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Tag: Doll house

WIN: These are a few of Ella’s favourite things (valued $275)
Princess Ella excited about her “favourite things''.

WE’RE doing it Mary Poppins-style with a little giveaway we’re calling These Are A Few Of Ella’s Favourite Things. Mainly, it’s things Princess Ella has loved that brands have sent through. Yes, she is one spoilt little princess. Come her birthday, she’s going to be a little blasé about the gifts we’ve given her.

Among the products Ella is loving are the Tiger Tribe Boxset Beach Villa from Cadootje and Tiger Tribe, a Hallmark Recordable Storybook of Winnie the Pooh, Stephen Joseph Gifts accessories, Rhys Muldoon’s latest album and Teddy Rock’s new CD and DVD.

Tiger Tribe Boxset Beach Villa

With her love of doll’s houses already evident, Ella’s eyes lit up when she spotted the Tiger Tribe Wooden B0xset Villa with summer approaching, this one is going to come in particularly handy when travelling.

This ingenious two-storey beach house, aimed at the 3+ age group, packs away into its own box making it portable and compact. It’s stylish and wonderfully designed using eco-friendly birch plywood. Ella was particularly taken with the art work, including crabs, waves, decks and little windows.

It also comes with a host of accessories. The boy and girl (dubbed Jackie and Wacky by Ella) are made using wood and bendable rope arms and legs. Rope is also used to easily fasten the box shut. Plywood and felt are combined for items like the wind surfer, beach umbrella and sun lounges, which add to the painted wooden kitchen, bedroom dresser and bed. It certainly has one little girl – and her mum’s – imaginations running wild.

The only downside for us is some parts being a choking hazard for Baby Holly. Overall, I’m incredibly impressed and quite keen to check out the other box sets and box extensions.

Favourite part: Sunnies and hat-wearing girl and boy, now named Jackie and Wacky. Valued at: $59.95.

You can find more about Cadootje on Facebookor Tiger Tribe at www.tigertribe.com.au and Facebook.

Hallmark Recordable Storybook

Since The Bloke in The Shed has taken on his new job, it means he’s more often missing out on one of our favourite parts of the day – bedtime books. However, we’ve now found a way for the two li’l princesses to not miss out on hearing their dad read to them. It’s our Hallmark Recordable Storybook.

We were given a copy of Winnie the Pooh’s Plan Bee: A Story about Friendship. I would have been more than happy to keep the calming demo voice and beautiful background music already programmed into the book. However, the opportunity to record our voice reading it was too great to pass up.

I’m particularly taken with the illustrations which, as is typical of all Disney releases, are beautifully done. The hardcover book also features a wonderful message about friendship and what it takes to be a good friend as Pooh goes about trying to be a bee.

While each page is recorded separately, the downside is Ella changing the pages too soon during reading and cutting off the recording. This means we have to start from the beginning for that particular page.

Favourite part: Ella said it was when Pooh endeavours to fly (although, she didn’t use the word “endeavours’’ obviously). Retails for $34.99

You can purchase the book, and the other titles such as Lightning McQueen and his Winning Team, via Hallmark Australia www.store.hallmarkcards.com.au, with all orders shipped out within 48 hours.

Stephen Joseph Gifts:

Each day Ella changes the message on her new rewritable door hanger on her bedroom door. Some days it says “good morning’’ and others “stay out’’. I might add these are merely just a series of random letters and squiggles, but she assures me that’s what it says.

The door hanger is from Stephen Joseph Gifts, featuring colourful children’s accessories for children aged two to eight. She also received a beautiful drawing pad with crayons, a turtle Go-Go purse and matching coin purse.

This is a seriously cute range, with high quality and, most importantly, safe products. The accessories also come in a number of coordinating designs, so you can mix and match to your heart’s desire. They include butterflies, ladybugs, robots and trains.

The purse has been a lovely place to put the $2 coins her Nan keeps giving her. It fits snugly inside the bag, which was perfect for her to take to a wedding we attended two weeks ago. The ladybug notepad with crayons helped during the long, boring trip south to that same wedding.

Stephen Joseph Gifts includes backpacks, lunch bags, stainless steel drink bottles, photo frames, raincoats, handbags and sunglasses. I’m so taken with the designs behind the gift ideas, I’m already eyeing off quite a few items for Christmas.

Fave part: Door hanger she can write messages on and rub out daily. If only we knew what those messages were. Pack retails for $77.85.

