Review – Picnik Blender wooden kitchen toy from Limetree Kids

 

You all know how much I love birthday celebrations for my children. Well I also love shopping for their birthday gifts. When it comes to toy gifts I specifically look for what will hold their attention and last for a number of years.

I have 2 daughters: a 2.5yr old and a 1yr old and they love playing with their wooden kitchen and wooden kitchen toys. So I was excited to be sent a Picnik Blender from Limetree kids to review as a birthday gift idea.

If you’re looking for kitchen toys for kids which will last and encourage imaginative play then make sure you view the full range at Limetree Kids. I love their whole store as it is filled with unique items including other wooden toys, BPA-free toys, as well as decor and storage items.

Now here is a product image of the lovely Picnik Blender. As you can see it comes with the blender itself, removable bowl, apple pieces, dough, rolling pin, egg (which opens) and milk and sugar carton.

 

Picnik Blender – Limetree Kids

 

Now here is a photo taken by me and as you can see – it is exactly how it looks in the product picture (minus the blue milk carton….thanks to my 1year old who has been eating it – see image further down this post!)

 

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It is by the Janod brand, made in France and very sturdy and good quality. As you can see it is unisex in colour which will suit all the little mister chefs!

Rebekah has been enjoying playing with the Picnik blender this week. It inspired her imagination as there are a few different activities she could work on. She had fun twisting the knob to make the blender mix around, adding the apples, rolling the dough, adding sugar and milk and cracking the egg etc.

Here are a few shots I snapped during the week:

pouring

 

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My 1 year old Naomi seemed fascinated with the apple pieces and egg pieces. This toy doesn’t come with any small pieces so it’s perfect for her to play alongside her sister.

However my only issue (which is only an issue for younger kids like mine) is the sugar and milk carton being cardboard as this is what tends to happen to cardboard toys in my house:

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However this toy is recommended for ages 3-8 so you shouldn’t have a problem if purchasing this for an older child. I do recommend it for this 3-8yrs age bracket as Rebekah sometimes found it a little difficult to lift up the arm of the blender herself and she is 2.5yrs old and I’m sure once she is a little older it will be fine for her. She did find it easy however to operate the blender (ie twisting the knob to make the blender arms spin around).

The Picnik Blender worked in well with my kids other wooden kitchen toys – here is Rebekah putting her Picnik Blender bowl into the “oven” of her wooden toy kitchen for it to cook:

  oven

Overall I was very happy with the Picnik Blender from Limetree Kids and how it encouraged Rebekah’s creative play and she was using her imagination to make different meals.

She was particularly excited to use it after we finished making some blueberry muffins this morning.  So if you are someone who enjoys baking then your children will love it even more.

It is $59.95 and I would definitely recommend it as a birthday gift for your child. It is a toy that will last and I can imagine both of my girls enjoying it for a number of years.

 

Gift ideas for others

Now I thought I’d take the opportunity to share with you some other gift ideas from Limetree Kids – just because I honestly love their range of unique toys and I think with all the toys which come flooding into a house when a birthday party is held,  parents really appreciate when gifts are somewhat different and are quality items that will last.

All of these gift ideas are under $30 which hopefully fits into most peoples budgets when buying gifts for birthday parties. Click on the image to be taken directly to the product on the Limetree Kids website.

 

For the little ones, I thought this toy rabbit was too sweet!:

Gorgeous girl bunny – Limetree Kids

 

Stackable blocks is always a fantastic toy for young toddlers or bubs and I love this unique take on this classic toy:

Magic tree stacking tower – Limetree KIds

 

 

Limetree kids really has an amazing selection of wooden play food and kitchen toys. Here is one of the items – a fun wooden birthday cake for the birthday child!

Vanilla birthday cake by Le Toy Van – Limetree Kids

 

Here are some more fun ideas for older toddlers and older children:

 

Speedy fish puzzle – Limetree Kids

 

 

 

My First Autobahn tape – Limetree Kids

 

Royal skittles – Limetree Kids

 

 

Ballerina hand puppet – Limetree Kids

 

 

 

Magnetic girl book by Janod – Limetree Kids

 

 

Pirates kit story – Limetree Kids

 

Pirate snap cards (Fairy set also available) – Limetree Kids

 

 

Sand-water workshop – Limetree Kids

 

This is too adorable! We have the bigger size teepee (amazing quality) and I can imagine my daughters enjoying putting their dolls into this doll’s size teepee! What a unique gift idea:

Mini teepees – Limetree KIds

 

 

I love the idea of giving decor or storage as gifts! Perhaps it is because my children are so young they don’t mind what they receive (perhaps an older child wouldn’t be so thrilled!). However with all the items which seem to accumulate when you have kids, some lovely storage ideas such as these are perfect:

 

Love these turntables for holding small toys, craft and I’ve seen them used on party tables as well:

Craft turntable – Limetree Kids

 

We love using little tin suitcases at our house to help contain little figurines, block pieces, wooden play food etc:

Horse tin suitcase – Limetree Kids

 

Some nice room decor is a lovely gift to give. It is meaningful and memorable – I love this one:

Have big dreams print – Limetree Kids

 

More gift ideas for your own children:

I thought I would also share some other of my favourite items from Limetree Kids  which are a bit more expensive and would suit as birthday presents for your own children (or perhaps nieces/nephews) where your budget extends a bit more:

Love these box-sets for easy play when travelling or something quick to pack up and take when going to visit Grandparents etc. We have the ‘Fairy’ box-set. There are a few different themes available:

Box sets (Castle) – Limetree Kids

 

Perfect for a child who loves construction and fire trucks:

DIY fire truck – Limetree Kids

 

 

This is the wooden toy kitchen we have and the girls really enjoy it. I love that it isn’t too bulky! It also comes in gender neutral colours as well.

Chic maxi kitchen – Limetree Kids

 

Rebekah received this for her 1st Christmas and it is great quality. She still enjoys it and it provides a lot of musical variety:

Melody mix – Limetree Kids

 

Naomi received one of these wooden rocking horses (in white) for her 1st birthday and the quality is fantastic! It doesn’t take up too much room and she is enjoying it:

 

Wooden Rocking horse (available in white or red) – Limetree Kids

 

I hope you enjoyed the selection of gift ideas from Limetree Kids and found something unique for the next gift you need to buy.

*I was not paid for this review. I was sent the Picnik Blender to keep. All opinions expressed are my own*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet ‘My Sweet Event’ – Dessert & Lolly Buffet Hire

Today I am introducing you to My Sweet Event  – Dessert & Lolly Buffet Hire. A gorgeous Melbourne based hire service, offering a supply of gorgeous glassware, props, decor and accessories to help you style your perfect event.

Hiring items is a perfect way to style something unique and lovely for your child’s celebration but without the huge expense or storage issues afterwards of buying everything yourself.

 

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Their hire items are beautiful, fresh and fun and best of all they have made it so simple to hire anything you need at the click of a mouse!

 

They supply everything from quality candy jars and drink Dispensers, a range of beautiful table props, ruffle tablecloths and themed accessories right down to the little things such as scoops and tongs.

I love the fact you can hire everything you need in the ONE place!

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Their products are both beautiful and practical and serve any purpose from birthday celebrations through to baby showers and christenings with both modern and vintage items available.

 

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Flexibility is so important when you want to hire various items and the team at My Sweet Event provide clients with the ability to choose hired items individually or collectively and negotiate personalised packages to suit differing budgets, guest lists and styles. Just perfect!

 

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When I was browsing the My Sweet Event website I found something for everyone and every occasion.

For enquiries for your next celebration please contact Sarah at mysweeteventhire@hotmail.com

Also make sure you drop by the My Sweet Event facebook page to keep up to date with their products and hire services!

 

Permission to be a mother

I see it all too often (and have done it myself!)

Business mum’s on facebook apologising for taking longer to reply to e-mails because they are busy with their kids. Apologising for taking longer to complete an order due to their children being sick. Apologising for taking a “break” from their business or blogging etc to have some family time.

I’ve recently been thinking a lot about this as I work on sorting out the balance between business & mothering and thought – It is time we stop apologising and give ourselves permission to be mothers.

In the end – our family and our kids come first. I think most of our fans on facebook and customers understand that because they are mum’s themselves. We all want more time with our children.

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Sometimes as a small business owner you can feel that if you don’t post a facebook status update…or don’t write a blog post…or don’t showcase a new product photo etc…that you will start losing business or people will ‘unlike’ our facebook page. So we stay on the never ending merry-go-round that never seems to stop.

However everyday in my newsfeed I see many (too many to keep up with!) inspiring posts and products and status updates. It doesn’t bother me if some of my favourite pages/businesses don’t post anything!

Life goes on with and without our blog posts and facebook photos and e-mail replies.

Don’t get me wrong. I do think customer service is so important to good business practice and if there is a reason why you will be having delays in e-mail replies then by all means it makes sense to say so. Or perhaps if you are a store that offers next day shipping etc then again I understand why immediate response is expected.

However I’m talking about the expectations of small business mum’s replying to all e-mails within a 24hour period (or less!).

