Name Labels, Wall Stickers | Bright Star Kids Blog

Easy Sausage Roll Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:30:00 +0000

If you've got people coming over for New Years, why not make some home-made mini Sausage Rolls. They always go down well at parties and best of all they're super easy to make!

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Makes approx: 16

You will need:

300g beef or pork mince

1 small brown onion, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed

1 tablespoon milk

How to make:

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine mince, onion, egg, dried herbs and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
Cut pastry sheets in half.
Put 1/4 of the mince mixture along 1 long edge of pastry.
Roll up pastry to enclose mince mixture. Brush with milk.
Cut roll into 5cm pieces and place, seam side down, on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mince mixture and pastry.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and puffed.
Allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with tomato sauce.

If you're preparing lots of food, you can pre-cook them for 10 mins earlier in the day. Then before you need to put out the food, pop them back in the oven for another 10 - 15 mins until they're golden and puffy.

Top 50 Organising & Decorating Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Over the last 12 months we've had lots of fun putting together some handy hints and tips about everyday things, from organising through to decorating. We've compiled our 50 most popular posts, perfect if you've missed out on any over the last year.

Many younger kids can get scared of the dark. Make up some anti-monster spray to help ward off nasties: Get a spray bottle, ¾ fill it with water; add some hologram glitter, and a few drops of lavender oil. Add an "Anti-Monster" label and present to your child with appropriate seriousness. Spray your child's room and under the bed each night as needed.
Cupcake parties are all the rage...especially for girls! It's best to prepare the cupcakes, frosting and containers of colourful toppings before the party. This will make it really easy for the kids to do the fun decorating stuff and not the boring preparation!
Having toy storage in your kitchen is a handy way to prevent needless trips up and down stairs. It also helps to keep your kitchen looking tidy….plus it’s a handy way of quickly tidying up before friends or family pop over!
Wrapping Xmas presents needn't be a chore. Put together in a box some scissors, sticky tape, gift cards, stickers, pens & ribbon. Keep this box near the wrapping paper (I keep both in a shelf in my wardrobe). As you buy a gift, wrap it then hide it. No more midnight Christmas Eve wrapping marathons!
If you’ve collected a bunch of your kids drawings and paintings over the last year, why not use some of them as wrapping paper. Perfect for grandparents, aunties & uncles! It’ll make your kids feel special and it’s great for recycling.
You know we love our zippered Glad Bags – here's another idea. Put leftover soups or spaghetti bolognaise into the bags. Lay them flat in the freezer to chill – saves on freezer space!
Clean your kettle & kill your weeds! Simply pour some vinegar along with water into your kettle and boil. Then pour it over your weeds for a non-toxic alternative to weed killer spray.
If you need to keep notes on the fridge, invest in high quality, heavy-duty magnetic clips from an office supply company. No snowfalls of notes every time you shut the fridge door.
If your child has dust allergies or asthma, you’ll need to keep all your surfaces clean. Opting for a plain roller or Roman blind will help to keep dust out of the room.
Giant floor tiles in different colours or shades can be used to make a fun flooring area for large kids rooms. Plus if you keep a few for spares it’ll be easy to replace ones that have been ruined, making the place look like new again.
Buy all your birthday cards in bulk (ideally when a sale is on) for the entire year and store them in a folder in date order. No more forgotten birthdays or last minute card buying!
If you have an egg slicer, you might also like to use it for soft things such as strawberries or peeled cucumbers. Perfect slices just right for decorating!
Christmas crafts are so much fun, but they can leave a pile of loose glitter around the house! We like to use a sticky lint roller to pick up stray glitter...better yet the kids have fun using it, so you get to relax!
If you're buying gifts for teachers, avoid coffee mugs, chocolates or perfume (most teachers end up with piles of these). Nice Christmas ornaments, cookies or nibbles for Christmas parties or practical things they can use in the classroom such as "Good Work" stickers are the best idea.
If you're in an organising mood, why not organise your GPS. Rather than set "home" on your GPS to your home address, set it to a cross street or park in your neighbourhood. That way if thieves break into your car, they can't easily find your "home" while they know you are out.
At the end of your painting, always create a small touch up paint container rather than try and keep the massive tins. Old baby food jars are ideal, as are food storage containers.
Put a dot of paint on the side and lid (so you know what the colour is) and write where you used the paint on the side of the container (kitchen cupboards, kids bedroom walls etc).
Kids love to see photos of themselves and want to know where they fit in the world. A lovely idea is to create a family photo wall, where you add in photos of grandparents, loved pets, parents, Aunts and Uncles, nephews and nieces. It helps a child feel loved and connected to a whole pile of people.
Keep a sample paint chip of your final paints in your home files just in case the paint tin label gets covered in paint and you need to get a new batch made up at a later date. Write on the back of the chip, which rooms you used the paint in & where you used it.
Another cute decorating idea for little ballerinas is to grab a cheap kitchen stool, paint it white or pink, and wrap an old tutu around the edge of the seat, either fixing with furniture tacks or double sided tape. Makes a great nightstand!
