Nappy Bags- oh I've had a few...

When I bought my first nappy bag I just worried about fitting it all in...oh how times have changed.
My list now includes:
Washable/wipeable
Outside phone pocket
Key fob
Fits over any pram
Not too heavy
Washable lining
Stylish!!

I have had an Il Tutto leather bag which was very nice but for me too heavy and rigid:
http://www.iltutto.com/shop/item/mia-nappy-bag-cream
I had the Mia and the Chiara and found them too big and heavy even when empty but a good size with lots of pockets.

I have an Alexandra Bee Sophia in black leather and love it! It works as a handbag as well:
http://www.alexandrabee.com/english/Productsbags/sophia.htm

I bought mine from here and got it sent from the UK:
http://www.happybags.co.uk/alexandra-bee/alexandra-bee-sophia-large-black.html

I also have a Skip Hop Pronto for quick trips out and about:

http://www.urbanbaby.com.au/SkipHop-Pronto-Change-Mat-Double-Stitched-Denim\

shoes!?

I have ordered from endless.com and have been so impressed with their service. Free post and a hue range for all the family. They have such a wide variety of brands and styles that we don't have and so much cheaper than buying here too.
When buying from the US their sizes are usually one up from ours. A ladies size 8 here i a 9 over there.
For kids measure their feet and use the size chart. Often they will say how many cm the shoes are to give you a guide.
Some of my favourite kids brands are: PEDIPED:http://www.pediped.com/
http://www.itsybitsybabystore.com/Pediped-Shoes-s/47.htm: they send to Australia and are much cheaper than buying here.
For the little ones especially I love Jack and Lily. They last very well and my 3 year old still wears hers.
https://www.jackandlily.com/the-store/
I bought most of mine from here:
http://www.littledudesanddivas.com/brand-shop-jack---lily.html
Be aware though that that shop is addictive and has the biggest nappy bag range!!

Ship it to

My most popular post and the one I recommend the most is about parcel forwarding. I have compared prices with MyUS, Bongo, Price USA etc and have found the service and cost is way better using Ship it to. I have the occasional account where you only pay as an item arrives. For $8.50 they take a photo of your item to confirm it's yours, email to let you know it's arrived, give you free limited time storage and sends it on. You log into your account check the photo, fill in your customs form online and then check how you want to send it. There are usually 5 or 6 choices and the time each service takes is right there and whether they have tracking and insurance or not. Then using Paypal or credit card you pay the cost and within a day the parcel is on it's way. My bedding set by Migi arrived from Baby Super Mall within 10 days and for a huge box it was quite cheap compared to posting within Australia. I ordered shoes and had them sent for $13 with regular air mail which takes about 3 weeks compared to the $86 the store was going to charge. The setting up of your account is very easy and you are given your own private US address that you supply to the store you are buying from. They have a contact number and online forum if you have any questions or concerns. My third parcel is on it's way and I have been super impressed with how easy it has been. Also my Asos Australia order came within 10 days and they now have a return address within Australia so there is no huge cost to return unwanted items. With free shipping it's a great way to try and buy within the comfort of your own home.

SHIP IT TO

Not happy Jan

I used International Checkout for the first tome to buy nursing tops from a US store. They arrange payment and shipping and if you pay with a non US card you have no choice but to use their service. Well the order was placed and a few days later I got an email saying one item was out of stock, they refunded the cost. 2 weeks go by and no news so I log on and check my account and it says they are waiting on one item. Well if they didn't have it how could I order and pay for it? Why no email to explain the delay! I emailed and asked how long it would be. They said they would check,next thing I know I get an email saying I had another refund then my items were posted. I don't which items have been sent and no actual person spoke to me. So lesson learnt I will stick to parcel forwarding or sending direct from the store.

Favourite Things Part 2

Dummies! I had 3 very sucky babies that loved their dummies but it wasn't until this time around that I found gumdrop dummies. Gumdrop dummies in Australia
You can order them from the US Baby Haven US here too.
What do I like about them?
All in one peice
Safer than plastic ones
BPA free
Easy to hold onto
Great sizes
The smell- yummy!
Incredibly cheap
The colours

We have tried so many brands and these are by far my favourite!