You can find more and buy Stephen Joseph Gifts at www.stephenjosephgifts.com and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Rhys Muldoon and Teddy Rock CDs and DVD:

Despite my favourite CDs collecting dust, I’m still pushing for the princesses to listen to a variety of genres – even if it is still all kid based. So the past week we’ve swapped our pretty pop music for down and dirty rock courtesy of Play School favourite Rhys Muldoon’s I’m Not Singing and Teddy Rock’s Nursery-wave Party!

I’m Not Singing is TISM meets Play School. Start with Kram from Spiderbait as your co-writer/producer, add guest vocalist Tex Perkins, some tongue-in-cheek lyrics and yep, Rhys’ album ain’t for the faint hearted. Except that Ella loves it – every head-banging moment. She’s lured by the silliness, catchy tunes and mention of… bodily noises. Along with punk-style Footy Dad, her favourite is the rockin’ Bob the Bear, with the well chanted line “who, who, who did a poo?’’. The Bloke in The Shed is likely to be listening to this one even without the girls in the car.

Teddy Rock is kids’ music with the cool factor. Expect nursery rhyme favourites like This Old Man and Twinkle, Twinkle turned up a notch with Buzz, Belle and Bop. We were given the 24-track CD and 18-track DVD to review and were taken with the rockin’ Incy Wincy Spider. It’s the same old lyrics, but the tune is just a little hardcore. I should have broken out the leather jacket for Ella. While both albums caused plenty of laughter, beware: they are best enjoyed in small doses.

Favourite part: Ella just can’t get past the “who, who, who did a poo?’’ lyrics from Rhys’ Bob The Bear track, especially right after Baby Holly has done her business. CDs retail for $19.99 and DVD $27.99.

Learn more about I’m Not Singing at www.abcmusic.com.au and follow Rhys on Facebook. Learn more about Teddy Rock at www.teddyrock.com

To go in the draw to win a Tiger Tribe Boxset Beach Villa, a Hallmartk Recordable Storybook, Stephen Joseph Gifts pack (drawing pad, handbag, door hanger and kids tote), Rhys Muldoon’s album I’m Not Singing and Teddy Rock’s Nursery-wave Party! CD and DVD OR the runner-up prize of a Hallmark Recordable Storybook, leave a comment telling us what are some of your child’s favourite things. The giveaway closes Monday, October 17 at 7pm and a winner will be drawn randomly and announced on this blog and via Facebook and Twitter. Australian residents only. Limit of three entries.

Want extra entries? Then here’s how you can up your chances in the draw. Each task is worth one extra entry, but must be included as a separate comment (or it won’t count).
1. Click the Facebook button below and share this giveaway with your Facebook friends. Then leave a separate comment saying something along the lines of “I’ve shared this on Facebook’’.
2. Click the Twitter button below and share this giveaway with your Twitter followers (Twitter handle is @ThreeLil). Then leave a separate comment saying something along the lines of “I’ve shared this on Twitter’’.
**DISCLAIMER: I received review copies of all of the above. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

Hosted by Three Lil Princesses
September 19, 2011
How to make Harvey Norman-worthy furniture for your doll house
I KNOW that you’ve all been waiting for the follow up post to the grand doll house. You know, the one where I promised the equally grand doll furniture? Well, the wait is over. Brace yourselves – this post features furniture that even Harvey Norman would be happy to house. Prices will never be slashes on these little beauties.

Before unveiling the wonderful individual creations we made yesterday, there are a few things I know I learnt and want to share.
- I know I forgot an oven. Maybe it was a subconscious thing, because cooking dinner conjures up images of witching / arsenic / feral hour.
- I know that while you left beautiful comments on the grand doll house post (for which I was very grateful), you were surely humouring me when you said you liked the beer carton version. Right?
- I know I have a creative daughter. Despite being quite ill yesterday and wanting to just watch mummy make the furniture for her to play with, she did manage to make a car – unprompted and without assistance.
- I know this project would have been great for product placement. Now there’s an idea for brands!
So, I know that about now you’re itching to find out how to make the furniture. So here goes:
- Take an egg carton and a used toilet roll
- Cut out two of the cups from the egg carton and cover in coloured paper to make chairs. Cut the toilet roll in half and glue to a circle to make a table. We used a piece of foam from a craft bucket.
- Take a rectangle box (see the product placement photo) and open one end so the flaps become a bed head and bedside drawers. Cover with a piece of decorated paper for a bedspread. Fold paper over a straight piece of egg carton for a pillow.
- Take another rectangle box.
- Cover it in paper and draw on a sink, taps, cupboards and drawers.
- Use a Kinder Surprise toy container for a… loo. Yes, we don’t have an oven, but we have a dunny. And it’s in the bedroom. Let’s hope bowel movements happen in the mornings.
- Positioned right where people can see through the window. Classy.
- Assemble it all into the house and… ta da! Fit for a princess… who probably just wants to curl up in the bed right now and sleep. Poor little girl.
Does your child have a doll house – made or bought? Or maybe one of those cool two-storey car parks with a ramp?