When you’re moving your child from their cot to their first big bed, a full-sized well-made single bed should see your child through to their teenage years.
Choosing a bed that incorporates storage or a second pull-out bed can be great space savers. They're perfect to store bulky jumpers, toys, blankets and spare bedding. Avoid putting small items into big areas as they can easily go missing.
To help your child feel confident in their artwork, it’s a great idea to display their work. Having a pin board in the kitchen or their bedroom will be a perfect spot to show case their latest works of art. You can even display the best ones in frames to make them feel super proud!
If your child finds it hard to sleep when it is still light outside, you can line the curtains with blackout material or use blackout blinds instead. If you have blinds with curtains, this will help to muffle sounds and provide a quieter place to sleep.
When buying paint it’s best to choose paints that are low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Recent research shows that VOCs have been shown to cause allergies, skin irritations and asthma.
Avoid miniature nursery style furniture when you’re kitting out your baby’s room. Within no time they’ll have outgrown the look and will find it too “babyish”. Opt for a classic style that can grow with your child and work with many décor schemes in the future.
Ice cube trays are great paint palettes for kids – heaps of space for all your colours!
Add a hook at the end of your child’s bed or on their wall for their school bag or library books. This will help them to keep track of their belongings and become more responsible.
Try playing I spy - "I spy all the blue toys that need to be put away". Take turns with your child, which means they get to name a colour or an item for you to put away. P.S. It's also a teaching tool as they get to learn colours at the same time....perfect for toddlers.
Remember when tidying up with kids that you are not aiming for cleaning to your standard. You are building habits for the future. Teaching kids to clean up after themselves is a life skill just like brushing your teeth.
A mum we know had a rule that no friends were allowed over if the house and bedroom were in a mess. Works particularly well when the teens want to bring their boyfriend/girlfriend over.
Try saying "As soon as you (e.g. put the dishes in the dishwasher), I'll know you are ready to watch TV". This gives clear consequences as well as makes it clear exactly what you want them to do. It works best if said before a favourite TV program.
Give your child choices "Do you want to pick up the stuffed teddies or the blocks", "Do you want to put the dirty washing in the clothes basket or pick up the books". It makes it less overwhelming for kids than saying "tidy up your room".
If you've nagged & nagged your teenager and their room still looks like a pigsty, then drastic measures are called for! One mum put everything into garbage bags. Clothes went in with books, etc. Then she piled all the bags on the bed until the floor was clean. The teen wasn't allowed to use the computer, watch TV, or go to bed until the bags were sorted. The bags were sorted in record time.
Throw out all lone socks, and tatty bras and undies that you would hate to be seen in; get rid of sole earrings, broken jewellery and things that went out of fashion 20 years ago; donate all clothes that no longer fit, are stained or "have seen better days".
Linen cupboards in our house always seem to get messy. One way to keep it under control (and make it easier come bed making time), is to fold each set of fitted and flat sheets together, and then stuff them into the matching pillow case. That way you can recognise the set by the outside pillowcase and you don't have to go hunting through the pile.
Keep a plastic garbage bag in one section of your linen cupboard. Whenever someone has grown out of an item of clothing, pop it into the bag and when the bag is full, donate it to charity.
We've just found another great use for ziplock bags. The small ones are brilliant for putting jewellery into. No more tangled chains, necklaces and beads!
To test an egg for freshness, place it in a deep bowl of cold water. A fresh egg sinks, a rotten egg floats.
If your vacuum cleaner has a rolling brush in the head, use a sewing seam ripper to cut through the rolled up lint and hair on the roller. Simple!
Kids love kitchens. Give your kids one cupboard or drawer (out of the way of the stove) as "theirs". Keep all your plastics, and the odd saucepan you rarely use in there. That way the kids can play at cooking without getting underfoot.
Plastic baskets are brilliant in the bathroom and cleaning cupboards to store cleaning products without tipping and spilling. For toxic products, use a basket with a locking lid so little ones can't get into it.
Setting up a corkboard on your kitchen wall or door is extremely useful. Pin up your take-away menus, favourite recipes and key school term dates.
Invest in a paper shredder and have it near where you open your mail, so you can shred anything that could potentially be fodder for identity thieves.
Store all your instruction manuals for your appliances in one binder in your kitchen or pantry. No more digging around to find the manual on how to descale your coffee machine!
Whenever you travel, bring home the disposable shower caps. Perfect for use over bowls of salads.
Sprinkle some bicarb soda in your bin before adding a new bag. The bicarb absorbs the odour and moisture inside your bin, so there should be no more smell or mould.
Always open savoury biscuits or chip (crisp) packets from the bottom. That way all the flavouring that has worked its way to the bottom of the pack is redistributed around the product as you eat it.
Turn plain ice-cream into a yummy dessert by melting chocolate or strawberry jam. Drizzle over for a delicious dessert! Sprinkle over some chopped nuts or fresh fruit to make it look even nicer.
Magnetic paint will transform a regular wall into the equivalent of a fridge door. The magnetic paint goes on like an undercoat, which means you can decorate with a topcoat in your preferred colour. To make a feature of it, you could paint just a few strips or split the wall horizontally, so only the top or bottom half is magnetic. It'll be a great alternative to a pin board.