Swaddling: the Woombie!! Another new find that has been a godsend. We tried swaddles, miracle blankets, wraps and velcro and this one has lasted the distance.
http://www.woombieaustralia.com.au/
I love the deluxe version as they are so cute :)

Peaceful sleep :)

Prams....for 2!

I have had a few double prams most were unusual ones but my new one for baby 3 is the iCandy Peach.
I have had the iCandy Pear before but this new version is quite different.
It is great to use with a baby capsule on the back and toddler in the front. Large basket with easy access too, nothing more fustrating than having no where to put anything. It looks very stylish too and most importantly it doesn't push like a truck. Unlike a side by side we fit tthrough check outs and doors and don't knock clothes off the racks lol
http://www.icandyworld.com/au/en/

http://www.icandyworld.com/au/en/products/peach_blossom     the double

I love that this is a double, single and suitable for twins or siblings.

video of the iCandy Peach

Parcel Forwarding...

It has only become popular in the last few years for US stores to send here but even if they do they often have exorbitant shipping costs or only use Fedex or DHL which are quick but costly.
The alternative is to use a parcel forwarder. There are quite a few on the market like Myus and Bongo but after seeing their fees I shopped around. I used:SHIPITO
I ordered a pair of shoes and the store wanted $86 to send them but I wasn't in a rush so I sent them to shipito and opened an account. It costs $8.50 per parcel on the casual membership with no annual fee. Once you have an account you get a personal address which you use when buying items. When it arrives you get an email notification and have 7 days free storage before sending it. When you go into your account there are several different postage options from different companies and you choose how much to pay and how quickly you want it. My shoes were sent via USPS and took about 4 weeks which is a bit slower than the normal 2-3 weeks but most of my mail has been slow this month. It cost only $13 to send but this option had no tracking either.
With some US companies they have partnered up with: http://www.internationalcheckout.com/
I ordered nursing tops from the US and checked out with them....the store sends the goods to the company who then send them to you. It is slightly more expensive than just the postage costs because of this. the downside being one of the items I ordered is not in stock and the parcel won't be sent until it arrives. When I paid it didn't say out of stock and I got no email notification until I sent an email asking why it hadn't been sent yet. 3 weeks from purchase date and still waiting........

My favourite buys....

Now I am on my third child it feels like I have bought and tried it all!
From baby bottles to dummies and clothes we all have a favourite brand or item that works for us and I have certainly learnt from the failures. So here is the first post on my favourites:

Number one pram.....Stoke Xplory. After trying many, many prams this has been my number one favourite. At the moment I am using it with both the car seat and the bassinet and the toddler board. The shopping bag on the front holds so much and easily detaches to carry it inside. The hood is large and has a mesh panel to open for extra air flow. The seat goes higher and lower so it is great as a high chair while eating out. As the child sits higher than most prams they see the world and not the floor, plus you don't hurt your back tending to baby.
I recently upgraded to the 2011 version with the shaped seat, new colours, easier footrest and so much more.
http://www.stokke.com/en-au/stroller/stokke-xplory-concept.aspx

Favourite kids clothing....I love quite a few brands from the overseas labels I love Gymboree and Mothercare. I have found both are great value and last so much longer than our labels. For clothes here I love Oobi and Sooki. Both have unique patterns, colours and styles so your child doesn't blend in with everyone else.

More to come....

Plus Size Maternity

As if maternity wear was not expensive enough plus size often blows out the budget. Here are some great stores that sell plus size or up to an AU 18/20. If you are unsure of international sizing just Google clothing size conversions for a chart to guide you.
As a guide an Australian size is usually a size bigger than US sizes. Each brand will often vary slightly but most sites have a size chart for you to double check.
First off measure your bust and waist in inches and cm so you can compare!
http://www.destinationmaternity.com/plushome.asp

A great US site that delivers here and has prices starting around $10 They have a detailed size chart to help you out:
http://www.destinationmaternity.com/HomeSizeChart.asp

Though most stores offer a return policy it can work out expensive if you have to pay to send it back.

http://www.zodee.com.au/Womens/Maternity/
An Australian store with heaps of items including swimwear and bras with a few ranges in the plus sizes.

