! www.lovejk.com.au

69

Snackboxes $1.59 ea lovejk.com.au Cupcakes by Kiss Me Kate, kissmekate.net.au Heart Print Pop In Milk Chocolate $1.99 ea, happylab.com.au

Disco glam at Elevator studios

party favours INSTEAD OF TRADITIONAL PARTY FAVOURS, GIVE OUT SOME PARTY FLAVOURS! GIVING THE KIDS SOMETHING COOL AND QUIRKY TO TAKE HOME WILL KEEP THEM HAPPY FOR DAYS! TO COMPLEMENT THE BRIGHT AND BOLD COLOURS FROM OUR DANCE FEVER PARTY WE LOVE HAPPY BEANS FROM HAPPY LAB CONFECTIONERS.

OPPOSITE PAGE Happy Beans Test Tubes and Sour Beans Test Tubes $2.50 ea, happylab.com.au Geometric Thank You Gift Tag $0.99 ea, lovejk.com.au THIS PAGE Rainbow Stripe Square Plate, $6.95 for 12, sambellina.com.au Lip pops in milk chocolate, strawberry chocolate and raspberry chocolate, $1.99 ea, happylab.com.au

Pink Chevron Favour Bags, minipartypeople.com.au Geometric Personalised Sticker $0.49 ea, lovejk.com.au Rainbow Patty Pan, $4.95 for 6, sambellina.com.au Geometric Personalised Lunchboxes $1.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

y s a e ’ n k c i u q SNACK BOXES

When hosting a party at a venue, sometimes catering for so many hungry little bellies can be a bit of a challenge. Snack boxes are an easy way to solve the problem, Here are some of our favourite food ideas for snack boxes...

Lady finger sandwiches Vegemite, ham and cheese or chicken are all great filling options Bananas Great source of energy and most kids like them Jelly Cups Honey Joys An oldie but a goodie, these are a great one to get the kids to help make Pop Corn Gluten free and super easy to make at home Grapes Wash and pop into a small container Babybelle Cheeses We love these because they’re pre-wrapped and bite sized Choc-cube Strawberries See page 30 for the recipe Easy Cheesy Fried Tortillas Grate cheese onto a tortilla, cover with another tortilla and fry for a minute on each side in olive oil. 1 tortilla sandwich can be cut into 6 portions Marshmallow & Mango Kebabs Thread white marshmallows and cubes of mango onto skewers.

Add a pot of strawberry yoghurt for dipping

INSPIRATION PRETTY PAMPER PARTY

GET THE GEOMETRIC DANCE PARTY 01

LOOK!

1 Geometric Party Invite $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

2 Happy Beans & Sour Beans Test Tubes $2.50 ea, happylab.com.au Geometric Thank You Gift Tag $0.99 ea, lovejk.com.au 3 Geometric Snack Box $1.59 ea, lovejk.com.au 4 Geometric Bunting Flags $1.99 ea, lovejk.com.au Honeycombe tissue balls $6.50, minipartypeople.com.au

02 03

04

COOL CY

AN

HOT RED

PRETTY P

INK

07

05 06

5 Sambellina Rainbow Plates 20 for $10.95, sambellina.com.au 6 Paper Eskimo Baking Cup 25 for $6.95 minipartypeople.com.au 7 Mini Milk Bottles Hire for $1 ea, or buy for $4.95 ea Blue straws, 50 for $12.95 minipartypeople.com.au Geometric Milk Bottle Stickers, $1.49 ea, lovejk.com.au 8 Pink Panton Chair Hire for $4 ea, minipartypeople.com.au

08

9 Rose Pink Kids Table Hire for $25, minipartypeople.com.au

10 13

10 E levator Studios in South Yarra offer themed parties for kids.

From HipHop to Ballet, they’ve got a theme your kids will love!

09

The children enjoy dance related party games, learn a dance routine to their favourite song, eat delicious party food, and go home with a donut, lolly bag and a big smile!

Find out more elevatorstudios.com.au www.lovejk.com.au

77

INSPIRATION GEOMETRIC PARTY

GET THE GEOMETRIC DANCE PARTY

LOOK!