For future tips simply "Like" our Facebook page and you'll get them sent directly to your newsfeed.

Up, up & away with these Hot Air Balloons!

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Little boys will adore having these beautiful hot air balloons floating above their bed.

You can choose from a bold red & blue or light green & blue colour combination to suit your little one and their room. These beautiful designs are available in removable Wall Stickers or personalised Canvas Art, to make decorating your boy's room easy.

These wall stickers are so easy to use and are completely removable and reusable, so they're ideal for renters. Of course if you're constantly on the move, or you want to give a unique gift this Christmas, then opting for our personalised Canvas Art will be a great idea.

Shop online for Wall Art and get free delivery when you spend over $50 - http://www.brightstarkids.com.au/Wall-Art.aspx?s3

Make Easy Gingerbread Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Prep, Baking & Chill Time:

1 hour of prep, 15 mins cooking and 1 hour to chill once baked

Ingredients:

1 egg
50g butter, chopped
75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
125ml (1/2 cup) honey
100g brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Decorate:

420g icing sugar
Silver ball cake decorations

How to Make Gingerbread:

Stir the butter, honey and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat until everything is melted and smooth then set aside to cool.
Beat the egg in a large bowl and stir in the honey mixture.
Sif the flour, bicarb of soda and ginger into a bowl and add the egg & honey mixture to it. Stir until everything is combined.
Place mixture on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.
Wrap this in cling film and place in the fridge for one hour to chill.
When it comes close to the hour being up, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) & line 2 baking trays with good quality baking/parchment paper.
Roll out the gingerbread until it is 5mm thick. Use your festive shaped cutters and cut your shapes from the dough. Re-roll when needed.
Place your shapes on the prepared trays.
Bake these for 5 minutes or until they are light golden then transfer to wire racks and let them cool.

How to Decorate the Gingerbread:

Prepare the icing sugar as it says on the packet until you've got a smooth mixture.
You can divide the portions and colour as you like or you can leave everything white.
Place the icing mixtures into piping bags and pipe your decorations over the cookies.
Pop on cake decorations to the wet icing.
Allow to set for 1 hour.

How to Transform them into Ornaments:

To do this you need to stick 2 sides together, as you can see in the image. This can be done by placing a thick dab of icing sugar in the middle of two of the biscuits. Leave to set completely and then loop a ribbon around it to hang on the tree.

Alternatively, you can just do a one sided biscuit and put a hole in it before you bake.

Halloween Party Kids Games

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The addition of just a few party games to your young children's Halloween party, can make your party memorable and fun.

Repurpose Old Favourites

Traditional party games can easily get a Halloween makeover:

Pin the smile on the pumpkin instead of pin the tail on the donkey.Hot potato can become hot Jack-o-lantern. Use a small plastic or real pumpkin to pass around while the music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the pumpkin is out. Small kids sometime struggle with the concept of being "out". If you are playing the game with very small children, if they are holding the pumpkin when the music stops, have them take a small lolly from your cauldron while you lead them out to the side. Usually this is a tear free way to play the game.
Why should the Easter Bunny be the only one with scavenger hunts? Try hunt the witches hat or hunt the pumpkin (pumpkins are less scary than witches for very young children). Each hat or pumpkin found means a lolly or toy from the cauldron.
Piñatas are always fun. Try to get one with a pull cord to let the filling out, as smaller children don't usually hit it hard enough to break it open.
Relay races – instead of usual running races, have the kids walk like zombies, hop like toads, or fly broomsticks.

Messy games

Not everyone likes to play games in a group. For solo adventurers get two big tubs. Fill one with sand and one with dirt – call the game "Graveyard digging". Bury small plastic prizes like plastic beetles or skeletons into the tubs. Kids will happily spend ages digging up and reburying the treasure.