http://www.plusmaternity.com.au/Plus_Maternity/PLUS_MATERNITY_HOME.html
Sizes 18-28 and all in Australia!

http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=35426
GAP and their partners also go up to plus sizes in maternity and regular clothes. \

http://angelmaternity.com.au/angelStore/size-xxl/index.php/cPath/141/sizeId/141
Angel is an Australian brand with nice plus size clothing although getting up in price with most around the $50 and up mark.

https://www.facebook.com/CheapPlusSizeMaternityClothesOnline#!/CheapPlusSizeMaternityClothesOnline?sk=wall&filter=2
A Facebook page for finding stores that sell plus size clothes.

http://www.maternityrevolution.com.au/Products.aspx?Category=15

http://www.blestbras.com.au/browse/30/Maternity-bras.aspx
Larger size bras but I recommend reading the bra post below as the UK stores are cheaper and go quite large too.

http://www.plussize4you.com/plussize_maternity.html
US site with some brand names.

http://www.aurawoman.com.au/plus_size.asp
Small range in Australia.

http://www.figleaves.com/uk/
Clothing, bras and more. US and UK site. Click change currency up the top to select AUD and make it easier to shop.
http://www.figleaves.com/uk/department.asp?dept=Womens_Fuller_Figure&answerhandle=11693&searchhandle=A%253dwomenswear%2Bnot%2Bin%2Bolet%257eB%253dwomenswear%2Bnot%2Bin%2Bolet%257eD%253d12%257eI%253dCurrentPrice%257eK%253d4%257eL%253d1%257eM%253d354%257e&answerhandleback=11693

Asos has always been a favourite of mine and they have great plus size and I love free delivery:
http://www.asos.com/Women/Sale/Maternity/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=6413

On sale for $15 with free delivery!!!

Nursery...

With number 3 here and being my last I spent a while finding ther perfect cot set for her. Along the way I discovered some great sites I will share here:

A New Zealand store that posts here: http://www.snugasabug.co.nz/

http://www.babysnooze.com.au/collections/all-collections/?gclid=CN3krqey76oCFYMlpAoduyhVPQ

http://www.maternityandbabyshoppingmart.com/ US store that sends here. 202 results for girls crib/cot bedding! wow.

Here is where I ordered from, great service: http://www.babysupermall.com/  They send here too at a great price which is surprising considering the weight and size of the parcels. This is what we got:

Whereas in Australia you would pay the same price just for a cot quilt! I also find the US and European quilts and bedding to be much warmer than ours.

http://www.bananafishinc.com/ is a great brand and on their site they have links to stores that send here too.

http://www.babymania.com/

http://www.dadababyboutique.com/

For those wanting to buy in Australia:

http://www.cottonbox.com.au/catalog.aspx?departmentid=4

http://www.theinfantboutique.com.au/

http://www.livingtextiles.com.au/index.html



Coupons and codes...

Ripe maternity: http://www.ripematernity.com/stores/australia/. 10% off using COSMO10 or mention it if you go in store.

http://www.oneontheway.com.au/ get 20% off use the code CPMSPRING until 4/12/2011.

http://au.mamaway.com/ec99/rgcj11/default.asp  $5 off with the code Cosmo or spend over $250 save $50 use the code bf.

http://angelmaternity.com.au/angelStore/home.php 10% off use the code COS1807.

http://www.sweetlillymaternity.com.au/ 25% off. Fashionista360 enter the code at checkout until 4/12/2011.

http://cluckystore.com/  25% off use the code CLUCKY/COSMO

http://www.bumpbabies.com.au/  10% off CP10

Mums Grapevine...

Mums Grapevine is a favourite site of Mum to check before buying online. They email deals and offers to you and have exclusive codes for sales and free postage etc...
http://www.mumsgrapevine.com.au/

Also as an update you can now follow me on Facebook for up to date sales and offers:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shopaholic-Mum/274844325863688#!/pages/Shopaholic-Mum/274844325863688?sk=wall

Bargain Sites and Private Sales

It seems to be gaining in popularity private sale websites where manufacturers and brands sell end of line or excess stock at reduced prices.

Some allowed joint postage and others require individual postage per brand so make sure you check out the rules before buying.