BY VIA STYLE’S ALINA BATONI, VIASTYLE.COM.AU

1 Scotch Rbelle Zaggy Jacket $220 Scotch Rbelle Beach Dress $90 Scotch Rbelle Summer Hat $40

2 Scotch Rbelle All in One Sally $90 Petit Bateau Button Front Cardi $88

01

3 Scotch Rbelle Mermaid Tee $50 MonaLisa Tiered Anna Skirt $152 4 Scotch Rbelle Sequin Shirt $115 Scotch Rbelle Print Pant $110 All from Junior Brands, juniorbrands.com.au 5 Havoc Denim Girls Valetta Fur Vest $59.95 havocdenim.com

02

04

05

03

INSPIRATION GEOMETRIC PARTY

06 6 Scotch Shrunk Straw Hat $40 Scotch Shrunk Island Shirt$40 Munster Boat Trip Boardies $65 7 Scotch Shrunk Life Is A Beach $40 Scotch Shrunk Split It Short $90 8 Munster Dog Art Tee $45 Munster Boat Star Trunk $60 Munster Logo Cap $30 All from Junior Brands, juniorbrands.com.au

08

07 13

www.lovejk.com.au

79

Simply stylish parties..

Planning a party? For simply stylish partyware and accessories look no further than The Party Parlour. complete product ranges from top designers. Create your own look or use one of the easy to follow party ideas shown online. So if it’s an invitation, party bag, decorations or a complete party

Treat B oxes

Paper Dec orations

Lollies

www.thepartyparlour.com.au

Oh Baby!

Kim & Jodie from The Party Parlour shares with us a ‘How To’ guide to creating the perfect baby shower for both boy and girl.

Gender neutral can easily be done if you follow these simple steps.

TEXT

Jodie Turner

STYLING

The Party Parlour

PHOTOGRAPHY

Glenys Flynn O’Neill

Opposite Page: Vanilla Eyelet Knitted Cardigan $59.95, Vanilla Knitted Booties $29.95, Pale Grey Stripe Knitted Stripe Growsuit $54.95, Vanilla Woven Bodysuit $39.95 Vanilla Hat with Pale Grey Leaf Yardage $14.95, all from Purebaby, purebaby.com.au All partyware by The Party Parlour, thepartyparlour.com.au and all stationery by Love JK, lovejk.com.au This Page: Cake by C For Cake, cforcake.com.au Little Feet Cookies by Sweetness, sweetness.com.au www.lovejk.com.au

83

A

baby shower is a fantastic excuse to gather family and

friends to celebrate mum-to-be and her baby.The celebration is all about making Mum feel special at this late stage of her pregnancy and sharing in the excitement. The most common form of baby shower celebration is an afternoon tea setting, where mum-to-be can sit and relax whilst being spoiled by her family and friends.

If you have taken the reigns of hosting a baby shower celebration, the first step is to have a chat to the Mum-to-be.

Decide what sort of celebration she would like – Would she like to theme the shower the sex of the baby? Or would she like it to be unisex and keep the sex of the baby a surprise until the birth?

A new idea is to reveal the gender of the baby at the shower with the cutting of the cake. This celebration could be themed with a neutral colour palette such as lemon and mint green or pastels. An iced cake takes center stage at this event; with a pink or blue sponge, the baby’s gender is revealed to guests at the cutting of the cake!

Once you have discussed these ideas with the mum-to-be, work out a guest list and set a date. Now you can get on with the fun stuff...Planning and decorating!

www.lovejk.com.au

85

Baby Shower Tips Jodie & Kim share their expert tips on planning and hosting a beautiful Baby Shower for the mum-to-be.

Afternoon Tea Table Family and friends will be more than happy to help out with the catering, so take them up on any offer to bring some treats along!

Once relieved of last minute baking duties you can devote your time to setting the scene, creating a lovely afternoon tea table and decorating to your hearts content!

Serving food on a variety of white platters helps to tie everything together

Differing heights will add interest and symmetry to your setting. You can create height by using simple risers such as the ones we have used from the Ikea kitchen department, wrapping boxes in coordinating giftwrap, or stacking cake plates on top of each other .

Fill clear glass jars with lollies of your theme colours.

Have sweet and savoury treats available. Name them with personalised labels and tags. If you don’t know what food people are bringing along, have some blank labels ready.

Consider creating a backdrop for your table using personalised bunting or even baby clothes hanging on a line. This will create some height behind the table. Another suggestion is to use a timber pallet, spray painted white, before hanging a clothes line. Why not fill the space around

Having your food laid out at different levels creates visual interest.

the table with tissue paper fans?

Display your special cake as the centerpiece and create a focal point to the table.

Invest in matching servingware such as plain white platters or white timber trays. Keeping it simple is the key!

Make a feature of the table by using coordinating baking cups for desserts or cupcakes.

Ask people to bring their food in containers so you can arrange them onto pretty little plates.

Use disposable party-ware, such as plates, napkins and cups as part of your display. Stack cups in interesting ways and use plates and paper doilies to create decorations that coordinate with your look.