For kids who like to get messy, add in a third tub. Fill it with tinned spaghetti, chopped jello, grapes, watermelon ... anything that feels slimy and icky to touch. The more disgusting the blend, the happier the kids will be. Bury small plastic prizes in the "guts", turn down the lights, and let the kids have fun digging through the mess to find the prizes.

Halloween games

Mummy Wrap - Organise the kids into teams of three. One person becomes the mummy and the other two the "wrappers". Put on some fun music like Time Warp or Monster Mash, hand the wrappers a roll of toilet paper, and have them wrap their mummy with toilet paper. It's also a great game for families - kids love wrapping up their parents!

Spider's Web - This is a perfect first game, but takes a bit of organising. You need a ball of string or ribbon for every two guests. Before your guests arrive, tie one end of each ball to a chair or some other stable object. Unwind the ball of string over and around furniture or in your back yard. If your guests are small, remember to keep the string down low. End up back at your original chair and tie the end to the chair. When your guests have all arrived, give each child one end of the ribbon and tell them they need to unwind the spiders web until they meet the person at the other end. Pumpkin Bowling – Use empty 1litre or 2 litre plastic bottles (suitably decorated). Fill the base of the bottle with a handful of rice or sand to add to their stability. Line them up and using small pumpkins with short stems, have the kids try to knock down the plastic bottles.

Make Your Home Smell Fresh Naturally!

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Eliminate nasty odours around the home with your own hand made natural spray.

How to Make:

Fill a clean spray bottle with approximately 25 - 30 drops of your favourite essential oil e.g. lavender, rose or peppermint and 10ml of methylated spirits.

Once the oil has been dissolved add 2 cups of filtered water.

When you're ready to use it, simply shake well and spray around your home with the fine mist setting.

You'll instantly get that lovely natural smell back with no harmful chemicals.

How to make Toffee Apples for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Ingredien ts

15 small apples, red or green
4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon red food colouring

Preparation time is approx 15 minutes and the syrup will take 30 minutes to cook.

Wash and dry your apples and insert a stick into the centre. Then lightly grease a baking tray or line with baking paper.
In a small saucepan mix the sugar, vinegar and water. Bring everything to boil and then stir in the food colouring.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes. To test if the syrup is ready pour a tiny bit into a cup of cold water. When it is ready it should set hard.
When it is ready remove the saucepan from the stove and place in the sink that is filled with a small amount of cold water until the mixture stops bubbling.
When the mixture has stopped bubbling, hold an apple by its stick and dip the apple into the syrup until the whole apple is covered. Let the apple drain a little then place on baking tray to harden up.
Repeat with your remaining apples. Enjoy!

Ingredients

15 small apples, red or green
4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon red food colouring

Preparation method

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 30 mins

1. Lightly grease a baking tray. Wash and dry the apples and insert chop sticks, thick wooden skewers or paddle pop sticks into each apple.

2. Combine sugar, vinegar and water in a small heavy based pot. Bring to the boil and stir in the food colouring. Heat to 150 degrees C or simmer for about 20 minutes or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water reaches crack stage - it should set hard and be hard to crack with fingers.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and stand in a baking dish of water until the mixture stops bubbling. When the mixture has stopped boiling, hold an apple by its stick, dip into the syrup, tilt the pan (and the apple) till the whole apple is covered. Rotate the apple and let it drain a little then place on baking tray to harden.

4. Repeat with remaining apples.

How to Make "Top Hats" - The Cutest Party Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

This is a recipe that's been passed down by my Mum, and it always goes down a treat at kids birthday parties.

They're a bit fiddly to make but if you get the kids involved they're quite easy and fun. We recommend buying good quality cooking chocolate that can withstand heat better than regular chocolate.

Makes approx 50 - 60 Top Hats

Ingredients:

Marshmallows
1 large block of good quality cooking chocolate
Toppings (Freckles, M&M's or similar)
Mini Paper Cases

Melt a small amount of chocolate in a heatproof bowl over boiling water or in the microwave. Once melted pour into an icing bag and squeeze a small amount of chocolate on top of the marshmallow. Quickly place a Freckle or M&M on top and put aside to set.

Tip: It's best to have a helper placing the item on top so you can continue squeezing the chocolate out!

Line up all your paper cases close together on a bench top.

Next melt the rest of the chocolate and pour into an icing bag. Squeeze a good amount of chocolate into the mini paper cases.

Get your helper to place the prepared marshmallows into the paper cases, gently pressing down so that the chocolate spreads out to fill the cases.

