#77 Honey Sticks

Honey Sticks = Best. Crayons. In. The. World.

Honestly!
Unlike some other crayons that leave a clumped waxy residue with minimal colour, Honey Sticks draw easily & smoothly with vibrant colours.
They are wonderfully solid & sturdy, it would be a marvel if a child managed to break them & the choking hazard is also addressed. Master C has had his for over two years (he uses them a lot) & the most damage sustained is that one has a tiny chip off it from a visiting child throwing it across the room. Oh & obviously, they are a fair bit shorter!
Made in New Zealand from local beeswax which is a natural bi-product of the honey industry & using non-toxic pigments, they are both safe for children & environmentally gentle.

The best thing of all? The smell. 

Oh my goodness. I love when the crayons are left out & walking into the playroom means you are met with this positively delicious smell. Yummo!

Cx

p.s sorry for the lack of posts lately, computer meltdowns. ugh.

p.p.s It has been brought to my attention that I neglected to include a sale point. Oops! Honey Sticks are available from a number of places including online from ecobabe for $14.95.

#74 Pebble Decor

Taking bringing nature indoors to another level, how fun & downright stunning are these pebble inspired furnishings!
Enchanting for children without sacrificing style, these wonderfully mobile pieces would surely be played on & around for hours on end. They are beautiful visually arresting statement pieces that would look just as perfect in a living area as they would in a children's space.


The majority of these pieces (viva terra/unseen/cs post&co/casa nova) are designed by the inspirational Ronel Jordaan, a renowned South African textile designer who has set up a women's workshop in Gauteng - Johannesburg where these 100% merino wool masterpieces are made. At present in this workshop Jordaan has personally trained 40 women between the ages of 18-40 who were previously unemployed & the felt sheeting is sourced from a self-help co-op of women from West Cape
Jordaan also has similar workshop/co-op set ups for her other product lines.
Workshop processes are all eco friendly with waste grey water being recycled into organic food gardens which grow on the roof of the work place,  the produce is for the women to either take home or sell.
Soaps are completely biodegradable & only lead free dyes that meet the European Eco Standards are used.
Interesting fact : "Unlike Australia, South Africa does not practice mule-sing. Wool traditionally undergoes a process called carbonisation - a bath of hydrochloric acid & other chemicals to clean the wool. As well as a residue of chemicals left in the wool, fine hair follicles are also stripped away. Wool that is itchy is because of carbonisation."
On a somewhat unrelated note, you know how there's this thing about some people that just makes you want to smile at them? Perhaps ask them preschool style if they will please be your friend? Have a look at Jordaans designer profile on the unseen website & you'll see what I mean! Bless.
There is also a pebble range for the outdoors available.


   
via viva terra/ africharisma/ cs post & co/ africharisma

   
via africharisma/ africharisma/ viva terra/ casa nova

    
via unseen products/ africharisma/ unseen products/ chiasso

   
via africharisma/ 2form/ 2form/ africharisma

  
via smarin - living stones/ smarin - living stones/ unseen products


The Smarin Livingstones are designed by Nice based designer Stephanie Marin & the 2form rug by designer Ksenia Movafagh.
All of these designs seriously blow me away, I love the pebble strands & would love to see a mobile made following this concept. Livingstones also offer an outdoor range.


This post has also lead me to discover Unseen Products, a fair trade, socially & environmentally concious online store that aims to make unseen or hard to find products from developing countries accessible.
A very admirable concept & some fabulous wares.


Cx

#72 Luna Ninos

I'm sure that  in fact you are already aware of the yummy-ness that is Luna Ninos, but maybe you have forgotten? So here's a reminder just in case!

With so many delicious knits to choose from, in beautiful colours & timeless designs, these Australian made pieces are very hard to go past.

 
 
   
 

This is just a small snapshot of the extensive range, that comes in many more colours & styles.
I adore the dusky pink of that pure cotton rib pinni but the blankets... oh the blankets...
Aren't they divine?! The perfect gift for a new baby. You can't have too many blankets, especially when they are this lovely.
That extra fine merino wool cable knit blanket (pictured in white, slate & charcoal) looks extra snuggley doesn't it? The tree blanket is knitted from 100% pure combed cotton & 10% of the proceeds from the sales of that design are donated to The Wilderness Society in Australia.

So this last one... relevance relevance...
This is a children's blog & children have parents? No what about this, kids often climb onto their parents beds to wake them up? Yeah that'll do.
Anyhow, I couldn't resist...



Love.

Cx