You can prepare the table ahead of time - Play with the Mixing disposable cups and plates with glassware & crockery, can help you to create the look you want without spending a small fortune.

arrangement of plates, jars and party-ware until you get the look you are happy with. Be creative!

Hang decorations and backdrops in advance. It is easier to do this when there is no time pressure or little ones running around.

Drinks Table A separate drinks table is a nice idea if you have the space. This can be set up inside or outside and decorated to suit your afternoon tea table style. Try to organise it so that guests can easily serve themselves.

Personalised labels on mini milk bottles are a cute addition to the drinks table.

Have non-alcoholic options such as punch or juice.

A drink dispenser allows people to help themselves, just remember to top it up with ice throughout the afternoon.

Personalised Milk Bottles can be filled with champagne, soft drink or juice, and make for a gorgeous addition to your table

A few savoury nibbles at the table will keep guests happy.

www.lovejk.com.au

87

An ice bucket filled with mini champagne bottles is easy to organise and looks great!

A little later in the afternoon you can replace champagne glasses with coffee and tea supplies.

Gift Table As most people will bring gifts, be prepared and set up a ‘gifts table’ so that your guests can leave them throughout the event. Simply decorate the table with a tablecloth and runner, some wrapped gifts, and a “For Baby” bunting. The mum-to-be might like to open these gifts before people leave.

Kim hired the pretty gold chairs from Little Wish Parties to ensure every pampered princess had somewhere special to sit

Baby Shower Game Ideas Download our adorable calendar template and ask the guests to guess the baby’s arrival date.

Who is who? Ask the guests to bring along a baby photo of themselves and peg to a line. Each guest has to guess who each photo is of.

Take Home Thank You Gifts Sending your guests home with a thank you gift is a nice way show your appreciation. This may be something your mum-to-be wishes to do, but you could help her source coordinatied packaging to suit your party styling. Ideas include individual cupcake boxes tied with a ribbon and a personalized thank you tag, individually wrapped baby feet cookies, lolly bags, or even colour themed lollipops tied with a tag. Make sure you display these somewhere prominent to add to the decoration of your baby shower.

Baby Feet Cookies by sweetness.com.au, wrapped in Blue Gingham Ribbon Blue Gingham Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

www.lovejk.com.au

59

It’s A Boy! Revealing the gender of the baby at the Baby Shower is an exciting way to make the big announcement.

OmbrĂŠ Cake

White mud cake with white chocolate ganache cforcake.com.au

A refreshments table ties together all the little details to create a wonderful centerpiece to your occasion.

By bringing together accessories of a similar colour palette with carefully selected food and beverages, your table can look effortlessly styled. You can even get the bubbles to match too!

It’s A Girl!

Revealing the gender of the baby at the Baby Shower is an exciting way to make the big announcement.

www.lovejk.com.au

89

INSPIRATION GENDER REVEAL BABY SHOWER

Lemon & Grey Baby Shower 1 Yellow & Grey Rocking Horse Baby Shower Invitations $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

01

2 Mini Milk Bottles $2.50 each or $45.00 for 24 Yellow & White Straws $12.95 for 50 both from thepartyparlour.com.au Personalised Milk Bottle Sticker $1.49 ea lovejk.com.au 3 Yellow Rocking Horse Baby Shower Bunting Flags $1.99 per letter, lovejk.com.au

02

03

05

06

LEMON Y

ELLOW

COOL GR

EY

WHITE LI

NEN

04

4 Large White Ceramic Cake Stand $39.95 thepartyparlour.com.au

07

5 Paper Eskimo Baking Cups 24r $5.95 thepartyparlour.com.au 6 White with Yellow Polka Dots Paper Lantern 6 for $14.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

10

7 Sambellina Yellow Polkadot Cupcake Box 6 for $5.95, Lemon Spot Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, thepartyparlour.com.au Personalised Thank You Gift Tags, $0.99ea, lovejk.com.au 8 Sambellina Candy Stripe Yellow Plates 12 for $6.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 9 Sambellina Champagne Candy Stripe Cups 12 for $6.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

A combination of lemon yellow’s, cool grey’s and

08

bright white’s is the key to creating a classic gender neutral palette. Fresh, yet calming, these colours can be 10 Milky Yellow Freckles , $12 per kilo, thepartyparlour.com.au

Lemon Spot Ribbon 20 metres

for $12.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

Large Lolly Jar $22.95, thepartyparlour.com.au

Rocking Horse Party Circles, $0.99 ea lovejk.com.au

09

mixed and matched to your hearts content. www.lovejk.com.au

93

Baby Boy

Small Lolly Jar $6.95 Medium Lolly Jar $17.95 Large Lolly Jar $22.95 All Lollies $12.00 per pack, Blue Gingham Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, All available from thepartyparlour.com.au. Rocking Horse Party Circles, $0.99 ea, love jk.com.au

Get the look...