Let them set for an hour and place into the fridge until the party begins!

How To Make Goop

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:22:00 +0000

This is a super simple and fun recipe. Goop feels hard when you pick it up, and yet runs like mercury from between the fingers. And yes, it can get messy, so this may be best as an outdoor activity for little ones.

Ingredients

2 packs cornflour

2 cups water

Food colouring

Method

1. Mix the food colouring with the water.

2. Mix the cornflour and water together in a large container.

Get messy!

Super Bubble Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:13:00 +0000

All kids love bubbles – but constantly buying pre-made bubble mix can leave a dent in your savings. Here's a great recipe for super bubbles.

Ingredients

3 cups dishwashing liquid (Morning Fresh works well)

7 cups hot water (if you are in a hard water area, use distilled water)

1 cup glycerol OR glycerine OR sugar OR corn syrup

Method

Mix the ingredients thoroughly together (we stir for at least 15 minutes).

Bubble mix gets better with age - just keep it in an airtight container between uses. If the mix evaporates over time, just top it up with water.

Now some quick science facts about bubbles. Bubbles pop when they dry out, so for longer lasting bubbles try blowing bubbles on rainy days, or days of high humidity. They are also awesome at night if you blow a lot into the sky – they look like snow.

No Cook Play Dough

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Don't spend a fortune on expensive play dough when you can make your own in just minutes.

Ingredients

½ cup salt

1 ¼ cups plain flour

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

1 cup of boiling water (from the kettle)

1 tablespoon oil

Few drops of lavender oil (optional)

Food colouring

Glitter (optional)

Method

1. Mix the water, lavender oil and food colouring together – it helps to give more consistent colour throughout the play dough.

2. Pour the liquid into the remaining ingredients.

3. Knead until smooth.

4. Allow to cool and store in a sealed plastic bag or container (keeps for 2-3 weeks in the fridge).

What Reality TV Can Teach You About Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Ok. We admit it. We love reality TV – but not for the reasons most people love it. While it's easy to be sucked into the drama and tears of the latest cooking or decorating show, we're peering into the background, looking to see what the latest trends and colours are.

So what can reality TV teach you?

1. What the hottest decorating colours are each season. Check out the wall colours and paintings in each show to see what is being used. Rich chocolates and creams, with splashes of turquoise are definitely in this year.

2. Which wall treatments are "hot" right now? This season wallpapers seem to be out-dated, but the feature wall is definitely making a comeback, although it seems to be through plain paint rather than textured finishes. It was also great to see two elimination contestant winners on "The Block" use wall stickers – Polly & Waz in their kids' room and Katrina and Amy with their Exit sign.

3. How to organise your furniture for best effect. Gone are the days of shoving the couch against the nearest wall and hoping for the best. You need to ensure there are no forgotten corners or visual dead spots.

4. How to choose a signature piece for each room. Signature pieces can either be a large piece of furniture that dominates the room, or a small quirky object that you love. These pieces can influence your decorating style and the colours you choose for your room.

5. Tricks to bring a room look together. Rooms that win are ones where aspects of colours are consistent and don't fight to gain attention. Clusters and collections of small objects still seem to outperform solo pieces.

6. Rooms that work, are ones where things are organised and suited to their purpose rather than all jumbled together. Clutter is never a good look.

To be brave with decorating. Safe doesn't cut it. Have some fun and try new things – it's amazing what a splash of colour or a unique approach can do.

Organising Ideas to Keep Your Home Looking Great

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:43:00 +0000

Let's be honest here – while most of us would love our homes to look like something out of a magazine, this is unlikely to happen without a miracle. So, here are a few ideas to help keep the house looking at least presentable.

1. Get a large wicker hamper or wooden blanket box and put it by the front door for shoes and boots. Kids are great at scattering shoes around the house like dandelions. By having a large hamper by the front door, you have a fighting chance of corralling those shoes into the one place.

2. Another idea is a bookcase by the front door for shoes, umbrellas, sunscreen, hats, handbags, schoolbags etc. Each person can have their own shelf – makes it easier to find everything you need on the way out the door. You can add in some labelled tubs (our Jumbo Labels are great for this) to help keep things looking tidy.

3. Have a 10-minute essential tidy routine. Work out the drop-dead essential tidying needed to make your lounge room, kitchen and dining room looking vaguely presentable. It could be as simple as all dishes in the dishwasher, bench-tops wiped, books & mags into a pile, rubbish picked up, scatter cushions put in order, remote controls into one place etc. Do your 10-minute tidy up every night before bed so you feel a bit more in control in the morning.