SPONSOR
August 26, 2011
How to make a doll house from a cardboard box (take 2)
I KNOW sometimes you post an innocent little doll’s house made from a cardboard box on your blog and it becomes one of your blog’s most searched items via Google. I know that I’m really wishing I hadn’t actually made that doll’s house out of a … beer carton. Yes, there’s been some hugely disappointed Google searchers land on that post.

So, finally, I’ve found some time to upgrade the doll family from its humble abode into a nicer and bigger home – this time via a much classier postal box. Which, quite frankly could have been used to send off a parcel and save me money. But anyway, Google takes precedence.

So, if you came to this blog looking for a doll’s house made out of a cardboard box, here it is:

If you want to see the old one, then make sure you’re sitting down before you check it out. There’s some nudie action happening over there.

Anyhow, here’s what I know about building a grand doll’s house fit for a princess (as opposed to a bogan, as the beer carton house was):
- Take a Bx4 postal box (430mm x 305mm x 140mm) cardboard box.
- Take blank sheets of paper, a ruler and pencil and draw lines horizontally across each. Then make vertical lines between them to make bricks (see photo). Glue these to the entire outside surface of the box.
- Cut a door into the front of the box and draw, then cut out, a window.
During the weekend, we’ll be attempting to make some furniture for the Little Princess who has taken up residence in the grand doll’s house.

Do your children play with boxes? What have you made together?

I’m linking up with Yay for Home as part of Things I Know.
August 19, 2011
CRAFT: How to make a doll’s house
Ella, Dino and the doll's house

PRINCESS Ella and I made and painted a doll’s house yesterday… out of a beer carton! Hmm, not sure that’s sending a good message to Ella. Not unless you add a doll’s house dog kennel made from a cigarette packet. Note: Neither of us smoke. And I’m so much classier than beer… sometimes!

Ella and I took to the craft drawers again, because the budget didn’t quite stretch far enough to include a grand three-storey doll’s house for the now dreaded October to December Birthday-Christmas period that will forever overwhelm us. We are now accepting donations for the annual Help Save the O’Brien Family From End of Year Financial Ruin!

But anyway, back to the doll’s house. Apart from the second floor sagging, the paint scheme including a wonderful mix of a brown roof with pink walls (Ella’s choice) and it having no windows, it looks a treat.

Sort of. Actually, truth be told, I’ve refrained from photographing it up close because, well, it looks like something from UglyHomes.com. There’s a reason Rome wasn’t built in a day, because it would have looked like this otherwise. It’s certainly not up to Barbie’s usual standards.

Although, judging by this photo, Barbie clearly doesn’t have standards.

The main thing was we had a great time and it’s now her favourite “toy’’. Why do we bother spending a few hundred dollars on a grand whizz-bang kitchen when she can have a beer carton doll’s house?

Here’s how we made it:
1. Take a cardboard box (preferably not one that’s housed alcohol) and cut away any flaps.
2. Cut a piece of cardboard that’s the same depth as the box and 4cms wider at the sides. Fold 2cms down at each side and slide it into the middle of the box and glue or sticky tape it in to make a “second floor’’.
3. Cut a piece of card the same width as the box and with enough length so when it’s folded in half it makes a triangle roof. Glue or sticky tape this to the top of the box. Then cut out triangles for the ends of the roof and glue these on.
4. Paint the roof and walls of the exterior (preferably the same colour, unless you have a child who’s not afraid to experiment). Add “brick work” with a black texta.
5. Either paint the interior walls or create your own wall paper and glue in. We used old paintings and drawings Ella had done that were originally destined for the bin.
6. Use scraps of material or further art work for carpet and glue down.
7. Get out your child’s favourite dolls and teddies and start playing.
8. Now to make some furniture… That post’s to come.
What’s your child’s favourite toy?

NOTE: A much grander version of this doll’s house has since been made.
May 5, 2011