01

By simply changing the basic colours of invitations and accessories, you can host the perfect shower for a baby boy, girl or even go gender neutral.

02

Here’s how to get the look for a beautiful baby boy‌

04 06

03 05

1 Blue Tissue Paper Fans $7.95 ea, thepartyparlour.com.au 2 Milky Yellow Freckles , $12 per kilo, thepartyparlour.com.au Blue Gingham Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, thepartyparlour.com.au Large Lolly Jar $22.95 thepartyparlour.com.au Rocking Horse Party Circles, $0.99 ea lovejk.com.au

LEMON YE

LLOW

COOL GR

EY

3 Paper Eskimo Striped Straws 50 for $12.95 thepartyparlour.com.au 4 Sambellina Polkadot Cups 12 for $6.95 thepartyparlour.com.au

WHITE LI

NEN

5 Paper Eskimo Baking Cups 24 for $5.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 6 Baby Blue & Grey Rocking Horse Baby Shower Invitations $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au 6 Baby Blue & Grey Rocking Horse Baby Bunting $1.99 per letter, lovejk.com.au

01 03

www.lovejk.com.au

95

01

03

02

04

05 06

07

Baby Girl 1 Baby Pink & Grey Rocking Horse Bunting $1.99 per letter, lovejk.com.au 2 Baby Pink & Grey Rocking Horse Baby Shower Invitations $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

08 09

3 Paper Eskimo Baking Cups 24 for $5.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 4 Sambellina Polkadot Plates 12 for $5.95 thepartyparlour.com.au 5 Sambellina Polkadot Cups 12 for $6.95 thepartyparlour.com.au 6 Ceramic Cake Stand Pink Small $34.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 7 Tissue Paper Fans $7.95 each, thepartyparlour.com.au 8 Lolly Jar S $6.95 M $17.95 L$22.95 All Lollies $12.00 per pack, Pink Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, All available from thepartyparlour.com.au.

Pink Rocking Horse Party Circles, $0.99 ea, love jk.com.au 9 Mini Milk Bottles $2.50 each or $45.00 for 24 Pink & White Straws $12.95 for 50 both from thepartyparlour.com.au Personalised Milk Bottle Sticker $1.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

Gender Neutral

01

1 Tissue Paper Fans $7.95 each, thepartyparlour.com.au

2 Lolly Jar S $6.95 M $17.95 L$22.95 All Lollies $12.00 per pack, Pink Ribbon 20 metres for $12.95, All available from thepartyparlour.com.au.

Lavender & Mint Rocking Horse Party Circles, $0.99 ea, love jk.com.au 3 Lavender & Mint Rocking Horse Baby Shower Invitations $2.49 ea, lovejk.com.au

02

03

FRESH M

INT

04

LVOELY LA

05

VENDER

LEMON YE

LLOW

4 Ceramic Cake Stand Green Small $34.95, thepartyparlour.com.au 5 Sambellina Striped Lavender Cups 12 for $6.95 thepartyparlour.com.au

06

6 Lavender & Mint Rocking Horse Bunting Flags $1.99 per letter, lovejk.com.au

www.lovejk.com.au

97

mylittletribe.com.au

Showering With Love Text by Susanne Sleep. Photography by My Little Tribe

From the adorable to the practical, baby shower gifts remind new parents of the friends and family that surround them and their newborn in support and love.

But it can also be difficult to know what to buy outside of the usual toys and clothes. Here are a few of Love JK’s favourite baby shower gifts...

Collection of favourite childhood books

Mum knows best...

Have a book from your childhood that brings

If you’re a mum headed to a baby shower, think

a warm glow just with the memory? A copy of

of the products that were essential to you in

the book along with a personalised message to

those early days with a newborn and make up a

the newborn is thoughtful and lasting.

parcel for the unsuspecting first timers. Turn

As parents-to-be, ask everyone to bring their

nappies into a ‘diaper cake’, sneak her a packet

favourite childhood book to start your child’s

of hydrogel pads - you know she’s going to be

library.

thanking you in a few weeks time!

Food delivery

Write a ‘Book of Wisdom’ for the new parents

Create a calendar and have each person select a week after the baby’s born to take the new

and include all the tips that helped get you through all the joys of parenthood. What worked,

parents a prepared meal or two to eat or

what didn’t and what saved you!

freeze. Otherwise, bring food with you to the

Also, if your partner’s going to the game with the

baby shower that can be frozen for the months

guys during your baby shower, ask each of them

ahead - such as stews, soups and lasagne.

to bring a pack of nappies before they’re allowed

Alternatively, download our Printable Recipe

to go!