4. Clutter often comes from having too much "stuff". We have a rule in our house: Something in – Something out. So, before big clutter creators like Christmas and birthdays, we clear out the things we no longer need, and either donate them to charity or hold a garage sale.

5. Life's too short to do a big Spring Clean once a year, so Spring Clean in 5 minute lots throughout the year. Set your timer for 5 minutes once a day and just Spring Clean one thing. It could be the cupboard under the sink, one shelf in a pantry, or one drawer in your wardrobe. When the timer goes off, go do something you want to do.

6. Piles of clean laundry scattered around always are a problem. Give each person their own coloured laundry basket or labelled laundry basket (use either our Jumbo Labels or any of our nametag labels) and fold directly into the baskets on washdays. If you have space, have a separate ironing cupboard or wardrobe, and hang up the clothes to be ironed, rather than leaving them in a pile (also makes ironing and finding missing clothes easier).

7. And the biggest tip – remember you don't have to do it all on your own. Start your kids helping you with age appropriate cleaning from when they are little. As they grow through school, give them more responsibility for different tasks. By the time your kids hit High School they are quite capable of ironing their own school uniforms, making their own lunches and helping by cooking at least one meal a week. The trick is to set a good example for them and teach them that shared looking after a home is core part of life.

Check out our great range of Labels & Stickers at www.brightstarkids.com.au

Decorating Tips for Your Baby's Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Thu, 26 May 2011 23:34:00 +0000

Decorating the nursery for your new arrival can be fun and exciting. Here's a few tips from some of our experienced mums on what you really need (and what you don't) in your new nursery.

The number one rule in every nursery should be safety first. Always look at every item you put into the room through the eyes and fingers of an inquisitive baby or toddler. Is it safe to be put into their mouths? Will it trap little fingers or delicate heads?
All you need in a nursery is somewhere for baby to safely sleep, and somewhere to store clothes and items. This means all you really need is a cot and either a chest of drawers or wardrobe – everything else is nice to have (and not essential).
While nappy change tables are brilliant, we know many mums who simply have put a changing mat on the waist high chest of drawers, put down a towel on a single bed or even used one of the foam pull-out kids lounges on the floor.
Never put climbable furniture in front of or near windows. Also make sure to firmly attach bookcases and chests of drawers to the walls to reduce topple hazards, as you're guaranteed that your little one will try to climb up it at some stage.
Lighting is important. Aim for a dimmer switch on the main light, or a lamp that can be dimmed at night so you can see where you are going in the middle of the night for feeds.
Floor mats can pose a trip hazard in the middle of the night, or when you are carrying your baby. Mats may be better suited to older children or toddlers.
Where possible, use non-toxic wall paint, and test for lead paint if you are in an older house. You may want to consider using one of the newer low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints on the walls, to reduce chemicals in baby's room.
Block-out blinds or curtains are worth their weight in gold to help your young child nap during the day. Some kids have in-built sunlight alarm clocks – they wake at dawn, so the better the block-out blinds, the more chance you have of grabbing a few more hours sleep.
Balance cute decor with versatility. The longest term decorating results come from plain walls, that you can brighten up using removable wall art such as wall stickers or framed paintings that you can change as your child grows. Our wall stickers cater from babies right through to teens, so there's an option for everyone.
Don't limit wall stickers just to walls. Placing wall stickers on ceilings or furniture is a great way to grab baby's attention during nappy changes.

If you'd like to view the entire range of boys, girls & unisex Wall Stickers designs, head over to our website. We're sure you'll love our fantastic range.

Launching New Canvas Art

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 05:03:00 +0000

We are excited to let you know we have added two new canvas art prints to the range. The can be personalised or purchased on their own. You can check out the range here

Tips for Decorating Your Child's Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:41:00 +0000

February is a great month to look at redecorating your child's bedroom, so we thought we would share a few tips to help you get the best out of your redecorating budget.

Talk with your child about their bedroom. Find out their favourite colours, activities and fantasies and where possible incorporate aspects of their interests into their room.
Allow your child to help choose things for their room. You want them to learn that it is ok to say no to some things and yes to others, and that they have a say in what happens in their space.
Storage is vital for kid's bedrooms. It is important to make it easy for them to find things and to put things away. One idea is to colour code bookcases, drawers and shelves such as blue for books and green for games. You can match the colours with plastic tubs or storage crates for the cupboard.
For the longest decorating life for a bedroom, keep the walls, ceiling and floor a plain colour and add colour through removable wall stickers, chalkboard dots or strips and colourful curtains and doona covers. You can also add in colourful accent rugs for a quick floor colour pick me up.
Think about the lighting for the bedroom. Your child needs task lights for reading and homework and more gentle light for general illumination. Nightlights may also be needed for younger children. That said, there will always be kids with torches reading books under the bedcovers at night!
Washable paint on the walls goes almost without saying. Grubby finger marks and kids go literally hand in hand.
Curtain length and blind cords depend on the age of your child. Younger children should always have curtains no longer than the windowsill and no long pull cords for their safety.
In terms of beds, always buy the best mattress you can afford. Children's bones grow rapidly, and they need good support to prevent problems down the track. And if you come from a tall family, a king single is probably a good investment as their first bed, rather than a regular sized single bed.

