{Sponsored Post} Kidding Around with … Closer to Nature

When we were approached at the Bloggers Brunch that was run by Kids Business to review the closer to nature® explora range we were excited to see how this range differed from the other baby weaning products that we have used. Alegría has graduated from “little kid” products however Isaac is all about food and feeding himself, so it was great to put these products to the test.

So what items were we lucky enough to review?

closer to nature

closer to nature® explora Pack (for toddlers)

§  1 x explora Blender                                                                               

§  1 x explora Magic Mat                                                                          

§  1 x explora Cutlery Set                                                                          

§  1 x explora Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl Pack                                         

§  3 x explora Active Cups                                                                         

Total RRP $106

So how did they measure up to Master Isaac and his Mummy’s standards?

The explora Blender

Isaac didn’t have a go at the blender, but Georgina did! It is smaller than you would anticipate which made it perfect to take camping and on the road! It is powerful and did the job! Perfect for purees (or “soups” as we call them) and for making homemade icy-poles. We made some with hand-picked raspberries and yoghurt – Yummo!

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Photo credit: Supplied

The explora Magic Mat 

The Magic Mat is fantastic! Isaac put it to the test and even tried to pick it off the table – alas it was to no avail! (Admittedly, it did lift off the first time we used it as I didn’t wet it enough when I stuck it to the highchair, the second time it stuck well!)  It is great to keep the Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl in place which means that Isaac’s master plan of throwing his dinner on the floor has now been foiled. (Insert evil Mummy laugh!)

The explora Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl

The Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl works with both the Magic Mat and by itself. It has a unique triangular base which makes it easy to get every last mouthful out. Fantastic! We don’t like to waste food around here! Isaac loves to feed himself and has loved using his special bowls! We love that the bowls are dishwasher, microwave and (if you’re so inclined) sterilizer safe. The pack we got was a 4 pack however they are also available in 2 packs that come with lids and spoons as well.

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The explora Magic Mat and Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl

The explora Cutlery Set

Isaac has been using a cutlery set for a while now, and judging by the amount of food that went into his mouth and not down his front, he liked the explora set! Perfect for little hands and mouths!

First Grown Up Cutlery_Boys compressed image
Photo Credit: Supplied

The explora Active Cup

Isaac was excited to try this one! Georgina was crossing her fingers that her handbag was not filled with water after throwing it in there as we headed out the door! Luckily, the explora Active Cup received two thumbs up! The straw bends over and the cap holds it in place. The cap was stiff to start with so Isaac couldn’t open it – annoying for him and us – but it has since loosened up and he can help himself to a drink whenever he likes – Happy Days!

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The explora Active Cup

We were very happy with the range and would recommend trying these as a budget conscious alternative to other brands.

ABOUT CLOSER TO NATURE

Closer to nature® is the number one baby feeding accessories brand in the UK and one of the top brands of infant products and accessories in the global market. Loved by parents and little ones, closer to nature® receives numerous awards and accolades year after year globally. The closer to nature® range is available at stockists nationwide. www.closertonaturebaby.com.au | www.facebook.com/closertonaturebaby
MORE INFORMATION

Website: www.closertonaturebaby.com.au

Disclaimer: We were given these products to review. As always our opinions are honest and our own.

Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.

{Sponsored Post} Kidding Around with … Cocobella Kids

Oh, how excited we were to be sent some Cocobella Kids coconut water with fruit juice to review! We were first introduced to Cocobella Kids at the Kids Business Bloggers BBQ in January and the kids have loved it ever since! Isaac  drank guzzled down the entire drink box in one go. Something he would never do drinking water!

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It has been well documented that coconut water is great for hydration and contains many natural electrolytes along with minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Georgina Says

I was aware of the benefits of coconut water, however, I was never a fan of the taste of coconut water by itself. The added fruit juice in the Cocobella and Cocobella Kids ranges has fixed that and opened up a whole new coconut water world for me!

Cocobella Kids is Australia’s first range of coconut water for kids. Cocobella Kids is a lunch-box-friendly and healthy coconut water drink for kids made from 70% coconut water, 30% fruit juice and nothing else. Cocobella Kids is available in 200ml Tetra-Pak (BPA-free) and in two yummy fruit flavours (Apple Berry Breeze, Tropical Island). Cocobella Kids retails for $3.49 per 3-pack in Woolworths supermarkets nationally.

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If you’re into reading labels like we are then the brand comparison chart makes for an interesting read. It shows just what is and, more importantly, isn’t added to Cocobella Kids coconut water and juice.
Alegría and Isaac love Cocobella Kids and what we loved most was that there are no added nasties. What do you think? Would you try coconut water as an alternative for your kids?

MORE INFORMATION

Website: www.cocobellakids.com.au

Cost: $3.49 per 3-pack in Woolworths supermarkets nationally.

Disclaimer: We were given samples of Cocobella Kids product to review. We were also given product to distribute to Alegría’s kindergarten class. We were not payed for this review and as always our opinions are honest and our own.

Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.


Kidding Around at the … Bloggers BBQ

kids business

Last Saturday, we attended our very first event as Kidding Around Australia! We were all very excited and counted down the days! Kids Business presented the Bloggers BBQ that was held at The Park, Melbourne.