Cards for each person to write a recipe that

Something for mum

either appealed to them as a child or worked

Manicure, pedicure, massage, movie

with their children. Then turn the recipes into a

tickets with a babysitting voucher, a one time

handy cookbook by putting in a gorgeous photo

professional house cleaner. It all helps...

album. If anyone’s stuck, some great recipe ideas can be found on page 28 in our article on Easy Mumma Food. www.lovejk.com.au

99

Baby blanket There are lots of baby blankets on the market.

But as every parent knows, there are blankets and then there are blankets. We love the second variety like these beautiful bunny blankets from Little Bonbon, littlebonbon.com.au Bath time Buy a baby bath and fill with a beautiful baby towel, a rubber duck and bath products from Mustela, mustela.com. They invented cleansing milk in 1950 and have been pioneering skin care for mums and babies ever since. Ideal products for a baby shower include their multi-sensory bubble bath and their massage oil.

Clothes Okay, we said that we would offer something different to the usual gifts, but Purebaby, purebaby.com.au are un-go-past-able... The mum who started Purebaby in 2002 wanted beautiful baby clothes without compromising on social responsibility. All the gorgeously designed clothes are organic and affordable – need we say more?!

Gift Certificates Time takes on a whole new role once you have a child. An hour can take a week and a month goes past in an day. So why not give a gift certificate that can be redeemed at any time?

A session with a photographer like My Little Tribe, mylittletribe.com.au, or a gift voucher for Love JK’s wall art or birth announcement cards is a thoughtful, loving gift giving time and space. lovejk.com.au

Designer Party Dresses For Hire Available in sizes 1 to 10 years Hire cost from $18 to $80

www.viastyle.com.au alina@viastyle.com.au 0405 325 287

Roksanda Ilincic

Oscar De La Renta

Mischka Aoki

THE WONDERFUL CAKES

of Oz

Louise Weeks takes a trip around our big brown land to find magical Cake Creators

Cake by Helena Kastanis of sweettiers.com.au

Cake Girl, Brisbane

Gillian Bell is the ‘Cake Girl’ of Brisbane. The ingredients of Gillian’s exquisite cakes are all sourced locally – and when we say local, we mean local!

Using organic produce, with everything sourced straight from the farmers, Gillian ensures Cake Girl gets the best quality ingredients possible. Her share in a local herd of Jersey cows makes certain her dairy products will be top notch!

To top things off, decorative features such as organic fruits and edible flowers are grown right in Gillian’s courtyard!

Blooming marvelous! cakegirl.com.au

Sweet Tiers, Melbourne

Sweet Tiers is the brainchild of Melbourne based Helena Kastanis. Helena describes herself as a ‘creative junkie’ and why not be creative with cake??!

With a traditional Greek background, Helena believes in using only the finest ingredients from free range eggs to European chocolate. Her cakes are a true testament to her dedication to sugar craft and sure to WOW the crowd. sweettiers.com.au

www.lovejk.com.au

103

A Little Touch Of Sweet Seaford, South Australia

A Little Touch of Sweet is the scrumptious destination for cake admirers in South Australia.

Owner, Jess, has an incredible eye for detail and a real passion for unique cake design. Her skills in making edible art are like no other, with figurines and children’s themes coming to life in cake form. Your little ones are bound to LOVE watching their favorite characters turn into tasty treats! alittletouchofsweet.com.au

Cakes by Kyla, Central Coast Cakes By Kyla brings sugarcoated loveliness to Gosford in the Central Coast and surrounds. All that sunshine has made Cakes By Kyla a very environmentally friendly business – with a solar powered kitchen and hot water, you can now have your very own green slice of deliciousness!

From chocolate mud to rainbow buttercake, hummingbird to raspberry swirl, Cakes By Kyla has all your favourites covered! cakesbykyla.com

Photograph by Hadyn Cattach. Styled by Little Big Company tlbc.com.au

V

E L O

O

V

L

E

E

L

V

O

LOVE JK

V

E L O

Stylish and Whimsical

PERSONALISED PARTY STATIONERY & GIFTS DESIGNED & MADE WITH LOVE IN MELBOURNE lovejk.com.au PERSONALISED INVITATIONS, ADDRESS STICKERS, THANK YOU CARDS & GIFT TAGS, BUNTING, MILK BOTTLE STICKERS, & MUCH MUCH MORE!