For more decorating tips visit www.brightstarkids.com.au

Tips to make catching the school bus easier

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:15:00 +0000

Most back to school tips focus on the classroom, but if your child will be catching the bus to school then you need to plan for a few more things. Here's some great tips to make catching the school bus easier:

Timetable – Get the school bus timetable and highlight the times of the bus to catch (as well as the next bus after that in case they miss the first one).
Route – School buses often have slightly different routes than regular bus schedules, so find out the route the bus will take, and drive your child through the route. It's funny how little things like a bus turning left when you normally turn right can scare a child, so if they are prepared for the different route it will take they will be less concerned.
Bus stops – School bus drop off and pick up points may not be the same as regular bus routes. Talk to the bus company to find out the bus stops near you, and how much in advance they suggest your child reach the bus stop. This may seem self-explanatory, but the pick-up point is probably going to be on the opposite side of the road to the drop-off point. Talk to your child about this and where to cross the road safely. You also need to find out where the school pick-up point is and where your child needs to assemble to meet their bus in the afternoons.
Bus passes – Find out if you need an annual bus pass or to buy daily tickets. The best way to not have bus passes lost is to buy one of those pass holders that attach to the school bags. Emergency bus money in the bottom of the bag also doesn't go astray.
Emergencies – Work out what will happen if the bus doesn't arrive on time, or if your child misses the bus. Are they to walk home and call you or wait for the next bus? Make sure your child knows what to do in the case of emergencies.
Bullying – Unfortunately bullying by bigger kids of smaller kids on buses does happen. Listen to your child and if you have any concerns, talk to both the school and the school bus company.
Go with them – If possible, plan to go with your child on the school bus for the first few days, so they feel comfortable with all of the different rules, sounds and locations.

De-stress at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 22:03:00 +0000

December can be full of running around to different school performances, going from party to party as well as trying to fit in Christmas shopping (and finding new places to hide it from curious eyes at home). No wonder many parents end up less than jolly when the big man finally makes his way down the chimney.

Christmas is like a marathon, so we need to draw inspiration from the marathon runners and make sure we have a lot of little fuel stops along the way. It’s the little things that will make a difference to your stress levels.

Allow ½ hour between appointments to allow for the inevitable running late.
Shop early or late in the day. Crowds descend just after school starts or on weekends, so make the most of extended trading hours. It may sound silly – but when shopping at 2am you can always get a parking spot and the shops have a lot less push and shove!
Make a deal with a friend that they take your kids to school one morning and you take their kids the next. Get to the shops (& car parks) just before the doors open, enjoy a relaxing coffee before you start and avoid the crowds.
Pick up a few scented candles and regularly burn them during the day. It’s amazing how nice aroma in the air can help calm things down.
Stock up your fridge & freezer with pre-prepared meals. After a day racing around, cooking is the last thing on your mind. In December it’s more than OK to take a few shortcuts and eat a few more frozen meals, pre-prepared salads or baked beans on toast type meals.
Make the most of online shopping. Groceries, gifts and of course our wonderful Kids Labels & Wall Art can all be bought online, so you can shop in your PJ’s after the kids have gone to bed. Just make sure you check the delivery dates of things you are buying.
Take time to spoil yourself. You need to look after yourself before you can look after anyone else. Have a relaxing foot soak in warm water with a few tablespoons of Epsom Salts added while you are watching TV. Have a 15 minute neck & shoulder massage at the shopping centre or simply disappear into the bath with nice music and a good book.

Make Fun & Memorable Kids Christmas Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:10:00 +0000

It’s nearly that time of year again! Lights, tinsel, excitement and counting the numbers of sleeps until the guy in the red suit pops down the chimney.

One of the nicest ways you can share the joy of Christmas with friends and relatives, as well as creating lasting momentos, is to help your kids create their own Christmas Cards.

Our favourite card is the Rudolph card. All you need to do is trace around the foot of your child on some brown card and then cut it out. Have some fun doing a pile of hand prints with your child, and then cut out two hand prints before attaching them to the “toes”” end of the foot tracing, as antlers.

