It's on newsstands now, it's cool, it's hip, it's happening and it was worth the wait!!
We've been counting down the days till the new Shop 4 Kids goes on sale-and on Friday the 9th of Feb we harrassed our newsagent until they were delivered onto shelves for purchase.
It's a great read (definately the Baby's Got Style customers bible for style) and it's now coming out twice yearly (cover price $6.95).

Their cover line touts "252 Web buys; Shop while they sleep" (isn't that the best thing about online shopping? You can shop in peace without pleading for donuts/ice-creams/need to go to the toilet now mum etc etc), and yep- you guessed it...a few indeed are from our own stylish (and humble) shelves and racks!

So check it out style setters- it's a jam packed read full of fun finds.

We see lots of really unique baby names come through the Baby’s Got Style office on gift tags welcoming new arrivals and to be printed on personalised t-shirts and stationery. The trend towards more traditional, old English names is definitely going strong but the ongoing attraction towards unusual names is even stronger!
So how do you ensure your little one has a name that’s not going to have 13 children running towards you when you call their name in the park?
Here’s a few great sites we came across that make choosing a name for your baby fun!

www.babynamewizard.com – Go to the Baby Voyager for a statistical check of how popular the name you're considering is...it will tell you how many people (using US data) have that name per million babies. It also shows you how that name has fared in popularity over the years.

Baby’s Zone’s baby name inventor will give you a giggle- http://www.babyzone.com/babynames/nameinventor.asp
It “generates suggestions by statistically analyzing real baby names in our database, then creating new letter combinations”. Folatu anyone? How about Wnarnirt? Come here Yold and put your shoes on! Tndyonin, it’s time for bed!

www.yeahbaby.com - From its database of over 40,000 names it lets you search by gender, letter you would like the name to begin with, even the length of name! It also has a great section on names from other countries.


And here’s a tip we like from a friend. Mum and dad make a list each of names they like. They then swap lists and cross off the ones they definitely would not consider. No arguments! Afterwards bring the two lists together and put it somewhere safe to continue eliminating throughout pregnancy.

Happy naming!

It's a teenee bit of a secret but one that we're too excited to keep- yes you heard it here first...twilight turtle is coming! So many of you have been asking about including sweet Mr Twilight Turtle in our offerings from the clever sleep toy company Cloud B that we just had to place an order for some- and he's on his way!
Keep an eye out (his official arrival will be heralded in our email newsletter) in about a month...

So what's the fuss about? Well Twilight Turtle is a plush constellation nightlight that gently transforms nurseries and bedrooms into a starry night sky. From within his shell, Twilight Turtle projects a complete starry night sky onto the walls and ceiling of any room. Using three soothing colour options (green, blue and amber) each of which illuminates different brightness levels to create a tranquil environment.

He's also an interactive and educational toy as he projects 8 actual constellations within the star pattern. Using the accompanying star guide, parents can teach children about the night’s sky as they fall asleep.

So there you go! And if you haven't met his pals Sleep Sheep and Lavender Lab by now, we urge you to do so...they're all products that help babies and parents get a good nights sleep and that's ALWAYS a good thing!

We're feeling a bit sheepish as we realised today we have been so busy sending out all your fabulous christmas orders- we have forgotten to keep you up to date on the world of the Style Baby!
Please accept our apologies for the gap between posts...its tough being santa's little helpers!

Here's a lovely pic of Brooke Shields and sweet daughter Grier (7 months old). Check our Grier's socks- they're Trumpette pixies!!

You can buy a sweet boxed set of assorted colours x 6 pairs for $39.95.
Make them yours now by jumping straight onto the checkout here...

Made famous by Sex and the City (Carrie and Miranda devoured these cute iced treats in one episode while sitting outside the bakery window), Magnolia Bakery in New York City (401 Bleeker st at 11th for those of you heading that way!) is reputed to churn out the best cupcakes in the whole of NYC!

Anyone up for a bit of baking? If so, here's the original Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcake recipe. Ideal for birthday parties (though you may want to go easy on the icing for the kids...classic Magnolia cupcakes are loaded with the stuff!), picnics or just as an afternoon treat for mum- they're a good excuse as any to eat a cupcake (like you needed an excuse!).

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Ice the cupcakes with Vanilla

Buttercream icing (recipe follows)
Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


In Australia try My Little Cupcake (Ben Boyd Rd, Neutral Bay, Sydney) www.mylittlecupcake.com.au
or Cupcakes on Pitt (Pitt St, Sydney) www.cupcakesonline.com.au