Sleep Advice

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Our First WINNER!

Huge Congratulations to Rachel who has WON cuddly Milo the Gorilla!  We'll be in touch Rachel and get him on the way to you ASAP.

I love giving stuff away!  Make sure you check out our website and find something you really like and leave a comment on the Mouse House blog to be in with a chance to WIN the Baby Head Rest.

When our Facebook page hits 200 likes we will have another great giveaway.

Enjoy the warmer weather!

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Give Aways A Go Go!

Welcome to our new followers, great to have a few new "faces" reading about the behind the scenes and screens of "Munchkins".


Our very first competition to WIN a gorgeous and cuddly Milo the Gorilla soft toy from Nici has just under a week left to run.  All you have to do to win is "Like" us on facebook and

Facebook Page

Sign up to follow us here on our blog, and

Visit our website to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, or email me at laurene@munchkins.co.nz

Munchkins Website

Special thanks to Megan at Mouse House for arranging our new Baby Head Rest Giveaway.  Here's a little more about this awesome product.

How does baby head rest work?
The baby head rest is not a pillow and does not lift baby's head.  Rather it provides gentle cradling to eliminate pressure on the skull.
Using the baby head rest from day one may dramatically reduce the risk of baby developing flat head syndrome and the need for corrective treatment, such as helmet therapy.
You can find more information about the Baby Head Rest here www.babyheadrest.com
And of course this great product is available on our Munchkins website under the "Accessories" tab.
But make sure you check out all the competition details to win one at "Mouse House"

I'm looking forward to giving away our cuddly Gorilla!

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Munchkins Prepare to take Aussie by Storm!

We have just reserved our Give Away day with the "Big Aussie Giveaway" in May this year.  We will be giving away one of our exclusive Munchkin designs "Africa" including: cot quilt, change pad cover and matching lamp shade.  The person who wins will be the person who talks most about us online, by following our Facebook page, our blog and subscribing to our newsletter.  It's VERY exciting for us, I certainly hope it goes VIRAL.

We will also be giving away one of our new products I have posted about previously the "Baby Head Rest" via Megan's blog
Mouse House
Her blog is incredible!  Well Megan is incredible really, domestic goddess, super dooper crafter, and I can only imagine an awesome Mum!  She has over 600 followers on her blog, take a look and you'll see why.

We have a few new products on the website too.  Cute as little Paisley Pickle Horses from the Lily and George range. We have used our exclusive Munchkin quilt designs and made these into duvet covers for our bigger Munchkins beds.

The Munchkins New Year has started really well, word is slowly spreading and I'm sure our up coming advertising will only improve our sales.  Knowing my luck and what is going on with our Munchkins family, we will end up homeless as our house will go to auction on February 23, with a new born in April or May, and Munchkins will get crazy busy!!!  Oh well it keeps life exciting doesn't it!

Enjoy this small amount of good weather we are having!

Thursday 12 January 2012

All things New and Healthy

Our wee family spent Christmas afternoon until the 30th at a bach in Whangamata.  It was a lovely time despite the fact that Cadell decided that "Mum" was only ever allowed to read to him and put him to bed.  He also cried almost when ever I went out without him! So despite my hopes of sharing the parenting load with the other half on holiday, grandparents and aunties and cousins around it didn't work out as I had hoped!

In fact I probably came home more knackered due to the late nights you inevitably have when on holiday with extended whanau!

However we made some great discoveries while up there.  Craig went trout fishing in the Tairua river up in the hills, a wicked spot for a fresh water swim.  Though Craig suspects that there are actually no trout in the river!

The Grandparents when on an early morning walk stopped in at Olivers Bakery and bought home Rosemary, Raisin and Rocksalt bread.  It is to die for!  So I couldn't wait to get home and try making my own.  I found Jamie Oliver's recipe and have made several loaves already.  Here's the link to the recipe  Rosemary and Raisin Bread
You really have to try it.  Making bread is so cathartic, and this recipe has not failed me yet.  The smell of fresh baked bread is to die for at the best of times, but laced with the fragrance of Rosemary as well is the stuff I dream of!!!

My darling sister gave me Wendyl Nissen's book, "Mother's Little Helper" an old fashioned guide to raising your baby chemical free.  Which you can buy from her Green Goddess website.  You will also find many other useful bits of info there.  She has a "No Knead" bread recipe, which I haven't yet tried, but she also inspired me to keep on making my own bread.  I can't believe how ridiculously cheap it is to make your own bread.  I get two very large loaves of Rosemary and raisin bread, each loaf lasting 2-3 days.  They cost no more than $2 a loaf to make, where as a loaf of Molenberg I was buying previously can cost between $4-$5, and certainly doesn't last any longer.

More about Wendyl and her wonderful inspiration in another post.
This is Caramelised Capsicum and Onion relish (recipe below courtesy of Nosh magazine) sheeps feta and ham served on a slice of delish roasemary and raisin bread, drooling just remembering it!
Caramelised Capsicum and Onion Relish
Super dooper easy to make, only down side was that my fiancee and I ate it all in one sitting!
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 red and 1 yellow capsicum thinly sliced
olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
basil

Heat dash of oil in pan then add onion stir for a minute before adding capsicum.  
Gently caramelise for 15 minutes, allowing onion and capsicum to soften but not not get any colour. 
Add vinegar, brown sugar and some torn basil and stir.  Continue to cook for antoher 15 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated.
When cool store in airtight container in fridge, if there's any left to do that!

I didn't add basil, mainly because I couldn't be bothered going to my neighbours who is my supplier of all fresh herbs! But I'm sure it would give it a great kick.  I also left my capsicum in long slices, making it a bit tricky to eat, next time I'd cut them smaller.  Next time I would also double the recipe, so there is some to share with others!


My New Year's resolutions (if you can call them that) are
1) to keep tracking at the less than 4kg of total weight gained throughout this pregnancy.  That is I weigh 4kg less at 25 weeks this time than I did last time.
2) to get rid of many of the chemical nasties found in our household cleaners, laundry powder, baby bath and lotions, and facial cleaners by using Wendyl's recipes and other products I've found.
3) to manage our household spending with greater scrutiny, with a strict budget.

I'm the big spender in our house what with buying groceries, clothes, all of Cadell's activities, petrol, eating out, personal products/services etc.  I know I'm incredibly fortunate to have a partner who works hard to ensure I am able to stay at home, so now I really need to pull finger and get Munchkins humming, and manage our family expenses.  December was a ridiculous budget blow out - all on FOOD!  Anyone would think we feed a family of 12 the amount of money I spend on food!

All three of these goals relate to preparing for our new family addition in late April early May, and our aim to finally get married on our new bubba's first birthday in 2013 in Aitutaki, Cook Islands.  I'm finding it a bit scary to set a date and commit to it after 13 years together! Some how we will also get our beautiful home on the market and hope to buy a home with some land so we can have our own chooks, orchard and a veg garden that is big enough for the jungle like tomatoes I grow.  More recipes next post, and an update on Munchkins.