Have your child stick on two googly eyes (you can get them from craft shops or bargain stores), a red dot for the nose and draw on a smiling mouth to complete the card. On the back of the Rudolph card remember to write the name of the child and their age as well as your Christmas greeting.

We still have the Rudolph card made for us about 8 years ago ... and every year it comes out with the decorations and makes its way onto the fridge. It is lovely to see how the kids grow!

Another simple card your kids can help you make just takes 4 small green triangles of paper and a small brown rectangle (yes, you get to cut them out again). Have your child stick the rectangle down on the base of the card, and then stick the four triangles on top of each other to form the branches, slightly overlapping the triangles. They can then decorate their tree cards with star stickers and even dot seals to form the baubles.

Pop the cards into an envelope and finish the envelopes off with personalised dot seals. Lovely, creative and easy to make! What could be better?

Check out all the cute Christmas Labels that you can personalise with you and your families details

Track your child's height with Height Charts

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 01:54:00 +0000

Kids grow so quickly and before you know it they'll be taller than you. Use our cute range of Height Charts to track the height of your kids, only $39.95 each. These come in lots of different designs that will suit girls and boys of all ages. They work perfectly with the main Wall Sticker kits of each design.

See the entire range of Height Charts available!

Decorate Your Home with our Christmas Tree Wall Stickers

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:15:00 +0000

Make your own Christmas Tree with this cute and colourful Christmas sticker kit. It's a great space saver (perfect for apartments), no mess will be left behind (you won't find pine needles for months afterwards) and no-one will have any allergies with this Christmas tree.

You and your kids will have lots fun applying this Christmas Tree to your walls..it's quick and easy, plus if you make a mistake simply peel off and restick. It's also great value as you get all the ornaments with this one...saving you lots of time and money.

Buy your Christmas Tree online today

How to have a safe Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Label your Halloween Treats

Kids and adults alike can get caught up with the excitement of Halloween and can forget some basic safety tips. Here are a few ways for everyone to stay safe at Halloween:

Kids see the world differently to adults. To them the difference between pretend and real is almost non existent, so a Halloween prank of a person suddenly leaping out in a scary costume can create months of nightmares for a small person. Think before you act.
Help your child choose a Halloween costume that is easy to walk in, has eye holes that provide good vision and is easy to take off if they overheat or just want a break.
If carrying a prop such as a scythe, pitchfork or sword, make sure that the edges are rounded and if fallen on won’t cause damage (or poke someone’s eye out).
When you place your carved pumpkins with candles inside them, make sure to put them in places where they won’t accidently catch fire to passing costumes, curtains or bushes. You may want to consider battery powered candles if you are having children at your party.
Always send an adult along with the kids for Trick or Treating, to help keep them safe (and reduce the temptation for “tricks” that border on vandalism or bad behaviour).
Have each child wear a glowstick bracelet, or wear reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
Remind each child that no matter the temptation, they are not to eat any of the candy or treats they have collected until they have brought it home for you to check over first.
Keep all your pets locked inside during Halloween and during any parties - even the tamest pet can be spooked by Halloween costumes and bite. They can also be tempted to indulge in the Halloween treats and candy - and too much chocolate can be fatal to pets.
If the treats you hand out contains nuts you might like to label these so that kids with nut allergies will know not to eat them. Get some Multi Purpose Labels that you can put up to 5 lines of text.

Visit Bright Star Kids to get lots of ideas for Halloween with our Labels & Wall Stickers for Halloween

Decorating ideas for boys rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:21:00 +0000

Get decorating ideas for boys rooms is easy. First of all decide what theme your little boy will like, e.g. bright & colourful or calm & relaxing.

No matter which theme you've decided on, it's usually a good idea to create a blank canvas using white (or pale colour) paint for the walls. This will let small bedrooms appear larger and will last for years. You can give the room a theme by adding accessories that are easier to update and change.

The next thing is to pull the look together. Have a look through our photo gallery that show cool boys rooms and baby boy rooms, which should give you lots of inspiration. Then check out all the boys wall stickers available and choose a design.

The trains & cars work well for a minimal look, whilst the sky high wall stickers look fab in a more vintage themed room. And of course the jungle stickers are so cute for boys who love bright colours.

Once you've picked your favourite wall sticker kit, the next step is to pick out colours that match. Keeping your curtains and bedlinen to one or two colours will be the best way to make them last for years.

Here's some cute end results using our wall stickers to create cool boys rooms!

Visit www.brightstarkids.com.au to view the entire range of Boys Wall Stickers with prices starting at only $39.95 AUD per kit!

BrightStarKids Review Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:12:00 +0000

BrightStarKids Review Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bright Star Kids) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:11:00 +0000