Catch of the day and Scoopon are two big ones that work together. For Catch of the day they release one big item once a day and several smaller items. They last for 24 hours and are then gone. Scoopon on has tailored sales per area but they have to have a minimum numberof people interested before starting:
http://www.scoopon.com.au/pages/how-scoopon-works

All the deals allows you to see local deals in your area all on one page:
http://www.allthedeals.com.au/daily-deals-email.php

Brands Exclusive is one of my favorites and they will email you daily to tell you about their sales. They have more than one sale going on at a time and some huge savings, the downside being they post from the manufacturer direct tonyou and it can take a few weeks to get your item.
https://www.brandsexclusive.com.au/user/

You often need and invite or recommendation to join so see above.


Living Social is a great site that tailors deals to your area and if 3 of your friends buy the deal from your recommendation you get yours for free. See details here:
http://livingsocial.com/deals/how_it_works

Ozsale has different sales on at one time but each order is separate so you do pay postage more than once.
http://www.Ozsale.com.au/registration.aspx?invitedby=Vanessa.Park8

My Habit is a US site that works the same way but with high end brands and they do post here. Great way to buy designer items at a reduced price and often things we can't buy here.
www.myhabit.com


The great thing about all these sites is you can subscribe via email so you get the latest updates without having to check them every day.
More will be added soon.....

I just joined brandsExclusive, here is an invite so you can join too.

I just joined brandsExclusive, here is an invite so you can join too.

Shoe Sale...!

www.farfetch.com

Free global shipping on any of their full priced shoes, clothes and accessories.

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/balenciaga/items.aspx

A girl can dream......

Maternity clothes....

I love babies and kids but hated feeling ugly and fat in maternity clothes. In my third pregnancy I looked longer and harder than ever to find nice clothes that didn't make me look fat, were not around the $100 mark and were stylish.

In my travels I found ASOS who post here for free. Their range is stylish and very well priced. They sell all sorts of clothes and more so it's definetly worth a look.
www.asos.com
http://www.asos.com/Women/Asos-Maternity/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=5813

I also like Next for clothes for babies, me and maternity. They now have an Australian site www.nextdirect.com and they ship here. If you check them out they often have free shipping and $10 off vouchers too.

Here are a few other sites with nice, reasonably priced clothes that send here:
http://www.maternalove.com/index.php

http://www.topshop.com/

http://www.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=5997

http://www.funkymuma.com/

http://www.dorothyperkins.com/

http://www.cravematernity.co.uk/

http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/

http://www.newlook.com/

http://www.mothercare.com/

I just ordered from http://www.seraphine.com/ and their shipping for 2 tops was only 9 pound- huge bargain!!

The list could go on and on but that is just a few. The best bit about shopping from overseas is we often get their end of season items on sale!

Nursing Bras....

First up.....nursing bras! I spent ages this time trying to find a nice nursing bra. Then I discovered underwire nursing bras and hallejuah how good are they? I love the Anita brand:
http://www.anita.com/us-en/Products,Anita_maternity
They are sold here online mostly for over $110.
http://www.blestbras.com.au/detail/1014/Anita/Maternity-5035.aspx
But I found them at Amazon and many other pages....for half the price.
Amazon

Other brands include Bravado, Freya, Emily and more.

I ordered from: http://www.nursingbra.co.uk/ with 1 pound delivery and great returns and I loved their customer service.

Also in the UK is http://www.fromheretomaternity.co.uk/section/114/1/underwired-maternity-bras
who also send here for only 7.95 pound.
I ordered from http://www.celebrarlingerie.co.uk/ who have fantastic bargains and big brand names.
Emily is sold here for around $90 but the manufacturer sends direct to you: http://www.emily-lingerie.com/ and they are gorgeous and well made.
Figleaves are great for more than just bras too: http://www.figleaves.com/uk/
My biggest tip is to always email and ask if they will send here as often they don't mind they just don't advertise it on their site!

About....

I decided to start this blog as a way of keeping track of my bargain finds, favourite websites and to help other people find items at great prices. I get fustrated with the lack of choice in Australia and the fact we pay so much more. Also it seems so many sales people don't even know enough about their own products you spend half your time reseraching yourself!