Sometimes as much as you want to…and as much as you plan to….your little people just take EVERYTHING out of you. At the end of the day you sometimes don’t have the time….nor energy…nor motivation to then go and sit at the computer and reply e-mails.

This is ok. Motherhood comes first. Our sanity and health comes first.

I’m not sure if this is the best “business” advice….but I love this quote from Loralee Lewis:

“No other success can compensate for failure in the home”

I am telling myself this as much as I am sharing these thoughts with you.

There will always be clients, and facebook fans. However I only have this time now with my children at this age to be there with them.

 

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And although everyone on facebook or e-mail may not notice me being absent….my children WILL notice my absence.

So women – let’s give ourselves permission to be mothers!

Do you struggle with the balance between motherhood & business/working?

How do you manage your competing priorities?

 

 

Flamingo Party Theme

One of the party styling trends which is still going strong is the bold pink flamingo.

 

Tutti Frutti dessert table - Opulenticity Party & Buffet Styling

Tutti Frutti dessert table – Opulenticity Party & Buffet Styling

 

Lots of people are loving this fancy bird for a theme for a birthday party or baby shower.

You could use it as a stand alone theme or incorporate it into a tropical/Hawaiian theme or a pool/water based theme. Flamingos also work well into an Alice in Wonderland themed party.

You could go mainly with pinks, or incorporate greens/oranges for tropical, blues for a water feel or a stylish black & white to mix in with the hot pink!

Since this is quite a unique theme which you may not easily find decorations for – make sure you browse the businesses in the Handmade Decor” category of the party directory. Some of the talented ladies there will be able to make you some flamingo garlands, flamingo toppers or other custom designed flamingo items!

I’ve also been pinning away some ideas on my flamingo  pinterest board so make sure you check it out

 

Invitations

Your invitations and printables set the colour scheme and theme so here are a few with different looks to choose from:

 

Flamingo Party invitation - Bonjour Berry

Flamingo Party invitation – Bonjour Berry

 

 

Flamingo party printables - Paper Blossom Creations

Flamingo party printables – Paper Blossom Creations

 

 

Flamingo printables – Sweet Scarlet Designs

 

 

 

Flamingo invitation – Say it loud designs (ETSY)

 

 

 

Pink flamingo invitations – Punky Prep

 

 

Flamingo Party Decorations:

Some fun party decorations to work in the Flamingo party theme:

 

Giant pink flamingo balloon - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Giant pink flamingo balloon – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

 

Flamingo and Pineapple garland - Sugarlicious parties

Flamingo and Pineapple garland – Sugarlicious parties

 

Flamingo Pinata - Party Pony Designer Pinatas

Flamingo Pinata – Party Pony Designer Pinatas

 

Incorporate feathers to go with the bird theme:

 

 

Feather garland - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Feather garland – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

 

Pheasant tail feathers – Feather.Com.Au

 

Mix these in with some general pink decorations:

 

Pink paper fan - Emiko Blue

Pink paper fan – Emiko Blue

 

Pink honeycomb balls with tassels - The Little Big Company

Pink honeycomb balls with tassels – The Little Big Company

 

 

Flamingo Party Tableware

 

Loving this pink ruffled tablecloth for a Flamingo dessert table:

 

Pink ruffled tablecloth - Saffy and May

Pink ruffled tablecloth – Saffy and May

 

Other party tableware which would work with a pink flamingo party:

 

Pink chevron tablerunner - Love The Occasion

Pink chevron tablerunner – Love The Occasion

 

Flamingo dot paper plates - Favor Lane

Flamingo dot paper plates – Favor Lane

 

 

Pink stripe plate - One Kite

Pink stripe plate – One Kite

 

 

Flamingo napkins - Favor Lane

Flamingo napkins – Favor Lane

 

Pink-Treat-Cups

 

 

 

Flamingo party straws, spoons and toppers - Merc + Jones

Flamingo party straws, spoons and toppers – Merc + Jones

 

Flamingo party picks - Party Splendour

Flamingo party picks – Party Splendour

 

Pink dot wooden spoons - Love The Occasion

Pink dot wooden spoons – Love The Occasion

 

These flamingo straws are must haves for this party!:

 

Flamingo straws - Favor Lane

Flamingo straws – Favor Lane

 

Gorgeous coloured confetti to sprinkle on the kids table for a truly festive feel!:

 

Flamingo Confetti - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Flamingo Confetti – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Flamingo Party Dessert Table items:

A few items to work into a Flamingo dessert table:

 

Flamingo lollipops - The Little Big Company

Flamingo lollipops – The Little Big Company

 

Perfect toppers to help theme your food:

 

 

Flamingo toppers - Glistening Occasions

Flamingo toppers – Glistening Occasions

 