The Park was a great venue for the event, the room was the perfect size for the brands and the attendees, with the chandeliers giving the room an all over opulent feel. We were lucky enough to get parking right at the front door for $2.50 all day, which was fantastic because just 10 minutes into the event we had to go back to the car to off-load some of our goodies!

Photo credit: Kids Business
Photo credit: Kids Business

Georgina Says

The event was an opportunity for brands and bloggers to get together in a family friendly environment. I am sure many long lasting relationships were forged at the Bloggers BBQ and we can’t wait to showcase some of the products and services provided by the brands we met.

Giaan Rooney (Channel 7 presenter, Olympic athlete and fellow parent) was the MC and did such a great job capturing everyone’s attention in a loud and excited room. She mingled with everyone and was happy to take photos with anyone who asked. Georgina and Giaan bonded over shared parenting experiences whilst Tim told Alegría all about her athletic achievements! Isaac was just happy to play in the ballpit whilst all this was going on.

Giaan and Georgina talking all things parenting!
Giaan and Georgina talking all things parenting! Photo credit: Kids Business

The Bloggers BBQ was a great way to connect with the brands participating on the day as well as support Camp Quality. For those of you who don’t know, Camp Quality is a charity that creates a better life for every child living with cancer in Australia. Giaan presented a cheque for $500 to Camp Quality on the day. More information can be found at www.campquality.org.au

Giaan and Christie present a cheque for $500 to Camp Quality. Photo credit: Kids Business
Giaan and Christie present a cheque for $500 to Camp Quality. Photo credit: Kids Business

Brand Highlights and Information

Cocobella Kids: Cocobella, the makers of Australia’s leading coconut water brand, have created a new healthy option to help keep those little monkeys hydrated. It contains around 40% less sugar than leading kids fruit juices and Isaac loved it! www.cocobellakids.com.au

Dyson: Dyson showcased their latest bladeless fan the Dyson Cool. It is up to 75% quieter than the previous generation, portable and easy to use.  The child and pet friendly technology is quiet and powerful. We are already big fans (get it … fans … Dyson … hilarious!) www.dyson.com.au

Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan: Annie Sloan developed Chalk Paint™ over 20 years ago. She called her paint Chalk Paint™ because of  the velvety, matt finish it produces. There is an impressive colour range and it allows both children and adults to enjoy decorative painting. Alegría is a painting enthusiast and loved this product! www.anniesloan.com

Life Like Touring presents the Octonauts Live! Operation Reef ShieldCaptain Barnacles and his crew are starring in Octonauts Live! Operation Reef Shield which is being presented by Life Like Touring. If you have Octonauts fans in your house, it opens in Melbourne this February before touring the rest of Australia. Tickets are selling quickly and we can’t wait to see the show! www.lifeliketouring.com

ASG: Australian Scholarships Group believe all children deserve equal access to education regardless of wealth, status and capability. They have a range of products, information and resources available for all children up to post-secondary education on their website. www.asg.com.au

Steggles: Steggles’ new range Just Eat It (is available in Woolworths from late January).The range of pre-cooked chicken and turkey products can be used for quick dinners, snacks and on-the-road meals. www.steggles.com.au

Passage Foods: The Passage Foods range consists of ready-to-prepare meals that make it easy for you to enjoy international cuisines. Tim loved the twice cooked pork belly (cooked using their Asian Master Stock)! www.passagefoods.com

Celebrate Health: The Celebrate Health range is gluten free, low fructose, dairy free, peanut free, soy free with no preservatives. It is 100% natural and contains no common allergens. Georgina and Isaac loved the Moroccan Quinoa Salad (using their Moroccan Quinoa).  www.celebratehealth.com.au

Closer to Nature: Closer to Nature is an internationally renowned baby products manufacturer, offering baby bottles, breast pumps, sippy cups, baby monitors and more. They introduced their new advanced comfort® range of bottles and teats at the Bloggers BBQ. www.closertonaturebaby.com.au

AVG: AVG are passionate about online security. They aim to protect families from online predators, viruses and hackers on all of your computers, mobile phones and tablets. www.avg.com

Inner Health Plus: The Inner Health range is suitable for the whole family; even infants as young as three months can take Inner Health for Kids to help put the balance back into digestive health, maintain immune health and improve general well being. The Inner Health range is only available from Pharmacies and Health Food stores. www.innerhealth.com.au  

Bizzibrains- Bizzibrain’s first children’s book app  I imagine is available on the Apple App Store now: https://itunes.apple.com/app/i-im The app is designed to help kids transition to school, kinder, pre-school or wherever they go to learn. It was released on January 7th this year and is already featured in iTunes Best New Apps. It looks great! www.bizzibrains.com

We had such a great time, if you are a blogger and would like to be invited to the next event please contact Kids Business ! Thank you to Christie and the team – it was such a great day!

MORE INFORMATION

Bloggers BBQ (VIC) 17th January
Hosted by Kids Business Communications
Saturday, 17 January 2015 from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM (AEDT)
The Park Melbourne (formerly “The Powerhouse”), 36 Lakeside Drive, Albert Park, Melbourne, VIC 3206  |