 

 

Create your own lollipops using this Flamingo mould:

 

Flamingo lollipop mould - Confectionately Yours

Flamingo lollipop mould – Confectionately Yours

 

These gorgeous pink ombre chocolates would work well into this Flamingo colour scheme:

 

Pink ombre chocolates - Winnow Chocolates

Pink ombre chocolates – Winnow Chocolates

 

You can create your own cute Flamingo birthday cake using this fantastic DIY cake kit!:

 

Flamingo DIY Cake kit - Mumma Cakes

Flamingo DIY Cake kit – Mumma Cakes

 

Find vendors in the Directory to create custom Flamingo cookies, cake pops, and more for this Flamingo party! A lot of the cookie makers can post Australia wide. How gorgeous are these Flamingo cookies?:

 

Flamingo Cookies - Frosted by Nicci

Flamingo Cookies – Frosted by Nicci

 

The perfect candles to add a Flamingo touch to a cake!:

 

Flamingo candles - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Flamingo candles – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

A gorgeous pink cake stand for a Flamingo party!:

 

Pink cake stand - Petite Portions

Pink cake stand – Petite Portions

 

Such a fun cake topper with colours which would well for a Flamingo party theme:

 

Mini tassel cake topper - Party Pony Designer Pinatas

Mini tassel cake topper – Party Pony Designer Pinatas

 

 

Special themed items

Add some real flamingo touches to this party with these party props such as this sign which would make a fun prop at the party entrance:

 

Flamingo gold foil print - Sugarlicious Parties

Flamingo gold foil print – Sugarlicious Parties

 

 

Flamingo yard decorations - The Little Big Company

Flamingo yard decorations – The Little Big Company

 

 

 

Mini 1 inch flamingos – Doris Dotz (ETSY)

 

Some of the vendors on the Directory have gorgeous Flamingo prints which are perfect for bedroom decor but you could display on the day of the party:

 

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Flamingo watercolour print - ELK Prints

Flamingo watercolour print – ELK Prints

 

Flamingo print -  Fairydust Stylish Stationery

Flamingo print – Fairydust Stylish Stationery

 

Flamingo print - Paper Blossom Creations

Flamingo print – Paper Blossom Creations

 

 

Flamingo Party Hire

There are plenty of fantastic props you can hire for your kid’s parties to help theme the party. Here are a few ideas but browse the HIRE category on the Directory to find some party hire businesses in your state.

 

Garden flamingos for hire - Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

Garden flamingos for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

 

Such cute pink chairs for the kids in Sydney! For Melbourne try Tiny Tables and Chairs

 

Pink bubble chairs for hire -  Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

Pink bubble chairs for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)

 

 

 

Flamingo props for hire - Party Prop Hire (QLD)

Flamingo props for hire – Party Prop Hire (QLD)

 

 

Flamingo Party Favours & Packaging

 

Love this glittery flamingo favour bag!:

 

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Click the image for a tutorial on how to make this fantastic flamingo favour bag!:

 

 

Flamingo party bag tutorial – Oh Happy Day blog

 

Or some other packaging options which would look sweet with a flamingo gift tag:

 

 

Pink favour bag - Love The Occasion

Pink favour bag – Love The Occasion

 

Hot pink favour bag - Little Kite

Hot pink favour bag – Little Kite

 

 

Real Parties

For more party inspiration check out these flamingo themed parties:

Such a fun tutti frutti setup incorporating flamingos by Opulenticity Party and Buffet Styling

Love this retro flamingo pool party by Sweet Style

Gorgeous and bright orange and pink flamingo first birthday featured on Kara’s Party Ideas

Some clever decorating and food ideas on this flamingo birthday party from the Jacinda Hale-Yeah blog

Lots of fun DIY ideas in this flamingo party from the Confetti Sunshine blog

 

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Hope you enjoyed the flamingo selection!

Make sure you browse the children’s party directory to find some quality party suppliers when planning this celebration!

 

 

‘Kid Magazine’ article – choosing your party suppliers

 

With 200,000 monthly views, I was excited to be able to contribute an article to the latest issue of Kid Magazine. See page 30 for my article focusing on what to consider when choosing suppliers for your next child’s birthday or other celebration.

View it here:

 

My article explains some of the things to consider when choosing suppliers in various categories when planning a party. Cost isn’t the only factor of course – my article explains more & I hope you enjoy it.

 

kids magazine page 1

The article also highlights some things which are important to keep in mind as a business provider (eg: customer service, having customer photos and testimonials on your page etc)

kids magazine page 2

To view the best selection of party suppliers in Australia, visit the children’s party directory!